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CNN Saturday Morning News

How Will Jeffords' Decision Impact Congress?

Aired May 26, 2001 - 08:19   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, after Senator James Jeffords announced his decision to defect from the GOP, we asked Americans their opinion on party switching. A "TIME"/CNN poll found that six out of 10 people don't think it's right for a politician to get elected in one party then switch to another. With that in mind, what might happen in the Senate when the Democrats become the majority party?

Gail Chaddock is the Congressional correspondent for the "Christian Science Monitor." Hi, Gail.

GAIL CHADDOCK, "CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR": Good morning, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, first of all, what do you think of the poll? Does that surprise you?

CHADDOCK: It does a little, although worded that way, perhaps not all that much. I think if you asked people do they prefer balanced government the majority, strong majorities have, especially recently. I think also there's another poll I saw this morning, I wish I could remember where it came from, that had something like 45 percent approving of what Jeffords had done, less disapproving.

So I think the wording of the question becomes important here.

PHILLIPS: Well, what does this move say about loyalty in politics?

CHADDOCK: That it can be strained. There's a wonderful book with the title "Exit, Voice and Loyalty." Jeffords was loyal for a long time and vocal for a long time; and for him the time came to leave.

PHILLIPS: How do you think this is going to affect the flow of information now?

CHADDOCK: Oh, it's going to be very interesting. When you control the Senate, you control the agenda, you control the gavels and committees, you control the hearings, the questions that are asked, especially the questions that are asked to the administration and the ones they have to answer.

PHILLIPS: And since that agenda is going to change, let's talk about what's going to be in and what's going to be out, the issues affecting voters.

CHADDOCK: I think the first thing you'll see is a greater emphasis on health issues like prescription drugs, a patients bill of rights, issues Republicans have pushed off the agenda and Democrats are very eager to get back. You'll also see a minimum wage come up quickly, most likely without the kind of extra tax benefits that the Republicans had anticipated. You've probably seen that with the tax bill that's voted today, the last tax cut of this session, whereas if the Republicans had held the Senate, you probably would have seen more.

PHILLIPS: Do you think there was any quid pro quo that went on here for this move?

CHADDOCK: Oh, that's a good question. Jeffords is very eager to make sure that it's not perceived as a quid pro quo. The word on the street is that he will be given chairmanship of the environment committee in the Senate in exchange for his switch. What he said yesterday in a statement to the press was I look forward to serving on the committee. I may serve on the committee, not I will chair the committee.

PHILLIPS: What do you think this means for Bush and his relationship with Democrats now?

CHADDOCK: I think the promise of bipartisanship is going to get real very quickly or we all move into election 2002. Moderate Republicans see this as a real opening. They've been marginalized more and more in a party that for more people than Jeffords is moving away from them. They are really hoping that this is, as Olympia Snow from Maine said, a wakeup call for the party to be more expansive, to be more tolerant and to be more open.

But I think early indications are that that may not be the direction the party goes. They, many in the leadership are already quietly describing this as something like a stab in the back and looking forward to 2002 to make it right.

PHILLIPS: Gail Chaddock, correspondent for "Christian Science Monitor," thanks for the insight.

CHADDOCK: Thank you.

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