>> >>PEGGY: SENATOR FINE STEEN THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO JOIN US TODAY.
IN LAST NIGHT'S PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE, THEY TALKED ABOUT MILITARY BUDGET CUTS.
HERE IN SAN DIEGO MAJOR CUTS TO OUR MILITARY COULD HURT US AS ONE IN FIVE JOBS ARE DIRECTLY
OR INDIRECTLY RELY ON FEDERAL SPENDING.
WHAT IS YOUR STAND ON FUTURE MILITARY SPENDING?
>> >>DIANNE FEINSTEIN: WELL, LET ME SPEAK TO IT THIS BAY.
IF SEQUESTER GOES THROUGH, CALIFORNIA IS THE BIG LOSER.
IT'S ESTIMATED WE WOULD LOSE 220,000 JOBS OF WHICH 137,000 ARE MILITARY.
GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY HAS DONE THIS STUDY.
WE HAVE THAT STUDY AND CAN MAKE IT AVAILABLE IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE IT.
HAVING SAID THAT, THERE IS NO QUESTION BUT THAT SAN DIEGO IS A CITY THAT'S HURT AND I'M
AWARE OF THIS.
THAT'S WHY I THINK A SEQUESTER IS A TERRIBLE IDEA AND WE HAVE TO PREVENT IT.
AND WE HAVE TO PREVENT MEAT AXE CUTS.
SO WHAT I PROPOSED IS THAT WE DOÊ WE KEEP THE TAX CUTS UNDER 250,000 DOLLARS, THE FIRST
250,000S OF SOMEBODY'S INCOME HAS THE TAX CUTS.
ABOVE THAT, IT DOES NOT HAVE THE TAX CUTS.
WE EMBRACE THE FORMULA OF BULL SIMPSON WHICH IS THE LONG TERM DEFICIT REDUCTION PLAN COMBINED
WITH TAX REFORM.
AND WE DO ONE HALF OF SEQUESTER.
THAT CHANGES WHAT IS 109ÊBILLION DOLLAR CUT ACROSS THE BOARD TO A 55ÊBILLION DOLLAR CUT.
BUT WE DON'T DO IT BY MEAT AXE.
WE DO IT BY SCALPEL.
THAT WOULD GIVE EACH OF THE APPROPRIATION COMMITTEES THE OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT YOUR
PORTFOLIO IF THE DEFENSE COMMITTEE WOULD LOOK AT THIS, THEY WOULD HAVE AN AMOUNT THEY WOULD
CUT AND THEY WOULD USE DISCRETION IN HOW TO CUT IT.
AND I THINK THAT'S THE BEST OPTION THERE.
>> >>PEGGY: THE SAN ONOFRE NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION HAS BEEN OFF LINE, YOUR WELL AWARE
OF THIS, SINCE JANUARY DUE TO A SMALL RADIATION LINK.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON WANTS TO START IT, AT LEAST ONE UNIT ON LOWER POWER.
DO YOU HAVE ANY CONCERNS ABOUT RESTARTING THAT ONE REACTOR UNIT?
>> >>DIANNE FEINSTEIN: I HAVE FOLLOWED THIS AS CLOSELY AS I CAN.
I'VE BEEN THERE TWICE, I'VE MET WITH ALL OF THE STAFF, I'VE MET WITH THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY
COMMISSION'S MEMBERS, I'VE PET WITH THE HEAD OF THE COMMISSION, I'VE MET WITH THE CEO OF
THE COMPANY, TED CRAVER WHO HAS KEPT ME REALLY UP TO DATE.
WHAT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON IS ASKING TO DO IS START UP THE ONE REACTOR AT 70% FOR
FIVE MONTHS.
AND THEN SHUT IT DOWN AND EVALUATE THOSE FEW DENTS OR RUPTURES IN THE STEAM GENERATOR THAT
HAVE BEEN PLUGGED.
THIS IS REALLY UP TO THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION.
PACIFICÊ I MEAN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON CANNOT PROCEED AND WILL NOT PROCEED WITHOUT
THE SPECIFIC ASCENT OF THE NRC.
THE NRC UP TO THIS POINT HAS NOT GIVEN THAT ASCENT.
