All 435 House Members Can See Iraq Intelligence

February 5, 2007
All 435 House Members Can See Iraq Intelligence

To the surprise of the Bush administration, the House Intelligence Committee voted unanimously
Wednesday night to allow all 435 House members to see the classified version of the National
Intelligence Estimate on Iraq sent to the White House last week. The report is classified in part
because it contains information about sources and methods used in intelligence-gathering.

The document will provide fuel for a House debate, scheduled to begin Tuesday, on a resolution
of disapproval of President Bush's plan to boost U.S. troop strength in Iraq. Remarkably, each
House member will be given five minutes to speak. The decision to provide such broad access to the microphones is based on the fact that each member got the chance to speak before the Iraq war
began, according to House leadership aides.