I 
109TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5716 
To establish the Commission on Iraqi Transition. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 29, 2006 
Mr. LYNCH introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on International Relations, and in addition to the Committee on Armed 
Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To establish the Commission on Iraqi Transition. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Iraq Transition Act 
of 2006’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; DECLARATIONS OF POLICY. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find-
ings: 
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(1) The people of Iraq have made significant 
progress in establishing the framework for a demo-
cratic government. 
(2) In an October 2005 referendum, the Iraqi 
people voted to approve Iraq’s Constitution, setting 
up an Islamic federal democracy while strengthening 
the rights of women and minorities in that country. 
(3) On December 15, 2005, Iraqis voted in the 
first multi-party elections in that country in 50 
years. 
(4) The Iraqi parliament that emerged from the 
December 2005 elections includes representation 
across a broad cross section of the population and 
has established affirmative measures to include 
women and ethnic minorities in positions of author-
ity. 
(5) The Iraqi constitutional framework has al-
lowed the election of President Jalal Talabani and 
Prime Minister Nouri Kamal al-Maliki to form 
Iraq’s first democratically-elected government in its 
history. 
(6) The Government of the United States has 
expended, through the Iraq Relief and Reconstruc-
tion Fund (IRRF), approximately 67 percent of the 
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$20,912,000,000 in various reconstruction efforts in 
Iraq. 
(7) In an effort to allow Iraqis to take over se-
curity operations, approximately 265,000 Iraqi Secu-
rity Forces (ISF) have been trained, nearing the 
total force goal of 325,000 by August 2007. 
(8) However, despite the emergence of a demo-
cratically-elected Iraqi Government, most civilian 
functions of that government remain the responsi-
bility of United States military and Coalition mili-
tary forces. 
(b) DECLARATIONS OF POLICY.—Congress makes the 
following declarations of policy: 
(1) While the military excellence with which Op-
eration Iraqi Freedom has been executed is to be 
congratulated, it is in the best interests of the 
United States and the nation of Iraq that the proper 
functions of government be transferred to Iraqi con-
trol as soon as is practicable. 
(2) In order to have an orderly, deliberate, and 
expeditious transition to Iraqi civilian control, the 
task of doing so must be vested in a national com-
mission which is specifically empowered and author-
ized to monitor and assess that transition and over-
see that such transition is carried out. 
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(3) Congress acknowledges that there is suc-
cessful precedent for such a commission in com-
parable circumstances. At the close of World War II, 
a national commission, composed of three United 
States Senators, three Members of the House of 
Representatives, and three Presidential appointees 
were appointed and directed to oversee the transition 
of the Philippines from United States military to 
local, civilian control. 
(4) It is again the desire of Congress, as set 
forth in this Act, to establish a national commission 
to undertake the responsibility of overseeing the de-
velopment of a plan and its implementation to tran-
sition Iraq from United States military control to 
Iraqi civilian control in an orderly, deliberate, and 
expeditious manner. 
(5) Congress anticipates and expects that the 
United States military will work in concert with and 
be an integral part of the national commission. 
SEC. 3. PURPOSE. 
It is the purpose of this Act to establish a national 
commission to develop plans for the orderly and expedi-
tious transfer of power for Iraqi Government operations 
from United States military forces to the newly-elected 
Government of Iraq. The national commission shall seek 
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the goals of empowering the newly-elected Government of 
Iraq and reducing reliance on United States military 
forces, while enabling the safe, prompt, and orderly return 
of such military forces to the United States, and further— 
(1) to facilitate a dialogue between members of 
the commission, Iraqi leaders, and coalition and 
international partners in furtherance of the purpose 
of this Act; 
(2) to report such findings, conclusions, and 
recommendations as are consistent with the purpose 
of this Act; and 
(3) to provide guidance and support for the ex-
peditious assumption of governmental responsibility 
by the newly-elected and appointed Iraqi government 
officials as is consistent with congressional oversight 
responsibilities regarding the proper use of United 
States reconstruction assistance for Iraq. 
SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT. 
There is established a commission to be known as the 
‘‘Commission on Iraqi Transition’’ (in this Act referred 
to as the ‘‘Commission’’). 
SEC. 5. MEMBERSHIP. 
(a) NUMBER AND APPOINTMENT.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Commission shall be 
composed of 21 members, as follows: 
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(A) Seven members appointed by the 
President, of whom one shall be the Secretary 
of State (or the Secretary’s designee), one shall 
be the Secretary of Defense (or the Secretary’s 
designee), and one shall be the Secretary of 
Commerce. 
(B) Seven members appointed by the 
Speaker of the House of Representatives and 
the minority leader of the House of Representa-
tives, of whom four shall be Members of the 
House of Representatives from the majority 
party and three shall be Members of the House 
of Representatives from the minority party. 
(C) Seven members appointed by the ma-
jority leader of the Senate and the minority 
leader of the Senate, of whom four shall be 
Members of the Senate from the majority party 
and three shall be Members of the Senate from 
the minority party. 
(2) DEADLINE.—Members of the Commission 
shall be appointed not later than 60 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act. 
(b) QUALIFICATIONS.—It is the sense of Congress 
that individuals appointed to the Commission shall be 
United States citizens, with significant depth of experience 
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relevant to the goals of the Commission, including in the 
fields of public administration, finance, and management. 
