From The Hill

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Wednesday that President Bush’s funding request for additional troops in Iraq would receive a “fair hearing.”

Pelosi, who discussed her recent trip to Iraq and Afghanistan on National Public Radio, said Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki had told her that the troop surge would be successful only if billions of dollars were poured into the effort.

Pelosi called the situation in Iraq “chaotic” and said few good options remain to address the problems there.

“Everyone that we spoke to said that this escalation that the president is engaged in was the one last chance,” the Speaker said. “Many did not believe it would be successful.” A spokesman later explained that Pelosi was referring to Americans she talked to on the trip.

The Speaker advocates that Iraq now take responsibility for its own reconstruction and security.

“We have paid a big enough price,” she said.

Based on Maliki’s assessment of the situation, Pelosi said there could be a drastic reduction of U.S. forces in Iraq this year and predicted that legislation would be taken up in the House regarding such a cut in troop levels.

Despite quoting Maliki’s views, Pelosi conveyed her dissatisfaction with his performance as prime minister.

“Mr. Maliki is the elected leader in Iraq,” she said. “He has an opportunity to amend the constitution, to relieve the civil strife and, therefore, the violence. No initiatives have been taken. He has a responsibility to reach out to other countries diplomatically in the region and have them help Iraq. Those initiatives are not coordinated and have not been successful.”