Emissions and a look at the Business Climate in north africa. Senator rob portman is the vice chair of the Republican Senatorial committee. At a breakfast by the Christian Science monitor, he discusses races in the upcoming election and the middle east. This hour long event is moderated by the monitors bureau chief, david cook. Okay, here we go, folks. Thanks for coming. Im dave cook from the monitor. This morning senator rob portman of ohio, vice chairman for the Republican Senatorial committee. This is his first visit. We thank him for coming. He earned his bachelors degree at dart mouth and earned a law degree from the university of michigan. He worked in elder bushs white house in the Council Office and head of legislative affairs. 1993, he ran for a vacant seat and served in the house from 1994 to 2004. 2005, president george w. Bush named him as trade representative and appointed him as director of management and budget. 2010, elected to the senate winning 82 out of ohios 88 counties. He and his wife have three grown children. Thus ends the bigraphical part of the program. Now the ground rules. As always, we are on the record. No live blogging or tweeting. No filing of any kind while the breakfast is under way to listen to what our guest says. Theres no embargo when the session ends. To curb that selfie urge, we will email a session as soon as the breakfast ends. If you would like to ask a question, please do the traditional thing and send me a subtle, nonthreatening signal. Ill happily call when we have time available. Our guest will make opening comments, then move to questions around the table. Thanks for doing this. Thank you, dave. Appreciate everybody being here. This is a great turnout. I see you have your material in front of you. Thank you for memorizing this. I will talk about this plan for action, not just a way to explain to people why its important to elect republicans, but for governing, should we get the majority. Well talk about that later. I would like to start by saying, here we are, 13 years after 9 11 and although some of us may not remember what we were doing yesterday, everybody around this table remembers exactly where they were 13 years ago. The nation, of course, was riveted on these terrific attacks on the World Trade Center and the fight against terrorism began in earnest. Here we are 13 years later with the president giving a speech about fighting terrorists. This is a determined and obs nant enemy that continues to threaten our country. I believe that there is a National Security threat in what isis is doing in iraq and syria because they are attempted to establish a platform not just to terrorize that region of the country, of the world, but to also attack the west. I think we can learn a number of lessons from it. One is that we are blessed to have the greatest military on the face of the earth and although we have made many sacrifices in the last 13 years, our military and our Intelligence Services are second to none and thank god. Dave and i were talking coming in, dave is a veteran. Importantly, he has two sons who currently serve. I appreciate them and him. I think we have to count our blessings that we have the ability to respond as the president talked about last night because of our military capabilities and keep in mind the need for us to continue to have the Strongest Military to be able not to just protect us, but ensure we have peace and stability around the world. I believe that the president s speech last night laid out a strategy for dealing with the isis threat in a general way. That was good. I think it was tardy. I wish he would have done it sooner. I believe what the president laid out in terms of his four points, including continued military activity in the region to air assaults is appropriate. I think the president also made it clear that we have not had the kind of leadership that is necessary to deal with this threat by saying, at the out set of the speech, two things that were interesting. One was taking credit for leaving iraq in total, saying we had no more combat troops in iraq and taking credit for that. It was ironic to me that he said that. The vacuum that was left by which we chose to leave iraq is much of the problem we currently see. I think by not leaving a residual force, specifically trainers in part to keep the al maliki government in check and have leverage on them, not to have intelligence left on the ground did not enable us to monitor what was going on, including the movement of 10,000 isis fighters and third to have special operators to work with the iraqi forces including the Iraqi Special forces to deal with that kind of threat. Hes the reason we are in the situation we are in. Second, the president made it clear in his speech before he started talking about the threat of terrorism that he is proud of the fact we are ending the combat mission in afghanistan, this year. Again, i think we are not learning the lessons of iraq. By setting an arbitrary time line for afghanistan. Again, suggesting not just to our enemies, but allies, the United States is not in this for the long haul. Whether its in iraq where, again, we have seen a vacuum created and chaos ensue or in afghanistan where this could happen as well. We need to let those around the world know, again, both our enemy that is the terrorist groups that are listening carefully, but also our allies the United States is in this for the long haul. Its been 13 years since the 9 11 attack. Many of us would like to think we solved the problem. Its over. I think the president succumbed to being able to do that repeatedly. Last night, in his speech, i support what he laid out. I think congress ought to respond appropriately and provide the funding he has asked for with regard to Training Forces in syria to help this carry out the necessary counterterrorism activity against isis there. But, what i dont support is this continued reluctance on behalf of our commander and chief to let the world