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CNN Live At Daybreak

America's New War: Bipartisan Meetings to Combat Terrorism

Aired September 25, 2001 - 08:21   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JOHN KING, CNN ANCHOR: One of the many developments in Washington we are tracking this morning: a breakfast meeting between President Bush and leaders of Congress at the White House to discuss the military build up, and just what the U.S. government might do to try to stimulate the U.S. economy.

For more on that meeting, which broke up just a short time ago, we are now joined live from the White House North Lawn by the House Democratic leader, the House minority leader, Richard Gephardt.

Sir, the headline first: Did the president discuss with you and your fellow congressional leaders moving quickly on an economic stimulus package? And if so, what is likely to be included in such a package?

REP. RICHARD GEPHART (D), MINORITY LEADER: Well, John, we didn't talk about that in particular. I think all of us believe that we need for a little bit more time to pass to understand what's happening in the economy.

We did talk about airline security, trying to bring together a bill that would address that. The secretary of transportation is to give us some recommendations this week, and we hope we can work on a bill that not only does that, but also addresses some of the airline employee problems of the folks that have been laid off. We brought that up as well.

KING: I know that was one of your concerns when the bail-out plan was being debated last week -- that there was money directly to the airline industry, but in your view and the view of many others, especially the Democrats, not enough to help the dislocated workers.

Any commitment from the president on that front?

GEPHARDT: He said he was more than willing to look at it. He asked his people to take a look at both the health care problems that they might face. There are some of the people that don't qualify for unemployment, because of their status. We're going to look at that as well, as well as if this goes longer, we're going to have to look at training monies to get them back in the work force.

KING: And let's revisit the security issue. Obviously a great sense of anxiety among the American people: Is it safe to fly? Among the proposals heard in recent days: allowing pilots to carry weapons -- carry guns.

Sir, do you believe that that is necessary here in the wake of this?

GEPHARDT: I don't think that's probably the best thing. We did talk about the steel doors that you can't get through, sealing off the pilots so they don't face attackers. I think we all think that's something that ought to be in this package. I'm sure it will be. Incidentally, if we could get those on the planes going in and out of Reagan National here in Washington, we think that airport could be opened more quickly.

We're also going to look at, in the interim, getting military police or reservists on the planes, so that every passenger has a feeling of confidence to go back on the airplanes. We need to get people flying as quickly as possible.

KING: The president sent formal notification to the Congress last night of this troop deployment we have seen in recent days. And in his letter to the Congress, he said additional deployments are likely, but that he could not say just yet what would be the duration of this military campaign or the scope of the military campaign, except to predict in that letter that it would be -- quote -- "lengthy."

Any developments -- any news from the president this morning on additional deployments or his assessment of the military effort so far?

GEPHARDT: He gave us a full briefing, and I can't get into all of that. But I can say that I think the president, the vice president, the secretary of state are undertaking a very complicated, and frankly, a fitting type of response to this. I don't think it's going to be anything like Bosnia, Kosovo, Persian Gulf wars. As he said the other night, this is going to be a very different kind of conflict. We're going to really be meeting guerrilla warfare with guerrilla warfare in some cases.

And as you saw yesterday, he is going after their financial backing. That's a very important part of this fight as well.

KING: We have heard a debate in recent days about whether, perhaps, one of the goals of this mission is to topple the Taliban in Afghanistan, not only to target Osama bin Laden and his camps, but to knock the Taliban from power.

Do you believe that that is a goal of this administration, public or perhaps not so public?

GEPHARDT: I don't think that's really what's involved here. I do think that, as we have all said, we've got to not only go after the perpetrators of this violence, try to rip apart this whole terrorist network around the world, but we also have to go at governments that give them aid and support. I don't think that means taking -- changing a government or toppling people from power. But it does mean that we're going to go at their aid and comfort that they give to these folks, and it means that we're going to be in conflict with these governments.

Obviously, the Taliban have been very supportive of Mr. bin Laden and others. That's a position that we don't accept, and so we're going to be letting them know that in a variety of ways.

KING: Congressman Richard Gephardt -- the House Minority Leader, Democrat of Saint Louis, Missouri -- thank you so much for your time...

GEPHARDT: Thank you.

KING: .... sir, this morning. We will check in with you more in the days and week ahead.

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