CNN Lou Dobbs Tonight-Transcript

Interview

CNN Lou Dobbs Tonight-Transcript

DOBBS: Bill, thank you very much. Breathtaking incentives, I think, for anyone to immigrate here, illegally or otherwise.

The Bush administration allowing thousands of so-called temporary refugees to remain in the United States. About 300,000 refugees from El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua allowed in the United States and given temporary protective status. Now that status is extended. They were offered refuge because of ongoing extraordinary circumstances, such as armed conflict or environmental disasters in their own countries.

In some cases, however, the refugees have been in this country, already, almost ten years. Another example of how the federal government fails to enforce its own immigration laws. A special law is meant to be temporary.

Almost six years after the 9/11 attacks, the Department of Homeland Security will finally use the Interpol database of stolen passports. Stolen passports, especially blank passports, are a considerable threat to border security, because they're not easily detected by immigration officers.

The international police organization made that information available to the United States two years ago. In the past, the Department of Homeland Security said it was reluctant to use that database because the U.S. had access to better information through its own terrorist watch list.

The House of Representatives today failed to override the president's veto of the $124 billion war spending bill that contained a timetable for withdrawal of our troops from Iraq. Congressional leaders today met with the president to try to find some common ground.

Joining me now is House majority leader, Congressman Steny Hoyer, obviously, among those in that consultation with the president, with the Democratic and Republican leadership in the Senate and the House.

Congressman, good to have you here.

REP. STENY HOYER (D-MD), MAJORITY LEADER: Thank you, Lou, good to be with you.

DOBBS: Well, let me ask you. It's clear you couldn't get the votes to override the veto. It's clear the president is going to continue to veto it. Both the president and you and the Democratic leadership have expressed a desire to compromise. Anything happen today at that meeting in the White House that gives you, or any of us, hope that a compromise is a possibility?

HOYER: Yes, I think the answer to that, Lou, is yes. The president indicated that he wanted to sit down and discuss in good faith how we could move forward, Speaker Pelosi and Speaker (sic) Reid said the same thing. I think we all felt that we need to move forward.

We've indicated we want to fund the troops. We've also indicated that we want responsibility and accountability, particularly as it relates to Iraqi performance and to trying to work towards a way to see our troops redeployed out of the civil war that they find themselves between.

So -- but I think there is optimism, because I think both sides legitimately indicated they want to move forward. In addition to that, Lou, there certainly was an expression on both sides that we think moving forward quickly is the objective and passing a bill into law and fully funding the troops by the Memorial Day break. In other words, three and a half, four weeks from now would be our objective.

As you know, the bill that was vetoed, of course, fully funded the troops and, in fact, gave the president more money to fight terrorism than he asked for.

DOBBS: Let me...

HOYER: I think there is room for optimism. DOBBS: All right, well, I'll take room for optimism, as I'm sure every American will. Let's go to something that President Bush said today, if we could roll that statement by the president.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Whether you are a Republican or Democrat, there is no benefit in allowing a widespread humanitarian nightmare to consume Iraq. There would be no benefit in allowing chaos to spill out of Iraq and into the broader Middle East.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DOBBS: Do you believe that, as the president articulated it, that that would be the consequence of withdrawing our combat troops beginning as early as this fall?

HOYER: Well, not necessarily do I believe that. Is there a bad situation in Iraq? Yes. In fact, many believe that it's getting worse. As you know, we've lost 10 percent of all the people we've lost over the four years plus of this war in the last four months.

This month, last April, the worst month other than five others during this four-year period. And the worst month this year.

So, there is a very difficult situation that exists in Iraq, and we -- it hasn't gotten better. And Secretary Gates said that we weren't winning this effort.

But, certainly, none of us want to see chaos, which is why we had a staged redeployment. We had benchmarks for Iraqi performance. General Petraeus, Lou, as you know, has said this is only subject to a political resolution, not a military resolution. What our bill attempted to do...

DOBBS: What every American, Majority Leader, wants, I believe it's fair to say, irrespective of whether they're calling for as quick a withdrawal of our troops as possible or staying the course, every American wants our troops provided for. How soon will we see funding? How soon will we see a compromise that will take care of our troops?

HOYER: Well, as I said, Lou, we're hopeful to get this done by the end of May.

DOBBS: Secretary Hoyer, we thank you.

HOYER: I reiterate, we want to fund the troops, and the president does, as well.

DOBBS: All right. Absolutely. Majority Leader Hoyer, we thank you very much for being with us. Congressman Steny Hoyer.

HOYER: Thank you, Lou.

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