(c) MEETINGS; QUORUM; MAJORITY; VACANCIES.— 
(1) MEETINGS.—Not later than 30 days after 
the date on which all members of the Commission 
have been appointed pursuant to subsection (a), the 
Commission shall hold its first meeting. After its ini-
tial meeting, the Commission shall meet upon the 
call of the Chairperson or a majority of its members. 
(2) QUORUM.—At least 11 members shall con-
stitute a quorum for the transaction of business pro-
vided a bipartisan representation is present. 
(3) MAJORITY.—At least 11 Members shall con-
stitute a majority of the Commission. 
(4) VACANCIES.—Any vacancy in the Commis-
sion shall not affect its powers, but shall be filled in 
the same manner in which the original appointment 
was made. 
(d) CHAIRPERSON.—The Chairperson of the Com-
mission shall be elected by the members of the Commis-
sion 
SEC. 6. DUTIES OF COMMISSION. 
(a) STUDY
AND REPORT.—The Commission shall 
study and report upon all issues relating to the orderly 
and expeditious transfer of power for Iraqi Government 
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operations from United States military forces to the 
newly-elected Government of Iraq, particularly to the 
Prime Minister of Iraq, the President of Iraq, and the 
Iraqi Council of Representatives, including day-to-day op-
erations of Iraqi ministries and departments, as have been 
established by the Iraqi Constitution and laws, including 
the Ministries of Agriculture, Capital Markets Institu-
tions, Communications, Commission on Public Integrity, 
Culture, Defense, Displacement and Migration, Edu-
cation, Electricity, Environment, Finance, Foreign Af-
fairs, Health, Higher Educations, Housing and Construc-
tion, Humane Rights, Industry and Minerals, Interior, 
Property Claims Commission, Justice, Labor and Social 
Affairs, Municipalities and Public Works, Oil, Planning 
and Development, Private Sector Development, Science 
and Technology, Trade, Transportation, Water Resources, 
and Youth and Sports. 
(b) PROMOTION OF ACCOUNTABILITY AND OTHER 
GOALS.—In carrying out subsection (a), the Commission 
shall seek to promote the government-wide management 
goals of accountability, effective management, efficiency 
and economy of operations, ethical conduct, and the merit- 
based recruitment and compensation of a professional civil 
service for the Iraqi Government. 
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SEC. 7. POWERS OF COMMISSION. 
(a) HEARINGS; SUBPOENA POWER.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Commission or, on the 
authority of the Commission, any subcommittee or 
member thereof, may, for the purpose of carrying 
out this Act— 
(A) hold such hearings and sit and act at 
such times and places, take such testimony, re-
ceive such evidence, and administer such oaths 
as the Commission considers appropriate; and 
(B) require, by subpoena or otherwise, the 
attendance and testimony of such witnesses and 
the production of such books, records, cor-
respondence, memoranda, papers, and other 
documents, as the Commission, or such des-
ignated subcommittee or designated member 
thereof, is empowered to investigate under this 
Act. 
(2) SERVICE
OF
SUBPOENAS.—A subpoena 
issued pursuant to paragraph (1)(B) may be issued 
under the signature of the Chairperson of the Com-
mission, the chairperson of any designated sub-
committee thereof, or any designated member there-
of, and may be served by any person designated by 
such Chairperson, subcommittee chairperson, or 
member. The provisions of sections 102 through 104 
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of the Revised Statutes of the United States (2 
U.S.C. 192–194) shall apply in the case of any fail-
ure of any witness to comply with any subpoena or 
to testify when summoned under authority of this 
section. 
(b) CONTRACTING.—The Commission may, to such 
extent and in such amounts as are provided in appropria-
tion Acts, enter into contracts to enable the Commission 
to discharge its duties under this Act. 
(c) INFORMATION FROM FEDERAL AGENCIES.—The 
Commission is authorized to secure directly from any exec-
utive department, bureau, agency, board, commission, of-
fice, independent establishment, or instrumentality of the 
Government information, suggestions, estimates, and sta-
tistics for the purposes of this Act. Each such department, 
bureau, agency, board, commission, office, independent es-
tablishment, or instrumentality shall, to the extent author-
ized by law, furnish such information, suggestions, esti-
mates, and statistics directly to the Commission, upon re-
quest made by the Chairperson of the Commission. 
(d) ASSISTANCE FROM FEDERAL AGENCIES.— 
(1) DEPARTMENT OF STATE.—The Secretary of 
State is authorized on a reimbursable or non-
reimbursable basis to provide the Commission with 
administrative services, funds, facilities, staff, and 
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other support services for the performance of the 
Commission’s duties under this Act. 
(2) GENERAL
SERVICES
ADMINISTRATION.— 
The Administrator of General Services shall provide 
to the Commission on a reimbursable basis such ad-
ministrative support services as the Commission may 
request. 
(3) OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES.—In 
addition to the assistance set forth in paragraphs 
(1) and (2), departments and agencies of the United 
States are authorized to provide to the Commission 
such services, funds, facilities, staff, and other sup-
port services as such departments and agencies may 
deem advisable and as may be authorized by law. 
(e) GIFTS.—The Commission may accept, use, and 
dispose of gifts or donations of services or property. 
(f) POSTAL SERVICES.—The Commission may use 
the United States mails in the same manner and under 
the same conditions as department and agencies of the 
United States. 
SEC. 8. STAFF OF COMMISSION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Chairperson of the Commis-
sion, in accordance with rules agreed upon by the Commis-
sion, may appoint and fix the compensation of a staff di-
rector and such other personnel as may be necessary to 
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