LAWMAKERS
LAWMAKERS
IN 13.00.09 13.00.09-WETA credit/sponsor credits 13.00.35-PAUL DUKE-on program: members of congress forego a recess to ream out DAVID STOCKMAN over the BUDGET. LINDA WERTHEIMER-Congressmen visit EL SALVADOR. COKIE ROBERTS-view on Sen. ORRIN HATCH'S dilemma between CONSERVATIVE IDEOLOGY and pragmatic politics. 13.01.01-title sequence 13.01.28-DUKE-Congress gears up to fight the REAGAN BUDGET PROPOSAL. WERTHEIMER intro report on HOUSE DEMOCRATS resenting 1981 budget outcome, preparing to fight harder in 1982 against REAGANOMICS. 13.02.27-Shot of airliner landing at WASHINGTON NATIONAL AIRPORT, WASHINGTON MONUMENT in background. Shot of Rep. JAMES JONES (D-OK, chair of BUDGET COMMITTEE) entering airport from plane. JONES v.o.-says he found from his constituents that the DEFICIT was a concern, INTEREST RATES were going to stay too high, and generally the BUDGET was unrealistic and unfair. Shot of JONES chairing committee meeting. Shot of DAVID STOCKMAN sitting at witness table. Shot of Rep. JIM WRIGHT (D-TX), says REAGAN got all that he asked for in the 1982 budget, but the ECONOMY still hasn't recovered as promised-HIGHEST UNEMPLOYMENT SINCE GREAT DEPRESSION, highest rate of BUSINESS FAILURE in 20 years, 13.04.00-Shot of DAVID STOCKMAN testifying, says that the RECESSION was a predicted correction of the economy, but then later says that NO ONE PREDICTED the RECESSION. Shot of Rep. LES ASPIN (D-WI), challenges STOCKMAN and his claims, points out the ABSURDITY and CONTRADICTION in STOCKMAN'S arguments. Shot of Rep. JACK KEMP (R-NY), shot of Rep. BILL FRENZEL (R-MN), praises STOCKMAN for being an intelligent advocate for the budget, but says he doesn't support it fully. Shot of Rep. DELBERT LATTA (R-OH, a chief advocate of REAGANOMICS in 1981), says he's shocked by the size of the DEFICIT in the REAGAN BUDGET. Shot of committee from back of audience. Shots of congressmen on committee panel. Shot of STOCKMAN listening somewhat uneasily (presumably as a Democrat yells and screams at him). Shot of Rep. LEON PANETTA (D-CA), says that anyone who thinks CONGRESS is going to pass the REAGAN budget must be nuts. 13.06.27-Shot of Rep. DICK GEPHARDT. Says REAGAN'S "Put up or shut up" ultimatum to Congress isn't leadership. STOCKMAN gets conciliatory in a hurry, assures GEPHARDT that REAGAN will not be intransigent if DEMOCRATS make a good faith effort to compromise. Shot of Rep. JONES, says that REAGAN doesn't seem as conciliatory as STOCKMAN does, and DEMOCRATS need an assurance that REAGAN won't just veto a compromise BUDGET. 13.07.32-DUKE/WERTHEIMER-discussion of REAGAN seeming to be more intransigent than previously, rumors that REAGAN since his ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT feels that he has been spared for a purpose, i.e. to promote REAGANOMICS. Very unlikely that Congress will go for more cuts in Social spending as long as DEFENSE has such a fat budget. DUKE intro report on EL SALVADOR controversy in Congress, with three groups of Congressmen taking fact-finding trips to EL SALVADOR. 13.08.50-Shot of Rep. JOHN MURTHA (D-PA), says that he relayed the message to the REAGAN ADMINISTRATION loud and clear that EL SALVADOR would not get aid unless HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES by the right-wing government were stopped. Shot of Sen. CLAIBORNE PELL (D-RI), meeting a group of reporters in office, says that his trip to EL SALVADOR convinced him that that country's problems are SOCIAL and ECONOMIC and can't be solved by any MILITARY program. DUKE-LIBERALS have been comparing EL SALVADOR involvement to early stages of VIETNAM policy. Shot of Rep. GERRY STUDDS (D-MA), speaking to a union audience. A very blue-collar man with "bahston" accent steps to microphone, asks STUDDS what he would do if troops were sent to EL SALVADOR. STUDDS says he can't begin to say how AL HAIG'S mind works (draws laughter), but HAIG has avoided giving any assurance that troops would not be sent to EL SALVADOR. Shot of another man asking STUDDS how REAGAN thinks he can get away with involving U.S. in "another Vietnam". 13.11.05-Shot of Rep. STUDDS in office, says that there is no support in the U.S. for REAGAN'S EL SALVADOR policy, people see the same early decisions of VIETNAM being repeated in central America. Stills of STUDDS from 1972 campaign, in meeting with TIP O'NEILL. DUKE-v.o.-STUDDS election in 1972 based largely on his opposition to VIETNAM policies. Shot of STUDDS, calls REAGAN'S view of "black and white, we and they, good guys and bad guys, the Communists and the Free world" hopelessly simplistic. Shot of Rep. JOHN ROUSSELOT (R-CA) says that "leftist-minded" DEMOCRATS [not known to actually exist] are "extreme socialists" who just want to use the issue to embarrass REAGAN. 13.12.39-Shot of STUDDS in debate in HOUSE, says he wants to assure REAGAN that Congress and the Public will not sit by and let him dictate policy on EL SALVADOR. Shot of Rep. BARBARA MIKULSKI (D-MD) speaking angrily against REAGAN'S EL SALVADOR policy of "selling guns that will be used to murder archbishops saying mass and nuns teaching children how to read". Shot of Rep. "B-1" BOB DORNAN (R-CA) says that STUDDS was wrong to try to permanently block all aid to EL SALVADOR because that would tell "The Castro people, the enemy in the Caribbean" how far the U.S. is willing to go.