*EPF101 09/16/2002
Transcript: White House Daily Briefing, September 16
(President����s schedule, Theodore Roosevelt Medal of Honor ceremony, al Qaeda/war on terrorism, UN/Iraq, NATO, Iraq/oil, budget/defense appropriation bill) (2060)

White House Deputy Press Secretary Scott McClellan briefed reporters on Air Force One the morning of September 16 as they accompanied President Bush on a trip to Davenport, Iowa.

Following is the White House transcript:

(begin transcript)

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
(Davenport, Iowa)
September 16, 2002

PRESS GAGGLE BY SCOTT McCLELLAN

Aboard Air Force One
En route Davenport, Iowa

9:23 A.M. CDT

MR. McCLELLAN: This is our morning, wake-up gaggle. All right, let me run through a quick summary of the President's day, and then talk a little bit more about each of the stops.

The President had his usual briefings this morning. Upon arrival, there will be a Freedom Corps greeter. Then he will tour Sears Manufacturing, in Iowa. And then he will make remarks on economic security and fiscal discipline. Following that, he will participate in a fundraiser reception for Jim Nussle for Congress. And then we return to the White House, where he arrives at 4:45 p.m. this afternoon. And shortly after arrival, he will participate in the presentation of President Theodore Roosevelt's Medal of Honor.

The Freedom Corps greeters, the name is Dean Claussen. He's a 17 year old who is a member of the Scott Country 4-H Council, and he's been active in a number of volunteer activities in the community.

On the remarks today, the President will talk about the importance of economic security and fiscal discipline, and the importance of fiscal discipline to sustained economic growth and job security. He will challenge Congress to fund our most pressing priorities, like homeland security and defense, but hold the line on other spending.

He'll also talk about, as he has been, how we are making America safer, stronger and better. Let's see -- then let me give you a little bit of information about -- oh, the fundraiser reception is expected to raise $225,000 for Congressman Nussle's reelection.

When we get back to the White House this afternoon, as I said, the President will participate in the presentation of President Roosevelt -- Theodore Roosevelt's Medal of Honor on the 101st anniversary of his inauguration. This is -- his great grandson, Tweed Roosevelt, on behalf of the family, offered to present Lieutenant Colonel Theodore Roosevelt's Medal of Honor to the permanent White House collection. It was on January 16, 2001, by an Act of Congress that he became the first President to receive the Medal of Honor, the highest award for military service given in the United States. And President Roosevelt is the only President to ever receive both the Medal of Honor and the Nobel Peace Prize.

With that, I'm glad to take any questions.

QUESTION: Scott, can you confirm Larry Lindsey's $100 billion to $200 billion cost of the war?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think, one, let me remind everybody, the President has not made a decision about any particular course of action, so it's premature to speculate about decisions the President has not made. Remember, there are a number of options available. The only option that is not available is to do nothing. So our focus continues to be on working with the international community and Congress to address the grave and gathering threat that the Iraqi regime poses to the world.

So I think it's -- again, I think it's premature to speculate about any particular course of action. Those decisions have not been made.

Q: Is Larry out of step with the rest of the White House? Should he not have --

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think he -- I mean, you need to go back to the article, too. I think there's some interpretation made by reporters. But, again, it's --

Q: -- some mathematical calculation --

MR. McCLELLAN: Again, I'm just not going to -- it's premature to speculate about decisions because there hasn't been a particular course of action decided upon. So --

Q: That doesn't mean you guys don't look ahead and cost out what a certain course of action -- I mean, let's be real here.

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, this is a national security issue. Let's keep that in mind.

Q: So you're saying it would be for reasons of national security that you don't want to comment on what a war could cost?

MR. McCCLELLAN: I'm saying that I don't want to speculate about -- preemption is not an option for spokespeople. I don't want to speculate about a particular course of action that the President has not decided upon.

Q: Can you confirm that this sixth member of the upstate New York al Qaeda cell was apprehended in Bahrain?

MR. McCLELLAN: I can reiterate that -- I think the proper authorities will do all the confirmation on that, from our law enforcement authorities working with others in the international community who are helping us in the war against terror. But we are -- the President is pleased with the progress that is being made.

Q: So you're not confirming that?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, like I said, I think I'm going to let the proper authorities make the confirmations about individual arrest. But again I would reiterate what the President said on Saturday -- he's repeatedly said that the war on terrorism will be a long, difficult struggle, but he will not tire, that we are going to hunt down and find these terrorists and bring them to justice. And we will do it one by one and we'll be relentless in that pursuit of those terrorists.

