MSNBC "The Ed Show" - Transcript: Islamic State Strategy

Interview

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SCHULTZ: The White House is expected to request an additional $5 billion for military operation against ISIS during the lame-duck session. The President is also looking for new authorization from Congress to continue military action.

President Obama has repeatedly pledged to keep boots off the ground in Iraq. The question on everyone`s mind after Election Day, will the mission change now that the Republicans have the majority? That first goes tonight to Congressman John Garamendi of California.

Congressman, good to have you with us tonight. What does a Republican majority in both Houses mean when it comes to dealing with ISIS and the pressure on the President? Your thoughts.

REP. JOHN GARAMENDI, (D) CALIFORNIA: Well, I think we`re going to see a much aggressive Congress, really wanted to get into this. Consider John McCain, Chairperson of the Senate on Services Committee.

He is bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb again. It is never enough troops on the ground for him so it`s going to be heavy pressure coming from the Senate.

On the House side, I think we`ll probably see pretty much the same which was strong support for intense military action. For me, I think we`re headed down the same path. We`ve been on twice before. This would be the third time we`ve been engage in a war in Iraq. The first two didn`t work out particularly well.

What is different about this? Well, we`ve got a very nasty group out there, ISIL. No doubt that they`re a bunch of bad actors but we really need to think seriously about what our overall strategic interest is and how we`re going to deal with it.

The old way just hasn`t work and we need to redo that, therefore, we absolutely have to have an authorization to use force, really a declaration of war. This is a new war that Congress that people`s representatives under the constitution we need to come to grips with our responsibility.

Do we declare a war, if so, how much, how and where?

SCHULTZ: Well, do you think the President is actually going to have difficulty getting new authorization from Congress to continue...

GARAMENDI: Well, sure.

SCHULTZ: ... what`s going on right now, now that the Republicans are all
about it?

GARAMENDI: Well, he should. I mean all of us were appalled to constitution. The constitution is very clear. Congress declares war. The President executes that war. This is a new war. We`re talking about five billion here. There`s already been perhaps a billion spent before this $5 billion. Where is that going?

We`re on slippery slope. This war has been going on for 30 years since 1982 when 200 marines lost their lives in the bombing of the barracks in Beirut. This is not good...

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

GARAMENDI: ...policy. We do need to really think about how is it that we can actually stabilize the Middle East without another ground war.

SCHULTZ: So, Congressman, are you saying that it`s just hard to hold this position and continue to say that our troops are not going to be involved in combat and this is, as the President says, a new phase?

GARAMENDI: Well, it is indeed a new phase. These soldiers are not going to be just in Baghdad and Erbil. They`re going to be out in the outlying areas. Twelve brigades are going to be placed -- are going to be stood up, three of those are Kurds, nine of those are Iraqi. Those are not going to be sitting in Baghdad they`re going to be out in the -- out and around in Iraq.

The reality is our forces are going to be and harm`s way. And just think about this Ed, what`s going to be the American public`s reaction when one or more of our soldiers...

SCHULTZ: Yeah

GARAMENDI: ... men and women are killed or captured?

SCHULTZ: Well, President Obama responded to concerns about additional troops saying that he actually expect to see troop totals decline. Take a listen to this.

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OBAMA: What, you know, the commanders who presented the plan to me say is that we may actually see fewer troops overtime because now we`re seeing coalition members starting to partner with us on the training and assist effort.

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SCHULTZ: Do you buy that Congressman?

GARAMENDI: I hope he`s right. We do know that this has to be an effort by Turkey, by Saudi Arabia, by others that were addressed. He`s even talked that Iran is part of the effort to deal with ISIL.

SCHULTZ: Yeah.

GARAMENDI: That`s an interesting partnership right there. But yes, they must get involve. It is their turf, their territory. They`re the most at risk. Eventually the United States could be at risk. There is a serious potential that ISIL could bring that to the United States. But right now this is something that has to be dealt with by the...

SCHULTZ: OK.

GARAMENDI: ... people and the countries in that region.

SCHULTZ: Congressman tomorrow is Veteran`s Day. To you, your family, you colleagues, what is it mean?

GARAMENDI: Well, it means everything. It means exactly what we`re talking about here. We`re going to have 33,000 more veterans coming back from Iraq. We`ve already have well over a million. They`re people that heard it (ph), they`ve sacrifice.

Veteran`s Day is time for this nation to take stock in what we owe these men and women. Fortunately the new Secretary, Mr. McDonald seems to be on the right track. I certainly will give him any support that he may need to carry out his tasks. I did meet with him for about an hour and 15 minutes in Sacramento when he was here in this area.

I think he`s a good person. I think he is well-intended. He`s got a big bureaucracy. He is going to need a lot of support from Congress in order to make the changes necessary to take care of our veterans.

SCHULTZ: All right, Congressman John Garamendi of California, good to have you with us tonight. I appreciate your time sir.

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