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American Morning

Congress Considers Energy, Patients' Rights

Aired August 02, 2001 - 10:03   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: This hour in Washington, lawmakers return to two contentious issues today, the patients bill of rights and the far-ranging energy bill. Both in recent hours have taken some steps forward.

And for more, let's check in with CNN's Congressional correspondent Jonathan Karl. He's on the Hill -- hi, Jonathan.

JONATHAN KARL, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Donna.

As a matter of fact, there was a little bit of almost a celebratory session on the floor of the House of Representatives this morning, private sessions where the Republicans, Republicans from both the House and the Senate gathering with Vice President Cheney and President Bush to talk about what they see as their accomplishments going into the Congress' August recess, which will start next week.

First and foremost they're talking about the patients bill of rights compromise that the president has hammered out with Republican Charlie Norwood of Georgia last night. That will be debated on the floor of the House today, a vote expected today or tomorrow, this something that the president sees as a great accomplishment, breaking some gridlock in Washington on the issue, although Democrats are still crying foul. They believe the compromise falls far short of what they believe would be a true patients bill of rights.

But that's where it stands today. We'll be watching that all day today on the floor of the House -- Donna.

KELLEY: OK, Jonathan, how about the energy bill?

KARL: And that last night, they went into the wee hours of the night, the House of Representatives essentially passing almost all of the president's energy bill, including the most controversial provision, which we have been talking about much over the last few months, the question of drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Many people had pronounced that proposal dead on arrival here in Congress, but last night with the support of more than 36 Democrats, 36 Democrats voting for the measure agreed to allow an energy bill to go forward that would allow for drilling up there in that wildlife refuge.

This is something that the president had seen as a top priority for his energy plan. Many people have thought with energy prices now coming down the sense of crisis no longer out there in the country that this had even less chance of passing. So this a significant victory in the late hours of the night last night in the House of Representatives for the president.

KELLEY: All right, Jonathan Karl, thanks very much -- from Capitol Hill.

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