“We pause today to thank the members of our armed forces for their invaluable service to the United States.  Our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines perform critical missions here at home and abroad.  From providing much needed support during national disasters such as Hurricane Katrina to fighting on the battlefields of Iraq, the brave men and women of our armed forces work tirelessly to protect our country.

“I welcome the decision of Paul Wolfowitz to step down as President of the World Bank.  The Bank has been suffering from a crisis of confidence and credibility these past several weeks, as a direct result of what the Bank’s own Board of Directors has deemed Mr. Wolfwitz’s breaking of the bank’s ethic rules and his own contract.

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Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) today introduced a resolution calling on President Bush to immediately propose new candidates for the positions of U.S. Attorney General and President of the World Bank, currently being filled by Alberto Gonzales and Paul Wolfowitz, respectively.  Senator Dodd characterized Mr. Gonzales as unfit to serve as the nation’s chief law enforcement officer, citing cronyism, misleading Congressional testimony, and an inability to defend and protect the Constitution.  Mr. Wolfowitz’s violation of the World Bank’s ethical and governance rules, as well as a World Bank ethics committee investigation, conflicts with the Bank’s global mission of reducing poverty, aid development, and promoting good governance in all nations in which it operates.

U.S. Sens. Dick Lugar (R-IN) and Chris Dodd (D-CT) today introduced the Free Flow of Information Act, which seeks to protect the public's right to information through a free press. Senators Graham, Domenici, and Landrieu joined as original cosponsors of this resolution. This legislation provides journalists with certain rights and abilities to seek sources and report appropriate information without fear of intimidation or imprisonment.  U.S. Reps. Rick Boucher (D-VA) and Mike Pence (R-IN) introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), a senior member of the Foreign Relations Committee, today sent a letter to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) requesting that they look into the legality of the President’s recess appointment of Sam Fox to be ambassador to Belgium. The Administration withdrew Mr. Fox’s nomination before the Foreign Relations Committee on March 28, and yesterday gave him a recess appointment. Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Robert Casey (D-PA) joined Sen. Dodd on the letter.

“It is outrageous that the President has sought to stealthily appoint Sam Fox to the position of ambassador to Belgium when the President formally requested that the Fox nomination be withdrawn from the Senate because it was facing certain defeat in the Foreign Relations Committee last week. I seriously question the legality of the President's use of the recess appointment authority in this instance.  I intend to seek an opinion on the legality of this appointment from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and invite other Senators to join with me in that request.  This is underhanded and an abuse of Executive authority -- sadly this behavior has become the hallmark of this administration.”

“The White House’s withdrawal of Sam Fox’s nomination to the post of Ambassador to Belgium is a wise decision, and one which I welcome. Mr. Fox’s prior activities notwithstanding, his unwillingness to denounce the reprehensible activities of the Swift Boat organization and express regret for providing $50,000 to bankroll the organization convinced me that he would not be an acceptable candidate to represent the United States abroad. I encourage the White House to submit another candidate for this position -- one who can represent the United States in the best possible light, and foster positive relations with a close ally.”

“I strongly oppose the nomination of Sam Fox to be U.S. Ambassador to Belgium. U.S. Ambassadors need to be both responsible and credible, and Mr. Fox’s support for an organization known to have spread falsehoods illustrates neither.

“Moreover, the fact that Mr. Fox refused to apologize for his behavior during his nomination hearing reinforces my belief that he would not be an acceptable representative for the position of U.S. Ambassador.”

Today, Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) reintroduced the Voting Opportunity and Technology Enhancement Rights (VOTER) Act of 2007 as part of his ongoing effort to ensure that all Americans are fully able to participate in elections, and to help restore public confidence in our nation’s voting systems.  A senior Democrat on the Rules Committee, Senator Dodd is a longtime leader on election reform issues and an original author of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), comprehensive election reform legislation enacted in 2002 in the wake of the debacle of the 2000 presidential election. HAVA included a number of critical reforms to ensure safer, more secure and transparent balloting procedures for federal elections, and provided substantial funding to enable states and localities to upgrade antiquated voting systems and procedures.  

Any increases above 1/16/07 troop levels would require Congressional Authorization; Precedent Exists in 1973, 1983, 1984, 2000