Q: Scott, if I could revisit the cost of the war. I mean, to be fair, before the President considers a tax cut, you cost it out and figure out what it's going to cost. Now, the American people do have a right to know if they're going to be led into war what it's going to cost them. So why can't you say if the White House has costed out what a war would cost, why can't you tell us whether or not --

MR. McCLELLAN: You said, if the nation is going to be led into war. I mean, again, no decision has been made about any particular course of action, so --

Q: -- under the false assumption that a final decision has been made. Do you mean to suggest that, unlike all other domestic or international spending initiatives haven't you been costing out the potential cost of a war?

MR. McCLELLAN: I understand what your question is. But again, I'd go back to what I said. We're not going to speculate about a particular decision the President has not made.

Q: But as a matter of principle for this White House, I mean, is the idea that you're just going to tell the American people what it's going to cost after the decision has been made? Do they not have a right to know as the debate is going on?

McCLELLAN: The President will continue to consult with the international community and Congress as we move forward, and he will continue to talk to the American people as we move forward on any particular course of action. That is something he is doing now, and that is something he will continue to do. But what needs to happen right now is that the U.N. needs to act, and they need to back up their actions with enforcement. And that's where our focus is, and we're pleased with the emerging consensus from the international community around the President's call for the U.N. to act.

Q: How long are you going to sit around and wait for the U.N. to react and make a decision?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, again, those discussions are going on right now. It����s just really in the early stages. But are you talking about a resolution, or -- we said that we want that to happen as soon as possible. And Secretary Powell is working closely with our friends and allies in the U.N. and others to move forward on that.

Q: Does the President see a role for NATO in all of this anti-Iraq business?

MR. McCLELLAN: In what way?

Q: Support, military post-regime change?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, that's kind of, I think, jumping ahead of where we are right now. Right now we're in consultations with the international community and in consultations with our own Congress.

Q: Are you trying to get the international community to essentially help pay for action -- for military action in Iraq, or are we going to pay for it all

MR. McCLELLAN: That's making assumptions on decisions. Again, there's -- as I said, and as the President said, there is more than one option at our disposal. But the one option that is not at our disposal is the option of inaction, of not acting.

Q: Well, if it were a hypothetical war, would it hypothetically cost $100 million to $200 million? (Laughter.) I mean, think about that, reporters didn't make that figure up.

Q: What does the President think will happen to the oil market in the event of some action in Iraq, military or political?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, again, this needs to be taken a step at a time. And right now I talked to you about where our focus is, when it comes to Saddam and his regime in Iraq. So as we move forward, there continue to be discussions. And the President will continue to talk to the American people, as we move forward.

Q: Is the President flexible about regime change if inspectors are allowed back in?

MR. McCLELLAN: I think you have to look -- one, the burden is on Saddam and his regime. This has been, as the President said, a decade of defiance. He has shown contempt for the international community and for these resolutions. He has violated no less than 16 U.N. resolutions. And his history has shown that -- history has shown that it is a regime of non-compliance. And it's our policy, has been and continues to be, one of regime change. As he said, Saddam has made the case against himself.

Q: When is the President going to have a news conference?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, we'll always let you know.

Q: During the course of the tour today will there be an opportunity to ask him questions?

MR. McCLELLAN: I don't expect that. I think he's going to do the tour and be visiting with some of the people at the -- what is it, manufacturing facility?

Q: Sears manufacturing.

Q: Are there two stops on the tour, right?

MR. McCLELLAN: I think it's one tour. I think there are probably a series of stops within the tour.

Q: Why is the President shifting the focus back to domestic issues today? Is he just --

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, there are always a number of important priorities on the President's agenda. And Congress only has a short amount of time left before they recess, and we're also coming up on the beginning of the new fiscal year. And you're going to hear the President talk about the importance of acting. The House has laid out a budget framework, the Senate has not. And the Senate leadership needs to act. Not one of the 13 appropriation bills have been sent to the President. The President will talk about this in his remarks. So I'll let him say more about that, particularly as he said, that they need to give him the defense appropriation bill first.

But as we fund our urgent priorities, we also need to hold the line on spending elsewhere in the budget.

Q: -- of his thinking now on an additional economic stimulus? We haven't heard about that since Waco and the economic summit.

MR. McCLELLAN: It's still under review. I think you will hear the President talk again about the importance of acting on those additional proposals he's already outlined, such as a comprehensive energy plan, passing terrorism insurance. Those are important priorities to our economic security. But as he said, he heard a lot of interesting ideas at that economic forum, and they continue to be under review.

But another aspect to economic security, as he is talking about today, is fiscal discipline.

Q: Looking ahead to the weekend, do you anticipate another Camp David world leader visit?

MR. McCLELLAN: Not that I know of. Okay, thanks, everybody.

END 9:35 A.M. CDT

(end transcript)

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