Media Stakeout with Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME) Following a Meeting with President Obama
Interview
MEDIA STAKEOUT WITH SENATOR OLYMPIA SNOWE (R-ME) FOLLOWING A MEETING WITH PRESIDENT OBAMA
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SEN. SNOWE: How are you? Good afternoon.
I just came from meeting with the president, and we had a very constructive and productive conversation regarding the stimulus. And I shared with him my concerns and my, you know, suggestions about how to approach the stimulus to ensure that every provision incorporated in the stimulus package will be dedicated to the goal of creating jobs and will accomplish the purpose for which the stimulus has been created; and how important it is to remove all the provisions within that legislation that is not stimulative, would not create jobs, and should otherwise be going through the review of the annual budgetary process rather than being inserted in the stimulus plan at this time.
And the president was very amenable to recommendations and to suggestions. And I offered him, you know, a list to peruse on some of the issues and, you know, some of the programs that have been identified. And so he indicated that he would like to work with me and others on a bipartisan basis in the United States Senate to, you know, reach a consensus on many of these issues and that we can move forward.
Q Senator?
SEN. SNOWE: Yes.
Q (Off mike.)
SEN. SNOWE: He didn't indicate that specifically, but he certainly was aware of the concerns that have been raised, you know, regarding the stimulus plan. He thinks it is important to have a right-sized stimulus plan to affect the economy, because we're going to lose $2 trillion in demand over the next two years, both for 2009 and 2010. And so it is important to have, you know, a sizable stimulus plan to affect the demand within the economy.
He understands that there have been issues, concerns and opposition to a number of the initiatives included in the stimulus plan, and that's why he's prepared and his team is prepared to work with members on both sides of the political aisle to see if we can reach some agreement on some of these initiatives as they go through the Senate process.
Q You said he wanted to work with you. How, exactly, would he do that? Did he give any examples?
SEN. SNOWE: Oh, you know, I shared with him, you know, some, you know, lists, you know, of programs that were included in the stimulus plan that otherwise should be properly in the budgetary process and should be considered in the budget. He understands that he's got, you know, the budget resolution to address, so he doesn't want to add to the deficits unnecessarily.
So he was very receptive of the idea to, you know, analyzing some of these programs that I've shared and I know others will share with respect to what has been included in the stimulus plan that otherwise should not -- does not belong there.
And he indicated that he will have his team and Peter Orszag, in particular, as director of OMB to work with me and with others on a bipartisan basis to see if there can be some agreement on removing many of these items that are not stimulus in design and will not accomplish the goals for which this plan had been, you know, created.
Q And is there a price tag on what you're talking about, a total price?
SEN. SNOWE: Oh, yes. Well, you know, it ranges, depending on which initiatives. I mean, you know, it could go anywhere. It could be upwards to a hundred, you know, billion dollars, potentially. It all depends on what initiatives are, you know, included for job creation and which aren't. And I -- you know, I also mentioned that I thought it was very important that every provision, you know, in the stimulus package has a job creation number associated with it, and so that even the programs that -- you know, that I and others will submit to the president as questionable items for a stimulus package, they really should be scrutinized on the basis as to whether or not they can create jobs immediately.
I mean, this legislation obviously has to be front-loaded. It has to stimulate demand and it has to create jobs. And those are -- those are the benchmarks by which this stimulus plan should be measured and all of the agenda -- all of the provisions in that bill should be evaluated accordingly.
Q Senator, can I just ask you about Senator Daschle? You worked with him for a long time.
SEN. SNOWE: Yeah.
Q And now there's this perception being painted of him by many Republican critics who portray him as this fat cat who tried to cheat the taxpayers. Is that fair?
SEN. SNOWE: Well, I've known Senator Daschle since we were elected in the same class back in 1978. And I've known him as an honorable, distinguished individual. Obviously, these are deeply troubling -- about the tax transgressions. And he made a decision that was in the best interest of the president and of this country.
Q Was it fair of Republican critics, though, to take him --
SEN. SNOWE: I'm not to question -- answer Republican critics.
(Cross talk.)
SEN. SNOWE: Yes?
Q As the bill is right now, without changes, do you think that that could pass? And if not, what specifically do you think would be needed to have Republicans come on board?
SEN. SNOWE: Well, you know, it's obviously hard to speak for, you know, our Republicans. I do know that it is essential that any items that do not stimulate the economy, that are not stimulative in nature, should not be part of this proposal.
And you know, and that's certainly the benchmark that I'm evaluating this plan on.
