Government Programs 2004 Archive | PBS NewsHour

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	2004 DECEMBER Dec. 23, 2004 New Forest Regulations Loosen Governance President Bush has announced new regulations that loosen the control and governance of the 155 national forests in the U.S. Experts discuss how the new rules will affect the management and protection of national forests.

	Dec. 22, 2004 Fannie Mae's Financial Troubles The mortgage-finance company, Fannie Mae, is under investigation for accounting violations. Yesterday two top officials of the housing finance giant stepped down. Business Week's Washington Bureau deputy chief, Mike McNamee, discusses the financial troubles of Fannie Mae.

	Dec. 17, 2004 Mark Shields and David Brooks Discuss the Past Week's Political News Syndicated columnist Mark Shields and The New York Times' David Brooks assess Secretary Rumsfeld's job security, the president's awarding of some controversial medals of freedom and other political matters.

	Dec. 16, 2004 Fixing Social Security Financing Ray Suarez leads a discussion on the best way to reform Social Security with two public policy experts.

	Dec. 15, 2004 Experts Discuss President Bush's Fiscal Vision At an economic conference Wednesday, President Bush pledged to reduce the growing deficit to help boost the dollar abroad. Two economists discuss the president's fiscal plans for the country.

	Dec. 13, 2004 Bernard Kerik Withdraws From Consideration Amid Controversy Margaret Warner speaks with a White House correspondent about Bernard Kerik's withdrawal from consideration for secretary of Homeland Security.

	Dec. 10, 2004 Shields and Brooks on Rumsfeld Syndicated Columnist Mark Shields and New York Times columnist David Brooks consider the fallout from Sec. Rumsfeld's pointed exchanges with soldiers in Kuwait and the final shakeups in President Bush's second-term Cabinet.

	Dec. 3, 2004 Brooks and Oliphant Discuss Cabinet Changes Political analysts David Brooks and Tom Oliphant discuss the politics behind the recent resignations from President Bush's Cabinet and the president's selection of new members.

	Dec. 3, 2004 President Bush Nominates Bernard Kerik to be Homeland Security Secretary Media correspondent Terence Smith assesses President Bush's choice of former New York City police commissioner Bernard Kerik as the new secretary of Homeland Security.

	Dec. 2, 2004 Reasons for the Dollar Decline and the Effect on the Global Economy Two economists discuss the dropping value of the dollar and the impact it could have on the global economy.



	NOVEMBER Nov. 30, 2004 State of Security Gwen Ifill talks with two national security experts about the legacy of Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge and where the Department will go from here.

	Nov. 30, 2004 Reporter Talks About the Charges About Prisoner Abuse at Guantanamo Bay Terence Smith speaks with Neil Lewis, the New York Times reporter who broke the story about alleged prisoner abuse at Guantanamo Bay.

	Nov. 23, 2004 FDA Drug Screening Measures Under Intense Scrutiny Health Correspondent Susan Dentzer reports on the recent scrutiny of the Food and Drug Administration's drug testing procedures. Then, Ray Suarez talks with two doctors about state of the FDA's drug testing policies.

	Nov. 22, 2004 Congress Passes Federal Spending Bill and Raises Debt Ceiling Jeffrey Brown speaks with a congressional scholar about the recently passed federal spending bill and raised debt ceiling.

	Nov. 19, 2004 Aftermath of the Fallujah Assault Ray Suarez leads a panel discussion on the aftermath of the assault on Fallujah, where things stand now and what lies ahead as the election scheduled for January approaches.

	Nov. 16, 2004 Condoleezza Rice Nominated as Secretary of State Gwen Ifill speaks with two foreign policy analysts about the choice of Condoleezza Rice to succeed Colin Powell as secretary of state.

	Nov. 16, 2004 War Images The U.S. military began investigating the videotaped shooting of an unarmed and wounded man in Fallujah by a Marine. Ray Suarez leads a discussion about what ramifications the footage will have on the U.S. military in Iraq and the Arab world.

	Nov. 15, 2004 Resignations Mark Power Struggle Within CIA Two more senior CIA officials have resigned since Porter Goss took over as head of the intelligence agency. Margaret Warner and two members of Congress discuss the current power struggle within the intelligence community.

	Nov. 15, 2004 Secretary of State Colin Powell Resigns National security experts join Ray Suarez for a look at what the departure of Secretary of State Colin Powell might mean for U.S. foreign policy.

