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CNN Live Sunday

John Couey Arraigned Today; Congress To Debate Terri Schiavo's Case Tonight; MS-13 Is Fastest Growing Gang In America

Aired March 20, 2005 - 16:00 ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

RUDI BAKHTIAR, CNN ANCHOR: A Democratic end around on Capitol Hill in the battle over Terri Schiavo's fate sets the stage for a midnight meeting for members of Congress.
They're considered to be one of the most violent gangs on America's streets. Even its own members face death if they want out. This hour, a look at the gang, MS-13 as told by one of its members. And what parents can do to keep their kids away from gangs.

Also, straight out of a sci-fi movie, a look at the soldiers of the future. You might say they have nerves of steel.

Hello, everyone. Welcome to CNN LIVE SUNDAY. I am Rudi Bakhtiar. All of that and more after this check of the headlines for you.

The life or death decision on Terri Schiavo may be up to Congress. The House is expected to vote on a bill tomorrow that could lead to doctors reinserting Schiavo's feeding tube. Democrats today temporarily blocked a Republican-led bill that would send Schiavo's case to federal court. We're going to have extensive live coverage of the case in just a few minutes.

The sex offender suspected of kidnapping and killing 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford makes his first court appearance today. A Florida judge set bond for John Couey on a probation violation charge. The judge did not set bond on a second charge of failing to register as a sex offender. Couey hasn't been charged in the Lunsford case yet.

On this Palm Sunday, Pope John Paul II misses the start of Holy Week services for the first time in his papacy. The pope did appear before the faithful at his window at the Vatican after today's ceremony. The pope is still recovering from recent surgery.

And the man who's car sent Michael Jay Fox "Back to the Future" has passed away. John DeLorean created the futuristic looking sports call the DeLorean. In the 1980s, the car was featured in "The Back to the Future" movies but proved to be a marketing failure. DeLorean himself was 80 years old.

We begin this hour with the emotional and legal tug-of-war over Terri Schiavo. Today, is the brain-damaged woman's third day without food or water. She remains in a hospice in Pinellas Park, Florida. Our correspondents are monitoring different angles of the story. Joe Johns in on Capital Hill where there was a rare legislative session on the Schiavo case today. But first let's go to Bob Franken in Pinellas Park. Bob, what can you tell us?

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well Rudi, there's evidence that although national leaders are debating the outcome of this, this is really at its heart a bitter family dispute. Just a few minutes ago, the mother and father and blood relatives of Terri Schiavo were fighting a tough fight to try and get her feeding tube reinserted. Were denied access to the hospice where Terri Schiavo is. And they have complained they were kept out for several hours, although earlier in the day there had been some visits.

It turns out, according to officials, that Mike Schiavo was inside with his wife. He is the one who has fought a year's long battle to get her feeding tube disconnect. According to a variety of sources, he has said that he did not want them in there when he was there because it would be of course awkward at very best.

But just a couple of minutes ago, the family members, the immediate family members were escorted inside and will have another chance to visit Terri Schiavo.

Terri Schiavo, of course, is somebody who has become a symbol. But as I said, at its very heart, this is really a very bitter battle between family members. And also a battle about whether killing her, letting her die would be killing her or would be an act of mercy.

This is something that has been debated at highest government levels, but it is also as I said something that's very, very, very much being fought out in the room where she is seeking peace in this hospice -- Rudi.

BAKHTIAR: All right. Bob Franken, thank you for that report.

Let's take a different angle now. Members of Congress will not be voting today on an emergency bill that would allow federal courts to decide the brain-damaged woman's fate. But a vote could happen at midnight.

Our Joe Johns is on Capitol Hill with all of the details -- Joe.

JOE JOHNS, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I have to tell you, Rudi, things have changed very quickly on this story from time to time, simply because the Congress in some ways has been making it up as they go along. And so I have to tell you that some of that earlier information we had apparently is changing.

What we're being told, of course, about that legislation that would allow the feeding tube of Terri Schiavo to be reinserted, also allowing standing for her parents to go into federal court, could in fact be on the floor of the House and the Senate by the end of this day.

