Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Today

Bush Speaks For Homeland Security Department in Illinois

Aired July 22, 2002 - 12:33   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: As you know if you have been watching CNN, President Bush today visited the nation's oldest national laboratory to see the latest in anti-terror technology.

CNN's Suzanne Malveaux joins us now from Argonne, Illinois.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra. He visited the Argonne National Laboratories really to highlight the need for a Homeland Security Department. This is one of 15 national labs that uses new technology to combat terror. The president was given a tour to actually -- he was shown some of that technology, including a censor wafer that can detect chemical and biological agents in the air. That was used for the Winter Olympics. He was also shown a map that simulates a terrorist attack.

All of this is part of the administration's push to get Congress to pass legislation to create a Homeland Security Department. There is a version in the House, it will go before the full House this week, very similar to the president's. There is another version that is in the Senate, but the president emphasizing today the need for this department. It is a mammoth undertaking, talking about the need to control borders, to respond quickly to emergencies, to merge intelligence as well as use this kind of new technology.

He also talked about a controversial point, this has been up for debate for the last couple of weeks, and has really split lawmakers. And that is the need, he said, to have the Coast Guard, the INS, and Customs all under one roof.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Their primary mission is to recognize the new world in which we live. The world has changed, and so must our government change with it in order to allow all of us who have responsibility to say to the American people, We are doing everything we possibly can to protect innocent American lives.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Now, the president is calling for Congress to get that legislation on his desk before the August recess. He also commented about the economy and the stock market. The strategy of the White House really has been two-fold. First of all, to bring up the positive economic indicators, to talk about the low inflation rates as well as -- the low interest rates, low inflation, economic growth, and also to urge Congress to pass that corporate reform legislation, to get that on his desk as quickly as possible.

Again, there are some sticking points between the Senate and the House, but he hopes that that goes to conference, and he gets that on his desk fairly quickly.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: I believe the values are improving, and I know the economics. The platform for growth is in good shape. Inflation is low, monetary policy sound, fiscal policy is sound, productivity is up, orders for durable goods are up. We have got the platform for growth. When the values get there, you will see the market go back up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: The president was asked, What should you do if you have stock. He said, I'm not a stock picker, that he would not give advice to those, but he did try to reassure, again, investors. They can believe in the economy, again pointing to those positive economic indicators -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, Suzanne. On that note of money, a bit of a different note. The U.S. Population Fund, money is here on hold. What is the politics behind this, because I thought Colin Powell went to lobby for this money?

MALVEAUX: Well, insiders say that this is a very -- it is a hot issue, it is a hot political potato, if you will. This is what has happened. Insiders say that there was some pressure from conservatives within the Republican Party not to go forward with that funding, the $34 million to U.N. programs, the family programs overseas because they really wanted the administration to take a strong anti-abortion stand that this particular group, the conservatives, Mr. Bush will need them in 2004.

There are other aides who are saying, we think this is a mistake, that you are isolating the moderates as well as women. You will need those groups as well to be reelected.

PHILLIPS: Suzanne, can this hurt international relations? Not a good time to do that, right?

MALVEAUX: Well, certainly. I mean, it is an good time to ruffle any type of feathers. Clearly, this is not something that Europe, as well as some of the other countries that are going to benefit from this funding are in agreement with, but this is a political gamble. This is something that has been debated behind the scenes between the conservatives, the administration and those who are more moderate, and they took a risk here in terms of what is the political cost, and what is the gain from this. They decided that they would go with making this change.

PHILLIPS: Suzanne Malveaux, thank you so much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com