Washington ? U.S. Rep. Dennis Moore, D-Kan., and five other members of Congress on Monday became the first American lawmakers to stay overnight in Baghdad since the beginning of military operations in Iraq.

The congressmen spent the night in Odai Hussein’s hunting lodge, which is now protected by U.S. troops, because a thunderstorm forced them to delay their flight out of the city, Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Conn., said Monday evening in a call from the lodge.

Odai Hussein, the late son of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, was killed last year with his brother Qusai in a July 22 firefight with U.S. troops. The lodge is near the Baghdad airport.

Moore, whose 3rd District includes the eastern half of Lawrence, visited with American soldiers during the mission to review progress in the reconstruction of the country.

“For months I have listened to the concerns of military personnel and their families in Kansas about how to best support our troops and maintain a strong, motivated Army,” Moore said. “This trip is an opportunity to hear firsthand from those serving on the front lines.”

The lawmakers also met Monday with Iraqi leaders and members of the governing council, who tried to reassure the delegation that they will be prepared to take control of the country by July 1. That is when the U.S.-led occupation authority will hand over sovereignty to the new transitional Iraqi government.

“We met with six of the 25 members of the governing council and they have given me a lot more hope for what we can accomplish,” said Shays, who is visiting Iraq for the fourth time in the past year — more than any other lawmaker. “They said they’re not going to be asking for more time, that they’re up for the job.”

Shays, who is chairman of the government reform subcommittee on national security, is leading the trip. Traveling with him are Reps. Robert Andrews, D-N.J.; Trent Franks, R-Ariz.; Jim Greenwood, R-Pa.; Henry Brown, R-S.C.; and Moore.

The group met with Iraqi Americans and others involved with nongovernmental organizations working on the country’s reconstruction.

U.S. Rep. Dennis Moore, D-Kan., and five other representatives flew this week to Baghdad as part of a Middle East tour. Moore, second from left, visited with American soldiers stationed near the Iraqi capital.

The workers, Shays said, “truly understand the historic significance of what they’re doing.”

And Shays said that the capture of Saddam had made a difference.

“There is more energy out on the streets,” he said. “The Iraqi Americans say there is a huge difference. And the governing council tells me there is a huge difference in the public’s mind-set. The capture was a very positive event in the effort.”

The lawmakers were scheduled to see the spider hole where Saddam was captured, and they will also be traveling to other countries in the Middle East.