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American Morning

Not So Lame

Aired November 12, 2002 - 09:18   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.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: The lame duck session in Congress begins today. Lawmakers return for the first day after that very strong showing by Republicans a week ago today in the midterm elections. For a look now at what's ahead on the agenda, who has control and things of that nature, Kate Snow has been tracking it all from the Capitol.
Hey, Kate, good morning.

KATE SNOW, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.

Democrats will be in charge of the lame duck session, because of the decision of one guy, Dean Barkley, the new senator of Minnesota. He was appointed, you'll remember, by Jesse Ventura, the governor of that state, to fill the void, to fill the seat that Paul Wellstone left empty, until the next Congress convenes in January. It's just a temporary assignment, but he has now decided he will not align himself with either the Republican or the Democratic Party. If he would have gone with the Republicans, he would have tipped the balance in this lame duck session in favor of the Republicans respects.

Instead, he says, he is going to stick with his independent roots. That after a lot of high-powered discussions here in Washington with this former car wash manager. Before announcing the decision, he told CNN about all of the factors he was weighing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. DEAN BARKLEY, SENATE DESIGNEE: There's pros and cons on both places. You've got the -- in memory of Paul Wellstone, I should not give it to the Republicans. Norm Coleman won the election. Republicans, Minnesota said, well, Republicans should take over. I have got Jesse Ventura who's an independent. I'm an independent. We should stay independent, which way I can probably get some things for the state done. I mean, those are all things I'm putting into the equation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SNOW: Barkley will be a key vote, particularly when it comes to the issue of homeland security, the new department they want to create. He's under a lot of pressure there. No one's sure how he'll vote on that. He is going to meet later today,. scheduled to meet with Senator Bob Byrd, who you'll remember is a big opponent of creating that department too quickly.

Later this afternoon, Barkley sits down with none other than President Bush. The president, of course, has insisted that Congress should create this brand new Homeland Security Department before they leave town. There is a compromise on the table right now worked out over the weekend by some aides that offers more rights for unions to represent the workers, the federal workers in that new department, although maybe not as far as some Democrats would like to go.

Other issues that will come up on the lame duck session of Congress on the agenda. One thing they've got to deal with, 11 spending bills that are still hanging out, remaining undone. They may do another temporary measure to hold over that spending to fund the federal government, and they may hold that over to January and then make all the decisions. Two bills that could get resolved, terrorism insurance for businesses. The other, increasing port security and Congress may also approve some of the president's nominations, particularly judicial nominees.

But the biggie, of course, is the Homeland Security Department, and Bill, it may be easier to get a compromise, some feel because the elections are behind us, because there's no longer the pressure for Republicans to have this as an election issue. They were accused of wanting to play up the national security aspect. The Democrats were accused of trying to hold out because they wanted to play to their union constituency.

HEMMER: It is a changing face and an interesting one, too, going forward. Thank you, Kate. Kate Snow in D.C.

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






Aired November 12, 2002 - 09:18   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: The lame duck session in Congress begins today. Lawmakers return for the first day after that very strong showing by Republicans a week ago today in the midterm elections. For a look now at what's ahead on the agenda, who has control and things of that nature, Kate Snow has been tracking it all from the Capitol.
Hey, Kate, good morning.

KATE SNOW, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.

Democrats will be in charge of the lame duck session, because of the decision of one guy, Dean Barkley, the new senator of Minnesota. He was appointed, you'll remember, by Jesse Ventura, the governor of that state, to fill the void, to fill the seat that Paul Wellstone left empty, until the next Congress convenes in January. It's just a temporary assignment, but he has now decided he will not align himself with either the Republican or the Democratic Party. If he would have gone with the Republicans, he would have tipped the balance in this lame duck session in favor of the Republicans respects.

Instead, he says, he is going to stick with his independent roots. That after a lot of high-powered discussions here in Washington with this former car wash manager. Before announcing the decision, he told CNN about all of the factors he was weighing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. DEAN BARKLEY, SENATE DESIGNEE: There's pros and cons on both places. You've got the -- in memory of Paul Wellstone, I should not give it to the Republicans. Norm Coleman won the election. Republicans, Minnesota said, well, Republicans should take over. I have got Jesse Ventura who's an independent. I'm an independent. We should stay independent, which way I can probably get some things for the state done. I mean, those are all things I'm putting into the equation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SNOW: Barkley will be a key vote, particularly when it comes to the issue of homeland security, the new department they want to create. He's under a lot of pressure there. No one's sure how he'll vote on that. He is going to meet later today,. scheduled to meet with Senator Bob Byrd, who you'll remember is a big opponent of creating that department too quickly.

Later this afternoon, Barkley sits down with none other than President Bush. The president, of course, has insisted that Congress should create this brand new Homeland Security Department before they leave town. There is a compromise on the table right now worked out over the weekend by some aides that offers more rights for unions to represent the workers, the federal workers in that new department, although maybe not as far as some Democrats would like to go.

Other issues that will come up on the lame duck session of Congress on the agenda. One thing they've got to deal with, 11 spending bills that are still hanging out, remaining undone. They may do another temporary measure to hold over that spending to fund the federal government, and they may hold that over to January and then make all the decisions. Two bills that could get resolved, terrorism insurance for businesses. The other, increasing port security and Congress may also approve some of the president's nominations, particularly judicial nominees.

But the biggie, of course, is the Homeland Security Department, and Bill, it may be easier to get a compromise, some feel because the elections are behind us, because there's no longer the pressure for Republicans to have this as an election issue. They were accused of wanting to play up the national security aspect. The Democrats were accused of trying to hold out because they wanted to play to their union constituency.

HEMMER: It is a changing face and an interesting one, too, going forward. Thank you, Kate. Kate Snow in D.C.

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