Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

Interview With Senator Bill Frist

Aired March 31, 2003 - 9:11   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: And welcome back. Eleven minutes after the hour.
The 101st Airborne Division has suffered some severe losses in the war, including two killed in a grenade attack, allegedly by one of their own. Senator Bill Frist met with families of the 101st yesterday in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and he joins us live this morning from the Russell Rotunda to tell us about that meeting and talk about the progress of the war.

Senator Frist, good to see you. Thanks for dropping by this morning.

SEN. BILL FRIST (R-TN), MAJORITY LEADER: Good to be with you, Paula.

ZAHN: Tell us a little bit about the families and their concerns about the progress of the war.

FRIST: Paula, it was fascinating. Yesterday, I spent time at both church, as well as at lunch, talking to the families. Which it is fascinating in the sense that, on the one hand, you would expect it to be a very somber occasion, both the church service, as well as lunch. And, indeed, these young families, the spouses and their young children, are very concerned, and appropriately so.

On the other hand, there is this juxtaposition because they were upbeat, they were optimistic, they are proud to be serving the United States of America. They asked that I come back to Washington today and tell the president very directly that they appreciate his leadership, that they are praying for him, and they very much are behind and support the overall efforts of the United States of America.

ZAHN: Let me ask this about some of the polling that's been doing recently about the attitudes towards the war. Over the weekend, these numbers came out. Sixty-three percent of those surveyed said that the administration had given them the impression that the war would be easier than it has been. Do you think the administration didn't convince the American public that this could be a long, drawn- out process? Is that what those numbers tell you?

FRIST: Well, Paula, first, I traveled all across Tennessee over the last two days. And I found very, very strong overall support. We are 12 days into a war. Over that period of time, we have taken over one-half of the country itself. We have 100,000 soldiers there, 50 miles or a little bit more outside of Baghdad. I think it is very early in the overall process itself, and I think the American people understand that. People in this day and time expect everything to be easy. This war is something that people are just getting used to.

As to how long it is going to take, how difficult it's going to be, I believe now that people do understand that we will be successful, that our mission is clear to disarm Saddam Hussein and to liberate the Iraqi people. And we will do whatever it takes to accomplish that mission.

ZAHN: Majority Leader Frist, I know it is very difficult for anybody to predict exactly how long this campaign will last. The president so far asking for a $75 billion authorization that's supposed to fund the war effort for about six months. Do you think the public should expect that bill to go up?

FRIST: Well, the president made it very clear that this $74.7 billion request is an emergency request that is for the balance of this year. Really over the next six months. Since we are only 12 days into the war, and we don't know exactly how long it will last, whether it will be days or weeks or possibly even months, the American people don't know, and we as legislators don't know, and indeed the president doesn't know exactly what this war is going to cost. But we are fighting for freedom, we are fighting for democracy, we're fighting for liberty. So whatever that cost is, the American people, and clearly our United States government will be willing to pay that price.

ZAHN: Do you really believe the U.S. can afford it?

FRIST: Well, there is no question we can afford it. You know what price of freedom? When we are talking about the liberation of the Iraqi people, we are talking about the freedom of the Iraqi people, but also our own homeland security, and ultimately the liberties that we enjoy, the liberties of the press, the liberties of being able to pray like I was able to with those families of the 101st Airborne yesterday.

That is what is at stake. And, yes, absolutely, the mission is clear, the outcome is clear. And we as a nation are willing to pay that price.

ZAHN: Finally this morning, let's turn to some other congressional business, and that is the issue of the budget. Last week President Bush's proposed tax cuts suffered a defeat in the Senate, when a much smaller version of it went through the Senate and also included I guess the votes of three Republicans you actually were counting on in your corner, and they went the other way. They, as well as a number of Democrats, are saying it is just irresponsible at this time not knowing how long this war will go to offer a tax cut.

FRIST: Well, you know just 45 seconds ago you were asking can we afford to pay for the price of freedom and of liberty today in terms of a $75 billion package. And that is important, because the answer is yes. The answer is how we're going to pay for it is to grow the economy.

