I would much rather see a flawed Iraqi state in which we could then work a political solution than to see ISIS in a capitulated Iraqi state.

this administration bears some responsibility for that.

I think it is disingenuous for us to lay what is happening in Iraq as a failure here in America or as a failure of any particular administration here in America.

the unraveling and the chaos and the tumultuous situation that we see in Iraq now was predicted by so many people.

We had a legal requirement that SOFA would have to go through the entire Iraqi Parliament...

I understand that this request went all the way up in the administration and was turned down, and I am trying to get to the bottom of why.

That is like saying--if I could interrupt you. Because I remember Eliot Engel making the point 3 years ago about support for the Free Syrian Army...

Many, including myself and Ranking Member Engel, urged him to form an inclusive government.

I added my voice for drone strikes as ISIS convoys raced across those deserts from city to city.

As we all know, companies factor in labor and energy costs when deciding to invest, operate, and create jobs in any given country.

A big part of our decision to hold today's hearing was to consider how the United States can assist the Dominican Republic and other countries in the Caribbean and Central America to mitigate their energy dependence on Venezuela and to…