	Nov. 11, 2004 John Ashcroft Leaves Behind Controversial Legacy as Attorney General Law professors from Georgetown University join Ray Suarez for a look back at John Ashcroft's tenure as attorney general.

	Nov. 10, 2004 President Bush Nominates Alberto Gonzalez as Attorney General Gwen Ifill speaks with Sens. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., and Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., about President Bush's nomination of White House counsel Alberto Gonzales to replace Attorney General John Ashcroft.



	OCTOBER Oct. 28, 2004 FDA's Dr. Janet Woodcock The following is an extended transcript of Dr. Janet Woodcock, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Operations, FDA, discussing the situation with Susan Dentzer.

	Oct. 19, 2004 Social Security as a Theme in the Presidential Campaign Margaret Warner leads a discussion on the issue of Social Security in the presidential race with two independent analysts.

	Oct. 12, 2004 The Federal Deficit as an Issue this Presidential Election Paul Solmon of WGBH-Boston reports on the federal deficit and how it plays in the presidential campaign.

	Oct. 11, 2004 Senate Passes Corporate Tax Bill The Senate passed a massive corporate tax bill Monday that gives businesses a $136 million tax break. An expert discusses the congressional overhaul of corporate tax law.

	Oct. 6, 2004 Fannie Mae's Financial Crisis Jeffrey Brown gives an update on the legal and financial troubles of mortgage giant Fannie Mae.



	SEPTEMBER Sept. 28, 2004 Fannie Mae Agrees to Change Accounting, Management Practices Fannie Mae, the financial giant of the American housing market, finds itself under fire for its accounting and management practices.

	Sept. 23, 2004 Congress, Presidential Candidates Debate Tax Cuts The congressional proposal over whether to make middle-class tax cuts permanent ties into a larger debate between the two presidential candidates over tax cuts. Kwame Holman explores what Congress is saying about the tax cuts.

	Sept. 23, 2004 Candidates Debate Tax Cut Plans As Congress considers making current middle-class tax cuts permanent, the presidential nominees are involved in a larger debate over taxes. Representatives of the two campaigns debate their plans.

	Sept. 23, 2004 CBS Fined Record Amount for Superbowl Halftime Broadcast Is over-the-air programming too offensive? Terence Smith leads a debate over whether the government should enact tougher laws against over-the-air programming deemed indecent.

	Sept. 22, 2004 The Candidates Address Social Security Social Security is one of the issues the presidential candidates are discussing this election year. Ray Suarez explores the Social Security savings issue with John Kerry's advisor on economic policy and a South Carolina senator.

	Sept. 17, 2004 Colin Roskey Susan Dentzer spoke with Colin Roskey, an informal adviser to the Bush campaign on health care issues. Roskey served as the health policy adviser and counsel to the Senate Finance Committee, where he worked on a small team responsible for Medicare and Medicaid policy development.

	Sept. 17, 2004 Bruce Vladeck Susan Dentzer spoke with Bruce Vladeck, an informal adviser to the Kerry campaign on health care issues. In the mid-1990s, Vladeck was administrator of the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), where he directed the Medicare and Medicaid programs.The following is an extended transcript of their discussion.

	Sept. 14, 2004 Porter Goss Promises to Keep Politics out if Confirmed as Head of the CIA Rep. Porter Goss, R-Fla., today promised the Senate Intelligence Committee that he would keep politics out of the office of the director of central intelligence if the Senate confirms his nomination for that position. Spencer Michels profiles Goss and explores the obstacles to his confirmation.



	AUGUST Aug. 25, 2004 The Second Report on Prisoner Abuse at Abu Ghraib Gwen Ifill discusses a second report released by the military Wednesday on the Iraq prisoner abuse scandal with Scott Horton, president of the International League for Human Rights, and retired Army Lt. Gen. John Le Moyne.

	Aug. 24, 2004 Ineffectual Leadership and Poor Training at Abu Ghraib Tuesday's high-level panel report on the Abu Ghraib prison scandal found that poor training, ineffectual leadership and ignored warning signs all contributed to the now well-documented abuse that occurred there. Gwen Ifill speaks with two members of the commission behind Tuesday's report.

