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American Morning
Democrats Respond To Bush's Speech
Aired August 21, 2001 - 11:10 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 now it's time to get some reaction from the president's speech, from the other side of the political aisle.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: All right. For that, we go too CNN's Jeanne Meserve who joins us now from our Washington bureau.
Good morning, Jeanne.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Leon and Kyra. I'm going to turn to Capitol Hill. One of the most knowledgeable voices on budgetary matters, I'm joined by Senator Robert Byrd, Democrat of West Virginia and chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Thanks so much for joining us this morning.
SEN. ROBERT BYRD (D), WEST VIRGINIA: Thank you.
MESERVE: Senator, we just heard President Bush say we can do it all. We can protect social security and Medicare, we can pay down the debt, and we can spend the money he wants to spend on the military and education.
In light of the fact that the OMB is issuing some new monies tomorrow, indicating the surplus is a bit smaller than expected, can we in fact do it all?
BYRD: No we can't. Many of us have been saying that from the very beginning. We have said all along that the projected surpluses were not dependable, highly questionable, and even the CBO indicated that 10 percent of the time -- only about 10 percent of the time they are correct.
So, this was pure guesswork from the beginning. The administration knew that, I Knew it, and most of the people in Congress knew it.
MESERVE: Was the tax cut a mistake?
BYRD: It was a mistake. It was too large, it was too unfocused, and it was too irresponsible.
MESERVE: The president says it is a move he made to restore our economic health.
Does that argument bear up with you?
BYRD: Well, what we see here is the administration talks about responsibility. The point is, the administration has been very irresponsible in pushing this tax cut on the American people, while misleading them to believe that we can afford it.
MESERVE: Should the Congress delay some of the tax cuts' provisions?
BYRD: Well, I think that the Congress ought to consider revising that tax cut. The Congress certainly ought to consider the cost of the missile shield. There are areas which we need to take a close look at in the appropriation bills.
MESERVE: Well, the president says the real threat to the economy right now is the Congress, and the threat that it will spend excessively.
Your take on that?
BYRD: Well, the real spending has already taken place. When the administration put through this unrealistic tax cut, that was the real spending. That's where the money went out the door, and that's why we are going to have difficult times ahead.
MESERVE: If we can't do it all, senator, as you suggest, where are we going to cut? How are we going to make this budget make sense?
BYRD: We'll have to take a look at all the appropriation bills, of course. But, as I have indicated, we should take a close look at the defense budget.
Now the president has asked for $18.4 billion in defense. We need to take a close look at that, especially at the missile -- so- called "missile shield." It has not been shown to be workable. It's very costly, and our European allies don't -- they don't think well of the idea. I think we ought to proceed with the scientific research, but go very in deploying this missile shield, until we're absolutely sure that it will work. We can save some money there.
MESERVE: Senator, I want to switch gears just a bit and ask you about some reports CNN is getting from reliable sources, that Senator Jesse Helms of North Carolina will announce tomorrow that he is going to retire from the Senate at the end of this term.
What do you know about that situation?
BYRD: I don't know anything about it. I haven't heard a thing except what you just said.
MESERVE: Senator Robert Byrd, we have to leave it right here. Thank you so much for giving us the Democratic perspective on the president's remarks.
BYRD: Thank you.
MESERVE: And now, Kyra, Leon, back to you in Atlanta.
HARRIS: All right. Thanks, Jeanne.
PHILLIPS: Thank, Jeanne.
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