CNN CROSSFIRE
Dick Armey Reflects on His Career in Congress; Louisiana Senate Race Still a Tight One
Aired December 5, 2002 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CARLSON: Welcome back. Way back in 1984, a college economics professor from
Texas ran for Congress, promising to fight for a flat tax. Alas, he never got
it. But he did pretty well otherwise.
In 1994, Representative Dick Armey helped write the contract with America,
spurring a Republican takeover of the House and propelling Armey into the post
of House Majority Leader. This year, after 18 years in Congress, he voluntarily
decided to give it all up. But not before making one more appearance on
CROSSFIRE. Please welcome House Majority Leader Dick Armey.
(APPLAUSE)
CARVILLE: Congressman, how are you doing? First, I'll give you a chance to clear
up some of the brouhaha over the Eli Lilly provision in the homeland security
bill with reference to a vaccination they had. I want to show you something that
appeared in a column in today's "Wall Street Journal," and take it from there
and give you a chance to...
"On November 15, House GOP Leader Dick Armey said, 'It was something the White
House wanted.' But less than two weeks later, he said it was done, 'with no
prodding from the pharmaceutical industry or the White House." Which one is the
correct one?
REP. RICHARD ARMEY (R-TX), MAJORITY LEADER: First, you know, I'm really not
quite sure. There are a lot of us that wanted that in.
CARVILLE: OK.
ARMEY: I had listened for months to people worrying about whether or not we'd
have vaccinations. So I researched it. And in1998, Teddy Kennedy brought a
provision that would make it possible to get vaccines. The trial lawyers had
been skirting around that. I worked with Senator Frist. I had the advice of the
White House. And we worked out the...
CARVILLE: I understand. But did the White House put it in?
ARMEY: There were members of the White House that wanted it. Well, you know, you
really have to say it was my bill, I wrote it, I put it in. But I put it out in
consultation with Senator Frist, the most well-respected doctor in Congress and
the White House.
CARVILLE: But the White House put it in, though. Because when you said, "it was
something the White House wanted," that was true?
ARMEY: Well, it is true.
CARVILLE: It is true? The White House wanted this provision? OK. But then you
said no prodding from the pharmaceutical industry or the White House. They just
wanted it but they didn't prod you?
ARMEY: Well, that's right. I mean they agreed that the proposition was
necessary. Now this is very important. One of the criticisms of this thing that
bothers me is that it has nothing to do with homeland security. It does, in
fact, have to do with us having the vaccinations that we need to protect us from
the kind of insidious forces that would be brought against us. And...
CARLSON: I'm just curious, and I don't want to spend the whole show on it. How
did it get in there? Was it like the immaculate conception? Or you put it in or
you dropped it in?
ARMEY: I put it in.
CARVILLE: All right. I just wanted to...
ARMEY: And I never said that's not. The point is, I have had no conversation
with Eli Lilly.
CARVILLE: OK.
ARMEY: It was about the vaccinations. It was about getting...
(CROSSTALK)
CARVILLE: OK, that's good.
ARMEY: And I consulted with the White House.
CARVILLE: And this is something they wanted to put in.
CARLSON: OK. Congressman Armey...
ARMEY: And, by the way, the rest of that editorial is magnificent. I hope you
read it.
CARVILLE: I will.
CARLSON: James reads the front page of the "Wall Street Journal" every morning.
To go back seven years...
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OF THE PUBLISHER, AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED OR INTENDED AS PROVIDING MEDICAL OR
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