The first information we have is that the House of Representatives now apparently looking toward convening around 9:00 this evening to begin a debate that would end up with a vote just past midnight, just past midnight this evening. That is in spite of the fact that a number of Democrats, we're not sure how many and we should probably should categorize it as a handful, are saying they don't thank legislation is the right way to go.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BILL FRIST, (R) TENNESSEE: This action will allow The Senate to come back into session at a moments notice to consider the legislation. The Senate will remain here throughout the afternoon and, if necessary, late into the evening in order to act immediately on this bill once it is ready. Terri Schiavo, because time is of essence, Terri Schiavo is being denied life-saving nutrition at this very moment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JOHNS: So that actually of course was Senate majority leader Bill Frist talking about the urgency of the situation here in Washington, D.C. Some indication, also, that the Senate is trying to figure out a way, actually, to get the bill on the floor passed, perhaps just waived through on unanimous consent this evening before the House even acts.

So, things are very fluid here, changing from minute to minute. And Rudi, we will keep you informed.

BAKHTIAR: All right. John Johns at the Capital. Well, to press that point, President Bush even cut his stay at his Texas ranch short and is heading back to Washington right now to stand by in case he is need to sign the Schiavo bill.

Her case is fueling the highly charged debate about when life begins and ends. Our Dana Bash has that part of the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Listen to how conservative politicians are describing their quest to keep Terri Schiavo alive.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It has to do with the culture of life.

SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE SPOKESMAN: The society that is built on a culture of life.

BASH: Culture of life is a catch phrase for abortion opponent. Now Terri Schiavo is exhibit A of an evolving movement and a broadening debate over how to define right to life.

WENDY WRIGHT, CONCERNED WOMEN FOR AMERICA: This case is really mobilizing people and helping them to understand that the attack on the culture of life extends beyond abortion.

BASH: From researching stem cells to cloning to ventilators and feeding tubes, with each scientific development new questions about when life starts, when it ends and who decides. GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We must strive to build a culture of life. Medical research can help us reach that goal by developing treatments and cures that save lives and help people overcome disabilities.

BASH: Some religious conservatives want the definition of life as broad as possible. For them, Schiavo is a rallying cry.

In phone calls and on Web sites, groups urge activists to call lawmakers. G.O.P. leaders, wading in unchartered waters to change Schiavo's fate, insist they're following the spirit of the constitution not politics.

REP. TOM DELAY, (R) TEXAS: This is about Terri and her life and her family that wants to take care of her. It has nothing to do with politics. And it's disgusting to even suggest it.

BASH: But Republican talking points circulating in the Senate suggest some do see a potential upside against Democrats on the ballot next year. "This is a great political issue because Senator Nelson of Florida has already refused to become a co-sponsor and this is a tough issue for Democrats," a G.O.P. memo says.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi. How are you you? You look so pretty.

MARTHA BURK, NATL. COUNCIL OF WOMEN'S ORGS: I think the Democrats are moving toward the right culturally. I think they are trying to look like junior Republicans. And in some cases, like this one, we see it most starkly.

BASH: Democrats stung from a series of electoral losses among social conservatives are by in large biting their tongues on the Schiavo matter.

Dana Bash, CNN, Crawford, Texas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BATKHIAR: Senate major leader Bill Frist says he has neither seen nor authorized the Republican talking point and condemns its content. He ads that his interest in the case is, quote, to assure that Mrs. Schiavo has another chance at life.

And let's see if we have those shots. That is it. That is the shot of Air Force One taxiing on the runway.

President Bush is on that plane. He cut his stay at his Texas ranch short, heading back to Washington right now. There he is, taxiing on the runway.

He's there to be able to sign the Schiavo bill if he needs to sign it later on this evening.

We'll be bringing you updates throughout the evening on this very compelling case, very emotional case of Terri Schiavo.

Well, this often heated and impassioned debate over Schiavo has been waging in the courts for more than a decade now.

She collapsed in her home in 1990 when her heart temporarily stopped cutting oxygen off to her brain. Eight years later, eight years later, her husband Michael Schiavo filed the first petition to remove her feeding tube. After two years of bitter court wrangling, a judge ruled that the tube could be removed. But it wasn't removed until more than a year later in April of 2001. And it was out for only two days before being reinserted.

Then in November 2002, a Florida judge orders the judge to remove the feeding tube again. That following October, a Florida appeals court refused to block that order and the tube is removed the next day.

It was reinserted six days after that. After the Florida legislation passed Terri's Law.

