OFFICE OF THE MAJORITY LEADER

TRANSCRIPT

On Fox News Channel Responding to Bush's State of the Union Address
January 28, 2008

... WOULD TEND TO GET MONEY IN THE HANDS OF PEOPLE SO THEY SPEND IT AND GIVE THE ECONOMY A SPARK. SO THAT IS BEFORE THE SENATE. THE PRESIDENT, AS YOU HEARD, PRESSED FOR ENACTMENT SWIFTLY OF THAT PROGRAM. FOR MORE ON HOW ALL OF THAT MIGHT PLAY OUT WE GO BACK TO JIM ANGLE WITH ONE OF THE DEMOCRATIC LEADERS. >> THANK YOU, BRIT. WE ARE HERE WITH HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER STENY HOYER FROM MARYLAND. WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT THE ECONOMIC STIMULUS. THE HOUSE MOOD VERY QUICKLY, TO WORK ON, THIS TO WORK ON A PLAN HAS NOW GONE TO THE SENATE. AS THINGS OFTEN HAPPEN IN THE SENATE, THEY INSIST ON HAVING THEIR OWN SAY ON THIS. AND ADDING THINGS TO THIS PACKAGE. DO YOU THINK THAT IS GOING TO SLOW DOWN THE PROCESS? >> IT'S CERTAINLY NOT UNUSUAL FOR THE SENATE TO WANT TO TAKE THEIR OWN POSITIONS. THAT'S UNDERSTANDABLE. HOWEVER, I'M HOPEFUL THAT THAT DOES NOT SLOW DOWN THE PROCESS, THAT THEY MOVE THE BILL WITH DISPATCH, HOPEFULLY THIS WEEK. AND THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO CONSIDER IT IN CONFERENCE NEXT WEEK. WE BELIEVE THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO ACT IN A TIMELY FASHION, WITH TEMPORARY RELIEF, TARGETED TO PEOPLE WHO WOULD SPEND THAT MONEY AND STIMULATE THE ECONOMY. THAT WAS OUR OBJECTIVE. WE WORKED VERY HARD WITH THE REPUBLICANS IN THE HOUSE. WORKED VERY HARD WITH SECRETARY PAULSON AND THE PRESIDENT TO ACHIEVE THAT OBJECTIVE AND WE DID. I WAS PLEASED TO COME TO THAT AGREEMENT. WE ADDED 35 MILLION PEOPLE, MIDDLE CLASS WORKING PEOPLE, LOWER INCOME WORKING PEOPLE TO THE PROGRAM. WE THOUGHT THAT WAS A REAL STEP FORWARD. BUT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO PASS IT SOON AND GET MONEY INTO PEOPLE'S HAND THAT, A ARE HURTING BECAUSE OF THE RECESSION AND B SPEND IT TO STIMULATE THE ECONOMY. >> IF THE SENATE ADDS A NUMBER OF PROGRAMS AND BILLIONS OF DOLLARS, ARE YOU READY TO HAVE A BIGGER PACKAGE OR READY TO REARRANGE THE PACKAGE AS IT NOW STANDS? >> I WOULD PREFER TO REARRANGE THE PACKAGE. I THINK THAT WHILE WE WANT TO STIMULATE THE ECONOMY, WE DON'T WANT TO CREATE PROBLEMS DOWN THE ROAD WITH DEEPER DEBT. SO, WE'LL HAVE TO DISCUSS WITH THE SENATE WHAT THEY ARE DOING, WHEN THEY DO IT. >> LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT EARMARKS. THE PRESIDENT SAYS HE IS GOING TO ISSUE AN EXECUTIVE ORDER TOMORROW AND DIRECT GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS NOT TO DISBURSE ANY MONEY FOR EARMARKS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN PART OF LEGISLATION AND HAVE NOT BEEN VOTED UPON BY LAWMAKERS. IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU THINK IS REASONABLE AND IS THAT WITHIN THE PRESIDENT'S POWER TO CURB THE USE OF EARMARKS. >> I THINK WE HAVE TO SEE EXACTLY WHAT THE PRESIDENT MEANS AND WHAT IS HE GOING TO DESIGNATE AS THE EARMARKS. I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT A NUMBER OF US VIEW AS EARMARK REFORM TENDENCIES A LITTLE BIT SKEPTICALLY. THIS IS, AFTER ALL A PRESIDENT WHO HAS SIGNED MORE APPROPRIATIONS BILLS WITH A GREATER NUMBER OF EARMARKS AND A GREATER DOLLAR VALUE OF EARMARKS THAN ANY PRESIDENT IN HISTORY. YOU NEED TO LOOK AT THAT. ALL OF A SUDDEN DEMOCRATS TAKE OVER. >> -- SPECIFIED IN THE LEGISLATION, WERE THEY NOT? >> SOME WERE AND SOME WERE NOT. OH, NO. THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF HOW EARMARKS WERE AFFECTED BETWEEN THE REPUBLICAN CONGRESS AND THE DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IN THE DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS IS, A, WE HAVE MADE THEM TRANSPARENT AND, B, WE HAVE CUT THE NUMBER IN HALF ACCORDING TO THE GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE ON WASTE. >> OK, STENY HOYER, HOUSE DEMOCRATIC LEADER THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> THANK YOU. BACK TO YOU. BRIT: GET TO CARL CAMERON. >> THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. OF COURSE, THE BIG VOTE TOMORROW IN FLORIDA FOR ITS BIG PRIMARY. TONIGHT THE PRESIDENT'S STATE OF THE UNION. HE HAD QUITE A BIT TO SAY ABOUT THE STATE OF THINGS IN IRAQ. I WONDER IF YOU CAN GIVE US YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE PRESIDENT'S SPEECH OVER THERE AND THE SPEECH OVERALL. >> I THINK THE PRESIDENT'S ASSESSMENT IS EXACTLY RIGHT. AND I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT HE IS CORRECT IN SAYING THAT WE CAN BRING SOME TROOPS HOME. BUT I ALSO TOTALLY AGREE WITH HIM THAT THE DECISIONS ON FURTHER WITHDRAWALS SHOULD NOT BE MADE BY POLITICIANS IN WASHINGTON BUT BY GENERAL PETRAEUS AND ACTING ON HIS RECOMMENDATIONS. AS THE PRESIDENT SAID, WE ARE WINNING. WE HAVE NOT DEFEATED AL QAEDA. BUT I AM PROUD OF THE SUCCESS OF THE SURGE AND I AM PROUD OF THE LEADERSHIP WE HAVE. AND I CATEGORICALLY REJECT SENATOR CLINTON AND SENATOR OBAMA'S WAVING THE FLIGHT FLAG AND WANTING TO SURRENDER IN IRAQ AFTER WE HAVE MADE SO MUCH SACRIFICE AND ACHIEVED SIGNIFICANT SUCCESS. >> SENATOR, LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE DUST-UP THAT YOU HAD WITH MITT ROMNEY OVER THE LAST FEW DAYS REGARDING YOUR ASSERTION THAT HE SECRET TIMETABLE FOR WITHDRAWALS. HE SAYS YOU ARE DISHONEST IN THAT CHARGE, SIR. >> ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS LOOK AT THE RECORD. I READ IT ON ANOTHER NEWS PROGRAM ON SUNDAY. HE SAID HE WANTED TIMETABLES AND THOSE TIMETABLES HE WOULDN'T WANT TO REVEAL TO THE ENEMY. I DON'T KNOW. THERE IS NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT. ...