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American Morning
Cost of War
Aired September 10, 2003 - 07:04 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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: In Washington, members of Congress are firing tough questions at the administration about the skyrocketing cost of war.
From D.C. today, Jonathan Karl, our congressional correspondent, is watching that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I will soon submit to Congress a request for $87 billion.
JONATHAN KARL, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The president may get the billions he wants, but first his Iraq team is taking a beating from Congress.
SEN. ROBERT BYRD (D), WEST VIRGINIA: Congress is not an ATM. We have to be able to explain this new, enormous bill to the American people.
KARL: Democrat Ted Kennedy grilled Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, the intellectual architect of the Iraq war, demanding to know why American troops have not been better protected.
SEN. TED KENNEDY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: You and other officials in the administration responsible for this war were warned. Yet, you put tens of thousands of American troops in harm's way without adequate planning. I'm going to be interested in how that could have happened and who's accountable.
KARL: Wolfowitz chided Kennedy for being too be negative.
PAUL WOLFOWITZ, DEPUTY DEFENSE SECRETARY: Confidence is part of winning. We need to project confidence, and we have every reason to project confidence, because we've done a fantastic job. We've liberated a country from a horrible dictator. We are cleaning up the remnants of that regime. We have the people with us. We'll get the electricity fixed.
KARL: Republican John McCain insisted more American troops are needed, because other countries aren't stepping up to the plate fast enough.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: Do you have any idea as to when we could expect the first international troops to arrive in Iraq?
MARC GROSSMAN, UNDERSECRETARY OF STATE: No, sir. MCCAIN: You have no idea. Thank you.
GROSSMAN: Well, sir, I only have no idea, because it would depend upon the Security Council resolution, and I can only say to you, sir...
(CROSSTALK)
MCCAIN: So, we cannot count on an immediate infusion of international forces into Iraq?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KARL: Secretary of State Powell and Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld are both expected up here on Capitol Hill today to meet privately with lawmakers, as the president sends his big guns to Capitol Hill to make the case for that $87 billion he wants for Iraq and Afghanistan -- Bill.
HEMMER: Jonathan, thanks -- Jonathan Karl in D.C.
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 10, 2003 - 07:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: In Washington, members of Congress are firing tough questions at the administration about the skyrocketing cost of war.
From D.C. today, Jonathan Karl, our congressional correspondent, is watching that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I will soon submit to Congress a request for $87 billion.
JONATHAN KARL, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The president may get the billions he wants, but first his Iraq team is taking a beating from Congress.
SEN. ROBERT BYRD (D), WEST VIRGINIA: Congress is not an ATM. We have to be able to explain this new, enormous bill to the American people.
KARL: Democrat Ted Kennedy grilled Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, the intellectual architect of the Iraq war, demanding to know why American troops have not been better protected.
SEN. TED KENNEDY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: You and other officials in the administration responsible for this war were warned. Yet, you put tens of thousands of American troops in harm's way without adequate planning. I'm going to be interested in how that could have happened and who's accountable.
KARL: Wolfowitz chided Kennedy for being too be negative.
PAUL WOLFOWITZ, DEPUTY DEFENSE SECRETARY: Confidence is part of winning. We need to project confidence, and we have every reason to project confidence, because we've done a fantastic job. We've liberated a country from a horrible dictator. We are cleaning up the remnants of that regime. We have the people with us. We'll get the electricity fixed.
KARL: Republican John McCain insisted more American troops are needed, because other countries aren't stepping up to the plate fast enough.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: Do you have any idea as to when we could expect the first international troops to arrive in Iraq?
MARC GROSSMAN, UNDERSECRETARY OF STATE: No, sir. MCCAIN: You have no idea. Thank you.
GROSSMAN: Well, sir, I only have no idea, because it would depend upon the Security Council resolution, and I can only say to you, sir...
(CROSSTALK)
MCCAIN: So, we cannot count on an immediate infusion of international forces into Iraq?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KARL: Secretary of State Powell and Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld are both expected up here on Capitol Hill today to meet privately with lawmakers, as the president sends his big guns to Capitol Hill to make the case for that $87 billion he wants for Iraq and Afghanistan -- Bill.
HEMMER: Jonathan, thanks -- Jonathan Karl in D.C.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
