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CNN Live Sunday
Republicans Confident Medicare Bill Will Pass
Aired November 23, 2003 - 16:31 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.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: The battle over the Medicare prescription drug bill is heating up. Senate Democrats are vowing to block the measure, but the senate majority leader says the procedural roadblocks can be overcome.
The bill's one of President Bush's top priorities. And CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux is joining us now. Hello Suzanne.
I know they're about to leave for Thanksgiving recess, so time's obviously of the essence here. It's not typical to see so much activity on a Sunday, is it? And what are you hearing?
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, you're absolutely right. There is a lot of buzz here in Washington for a Sunday. A cabinet member had a briefing, Senators are holding, they're debating on the floor today. And it is quite clear that the White House is on the fast track here to push for that Medicare reform bill before the Thanksgiving holiday.
This is really a critical test for the president, who made this one of his top priorities in his domestic agenda. Medicare reform, as well as providing prescription drug coverage. And we're looking at live pictures, the Senate show down. There are Senators that are engaged in really a debate that has taken place all afternoon and even before this began we heard from Republican Senator John McCain and Democratic Senator Ted Kennedy, both of them, among others, threatening to filibuster the bill tomorrow.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (R) ARIZONA: Here we are a nation with a half a trillion dollar deficit coming up, multi trillion-dollar deficits, growth of government 12 1/2 percent last year. What's ever happened to my party's fiscal discipline?
SEN. EDWARD KENNEDY, (D) MASSACHUSETTS: What is now coming before the Senate now is basically hijacking the Medicare program. They want to replace it. They want to undermine it. And they want to privatize it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Now, yesterday the Republican-led House narrowly passed the bill. Tomorrow what's expected to happen, they will vote on whether or not to shut down debate on this bill? In the Senate, Senator Majority Leader Bill Frist expressing a great deal of confidence that yes, they have the votes to basically overcome the filibuster, to get beyond any kind of Democratic procedural maneuvers. He also is confident that they will pass this Medicare reform bill tomorrow evening.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BILL FRIST, (R) MAJORITY LEADER: Under my leadership, under the leadership of Republicans, we're going to address it head on, we're going to deliver a solution, and we're within an eyelash of doing that, hopefully by tomorrow night we will.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Now, even Senator Kennedy's spokesman said today he acknowledged that they do not at this point have enough votes to actually overcome that filibuster -- rather sustain that filibuster. It looks like this will certainly go for a vote before the Senate -- Catherine.
CALLAWAY: All right, thank you very much.
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 November 23, 2003 - 16:31 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: The battle over the Medicare prescription drug bill is heating up. Senate Democrats are vowing to block the measure, but the senate majority leader says the procedural roadblocks can be overcome.
The bill's one of President Bush's top priorities. And CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux is joining us now. Hello Suzanne.
I know they're about to leave for Thanksgiving recess, so time's obviously of the essence here. It's not typical to see so much activity on a Sunday, is it? And what are you hearing?
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, you're absolutely right. There is a lot of buzz here in Washington for a Sunday. A cabinet member had a briefing, Senators are holding, they're debating on the floor today. And it is quite clear that the White House is on the fast track here to push for that Medicare reform bill before the Thanksgiving holiday.
This is really a critical test for the president, who made this one of his top priorities in his domestic agenda. Medicare reform, as well as providing prescription drug coverage. And we're looking at live pictures, the Senate show down. There are Senators that are engaged in really a debate that has taken place all afternoon and even before this began we heard from Republican Senator John McCain and Democratic Senator Ted Kennedy, both of them, among others, threatening to filibuster the bill tomorrow.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (R) ARIZONA: Here we are a nation with a half a trillion dollar deficit coming up, multi trillion-dollar deficits, growth of government 12 1/2 percent last year. What's ever happened to my party's fiscal discipline?
SEN. EDWARD KENNEDY, (D) MASSACHUSETTS: What is now coming before the Senate now is basically hijacking the Medicare program. They want to replace it. They want to undermine it. And they want to privatize it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Now, yesterday the Republican-led House narrowly passed the bill. Tomorrow what's expected to happen, they will vote on whether or not to shut down debate on this bill? In the Senate, Senator Majority Leader Bill Frist expressing a great deal of confidence that yes, they have the votes to basically overcome the filibuster, to get beyond any kind of Democratic procedural maneuvers. He also is confident that they will pass this Medicare reform bill tomorrow evening.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BILL FRIST, (R) MAJORITY LEADER: Under my leadership, under the leadership of Republicans, we're going to address it head on, we're going to deliver a solution, and we're within an eyelash of doing that, hopefully by tomorrow night we will.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Now, even Senator Kennedy's spokesman said today he acknowledged that they do not at this point have enough votes to actually overcome that filibuster -- rather sustain that filibuster. It looks like this will certainly go for a vote before the Senate -- Catherine.
CALLAWAY: All right, thank you very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
