Congress

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You can read or watch the hearing testimony by visiting:
http://woolsey.house.gov/bringttroopshome.asp

Read Speeches from Sept. 15 Rally:
Ellen Barfield, Gene Bruskin, Jawaid Khan, Erik Leaver, J.E. McNeil, Tom Hayden, Kevin Zeese

PHOTOS.

by Arianna Huffington
The Huffington Post

I'm now hearing that the investigation may be inching closer to never-confirmed UN Ambassador John Bolton.

According to two sources, Bolton's former chief of staff, Fred Fleitz, was at least one of the sources of the classified information about Valerie Plame that flowed through the Bush administration and eventually made its way into Bob Novak's now infamous column.

After delving into Fleitz, I can safely report that he is, at a minimum, a very interesting character.
He is a career CIA agent who Bolton handpicked to join him at Foggy Bottom, having gotten to know him during the administration of the first President Bush. While working as Bolton's top aide, Fleitz also continued his work in the CIA's WINPAC division, the group responsible for some of the worst prewar intelligence on Iraq (for instance, they were, among other things, big fans of Curveball and had "high confidence" in the presence of WMD in Iraq).

Hinchey Leads Broad Congressional Coalition
Calling For Expansion Of Plame Name Leak Investigation

Forty-One Members Of Congress Ask Special Prosecutor Fitzgerald To Examine
Bush Administration's False Uranium Claims That Led To
Disclosure Of CIA Operative's Identity To Determine If Additional Federal Laws Were Broken

Washington, DC -- Troubled by what they see as violations of federal law that prohibit making false and fraudulent statements to Congress, Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) and 40 of his House colleagues today sent a letter to U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald asking that he expand his investigation of who in the Bush Administration revealed to the news media that Valerie Plame, the wife of Ambassador Joseph Wilson, was a covert agent for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Hinchey and his colleagues urged Fitzgerald, who was designated as special prosecutor for the case, to examine the causes behind the exposure of Plame's identity -- specifically, the Bush Administration's false and fraudulent claims in January 2003 that Iraq had sought uranium for a nuclear weapon, which the Administration used as one of the key grounds to justify the invasion of Iraq.

LINK TO ORIGINAL

For Immediate Release
September 15, 2005

Hinchey Leads Broad Congressional Coalition
Calling For Expansion Of Plame Name Leak Investigation

Forty-One Members Of Congress Ask Special Prosecutor Fitzgerald To Examine
Bush Administration's False Uranium Claims That Led To Disclosure Of CIA Operative's Identity To Determine If Additional Federal Laws Were Broken

Washington, D.C. - Troubled by what they see as violations of federal law that prohibit making false and fraudulent statements to Congress, Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) and 40 of his House colleagues today sent a letter to U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald asking that he expand his investigation of who in the Bush Administration revealed to the news media that Valerie Plame, the wife of Ambassador Joseph Wilson, was a covert agent for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Hinchey and his colleagues urged Fitzgerald, who was designated as special prosecutor for the case, to examine the causes behind the exposure of Plame's identity -- specifically, the Bush Administration's false and fraudulent claims in January 2003 that Iraq had sought uranium for a nuclear weapon, which the Administration used as one of the key grounds to justify the invasion of Iraq.

LINK TO ORIGINAL

By Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-NY)

On a day when more than 150 people were killed in Iraq, the White House was given a free pass to continue hiding information in regard to the Downing Street Memo.

The Memo, which was leaked to reporters a few months ago, outlines the specific concerns the British government has in regard to the post-Iraq planning of the United States.

The tragedy is that the American public will never know what really happened because this decision was made during a meeting of the International Relations Committee when members voted along largely partisan lines to kill three pieces of legislation that would have required the White House to release the documents that led to the Downing Street Memo.

LINK TO ORIGINAL

by Steve Cobble

The International Relations Committee staff was busy counting up a tie vote when one of the well-trained white male cadre that make up the Republicans in the U.S. House walked in late through the door.

"There's our vote," one of his homeboys shouted.

And in the time-honored reaction of conservatives everywhere, the latecomer shouted out "I vote no."

Except that he was supposed to vote "yes," because the motion was to kill Rep.

Barbara Lee's valiant effort to force out into the open the executive branch documents related to the Downing Street Memo.