	Aug. 24, 2004 Pre-trial Hearing of the Detainees at Guantanamo Bay Tuesday's pretrial hearing marked the first time any of the nearly 600 detainees at the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, naval base has faced formal charges. Margaret Warner speaks with New York Times reporter Neil Lewis, who was inside the courtroom.

	Aug. 23, 2004 The Latest Proposal to Reform the Intelligence Community Margaret Warner discusses the latest proposal for reform of the national intelligence community with Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., and House Intelligence Committee member Anna Eshoo, D-Calif.

	Aug. 18, 2004 Study Finds Charter School Students Lag Behind Public School Counterparts The American Federation of Teachers released an analysis this week of a Department of Education study, which found that fourth-grade students in public schools are more proficient in reading and math than their counterparts in privately run charter schools. Two experts give their perspective on the analysis.

	Aug. 10, 2004 President Bush Nominates Rep. Porter Goss as CIA Director President Bush nominated Rep. Porter Goss, R-Fla., chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, as the next director of Central Intelligence. Ray Suarez reports on Tuesday's announcement and the anticipated hurdles in the Senate confirmation process.

	Aug. 10, 2004 President Bush Nominates Rep. Porter Goss as CIA Director President Bush has nominated Rep. Porter Goss, R-Fla., chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, as the next director of Central Intelligence. Jim Lehrer discusses the nomination with four intelligence experts.

	Aug. 9, 2004 Dr. Ron McKay and Dr. Elias Zerhouni As part of a report on the state of embryonic stem cell research three years after President Bush limited federal funding for the effort, Susan Dentzer sat down with Dr. Ron McKay, a senior investigator with the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, and Dr. Elias Zerhouni, director of NIH.

	Aug. 9, 2004 Dr. Elias Zerhouni As part of a report on the state of embryonic stem cell research three years after President Bush limited federal funding for the effort, Health Correspondent Susan Dentzer talked with Dr. Elias Zerhouni, director of the National Institutes of Health. The following is an extended transcript of their discussion.



	JULY July 22, 2004 Family Members of 9/11 Victims Voice their Opinions The 9/11 commission issued its final report which proposed broad intelligence reforms. Family members of 9/11 victims talk about their perceptions of the investigation into the terrorist attacks and the federal government's response to the threat.

	July 12, 2004 President Bush Under Pressure to Name New CIA Director In the wake of a scathing Senate report on the CIA's pre-Iraq war efforts, members of Congress have called for major reforms of the agency and for the president to quickly appoint a new director. Two former CIA officials assess the need for reform and who should lead the embattled intelligence agency.

	July 9, 2004 Flawed Judgment Jeffrey Brown gets additional perspectives on the committee's findings from David Kay, the former lead weapons inspector in Iraq for the United Nations and the United States; Larry Johnson, a former CIA analyst and State Department official; and Peter Brookes, a former deputy assistant secretary of Defense.

	July 9, 2004 Intelligence Failures: Background Report The Senate Intelligence Committee released a report chiding the CIA and other intelligence agencies for failures in their analysis of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction programs prior to the U.S.-led invasion last spring. Kwame Holman reviews the committee's report.

	July 9, 2004 Senate Releases Report Critical of CIA Prewar Intelligence The Senate Intelligence Committee released a report Friday highly critical of the CIA and other intelligence agencies for failures in their analysis of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction programs prior to the U.S.-led invasion last spring.

	July 8, 2004 'Enemy Combatants' to Begin Court Hearings The nearly 600 prisoners the Department of Defense has detained at Guantanamo Bay as "enemy combatants" may begin to challenge their designation in federal court for the first time next week.

	July 1, 2004 A Newsmaker Interview with Gen. Richard Myers Jim Lehrer speaks with Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, about the effect Saddam Hussein's court appearance may have on the insurgency in Iraq, the handover of power to the Iraqi interim government and the ongoing presence of U.S. troops in the country.



	JUNE June 30, 2004 The Federal Reserve Raises Interest Rates The Federal Reserve boosted a key short-term interest rate to 1.25 percent from 1 percent Wednesday. The widely expected move is the first rate increase in four years.

	June 28, 2004 Detainee Decisions The Supreme Court said Monday the Bush administration has the authority to hold "enemy combatants" indefinitely, but the terror suspects have the basic right to a day in court. Two legal experts assess the impact the decisions will have on the legal efforts to combat terrorism.

