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Interview With Rep. Christopher Cox

Aired May 21, 2003 - 15:10   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.


JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: We have more now on the latest terror threats and what the government is and is not doing to keep us safe. We're joined by the House Homeland Security committee chairman. He is Republican Representative Christopher Cox.
Representative Cox, first of all, you were briefed today by some of the top people at the Department of Homeland Security. What are they telling you about how things are coming for the department?

REP. CHRISTOPHER COX (R), HOMELAND SECURITY CHAIRMAN: Well, the information that is publicly well known is a big part of what the Homeland Security Council took into account when they decided to raise the threat level. The briefing provided us with more specifics about where the threats are coming from, what kinds of threats we're talking about. But you could imagine...

WOODRUFF: Can you shed any more light on any of that for us?

COX: Well, of course I can't share any of the specific information from the classified briefing, but I can tell you there is art, as well as science, to this judgment call, which is always is, about raising the threat level. We have to be mindful on the one hand of the expense to the country, because, as you covered just a moment ago, police departments, sheriffs, federal, state and local officials, hospitals, airports, tall buildings, everybody has to behave differently at this higher threat level.

On the other hand, you certainly don't want to fail to put into effect procedures that could result in the apprehension of terrorists before they strike. And so, based on that somewhat arbitrary calculus, we find ourselves now at a very high threat level.

WOODRUFF: Well, first of all, based on what you know, do you think they made the right decision to raise the threat level?

COX: Well, of course the briefing that I just had was an explanation of why that decision was taken and so on. It's (UNINTELLIGIBLE), it was internally and logically consistent. There may well be additional information that is not part of that briefing that would run the other way.

I don't fault anyone ever for doing what they think is right based on limited information. We're always trying to make decisions in an environment of imperfect information. But I think what's important is for people who aren't the police, who aren't a hospital, who aren't proprietors of tall buildings -- in other words, a lot of people watching CNN right now -- that they recognize that, apart from knowing the environment that they are living in right now and having some transparency in our government, our decision making, they don't need to do a whole lot different other than go to work and behave normally.

The terrorists shouldn't win. We shouldn't, by broadcasting the warning of potential of something happening somewhere, to be able to disrupt American life. That would be a victory for the terrorists.

WOODRUFF: Is the government prepared at every level, Congressman Cox, to protect the American people at a time like this?

COX: We are getting better at it every day. I'm very, very pleased with the strides that we've made in the last 80 days since the Department of Homeland Security absorbed 21 of 22 agencies that make up this new system of fighting terrorism. On the other hand, Congress last year wrote a charter for this new department, and we have quite a ways to go. So we're working as fast as we can because the terrorists are operating in real time.

WOODRUFF: Well what about the costs here? You know time and again we hear not just from Democrats, but from others who presumably don't have a partisan interest in all of this that there is not enough money being passed out to the cities and the states to do the job that they need to do at a time like this.

COX: Well that's the key to it, passed out. Because Congress is, in fact, appropriating enough money through this year. Since September 11, we will, for example, have appropriated $11 billion for first responders, but that money isn't yet where it needs to be, in the hands of the first responders and the hands of the police departments or fire departments or county sheriffs and so on.

Most recently, I think I've heard it described as molasses coming through a clogged bottle. We need to do a lot better at getting this money from the state capital, where some of it...

WOODRUFF: Can you tell us very briefly why it isn't getting where it's getting?

COX: Because these are old programs designed to meet old threats. And we don't have a new system in place; particularly, a threat-based system that gets this money where we need it. We just made $700 million available under the new system, for example. In New York City, Mayor Bloomberg, but we've got to do this nationwide.

WOODRUFF: Congressman Chris Cox chairs the House Homeland Security Committee. Thank you very much.

COX: I'm happy to join you.

WOODRUFF: It's always good to talk to you. We appreciate it.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired May 21, 2003 - 15:10   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: We have more now on the latest terror threats and what the government is and is not doing to keep us safe. We're joined by the House Homeland Security committee chairman. He is Republican Representative Christopher Cox.
Representative Cox, first of all, you were briefed today by some of the top people at the Department of Homeland Security. What are they telling you about how things are coming for the department?

REP. CHRISTOPHER COX (R), HOMELAND SECURITY CHAIRMAN: Well, the information that is publicly well known is a big part of what the Homeland Security Council took into account when they decided to raise the threat level. The briefing provided us with more specifics about where the threats are coming from, what kinds of threats we're talking about. But you could imagine...

WOODRUFF: Can you shed any more light on any of that for us?

COX: Well, of course I can't share any of the specific information from the classified briefing, but I can tell you there is art, as well as science, to this judgment call, which is always is, about raising the threat level. We have to be mindful on the one hand of the expense to the country, because, as you covered just a moment ago, police departments, sheriffs, federal, state and local officials, hospitals, airports, tall buildings, everybody has to behave differently at this higher threat level.

On the other hand, you certainly don't want to fail to put into effect procedures that could result in the apprehension of terrorists before they strike. And so, based on that somewhat arbitrary calculus, we find ourselves now at a very high threat level.

WOODRUFF: Well, first of all, based on what you know, do you think they made the right decision to raise the threat level?

COX: Well, of course the briefing that I just had was an explanation of why that decision was taken and so on. It's (UNINTELLIGIBLE), it was internally and logically consistent. There may well be additional information that is not part of that briefing that would run the other way.

I don't fault anyone ever for doing what they think is right based on limited information. We're always trying to make decisions in an environment of imperfect information. But I think what's important is for people who aren't the police, who aren't a hospital, who aren't proprietors of tall buildings -- in other words, a lot of people watching CNN right now -- that they recognize that, apart from knowing the environment that they are living in right now and having some transparency in our government, our decision making, they don't need to do a whole lot different other than go to work and behave normally.

The terrorists shouldn't win. We shouldn't, by broadcasting the warning of potential of something happening somewhere, to be able to disrupt American life. That would be a victory for the terrorists.

WOODRUFF: Is the government prepared at every level, Congressman Cox, to protect the American people at a time like this?

COX: We are getting better at it every day. I'm very, very pleased with the strides that we've made in the last 80 days since the Department of Homeland Security absorbed 21 of 22 agencies that make up this new system of fighting terrorism. On the other hand, Congress last year wrote a charter for this new department, and we have quite a ways to go. So we're working as fast as we can because the terrorists are operating in real time.

WOODRUFF: Well what about the costs here? You know time and again we hear not just from Democrats, but from others who presumably don't have a partisan interest in all of this that there is not enough money being passed out to the cities and the states to do the job that they need to do at a time like this.

COX: Well that's the key to it, passed out. Because Congress is, in fact, appropriating enough money through this year. Since September 11, we will, for example, have appropriated $11 billion for first responders, but that money isn't yet where it needs to be, in the hands of the first responders and the hands of the police departments or fire departments or county sheriffs and so on.

Most recently, I think I've heard it described as molasses coming through a clogged bottle. We need to do a lot better at getting this money from the state capital, where some of it...

WOODRUFF: Can you tell us very briefly why it isn't getting where it's getting?

COX: Because these are old programs designed to meet old threats. And we don't have a new system in place; particularly, a threat-based system that gets this money where we need it. We just made $700 million available under the new system, for example. In New York City, Mayor Bloomberg, but we've got to do this nationwide.

WOODRUFF: Congressman Chris Cox chairs the House Homeland Security Committee. Thank you very much.

COX: I'm happy to join you.

WOODRUFF: It's always good to talk to you. We appreciate it.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com