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American Morning
$87 Billion Request From President Moving Its Way Through Congress
Aired October 10, 2003 - 07:31 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: To the White House now. The $87 billion request from the president made for Iraq and Afghanistan moving its way through Congress. The House Appropriations Committee OKed most of the money yesterday. There is a sticking point.
For more on this, senior White House correspondent John King fills us in now, live on the front line -- John, good morning.
JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Bill.
The sticking point in the House Appropriations Committee was an amendment that said that Condoleezza Rice cannot be in charge of spending this money because she is the president's national security adviser and therefore not directly accountable to the Congress. Only cabinet members are confirmed by the Congress. Only they have budget authority to actually spend money.
Now, the White House says this is not a big deal, that Condi Rice was not going to actually be deciding who spends the money or signing the checks to disperse that money. But the Congress more than going after Condoleezza Rice, or this new reorganization here at the White House, is reminding the White House that it would like to be consulted more. Even Republicans, along with many Democrats, complaining that as the president asked for this money, he's not giving Congress much guidance on what he wants to do with it, how it will be spent, how the administration is reorganizing to handle it.
So Congress, in its own polite way, Bill, saying to the administration, we're about to give you your money -- although they did strip out some of the most controversial parts, the new postal system the president wanted to pay for in Iraq. The Congress says no, Iraq should pay for that itself. $50,000 garbage trucks, the Congress said no, Iraq has to pay for that itself.
But they are going to give the president most of his money and so far anyway, as grants, not loans, like the president wanted. But the item in there saying Condoleezza Rice can't spend this was not so much directed at her, but directed at the president, saying, hey, we're here for a reason, you should consult us more -- Bill.
HEMMER: Yes, we're looking at videotape from yesterday in New Hampshire, John. A long and strong speech by the president, talking again about the war with Iraq. The vice president adds his voice to that message today.
What is the message from Dick Cheney? KING: The message from Dick Cheney and the message from the president yesterday -- and look for this to continue -- is that things are not as bad as you see on your television screen sometimes. It's a tough message, even, again, today, more U.S. fatalities in Iraq. So it's a tough sledding for administration sometimes. But what the administration is trying to do is convince the American people that despite some setbacks, that things are getting better in Iraq and that the administration is on the right course.
The administration calls this a public relations offensive. Critics are saying that the sales -- changing the sales pitch is not going to help, they just don't like the policy.
HEMMER: John, thanks.
We'll look for that speech later today.
John King at the White House.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Congress>
Aired October 10, 2003 - 07:31 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: To the White House now. The $87 billion request from the president made for Iraq and Afghanistan moving its way through Congress. The House Appropriations Committee OKed most of the money yesterday. There is a sticking point.
For more on this, senior White House correspondent John King fills us in now, live on the front line -- John, good morning.
JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Bill.
The sticking point in the House Appropriations Committee was an amendment that said that Condoleezza Rice cannot be in charge of spending this money because she is the president's national security adviser and therefore not directly accountable to the Congress. Only cabinet members are confirmed by the Congress. Only they have budget authority to actually spend money.
Now, the White House says this is not a big deal, that Condi Rice was not going to actually be deciding who spends the money or signing the checks to disperse that money. But the Congress more than going after Condoleezza Rice, or this new reorganization here at the White House, is reminding the White House that it would like to be consulted more. Even Republicans, along with many Democrats, complaining that as the president asked for this money, he's not giving Congress much guidance on what he wants to do with it, how it will be spent, how the administration is reorganizing to handle it.
So Congress, in its own polite way, Bill, saying to the administration, we're about to give you your money -- although they did strip out some of the most controversial parts, the new postal system the president wanted to pay for in Iraq. The Congress says no, Iraq should pay for that itself. $50,000 garbage trucks, the Congress said no, Iraq has to pay for that itself.
But they are going to give the president most of his money and so far anyway, as grants, not loans, like the president wanted. But the item in there saying Condoleezza Rice can't spend this was not so much directed at her, but directed at the president, saying, hey, we're here for a reason, you should consult us more -- Bill.
HEMMER: Yes, we're looking at videotape from yesterday in New Hampshire, John. A long and strong speech by the president, talking again about the war with Iraq. The vice president adds his voice to that message today.
What is the message from Dick Cheney? KING: The message from Dick Cheney and the message from the president yesterday -- and look for this to continue -- is that things are not as bad as you see on your television screen sometimes. It's a tough message, even, again, today, more U.S. fatalities in Iraq. So it's a tough sledding for administration sometimes. But what the administration is trying to do is convince the American people that despite some setbacks, that things are getting better in Iraq and that the administration is on the right course.
The administration calls this a public relations offensive. Critics are saying that the sales -- changing the sales pitch is not going to help, they just don't like the policy.
HEMMER: John, thanks.
We'll look for that speech later today.
John King at the White House.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Congress>
