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CNN Sunday Morning
Who Is to Blame for Blackout?
Aired August 17, 2003 - 08:05 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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, who is to blast or who is to blame for blackout 2003? The White House says there will be a joint U.S.-Canadian investigation. And to talk more about it, White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux, who is near the president's ranch in Texas.
Good morning, Suzanne.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Kyra.
Well, the secretary of energy, Spencer Abraham, is actually going to be holding his first meeting with his Canadian counterpart on Wednesday in Detroit, of course to get to the bottom of all of this. But the big question, who is responsible? And, of course, in Washington already the finger pointing has begun.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX (voice-over): President Bush knows he can't keep tens of millions of voters in the dark for long. Americans want to know why the blackout happened and who's responsible.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We will view this rolling blackout as a wake-up call, a wake-up call for the need to modernize our electricity delivery systems. And we'll respond.
MALVEAUX: Within 24 hours of the blackout, the finger pointing began. The previous administration's energy secretary said the wake- up call came a long time ago, when it became clear the country's power grid system was becoming overburdened.
GOV. BILL RICHARDSON (D), NEW MEXICO: We've been warning for years. I went around the country saying these blackouts are going to happen.
MALVEAUX: Republicans say it's the Democrats' fault for blocking Mr. Bush's national energy plan, which includes provisions for modernizing the system.
ABRAHAM: From our first year in office, we've been calling on Congress to pass energy legislation that would include modernization of our electricity laws.
MALVEAUX: But Democrats say the president's legislation won't pass as long as it includes controversial plans to drill for oil, most notably in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
REP. ED MARKEY (D), ENERGY AND COMMERCE COMMITTEE: There is language which Democrats and Republicans agree upon that would improve the national transmission reliability system. Unfortunately, it's tied to other legislation that is ideologically driven by the Republican administration.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: And Kyra, just to show you how political this has all become, in the talk shows this morning we expect to hear from Secretary Abraham on at least four of those shows. We're also going to hear from the former Secretary of Energy Richardson on a couple of those shows, and a slew of congressmen who are all going to be giving their spin on this -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: No doubt. Tank you very much, Suzanne Malveaux.
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 August 17, 2003 - 08:05 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, who is to blast or who is to blame for blackout 2003? The White House says there will be a joint U.S.-Canadian investigation. And to talk more about it, White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux, who is near the president's ranch in Texas.
Good morning, Suzanne.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Kyra.
Well, the secretary of energy, Spencer Abraham, is actually going to be holding his first meeting with his Canadian counterpart on Wednesday in Detroit, of course to get to the bottom of all of this. But the big question, who is responsible? And, of course, in Washington already the finger pointing has begun.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX (voice-over): President Bush knows he can't keep tens of millions of voters in the dark for long. Americans want to know why the blackout happened and who's responsible.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We will view this rolling blackout as a wake-up call, a wake-up call for the need to modernize our electricity delivery systems. And we'll respond.
MALVEAUX: Within 24 hours of the blackout, the finger pointing began. The previous administration's energy secretary said the wake- up call came a long time ago, when it became clear the country's power grid system was becoming overburdened.
GOV. BILL RICHARDSON (D), NEW MEXICO: We've been warning for years. I went around the country saying these blackouts are going to happen.
MALVEAUX: Republicans say it's the Democrats' fault for blocking Mr. Bush's national energy plan, which includes provisions for modernizing the system.
ABRAHAM: From our first year in office, we've been calling on Congress to pass energy legislation that would include modernization of our electricity laws.
MALVEAUX: But Democrats say the president's legislation won't pass as long as it includes controversial plans to drill for oil, most notably in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
REP. ED MARKEY (D), ENERGY AND COMMERCE COMMITTEE: There is language which Democrats and Republicans agree upon that would improve the national transmission reliability system. Unfortunately, it's tied to other legislation that is ideologically driven by the Republican administration.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: And Kyra, just to show you how political this has all become, in the talk shows this morning we expect to hear from Secretary Abraham on at least four of those shows. We're also going to hear from the former Secretary of Energy Richardson on a couple of those shows, and a slew of congressmen who are all going to be giving their spin on this -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: No doubt. Tank you very much, Suzanne Malveaux.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