	June 23, 2004 Controversy Continues Over White House Role in Abuse Senate Democrats and Republicans Wednesday debated the Bush administration's declassification of legal documents related to the abuse of prisoners in U.S. custody. Two experts discuss the documents and the implications of their release.

	June 21, 2004 Abu Ghraib Defendants Seek Government Documents on Detainees Human rights activists and attorneys for the soldiers accused in the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal argue internal government memos outlining possible legal justifications for harsh treatment of prisoners may have lead to torture. Legal experts discuss the meaning of the memos.

	June 8, 2004 Senate Judiciary Committee Grills Ashcroft on Justice Dept. Memo The Senate Judiciary Committee questioned Attorney General John Ashcroft about allegations of a memo that suggests the president is not bound by international treaties prohibiting the torture of prisoners. Margaret Warner speaks with Jess Bravin about the controversial department memo and the heated congressional hearing.

	June 4, 2004 Taxes at the Top Business correspondent Paul Solman reports on legal tax shelters and the backlash against them.

	June 3, 2004 CIA Director George Tenet's Resignation President Bush announced CIA director George Tenet's resignation Thursday. Tenet, who held the top office for seven years, has come under mounting pressures over faulty prewar Iraq intelligence and lapses leading up to the Sept. 11 attacks. Experts analyze the potential reasons for Tenet's departure.



	MAY May 24, 2004 Taxing Issues in Oregon Oregon voters have not approved a hike of the state income tax in 75 years, but with fewer people on payrolls, local schools are feeling the squeeze from decreased state revenue. Lee Hochberg looks at tax and spend politics in Oregon.

	May 21, 2004 Internal Divisions: GOP Infightin Over Budgets and Spending Republicans in Congress are finding that some of their dustups are with each other. Kwame Holman reports that recent GOP infighting has split support for the budget resolution and the Defense spending bill and has affected Senate Armed Services Committee hearings into the Iraqi prisoner-abuse scandal.

	May 14, 2004 Interest Rates on the Rise? The Federal Reserve reported gains in industrial output in April, but the consumer-price core index, a lead indicator of inflation, also rose. Correspondent Paul Solman speaks with economists Nick Perna and Paul Samuelson about the Federal Reserve's role in managing interest rates and inflation.



	APRIL April 28, 2004 War And Liberties The Supreme Court heard arguments in two cases Wednesday that may set how far the executive branch can go in detaining U.S. citizens without trial in the ongoing war against terrorism. Marcia Coyle of the National Law Journal helps interpret the arguments.

	April 20, 2004 War and Liberties The Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday on behalf of Afghan war detainees held in a military camp in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba who want the right to challenge their detentions in the U.S. court system.

	April 15, 2004 Taxing the Poor Paul Solman looks at how the tax system impacts low-income Americans.

	April 13, 2004 Discussion: What Went Wrong? The 9/11 commission on Tuesday questioned officials from the Justice Department about the FBI's performance in the months leading up to the 2001 terrorist attacks. Commission members Slade Gorton and Richard Ben-Veniste discuss the panel's criticism of the FBI and the testimonies of Justice Department officials.

	April 13, 2004 Background Report: What Went Wrong? Better cooperation between the FBI and CIA may have uncovered the al-Qaida plot to attack the World Trade Center and Pentagon, the 9/11 commission alleged in a preliminary report. Kwame Holman looks at testimony by Justice Department officials.



	MARCH March 23, 2004 Seeing Red Medicare trustees reported that unless major changes are made to the entitlement program, it will face insolvency by 2019, seven years earlier than previously projected. Gwen Ifill discusses the bleak new forecast with former Medicare trustee Marilyn Moon and Dan Crippen, former director of the Congressional Budget Office.

	March 19, 2004 The Politics of Medicare It's been just over three months since President Bush signed the new Medicare law. But in that time, a series of controversies has erupted as Republicans and Democrats seek political advantage in an election year. Susan Dentzer examines the growing furor over the 2003 Medicare bill.

	March 15, 2004 No Child Left Behind The Department of Education relaxed some of the new standards in the No Child Left Behind program Monday, as part of a series of steps to make the law more palatable in schoolrooms around the country. Gwen Ifill gets two perspectives on the relaxed rules.

	March 11, 2004 Budget Battle Kwame Holman reports on the latest congressional skirmish over the proposed federal budget for fiscal year 2005.

