DPC | September 24, 2007

Senate Oversight Highlights Week of September 10, 2007

“It is the proper duty of a representative body to look diligently into every affair of government and to talk much about what it sees. It is meant to be the eyes and the voice, and to embody the wisdom and will of its constituents…” — Woodrow Wilson

Congress has the Constitutional responsibility to perform oversight of the Executive Branch and matters of public interest. This report summarizes highlights from each week’s Senate oversight hearings.

 

Monday, September 10, 2007: Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs

“Confronting the Terrorist Threat to the Homeland Six Years After 9/11”

• Director McConnell testified that finding Osama bin Laden should be the number one national security priority.
   
• Director McConnell said that al Qaeda’s establishment of a safe haven in Pakistan has allowed the group to rebuild its organization and expand into a terrorist network with franchises around the world.
   
• Secretary Chertoff and Director McConnell detailed the threat of al Qaeda to the U.S. homeland.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007: Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
“Iraq: The Crocker-Petreaus Report”

• Ambassador Crocker said that progress on political reconciliation will require a long-term effort, and may never happen.
   
• Ambassador Crocker testified that stability in Iraq cannot be achieved without political reconciliation, but refused to provide a timeline or any guarantees of progress.
   
• General Petraeus recommended a plan where U.S. troop levels in Iraq in July 2008 will be the same as they were in February of this year.

 

Tuesday, September 11, 2007: Senate Committee on Armed Services

“The Situation in Iraq and Progress Made by the Government of Iraq in Meeting Benchmarks”

• General Petraeus testified that he did not know whether the U.S. strategy in Iraq is making America safer. 
   
• General Petraeus said it is highly likely that we will have at least 100,000 U.S. troops in Iraq a year from now. 
   
• General Petraeus acknowledged that troop withdrawals were going to have to happen in April regardless of the situation on the ground in Iraq. 

 

Wednesday, September 12, 2007: Senate Committee on Energy and

Natural Resources

“Energy Efficient Lighting for a Brighter Tomorrow Act”
 

• Congresswoman Jane Harman testified on the bipartisan and collaborative efforts in the House of Representatives to phase out all inefficient lighting by 2014.
   
• Senators and witnesses from the Bush Administration discussed their support for significant energy savings through increasing efficiency levels for lighting.
   
• Energy efficiency experts spoke on the importance of the bill, as well as possible modifications to the legislation that could achieve greater energy savings.
   

 

Director McConnell testified that finding Osama bin Laden should be the number one national security priority. 

SEN. AKAKA: Admiral, if bin Laden has reconstituted the Al Qaeda organization so that it looks similar to its original pre-9/11 form, then do you believe that finding him should be the top priority?

MIKE MCCONNELL, DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE: Top priority, yes, sir.
 

Director McConnell said that al Qaeda’s establishment of a safe haven in Pakistan has allowed to group to rebuild its organization and expand into a franchise of terrorist networks. 

DIR. MCCONNELL: What Al Qaeda has been successful in doing, there are extremists in virtually any country. What Al Qaeda has been successful in doing is linking them. So now if you start across northern Africa, in Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Lebanon, all the way across, there are groups now that affiliate with, and some even change their names, to be Al Qaeda. So it almost takes on the connotation of a franchise. So I think the reasoning maybe a year ago was splintering, but the fact that they have sanctuary in that tribal area between Afghanistan and Pakistan has allowed them to adapt and morph. With the sanctuary and committed leadership, they’ve rebuilt the middle tier. What they don’t have are the vast numbers of recruits to carry out the acts that they would like to perpetrate. So that’s where we have our focus is to try to cut off the head of the snake.
 

Secretary Chertoff and Director McConnell detailed the threat of al Qaeda to the U.S. homeland.

SEN. WARNER: Can each of you tell us what you can so that the American public has a little better understanding to what extent they are making efforts to take actions here in this country and to what extent, if any, they have – should we say? – chapters or splinter groups or self-appointed Al Qaeda in the United States? We’ll start with you, Secretary Chertoff. 

SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY MICHAEL CHERTOFF: To be brief, Senator, they are still intent on carrying out acts against the United States, preferably in the homeland; if not, against American interests elsewhere. I think they are looking both to develop operatives who they can launch from overseas. They’re also, I think, hoping to radicalize those within this country. They’ve been less successful in the latter respect here than they have in Europe, but it is a growing issue. 

SEN. WARNER: Fine. Admiral? 

DIR. MCCONNELL: Sir, they have committed leadership that can adapt. They have safe haven for training. They have middle management for organization and training and preparation. The thing they need the most are operations personnel. We watch them recruit. We watch them bring them to Pakistan, that border area between Pakistan and Afghanistan, to train, to train them in things like liquid explosives and so on. So, the intent is clear. They have not yet been successful in filtering back in the United States.

 

Directors McConnell and Mueller acknowledged that there are still communications gaps between the CIA and the FBI six years after 9/11.

SEN. LIEBERMAN: I wanted to ask both Director Mueller and Director McConnell if you would just address briefly whether you think that the gaps that have existed between – that existed between the two communities have been effectively closed since 9/11.

…

DIR. MCCONNELL: Sir, I think the gap is significantly less than it was. I think we are still closing it. It’s a process of transforming cultural or human behavior.

…

FBI DIRECTOR ROBERT MUELLER: I would say that I would agree that we’ve made substantial strides, but we have a ways to go.
 

There is not an effective technological system for detecting to detect dangerous liquids in place, a critical gap in aviation security.
 

SECRETARY CHERTOFF: We also were working hard to come up with a technology that would separate out dangerous liquids from non-dangerous liquids. And we have – had not found and have not yet found a technology that will do that in real time. Meaning, we have the – we could do it if you take a bottle and put it in a device, but if you multiply that by the millions of people who travel every day, it would be impossible.

What we – what I think the London plot brought home to us was that the enemy had not only focused on liquids, but had come further along in coming up with ways to defeat the measures were using of a non-technological basis to detect potential problems. And that was in particular a focus on detonators as opposed to liquids themselves.

And some of the measures we were taking to inspect liquids, without getting into too much detail here, were a clearly – the enemy had figured out a way to potentially defeat it.

 

Director Mueller highlighted the key role that state and local law enforcement plays in identifying and responding to terrorist threats. 

DIR. MUELLER: I wouldn’t mention – or talk so much in the way of tools, as such. But in terms of understanding the importance of state and local law enforcement to our success, it’s often overlooked because it’s perceived in some way of being quintessentially a federal problem. But every one of the cases we have made have been made by joint terrorism task forces, in which state and local law enforcement are absolutely essential participants. To the extent that we develop sources in communities, it’s state and local law enforcement that assist us developing those resources. 

 

Ambassador Crocker said that progress on political reconciliation will require a long-term effort, and may never happen. 

AMBASSADOR RYAN CROCKER, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO IRAQ: But it is going to take time. It is not just a switch that you flip, that as the surge starts to make a real difference, at the beginning of the summer, then everyone is prepared to sit down and make historic compromises. That is going to take time and effort. Will it succeed, how fast will it succeed, in what form will it succeed? I do not know.
 

Ambassador Crocker testified that stability in Iraq cannot be achieved without political reconciliation, but refused to provide a timeline or any guarantees of progress. 

SEN. NELSON: Mr. Ambassador, can Iraq be stabilized without political reconciliation between Sunnis and Shiites? 

AMB. CROCKER: No, sir. 

SEN. NELSON: What is the chance of that political reconciliation in the course of the remainder of this administration for 16 months? 

AMB. CROCKER: Senator, I could not put a timeline on it or a target date…. And, frankly, even ultimately whether it will succeed, I can’t predict. I think there is enough in the way of positive signs here to justify the course we’re on but, again, I can’t give you any time lines, dates or guarantees.

 

General Petraeus recommended a plan where U.S. troop levels in Iraq in July 2008 will be the same as they were in February of this year.

SEN. MENENDEZ: … [W]hat we’re going to end up in July of next year is largely where the administration was in February of this year, before the surge. 

