Iowa Rep. Steve King discusses the fight over the definition of marriage here in Washington. King says courts and politics are conspiring against efforts to allow voters to determine the law. King says Republicans in Congress have a full agenda, but should have done more to suspend gay marriage in D.C. until voters have their say. He says Democratic leaders had no intention of bringing this up because they enjoy attacking and dismantling traditional values like marriage and respect for the sanctity of life.
Democracy Denied in D.C.
Barring an 11th hour intervention from the courts, gay marriage licenses will be issued in Washington, D.C., as early as Wednesday. Why do traditional marriage supporters say voters in the nation’s capital have been deprived of their right to decide this issue on their own? What is the argument for denying the vote? Why have Congressional Republican leaders done nothing to intervene? We ask Brian Brown, executive director at the National Organization for Marriage. Mr. Brown also explains why Maryland’s attorney general is violating the law by saying his state should recognize gay marriages performed elsewhere.
The News
The health care debate rages on as Republicans say Democrats are going down in flames in November if they thumb their noses at the will of the American people, we learn who makes the final call on reconciliation in the U.S. Senate, Dems savage GOP Sen. Jim Bunning for stalling unemployment benefits while he wants to avoid more deficit spending, Texas governor’s race heads into election day and Obama calls for better performance from schools.
The Truth About High-Risk Pools
Arizona Rep. John Shadegg says President Obama, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and other Democrats have misinformed the American people when it comes to helping people with pre-existing conditions get health coverage. Shadegg explains who high-risk pools really work and why he thinks they work better than the government just ordering insurance companies to cover everyone. Which way is cheaper for patients? And how does Shadegg size up the fate of Obamacare in the House?
‘Not Surprised At All’
Over the weekend, an 8.8-magnitude earthquake rocked Chile, killing over 700 people. How is it that an 8.8 earthquake is 500 times more powerful than the 7.0 quake that devastated Haiti? How important is the depth of the earthquake below the earth’s surface? What determines the size and severity of a tsunami? Is the U.S. in danger of suffering a major quake? We ask Paul Caruso, geophysicist at the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Earthquake Information Center.
Dems Play Favorites with Parcels
We’ve seen the bailouts for Wall Street, AIG and the auto industry, but now there are allegations that Congress is about to stack the rules in the parcel delivery industry in the favor of UPS over Fed Ex. What kind of changes are in the pending FAA bill? How would they impact the delivery companies and consumers? What should we know about the lawmakers pushing these changes? We discuss it all with Maury Lane, spokesman for Fed Ex.
The News
Obama pushes reconciliation on health care, GOP says one bill should not overhaul one-sixth of the economy, Rep. Charlie Rangel commits another ethics violation and New York Gov. David Paterson ends his campaign as another scandal erupts.
Jobs Yes, Obamacare No
Ohio Rep. Bob Latta says his constituents want to see job creation, not a huge expansion of government in the health care sector of the economy. Latta explains how the Democratic health plan would hurt the people in his district and strain state resources. He also explains why he thinks the latest ethical mess for Rep. Charlie Rangel makes him unfit to keep serving as chairman of the House Ways & Means Committee.
View from Inside the Summit
Minnesota Rep. John Kline, the top Republican on the House Education and Labor Committee, gives us his reflections on Thursday’s health care summit. Did this event accomplish anything or just showcase the various talking points? What were the key points the GOP wanted to convey? Why did the president dismiss all criticism of backroom deals and possible use of reconciliation? What happens next as President Obama imposes a six-week deadline to get this done?
Scandal Strikes NY Dems
Life has gotten even tougher for two embattled New York Democrats. Rep. Charlie Rangel is facing another round of alleged ethics violations – violations Rangel says were made by his staff and not by him. New York Gov. David Paterson is bowing out of his campaign to remain in office after allegations he tried to help a key staffer who reportedly battered his girlfriend. We discuss both stories and their fallout with Richard Benedetto, former White House Correspondent for USA TODAY. He also reported for Gannett in New York, including six years in the state capital of Albany.