Fox News "Happening Now" - Transcript
Interview
MR. SCOTT: Tonight America will watch President Bush delivering his final State of the Union address. The president expected to focus on the economy, congressional earmarks and the war in Iraq. In his 1988 State of the Union speech, Ronald Reagan said we all have our differences, but let's prove to them and ourselves that democracy works, even in an election year. So what about the spirit of bipartisanship? Will it continue? Does it exist at all? What will be the Democratic response to the president's speech?
I'm joined by New York Senator Chuck Schumer, member of the Senate Finance Committee and chairman of the Joint Economic Committee.
Senator, welcome. Thanks for being here.
SEN. SCHUMER: Glad to be here.
MR. SCOTT: What would you like to hear President Bush say tonight?
SEN. SCHUMER: Well, I certainly want to hear a hopefully spirit of bipartisanship. Now we have heard that in the past, and then the president, when he went to create programs and assemble votes, just did it with the people on his side of the aisle. But of course, this is a new Congress and a new Senate, where Democrats are in the majority, so to get anything done requires us to work together, and we're willing to do that. I think the stimulus package is a good opening shot because it shows that Democrats can work together with Republicans, the president can work together with Congress. Neither side gets everything they want, but we get something done.
MR. SCOTT: Well, as you know, I mean, the Democrats have had the majority in the Senate for going on two years now, and yet the president's --
SEN. SCHUMER: It's a year.
MR. SCOTT: -- the --
SEN. SCHUMER: It's a year.
MR. SCOTT: Yeah -- the president's -- the president's approval ratings down in the low 30s; Congress' approval ratings even lower than that. Isn't that a sign that there needs to be more meshing of the two sides?
SEN. SCHUMER: Well, there needs to be more getting done. Actually, when you ask people about the congressional role going down, they say they haven't done enough to change President Bush around, and when you ask them who do they prefer, Democrats or Republicans, they say Democrats by 15 points.
So I think it's a condemnation, yes, of the general gridlock, but when you just probe a little bit deeper, they're not blaming the Democratic majority.
MR. SCOTT: President -- I'm sorry -- Senator Kennedy, your fellow senator, is about to endorse Barack Obama for president. We're going to be seeing that big event coming up in the next hour. A slap at your fellow senator from New York, Hillary Clinton?
SEN. SCHUMER: No, I don't believe so. As you know, I support Senator Clinton on the basis of her experience and her grit and her ability to get things done. And Senator Kennedy, I know, has a very good relationship with Senator Clinton. At this time, at this moment, he preferred Senator Obama, but I think that it is not a slap at Senator Clinton at all.
MR. SCOTT: Chuck Schumer, the senior senator from the State of New York. Thank you.
SEN. SCHUMER: Thank you.
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