[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 16]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 21379]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




HOUSE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE MARK-UP OF H. RES. 375, H. RES. 
                          408, AND H. RES. 419

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 27, 2005

  Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I want to express my support 
for H. Res. 375, as well as H. Res. 408 and H. Res. 419, all requesting 
information from the Administration regarding plans and communication 
leading up to the war in Iraq, as well as requesting information 
regarding the leak of CIA Agent Valerie Plame's name to the media. 
These resolutions highlight a disturbing trend within the Bush 
Administration to hide critical information from Congress and the 
American people. The President owes Americans the truth, especially 
when it involves the lives of our sons and daughters.
  Like so many of my colleagues, and so many of my constituents in the 
4th District of Minnesota, I was profoundly disturbed when I learned of 
the so-called Downing Street Memo in May 2005. This document details 
minutes of a July 2002 meeting between British Prime Minister Tony 
Blair and his cabinet. The minutes of the meeting indicate that British 
officials believed President Bush had already decided to pursue war 
with Iraq. The minutes further appear to indicate that the Bush 
Administration was intentionally distorting intelligence information to 
justify the case for invading Iraq.
  Concern by Congress and the American people regarding the Downing 
Street Memo have escalated since first reported. Earlier this year, 
over ninety Members of the House sent a letter to President Bush 
requesting a full accounting of these allegations. The President has 
yet to respond to this letter. However, the British government has not 
disputed the authenticity of the Downing Street Memo, and a former 
senior Bush Administration official has confirmed the accuracy of this 
account to the press. The failure of the Administration to address 
these concerns and to adequately investigate the leak of an undercover 
CIA agent's name to the media is obstructionist. This is a meter of 
accountability and transparency, and I support all three of these 
resolutions.
  While all Americans stand united in support of our troops, President 
Bush has offered no plan for success in Iraq. In fact, most Americans 
now agree that the President's complete mishandling of the war in Iraq 
has transformed Iraq into a terrorist haven and made our own nation 
less safe. As a member of the minority party in Congress, I will 
continue to hold the Bush Administration accountable for the flawed and 
dangerous policy in Iraq.
  H. Res. 375, H. Res. 408, and H. Res. 419 should be favorably 
reported out of the House International Relations Committee, and the 
citizens of this country should finally be told the truth by this 
Administration.

                          ____________________