[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 128 (Wednesday, October 5, 2005)] [Senate] [Page S11060] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] AMBASSADOR NEGROPONTE Mr. REID. Mr. President, my staff received a telephone call this morning, less than an hour ago, indicating Ambassador Negroponte would not be coming today because the leader or his people indicated he shouldn't come. We have these very important elections taking place in Iraq on October 15. This is an opportunity for Members to visit with Ambassador Negroponte, who is, if not the expert on what is going on in Iraq, certainly one of the two or three top people in the world to tell Members what is going on there. This briefing is open to all Senators, Democrats and Republicans. There certainly is no reason we should not be able to do that. It is an important oversight responsibility we have. I hope the distinguished Republican leader has not been part of telling Negroponte and his people not to come up here for that briefing at 3 to 4 o'clock. I had a meeting this morning at 9 o'clock. I invited all Senators to come who were with me. We are going to have good attendance at that meeting. This is not a meeting in any way to do with anything other than find out what is going on. We have a responsibility to find out what is going on. I would like to have the Ambassador come often. I don't know why we can't go ahead with this briefing. Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, with regard to a briefing which was initiated on a partisan basis by the other side of the aisle in spite of their knowledge that we do have an all-Senate briefing that is bipartisan in the tradition--we have had over 20 different briefings, including one very useful one last week, one the week prior to that. On a partisan basis, an all-Senate briefing was scheduled; a counteroffer was made. We already have a meeting scheduled with the Ambassador here in 2 to 3 weeks. I will continue to work with the Democratic leader coming back and forth. These all-Senator briefings we have, which are on a classified basis, have proven to be a very useful vehicle for all Senators to participate, to be able to ask questions of various representatives, and is a very good model. I will continue to work with the Democratic leader. As he knows, Ambassador Negroponte is coming in about 2\1/2\ or 3 weeks--I don't know exactly what that date is for that particular all-Senate briefing initiated on a bipartisan basis and not on a partisan basis, which this last meeting was. Mr. REID. Mr. President, I know the distinguished Republican leader has a statement to make, but just on this subject, on a more personal basis, the Republican leader and I had a number of meetings the last several weeks, certainly the last few days, and this issue has never been raised. I don't see how we can have too many briefings on what is going on in Iraq. Negroponte has simply not been here. I have the greatest respect for him, but in a briefing--in 2 or 3 weeks, the elections will have been over in Iraq. That is one of the reasons people are losing faith in what is going on in Iraq--because we do not have the information to convey to the people. The administration says just stay the course. We want information. Negroponte, if he is told by the Republican leader not to come, he is not going to come. It is too bad. It is a perfect day for this. The Jewish holiday is still on. Most Members would have the opportunity to come here. Senator Lieberman and a couple of others would not be able to, but we already have on my side about 20 Senators willing and wanting to come. I am disappointed this will now have to become a political issue. It shouldn't. I like Negroponte. He is good. He is good for the country. I told the President personally that this was a great choice he made to lead this new intelligence agency. There is no need to belabor the point other than to say I am terribly disappointed that my Senators--and anyone else on the other side of the aisle--want to come and listen to a presentation prior to the elections and now are going to be unable to have this briefing. That is too bad. Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I am a bit offended when the Democratic leader knows last week we had defense, we had Generals Myers, Abizaid, and Casey brief Members extensively in a bipartisan way in a tradition we have set up that is working very well. We have the Secretary of State, which he knows, coming on October 19 to have a very similar briefing, addressing issues in Iraq, in Afghanistan. And Negroponte is coming, as I said, the following week. So we will work together. I do want to make it clear their invitation was initiated in a partisan way, with a letter I was not a part of, not asked to be a part of, in the letter itself, the initial letter. I think we need to continue to work together to continue these briefings, which are very important, as we go forward. ____________________