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CNN Sunday Morning

Bush Resting in Jackson Hole

Aired February 10, 2002 - 10:05   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.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush is resting this weekend in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. That's after opening the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. Let's check in and see what's on the president's agenda for this week. CNN's White House correspondent Major Garrett is in Jackson Hole, not bad digs. Major, good place to be this time of year. I hope you're doing some skiing.

MAJOR GARRETT, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning Miles. Look, it goes without saying, some days, some mornings like this, it's great to be president, and it's great to cover the president. It's great to be here in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

The president arrived here early Saturday morning after, as you said, opening the Salt Lake Winter Games and yesterday the White House released this photograph of the president taking a stroll through the beautiful Grand Tetons National Park with his friend and host Roland Vets (ph). Roland Vets is a registered Democrat, but a long-time friend of President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush, who is also here.

He helped raise more than $100,000 for the Bush election campaign in 2000, put down another 50,000 for the Bush inaugural, was a co- owner of the Texas Rangers with President Bush, but yesterday some rest and relaxation, but there's a lot of work turning behind the scenes Miles. CNN has learned that this weekend Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham put the final touches on a recommendation he will deliver to President Bush tomorrow, saying that Yukka Mountain in Nevada should be the final storage place for all high-level radioactive wastes in the United States generated by nuclear power plants.

Now the president will receive that recommendation on Monday. We are told by sources that he could decide as early as Wednesday to fully endorse that, and that would set in motion a very quick process for Congress to ratify that and make a final decision on the final resting place underground for high-level nuclear waste that is now stored near nuclear facilities all around the country.

Other work the president will do this coming week. Tomorrow he leaves for Milwaukee, Wisconsin for a news-making speech, we are told by White House officials, on Medicare prescription drugs and a patient's bill of rights, and then on Wednesday or Thursday we are also told by senior administration officials the administration is due to release new administration policy or approaches to global warming -- sort of post Kyoto approach to global warming. That's in advance of his trip to Asia when he'll talk about Kyoto, the war on terrorism, and many other issues with stop in Tokyo, Seoul, South Korea, and Beijing, China -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: All right, CNN's Major Garrett in Jackson Hole. Please enjoy the visit while you're out there. Appreciate the report.

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