The hearing will be taped gavel-to-gavel by C-Span and broadcast during primetime Thursday evening. And there will be a live video link on http://www.woolsey.house.gov

Click where it says: Woolsey Forum "How to Bring the Troops Home". Live Webcast 10:00 A.M. ET - 1:00 P.M. ET.

HRes 375--A Litmus Test For Congress.
Submitted by Tony (not verified) on Wed, 2005-09-14 01:51.

The below was sent to the House Judiciary Committee and other representatives to let them know their vote will show just what they are made of, and whether we should keep or discard them in the elections of 2006.

HRes 375—A Litmus Test For Congress
House Resolution 375 provides a clear cut choice between right and wrong. It seeks to investigate, based on strong evidence and probable cause, whether or not our leaders lied and duped us into going to war with Iraq. If some congress members dimly think “the world will little note or long remember

September 13, 2005
Top Democrat calls for troop withdrawal from Iraq
By Rick Maze
Times staff writer

The Senate’s senior Democrat called Tuesday for the Bush administration to withdraw the military from Iraq to focus on domestic needs such as hurricane relief.
“Sometimes, it takes a catastrophe to put events into perspective, to shake us and sharpen our clarity of vision,

There are now 81 Co-Sponsors of H Res 375, including these new ones:
Richie Neal, Jay Inslee, Allan Mollahan, Rob Andrews, Shelley Berkley.

Several Democrats, including Lantos, spoke in support of H Res 375 (82 cosponsors), as did one Republican, Leach. Hyde put the vote off until 2 p.m. ET.
Debate shifted to a very similar resolution from Rep. Hinchey (H Res 408) (0 cosponsors), and so continued to focus on the Downing Street Minutes.
At 12:25, Hyde shifted the debate to H Res 419 (20 cosponsors), Rep. Holt's Resolution of Inquiry into the exposure of Valerie Plame's identity.
At 12:39 Rep. Barbara Lee spoke about the erosion of democracy and about the obligation of a committee that authorized war to provide the public with the reasons the nation went to war, the reasons our resources (over $300 billion)were spent on that war and unavailable for this country.
At 12:45 Hyde recessed until 2 p.m., at which time the committee will vote on all three resolutions.
Hyde noted that two members are absent: Royce and Payne (a likely no and yes vote, respectively).
They voted at 2 p.m. and we lost by 1 vote, with a few members of each party absent, one Republican (Leach) voting with all the Dems, and one Republican (Paul) voting "present." We came very close, created a debate, and actually saw the Democrats unite and stand for something.
On to the next one!

CONYERS RELEASE: 4 U.S. House Comms to Vote on Resolutions Demanding Answers on Rove/Plame 'TreasonGate'!

Debates, Votes to be Broadcast Live on the Net

Announcing that it is "time for Congress to exercise its duty to oversee the Executive Branch," the ranking minority member of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, Rep. John Conyers has just released a press statement announcing that four different U.S. House Committees will be voting on resolutions within the next week to request information on the outing of covert CIA operative, Valerie Plame.

Conyers describes the issue as a matter of "criminal and ethical misconduct" done "for political reasons, to retaliate against the operative's husband for successfully challenging the President's claim that Iraq had sought nuclear materials in Africa."

Listen In as Congressional Republicans are Forced to Address Rove's Plame Leak
by Congressman John Conyers [Subscribe]
Tue Sep 13th, 2005 at 14:58:13 PDT

Starting tomorrow and stretching through next week, 4 House Committees are expected to vote on resolutions addressing the Valerie Plame leak. Specifically, these resolutions demand information from the Bush Administration on the outing of Valerie Plame in apparent retaliation for Ambassador Wilson's truth telling concerning weapons of mass destruction. The Bush Administration refuses to police itself in the midst of criminal and ethical misconduct and it is time for Congress to exercise its duty to oversee the Executive Branch. Many of these markups will be broadcast live on the Internet. The following are links to the Committee webcasts:

NEWS from CONGRESSWOMAN LYNN WOOLSEY
6th District, California
For Information Contact:
Susannah Cernojevich (202) 225-5187

WOOLSEY CALLS ON CONGRESS TO PLAN HOW TO BRING TROOPS HOME

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Representative Lynn Woolsey (D-Petaluma) is calling on Members of Congress and the President to work together to bring U.S. troops home from Iraq, while helping the Iraqis regain control over their country and their future.

