Senate Banking Chairman Commends House Panel for Approving His Sanctions Bill

Pursuing additional pressure on the governments of Iran and Sudan, Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd (D-CT) commended  the approval of a bill he authored, the International Emergency Economic Powers Enhancement Act, by the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, and urged the House of Representatives to take up and pass his legislation

“I cannot support the Kyl-Lieberman amendment on Iran.  To do so could give this president a green light to act recklessly and endanger US national security.  We learned in the run up to the Iraq war that seemingly nonbinding language passed by this Senate can have profound consequences.  We need the president to use robust diplomacy to address concerns with Iran, not the language in this amendment that the president can point to if he decides to draw this country into another disastrous war of choice.”

Responding to an announcement by the government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) that it had recently enacted export control laws to prohibit  unlicensed trafficking of “strategic goods” such as chemical and biological weaponry, military hardware, and dual-use items,  Senator Chris Dodd, D-Conn.,  Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, today wrote to Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez to request a report on the latest U.S. efforts to keep sensitive technology out of the hands of rogue and dangerous nations such as Iran.

Today, Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) reiterated that  he will only support legislation  on Iraq that contains a firm and enforceable timetable for redeploying U.S. troops as well as an enforceable cut off of funds for future combat operations in Iraq.  That is why Senator Dodd voted against the Reed-Levin amendment. 

Dodd “There is no better way to support our troops than making sure they return safely home.”

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Today, Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) urged colleagues to support legislation which would set firm and enforceable timelines for the phased redeployment of combat troops out of Iraq. The Feingold-Reid Amendment, which Dodd co-sponsored, would have remaining forces focus on counter-terrorism, training Iraqi forces, and protection for U.S. personnel and infrastructure. The amendment failed 28 to 70.  

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today sent a letter to President Bush expressing his concern regarding the Administration’s handling of matters related to Iran and requesting that the President appoint an experienced diplomat as a special envoy for Iran. 

Amendment Establishes Firm Redeployment Date Tied to Funding, Redirects Savings to National Guard

Today, Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) announced his intention to introduce an amendment to the Defense Authorization Bill which would set an enforceable deadline for completing the redeployment of US combat troops from Iraq by April 30, 2008. The amendment calls for ending the financing of US combat operations and mandates a phased redeployment of US troops.  The amendment also proposes redirecting any savings from a reduced military presence in Iraq to our war-battered National Guard and armed services.

Dodd: “There is no military solution to the conflict in Iraq—you said that yourself General Petraeus”

Today, Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) attended the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing where Ambassador Ryan Crocker and General David Petraeus testified on the development of 30,000 additional US troops in Iraq. Dodd continued to demand that the President change course in Iraq and begin a redeployment of US troops.

“Today's report by the Independent Commission on the Security Forces of Iraq has found what the American people concluded long ago. As General Jones said, "there is a fine line between assistance and dependence." I could not have said it better myself.  The report states that Iraq’s Police Force is exceedingly dysfunctional and should be dismantled ; and that Iraq’s Army still has  a way to go before it will be an effective defense force.  Iraq's political leadership is not going to take the necessary steps to address these and other weaknesses in Iraq's government until they understand that our commitment truly is not open-ended.   That is why we should begin to redeploy US combat forces from Iraq and to complete that redeployment by April 31, 2008.  Then there can be no doubt that Iraq's future is the responsibility of its political leaders.”

Today Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) expressed his opposition to the reported Levin-Reed legislation:

"Rather than picking up votes, by removing the deadline to get our troops out of Iraq you have lost this Democrat's vote.