In September of last year, Florida Supreme Court declared Terri's law unconstitutional. And last month, the Florida judge again gave Michael Schiavo permission to order his wife's tube removed.

Friday it was despite federal subpoenas. And yesterday, congress convened to pass emergency legislation in the Schiavo case. And that is where we are right now.

We're going to have more on the Terri Schiavo case in a few minutes. It is unprecedented for Congress to draft a bill for an individual, but is it unconstitutional? We're going to talk with a constitutional lawyer about that.

Also ahead...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK LUNSFORD, JESSICA LUNSFORD'S FATHER: I need everybody's support on pushing the death penalty upon this man.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BAKHTIAR: The father of Jessica Lunsford launches a new fight on the day her suspected killer goes to court.

Plus, they are the ultimate soldiers capable of going anywhere, anytime with no danger to human life. We're going to take a look at the battle fighters of the future.

And a decade ago, Tokyo was caught off guard. A deadly gas unleashed in a crowded subway. See what steps are being taken to prevent another surprise attack like that one.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BAKHTIAR: Welcome back, everyone. The man suspected of kidnapping and killing Jessica Lunsford is under lock and key in Florida. So far accused, though not formerly charged, in the 9-year- old girl's death. John Evander Couey made his first court appearance this morning in Citrus County, Florida. And that is where we find CNN's Sara Dorsey with the latest developments -- Sara.

SARA DORSEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rudi, we're actually in the Lunsford neighborhood. And here there is a lot of activity today. The family has been in their yard greeting well-wishers and people coming back pay their respected. But only one town away John Couey, the man accused of killing Jessica Lunsford, sits in jail.

Couey appeared in front of circuit court judge Stephen Spivey today charged with crimes unrelated to Jessica's case. Those are: failure to comply with sex offender reporting and a probation violation. Couey will not be allowed bail. But a sheriff's office here says charges regarding the Lunsford murder are forthcoming. They are on the way.

Today, Mark Lunsford, Jessica's dad, spoke to the media and called on Florida legislators to change the laws against convicted sex offenders like John Couey.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LUNSFORD: And I need the support of all of the politician, lawyers -- I don't care who you are, I need your help now. You're in high places, but your children ain't safe either. They can reach all of them. And we need to stop them as much as we can.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DORSEY: A roadside memorial for Jessica Lunsford grows larger each day as community members, many strangers come by to pay their respects to the little girl.

And I can tell you, Rudi, that today, Mark Lunsford was not the only person talking about legislators changing the law here. There is a gentleman out here that is putting out a petition trying to get legislators to give more time to convicted sex offenders, keep them in longer and make the sentence harsher if they do commit a crime like his.

And I can tell you the community around here is signing these petitions -- Rudi.

BAKHTIAR: Thank you, Sara. Sara Dorsey.

46-years-old John Evander Couey is no stranger to the criminal court system. His record spans more than 20 years. At the moment, he's charged with failure to comply with sex offender registration requirements. And with violation of his probation. This latest arrest brings to the number to 25 times that Couey has been arrested since 1977. Those include burglary, attempted grand larceny, carrying a concealed weapon, indecent exposure, disorderly conduct, driving under the influence and fondling a child.

The battle over federal intervention in the Terri Schiavo case has seemingly divided the parties in Congress once again, but is the effort by Republicans to pass legislation even legal? We're going to get some analysis right after the break. And a winter blast not of weather but fire. The possible cause behind an explosion at a mountain lodge in Colorado.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BAKHTIAR: And now let's get back our top story, the battle over Terri Schiavo. Support or outrage over congressional intervention in this case depends on who you're asking. It's rare for Congress to draft a bill for an individual, but is it unconstitutional?

Bruce Fein is a constitutional lawyer in Washington. He's a staunch Republican. And he is against Congress intervening in this case.

Bruce, thank you so much for joining us.

BRUCE FEIN, CONSTITUTIONAL LAWYER: Delighted to be with you.

BAKHTIAR: Let's talk about the legal implications here. What are the implications of Congress getting involved in this case?

FEIN: It's not unprecedented for Congress to address a single individual. For example, that was done with regard to President Nixon in various issues relating to Watergate. But it cast doubt upon any legitimate federal interest involved in this case.

