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American Morning

President Bush Spotlight Nation's Youth

Aired July 09, 2001 - 10:18   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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush is back from his Kennebunkport vacation, putting the spotlight on his policies and the nation's youth today.

Just a few moments from now, Mr. Bush will sign a declaration fulfilling the promise of America, as it's called. Our Major Garrett is standing by live at the White House -- Major, good morning.

MAJOR GARRETT, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn. The president's remarks during this America's Promise event at the Rose Garden will really focus on what he wants Congress to do now that it's also back from its Fourth of July recess. Two big priorities the president is going to talk about. First and foremost, talking to the House of Representatives about a patients bill of rights.

The White House did not get its way in the Democratically controlled Senate, losing handily there on vote of 59-36 for a patients bill of rights. The president says he would never sign, in fact, he would veto. What he wants the House of Representatives, controlled by Republicans, to pass a patients bill of rights that he can sign, one that, in his words, does not provide too much rights to sue HMOs, rights that he and many other White House advisers argue would drive up the cost of health insurance and lead many insurers to drop coverage. The president said that is simply too high to price to pay for the various patients bill of rights that many in both chambers want to bring.

Also the president is going to talk about education. The House and the Senate have both passed his education reform bill. But there's no conference committee yet to resolve the differences. Why? Well, because the House Republicans have yet to name their conferees because many conservatives think the education bill is too liberal and they want to make sure there are plenty of conservative on that conference committee to change it to their liking.

The exact opposite is the problem in the Senate, where Senate Democrats yet to appoint conferees because they want to make sure many of the provisions they consider good and Republicans call liberal are also preserved. No one has moved yet. The president is going to urge Congress to move ahead on that to get him an education bill that he can sign before Congress leaves for its month long recess in August -- Daryn? KAGAN: Major Garrett, Major at the White House, thank you. And we'll be checking back live at the White House in a bit when that ceremony gets underway and the president has a few words. You'll see them live here on CNN.

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