Washington, D.C. - Congressman Conyers made the following statement after a meeting between the Congressional Black Caucus and President Bush at the White House this afternoon:

“I am pleased that President Bush has finally reached out to the Congressional Black Caucus by inviting us to discuss our legislative agenda with him today.  I specifically challenged the President to carefully examine the current situation Iraq, including the continued strength of insurgent forces and subsequent loss of American and Iraqi life, the budget-busting costs, and the lack of a clear exit strategy.  I also urged the President to hold Israel to its commitments to Palestine in order to foster peaceful resolutions to the problems that plague that region. 
“I promised to deliver a memorandum to the President on the war in Iraq and the Middle East in the near future.  I am hopeful that Bush will study that document, as he indicated he would, and implement my recommendations for remedying the situation in Iraq and fostering peace in the Middle East.”
 

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