>> >>PEGGY: AND FROM A STATEMENT YOU'VE BEEN IN CLOSE CONTACT WITH THEM THROUGHOUT THIS
PROCESS, SINCE JANUARY THROUGH THE TESTING AND YOUR RELYING ONÊ
>> >>DIANNE FEINSTEIN: YES.
>> >>PEGGY: ON THOSE CORRESPONDENTS.
>> >>DIANNE FEINSTEIN: YEAH.
I HAVE A LOT OF CONCERN ABOUT THESE STEAM JEN JAIRTS.
THEY WERE FAULTY TO BEGIN WITH AND I THINK THERE IS A BIG LIABILITY ISSUE WITH THE MANUFACTURER.
THAT DOESN'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM, HOWEVER.
THE PROBLEM IS REAL TECHNICAL.
THAT IS WHETHER PLUGGING WORKS, AND THAT HAS TO BE DECIDED BY THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION.
I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT COMMISSION WOULD MAKE A JUDGMENT THAT DIT DID NOT HAVE SAFETY AT
ITS FIRST AND ONLY PRIORITY.
>> >>PEGGY: WE'VE TALKED ABOUT A LOT OF ISSUES HERE TODAY, BUT I DO WANT TO BRING UP THIS.
YOU WERE RECENTLY QUOTED IN THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE AS SAYING, QUOTE, YOU THINK YOUR
GREATEST STRENGTH IS FINDING SOLUTION WHERE THERE IS OPPOSING SIDES.
YOU'VE BEEN CALLED A BRIDGE BUILDER BY BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE.
WHAT IS THE MOST PRESSING ISSUE IF YOU COULD NAME ONE PARTISAN ISSUE YOU WOULD LIKE TO
BUILD A BRIDGE FOR AND SOLVE IF YOU WERE REELECTED.
>> >>DIANNE FEINSTEIN: IT'S IMMIGRATION REFORM.
I WOULDN'T SAY IT'S THE MOST PARTISAN.
WELL, IT IS THE MOST PARTISAN, THAT'S NO QUESTION, BUT CYBER SECURITY IS ANOTHER ONE.
>> >>PEGGY: CYBER SECURITY IS PARTISAN, SOMETHING THAT YOU NEED TO SORT OFÊ
>> >>DIANNE FEINSTEIN: YES.
WE DID NOT HAVE 60 VOTES TO MOVE AHEAD WITH A CYBER SECURITY BILL WHICH IS VITAL TO THE
SECURITY OF THIS NATION AND WE'RE TRYING RIGHT NOW WITH THE PART OF THE BILL THAT I HAD SOMETHING
TO DO WITH, WHICH IS THE INFORMATION SHARING PART, TO WORK WITH THE HOUSE INTELLIGENCE
COMMITTEE TO SEE IF WE CAN MAKE IT MORE TO THEIR LIKE TG AND THEN PICK UP SOME VOTES
IN THE PROCESS.
>> >>PEGGY: AND WHAT ABOUT IMMIGRATION BRIEFLY.
>> >>DIANNE FEINSTEIN: IMMIGRATION, WE HAVE A VERY BROKEN IMMIGRATION SYSTEM.
AND I'VE HAD A BILL FOR 10 YEARS NOW TO BRING FARM LABOR A CONSISTENT SUPPLY OF LABOR.
THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS IT'S ALL UNDOCUMENTED AND IT'S NOT UNSKILLED.
IT'S SKILLED.
BUT THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO WILL DO THIS WORK IS ARE THOSE WHO ARE UNDOCUMENTED.
AND I'VE HAD A DEVIL OF A TIME TO GET IT THROUGH SO I AM VERY HOPEFUL THAT THERE WILL BE A
BREAKTHROUGH THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO PASS THAT.
THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO TAKE THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THE SHOULD OAS TODAY AND BRING THEM
OUT OF THE SHADOWS AND GIVE THEM A WORKABILITY IN TERMS OF SOME FORMÊ WOULDN'T BE A GREEN
CARD ORIGINALLY, BUT SOME FORM OF CARD THAT ALLOWS THEM TO WORK LEGALLY IN THIS COUNTRY.
>> >>PEGGY: ALL RIGHT.
SENATOR DIANNE FEINSTEIN, THANKS AGAIN.
THANKS SO MUCH.
>> >>DIANNE FEINSTEIN: O, YOU'RE WELCOME.