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Members of Congress Disappointed with Decision to Shut Down House

Aired October 18, 2001 - 16:53   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.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Now it's time to check in with CNN political analyst Robert Novak of the "Chicago Sun-Times" and find out, among other things, what he's uncovered for his "Reporter's Notebook."

All right, Bob, what about what you've learned about the decision yesterday by the House of Representatives to close up shop?

ROBERT NOVAK, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Judy, there's a lot of grumbling by House members on both sides, Republican and Democrat, that the leadership, Speaker Hastert, and I guess Minority Leader Gephardt, but especially Speaker Hastert pulled the trigger too quickly, that they should've waited. It puts the House in a bad light.

Of course, the speaker didn't have good information. He was told that there was anthrax in the ventilating system, which there wasn't. But this is not just coming from senators or newspaper people.

One of the top members of the leadership is very critical behind the scenes -- somebody who likes Denny Hastert very much is very critical that, in this case, he put the whole House in a bad light. I think -- the House doesn't realize, these congressmen don't realize that they really have to set an example for the country. This wasn't a very good example.

WOODRUFF: That's interesting. We are hearing not only hearing Dick Gephardt, but even Tom DeLay today defending the decision.

NOVAK: Well, they all -- they all have to just get together and defend it.

WOODRUFF: All right, Bob, we know President Bush is in Shanghai for this APEC meeting. What are you hearing now about the secretary of commerce not being able to attend?

NOVAK: This is a curious story.

Don Evans was in Moscow for a meeting with the Russians. He was supposed to go directly from Moscow to China for this APEC meeting in Shanghai. And he has now been ordered to come back to the United States. And my sources tell me that the reason -- they won't ever admit this -- is that security people think they're on overload on Shanghai. They are so -- they have to protect the president, all the people around him, and it's just too much that they have -- that one more Cabinet member is just too many.

If that is true -- and my sources are good sources -- that is extraordinary mission by the security people.

WOODRUFF: Oh, it certainly would be. All right, now, speaking of the president's economy -- people in the Cabinet who advise the president on the economy -- what you are hearing about the treasury secretary, Paul O'Neill?

NOVAK: The treasury secretary, Paul O'Neill, is really, I think, in a lot of trouble. People in the administration are critical of him, but the real problem is on the Hill.

They are -- House Republicans are just furious that he so criticized the tax bill that the Republicans on the Ways and Means Committee put through as a stimulus. He called it a show business sort of thing in a speech in Memphis on Monday. I understand some Senate leaders got together with him and read him the riot act. But that doesn't satisfy the House Republican members. They think they need a new secretary of the treasury. I don't think George Bush is going to replace him, but this is the hardest criticism I have seen of a Bush Cabinet member on the Hill.

WOODRUFF: Yes, and Secretary O'Neill has been known to say what he thinks.

NOVAK: He does.

WOODRUFF: All right, Bob Novak, thanks very much. That's all we have time for today. Good to see you.

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