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Congressional Resolution on Iraq
Aired September 26, 2002 - 13:10 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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, will President Bush be able to get support from congressional Democrats on Capitol Hill for his resolution on Iraq?
Our Kate Snow joins us now with more on where that resolution stands with lawmakers.
Kate -- when you think of yesterday, boy, everybody has calmed down, taken a deep breath, and has started working together now.
KATE SNOW, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, they took a step back, didn't they?
You know, we are talking about the congressional resolution here. There are some parallels to what Suzanne was just talking about in terms of the United Nations resolution, and specifically, that some Democrats are saying that the congressional resolution supporting the use of force, authorizing the president to use force, maybe should be focused on disarmament, and saying that the goal is disarming Iraq. So, that's under discussion here.
All kinds of discussion going on behind the scenes, although what's interesting, Kyra, is on the Senate floor right now, you've got something completely different under way. They are debating homeland security, the creation of a giant new Homeland Security Department. Senator Joseph Lieberman, Democrat from Connecticut, has been pushing his legislation that calls for a Homeland Security Department.
But for as long as they continue on this subject, they're not going to be able to get around to Iraq. And this morning, you heard both Democrats and Republicans testy over this debate, saying that we've got to move on here. The problem is they don't agree on how to deal with some of the many workers who would be part of that new Homeland Security Department, and whether they should have the same kind of rights that other federal workers have. That's holding them up on that.
And therefore, Kyra, they're not getting around to the Iraq resolution yet, but I have to tell you, they are not quite ready to vote on the Iraq resolution. As it stands right now, Kyra, Senator Daschle is going to be taking some draft language, some proposals to his people, to his Democrats in the Senate later this afternoon. That's where they stand on that side.
Everyone else is sort of waiting for that meeting to happen before they can sit down around the table again and try to hammer out some of the language of this resolution. So, it's looking like they may not get the language until next week, Kyra, although one White House official tells me they are hoping still that maybe by tomorrow, they could have the language of a resolution -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Kate Snow from the Hill, thank you.
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 26, 2002 - 13:10 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, will President Bush be able to get support from congressional Democrats on Capitol Hill for his resolution on Iraq?
Our Kate Snow joins us now with more on where that resolution stands with lawmakers.
Kate -- when you think of yesterday, boy, everybody has calmed down, taken a deep breath, and has started working together now.
KATE SNOW, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, they took a step back, didn't they?
You know, we are talking about the congressional resolution here. There are some parallels to what Suzanne was just talking about in terms of the United Nations resolution, and specifically, that some Democrats are saying that the congressional resolution supporting the use of force, authorizing the president to use force, maybe should be focused on disarmament, and saying that the goal is disarming Iraq. So, that's under discussion here.
All kinds of discussion going on behind the scenes, although what's interesting, Kyra, is on the Senate floor right now, you've got something completely different under way. They are debating homeland security, the creation of a giant new Homeland Security Department. Senator Joseph Lieberman, Democrat from Connecticut, has been pushing his legislation that calls for a Homeland Security Department.
But for as long as they continue on this subject, they're not going to be able to get around to Iraq. And this morning, you heard both Democrats and Republicans testy over this debate, saying that we've got to move on here. The problem is they don't agree on how to deal with some of the many workers who would be part of that new Homeland Security Department, and whether they should have the same kind of rights that other federal workers have. That's holding them up on that.
And therefore, Kyra, they're not getting around to the Iraq resolution yet, but I have to tell you, they are not quite ready to vote on the Iraq resolution. As it stands right now, Kyra, Senator Daschle is going to be taking some draft language, some proposals to his people, to his Democrats in the Senate later this afternoon. That's where they stand on that side.
Everyone else is sort of waiting for that meeting to happen before they can sit down around the table again and try to hammer out some of the language of this resolution. So, it's looking like they may not get the language until next week, Kyra, although one White House official tells me they are hoping still that maybe by tomorrow, they could have the language of a resolution -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Kate Snow from the Hill, thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