	March 1, 2004 Extended Interview Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich discusses his efforts to pressure the Food and Drug Administration to allow his state to buy prescription drugs from Canada.



	FEBRUARY Feb. 27, 2004 Budget Busters With a nearly $500 billion federal budget deficit, members of Congress are facing hard decisions over spending. Kwame Holman looks at the challenges of gaining funding in an election year when the government is already running in the red.

	Feb. 24, 2004 Conspiracy Charges The Pentagon announced today that it is going to try two prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay in military tribunals. Ray Suarez discusses the decision with Eugene Fidell, the founder of the National Institute of Military Justice.

	Feb. 23, 2004 The State of Security The Department of Homeland Security was created last March with the merger of 22 federal agencies and 180,000 employees. Margaret Warner asks Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge for a progress report as the first anniversary of the department approaches.

	Feb. 19, 2004 Red Ink Federal budget time has arrived again, and the United States is running more than $500 billion in the red. Paul Solman looks at the growing budget deficit and why people are worried about it.

	Feb. 13, 2004 The Detainees Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld announced that the 660 or so alleged al-Qaida and Taliban fighters, who are being held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, may apply annually for release. Margaret Warner discusses the policy change.

	Feb. 4, 2004 Immigration Reform The guest worker program President Bush recently proposed has sparked heated debate in California. Some labor groups in the state oppose the plan, but most businesses support it.

	Feb. 3, 2004 Lessons from the Past Following President Bush's announcement of a new commission to examine U.S. intelligence operations, historians and authors discuss past errors in intelligence-gathering and their consequences.

	Feb. 2, 2004 Budget Blueprint President Bush proposed a $2.4 trillion 2005 budget today, which includes increases in defense and homeland security spending and budget reductions for the Department of Agriculture and Environmental Protection Agency.

	Feb. 2, 2004 Budget Blueprint President Bush proposed a $2.4 trillion 2005 budget Monday, which includes increases in defense and homeland security spending and budget reductions for the Department of Agriculture and Environmental Protection Agency. Members of Congress debate the budget's potential effect on the federal deficit.



	JANUARY Jan. 29, 2004 Mad Cow The price of American beef plummeted at home and abroad after a slaughtered Washington state Holstein cow was found infected with mad cow disease in December. Tom Bearden reviews the reforms the U.S. Department of Agriculture implemented to ensure meat safety and their effect on the industry.

	Jan. 26, 2004 In The Red The Congressional Budget Office released a report today that said the federal budget deficit is expected to climb to $477 billion this year and rise as high as $2.4 trillion over the next ten years. Margaret Warner crunches these numbers with Douglas Holtz-Eakin, director of the Congressional Budget Office.

	Jan. 22, 2004 Security vs. Privacy Top airline industry executives met in Washington Thursday to develop an industry-wide standard for sharing confidential passenger information with federal antiterrorism officials. Experts explain and debate the proposal.

	Jan. 13, 2004 U.S. - Latin American Relations Experts discuss Latin American leaders' increasing resistance to certain U.S. foreign and economic policies as the Summit of the Americas concludes.

	Jan. 12, 2004 Mission to Mexico Mexican President Vicente Fox praised President Bush's immigration proposals while the two attended the Summit of the Americas in Mexico with leaders from 34 other nations. Following a background report on the summit, experts discuss U.S.-Mexican relations.

	Jan. 9, 2004 Asa Hutchinson Citing new security measures and a decrease in volume of intelligence, U.S. Homeland Security officials moved Friday to lower the terrorism alert status from "high" to "elevated." Undersecretary of the Department of Homeland Security Asa Hutchinson discusses that decision and new measures in airline security.

	Jan. 7, 2004 Immigrant Workers Experts and lawmakers discuss President Bush's proposal to extend legal status to all immigrants who have found work in the United States and match potential foreign workers with American employers.

	Jan. 6, 2004 Crucial Card Jeffrey Kaye looks at how the wide acceptance of identification cards issued by Mexican consulates has blurred the line between legal and illegal immigrants in the United States.

	Jan. 5, 2004 Domestic Security The U.S. VISIT program went into operation Monday, with foreign visitors to the United States being fingerprinted and photographed upon entering the country. Ray Suarez gets two perspectives on the new antiterrorism program's feasibility.