Mcdermott, iraqis to hold teleconference

Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.), a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, has invited several lawmakers to join him to talk to six members of Iraq’s Parliament in a teleconference tomorrow.

The idea came out of trips to the region and contacts McDermott has made over several years. Originally, it was hoped that Iraqi lawmakers would travel to the U.S. and appear before a congressional hearing, but they have not obtained visas.

“Given the magnitude of the decisions members of Congress face concerning Iraq, my hope is this teleconference becomes the first of many so that we can exchange information with other members of the Iraq Parliament,” McDermott said.

The Iraqis will call from a studio in Amman, Jordan, to McDermott and his colleagues in the House Recording Studio.