OFFICE OF THE MAJORITY LEADER

TRANSCRIPT

On MSNBC Discussing the Virginia Tech Tragedy and the Iraq War Supplemental
April 18, 2007

... WE NEED TO HONOR THE PANAMA CITY, THE PARENTS I WAS A COLLEGE PRESIDENT FOR FOUR YEARS BEFORE I CAME TO COPPING AND THIS KIND OF THING IS A DEVASTATING THING FOR A CAMPUS. WE NEVER HAD ANYTHING LIKE THIS BUT WE HAD SOME TRAGIC DEATHS WHEN I WAS AT SOUTHWEST BAPTIST UNIVERSITY. CAMPUS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A PLACE OF LIFE, A PLACE OF VITALTY PBS OBVIOUSLY NOT THE REVERSE OF THAT AND A TERRIBLE TRAGIC THING AND I THINK WE NEED TO GIVE THIS A LILLS TIME TO SINK IN BOTH TO THE FAMILIES AN THE CAMPUS AND TO THE COUNTRY BEFORE WE RUSH TO WHAT WE SHOULD DO NEXT. >> WHAT ABOUT YOU CONGRESSMAN HOYER, IS THIS GOING TO FIND FIND A WAY TO ON TO THE DEMOCRATIC AGENDA? CRIRKSE THIS IS A TIME FOR REFLECTION, MOURNING, A TIME TO EMPATHIZE WITH THOSE WHO HAVE LOST CHILDREN, THOSE STUDENTS THAT HAVE LOT OF FELLOW CLASSMATES. A GATE UNIVERSITY THAT HAS SUFFED A GREAT TRAGEDY. SO THIS IS A TIME FOR REFLECTION AND WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A RESOLUTION ON THE FLOOR TODAY SPONSORED BY THE VIRGINIA DELEGATION, CONGRESSMAN BOUCHER WHICH EXPRESSES THE SENTIMENTS OF SYMPATHY AND REGRET AND CONCERN BY THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES OF THE WILL THERE WILL DISCUSSION AS TO HOW EVENTS LIKE THIS CAN BE PRECLUDE? CERTAINLY THERE WILL BE. WILL RELATE TO GUN CONTROL LEGISLATION AT SOME TIME? I THINK THAT IS UNDOUBT -- UNDOUBTEDLY IS GOING TO HAPPEN -- >> YOU MUST THINK OF THIS IN TERMS OF YOU OWN POLITICAL HISTORY, AFTER COLUMBINE THERE WAS A BIG EMPHASIS ON CRACKING DOWN ON THE AVAILABILITY OF GUNS IN IT COUNTRY AND AGE LIMITS FOR THE PURCHASE OF FIREARMS. BY YOUNG PEOPLE. DO YOU SEE IT AS A SIMILAR MOMENT AS LOOKING BACK IN IT CASE OR THE POLITICAL HISTORY BEING BAD FOR DEMOCRATS FRANKLY ON THIS HISTORY THAT MAYBE IT'S NOT SOMETHING YOU TAKE UP. >> DAVID THIS IS NOT THE TIME FOR, IT SEEMS TO ME DEBATE AND SUPPOSITION AS TO WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN. DO I THINK THAT THERE WILL BE DISCUSSION AS TO HOW TO PREVENT INCIDENTS LIKE THIS IN THE FUTURE? I DO. BUT I THINK THIS WEEK IS ABOUT THE FAMILIES, ABOUT THE STUDENTS, ABOUT THE UNIVERSITIES. AND YES, ABOUT HOW WE CAN TRY TO MAKE THIS STOP. BUT ROY BLUNT IS RIGHT, THIS IS NOT THE WEEK FOR THAT. >> LET ME TALK ABOUT IRAQ, GENTLEMEN. YOU ARE GOING TO BE DOWN AT THE WHITE HOUSE TODAY, THE PRESIDENT WANTS TO MEET, TALK ABOUT A WAY TO END THE SHOWDOWN ON THE ISSUE OF THE DEADLINE FOR THE SUPPLEMENTAL. BUT LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION HERE, DOES THE PRESIDENT STILL HAVE REPUBLICANS BEHIND HIM ON THE WAR SUFFICIENT TO WHERE HE CAN TAKE THIS TOUGH STANCE AND FOR HOW LONG? >> I THINK REPUBLICANS IN THE HOUSE AND I BELIEVE IN THE SENATE AS WELL BELIEVE THAT HOW WE LEAVE IRAQ IS NOW MUCH MORE IMPORTANT THAN HOW WE GOT INTO IRAQ AND THE DEADLINES, THE RESTRICTIONS ON THE COMMANDERS IN THE FIELD AND THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF, WE DONE THINK IS THE RIGHT THING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH AS PART OF WHAT WE DO IN THE FUTURE AND THE COUNTRY. THE REPUBLICANS ARE GOING TO STAND BEHIND THE PRESIDENT ON THAT. THAT. I THINK ALL THE -- COUPLE REPUBLICANS VOTED AGAINST THAT SUPPLEMENTAL. 