I think it's absolutely critical. I mean, we have too few fiscal tools in our arsenal right now to be able to, you know, fritter away our national resources. We don't have that option. We don't have that luxury. We have to make sure we get this right because otherwise, the American people pay the price for failure.
So every dollar matters and every dollar, and how we spend it, at this critical time, where we're trying to rejuvenate the economy, becomes an imperative. So I think that a rigorous standard has to be applied to every measure and every provision, which also includes a job creation number attached to each of these items as well.
So you know, I think, it could broaden the support certainly in the Senate. It could invite bipartisan support. And perhaps it could even get bipartisan support, in the House, if we could remove the unnecessary expenditures and expansion in programs that ultimately will create more permanent spending and increase our national debt and deficit in future years.
I mean, after all, of the $366 billion in discretionary spending, only 12 percent will be spent out this year and 49 percent overall in two years. So that's less than 50 percent that would be spent out, over the next two years, when we need to be maximizing the impact on our economy.
So it goes without saying that these aren't stimulus. So 12 percent this year as a spendout, as I said to the president, is giving him 100 percent heartburn. We really do need to remove those items that have nothing to do with the purpose of jumpstarting this economy, which is --
(Cross talk.)
Q (Off mike.)
SEN. SNOWE: Well, we -- no. We discussed that. I think he was -- he recognized that some of the issues that we were discussing, you know, that have been under discussion, in the United States Senate, that are of deep concern to many senators and even many members in the House of Representatives.
So he was much aware of the discretionary expenditures that were in question. And so I gave him, you know, a list to at least examine some of the issues, to evaluate them, to have his team evaluate them -- I'm sure that these are ones that his economic team is also familiar with and Peter Orszag certainly would be -- to go through that and raise questions, as to why they're in this stimulus package if they don't serve a purpose for job creation.
It is so important that we put money in the hands of people so that they can spend it and that we can make investments in the economy for job creation immediately. That's the purpose of stimulus. And every time we enhance a program in the federal budget and through this vehicle, that is going to expand the national debt in future years, without question. And some of -- much of this discretionary spending does not go to the direct purpose for job creation and for stimulating demand in our national economy at a time of crisis.
Q So for this -- (off mike) -- he didn't agree to anything (taken out of the ?) --
SEN. SNOWE: No, what he agreed to is a process by which to make those decisions, that he would work with me and, you know, other members in the -- of the United States Senate -- you know, developing a group on a bipartisan basis to make many of the decisions to ensure that we can scrub this plan.
And he said he understands that it needs to be scrubbed. He's prepared to be receptive to the ideas and to reevaluating some of the spending measures that were included that raise questions about whether or not they're stimulative. And so he was amenable to that process, and he agreed to it and was going to have people contacting me -- specifically, Peter Orszag, the director of OMB -- but also to establishing a group and working on a bipartisan basis to evaluate some of these issues.
He, you know, emphasized the imperative of moving on a timely basis, which I think we all agree on. It's also important to make sure that we get it right. And so -- those aren't mutually exclusive goals. I think it's going to require bipartisan cooperation, understanding that we're going through this process in the United States Senate.
So this is the beginning of this journey. I think we can complete it to the point that it can satisfy many of us, hopefully, in the final analysis. Otherwise, you undercut the integrity of the program and its ability to have an impact on the economy, if it isn't stimulative and you're not going to produce results at the outset of this process.
Q Senator Snowe --
MR. : Thanks, everyone.
SEN. SNOWE: And I'll take one other question. You, sir.
Q Are leaders on the Hill handling this responsibly, you believe?
SEN. SNOWE: Well, certainly in the United States Senate, you know, it's -- from what I can base my experience on -- you know, I commend Senator Reid for allowing an open and unfettered amendment process in the United States Senate. And I think that that will also help to improve the stimulus plan. And I think the more amendments that can be offered, the more voices that can, you know, be heard on concerns and opposition or modifications to the existing plan, I think will be helpful to bridging the divide and to addressing some of the issues that have been raised with respect to this plan.
I mean, I think the process is working as it should in the United States Senate, having an open and unfettered ability to offer amendments and to explore varying ideas and have votes on those issues. And that could also help to advance, I think, the integrity of this program in addressing many of the concerns that senators have expressed.
STAFF: Thanks, everybody.
Q (Off mike.)
SEN. SNOWE: Oh, very much so -- very approachable, very amenable and is willing to listen and to be responsive and obviously wants to accomplish this goal on behalf of the country on a bipartisan basis. And he understands how -- that it is essential to have bipartisanship in order to achieve this goal. But he was, yes, very amenable and very receptive and responsive.
STAFF: Thanks, everyone.
SEN. SNOWE: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
END.
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