U.S. Rep. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., voiced concern this morning about a White House assessment that the Iraqi government is not meeting certain benchmarks.

“It appears that that report is going to show that they are functioning poorly,” Moran said during an interview in Lawrence. “And it just may be that our U.S. military has done everything that it can do to try to give the Iraqis an opportunity, and it’s now up to the Iraqis, and they’re not pulling the load.”

But the congressman from Hays said that overall support from Congress for the war will be determined in September when U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus, commander of Multi-National Forces in Iraq, reports on the progress of President Bush’s troop-surge strategy.

“Should that report be at all pessimistic, I think you will see many members of Congress begin to look for a way to extricate ourselves from Iraq,” he said.

Moran said Petraeus, who before his return to Iraq commanded Fort Leavenworth, is “the most impressive general I have ever met, perhaps the wisest.”

“I’m anxiously awaiting his report, in which I would expect him to be very forthright and straightforward in telling us what success or lack of success is occurring in Iraq,” he said.

Moran represents 69 counties in western and central Kansas, but not Lawrence or Douglas County. He is a Kansas University alumnus.

He spoke to about 70 people at the Lawrence Arts Center, 940 N.H., on a variety of topics, as part of the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce’s series featuring members of the state’s delegation.

After he answered questions, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce presented Moran with a Spirit of Enterprise Award, given to members of Congress who have what is characterized as a pro-business voting record. Moran’s staff said he had received the award in past years.