know that the United States can be depended on and we will be there for the long haul and that we will not allow 13 years after 9 11 for those kinds of horrific attacks to happen again. I think we need to learn from our mistakes and apply those to afghanistan and around the world. On the home front, of course america is only strong globally when we are strong at home. Even if that werent the case, one reason i brought this with us this morning is that im very concerned i hear you take it with you everywhere. I do, if i bring it here. I do think we are in a situation now where we have a leadership deficit abroad and at home. There are certain things we can and should be doing as republicans and democrats to deal with the weakest economic recovery since the depression. If you look at the jobs numbers, again, a disappointing month. They ticked down one tenth of one percent. They went down because more people left the work force. We had the Labor Force Participation rate go down to the point that among men and women combined, we are at the level we were during the incredibly weak economic period in the Carter Administration in the 1970s. Among them, it goes to the 1940s. We have the lowest rate among men that we have had since the 1940s. Median income is down. Health care costs, obviously, are up. As is the price at the pump. The middle class squeeze is real. Peoples net worth is down, considerably. If you look at the period from Ronald Reagan to 2007, a steady increase in income. You can take into account an inflation rate that is not accurate, probably higher, 18 increase in income and now we have, since that time period, an actual loss of income and net worth. So, when im back in ohio, what i find is what the president said last night, which is basically, we are out of the woods. Things are getting better. He talked about an unparalleled period of job creation. Itis not what i hear and see. I see a lot of people hurting. I see people who are very worried, uncertain about the future. I will acknowledge and say i looked at a lot in august. Jennifer is here, i will talk about the states around the country where we have senate races. The poll that is most troubling and most interesting was the wall street journal nbc poll about how people feel about the future. It asked the American People, do you think the next generation is going to be better off . The answer was a resounding no. 77 of americans said no. Its not going to be better off for my kids and grand kids. Thats unprecedented. These numbers have never been seen before. This is the point in the program where i earn my salary by saying, if you could bring your opening to a close, then well go to questions. If they dont get questions, they march on me with torches. I would hate to see that. Yes, me too. Let me conclude saying i think we are suffering from a leadership deficit abroad and at home. In terms of leadership at home, i think theres a way forward here. I think our future can be very bright and i think it requires republicans and democrats alike to find Common Ground on the issues where, frankly, theres a consensus. We need to deal with the debt that is at record lows and the deficit. We need to give the economy a shot in the arm doing the tax reform the president talks about but has not lifted a finger to address. We have to deal with the regulatory system. We know our Energy Opportunities are great and they have helped the economy tremendously. Despite the weak numbers, they would be far worst. Energy resources, specifically natural gas and oil. Theres so much more we can do. That includes the Keystone Pipeline and Energy Efficiency. So, expanding trade is another area as u. S. Trade representative, i would tell you not the have the ability to negotiate for the past seven years. It does not enable us to get exports as we should. We have the opportunity here by doing some of the simple things. Get the economy moving again. Do what john f. Kennedy talked about, rising the tide. A rising tide lifts all boats, he said. Thats the necessary, not sufficient, but the necessary action we should be taking as a country to get prosperity back and hope back. Im ultimately optimistic and i think having a republican majority helps that happen for the reason this town is dysfunctional. By getting republican majority, i believe it would get the president to the table on these issues and require republicans to work with the president to find Common Ground on these and other issues. I think that can happen. Well talk more about the specific races, if you would like. If it does happen, the next two years can be productive. I know i may sound naive since everyone said the next two years are going to be about 2016. I look at what happened when we have divided government, its when we have done tax reform and moved the economy forward taking on big issues and we have a desperate need for that right now. A need for leadership. And that requires, again, both sides to come together and to do whats best for the American People and do the job we were hired to do. Im going to ask one or two. A political story yesterday noted that republicans in a number of races, including kentucky and iowa are seizing on the Obama Administration response to the state militants and that their organizement is obama is disengaged. How did last nights speech and interview change the effectiveness of the line of attack . How did it change the battle for control of the senate . Well, first, i think the speech last night, as i said, laid out a general strategy that i hope most republicans will support. I think its right. I think we need to be more aggressive. I think its late, as i said. Thats the point made in the states you are talking about. We were in a much more difficult situation because of this vacuum of leadership that we talked about. But, we are where we are. So, i think it is appropriate that the president laid out a strategy to deal with the isis in iraq and syria. I dont feel it is a political