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CNN Live At Daybreak

United States Reacts to Attack on Embassy in Macedonia; Bush Administration Deals With Patients' Rights

Aired July 25, 2001 - 07:08   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 LIN, CNN ANCHOR: The U.S. reacted quickly to the attack on its embassy in Macedonia.

Here with more details of the U.S. response is CNN White House correspondent Major Garrett -- Major.

MAJOR GARRETT, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Well, the basic response is, first of all, the check on the well- being of all embassy personnel. And administration officials tell CNN that all have been accounted for, all are safe. No one was jeopardized in any way by the violence at the U.S. embassies or the other embassies for that matter.

And as our reporter just indicated, the embassy will be closed today, and there is also a State Department-ordered travel advisory to all Americans throughout Macedonia.

Now, the White House is monitoring the situation, of course, very closely today, as are other European allies. The key underlying question is: Can this very tentative, very fragile cease-fire between the Macedonia government and the Albanian rebels hold? And if not, what will the European Union, what will NATO, what will the United States do next? There is no clear answer on that topic. Everyone is just watching and monitoring -- Carol.

LIN: Major, while they're watching and monitoring, is President Bush's attention going back to more domestic matters now that he is back from the G8 Summit?

GARRETT: Oh, absolutely. And the first and most important domestic matter on his plate this morning is dealing with the patients' bill of rights, something that could provide new rights to 190 million Americans who have health insurance.

As the president was touching down in Marine One yesterday evening here at the White House, his senior domestic policy advisers were huddling with a key House Republican, Charlie Norwood from Georgia.

Now, why were they talking to him? Well, because Mr. Norwood is really the key to any compromise, if it can be reached, between the White House and the House Republicans and House Democrats on a patients' bill of rights. The White House has been unable to assemble a 218-vote majority for its favored version of a patients' bill of rights. Why? Because Mr. Norwood stands in the way.

There are some 15 or so Republicans who are very loyal to Mr. Norwood. He has in the past passed through the House of Representatives a competing patients' bill of rights. The big difference there is, it offers more rights for patients to sue HMOs if they have grievances.

The White House has been unable to block or remove the Norwood roadblock to getting a 218-vote majority for its bill. They were talking with him late last night. No word on yet if a compromise was reached. The White House hopes it can deal with that and achieve a compromise later on this week -- Carol.

LIN: All right, thank you very much, Major Garrett.

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