In other news from Capitol Hill, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice testified before the House Foreign Affairs Committee Wednesday. In a controversial moment, Rice denied ever seeing an Iranian proposal calling for dialogue with the United States on issues including nuclear activity and possible recognition of Israel. The 2003 overture was revealed by The Washington Post last year. Former administration officials, including one of Rice’s aides, have said the proposal was rejected. Rice was also asked about Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice: “I do believe that the president of Venezuela is really destroying his own country economically, politically, and this is a place with which we had traditionally good relations and would like to continue to have good relations.”