CNN "Live From" - Transcript

Interview

CNN Live From - Transcript

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PHILLIPS: It's our pleasure. Justin Johansen, Alice Johansen. Also, we heard from Kelli Michel. She and her family there we stranded. They are finally home.

Well, Republican senator Charles Grassley of Iowa, he joins us now from Capitol Hill. Senator, I wanted to talk about Miers, but if you don't mind, wow, that was pretty riveting to hear what happened there in Mexico. I'm also getting word we're getting fresh video of the president. So I'm going to refer to that in just a moment, too, once we get that.

But first of all, what do we do about these Americans stranded in Mexico? And where is the State Department?

SEN. CHARLES GRASSLEY (R-IA), JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: Well, there's a considerable limit to what we can do. And I hope that Senator Hatch and his staff can help the people you just had on. I'm not sure I'd want to go quite as far and promise that in a certain period of time I could get you out.

I would promise my constituents I'd do my darndest to help them. I got at a call at the farm, for instance, on Saturday, for instance, from the Miller family, of La Porte City, Iowa.

PHILLIPS: Senator, hold that thought. Forgive me. Just want to listen to the president quickly in Pompano Beach. Stay with me, sir.

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PHILLIPS: All right, president of the United States there with his brother, Governor Jeb Bush, in Pompano Beach, Florida, traveling through right now as hundreds, thousands of people still without power, without water, without ice.

Senator Charles Grassley with me on the Hill. We were going to talk about Miers. We might get to that in a minute. But you know what, Senator, I've got to ask you something. I thought we learned a lot of lessons from Katrina. DOD had to step in and help out. Things got done. Now we're seeing problems here in Florida. We're seeing problems with Americans stuck in Mexico.

Let's start with Florida for a minute. Do we need DOD? Do we need to call in DOD and get military help here? Because there are people that don't have water, don't have power, don't have ice, and they're getting frustrated.

GRASSLEY: There is a major discussion on Capitol Hill and even in the executive branch of government, the extent to which we ought to repeal some laws going back to reconstruction that limit what the military can do domestically and have them be a lead agency in the natural disaster instances. And right now, you know, there's -- that's just being discussed. And I'd say never before would we thought about discussing that, except now seeing the shortcomings of FEMA.

PHILLIPS: I know, Senator, why is it just being discussed, though? We're bringing live shots day in and day out of these people desperate for water and...

GRASSLEY: Let me tell you why it's discussed. Because during the reconstruction the military was abusing Americans' rights. And it's -- we're going to move very carefully before we change the -- what they call the posse comitatus law.

PHILLIPS: Oh, but, sir, sir, we saw General Honore come in there to Canal Street and bring food and water and tell people to put down their guns. And finally we saw people off the streets and they stopped dying on the sidewalks in New Orleans. Now, you know, how long do we have to wait in disgust until we start seeing people dying in Florida? All due respect, sir.

GRASSLEY: With all due respect, that was under the National Guard and not under the U.S. military.

PHILLIPS: Well, let's talk about the National Guard.

GRASSLEY: Well, there's no problem then. They can do anything the governor wants them to do and the...

PHILLIPS: So the governor needs to say, let's bring in the National Guard, we've got here?

GRASSLEY: Well, that's one of the major shortcomings of why things didn't happen sooner in Louisiana, because the governor of Louisiana didn't let the command of the National Guard go to other people to make it move.

PHILLIPS: Sir, I don't know if you can see these live pictures -- not the live pictures right now, but these are -- this is videotape from throughout the day today and yesterday and the day -- I mean, long lines for gasoline, people waiting in line for water, waiting in line for ice. People arguing, shouting.

This just -- you would think we would learn so many lessons from Katrina, and it seems like we're seeing this all over again. Obviously, or, I don't know, maybe the scale is like what we've seen in some ways in Louisiana. But it's happening. It's happening before our eyes and these people need help.

GRASSLEY: Well, it's quite obvious that money is not standing in the way, because we put up $62 billion of money of which only about $20 billion has been spent thus far. So, we've got the resources.

PHILLIPS: We've got the resources, so what do we need to do?

GRASSLEY: What we need to do is action.

PHILLIPS: How do we -- how do we put that action forward? How do we take action?

GRASSLEY: I'm going to stop this, because there's no sense of my having a confrontation with you. You're a friend and I appreciate what you're doing and I'm not going to give an on-the-spot answer because these things...

PHILLIPS: I don't want to argue with you, sir. I know.

GRASSLEY: These things take some thought.

PHILLIPS: Absolutely.

GRASSLEY: And I'm not going to make public policy on television.

PHILLIPS: Well, could I ask you a question?

GRASSLEY: Yes.

PHILLIPS: Is there anything, sir, that you could do right now, as a senator, as someone who does have a very good reputation -- and, you're right, you and I have a great reputation. I don't want to argue with you, I want to make that straight.

I'm just asking, is there anything you can do, any kind of influence? Can you use your abilities as a senator to -- whether it's getting the National Guard activated, talking with Governor Bush, getting DOD assets? Any way you get involved in helping these people in Florida or influencing others to do so?

GRASSLEY: I started to tell you how I was trying to help an Iowa family in Cancun. And we called the International Red Cross, the State Department and tried to get things moving. And before we were able to help them, of which there was only about two or three hours passed, their -- that family did make contact with the people back home in Iowa, and they were able to get out on a commercial flight, one of the first ones out. But I can tell from your program that, obviously, down in Cancun, there are people that are still in tremendous trouble.

PHILLIPS: Yes, sir. OK, let's talk about that for a minute. Florida, obviously an issue. Definitely an issue in Mexico right now. The State Department. You know, there were 20,000 Americans, according to the numbers out of the State Department. Twenty-three officials there from the State Department that came in after that storm hit. Now, I'm told there are 64 officers in the region. But, still, there are people that are desperate and they need help.

We talked to Justin, you heard that interview. His sister-in-law out of her medication. She's got a brain tumor, she's having seizures. Sir, is there anything you can do, in your position, and the influence that you have, to get more help from the State Department in Mexico right now?

GRASSLEY: No. I'm limited to this, but I can do this. I can call the State Department, yes.

PHILLIPS: Do you think that they -- is there anything else that they can do? Do they have the resources? Do they have the ability to get into the country and get those Americans out?

GRASSLEY: You know, operating within the United States, our federal government can do almost everything. In a foreign country, you're there as a guest of the foreign country. So, obviously, you just could not willy-nilly do things with at least our military people without violating international law.

PHILLIPS: Senator Charles Grassley, I think this was a very healthy conversation. I hope you're not upset with me. We are good friends. I appreciate your time, sir. But, you know, there are so many people that just want answers and we want to see things get done. Americans should not suffer like this, sir.

GRASSLEY: But I hope you appreciate the fact that when it comes to making public policy, I would be cautious that I don't make it on television. I want to make it in the debate of Congress.

PHILLIPS: I understand, sir, with all respect. Senator Charles Grassley, thank you for your time today.

GRASSLEY: Thank you.

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