Organizing for America

DEBATE REALITY CHECK: FACTCHECK ON COMMITTEE HEARINGS

TONIGHT:

McCain: “Senator Obama is the chairperson of a committee that oversees NATO that is in Afghanistan. To this day he has never had a hearing. That's remarkable.”

THE FACTS: THE FULL FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE, NOT OBAMA’S SUBCOMMITTEE HOLD HEARINGS ON NATO’S ROLE IN AFGHANISTAN AND OBAMA CHAIRED A FULL FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE HEARING THAT DISCUSSED THE ISSUE

FactCheck.org: The Full Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Not Obama’s Subcommittee, Held Hearings On Afghanistan; McCain Missed All Seven Hearings On Afghanistan Held By Senate Armed Services Committee In The Last Two Years. “It was the full Senate Foreign Relations Committee, not Obama's subcommittee, that had the hearings on this global hot spot, and Obama attended one of those. Over the same time period, McCain himself attended none of the Afghanistan hearings held by the Armed Services Committee on which he serves. … McCain's ad fails to mention that his own record is no better. Although he's the highest ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, he missed all seven of the hearings that his panel held on Afghanistan during the same two years, according to ABCNews.com.”” [FactCheck.org, 7/22/08 ]

Republican Richard Lugar’s Spokesperson Said Criticism Of Obama On Not Holding Oversight Hearings On NATO’s Role In Afghanistan Is Unfair Because NATO’s Role In Afghanistan Would Be Held Before The Full Foreign Relations Committee. The claim “while technically true, is unfair, said Andrew J. Fischer, a spokesman for Republican Sen. Richard Lugar. Lugar now serves as a minority member of the Foreign Relations Committee, but he was the chair, from 2003 to 2006, when Republicans controlled the Senate. He is the ranking Republican on the committee. Fischer, who is a minority staff member of the Foreign Relations Committee, said something as major as NATO’s role in Afghanistan would typically be held before the full Foreign Relations Committee, rather than Obama’s European subcommittee.” [Politifact, 2/26/08 ]

Senator Obama Chaired A Foreign Relations Committee Hearing That Discussed NATO And U.S. Efforts In Afghanistan. Obama chaired a Foreign Relations Committee meeting in April 2008. During the meeting, Obama discussed NATO and Afghanistan and the resources we need to win the war there saying, “Afghanistan, NATO's first major mission beyond the borders of Europe, has been overlooked and undermanned by many members of the alliance, including the United States. Success in Afghanistan, I believe, is critical to American national security and to the security of the entire world, and a failure there would not only endanger our nation and global stability, it would cast serious doubt on the ability of NATO's military and political architecture to uphold our security in the 21st century.” [Foreign Relations Committee Hearing, 4/8/08]


MCCAIN MISSED EVERY ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE HEARING IN THE LAST TWO YEARS ON AFGHANISTAN

ABC News: McCain Missed Every Armed Services Committee Hearing In The Last Two Years That Discussed Afghanistan. A review of the Senate Armed Services Committee hearings as listed on the committee Web site for the past two years reveals that McCain’s committee has held six hearings that included the word “Afghanistan” in the title or “Central Command” — which overseas U.S. troops in Afghanistan. McCain missed them all. [ABC News, 7/17/08 ]