Hoyer: McChrystal Should Testify Soon

In the wake of his leaked report warning of possible failure in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal should testify before Congress sooner rather than later, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said at a press briefing Tuesday.

"I think the answer to that is yes," Hoyer said, though he added that the testimony is not necessary "immediately," as Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) demanded Monday night.

The Pentagon has been pushing for more troops in Afghanistan but the White House has yet to make that call. The leak -- to Bob Woodward -- appears to be an attempt on the part of the Pentagon to force the issue. As with Gen. David Petraeus and the Iraq surge, testimony from McChrystal could sway public opinion on Afghanistan.

Democrats, meanwhile, have been less than receptive to Obama's push for more troops, and some conservatives, including columnist George Will, have also called for an end to the eight-year-long war.

"I think it would be useful at some point in time for General McChrystal to share with the Congress, both the Senate and the House, his views and his proposals and his sense of the success that changing strategies would have," Hoyer said Tuesday. House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio), who supports sending more troops, called for a decision as soon as possible Monday night.