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American Morning
Congress Settles on Energy, Patients' Rights
Aired August 02, 2001 - 09:00 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.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: We begin this morning, though, with energy, patients' rights and political victories. President Bush scores a big win and strikes a compromise on two key issues. In the wee hours of this morning, the House approved a sweeping energy bill based on the president's plan. It includes provisions for boosting energy development, increasing conservation and drilling in the Arctic wildlife refuge. Also, the White House has reached a compromise with Republican lawmakers on a patients' bill of rights. It spells out exactly where patient can sue their health providers and sets limits on damage awards.
Our White House correspondent Major Garrett joins us now. He's got the latest as we look at a live picture right now of Capitol Hill. We believe this may be the arrival of President Bush as he does go to Capitol Hill to do his lobbying this morning -- Major.
MAJOR GARRETT, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Leon. And good morning to you.
Problem arriving on Capitol Hill for a little bit of a legislative victory lap. White House aides added this to the president's schedule at the last minute yesterday after he struck that deal on a patients' bill of rights with a key House Republican, Charlie Norwood of Georgia, who had been on the other side of the issue for a good number of weeks. The White House striking that deal, the president going up to Capitol Hill to meet with all Senate Republicans and all House Republicans to tell them about the contours of that patients' bill of rights compromise, sell that to them, encourage the House to pass that either today or first thing tomorrow before they leave for a month long August recess.
The White House had hoped that the president would score a couple of big legislative victories before Congress left for that August recess and are very happy, indeed, that the House, as you mentioned, passed the president's comprehensive energy plan early this morning and they look forward to another victory in the House on the patients' bill of rights.
To summarize a few of the points about that energy proposal, as you mentioned, one of the best known features of it is to lift a ban on drilling for oil and natural gas in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. It also includes tax breaks for the coal, oil and nuclear and electricity industries. There's also some tax incentives for buying hybrid cars and other conservation measures. And it also includes a modest boost in fuel economy for sport utility vehicles, although that will not be the last word on fuel economy.
The National Academy of Sciences this week released a report the White House will go over in great detail, asking and recommending more fuel economy and fuel efficiency for light trucks and sport utility vehicles -- Leon.
HARRIS: Major, let's get back to this patients' bill of rights development that we've seen come in the last few hours. What kind of reception is President Bush likely to receive on the Hill there, because as I read it this morning in the papers at least, Congressman Norwood may have been talking with President Bush without consulting with some of his colleagues and that may have ruffled a few feathers.
GARRETT: It may have ruffled a few feathers, but the key question, Leon, is are there enough Republicans in the House and some Democrats to form a 218 vote majority to pass the bill. Whether there are ruffled feathers after that is not an issue for the White House to be concerned about. They want the bill passed. And Charlie Norwood, Republican from Georgia, has always been the key player in making sure a compromise A, could be struck, and B, could be passed.
Now, what the White House did yesterday is they struck a deal. The president and Mr. Norwood came straight to the briefing room. Before Mr. Norwood had a chance to go back to Capitol Hill and talk to some of his Democratic allies. What the White House wanted to do was to put that agreement in stone, get it on camera, if you will, tell the nation about it, so even if there was some objections from Mr. Norwood's Democratic colleagues on this issue, those objections would have to take a back seat to his public declaration, meaning Mr. Norwood's public declaration that he was standing with the president. The White House believes that with that endorsement the bill will pass.
It will have to be merged with a Senate bill that is not exactly the same, but the White House is confident now that with Mr. Norwood on board a compromise can be reached and some time this fall a patients' bill of rights adding new rights for 250 million Americans will be signed into law some time this fall -- Leon.
HARRIS: All right, thank you very much, Major. We've just been informed that we may not be able to see President Bush as he enters there on Capitol Hill. Major Garrett at the White House, thank you very much.
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