14 DEMOCRATS JOINED US VOTING AGAINST THE SUPPLEMENTAL. I THINK THOSE NUMBERS ARE SOLE -- -- SOLID AS LONG AS WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE DECISIONS MADE WITH THE COMMANDER IN THE FEEL. NO SUCCESSFUL MILITARY HAD HISTORY HAS EVER ANNOUNCED THAT THEY WERE GOING TO LEAVE A BATTLE AND WON THAT BATTLE. >> BUT ALL THAT IS FINE BUT THERE HAS GOT TO BE A FINITE AMOUNT OF TYPE ON THE SURGE STRATEGY WHERE REPUBLICANS WHO ARE ALREADY HEARING IT BACK IN THEIR DISTRICTS, OK, WE CAN STAND PUP BEHIND YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. >> I DO THINK DAVID WHAT HAPPENS BETWEEN NOW AN LABOR DAY IS VERY IMPORTANT. GENERAL PARTY RAUSE, SOME OF US HAVE HAD -- PETRAEUS, HE IS AVAILABLE TO CONGRESS FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS FOR MORE BRIEFINGS. THIS ISSUE WILL BE RESOLVED DUE THAT PERIOD OF TIME AND IT HAS TO BE RESOLVED AND HOPEFULLY THE MEETING THE PRESIDENT HAS CALLED TODAY WILL BE A BIG STEP TOWARDS WHAT IS GOING TO BE THE FINAL RESOLUTION. >> CONGRESSMAN HOYER, JUST THAN A MINUTE HERE, IS THERE ROOM FOR NEGOTIATION ON A DEADLINE FOR TROOP WITHDRAWAL? >> DAVID, FIRST OF ALL, YOU ASKED MR. BLUNT ARE THEY GOING TO STAND WITH THE PRESIDENT? ISSUE IS ARE THE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS GOING TO STAND WITH THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. THE AMERICAN PEOPLE BELIEVE THE POLICIES PURSUED BY THE ADMINISTRATION ARE NOT WORKING. BOB GATES, OUR SECRETARY OF DEFENSE SAID WE ARE NOT WINNING AND JUST YESTERDAY HELPED THAT THE DEBATE AND THE MESSAGE BEING SENT TO THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT WAS A POSITIVE ONE FOR CHANGE. SO, THIS DEBATE HAS BEEN POSITIVE. PRODUCTIVE, WE HAVE FUNDED EVERYTHING THE PRESIDENT ASKED TO SUPPORT THE TROOPS. WE HAVE NOT IN ANY WAY UNDERMIND THE ABILITY OF THE COMMANDER OR HIS GENERALS AND SUB COMMANDERS TO DO ANYTHING ON THE FIELD IN BRINGING SUCCESS THAT THEY DETERMINE IS IN THE BEST -- >> BUT CONGRESSMAN ISN'T THE KEY POINT HERE -- >> HAVING NEGOTIATION ON THE POINT ABOUT TIME LINE? >> CLEARLY THERE IS ROOM FOR DISCUSSION. THE PRESIDENT INDICATED WHEN HE INVITED US DOWN THERE HE WAS GOING TO TELL US WHAT HEEMENTED TO DO. WE KNOW WHAT HE WANTS TO DO, HE WANTS TO STAY THE COURSE. WE ARE HOPEFUL THAT THERE WILL BE ROOM FOR DISCUSSION. WE ARE PREPARED FOR THAT, HOPEFUL FOR THAT. WANT TO SEE THIS MATTER RESOLVED POSITIVELY. >> OUR LEADERS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE AND CONGRESS. THANKS TO BOTH OF YOU FOR COME ON THIS MORNING. I APPRECIATE IT. >> THANK YOU, DAVID. >> WE ARE GOING TO PICK UP OUR COVERAGE WITH CHRIS JANSING COMING UP AT THE TOP OF HOUR. OR COVERAGE ON THEAFTER MATH OF THE MASSACRE AT VIRGINIA TECH. MORE POLITICS LATER AS CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS MEET WITH THE PRESIDENT ON WAR SUPPLEMENTAL AT THE WHITE HOUSE. THANKS FOR BEING WITH US THIS MORNING, I'M DAVID GREGORY. ...