"Morning in America" - Transcript Excerpt: Listen to Speaker Ryan's Interview with Bill Bennett

Interview

Interview with Bill Bennett

Appearing on Bill Bennett's Morning in America today, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) talked about the Paris attacks and holding President Obama accountable for an overarching strategy to defeat ISIS. Here's an excerpt from their conversation:

Q: First of all, in terms of Paris. . . . you're a policy guy, what do we do now?

A: It's obviously a horrible, coordinated terrorist attack. We have to see this for what it is: This is a war. They brought it to us, and so the question is, how do we finish it? It's important we get all the facts. I've asked for a classified briefing from the administration for all members of Congress as they return today in session. We're still learning more, but what's very clear is ISIS is not a remote danger in a far-off land. And a containment strategy is not enough. That has completely failed. So, what we're seeing, in my opinion, is the consequence of the president's continued reluctance to take this threat fully and seriously. For over a year, we've been asking for an overarching strategy to defeat ISIS. There just simply isn't one.

We can't have the administration avoid this question any longer. The defense bill we just passed--370 votes in the House, 91 votes in the Senate--that bill itself calls for having an overarching plan. It requires the president to present a plan for defeating ISIS--not for containing ISIS--for defeating ISIS. The last point I would make is, this calls for American leadership.

Over the weekend, Speaker Ryan ordered that flags at the Capitol be flown at half-staff in honor of the victims of the Paris attacks.

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