GENERAL DAVID PETRAEUS, UNITED STATES ARMY: It will be the same number of combat brigades that we had in Iraq...

 

General Petraeus agreed with the assessment of the Independent Commission on the Security Forces of Iraq that the Iraqi military will remain dependent on U.S. forces for another 18 months.

SEN. ISAKSON: … [L]ast week, General Jones and his group made an assessment on the training of the Iraqi military that we were about 18 months away from them having their numbers levels and their training being obtained. Is that in your estimate a fair estimate? 

GEN. PETRAEUS: I think it is, Senator.

 

General Petraeus acknowledged that much of Baghdad continues to be mired in sectarian conflict.

SEN. BIDEN: …[C]an a Sunni Arab travel safely from a Sunni neighborhood in Baghdad to a Shia neighborhood in Baghdad? 

GEN. PETRAEUS: It depends on the neighborhood, frankly, sir. There’s no question but that travel of Sunni Arabs in a number of Shia neighborhoods in Baghdad is still hazardous. And as I mentioned... 

SEN. BIDEN: Is there any neighborhood in Baghdad that a Shia can safely travel –that a Sunni can travel that’s a Shia neighborhood? Is there any one? 

GEN. PETRAEUS: Well, there are still substantial mixed neighborhoods, certainly, in the southeastern part of Baghdad in particular, in which that is possible. Yes, sir.

  

 

General Petraeus testified that he did not know whether the U.S. strategy in Iraq is making America safer.

SEN. WARNER: I hope in the recesses of your heart that you know that strategy will continue the casualties, stress on our forces, stress on military families, stress on all Americans. “Are you able to say at this time if we continue that it is making American safer? 

GENERAL DAVID PETRAEUS, UNITED STATES ARMY: I believe this is the best course of action to achieve our objectives in Iraq. 

SEN. WARNER: Does that make American safer? 

GEN. PETRAEUS: Sir I don’t know. I have not sat down and sorted out in my own mind. What I have focused on and been riveted on is how to accomplish the mission of the Multinational Force in Iraq.

 

General Petraeus said it is highly likely that we will have at least 100,000 U.S. troops in Iraq a year from now.

SEN. GRAHAM: Is it highly likely that a year from now we’re going to have at least 100,000 troops in Iraq? 

GEN. PETRAEUS: That is probably the case. Yes, sir.

 

General Petraeus testified that it will be six more months before the Administration can assess the U.S. mission in Iraq and that he could not provide a timeframe for estimated troop withdrawals.

GEN. PETRAEUS: … [T]he next decision for my recommendations, at least, it would be in mid-March, which would be to recommend the subsequent drawdown – the pace of the subsequent draw down beyond that that we would reach when we hit the 15 brigade combat team. And we would continue to do that as we go along. 

SEN. KENNEDY: So we shouldn’t conclude, we shouldn’t draw any conclusions from that chart over there on the phasing down, in terms of the American troops, what those bars mean and when the years will come out. Do you have any estimate for us? 

GEN. PETRAEUS: I cannot offer you that. What that does represent is our thinking on conceptually how we would adjust our mission set and also the numbers of brigade combat teams over time. And, again, the over time, my best professional military advice is that, again, I have to do that as we get closer to each of those times.

 

General Petraeus acknowledged that troop withdrawals were going to have to happen in April regardless of the situation on the ground in Iraq.

 

SEN. REED: … [M]y sense is that the overriding constraint you face is not what’s happening on the ground in Iraq, but the reality, unless you did recommend, request and then succeed that unless tours were extended, 30,000 troops are coming out of there beginning April of next year, regardless of the situation on the ground. 

GEN. PETRAEUS: Again, certainly, the active brigade combat teams were going to come out of there. Again, I am not aware of what is available in terms of battalions, brigades or what have you... 

SEN. REED: My sense is that the Reserve and National Guard forces are not available to replace this. 

GEN. PETRAEUS: I think that’s the case.

 

Ambassador Crocker described his frustration at the Iraqi government’s failure to move forward with benchmarks for national reconciliation.

