CONGRESS: WE THE PEOPLE
CONGRESS: WE THE PEOPLE
WETA "CONGRESS: WE THE PEOPLE" IN 12.52.26-WETA credit/funding credits/title sequence 12.53.11-Rep. JIM WRIGHT (D-TX) debating a Budget in the House, says that all parties have to compromise a little. Other Congressmen in debate. Rep. BOB DORNAN (R-CA) says that the budget must be balanced [of course "B-1 Bob" didn't like to say no to any defense spending...]. V.O.-the budget always sparks heated debate. 12.54.10-Host Ed Newman discusses the Budget process. The Budget is the most important political agenda of Congress each year, starting with the President's State of the Union message. 12.55.02-Shots of Reagan giving State of the Union Address, entering House chamber, announces that he will recommend a Spending freeze in his budget proposal. Shot of Rep. BARNEY FRANK (D-MA) in debate, says that Congress must choose between helping the elderly and buying unnecessary military equipment. V.O.-in the 1920's the power of the President over the budget increased, leading to the current annual tug-of-war. Shots of Congressmen in debate. Clip of FDR giving State of the Union address "rendezvous with destiny". Clips of FDR during New Deal era. Clip of TRUMAN and EISENHOWER, LBJ, NIXON. V.O.-as presidents got more powerful over the budget, Congress rebelled in 1974 to create more formal channels in Congress for the Budget process, but power shifted back to White House in 1981. 12.57.26-Shot of REAGAN giving State of the Union Address, calling for dramatically reduced Government spending. Shot of DAVID STOCKMAN giving press conference, says that he expects Congress to resist the changes of REAGANOMICS all down the line. Sen. W. HUDDLESTON (D-KY) in committee meeting interrogating Treasury Secretary DON REGAN, about the extent of the budget cuts. REGAN says that REAGAN is ready to take the heat. Shots of Actress JANE RUSSELL testifying to a Senate Committee hearing, says that the budget cuts for EDUCATION and SOCIAL PROGRAMS are disastrous. 12.59.40-Rep. DAN MICA (D-FL) discussing the Reagan sales pitch to get him to vote for the REAGANOMICS budget. Basically, he says that he decided to go along because Reagan's such a swell guy. Shot of Rep. PHIL GRAMM, ROBERT MICHEL in debate over the budget. TIP O'NEILL in well of House, criticizing the Republicans for putting all of the budget cuts into one package to curtail debate, says Congress shouldn't just rubber-stamp the President's proposals. Rep. JIM WRIGHT in debate says that Reagan is trying to "herd" the Congress around like Cattle. Shots of Congressmen in halls of Congress. O'NEILL in debate accuses the REAGANOMICS advocates of recklessly cutting spending and taxes to look good for the elections. Shot of REAGAN shaking hands with Congressional allies. 13.01.44 O'NEILL in office, making ceremonial congratulatory phone call to REAGAN after the REAGANOMICS budget passed in 1981."No hard feelings old pal. It's a great two party system we have. We gave our best, and you outdid us. As a matter of fact you stunned us. I never figured you could beat us that badly." 13.02.00