Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

Congress Reaction to President Fox's Speech

Aired September 06, 2001 - 12:21   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.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN ANCHOR: Some almost instantaneous reaction from Capitol Hill for us -- Kate.

KATE SNOW, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Jeanne. Joining me is Senator Jon Kyl from a border state, from the state of Arizona, a Republican.

You have been following very closely events in Mexico. What did you think of President Vicente Fox's speech?

SEN. JON KYL (R), ARIZONA: I though it was a very good speech. i thought it was calibrated just about right. He wanted to make the case lightly but not push it. He wanted to confess the sins of his country in the past, and he was very candid about that. And then he laid out the case for going forward. I think it was really a very good speech.

SNOW: Did he need to do in order to get movement out of this Congress?

KYL: Sure. I think he needed to recognize the obvious, which was that there have been significant problems. And then in his style say, let's put that behind us and more forward. He's very good at that.

SNOW: Will it work on the immigration issue? I know you have not supported blanket amnesty...

KYL: Right.

SNOW: ... you've been in favor of a -- maybe an expansion of what they call the guest worker program.

KYL: Yes.

SNOW: So, you are one of those that he needs to convince if he wants what he laid out today.

KYL: That's right, although he wasn't specific about what he laid out.

I think within the realm for...

SNOW: He said more visas for Mexicans... KYL: Yes.

SNOW: ... coming to the United States. More guest worker permits.

KYL: Within what he's describing, and a guest worker program that could work, there is a potential for an agreement there that the United States' Congress will support, but it's going to take time to get it constructed. And the timetable, I think, is important here. It's not going to happen by the end of this year.

SNOW: Yesterday he said let's have it happen by the end of this year.

KYL: Yes.

SNOW: You don't think that's going to happen?

KYL: No, but I think that was in response to something he had said the day before, which was this may take six or seven years. There was a firestorm, as I understand it, back in Mexico in reaction to that, and I think therefore he had to correct that and say, no, I want to do it right away.

The truth is, it will be somewhere in between.

SNOW: Some have said the White House has stepped back from that, now realizing that President Bush needs the support of unions and others. And this may be offensive to some Americans, to do this kind of expansion of immigration.

KYL: I think what the White House has done is to recognize the complexity of the issue. The fact there are a lot of people that will have to be brought onboard, and it's a very difficult thing to do. I can't begin to tell you how complex it is to enforce these immigration policies properly. And I think they now recognize that it's the devil will be in the details here, and it's going to take a lot of time to get those ironed out.

SNOW: One other issue that he mentioned specifically was the war on drugs. He talked about it not being a unilateral war...

KYL: Yes.

SNOW: ... that we need the help of the Congress to recertify -- there is a bill that's pending in the Senate right now.

KYL: Yes. What that's about is in the past, every year we had to certify that they were doing their best to help us in the war against drugs. Well, they weren't, everybody knew that, and yet you didn't want to diplomatically hurt them.

What we've done now is to say you've got a year's grace, and we want another two years beyond that, a bill that I support. That's what he was asking us to support.

SNOW: Do you think he'll get that?

KYL: I think he will, and it's the right thing to do. Give him a chance. He's really working hard on it.

SNOW: Thank you so much.

KYL: You're very welcome.

SNOW: Senator Jon Kyl. Spur of the moment. Appreciate you...

KYL: Thank you.

SNOW: ... stopping by and talking with us.

For now we'll toss it back to you in Atlanta. Jeanne?

MESERVE: Kate Snow on Capitol Hill. Thanks so much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com