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American Morning
Senate Democrats Want to Strip Some Provisions Out of Homeland Security Bill
Aired November 19, 2002 - 09:06 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: Senate Democrats raising a bit of a fuss right now. They want to strip some of the provisions out of the homeland security bill, getting support from a surprising corner, Republican Senator John McCain. Is the bill in trouble? Jonathan Karl is watching that, our Congressional correspondent, live on the Hill.
What do you think, Jonathan? You've been talking and talking, and what are they telling you in return?
JONATHAN KARL, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we have an extremely interesting vote that's going to be happening at 10:30 this morning on this Democratic amendment. I've got the latest news on this actually comes from another surprising quarter. This is Dean Barkley, the senator that was sent by Jesse Ventura to fill out the remainder of Paul Wellstone's term. The senator in the end of the day will probably only serve about two or three weeks here in the United States Senate. Dean Barkley if officially undecided on this Democratic amendment, and he may turn out to be the critical vote.
And Dean Barkley is telling us this hour that he's expecting a call from President Bush, he's waiting for a call from President Bush. He's been told it's coming. And he has a message for President Bush. He says he does not like these special interest provisions. He would vote with the Democrats to strip them. But he could turn a blind eye, and those are Dean Barkley -- the words of Dean Barkley's spokesperson -- he could turn a blind eye to those provisions he doesn't like if president would help him get a waiver on the welfare reform bill for the state of Minnesota.
In other words, Dean Barkley, who's only been in Washington here for a couple of weeks, has learned the ways of Washington. He's doing some bargaining with the White House, saying that the White House can have his vote, if they give him something in return, something for his state of Minnesota.
Now just to backtrack a little bit what this is all about, the Democrats are making a last-ditch effort to strip seven provisions from the homeland security bill, seven provisions they're calling special interest provisions. They include liability protection for vaccine manufacturers, protection for anti-terrorism technology companies, and protection from lawsuits for the airport screening companies. Also, there's another provision that would allow for a homeland security center at a university that looks like it would be Texas A&M University, although Texas A&M is not actually named, and other universities could compete for that research center. The Democrats are saying these provisions have nothing to do with homeland security, they should be stripped out, and they have an ally in all this, and that is John McCain, as you mentioned.
Here is what McCain told CNN.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: ... approve of a process where The House of Representatives throws a major piece of legislation over to the Senate and says goodbye. That's not the way the process is supposed to be conducted around here. But if I agreed with this, then I would agree with all these other pork barreling kinds of processes and procedures, which I have opposed all along.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KARL: So the vote is at 10:30. But here's the thing, if the Democrats prevail, and it's way too close to call right now, if the Democrats prevail, the House of Representatives, which has adjourned, would have to come back to Washington to work out its differences between the Senate and the House, and then we'd have a homeland security bill. But it would at the very least delay it. Some people say it would actually kill the bill, if this Democratic amendment passes.
HEMMER: Jon, shake this down for us. If the Democrats are saying that part of that provision is wrong and protecting pharmaceutical companies, what's the defense on the Republicans that says indeed it's justified? Is there one, and what have you heard?
KARL: Sure, it's a very simple defense. What they are saying is that these pharmaceutical companies that make vaccines, and there are only a handful of them in the United States, must be healthy, must be around so they can make vaccines for smallpox and anthrax and the other vaccines that would be needed in the war on terrorism. They say these companies go out of business in the face of lawsuits. They will not be here to make those vaccines. That's what Republicans.
HEMMER: So much for that insignificant term for Dean Barkley, huh? My word. Thank you, Jonathan.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Homeland Security Bill>
Aired November 19, 2002 - 09:06 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Senate Democrats raising a bit of a fuss right now. They want to strip some of the provisions out of the homeland security bill, getting support from a surprising corner, Republican Senator John McCain. Is the bill in trouble? Jonathan Karl is watching that, our Congressional correspondent, live on the Hill.
What do you think, Jonathan? You've been talking and talking, and what are they telling you in return?
JONATHAN KARL, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we have an extremely interesting vote that's going to be happening at 10:30 this morning on this Democratic amendment. I've got the latest news on this actually comes from another surprising quarter. This is Dean Barkley, the senator that was sent by Jesse Ventura to fill out the remainder of Paul Wellstone's term. The senator in the end of the day will probably only serve about two or three weeks here in the United States Senate. Dean Barkley if officially undecided on this Democratic amendment, and he may turn out to be the critical vote.
And Dean Barkley is telling us this hour that he's expecting a call from President Bush, he's waiting for a call from President Bush. He's been told it's coming. And he has a message for President Bush. He says he does not like these special interest provisions. He would vote with the Democrats to strip them. But he could turn a blind eye, and those are Dean Barkley -- the words of Dean Barkley's spokesperson -- he could turn a blind eye to those provisions he doesn't like if president would help him get a waiver on the welfare reform bill for the state of Minnesota.
In other words, Dean Barkley, who's only been in Washington here for a couple of weeks, has learned the ways of Washington. He's doing some bargaining with the White House, saying that the White House can have his vote, if they give him something in return, something for his state of Minnesota.
Now just to backtrack a little bit what this is all about, the Democrats are making a last-ditch effort to strip seven provisions from the homeland security bill, seven provisions they're calling special interest provisions. They include liability protection for vaccine manufacturers, protection for anti-terrorism technology companies, and protection from lawsuits for the airport screening companies. Also, there's another provision that would allow for a homeland security center at a university that looks like it would be Texas A&M University, although Texas A&M is not actually named, and other universities could compete for that research center. The Democrats are saying these provisions have nothing to do with homeland security, they should be stripped out, and they have an ally in all this, and that is John McCain, as you mentioned.
Here is what McCain told CNN.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: ... approve of a process where The House of Representatives throws a major piece of legislation over to the Senate and says goodbye. That's not the way the process is supposed to be conducted around here. But if I agreed with this, then I would agree with all these other pork barreling kinds of processes and procedures, which I have opposed all along.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KARL: So the vote is at 10:30. But here's the thing, if the Democrats prevail, and it's way too close to call right now, if the Democrats prevail, the House of Representatives, which has adjourned, would have to come back to Washington to work out its differences between the Senate and the House, and then we'd have a homeland security bill. But it would at the very least delay it. Some people say it would actually kill the bill, if this Democratic amendment passes.
HEMMER: Jon, shake this down for us. If the Democrats are saying that part of that provision is wrong and protecting pharmaceutical companies, what's the defense on the Republicans that says indeed it's justified? Is there one, and what have you heard?
KARL: Sure, it's a very simple defense. What they are saying is that these pharmaceutical companies that make vaccines, and there are only a handful of them in the United States, must be healthy, must be around so they can make vaccines for smallpox and anthrax and the other vaccines that would be needed in the war on terrorism. They say these companies go out of business in the face of lawsuits. They will not be here to make those vaccines. That's what Republicans.
HEMMER: So much for that insignificant term for Dean Barkley, huh? My word. Thank you, Jonathan.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Homeland Security Bill>