What: Bipartisan Congressional Hearing on How to Bring the Troops Home

When: Thursday, September 15, 2005
10:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Press Release from Congresswoman Barbara Lee
Ninth Congressional District of California
U.S. House of Representatives
PRESS ADVISORY

Congress to Debate "Fixed" Pre-War Intelligence
House Panel Will Vote on Lee Resolution on the "Downing Street Memo"

For more information, contact: Nate Wilkes
(216) 496-3574

Walter Cronkite, Rep. Kucinich discuss Dept. of Peace & Non Violence
Legendary journalist supports Kucinich's efforts

WASHINGTON, DC - Legendary journalist and broadcast anchor Walter Cronkite
will join Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) in a discussion about the
creation of a cabinet level Department of Peace at The Ronald Regan
Building, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. on Monday, September 12, 2005 at 7:30 p.m.

Cronkite, who had written about a Department of Peace last year for King
Features Syndicate, will join Kucinich on Monday, a few days before the

Co-sponsors of the Resolution of Inquiry into Bush's lies about the reasons for war now include these 67 and these three brand new ones: Congressman Bob Menendez, Congressman Ben Cardin, and Congresswoman Julia Carson. That makes 70.

Now is the time to act to increase that number! Send this letter to all your friends!

t r u t h o u t | Press Release
Friday 09 September 2005

Senator Russ Feingold has called on the President to issue a flexible timeframe for the completion of the military mission in Iraq and has suggested December 31, 2006 as a target date for returning American troops home from Iraq. In discussing his proposal, he has been debunking several myths about US policy in Iraq.

Myth #1: There are only two options for the US in Iraq: 'stay the course' or 'cut and run.'

Senator Feingold: "This is a false choice offered by the President. The course we are on in Iraq is not sustainable, nor is it making the US more secure. At the same time, I am not in the "cut and run" or "immediate withdrawal" camp, nor do I propose a hard deadline for troop withdrawal, regardless of conditions on the ground. I believe that our military still has a mission to complete but the President needs to make clear what the mission is, and what our plan to get the job done is. We can't hold ourselves accountable for getting our troops the support they need to get the job done if we never clearly define where we are going, or when we plan to get there, in the first place."

There are now 65 cosponsors of H Res 375, the Resolution of Inquiry into Bush's lies. It will be voted on in committee September 14th. Contact your Congress Member NOW!
Email Your Congress Member.
Phone and Fax Your Congress Member. Or call switchboard tollfree at (888) 818-6641.
Fill out feedback form.
More Info.

MAKE THAT 66: Add Rep. Betty McCullum (D-MN)!

FULL COMMITTEE MEETING NOTICE
Committee on International Relations
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515-0128
September 7, 2005

TO: MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

You are respectfully requested to attend an OPEN markup of the Committee on International Relations, to be held in Room 2172, Rayburn House Office Building:

DATE: Wednesday, September 14, 2005

TIME: 10:30 a.m.

MARKUP OF: H. Res. 375, Requesting the President and directing the Secretary of State to transmit to the House of Representatives not later than 14 days after the date of the adoption of this resolution all information in the possession of the President and the Secretary of State relating to communication with officials of the United Kingdom between January 1, 2002, and October 16, 2002, relating to the policy of the United States with respect to Iraq;

Congressman John Conyers, Jr.
Michigan, 14th District
Ranking Member, U.S. House Judiciary Committee
Dean, Congressional Black Caucus
www.house.gov/judiciary_democrats/index.html

Conyers Decries White House Attempts to Evade Accountability

Requests Nonpartisan Legal Assessment of Hurricane Katrina Responsibilities

Congressman John Conyers, Jr., Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee sent the following letter today to the Congressional Research Service to review the law and legal requests pertaining to Hurricane Katrina:

September 7, 2005

Ms. Elizabeth Bazan

Dems Assail White House on Katrina Effort
Sep 07 12:52 PM US/Eastern
By JENNIFER LOVEN and DAVID ESPO
Associated Press Writers
WASHINGTON

(Editor's note: "Deny and Lie" seems to be this administrations motto. Deny Iraq is heading towards Civil War; Deny the incompetent war planning; and deny incompetent rescue operations in New Orleans. Then lie, lie, lie--weapons of mass destruction, "last throes of insurgency..." and now: "Those that stayed in New Orleans chose to stay and FEMA did nothing wrong.")

