re: Why would Pelosi visit any foreign country?

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Yes she did and she fricked up some dealings between Israel and Syria in the process... It did not include anyone from State...

Like I said, worthless...

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Well, then you and I are in agreement on that trip. Meetings of that nature should not happen without someone from State or the local embassy present.

She sure does think she is co-president.

April 4 —Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House, met here today with President Bashar al-Assad of Syria and discussed a variety of Middle Eastern issues, including the situations in Iraq and Lebanon and the prospect of peace talks between Syria and Israel.

Her visit has been criticized by President Bush and other administration officials, who have sought to isolate Syria diplomatically.

At a televised press conference after their meeting, Ms. Pelosi said that during the talks with Mr. Assad she had “expressed concern about Syria’s support for Hezbollah and Hamas,” and had “expressed our interest in using our good offices in promoting peace between Israel and Syria.”

Earlier this week, before reaching Syria, Ms. Pelosi met with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of Israel. She said today that she passed on to President Assad word from Mr. Olmert that Israel sought peace with Syria.

“At the meeting with the president, I conveyed the message from Prime Minister Olmert that Israel is ready to restart negotiations as well as to talk peace,” Ms Pelosi told reporters, adding that President Assad responded positively.

Israel quickly issued a clarification of its message, posting a statement on Mr. Olmert’s website saying that its policy had not changed and that Syria must cease its sponsorship of terrorist organizations before negotiations could begin.

Ms. Pelosi is traveling with a high-level group of lawmakers, included Representatives Henry A. Waxman and Tom Lantos of California, Louise M. Slaughter of New York, Nick J. Rahall II of West Virginia and Keith Ellison of Minnesota, all Democrats, as well as David L. Hobson, Republican of Ohio.

Ms. Pelosi and her party arrived on Tuesday and met with Syrian officials including Walid al-Moallem, the foreign minister, and Faruq al-Shara, the vice president. She also toured the old section of the capital on Tuesday, visiting the centuries-old Ommayad Mosque and interacting with ordinary Syrians at the mosque and at a market.

LINK

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1) To declare war upon a foreign state
2) Manage regulations of COMMERCE

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3) They fund EVERYTHING, and thereby conduct oversight.

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Are you going to do the gymnastics required to justify these lavish trips under these 2 granted powers?

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Nope. I find the lavishness deplorable. I just reject the notion that its impossible for a reasonable CODEL to have a legitimate purpose.

Democrats were silent on Thursday as Tulsi Gabbard, one of the party’s sitting lawmakers in Congress, announced that she had met with Bashar al-Assad during a trip to war-torn Syria and dismissed his entire opposition as “terrorists”.

Gabbard, a Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii, disclosed her meeting with the Syrian president on Wednesday, during what her office called a “fact-finding” mission in the region.

emocratic leaders were mum on the decision by one of their sitting lawmakers to meet with a dictator whom the US government has dubbed a war criminal for his use of chemical weapons against civilians.

Gabbard’s trip raised alarms over a potential violation of the Logan Act, a federal statute barring unauthorized individuals from conferring with a foreign government involved in a dispute with the US. The US currently has no diplomatic relations with Syria.

Gabbard’s office said her visit was approved by the House ethics committee. A spokesman for the committee declined to comment

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3) They fund EVERYTHING, and thereby conduct oversight.

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Geezus....when it comes to foreign aid, all congress can do is appropriate funds to the state department....you know, the office of the executive branch whose responsibility is to deal with foreign states (guess who heads the executive branch?)

Congress can't do anything unilaterally. That isn't how checks and balances work. Foreign policy is clearly under the Executive branch BUT with approval from congress as per checks and balances.

EDIT: so again, congress has no business going over seas. Their responsibility is to the american people and it is up to the executive branch to CONVINCE congress to fund something. If the argument isn't convincing, then congress has the responsibility to AMERICANS to deny it.

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Geezus....when it comes to foreign aid, all congress can do is appropriate funds to the state department....you know, the office of the executive branch whose responsibility is to deal with foreign states (guess who heads the executive branch?)

Congress can't do anything unilaterally. That isn't how checks and balances work. Foreign policy is clearly under the Executive branch BUT with approval from congress as per checks and balances.

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You don't understand what the "independent" in independent oversight means. They are going to verify that the appropriations are going where they intend for them to go, and are going to oversee all the programs funding by those appropriations.

In doing so, they are not, and SHOULD NOT, rely solely on the Executive Branch and its representations. Congressional approval is not intended to be a rubber stamp, nor are they only intended to approve or deny Executive Branch requests. They are fully within their power to oversee, reach independent conclusions, and independently fact-find.

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You don't understand what the "independent" in independent oversight means. They are going to verify that the appropriations are going where they intend for them to go, and are going to oversee all the programs funding by those appropriations.

In doing so, they are not, and SHOULD NOT, rely solely on the Executive Branch and its representations.

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You seem to have the misunderstanding that oversight means exclusive control. That isn't how this works. That isn't how any of this works.

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And she's running for their presidential nomination in 2020.

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She loved her some dictators, I am sure she will be evolving.

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Just because they have abandoned their Constitutional duties in the interests of the MIC and perpetual reelection doesn't mean that we should encourage them to continue doing so. Every single one of the outstanding AUMF's needs to be rescinded by Congress, and the authority over military action needs to be reigned back in.

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Anyone considering themselves a strict Constitutionalist should agree with the above statement.