[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 18]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 23791-23792]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    COMMENDING THE IRAQ STUDY GROUP

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. FRANK R. WOLF

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, December 7, 2006

  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commend the members of the Iraq 
Study Group and to thank them for their dedication and service to our 
country.
  I have been to Iraq three times, the first two times without military 
escort. I traveled all over the country. Upon my return I called for 
the creation of a high level, bipartisan panel to take an honest 
assessment of the situation in Iraq. To look forward, not back, and to 
report its findings to the American people.
  On March 15, this bipartisan Iraq Study Group was established with 
co-chairmen former Secretary of State James Baker and former 
Congressman Lee Hamilton, who co-chaired the 9/11 Commission, leading 
the 10-member panel--five Democrats and five Republicans. Because of 
the importance of their task in finding consensus on assessing the way 
forward in Iraq, at that time, I said it was important to have as 
members of the group people who loved their country more than their 
political party.
  The group undertook a serious, bipartisan, forward-looking assessment 
of the current and prospective situation on the ground in Iraq and its 
impact on the surrounding region, and its consequences on U.S. 
interests. It focused on political, military, security and 
reconstruction in Iraq.
  In addition to co-chairs, the study group members were former U.S. 
Attorney General Ed Meese, former Clinton Administration adviser Vernon 
Jordan, former Clinton Administration chief of staff Leon Panetta, 
former Defense Secretary William Perry, former Virginia

[[Page 23792]]

Senator Chuck Robb, former Wyoming Senator Alan Simpson, former Supreme 
Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and former Secretary of State 
Lawrence Eagleburger. The group traveled to Iraq, and met with hundreds 
of experts.
  Yesterday the Iraq Study Group released its much anticipated report 
on how we as a country can come together and move forward on Iraq. The 
report is a tough assessment of the current situation in Iraq and a 
blueprint for moving forward. Not everyone will agree with every 
recommendation contained in the report, but it should be given full 
consideration by the administration, the Congress, and equally 
important, the American people. Rarely do we see a report that has the 
full consensus of such distinguished Americans, men and women of 
honesty and integrity. I thank them for their service and a job well 
done.
  I also would like to thank members of my staff who worked on this 
issue including Christine Kojac and Mike Ringler of the Science-State-
Justice-Commerce appropriations subcommittee, and Janet Shaffron and 
Samantha Stockman of my personal staff. A special thanks goes to my 
chief of staff, Dan Scandling, who accompanied me on my trips to Iraq 
and served as photographer and writer for the trip reports.

                          ____________________