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CNN Live Today
Bush Honors Nation's Workers
Aired September 01, 2003 - 09:59 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.
HEIDI COLLINS, ANCHOR: We begin this hour on the campaign trail as President Bush takes the stage on this holiday honoring the nation's workers.
Mr. Bush's Labor Day campaign stop in Ohio will promise union members two pocketbook priorities: improving the economy and creating jobs.
CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux is at the White House now with the very latest on all of this.
It's a busy day for the president.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Heidi. The president wasted no time in taking his message to the road. He is going to be speaking in about an hour at Richfield, Ohio, of course to union workers.
That's where he's going to be highlighting his economic agenda, as well as the administration's effort to create more jobs.
Now, as you know, the administration recognizes this is a critical issue for the president, especially in his reelection bid. There are nine million Americans on this Labor Day holiday that are without work. That is a 6.2 unemployment rate.
President Bush is going to be using the holiday, really, to tout the positive signs of the economy. He's going to be talking about the fact that consumer spending is up, worker productivity up as well as economic growth.
He is also going to call for the patience of the American people, and he's going to say, yes, the tax cuts are working, the benefits are working, but you have to give it more time to create work, to create more jobs. He is going to outline an agenda.
He is going to say that, in order to do this, he has to create jobs, control lawsuits, restrain government spending, establish free trade agreements with other countries, and finally pass a comprehensive energy bill.
Now there are some Democrats and economists who say that the president's economic agenda is not on the right track, that it is not -- is only producing and contributing to the federal deficit, $480 billion for next year. It was just over the weekend that we heard from Congressman Brown who represents the 13th district in Ohio who says that there are 60 percent more Ohio residents that are without work since the president has taken office.
Clearly, Heidi, this is a very serious issue for the administration. The president is going to say, yes, he understands the situation Americans are in at this time but to be patient, that eventually this will work.
COLLINS: All right. Suzanne Malveaux.
I want to remind everybody also that we will have live coverage of that address just as it happens within the next hour or so.
Thanks so much again.
Suzanne Malveaux from the White House this morning.
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 September 1, 2003 - 09:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, ANCHOR: We begin this hour on the campaign trail as President Bush takes the stage on this holiday honoring the nation's workers.
Mr. Bush's Labor Day campaign stop in Ohio will promise union members two pocketbook priorities: improving the economy and creating jobs.
CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux is at the White House now with the very latest on all of this.
It's a busy day for the president.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Heidi. The president wasted no time in taking his message to the road. He is going to be speaking in about an hour at Richfield, Ohio, of course to union workers.
That's where he's going to be highlighting his economic agenda, as well as the administration's effort to create more jobs.
Now, as you know, the administration recognizes this is a critical issue for the president, especially in his reelection bid. There are nine million Americans on this Labor Day holiday that are without work. That is a 6.2 unemployment rate.
President Bush is going to be using the holiday, really, to tout the positive signs of the economy. He's going to be talking about the fact that consumer spending is up, worker productivity up as well as economic growth.
He is also going to call for the patience of the American people, and he's going to say, yes, the tax cuts are working, the benefits are working, but you have to give it more time to create work, to create more jobs. He is going to outline an agenda.
He is going to say that, in order to do this, he has to create jobs, control lawsuits, restrain government spending, establish free trade agreements with other countries, and finally pass a comprehensive energy bill.
Now there are some Democrats and economists who say that the president's economic agenda is not on the right track, that it is not -- is only producing and contributing to the federal deficit, $480 billion for next year. It was just over the weekend that we heard from Congressman Brown who represents the 13th district in Ohio who says that there are 60 percent more Ohio residents that are without work since the president has taken office.
Clearly, Heidi, this is a very serious issue for the administration. The president is going to say, yes, he understands the situation Americans are in at this time but to be patient, that eventually this will work.
COLLINS: All right. Suzanne Malveaux.
I want to remind everybody also that we will have live coverage of that address just as it happens within the next hour or so.
Thanks so much again.
Suzanne Malveaux from the White House this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
