For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
February 5, 2007
Press Gaggle by Tony Fratto
White House Conference Center Briefing Room
9:30 A.M. EST
MR. FRATTO: Let's pick up where I left off on Friday. We kept the
-- we brought the dog inside because we don't want any -- suspicious
package, or no suspicious package, I don't think any of us are going to
go stand out on 17th Street today. (Laughter.)
The President had his normal briefings this morning. Right now he
just began a meeting with OMB Director Portman to go over some items
from the budget rollout today. As you know, Director Portman will brief
at 12:00 p.m. in EEOB 450 to go through in more detail the budget today.
The President, at 9:55 a.m. this morning, will host a Cabinet
meeting. And we expect the full Cabinet to be there. I don't think
anyone is traveling. I think we have everyone for the Cabinet meeting
today, so that's good.
At 1:40 p.m. this afternoon, we'll have a photo opportunity with
the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Champion, Jimmy Johnson. We have stills at
the bottom for that. And this evening -- I'm sorry, I don't have
details on this right now, but I could try to get them for you later if
you're interested -- social dinner in honor of Major League Baseball.
And with that, we'll go to questions.
Q There's been some thought that the United States has created
the conditions in Baghdad that led to this worst suicide attack, because
of the slowness of getting the security sweep underway. How does the
United States respond to that?
MR. FRATTO: Well, I think General Caldwell and General Petraeus
and others addressed the plans for bringing the security plan to Baghdad
recently. This is not a problem that's going to be solved overnight.
This plan is intended to bring long-lasting security to Baghdad. It's
going to take some time to put all of the elements in place and to --
Q What's the target date for that, for full implementation?
MR. FRATTO: I think that was laid out when we laid out the new
plan forward, at least in terms of the brigades coming into Baghdad, but
we're not putting a target date on when we'll have full peace in
Baghdad. I don't think that's the way this works.
Q No, but if the Iraqis say, okay, we've got a problem here, the
United States is slow in implementing the system that's going to reduce
the violence here, you can answer them, but say, yes, but we'll have our
brigades and our additional troops in place by -- when?
MR. FRATTO: Well, first of all, on the premise, I don't think we
have been -- I don't think we have been slow. I think the joint
U.S.-Iraqi security coordination is being set up in Baghdad this week.
The troops -- I would refer you to the Defense Department for when the
troops will get there on the ground in Baghdad, but I think we are on
pace about as well as can be expected right now.
Helen.
Q Is the administration doing anything in terms of compensating
Syria and Jordan for all the refugees that are pouring into their
country?
MR. FRATTO: I'm not aware of any arrangements on that.
Q Are we doing anything about the Iraqi refugees?
MR. FRATTO: We support numerous refugee organizations and
activities through the U.N. and what we do on a bilateral basis. I
don't have specifics on what we may or may not be doing, with respect to
the borders surrounding Iraq. But we are --
Q But isn't it a real big problem now?
MR. FRATTO: I'm sorry?
Q They're supposed to be pouring over by the thousands.
MR. FRATTO: Yes, and as I said, we support refugee activities
through the U.N. and through other organizations, but I'm not aware of
specific details on refugee -- what we're supporting in terms of refugee
activities on the borders of Iraq.
Ed. I'm sorry, Steve.
Q No, that's -- go ahead, Ed.
Q I'm sorry, on the budget for Iraq and Afghanistan, there's
been a lot of talk about they're being more up front and Congress having
a better idea so that it's not emergency funding. Are there going to be
a lot of details about how the money is broken down, as well, for
Congress? Like, how do you expect that to work?
MR. FRATTO: Yes, I think so, there will be extensive details. I
know Rob Portman was on your network yesterday discussing this and
talked about the increase in transparency on Iraq and Afghanistan war
funding, and funding more broadly on the global war on terror. Rob will
be briefing at noon. I think you will see some account-level detail and
justifications you haven't seen in previous budgets. I think you'll see
budgeting for those areas that are just far more transparent than we've
done in the past, and I think that's been welcomed by members of
Congress on both sides of the aisle.
Q Tony, is the supplemental sent out today?
MR. FRATTO: I'll have to refer you to OMB on that. I'm not sure
of the timing on the sup.
Q Am I wrong to look at the $145 billion fiscal '08 request for
Iraq and Afghanistan and assume the President envisions a fairly
substantial reduction in the deployments because of that?
MR. FRATTO: I think it's more complicated than that. You're
talking about for the $145 billion for the upcoming year? No, Rob can
get into greater detail on that. He did talk about how some of the
funding is front-loaded, and some of the funding has been used to
replace spare parts and equipment. I'd feel more comfortable if you
listen to his explanation on what that means for funding in the outer
years. But you shouldn't presume that that number is spelling out a
policy change in the future in terms of the conduct of operations in
Iraq.
Q Not seeing it as a policy change, but it is so much less than
the cost for fiscal '07, that it would seem to, by itself, envision a
reduction in the deployment.
MR. FRATTO: We've made this point in previous years in presenting
the budget, that it is very, very difficult to project costs in future
years. Now, they've put a number in the budget that gets us closer to
some level of expected spending for '08. Certainly, as Director Portman
said yesterday, we hope the President's plan is successful, that will,
in the out years, allow us to reduce our budget obligations for Iraq.
But we're not saying that the number for '08 is the final number. We
don't know that right now.
Q The other side of that, then, is you envision supplementals in
fiscal '08.
MR. FRATTO: I'm not making that prediction. What we're saying is
that it's hard to say today what the precise number will be that far out
and in the following years. But I'll, again, just point you to Director
Portman's briefing, and he can get into more depth into that answer.
