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CNN Saturday Morning News

Bush Uses Radio Address to Tout His Economic Agenda

Aired January 12, 2002 - 11:01   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 CORRESPONDENT: About an hour ago, President Bush used the airwaves to drum up support for his budget and economic stimulus package. Let's get the latest now from CNN White House correspondent Kelly Wallace.

Good morning, Kelly.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning again to you, Kyra.

Well, over the next couple of weeks, we will be hearing President Bush talk quite a bit about his upcoming budget and the economy, leading up to his first official State of the Union Address later this month.

The president in his radio address today says he will push for money to protect homeland security, money for the military and the campaign against terrorism, and he will push also to try and do something to give a boost to the sagging economy and also help all those workers who are out of a job.

The president in his radio address today saying he will propose, in his upcoming budget, more than $300 million, an increase of more than $300 million to help low-income women deal with nutrition and health care for their children. He also, once again, said that he is proposing extending unemployment benefits for all those workers who have been out of a job since the recession started last year, and also health care coverage to help those workers without a job.

And the president did something today that he has been doing over the past several days and weeks. He once again called on the Democratically controlled Senate to act on his economic recovery plan when lawmakers return later this month.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: My plan is based on the simple truth that people out of work need an unemployment check, but what they need even more is a steady paycheck. So I have joined with Republicans and Democrats in proposing concrete steps to create more jobs and help spur more growth in the economy. The House passed this plan. The Senate needs to act on it.

(END VIDEOTAPE) WALLACE: Look for Mr. Bush to continue taking that message on the road. We saw him on Friday outside Philadelphia. There he was signing an environmental measure into law. But the president getting on the road again this week on Monday and Tuesday, traveling to Illinois, Missouri and Louisiana.

Again, what the president is trying to do by getting outside Washington, trying to put pressure on Democrats in the Congress to act on his agenda, including his economic plan. But also, Kyra, as we know this is an election year. Control of the Congress really up for grabs in November, so the president also getting outside Washington to try and boost support for his party before the November elections.

Now there is another issue though that is out there. White House officials definitely wanting to keep the focus on the domestic agenda, but there continue to be questions surrounding the Enron story. Enron, the large energy company which became the largest company to file for bankruptcy back in December.

We learned late this week about a number of contacts between Enron executives, calling out to two cabinet secretaries, and also to a Treasury undersecretary as well. Administration officials saying Enron calling to alert the Federal Government that it was having financial problems, and in some cases, trying to ask possibly for some government help.

The word from the White House is that no administration official acted or intervened in any way. No government action took place as a result of these calls that administration officials acted appropriately. But, Kyra, as we have been saying all day, Congressional committees are investigating, investigating Enron executives, and also many Democrats, pressing for more information about the contact between the administration officials and Enron executives.

One Democratic lawmaker wants to know what the administration knew and when it knew it. Back to you, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, CNN White House correspondent Kelly Wallace, thanks so much.

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