We absolutely must have a job-creating recovery. Grow the economy over time if we're going to do the other things that we passed in the budget, and that is to offer prescription drugs to seniors, to put more money in education than we ever have in the history of this country, and to fight this war on terror, which will be longstanding, as well as this war in Iraq, which hopefully will be much shorter.

That is going to cost something. Yet we know we don't have all of those resource today. Thus we have to grow the economy both today, mid-term, and in the future. And that is what that $350 billion that we put into our bill last week and that the House put in to a level of $725 billion in a jobs and growth package.

It is imperative that we respond as a government today to grow the economy. And that is why I will continue to grow that growth package that we passed in the budget last week.

ZAHN: Finally, let me just ask you this. Given some of the intense opposition to pushing through a tax cut at the same time you are funding a war, when it is all said and done and this comes out of the whole negotiation process, what kind of a tax cut do you think the country is looking at number-wise?

FRIST: Well, you know eight months ago people would have said, well, we need a stimulus package of $100 billion or $150 billion or $200 billion. I believe we need something -- I know the president does too -- something much more bolder than that so that we truly can stimulate the economy, create jobs. Not just thousands, but hundreds of thousands of jobs.

Right now, the Senate was at a level of about $350 billion; the House at a level of about $725 billion. I'm very hopeful that we can get closer to the $725 billion before the process is over. It takes something bold and courageous to stimulate this $2 trillion dollar economy, so hopefully it will be somewhere around $700 billion.

ZAHN: We've got 10 seconds left. You say you hope you get closer to the House number of $126 billion. How close do you think you'll get?

FRIST: Well, you know we don't know. It is too early. Right now, House members and Senate members will come together, put together a report. And by April the 11th we will know. Again, it will be somewhere between $350 and $725 billion.

ZAHN: All right. Senator Bill Frist, thank you very much for spending a little time with us this morning.

FRIST: Great to be with you. Thank you, Paula.

ZAHN: Appreciate you dropping by.

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 March 31, 2003 - 9:11   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: And welcome back. Eleven minutes after the hour.
The 101st Airborne Division has suffered some severe losses in the war, including two killed in a grenade attack, allegedly by one of their own. Senator Bill Frist met with families of the 101st yesterday in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and he joins us live this morning from the Russell Rotunda to tell us about that meeting and talk about the progress of the war.

Senator Frist, good to see you. Thanks for dropping by this morning.

SEN. BILL FRIST (R-TN), MAJORITY LEADER: Good to be with you, Paula.

ZAHN: Tell us a little bit about the families and their concerns about the progress of the war.

FRIST: Paula, it was fascinating. Yesterday, I spent time at both church, as well as at lunch, talking to the families. Which it is fascinating in the sense that, on the one hand, you would expect it to be a very somber occasion, both the church service, as well as lunch. And, indeed, these young families, the spouses and their young children, are very concerned, and appropriately so.

On the other hand, there is this juxtaposition because they were upbeat, they were optimistic, they are proud to be serving the United States of America. They asked that I come back to Washington today and tell the president very directly that they appreciate his leadership, that they are praying for him, and they very much are behind and support the overall efforts of the United States of America.

ZAHN: Let me ask this about some of the polling that's been doing recently about the attitudes towards the war. Over the weekend, these numbers came out. Sixty-three percent of those surveyed said that the administration had given them the impression that the war would be easier than it has been. Do you think the administration didn't convince the American public that this could be a long, drawn- out process? Is that what those numbers tell you?

FRIST: Well, Paula, first, I traveled all across Tennessee over the last two days. And I found very, very strong overall support. We are 12 days into a war. Over that period of time, we have taken over one-half of the country itself. We have 100,000 soldiers there, 50 miles or a little bit more outside of Baghdad. I think it is very early in the overall process itself, and I think the American people understand that. People in this day and time expect everything to be easy. This war is something that people are just getting used to.

