Petraeus to Brief Congress Before Final Vote on War Bill
WASHINGTON—Army , the top U.S. commander in Iraq, is briefing House members on Wednesday on President Bush’s Iraq troop surge in his first appearance on Capitol Hill to assess the latest military efforts to lessen sectarian and Al Qaeda-sponsored violence in Iraq.
The meeting comes just hours before the House will vote on an emergency war funding bill that requires combat troop withdrawals to begin this year and seeks removal of virtually all combat forces by April of next year.
Petraeus will offer his military assessment of the new Iraq security plan and take questions in a closed-door session on the House floor. All lawmakers are invited, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will not attend.
Her office cites a scheduling conflict. Pelosi spoke by phone with Petraeus for 30 minutes on Tuesday, which her office says was sufficient. House Majority Leader and Democratic Caucus Chairman Rahm Emanuel are expected to attend.
House speakers rarely attend members-only military briefings, but Republicans took no time in criticizing the speaker for her absence. Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio called Pelosi’s decision “shameful.” Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., called it “insulting and disrespectful.”
“While was able to jet-set around the globe to meet with Syrian leaders, she finds it inconvenient to meet with the U.S. commander in Iraq during his brief visit to Washington,” Wilson said.
Pelosi’s absence is notable because Democrats are skeptical of the surge, are trying change course in Iraq and this is Petraeus’ first meeting with them since becoming architect of the biggest tactical shift in Iraq in some time.
Another factor of note Д the Democrats war funding bill requires monthly assessments from Petraeus on military progress in Iraq as the surge continues. Democrats have described these updates as crucial to Congress’ ability to measure success in Iraq. Pelosi’s absence could be seen by some as undercutting the importance of these monthly briefings
Pelosi issued a statement about her and Petraeus’ phone conversation. “I appreciated his report and his responses to my questions on security and political issues in Iraq. We share a conviction that the war in Iraq will not be resolved militarily, and I look forward to future reports from him on the effects of President BushЙs escalation plan,” she said.
The briefing is likely to elicit questions and answers that could yield new insights about the long-term viability of the security plan and shape the outcome of what is expected to be a close House vote Wednesday night on the troop funding bill.
The emergency war supplemental bill that emerged from a conference committee between House and Senate Democrats on Monday includes a mandatory troop withdraw schedule to start removing combat forces as early as July and no later than October. The bill also includes a goal of removing virtually all combat forces from Iraq by the end of March next year.
The earlier House version of the bill passed with 218 votes, the bare minimum needed for passage.