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American Morning
President Meets With Top Congressional Leaders
Aired September 18, 2002 - 07:07 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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: The president meets this morning with congressional leaders, a step the administration hopes will lead to formal congressional support for action against Iraq.
John King joins us from the White House this morning with more on that. I guess the key word there is "formal."
Good morning -- John.
JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Paula.
That meeting now under way here in the White House, the president and top congressional leaders, a reflection of how much the dynamics of the Iraq debate have changed just in the past 24 to 48 hours.
On hand for the meeting this morning, the speaker of the House, Dennis Hastert, the House minority leader, Democrat Dick Gephardt, the Senate majority leader, Tom Daschle, a Democrat there, and the Senate Republican leader, Trent Lott.
The four leaders have now agreed to put a congressional resolution backing the president's position on Iraq on the fast track. Some urging the president -- we are told Mr. Gephardt will make this case this morning -- that the Congress should adopt that resolution before any United Nations actions.
So, look for coming out of this meeting a discussion of draft language of that resolution, a discussion of a timetable that could have the Congress vote as early as next week.
Now, the Congress is getting on board with the president at the very moment the president's strategy at the United Nations appears to be in deep trouble. Two days ago, many world leaders backing the president's resolve. But since this overture from Saddam Hussein, the invitation for weapons inspectors to come back in, key Security Council members -- Russia, France and others -- saying, send the inspectors back in, see what happens, and then see if the United Nations Security Council needs to adopt a new resolution.
That is an anathema to this White House. The president very much wants a comprehensive resolution out of the Security Council, and a week after the president said the U.N.'s credibility is at stake, in some ways, this president's credibility is at stake. Can he persuade the United Nations to give him the tough, comprehensive resolution he wants, and if he cannot, what will he do then? Remember, the president did say in his speech to the U.N. he wanted to work with the U.N., but if the U.N. would not step up to the challenge, he reserved the right to act on his own or with his one very public ally: Great Britain -- Paula.
ZAHN: So, John, are you hearing about the same timetable I am that there is hope on the U.S. part that two resolutions might be cobbled together by the end of this week at the U.N.?
KING: Well, at the United Nations, Russia is saying this morning that they don't see the need for a new resolution right now, send the inspectors in under the auspices of the existing resolutions, see if Saddam Hussein interferes, and only if he does, then come up with a new resolution.
So, Secretary of State Powell has some heavy lobbying to do. Some here at the White House questioning whether Mr. Bush, himself, might have to pick up the phone and call the Russian president, call the French president.
The president laid out a strong case at the U.N. saying he wanted to work there, but only if the U.N. would adopt a tough, comprehensive resolution. There is little support for that comprehensive approach right now. This president has his work cut out for him up in New York.
ZAHN: Thanks, John, appreciate it -- CNN senior White House correspondent, John King.
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 September 18, 2002 - 07:07 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: The president meets this morning with congressional leaders, a step the administration hopes will lead to formal congressional support for action against Iraq.
John King joins us from the White House this morning with more on that. I guess the key word there is "formal."
Good morning -- John.
JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Paula.
That meeting now under way here in the White House, the president and top congressional leaders, a reflection of how much the dynamics of the Iraq debate have changed just in the past 24 to 48 hours.
On hand for the meeting this morning, the speaker of the House, Dennis Hastert, the House minority leader, Democrat Dick Gephardt, the Senate majority leader, Tom Daschle, a Democrat there, and the Senate Republican leader, Trent Lott.
The four leaders have now agreed to put a congressional resolution backing the president's position on Iraq on the fast track. Some urging the president -- we are told Mr. Gephardt will make this case this morning -- that the Congress should adopt that resolution before any United Nations actions.
So, look for coming out of this meeting a discussion of draft language of that resolution, a discussion of a timetable that could have the Congress vote as early as next week.
Now, the Congress is getting on board with the president at the very moment the president's strategy at the United Nations appears to be in deep trouble. Two days ago, many world leaders backing the president's resolve. But since this overture from Saddam Hussein, the invitation for weapons inspectors to come back in, key Security Council members -- Russia, France and others -- saying, send the inspectors back in, see what happens, and then see if the United Nations Security Council needs to adopt a new resolution.
That is an anathema to this White House. The president very much wants a comprehensive resolution out of the Security Council, and a week after the president said the U.N.'s credibility is at stake, in some ways, this president's credibility is at stake. Can he persuade the United Nations to give him the tough, comprehensive resolution he wants, and if he cannot, what will he do then? Remember, the president did say in his speech to the U.N. he wanted to work with the U.N., but if the U.N. would not step up to the challenge, he reserved the right to act on his own or with his one very public ally: Great Britain -- Paula.
ZAHN: So, John, are you hearing about the same timetable I am that there is hope on the U.S. part that two resolutions might be cobbled together by the end of this week at the U.N.?
KING: Well, at the United Nations, Russia is saying this morning that they don't see the need for a new resolution right now, send the inspectors in under the auspices of the existing resolutions, see if Saddam Hussein interferes, and only if he does, then come up with a new resolution.
So, Secretary of State Powell has some heavy lobbying to do. Some here at the White House questioning whether Mr. Bush, himself, might have to pick up the phone and call the Russian president, call the French president.
The president laid out a strong case at the U.N. saying he wanted to work there, but only if the U.N. would adopt a tough, comprehensive resolution. There is little support for that comprehensive approach right now. This president has his work cut out for him up in New York.
ZAHN: Thanks, John, appreciate it -- CNN senior White House correspondent, John King.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
