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American Morning

George W. Bush Heading Back to White House After Long Presidential Vacation

Aired August 30, 2001 - 11:33   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: George W. Bush is heading back to the White House after one of the longest presidential vacations in recent times. He's going to find Washington to be a different town today, as the new budget reality sets in there.

CNN White House correspondent Major Garrett is awaiting Mr. Bush's arrival. Let's check in with him now.

Major, hello. I believe that the president get it is back at 3:00 eastern, is that correct?

MAJOR GARRETT, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's correct. About 3:00, we expect the president to land here and get back to work. As you said, spent a great deal of time in Crawford, Texas, a hot locale in Texas. Working not only on the ranch, of course, where the president ran, did a great deal of bass fishing, also cleared an extensive nature trail.

But as White House aides like to point out, he did real presidential work as well, delivering a nationally-televised address on stem-cell research, traveling around the country to talk about his budget priorities, and also picking a new head of the joint chiefs of staff. All of these things were accomplished during the summer break for the president.

But as you said, Leon, the president comes back to Washington facing new budget realities. He also has a clear set of priorities he wants to accomplish before Congress adjourns sometime before Thanksgiving. Among those, getting a defense budget he finds to be agreeable. Also pushing education reform, and boosting education spending. Of course the faith-based initiative, and progress on a patients' bill of rights, hoping to get that legislation to his desk.

But the budget is really the big issue politically here in Washington for the president. As White House aides look at this budget fight, they really see it as one part of a much larger conversation in the country about the course and the future of the economy. The White House believes, as long as the president is focusing on improving the economy, he has the upper hand in the budget, because as Democrats argue about certain programs and dollars and cents here, the president will say the tax cut is good, it will help the economy, and that will be the overall message the president takes to Congress dealing with the budget -- Leon. HARRIS: All right, thank you very much, Major Garrett at the White House. We'll talk with you some other time.

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