As to how long it is going to take, how difficult it's going to be, I believe now that people do understand that we will be successful, that our mission is clear to disarm Saddam Hussein and to liberate the Iraqi people. And we will do whatever it takes to accomplish that mission.

ZAHN: Majority Leader Frist, I know it is very difficult for anybody to predict exactly how long this campaign will last. The president so far asking for a $75 billion authorization that's supposed to fund the war effort for about six months. Do you think the public should expect that bill to go up?

FRIST: Well, the president made it very clear that this $74.7 billion request is an emergency request that is for the balance of this year. Really over the next six months. Since we are only 12 days into the war, and we don't know exactly how long it will last, whether it will be days or weeks or possibly even months, the American people don't know, and we as legislators don't know, and indeed the president doesn't know exactly what this war is going to cost. But we are fighting for freedom, we are fighting for democracy, we're fighting for liberty. So whatever that cost is, the American people, and clearly our United States government will be willing to pay that price.

ZAHN: Do you really believe the U.S. can afford it?

FRIST: Well, there is no question we can afford it. You know what price of freedom? When we are talking about the liberation of the Iraqi people, we are talking about the freedom of the Iraqi people, but also our own homeland security, and ultimately the liberties that we enjoy, the liberties of the press, the liberties of being able to pray like I was able to with those families of the 101st Airborne yesterday.

That is what is at stake. And, yes, absolutely, the mission is clear, the outcome is clear. And we as a nation are willing to pay that price.

ZAHN: Finally this morning, let's turn to some other congressional business, and that is the issue of the budget. Last week President Bush's proposed tax cuts suffered a defeat in the Senate, when a much smaller version of it went through the Senate and also included I guess the votes of three Republicans you actually were counting on in your corner, and they went the other way. They, as well as a number of Democrats, are saying it is just irresponsible at this time not knowing how long this war will go to offer a tax cut.

FRIST: Well, you know just 45 seconds ago you were asking can we afford to pay for the price of freedom and of liberty today in terms of a $75 billion package. And that is important, because the answer is yes. The answer is how we're going to pay for it is to grow the economy.

We absolutely must have a job-creating recovery. Grow the economy over time if we're going to do the other things that we passed in the budget, and that is to offer prescription drugs to seniors, to put more money in education than we ever have in the history of this country, and to fight this war on terror, which will be longstanding, as well as this war in Iraq, which hopefully will be much shorter.

That is going to cost something. Yet we know we don't have all of those resource today. Thus we have to grow the economy both today, mid-term, and in the future. And that is what that $350 billion that we put into our bill last week and that the House put in to a level of $725 billion in a jobs and growth package.

It is imperative that we respond as a government today to grow the economy. And that is why I will continue to grow that growth package that we passed in the budget last week.

ZAHN: Finally, let me just ask you this. Given some of the intense opposition to pushing through a tax cut at the same time you are funding a war, when it is all said and done and this comes out of the whole negotiation process, what kind of a tax cut do you think the country is looking at number-wise?

FRIST: Well, you know eight months ago people would have said, well, we need a stimulus package of $100 billion or $150 billion or $200 billion. I believe we need something -- I know the president does too -- something much more bolder than that so that we truly can stimulate the economy, create jobs. Not just thousands, but hundreds of thousands of jobs.

Right now, the Senate was at a level of about $350 billion; the House at a level of about $725 billion. I'm very hopeful that we can get closer to the $725 billion before the process is over. It takes something bold and courageous to stimulate this $2 trillion dollar economy, so hopefully it will be somewhere around $700 billion.

ZAHN: We've got 10 seconds left. You say you hope you get closer to the House number of $126 billion. How close do you think you'll get?

FRIST: Well, you know we don't know. It is too early. Right now, House members and Senate members will come together, put together a report. And by April the 11th we will know. Again, it will be somewhere between $350 and $725 billion.

ZAHN: All right. Senator Bill Frist, thank you very much for spending a little time with us this morning.

FRIST: Great to be with you. Thank you, Paula.

ZAHN: Appreciate you dropping by.

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