LAWMAKERS
LAWMAKERS
20.18.19-INSURANCE INDUSTRY lawyer says that WOMEN'S GROUPS have undue influence over Congress, Congress is afraid to oppose the bill even though they know it's bad. ROBERTS-WOMEN'S GROUPS contend that women pay more in a lifetime for all forms of INSURANCE, INSURANCE COMPANIES arguing that changing would hurt their business. Shot of mailing machine with envelopes passing through it, part of INSURANCE INDUSTRY DIRECT MAIL LOBBYING CAMPAIGN. C/S of an INSURANCE LOBBYIST says that DIRECT MAIL will inform the public. C/Us of letters sent to citizens to promote fear of the new bill, flip through stack showing that the INSURANCE INDUSTRY has created personalized sample letters for people to simply sign and send [an industry with enough money to pull this off is worried about "going out of business"???]. The INSURANCE LOBBYIST says this will make it easy for people to feel comfortable in addressing their congressman. 20.20.15-C/S INSURANCE INDUSTRY LAWYER, says the campaign is good and honest, not a corporate lobbying blitz. C/S a man ID'ed as resident of Virginia. Says that the mailing was "nicely packaged junk mail". Shots of the man's letter, personalized and addressed to his congressman. ROBERTS v.o.-the man didn't like the letter, and couldn't even figure out where it was coming from. C/U shows that the letter is deceptively signed with a woman's name, rather than identified as INSURANCE INDUSTRY mailing. C/S the man, says he's decided that the woman doesn't really exist, but ROBERTS says that she does. 20.21.15-C/S NANCY HARIGAN (the woman in question) giving press conference, identifies herself as chair of "committee for fair insurance rates". C/S HARRIGAN discussing the targeting of the letter campaign. C/S Rep. DENNIS ECKART (D-OH) in office, says the campaign amounts to intimidation and misrepresentation, will lead to intransigence on issue. C/S Rep. NORMAN LENT (R-NY) says that a Congressman getting a letter "from his constituents" is not blackmail, says the letters are "the highest tradition of American Democracy". Shots of piles of letters in an office. C/S Rep. W.J. "BILLY" TAUZIN (D-LA), says mail in volume is always persuasive on an issue. C/S Sen. BOB PACKWOOD, says that his colleagues will deny being influenced by mass mailings, but the weight of 15,000 postcards or letters is tough to resist. 20.23.48 ****TCR JUMPS*** 20.35.00-DUKE-Intro Commentary ***TCR JUMP*** 20.24.07-Commentary by Charles McDowell on BUDGET. The process is so arcane and convoluted that the public disregards it and it's hard to see the importance of the budget. Argues that the BUDGET PROCESS is a good idea to force consideration of the BUDGET as a whole, rather than adding up bills. Should force Congress to be responsible and the President to submit to some checks. 20.25.58-DUKE-signs off. Closing Credits/transcript order information/WETA credit/sponsor credits/PBS ID. 20.27.50--OUT