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CNN Live At Daybreak

Homeland Security Senate Showdown

Aired November 19, 2002 - 06:08   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.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The Senate could vote today on the homeland security bill. Democrats are trying to kill some provisions, and they now have a key Republican in their corner.
CNN's Jonathan Karl has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JONATHAN KARL, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): A last-minute Senate showdown over what Democrats were calling special interests provisions threatens to delay passage of the homeland security bill.

The Democrats were trying to pass an amendment that would strip seven provisions in the bill that were added by the House of Representatives. These were provisions that include several measures limiting the liability of companies, companies including pharmaceutical companies that manufacture vaccines. Also limits on liabilities for companies that manufacture technologies that are used in the war against terrorism. And also a liability limitation for companies that manufacture those baggage screening machines at airports.

Now, Democrats would like to see these provisions stripped from the bill, and they've got one key Republican ally. That's Senator John McCain.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: I don't approve of a process where the House of Representative throws a major piece of legislation over to the Senate and says good-bye. That's not the way the process is supposed to be conducted around here.

KARL: Now, the problem is, if that amendment passes, and if those items are stripped from the bill, the House of Representatives, which has already left town for the year, would have to come back to negotiate the differences between the bill they passed last week and the bill the Senate is now passing this week.

Republican Phil Gramm says that process could actually kill the bill.

SEN. PHIL GRAMM (R), TEXAS: Whether they would actually bring their people back to try to amend the bill I think is doubtful. And I think the worst-case scenario is the bill dies.

KARL: But Democrats say that's nonsense; that the House of Representatives could simply be called back to Washington to work out the differences between the bill they passed and the bill to be passed by the Senate.

Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: All right, Jonathan Karl reporting.

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






Aired November 19, 2002 - 06:08   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The Senate could vote today on the homeland security bill. Democrats are trying to kill some provisions, and they now have a key Republican in their corner.
CNN's Jonathan Karl has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JONATHAN KARL, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): A last-minute Senate showdown over what Democrats were calling special interests provisions threatens to delay passage of the homeland security bill.

The Democrats were trying to pass an amendment that would strip seven provisions in the bill that were added by the House of Representatives. These were provisions that include several measures limiting the liability of companies, companies including pharmaceutical companies that manufacture vaccines. Also limits on liabilities for companies that manufacture technologies that are used in the war against terrorism. And also a liability limitation for companies that manufacture those baggage screening machines at airports.

Now, Democrats would like to see these provisions stripped from the bill, and they've got one key Republican ally. That's Senator John McCain.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: I don't approve of a process where the House of Representative throws a major piece of legislation over to the Senate and says good-bye. That's not the way the process is supposed to be conducted around here.

KARL: Now, the problem is, if that amendment passes, and if those items are stripped from the bill, the House of Representatives, which has already left town for the year, would have to come back to negotiate the differences between the bill they passed last week and the bill the Senate is now passing this week.

Republican Phil Gramm says that process could actually kill the bill.

SEN. PHIL GRAMM (R), TEXAS: Whether they would actually bring their people back to try to amend the bill I think is doubtful. And I think the worst-case scenario is the bill dies.

KARL: But Democrats say that's nonsense; that the House of Representatives could simply be called back to Washington to work out the differences between the bill they passed and the bill to be passed by the Senate.

Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: All right, Jonathan Karl reporting.

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