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CNN Live At Daybreak

What's on Tap in D.C. Today?

Aired July 24, 2002 - 07:070   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.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: For more now on what's going on in D.C., joining us on the phone is our Washington bureau morning producer, Paul Courson.

Good morning -- Paul.

PAUL COURSON, CNN WASHINGTON BUREAU MORNING PRODUCER: Good morning, Anderson.

COOPER: A lot of news about Traficant this morning. What does he have on tap today?

COURSON: Well, the House is supposed to decide later today what to do with the Ohio congressman after the Ethics Committee has recommended he be kicked out for his conviction back in April on 10 felony counts of racketeering, tax evasion, bribery.

Now, there is a chance that the House vote could be delayed until tomorrow, Anderson. And our congressional correspondent, Kate Snow, will be making some phone calls this morning to find out for sure. You'll have her live on Capitol Hill with some details.

And also, we'll have a live stakeout camera after the vote, so Traficant, by most likelihood, will come to the camera and tell us what he thinks about things.

COOPER: Does he actually believe he could survive the House vote?

COURSON: Well, after the ethic's panel hearings, Anderson, he told reporters he pretty much knows his fate, but he's not sorry for anything. Don't get him wrong. He has been suggesting all along people have been out to get him. And after the vote on whether to expel him from the House perhaps later today, Kate will head out to Traficant's district at Youngstown, Ohio, where some voters are still supporting the congressman.

I might point out, Anderson, it's very different for Traficant than it is for in California, Gary Condit, the congressman who was swept up in the Chandra Levy affair. Condit was never implicated criminally in that case, yet voters decided they had had enough, and they voted him out of office.

COOPER: Well, I know last night on "CONNIE CHUNG TONIGHT," Traficant was on live, talking to Connie, and he said that his -- people in his district still support him. So it will be interesting to see what Kate Snow finds out.

Also, hearings today on homeland security. What's on tap with that?

COURSON: Yes. On homeland security, the Senate Government Affairs Committee, Lieberman is holding a hearing at 9:30. They're trying to figure out whether and how to include the Coast Guard, FEMA and the Immigration and Naturalization Service into the new Homeland Security Agency.

The Coast Guard, of course, is pretty much known for drug interdiction when it comes to armed patrols and what have you, far beyond the rescuing people at sea type of thing. And they are actually moving ahead with a law enforcement military-style training team. It's kind of a maritime-based SWAT team, if you will, where they'll be on guard to guard ports and tankers and perhaps military facilities along the water, nuclear power plants, that sort of thing.

There is a training exercise going on today in North Carolina, Wilmington, and we've sent CNN's Brian Cabell down there today for the Maritime Safety and Security Team. This is the second class of graduates that the Coast Guard has produced. They'll be tested in a simulated exercise, where they'll be defending a couple of Navy ships against the terrorist scenarios. And once they pass that and get evaluated, they'll pick up a station at Chesapeake, Virginia.

COOPER: That's interesting. What else is going on in Washington today?

COURSON: Well, there's a truckers safety story to tell you about. It times well with people getting ready for morning rush hour traffic. AAA, yesterday, had come out with report saying 98 percent of the fatalities in car-truck accidents are among people in the cars, and that the car drivers 80 percent of the time were at fault.

So CNN's Kathleen Koch went out on the famous Capitol Beltway around Washington yesterday, Anderson, so you can see for yourself the kind of traffic interaction that's involved. And sure enough, her report later this morning will show you how it seems that car drivers more often than the truckers are cutting it kind of close.

COOPER: And I also heard there was an event with Playboy bunnies, but unfortunately, we're out of time, so we're just going to have to...

COURSON: Boy, there's a tease. Thanks -- Anderson.

COOPER: We're just going to have to wait on that. Thanks a lot for joining us this morning, Paul.

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