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>> >>DWANE: AS CONGRESS BEGINS THEIR 10 DAY RECESS, AUTOMATIC SPENDING CUTS KNOWN AS SEQUESTRATION
ARE HOVERING LIKE A DARK CLOUD. NEWLY ELECTED SAN DIEGO CONGRESSMAN SCOTT
PETERS HELD A NEWS CONFERENCE THIS MORNING TO TALK ABOUT THE POSSIBLE EFFECTS SPENDING
CUTS WOULD HAVE ON OUR PORT. CONGRESSMAN PETERS REPRESENTS SAN DIEGO'S
52ND DISTRICT. WELCOME BACK HOME.
SO YOU SERVED ON SAN DIEGO CITY COUNCIL, YOU'RE A PORT COMMISSIONER, NOW YOU SPENT SIX WEEKS
IN WASHINGTON. IS IT WHAT YOU EXPECT.
>> >>SCOTT PETERS: IT'S HARD TO KNOW QUITE WHAT TO EXPECT.
I'LL GIVE YOU A COUPLE IMPRESSIONS. ONE CITY IS MUCH MORE POLITICAL THAN SAN DIEGO
WAS. WE PRIDE OURSELVES ON BEING NON PARTISAN,
COLLABORATING AND EVEN PRESIDENT CLINTON HAS RECOGNIZED THAT.
WE DON'T SEE THAT IN CONGRESS JUST YET. I'LL SAY THE OTHER RAY OF HOPE I FOUND IS
THAT A LOT OF THE FRESHMEN, AND THERE'S 85 OF US, A QUARTER OF ALL THE DEMOCRATS, ARE
NEW. I GOT THE SAME MESSAGE IN NOVEMBER WHICH IS
PEOPLE WANTED US TO STOP FIGHTING AND START FIXING.
I HOPE WE CAN HOLD ON TO THAT AND PUSH THAT WHOLE ATTITUDE THROUGH CONGRESS.
>> >>DWANE: SPEAKING OF BI PARTISANSHIP, AND TRYING TO COME TOGETHER, SEQUESTRATION IS
A BIG ISSUE, WE'RE TALKING DEADLINE MARCHÊ1. DO YOU SUPPORT THE PLAN TO AVOID SPENDING
CUTS? >> >>SCOTT PETERS: I THINK THAT THIS IS THE
WRONG WAY TO GO ABOUT SPENDING CUTS F.YOU LOOK AT ANY THE BIPARTISAN APPROACHES THAT
WHETHER IT'S SIMPSON PEOPLE HAVE LOOKED AT THE BUDGET AND FIGURED OUT HOW TO GET HOLD
OF T.THEY'D LIKE TO DO THIS OVER TIME. THEY TAKE PAINFUL MEASURES BUT THE IDEA OF
SEQUESTRATION, WE'RE SAYING IT'S MORE LIKE AN AMPUTATION.
HERE WE ARE CLIMBING O OUT OF THIS RECOVERY. WE MAKE THESE INCREDIBLY BROAD CUTS RIGHT
NOW TO A GREAT EXTENT THAT COULD REALLY THROW US BACK INTO RECESSION.
THAT'S NOT GOOD FOR SAN DIEGO, IT'S REALLY NOT GOOD FOR THE COUNTRY.
>> >>DWANE: WHEN I THINK OF THE WORD SEQUESTRATION, IT SEEMS TO MASK WHAT WE'RE REALLY TALKING
ABOUT, RIGHT? >> >>SCOTT PETERS: RIGHT.
>> >>DWANE: THE SENATE PLAN, WHAT DON'T YOU LIKE, WHAT DO YOU LIKE?
>> >>SCOTT PETERS: WELL, WE HAD THE MR.ÊRYAN'S BUDGET FROM LAST COUPLE OF YEARS IN THE HOUSE,
AND NOW WE HAVE THE SENATE PLAN WHICH IS MORE OF A DEMOCRATIC VERSION.
I THINK IT'S A PRODUCTIVE PART OF THE CONVERSATION. I DON'T THINK THE REPUBLICANS ARE GOING TO
AGREE TO THAT. BUT LET'S TALK ABOUT WHERE WE CAN MARRY THE
TWO AND BRING A DEAL. I THINK THAT THERE'S SO MANY REASONS TO WANT
TO GET THIS BEHIND US, EVEN IF THE DEALS ARE PERFECT FROM ANYONE'S PERSPECTIVE.
NO ONE'S GOING TO GET ANYTHING THEY WANT. WE CREATE A LOT OF CERTAINTY AND ENABLES US
TO PLAN FOR THE INVESTMENTS WE NEED TO MAKE TO MAKE THIS COUNTRY COMPETITIVE.
>> >>DWANE: LET'S GO BEYOND THE DEBATE AT THIS POINT.
WHAT WOULD THE SEQUESTER MEAN FOR SAN DIEGO'S INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS AND THE PORT FOR THAT
MATTER? >> >>SCOTT PETERS: WELL, REMEMBER THE SAN
DIEGO ECONOMY DEPENDS ON THREE MAIN SECTORS TO BRING MONEY IN. ONE IS TOURISM, ONE IS
THE MILITARY, AND ONE IS SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND INNOVATION.
BUT ALSO TRADE IS REAL IMPORT TONIGHT US. AND SO WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT TODAY WAS
WE WANT TO CONNECT OUR PORT TO THE NATIONAL SYSTEM OF HIGHWAY AND RAIL TO CREATE MORE
JOBS AND HAVE SAN DIEGO PLAY A PART IN THE MOVEMENT OF GOODS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.
