Kucinich testifies at divisive hearing on Bush administration

Republicans told the House Judiciary Committee that political disagreements, no matter how large, are not grounds for impeachment proceedings at a hearing discussing appropriate Congressional responses to Bush abuses of power. Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) said the hearing served no purpose other than anger management, stating that no evidence exists which supports grounds for impeachment and that the hearing’s lack of bipartisanship affected Congress’s already low credibility.

Rep. Robert Wexler (D-Fla.) said the Bush White House is unprecedented in its distortion of executive privilege, noting Bush’s alleged falsification of pre-Iraq war intelligence and approval of certain interrogation techniques. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) stated that the committee was attempting to solve an institutional problem,acting in a deliberative manner, not an accusatory manner. Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) earlier had called Bush “the worst President our country has ever seen.”

In his testimony before the committee, Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) said pre-war justifications provided to Congress were untrue and that Congress had relied on the White House’s false statements while authorizing the Iraq war. Kucinich also said that Iraq posed no security threat to the United States and, since Iraq lacked a weapons program, Saddam Hussein was unable to harm the United States or arm terrorists. Congress’s decision now, Kucinich said, is whether it should defend the Constitution and prevent abuses of power in the Executive and Judiciary Branches.

Rep Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.) said the White House has been dominated by corruption and incompetence, stating that the Bush administration ignored numerous warnings prior to the Sept. 11 attacks. He said the former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld’s decision to scale back troop levels in Afghanistan aided Osama bin Laden’s escape into the Tora Bora region of Afghanistan. Hinchey suggested that it would have been more difficult to justify an attack against Iraq if bin Laden had been apprehended by the US military. Recognizing that impeachment had been referenced by many, Hinchey said the Bush administration, through the ways it violated the law, is “probably the most impeachable administration in the history of America.”

Bush promotes the "transformative power of freedom" for 21st century

President Bush stressed the need for future presidents and congresses to promote a closer-knit global agenda for the United States. At his address to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), he outlined the future challenges of spreading freedom and democracy throughout the world.

"The challenge for future presidents and future congresses will be to ensure that America's generosity remains tied to the promotion of transparency and accountability and prosperity," said Bush.

The mission of USAID is to end tyranny and corruption by building "democratic movements and institutions in every nation and culture," according to the document, "Democracy and Governance: Advancing Freedom Around the World." USAID helped gather the 2008 census in Sudan, write a constitution in Afghanistan, and draft legislation in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The President said the United States needs to use "foreign assistance to promote democracy and good government." The future also depends on free trade agreements, Bush said, and the United States has agreements with 11 countries. Bush suggested purchasing 25 percent of U.S. food aid from developing nations to improve their local economies

Bush compared current enemies of the U.S. to Germany and Japan during World War II. He said those countries were once against the U.S., but now they are strong democracies and strong allies. In countries like Sudan, Iran, and Syria, the U.S. "spoke out against tyrannical regimes."

Since Bush took office in 2001, the administration has doubled the federal budget for human rights programs, increased funds for the National Endowment for Democracy by 150 percent, and changed the nature of foreign assistance by creating the Millennium Challenge Account.

Americans can’t afford democrats’ waiting-game

As national gas prices continue to increase, House Republicans held a news conference in response to the lack of a sufficient energy bill on the Hill. After having spent a week in their districts talking to constituents, speakers returned to Washington calling for legislation that would increase the domestic production of oil.

The importance of oil in the American economy was emphasized by Rep. John Carter (R-Texas). Carter said that an increase in gas prices will lead to an increase in production costs of all goods, an increase that would further stretch the wallets of the American consumer. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-Colo.) added that gas prices are preventing middle class Americans from making an income and that continued high prices may cause many to experience severe financial struggles.

Rep. Bob Latta (R-Ohio) discussed the effect of high fuel costs in his district and stated that a comprehensive energy plan must be developed for the United States. Latta said that it is crucial that Congress form a strategy soon, saying that otherwise one will not be developed. Latta also said that waiting to react on the issue of high gas prices is “a luxury we cannot afford” and that drilling in the ANWR would benefit the United States.

Republican Whip Roy Blunt (Mo.) expressed excitement when asked about the presidential campaign, saying that differences between republican and democratic policies in Congress can finally be brought to the forefront of presidential debates. Blunt noted that in the past twelve years, 85 percent of republicans have voted to increase the domestic production of oil while 85 percent of democrats have opposed increased domestic production, waiting rather for alternative solutions. Blunt said that republicans have a larger understanding of rising oil prices and intelligent solutions to the issue.

Congress assesses progress of U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Today the Subcommittee on Management, Investigations, and Oversight of the House Homeland Security Committee held a hearing to assess the progress of the Department of Homeland Security since it was instated in 2003, and to establish the organization’s goals for the future. Norman Rabkin, managing director for the Government Accountability Office’s Homeland Security and Justice Team, determined that while the organization has made significant developments in achieving its mission of protecting the United States from terrorist attacks, its managerial functions still need focus and improvement.

Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY) asked about the reportedly low rate of minority employees in the DHS, to which DHS Deputy Under Secretary for Management Elaine Duke replied that the organization is taking initiatives to increase the number. Clarke also emphasized the DHS’s underdevelopment, comparing it to an infant still learning to focus its eyes.

Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI) called for more effective management of procurement operations and contracts, yet said that it needs more consolidated Congressional support because it currently reports to 86 committees and subcommittees, resulting in “conflicting guidance for the department.” Duke reiterated that the organization is moving towards these goals, and is still in the developmental phase as is normal for an organization that is only 5 to 7 years old.

FHA and Congress discuss how to fix housing crisis

Today the House Financial Services committee held a full hearing on "Using the FHA (Federal Housing Administration) for Housing Stabilization and Homeownership Retention" to discuss possible solutions to the current mortgage and foreclosure crisis.


Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-AL) said the Bear Stearns intervention has set a standard for this type of government aid and has caused homeowners who "behaved responsibly" by not taking on more debts than they could afford to suffer by paying more taxes for aid programs. He and many other representatives expressed concern that a possibility for aid in paying off loans and mortgages would decrease incentive to for individuals to pay them independently.

Other representatives argued that government intervention is necessary. Rep. Gene Green (D-TX) said that although America worries about a recession, there are many people who because of this crisis are already living in a depression.

When asked if service companies make money on foreclosures, Housing and Urban Development assistant secretary and FHA commissioner Brian Montgomery said that they take no taxpayer funds except to pay salaries and similar expenses.