[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Page 17609]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  SENATE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE REPORT

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, at noon today, the Senate Intelligence 
Committee released a report that proved evidence of two things: first, 
the Bush administration's case for war in Iraq was fundamentally 
misleading and deceptive and not supported by the underlying 
intelligence; second, the Republican-controlled Senate Intelligence 
Committee continues to put the political interests of the Bush White 
House ahead of the security of the American people.
  According to today's report, the Bush administration desperately 
sought to prove a link between Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden in 
order to shore up public assertions being made by the President, the 
Vice President, the Secretary of Defense, and other senior 
administration officials. But from this report which was made public 
today, at noon, we know these assertions directly contradicted the best 
assessments of our intelligence experts. In short, the facts were not 
there to show any connection between Osama bin Laden and Saddam 
Hussein.
  It is clear: The administration knew or should have known it was 
misleading America in its effort to make the case for a war in Iraq.
  Just as significant, today's report shows America what you get with a 
Republican-led Congress. What do you get? You get the White House 
refusing to declassify information. And you find that in this report. 
You find that the White House refuses to declassify information that 
would embarrass them 2 months before a midterm election. And you get a 
Republican-led committee that is perfectly willing to bow down to the 
White House and keep the American people in the dark about its mistakes 
and its distortions.
  Nearly 4 years since the war started in Iraq, 2\1/2\ years after the 
Republican chairman of the Intelligence Committee was pressured into 
starting this investigation, and nearly a year after Democrats sent the 
Senate into closed session to discuss the Republicans' stonewalling, 60 
percent of the Intelligence Committee's investigation still is 
unfinished, and questions as to how and why the administration 
exaggerated and cherry-picked intelligence to sell its case for war 
remain unanswered.
  These are critically, crucially important questions for our troops 
and our security. Authorizing the use of force and placing our citizens 
in harm's way is the most significant vote a Member of Congress can 
make, and it is essential we understand how this administration skewed 
that decision in the runup to the war in Iraq so we can take the steps 
necessary to ensure these abuses are never repeated. That is why you 
have to complete the work of the Intelligence Committee.
  With 140,000 American troops serving bravely in the middle of a civil 
war in Iraq, bin Laden still at large, and a growing threat posed by 
North Korea and Iran, it is long past time this rubberstamping 
Republican Congress stood up to the Bush administration and did its 
job, did its job of being a separate and equal branch of Government.
  The problem during the 6 years of President Bush's administration is 
that the Constitution has not been what it should be, not the checks 
and balances, not three separate, equal branches of Government. It is 
no mystery why there have been no vetoes--because the President has 
gotten everything he has wanted, with the exception of stem cell. Other 
than that, the Republican Congress has given him everything he has 
wanted.
  We have had no congressional oversight. We have had committees not 
doing their work, as indicated by the Intelligence Committee today.
  I do extend my congratulations to the entire committee. They do very 
valuable work for this country in dealing with the most sensitive 
issues America has to deal with; that is, intelligence operations of 
this country. I am glad we have gotten 40 percent of the work that has 
been so long overdue. I look forward, in the weeks ahead, to getting 
the remaining 60 percent. I doubt it will happen before the elections, 
but it should.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will please call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Warner). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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