House Government Reform chairman to lead delegation to Iraq

House Government Reform Committee Chairman Tom Davis, R-Va., will lead a delegation of House members to Iraq during the week of Aug. 25, his office announced Thursday.

Davis' goal is to observe reconstruction efforts, troop morale and try to determine from civilians and military "what we can expect in the near and long term," according to a statement from his office.

The delegation will travel to Egypt at the end of the week to get the view of that country's officials on regional peace plans.

Other members going on the trip include Reps. Michael Burgess, R-Texas; Chris Chocola, R-Ind.; Mark Kennedy, R-Minn.; Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y.; Martin Meehan, D-Mass.; Christopher Shays, R-Conn.; Adam Schiff, D-Calif.; Ed Schrock, R-Va.; and Bill Shuster, R-Pa.

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain, R-Ariz., will lead a separate seven-member delegation that will visit the Middle East beginning next week.

For security reasons, the exact itinerary of the tour is not being released. But the office of one member of the delegation, Sen. John Sununu, R-N.H., told the Arizona Republic that the group would visit Iraq and Afghanistan as well as Kuwait, Pakistan, the West Bank and Turkey.

Also on the trip is another Arizona Republican, House Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Jim Kolbe, who told the newspaper that his aim is "to get a better understanding of the work that needs to be done in both Iraq and Afghanistan, and how best Congress can structure a package" to accomplish it.

Other members of the delegation include Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.; Maria Cantwell, D-Wash.; and Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas; and Rep. Harold Ford Jr., D-Tenn.