Ann.
Q Is it, then, also hard to say that the budget will really be
balanced in 2012?
MR. FRATTO: I think our estimates for growth both in the economy
and in revenues overall are well enough to allow us to come to that
conclusion, that we can target a balanced budget in 2012. And the fact
that we have included a fair amount of war funding in those projections
allows us to feel very, very confident in that projection for 2012.
Q But you don't propose any war spending after 2009, right?
MR. FRATTO: That's right.
Q So if you're pretty sure about the 2012 on the deficit number,
why are you less sure about the closer numbers in terms of --
MR. FRATTO: Anytime you're projecting that far out it's difficult
to say with absolute certainty. But I think we all feel comfortable in
our projections, even allowing for not having those numbers in the outer
years that we're going to get to balance by 2012. We think it's a very,
very safe assumption, presuming that we maintain the strong economy and
not roll back the tax increases* [sic]. And I should say that we are
not -- there is no rosy scenario estimates in terms of growth of the
economy or growth in revenues in this budget. They're very sensible,
reasoned projections in the growth in those areas. We have a pretty
high degree of confidence that we'll be able to get to balance in 2012.
Q Tony, does the administration agree with Senator McCain that a
resolution opposing the war strategy amounts to a vote of no confidence
that would be demoralizing to the troops?
MR. FRATTO: Look, we're not going to get into the business of
writing resolutions for Congress. They'll do that work this week when
-- they're beginning debate on the war resolutions this week. We think
it's important to support the troops, to make sure that they have what
they need, that they understand that they have the support of the
American people in carrying out their mission. And we're going to leave
it at that.
We've addressed this question a number of times; I know the
President has. And the President has discussed his plans for the new
way forward in Iraq with members of Congress in just about every
conceivable variety of meeting and discussion, whether it was traveling
to Williamsburg this weekend to meet with House Democrats, in the Oval
Office, in telephone conversations, in one-on-one conversations and
small group conversations. We know where members of Congress are on
this issue, and I think there's a fairly good understanding from the
American people and among members of Congress of where the President is
on this issue. We think the plan deserves a chance to succeed, and we
think our troops deserve to know that we're behind them in trying to
carry out their missions.
Q So is the President not lobbying against the resolutions
directly then, because he feels like he's already made his case? Is he
calling members?
MR. FRATTO: The conversations with members of Congress, as I said,
occur I think almost every day and in many ways. And he's listening to
them and he's explaining the rationale behind the new way forward and
why he thinks it should be given a chance to succeed.
Q The word on the Hill is that the pressure from the White House
is intense.
MR. FRATTO: I'm not going to comment on that.
Q Tony, on Kosovo. Can I ask you a question on Kosovo?
MR. FRATTO: Kosovo?
Q Yes.
MR. FRATTO: You can try. I'll try to give an answer. (Laughter.)
Q Basically, the question is, why would you want a new hotbed of
extremism in the Balkans? You are pushing for an independent Kosovo,
and there is at least a faction -- or a major faction in the leadership
of that territory who are basically extremists, who used to be fighters
-- Islamic fighters, for that matter. Why would you want a hotbed of
extremists?
MR. FRATTO: Look, I think what we support are for countries to
determine through self-determination what their leadership is, and we
hope those are through democratic means, and we hope that they conduct
themselves with principles of human rights and democracy and freedom,
and that they promote those things and be part of the broader global
community.
Q Kosovo is not a country.
MR. FRATTO: No, it's not. Not yet.
Q So you support those goals, principles for -- right? That
creates a precedent. That creates a precedent.
MR. FRATTO: That people should be able to select their leadership?
Q No, that people from the outside, other countries, look at the
region inside this country and say, this region has the right to
basically stay -- because we say so. And in this case, aside from this
principle, which I would like you to comment on, aside from that, it
also creates potentially, again, a hotbed of terrorists, of extremists.
MR. FRATTO: Well, I think -- I'm going to do two things. One is,
I'm going to refer you to State Department for -- to explain our policy
on Kosovo. But in terms of any entity that acts to support terrorism
and terrorist activity, we're going to stand to discourage that kind of
activity and prevent it with all the means we have available to us. But
for further depth on what our policy is towards Kosovo, I'll direct you
to the State Department.
Q Is the budget the only issue at the Cabinet meeting today?
MR. FRATTO: No. I think they'll look at a full range of issues.
They'll discuss foreign policy; they'll have some discussion of activity
in Iraq and the Middle East. The budget will be a big part of it.
They'll have some discussion on the farm bill and on the President's
plans on energy and health care.
I think we forget that a number of these issues have overlapping
interests among a lot of the departments and agencies, so having that
discussion around the table with the President is an opportunity for
Cabinet members to raise areas of interest or concern and report on what
they are hearing out there from their discussions with members of
Congress and others. People like Secretary Leavitt, for example, has
been on the Hill and he's been throughout the country a bit, talking
about the health care reforms, his discussions with governors, and he
can report on their reaction to the President's proposals. It will be a
broader range of issues, not just the budget.
Q Why does he need another chance after four years of terrible
war and so much killing?
MR. FRATTO: Who?
Q The President.
MR. FRATTO: Another chance --
Q After four years of this violence and terrible war.
MR. FRATTO: It's been only about a year that we've had an elected
government in Iraq. And we think, number one, they deserve a chance to
have a country that can defend itself from terrorism and be an ally for
us in the global war on terror.
Q After we destroyed it?
MR. FRATTO: After we've liberated it from Saddam Hussein's
tyranny, yes.
Any other questions? Thank you.
END 9:47 A.M. EST
*tax decreases
|