MR. TIM RUSSERT: Our issues this Sunday: for nearly three years, this Republican from Texas, Tom “The Hammer” Delay, was the leader of House Republicans. He has now stepped aside. This Republican from Ohio is the new majority leader of the House of Representatives. Our guest, in his first live Sunday morning interview, Congressman John Boehner. Then, on Monday, Senate hearings on whether President Bush has the authority to authorize eavesdropping on domestic calls without a warrant. With us, the man in charge of those hearings, Judiciary Hearing Chairman Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania. And in our political roundtable, insights and analysis from Ron Brownstein of The Los Angeles Times and John Harwood of The Wall Street Journal.

But first, on Thursday, Republicans elected their new majority leader. His name is John Boehner of the state of Ohio, and he is here with us this morning.

Mr. Leader, welcome.

REP. JOHN BOEHNER, (R-Ohio): Good to be back, Tim.

MR. RUSSERT: Are the Republicans in trouble?

REP. BOEHNER: I think that we need to restore our—the trust between the Congress and the American people. And clearly for Republicans, I think we need to get back on offense and deal with the big issues the American people sent us here to deal with. And to the extent that they see us dealing with the anxieties that they’re feeling in their own lives, if they see us dealing with those issues over the course of this year, I think we’ll be fine.

MR. RUSSERT: It was interesting reading some of the speeches that were given in the conference during your election. This was Congressman Paul Ryan from the Frist district of Wisconsin, “Friends, we’re in trouble. A poll was done last weekend in our 25 most vulnerable districts, and trust me it doesn’t look good.” And then this from Congressman Mark Souder from Indiana, “Duke Cunningham, Jack Abramoff and the ongoing and disgusting saga of abuse of power and public trust are not made up by the Democrats. We were put in power to be different. What has happened to us? Our entire philosophy is at risk because the American people, and even a large percent of our own supporters, think we have been corrupted as a party. Our re-election numbers are now lower than the Democrats’ were in ‘94. When voters in swing districts were asked, the two things they associated with our Republican Congress were Iraq and corruption.”

Let me ask first about Iraq. John Warner, Republican, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, made this observation. He “said that widespread corruption and criminality were ‘pushing Iraq down into a morass.’” He said “corruption in Iraq was increasing. ‘The corruption, the payoffs, the graft—all this is just, in a sense, overlaying the courageous work of coalition forces.’ Warner painted a grim picture of American forces increasingly diverted from battling insurgents in Iraq so they could deal with corruption-linked violence.”

Today The New York Times reports that 40 to 50 percent of the—of money skimmed illegally from oil sales in Iraq is now going to the insurgents. So we liberated a country and the oil sales, a portion of them, is being used to finance an insurrection to kill our own troops.

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REP. BOEHNER: Tim, we—we are in Iraq for the right reasons, to help bring democracy to a part of the world that’s never known it. Now, we’ve seen this increasingly instable, or lack of stability, in the Middle East. And if we can build this democracy in Iraq, it will clearly spread. This is a long-term commitment. And helping the Iraqi people learn to govern themselves is not easy. But the effort here is meaningful, worthwhile, and it may not benefit our generation, but for our kids and theirs, this may be the greatest gift that we give them.

MR. RUSSERT: But as majority leader of your party, you have to see these numbers. The Wall Street Journal/NBC poll. We asked people all across the country: maintain current troop level, 28 percent; reduce the number of U.S. troops, 66 percent. A majority of conservatives say reduce the number of troops. And then this question: Will the war in Iraq come to a successful conclusion? Yes, 36; no, 53. Are your members concerned about that pessimism?

REP. BOEHNER: I think they are. But I think that the administration is on the right path. I think the raining—the training of Iraqi forces continues to go well. And if it continues to go well and if the—the—the amount of violence continues to go down, I think we’ll be able to see some reductions in troops next year. But winning is more important than—than bringing our boys and girls home early. We’ve got a big investment here, and I think the American people want us to see through on this investment, to help us succeed, because it’s our kids and grandkids who will be the big beneficiaries.

MR. RUSSERT: If the situation in Iraq in November of this year is like it is today, will Republicans pay a price at the polls?

REP. BOEHNER: I think we will.

MR. RUSSERT: Iran: Is the United States prepared to take military action against Iran if they continue to insist on building nuclear weapons?

REP. BOEHNER: I don’t think that’s necessary. We’ve been involved in diplomatic efforts over the last several years to bring Iran into the world community. And I think the U.N. has stepped up, and I’m, frankly, surprised and—and happy about the fact that the U.N. has taken forceful steps, and looks clear this morning that Iran is—is beginning to—to accede to the demands of the U.N.

MR. RUSSERT: But, if need be, you think we’re capable of having the war in Iraq and also having military action against Iran?

REP. BOEHNER: I think that’s premature. I think the diplomatic efforts have gone well, and I hope they continue to go well.

MR. RUSSERT: Let me turn to domestic spending. Headlines all across the country today, the President planning to ask for $30 billion to $35 billion reductions in Medicare costs. And this headline: On Wednesday, the House approved $39 billion budget savings package. “The deepest cuts--$12.7 billion over five years—were exacted on the government’s student loan programs.” The President’s calling for more research, more investment, math, science. Why would you cut student loan programs?

REP. BOEHNER: Tim, we didn’t. You know, I authored that section of—of the bill. We were able to expand benefits for students, higher loan limits, lower origination fees, and yet reform the program and take $12.7 billion from those private lenders who run the program.

MR. RUSSERT: But kids may have to pay much higher interest rates.

REP. BOEHNER: The agreement on the interest rates was agreed to in 2001 that, in July of this year, interest rate would go to 6.8 percent. I—I wanted to go with a variable rate over the next five years, but it was Senator Ted Kennedy, Congressman George Miller and others, all the student groups, who insisted on having a fixed rate. And the fact is we were able to expand benefits for students and reform the program and save $12.7 billion. And it’s exactly what the taxpayers expect—expect of us. We’re going to spend probably $10 billion more this year on student loans and, over the next five years, save this $12.7 billion.

MR. RUSSERT: But many Americans who see these headlines, Congressman, say, well, why tinker with student loans, why tinker with Medicare, when they see this in The Wall Street Journal: “The smell of bacon. 1995, the number of earmarked projects before Congress 1439, total $10 billion. Last year, nearly 14,000 individual earmarked projects by members of Congress, $27 billion.” That’s a lot of money.

REP. BOEHNER: That’s a lot of money.

MR. RUSSERT: And for programs that are difficult—some of them are difficult to defend.

REP. BOEHNER: Very difficult to defend.

MR. RUSSERT: So why would you go after student loans or Medicare rather than eliminate earmarked projects?

CONTINUED

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