issue, dave. I understand the connection with the states where theres a Senate Campaign and i know that people will have different takes on it in terms of the political implications of last nights speech. This is about our National Security, one of my predecessors said partisan ends at the waters edge. The same is true on the border with ukraine and russia. I think the same is true, certainly, in other parts of the middle east and gaza and israel with regard to iran and their march to a nuclear weapon. We need to show more leadership. I would hope last nights speech begins the process of getting america back on track in terms of dealing with the threat. Again, the president , based on his remarks last night, hopes will go away. Hope is not a strategy. We need to engage and engage more aggressively. The president took some of those first steps last night. Last one from me, stew rothenberg wrote in roll call, he was expecting a sizable republican wave. Charlie cook offers a different view. He says it doesnt appear to be a republican tide. The bad news is the democrats could lose the senate even without such a wave. Which race which senate race keeps you upmo most at night . Is it our friend in kansas where you dispatched two top aids . Which keeps you up at night . First, none of the races keep me up at night. Im im kept up at night by other issues, including the lack of leadership abroad and my worry about what that means. I was in ukraine a few months ago with the elections there and one thing that keeps me up at night is the fact the United States unbelievably is allowing the ukrainian people to have to engage in a fight with a much stronger military russia without providing them the necessary weapons they need. Im kept up at night by the fact this economy continues to be incredibly weak despite the fact there are things we can and should do to keep it moving. But, back to your question, look, i think, you know, 50 days is a lifetime in politics. Things could change in terms of the senate races. Charlie cook said the bad news is republicans could win without a wave. I dont know if thats bad news. I think its good news. Bad news for democrats. Okay. I think its too close to call. I believe there are three states where both republicans are seemingly doing well, double digit increases or leads in the polls. That would have west virginia, south dakota and montana. I think they are probably seven states where its too close to call. Republicans would need six gains to get the majority. I dont think any republican seats are in great danger. I think, in fact, pat roberts is doing fine. I think Mitch Mcconnell is doing fine in kentucky. I get a lot of those ads at home. I think mitch is going to be fine. I think in georgia we are doing well. Its all trending in the right direction. It comes down to the handful of states, maybe i said seven, seven to ten states where its simply going to depend on what happens here in the next 50 days or so. Kathryn . Let me ask you about a race thats not on the radar. Will they contribute money to the senate seeking a fourth term . I dont know what the nrc decision will be there. I have been told that race is closed somewhat. Its a single digit race based on some polling, but i dont know enough about it. Do you expect the nrc will help . I dont know. Frankly, the Playing Field is already very broad. I mean, i dont think people would expect we would be talking about minnesota and New Hampshire and virginia and oregon and we are. So, the Playing Field is already quite broad. Alex . If you take over the majority, you have to craft a budget. You are on the budget committee. What will a budget look like . You have to get collins and cruz to vote for it. Will it be like the ryan budget . If not, what are the differences going to be, do you think . Great question. You know, if we get 55 or 57 republicans, we wont need ted and susan. No, just kidding. I think you have to assume its going to be a narrow majority. We need to pull together to be sure we do pass a budget. It is unbelievable to me we have not had a budget in the house and senate for the last several years. I have been back in the congress now for three years and i was vice chair of the house budget committee. I was the director of management and budget. I put together my own budget and it is amazing to me we simply continue to move forward without having the blueprint on spending, which is what a budget provides. I think its our responsibility to get the majority to provide the blueprint for the American People. They need to know what direction our country is headed in. I frankly thing some folks around the table have not given enough to this. Would that track the ryan budget or key differences . I think there will be differences. They want a balanced budget. Ensuring economic growth. In a budge it, as you know, you can have reconciliation. If you can pass a budget in the house and senate, which i am confident we will be able to do, its tough. Then you can have the reconciliation that provides for something on the revenue side, which could lead to tax reform, something on the spending side that could lead to the necessary changes to our incredibly important, but unsustainable programs and the debt limit. Those can be done not with 60 votes in the senate, but 51 votes as we saw with president obama pushing obamacare in the senate with the 51 votes after scott brown was elected. This is a significant part of, you know, should we get the majority what we should be doing. Its included in here as one of the seven points. I do think this is part of leadership. Look, im amazed, again, with the substantial five vote majority, 5545, the democrats didnt try to do a budget this year. When they did do one, it was strictly a partisan exercise with no way to reconcile with the house budget. This will be one of our challenges when we get the majority and one that, you know, we should embrace and we should move forward with a budget that provides t