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CNN Live Saturday

Bush Urges Congress to Pass Education Reform Quickly

Aired July 07, 2001 - 16:04   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.
DONNA KELLEY, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush is in Kennebunkport, Maine this weekend, getting some R&R, but he will not rest from his push for education reform. During his radio address today, Mr. Bush urged Congress to pass an education reform plan before students return to school from summer break. CNN's Kelly Wallace is in Kennebunkport with the president, joins us with more -- Kelly.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Donna, the House of Representatives and the Senate have both passed education reform plans, calling for sweeping changes such as requiring annual testing of students in grades three through eight in reading and math, but the White House is frustrated that a conference committee has not yet met to try to resolve the differences between those two bills, and that's why the president in his radio address tried to step up the pressure on lawmakers.

He said: "Education reform should be the final exam for Congress," and that "Congress should act on it before lawmakers recess in August."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Across Americas, governors are waiting to work with their legislatures to implement reform. Local school boards are eager to put the new flexibility my plan offers into action. We are ready to provide teachers with the best research on the science of reading this very fall. We need to act quickly, because states and schools must make decisions on how to use their new flexibility and live to their new responsibility.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: Now, one of the biggest differences that lawmakers must resolve is just how much the federal government should spend on education. The Senate bill calls for $42 billion in federal spending, the House bill calls for a smaller amount, about $23 billion in education spending.

But again, most of this day and this weekend is really devoted to resting and relaxing. But even on vacation, President Bush does not sleep in. He was out on the golf course, along with his father, the former president, and brother Jeb, around 6:30 this morning. Now, no word on the score, the president though did not seem exactly so pleased with his performance by the end of the game and he did say to his father, "congratulations, you won."

Now, the Bushes will spend another day. They will be here tomorrow in Kennebunkport, and then they will head back to Washington tomorrow night. Then the president will be back at work. Aides say he will be focusing on three issues next week: education, as well as pushing for his faith-based agenda, as well as pushing his ideas for a patients' bill of rights.

The president will be visiting a couple of local hospitals in the Washington, D.C. area, Donna. He's hoping to influence the debate on a patients' bill of rights, the upcoming debate in the House of Representatives. Donna, back to you.

KELLEY: Kelly, he wants to work on that education reform plan and wants it before the kids go back to school. They are hopeful of that, but how likely is that? How likely is that to get worked out before and on that timetable?

WALLACE: It doesn't seem exactly too likely, because the Senate majority leader Tom Daschle hasn't seemed too motivated or hasn't moved too forward in naming conferees. The Democrats now control the Senate and have a major role in naming conferees to that conference committee.

So again, it's not exactly clear if that can be worked out over the next three weeks. Obviously, it's an issue both sides care deeply about, so it remains to be seen if it will get done.

KELLEY: All right. Kelly Wallace in Kennebunkport with the president. Hope you will get to have some fun time too. Thanks.

WALLACE: We will.

KELLEY: All right.

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