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American Morning
Congress Returns From Break Today
Aired September 02, 2003 - 09:32 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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Meanwhile, also in Washington, Congress returns to work this week a long list of items to tackle. Iraq at the top of that list. Our Congressional correspondent Jonathan Karl live from the Hill to take us through this one. Jonathan, good morning.
JONATHAN KARL, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
Well it is a packed legislative agenda that is going to be largely overshadowed by questions regarding Iraq as Congress is poised to shine a very harsh spotlight on the president's Iraq policy with fellow Republicans asking some of the harshest questions.
To get a sense of what's to come look right on the front page of today's "New York Time" where you'll see Republican Trent Lott raising questions about cost of the occupation of Iraq and saying the president needs to come out and do more to explain to the American people what is going on there.
Now, this is all happening as the White House will be coming up asking for more money to pay for the occupation. A request that's going to come face-to-face with another major Iraq development, and that is the first public hearings on the questions of weapons of mass destruction and whether or not there was questionable intelligence that led to the war in the first place.
HEMMER: A few other topics, Jonathan. Let's tick them off quickly. That blackout last month putting that energy crisis really front and center for a lot of people. How much of a priority will this be with Congress back in session?
KARL: Well there is a massive energy bill that's been working its way through Congress that seemed, before Congress went on its August recess, to be headed towards somewhat of a slow death. Not to go anywhere. That now has suddenly becomes the top domestic priority, if not the top, the second domestic priority and something people on both sides now think will probably pass.
Whether it will do much to deal with the questions that led to the blackout is another question. This bill, of course, was working its way through Congress long before the blackout.
HEMMER: One our topic among the many, prescription drug medication and Medicare. How will that be addressed, if at all?
KARL: Well this is what the president said was his top domestic priority. It exhumed its way through Congress, through both the House and the Senate.
But over the recess, it has fallen apart or come close to falling apart as negotiations between Republicans in the House and Republicans in the Senate have gone nowhere. This is something that will have to be jump-started with active involvement from the president.
And, Bill, it's not going to be made easier by the fact Congress came out with new deficit projections of nearly $500 billion for this year. A massive deficit, a record deficit, and one that won't make passing that bill easier.
HEMMER: The summer's gone. Jonathan, thanks. Jonathan Karl in D.C.
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 2, 2003 - 09:32 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Meanwhile, also in Washington, Congress returns to work this week a long list of items to tackle. Iraq at the top of that list. Our Congressional correspondent Jonathan Karl live from the Hill to take us through this one. Jonathan, good morning.
JONATHAN KARL, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
Well it is a packed legislative agenda that is going to be largely overshadowed by questions regarding Iraq as Congress is poised to shine a very harsh spotlight on the president's Iraq policy with fellow Republicans asking some of the harshest questions.
To get a sense of what's to come look right on the front page of today's "New York Time" where you'll see Republican Trent Lott raising questions about cost of the occupation of Iraq and saying the president needs to come out and do more to explain to the American people what is going on there.
Now, this is all happening as the White House will be coming up asking for more money to pay for the occupation. A request that's going to come face-to-face with another major Iraq development, and that is the first public hearings on the questions of weapons of mass destruction and whether or not there was questionable intelligence that led to the war in the first place.
HEMMER: A few other topics, Jonathan. Let's tick them off quickly. That blackout last month putting that energy crisis really front and center for a lot of people. How much of a priority will this be with Congress back in session?
KARL: Well there is a massive energy bill that's been working its way through Congress that seemed, before Congress went on its August recess, to be headed towards somewhat of a slow death. Not to go anywhere. That now has suddenly becomes the top domestic priority, if not the top, the second domestic priority and something people on both sides now think will probably pass.
Whether it will do much to deal with the questions that led to the blackout is another question. This bill, of course, was working its way through Congress long before the blackout.
HEMMER: One our topic among the many, prescription drug medication and Medicare. How will that be addressed, if at all?
KARL: Well this is what the president said was his top domestic priority. It exhumed its way through Congress, through both the House and the Senate.
But over the recess, it has fallen apart or come close to falling apart as negotiations between Republicans in the House and Republicans in the Senate have gone nowhere. This is something that will have to be jump-started with active involvement from the president.
And, Bill, it's not going to be made easier by the fact Congress came out with new deficit projections of nearly $500 billion for this year. A massive deficit, a record deficit, and one that won't make passing that bill easier.
HEMMER: The summer's gone. Jonathan, thanks. Jonathan Karl in D.C.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