Congress' top two Democrats furiously criticized the administration's response to Hurricane Katrina on Wednesday, with Sen. Harry Reid demanding to know whether President Bush's Texas vacation impeded relief efforts and Rep. Nancy Pelosi assailing the chief executive as "oblivious, in denial" about the difficulties.

Congressman John Conyers, Jr.
Michigan, 14th District
Ranking Member, U.S. House Judiciary Committee
Dean, Congressional Black Caucus
www.house.gov/judiciary_democrats/index.html

Contact: Dena Graziano, 202-226-6888
September 7, 2005

Conyers and 32 Other Members to Introduce Anti- Price Gouging Bill

Cosponsors Include Members of the Affected Mississippi and Louisiana Delegation

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman John Conyers, Jr., Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee issued the following statement regarding the introduction of the "Anti-Price Gouging Act of 2005," legislation that makes price gouging during a time of a national disaster a federal crime. Currently, the bill has been cosponsored by Representatives Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, Linda Sanchez, Jerrold Nadler, Martin Meehan, Sheila Jackson Lee, Bennie Thompson, William Jefferson, Adam Schiff, Joe Crowley, William Delahunt, Zoe Lofgren, Gene Taylor, Chris Van Hollen, Diane Watson, Bobby Scott, Ed Case, Bernie Sanders, Mike Capuano, Dennis Kucinich, Bob Filner, Dan Boren, Jim McDermott, George Miller, John Larson, Al Green, Julia Carson, Carolyn Kilpatrick, Carolyn Maloney, Emanuel Cleaver, Barbara Lee, Betty McCollum, Anthony Weiner.

By Congressman John Conyers
http://www.conyersblog.us

I thought you might be interested in a radio story I appeared in today on KPFK discussing the Downing Street Minutes.

Click here for the radio segment

http://www.conyersblog.us

Some time back, we posted this account from Iraq War Vet John Bruhns. It's still important.

But we never posted this link to a video of Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur reading the same account on the floor of the House of Representatives. Check it out!

Brian Baird (D-WA) and Anna Eshoo (D-CA) signed on today. What about YOUR Congress Member? Please ask them now!

Written by Kevin Zeese
Tuesday, 06 September 2005
Interview with Dennis Kucinich

Dennis Kucinich, along with fellow Democrat Neil Abercrombie (D-HI) and Republicans Walter Jones (R-NC) and Ron Paul (R-TX), introduced the first bi-partisan bill calling for an exit strategy from Iraq (H.J.Res. 55). Around this bill and other Iraq withdrawal efforts Republicans are quietly meeting behind closed doors and progressive Democrats have formed the "Out of Iraq Caucus" to push for an exit strategy. Rep. Kucinich is leading the Congress to a real consideration of an exit strategy from Iraq.

NEWS from CONGRESSWOMAN LYNN WOOLSEY, 6th District, California

For Information Contact:
Susannah Cernojevich (202) 225-5187

WOOLSEY CALLS ON DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS TO PLAN FUTURE OF IRAQ

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Lynn Woolsey (D-Petaluma) is calling on Members of Congress and the President to work together to bring U.S. troops home from Iraq, while helping the Iraqis regain control over their country and their future.

What: Hearing on the Future of Iraq

When: Thursday, September 15, 2005
10:00 AM – 1:00 PM (may change once location is determined)

Who: U.S. Representative Lynn Woolsey

Committee on Homeland Security Democrats Bennie G. Thompson, Ranking Member
www.house.gov/hsc/democrats/

For Immediate Release:

September 5, 2005

Contact: Jennifer Porter Gore
Nadra Harrison
202.226.2616

House Homeland Security Democrats Question the Coordination of the National
Guard's Response Efforts

WASHINGTON- Congressman Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the
House Homeland Security Committee along with Congressman Bill Pascrell
(D-NJ), Ranking Member of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on
Emergency Preparedness, Science and Technology, sent a letter today to