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CNN Sunday Morning
Bush's Tax Cut Plan Faces Opposition in Congress
Aired May 04, 2003 - 11:03 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.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Treating a sick economy is a major concern in this country, of course. The president's prescription, an unprecedented tax cut. But the plan now faces stiff opposition in Congress. CNN White House correspondent Chris Burns is with President Bush at his ranch in Crawford, Texas -- Chris.
CHRIS BURNS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Anderson, from a very, very windy central Texas, the president taking the day off here at his ranch, before he goes on to Arkansas to begin his campaign to cut taxes.
After he hosted the Australian Prime Minister John Howard here over the weekend to thank one of his closest allies in the war against Iraq. And during that visit he had a little press conference, at which the president was a bit grilled on the question of weapons of mass destruction.
That's been nearly a month since Baghdad has fallen, and the U.S.-led coalition has yet to find any weapons of mass destruction. The president saying, well, Saddam Hussein had 14 years to hide those weapons. They could be in caves and tunnels. There are hundreds of sites being searched right now by weapons inspection teams.
That question also on the minds of the talk shows today in Washington. Secretary of State Colin Powell facing questions on that. Seeming to lower expectations insisting that some kind of evidence of weapons of mass destruction will be found. But saying it will be very difficult and there could just be elements of that found.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLIN POWELL, UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF STATE: What he did keep intact were the scientific wherewithal, and by that I mean he not only had people with the know-how but kept them together, so that the know- how could be exploited at a time that he chose. He kept in place the infrastructure, and so he never lost the infrastructure or the brain power assembled in a way to use that infrastructure, if he was ever given a chance to do so.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNS: Meanwhile, talk of pulling out U.S. forces, at least on a gradual basis. A senior administration official confirms reports that some three of the five U.S. divisions on the ground in Iraq should be pulled out by this fall, if, and only if, there is stability by then, and also if they can fill in the gap with troops from other countries, as the U.S. and Britain are searching to do. In fact, even tomorrow, on Monday in London, the officials will be talking to different countries to sound them out on what kind of troops they could provide, Anderson.
COOPER: All right, Chris Burns, Crawford, Texas. Thanks very much. Appreciate the report.
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 May 4, 2003 - 11:03 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Treating a sick economy is a major concern in this country, of course. The president's prescription, an unprecedented tax cut. But the plan now faces stiff opposition in Congress. CNN White House correspondent Chris Burns is with President Bush at his ranch in Crawford, Texas -- Chris.
CHRIS BURNS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Anderson, from a very, very windy central Texas, the president taking the day off here at his ranch, before he goes on to Arkansas to begin his campaign to cut taxes.
After he hosted the Australian Prime Minister John Howard here over the weekend to thank one of his closest allies in the war against Iraq. And during that visit he had a little press conference, at which the president was a bit grilled on the question of weapons of mass destruction.
That's been nearly a month since Baghdad has fallen, and the U.S.-led coalition has yet to find any weapons of mass destruction. The president saying, well, Saddam Hussein had 14 years to hide those weapons. They could be in caves and tunnels. There are hundreds of sites being searched right now by weapons inspection teams.
That question also on the minds of the talk shows today in Washington. Secretary of State Colin Powell facing questions on that. Seeming to lower expectations insisting that some kind of evidence of weapons of mass destruction will be found. But saying it will be very difficult and there could just be elements of that found.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLIN POWELL, UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF STATE: What he did keep intact were the scientific wherewithal, and by that I mean he not only had people with the know-how but kept them together, so that the know- how could be exploited at a time that he chose. He kept in place the infrastructure, and so he never lost the infrastructure or the brain power assembled in a way to use that infrastructure, if he was ever given a chance to do so.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNS: Meanwhile, talk of pulling out U.S. forces, at least on a gradual basis. A senior administration official confirms reports that some three of the five U.S. divisions on the ground in Iraq should be pulled out by this fall, if, and only if, there is stability by then, and also if they can fill in the gap with troops from other countries, as the U.S. and Britain are searching to do. In fact, even tomorrow, on Monday in London, the officials will be talking to different countries to sound them out on what kind of troops they could provide, Anderson.
COOPER: All right, Chris Burns, Crawford, Texas. Thanks very much. Appreciate the report.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