AMBASSADOR RYAN CROCKER, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO IRAQ: … [T]the benchmark exercise, the failure of the Iraqi government to fully implement a number of the benchmarks has been very frustrating to us, to me personally. It is frustrating to Iraqis. It is frustrating within the Iraqi government.

 

 

 

Congresswoman Harman expressed her support for the bipartisan and collaborative efforts to dramatically improve efficiency standards for light bulbs.

 

CONGRESSWOMAN JANE HARMAN, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENATIVES: Most Americans still use essentially the same incandescent light bulbs invented by Thomas Edison more than 120 years ago. These bulbs are famously inefficient. Only ten percent of the energy these bulbs consume becomes light. The remaining 90 percent is wasted as heat. 

But lighting technology has changed. There are alternatives on the market now that are far more energy efficient. And there are alternatives right around the corner – such as advanced halogen bulbs and light emitting diodes – that will fundamentally change the way we light our homes and businesses. 

If every American swapped one incandescent bulb for a compact fluorescent, we would save more than eight billion dollars in energy costs, prevent burning 30 billion pounds of coal, and prevent two million cars worth of greenhouse gas emissions from entering our atmosphere. 

And I am proud to say that these efforts were bipartisan. Rep. Upton and I worked side by side in crafting our amendment, which was widely supported by Members of both parties. 

Our amendment was also the result of months of negotiations with the lighting industry and environmental groups. We actually finalized the language in a dramatic 11th hour negotiating session on the morning of the full committee markup. The resulting amendment was supported by both the lighting industry and the environmental community, including the NRDC. 

Our amendment bans the outdated 100-watt incandescent light bulb, phases out all inefficient lighting by 2014, and requires that light bulbs sold in the United States be at least 300 percent as efficient as today’s 100-watt incandescents by 2020.

 

Senators and witnesses from the Bush Administration discussed their support for significant energy savings through increasing efficiency levels for lighting.

 

ALEXANDER KARSNER, ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY: The DOE [Department of Energy] generally agrees with the overall goal of S. 2017, which would increase efficiency levels for lighting and provide significant energy savings for our nation. DOE is presently working on standards for General Service Incandescent Lamps, General Service Incandescent Reflector Lamps and Fluorescent Lamps. 

The Department looks forward to working with this Committee to resolve technical aspects of S. 2017 and to continue advancing the state of the art in lighting technologies. 

… 

SEN BINGAMAN: My just sort of laymen’s approach on this is that what we’ve done in the legislation is we really imposed backup standards. We basically say you shall go ahead and issue standards at various points but to the extent that they are not issued then we legislate what those standards are. Is it your view that what we are legislating is objectionable, that the substance is objectionable, or that the process should let you issue the standards and give you more time to do so?

ASST. SEC. KARSNER: I think it’s substantively more a procedural concern than it is a substantive concern relative to the technology.

SEN BINGAMAN: Obviously I would favor having you folks issue the standards. But, at the same time, I would favor having the standards in place at the earliest possible date in order to get the energy savings that are the result of that.
 

Energy efficiency experts spoke on the importance of the bill, as well as possible modifications to the legislation that could achieve greater energy savings.
 

STEVEN NADEL, EXECUTIVE DIRECTIOR, AMERICAN COUNCIL FOR AN ENERGY-EFFICIENT ECONONY (ACEEE): S. 2017is a huge step in the right direction for improving the efficient use of energy in the United States. The version of the bill as introduced is a substantial improvement over earlier drafts, particularly in how it sets a floor for the DOE rulemaking that will set a revised standard that takes effect in 2020. 

This bill is a huge step in the right direction for improving the efficient use of energy in the United States. However, we also think it can and should be improved, primarily by plugging potential loopholes in the bill that would allow low-efficiency exempted products to be sold in place of the higher efficiency products called for by the bill. In addition, we think that refinements are needed to reduce the likelihood that lamps with low light output will be sold that consumers think are too dim and to protect states that have adopted or are in the process of adopting state standards on general service lamps. 

DPC