WE'RE NOT IN THE POSITION TO DO THAT WITHOUT FEDERAL INVESTMENT.
THERE'S OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS LIKE KEEPING THE BRIDGES FROM FALLING DOWN AND
KEEPING OUR ROADS IN REPAIR. THOSE THINGS WE NEED TO DO TO BE ABLE TO BE
COMPETITIVE AND CREATE JOBS AND MOVE THE COUNTRY AHEAD.
THE OTHER SAN DIEGO EFFECTS ARE IN SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH.
WE FACE A LOSS OF FUNDING FOR THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF HEALTH.
THOSE DISCOVERIES AT THE SALK INSTITUTE, SANFORD BURNHAM, SCRIPPS RESEARCH INSTITUTE, UCSD,
HAVE NOT JUST CHANGED THE WORLD AND CREATED BETTER HEALTH CARE, BUT THEY'VE CREATE AD
LOT OF JOBS HERE. AND THEN FINALLY THE MILITARY'S RESPONSIBLE FOR 25% OF ALL THE JOBS IN THE
COUNTY. LAST YEAR WE THOUGHT SEQUESTRATION THREATENED
ABOUT 30,000 JOBS IN THAT SECTOR ALONE. IN ADDICTION TO THREATENING THE NATIONAL SECURITY.
ALL IN ALL, THIS IS NOT A WAY TO GO ABOUT MAKING POLICY, LET'S SIT DOWN AND HAVE A MORE
THOUGHTFUL APPROACH. >> >>DWANE: THERE HASN'T BEEN A LOT OF DETAIL
ON WHAT THE 27ÊBILLION DOLLARS AS IT RELATES TO DEFENSE CUTS WILL INCLUDE, AND OF COURSE
SAN DIEGO BEING THE MILITARY TOWN IT IS. WHAT DO YOU THINK THE SENATE'S PLAN WOULD
MEAN FOR SAN DIEGO'S DEFENSE INDUSTRY? >> >>SCOTT PETERS: THE SEQUESTRATION?
>> >>DWANE: UH HUH. >> >>SCOTT PETERS: I'M ON THE ARMED SERVICES
COMMITTEE AND I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS NOT JUST WHAT TO DO IN THE SPENDING
AND CONTRACTING BUT WHAT THE EFFECT IS NATIONAL SECURITY.
SECRETARY PANETTA HAS MADE A POINT AT SOME POINT YOU'RE AFFECTING OUR ABILITY TO DEFEND
OURSELVES DEPLOY OUR TROOPS TO WHERE THEY'RE NEEDED TO PROTECT OUR INTEREST.
SOME CONCERN ABOUT THAT. BUT WE KNOW LOCALLY THAT ALREADY WE'RE TALKING
ABOUT WHETHER WE HAVE TO CANCEL CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS, LAYOFF CIVILIANS, AND A LOT OF
FOLKS WHOSE JOBS DEPEND ON THOSE THINGS. THEY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE MORE CERTAINTY. I
WE DO THIS IN THE PROCESS THAT SLASHES AT SOME LEVEL WITHOUT THINKING ABOUT WHAT THE
PRIORITIES ARE, WHAT THE STRATEGIC AFFECT IS.
IT'S JUST NOT GOOD ENOUGH. WE DESERVE BETTER AND I THINK WE OUGHT TO
BE HOMEWORKING THIS WEEK, NOT ON RECESS. >> >>DWANE: YOU GUYS ARE ON A 10 DAY RECESS,
SOME WOULD WONDER WHY AREN'T YOU BACK AT WORK. >> >>SCOTT PETERS: I WOULD WONDER.
IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE TO ME. WE'VE GOT TWO WEEKS TILL THE SEQUESTER AND
WE HAVE THIS SCHEDULED DISTRICT WORK WEEK. I'LL WORK ALL WEEK.
I'M GOING TO TAKE SOME TOURS OF SOME NAVY FACILITIES I HAVEN'T SEEN YET THAT'S GOING
TO BE USEFUL FOR ME IN MY JOB. WE'LL BE TALKING TO CONSTITUENTS BUT WE'LL
TALK ABOUT THE SEQUESTER ALL WE WEEK SO WE CAN CREATE SOME URGENCY.
THIS WEEK, AS NICE AS IT IS TO BE IN SAN DIEGO GETTING MY VITAMIN D, WE OUGHT TO BE IN DC
WORKING ON THIS PROBLEM. THIS IS SOMETHING THE COUNTRY NEEDS TO MOVE
AWAY FROM. >> >>DWANE: FINAL QUESTION, LAST RESPONSE
QUICKLY, PLEASE. NEXT WEEK, CONGRESS HEADS BACK TO WASHINGTON.
DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER LESS THAN A WEEK ACTUALLY. BECAUSE IF SOMETHING ISN'T DONE BY MARCHÊ1,
THE CUTS HAPPEN. >> >>SCOTT PETERS: RIGHT.
>> >>DWANE: WHAT'S YOUR PREDICTION? >> >>SCOTT PETERS: WELL, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE
AS GOOD AT PREDICTING ANYTHING AS I AM. I WILL TELL YOU THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO
WOULD LIKE TO SEE A RESOLUTION. I'D LIKE TO SEE THE PRESIDENT BE MORE ACTIVE
BECAUSE I THINK NOW THAT THERE'S A DEMOCRATIC VERSION OR REPUBLICAN VERSION HE CAN HAVE
AN AFFECT AND BRING US TOGETHER. >> >>DWANE: THANKS, CONGRESSMAN SCOTT PETES.
>> >>SCOTT PETERS: THANK YOU, DWANE.