OFFICE OF THE MAJORITY LEADER

TRANSCRIPT

Congressional Agenda for the New Year Discussed on Fox News
January 4, 2009

CHRIS: MEMBERS OF CONGRESS RETURNED TO WORK THIS WEEK AND THEIR TOP PRIORITY IS PASSING A HUGE SPENDING PACKAGE TO JUMP START THE ECONOMY. JOINING US TO DISCUSS THAT AND THE REST OF THE DEMOCRATIC AGENDA IS STENY HOYER. HAPPY NEW YEAR AND WELCOME BACK TO ""FOX NEWS SUNDAY"" INTO THANK YOU, CHRIS, HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU. CHRIS: PRESIDENT-ELECT OBAMA COMES TO CAPITOL HILL TOMORROW TO MEET WITH CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS OF BOTH PARTIES. HOW QUICKLY CAN CONGRESS GET THE ECONOMIC STIMULUS PACKAGE THROUGH AND TO HIS DESK. TWO CRITERIA, DO IT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. BUT, DO IT RIGHT. AND SO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE SO WHAT WE ARE DOING AND DO IT SO MEMBERS OF CONGRESS ARE CONFIDENT OF THE ACTION WE TARICKING, SO, THOSE ARE THE TWO CRITERIA, DO IT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE AND DO IT RIGHT AND I THINK THE TIMEFRAME IS HOPEFULLY CERTAINLY BY THE END OF THE MONTH. >> CHRIS: WELL, LET'S TALK MORE SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THAT. THE OBAMA TEAM IS TALKING ABOUT AIPAC KAJ OF UP TO 775 BILLION DOLLARS, IS THAT YOUR UPPER LIMIT? BECAUSE THERE IS TALK SOME HOUSE DEMOCRATS MIGHT WANT TO MAKE IT BIGGER CLOSER TO A TRILLION DOLLARS. >> WE HAVE BEEN TALKING IN THAT ENABLED. AND I WILL SET A FUING GUR ON IT BUT CLEARLY IT NEEDS TO BE SUBSTANTIAL, EVERY ECONOMIST FROM RIGHT TO LEFT, REPUBLICAN, DEMOCRAT, ADVISORS THAT IT HAS TO BE A VERY SUBSTANTIAL PACKAGE AND IF IN FACT WE WILL ACCOMPLISH THE OBJECTIVE WHICH IS OF COURSE TO STABILIZE THE ECONOMY, AND TRY AND START TO BRING IT BACK. >> CHRIS: NOW, THERE ARE REPORTS HOUSE DEMOCRATS MAY PUSH FOR A VOTE ON THIS, NOT THIS WEEK, BUT THE NEXT WEEK. IS THAT SOMETHING -- WHAT YOU HAD IN MIND? >> WE TALKED ABOUT THAT, THAT IS PROBABLY GOING TO SLIP AND WILL PROBABLY SLIP BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN A COMPLICATED EFFORTS AND A COOPERATIVE EFFORT BETWEEN THE CONGRESS AND THE IN COMING ADMINISTRATION. AND, AGAIN, WE WANT TO DO THIS RYE AND WANT TO HAVE PEOPLE KNOW WHAT WE ARE DOING AND WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE CAN ACCOMPLISH THE OBJECTIVES, GIVE ME A LITTLE BIT OF A TIMETABLE. I WILL NOT OBVIOUSLY -- YOU DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WILL HAPPEN. DO YOU THINK THE HOUSE CAN PASS BEFORE INAUGURATION DAY. >> I DOUBT THAT, CHRIS, FRAERJ, IN TALKING -- FRANKLY, IN TALKING TO THE CHAIRMAN THIS WEEK IT WILL BE DIFFICULT TO GET THE PACKAGE PUT TOGETHER THAT EARLY, SO THAT IT CAN HAVE SUFFICIENT TIME TO BE REVIEWED AND THEN, SUFFICIENT TIME TO BE DEBATED AND PASSED. BUT WE CERTAINLY WANT TO SEE THIS PACKAGE PASSED THROUGH THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES NO LATER THAN THE END OF THIS MONTH GET IT OVER TO THE SENATE AND HAVE IT TO THE PRESIDENT BEFORE WE BREAK FOR THE PRESIDENTIAL BREAK. >> CHRIS: MID FEBRUARY. >> EARLY FEBRUARY, YES. >> CHRIS: YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT WELL INTO FEBRUARY, BEFORE YOU ACTUALLY -- >> WE ARE GOING TO MOVE QUICKLY AND MOVE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. GIVEN OUR RESPONSIBILITIES TO MAKE SURE WE ARE PASSING AIPAC KAJ THAT WILL WORK. >> CHRIS: YOUR COUNTERPART, HOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER JOHN BOEHNER HAS LAID DOWN WHAT HE BELIEVES SHOULD BE SEVERAL MARKERS FOR THE WAY THIS IS HANDLED AND LET'S PUT THEM ON THE SCREEN. THERE SHOULD BE PUBLIC HEARINGS, THE PLAN SHOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR THE PUBLIC TO REVIEW ON LINE FOR ONE WEEK, AND THERE SHOULD BE NO SPECIAL INTEREST EARMARKS. CONGRESSMAN HOUR, ARE YOU WILLING TO AGREE TO THOSE. >> IT IS NOT A QUESTION OF AGREEMENT, I THINK ALL OF THOSE ARE OBJECTIVES WE'D LIKE TO ATTAIN. WE'VE ALL TALKED ABOUT THIS, THIS IS NOT A BILL FOR SPECIAL INTEREST EARMARKS OR ADD--ONSES, THIS IS A BILL TO TRY TO CREATE...