If had to ask that all of Ms. Schiavo's parent's rights to seek review of judicial decisions now stemming over 16, 15 years and 16 judges up to the U.S. Supreme Court have been exhausted. There have been untold number of medical professionals who are appointed by independent neutral judges to examine Ms. Schiavo and concluding that she has zero chance of recovering, any brain capability.

Moreover, the justices have painstakingly concluded from Terri Schiavo's past that, by clear and convincing evidence, given the irrevocable death of her brain function, that she would not want to retain on life support systems. That there seems zero federal interest to disturb this particular decision made by state courts.

Moreover, what casts further doubt on the constitutionality of the congressional action is a Supreme Court decision, 1989 called Cruzon, which basically holds that you have a right to die if it can be shown by clear, convincing and voluntary evidence that you would have not wanted life preserving systems to keep you in a vegetative state. And the courts in Florida have concluded, again, after held the most scrupulous regard for her attention, that she would not wanted to retain her position on life support.

BAKHTIAR: It'll be interesting to find out if we will ever know for certain what Terri Schiavo herself would have wanted. But in your opinion, are Terri Schiavo's constitutional rights being upheld here?

FEIN: Yes, that's in fact what the Cruzon decision says if you're incapacitated like she is, but had given information that by clear and convincing evidence, convinces a judge that you would have wanted life support removed when you had no brain function, then her constitutional rights are being fully honored.

And it's in an effort to dishonor constitutional right to die, so to speak, that the Supreme Court proclaimed to insist that over what she would have wanted, her objections that there be a return life support system. That's tampering with an individual's right to control his or her own destiny.

BAKHTIAR: How much of this is the administration's desire to really uphold the sanctity of human life? And how much is this just political maneuvering in your opinion?

FEIN: Well, it seems to me, it's largely political maneuvering. But I don't want to cast that aspersion only on the Republican Party. Political maneuvering dominates most everything in Washington, D.C.

But if there were just a generic concern for the treatment of patients who are on life support systems, overall, to ensure that they are given the most scruples attention, then the bill would not be limited to Terri Schiavo alone, it would cover every single individual who is on a life support system, requiring special procedure hurdles perhaps to ensure that there is no dishonoring of their right to the last efforts to preserve their lives.

But this targeting of Terri Schiavo alone, again, is indicative of a political gesture rather than a serious effort to address the question of how we treat those who are terminally ill or brain-dead.

BAKHTIAR: Bottom line, do you think this is going to get to the courts? Or do you think that is ultimately just going to get slapped down? Because as you mentioned earlier, this has been going on for years, many judges have heard this case.

FEIN: Yes. 15 years, 16 judges, and just recently the United States Supreme Court refused to intervene and disturb the removal of the feeding tube ordered by a county judge in Florida. And I fully expect that if the legislation is enacted, the federal courts will hold their hand and conclude that the statute is unconstitutional, there no federal jurisdiction here and this tragic case will finally come to a decent end.

BAKHTIAR: Bruce Fein, thank you so much for joining us.

FEIN: Thank you.

BAKHTIAR: We appreciate your insights.

Severe weather is heading for the southern part of the U.S. The forecast and what to expect ahead on CNN LIVE SUNDAY for you.

Also, is it a scene from a movie or real life? Why don't you try both. A look at the soldiers of the future.

Also, a street gang that's considered so dangerous, the feds are trying to break it up. Hear from a member who wants out.

And sarin gas unleashed in a crowded subway. What's changed since that deadly day in Tokyo ten years ago?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BAKHTIAR: Stories in the news right now, the House may vote just after midnight Eastern to act in the Terri Schiavo case. Democrats today blocking efforts to pass a bill that could lead to doctors reinserting the brain-damaged woman's feeding tube. House debate on the matter begins tonight.

Two touchy issues top the agenda in Beijing for Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. She sat down to talk about Taiwan and North Korea with China's president, Hu Jintao. Rice is on the last leg of a six-nation trip to Asia.

Terror suspect Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is sentenced in absentia to 15 years in prison for plotting the deadly attack on Jordan's embassy in Iraq. Jordan has already sentenced Zarqawi to death for the killing of a U.S. diplomat in Amman.

Turning now to Iraq where it has been a bloody Sunday. An insurgent attack on coalition forces ended with the deaths of 24 militants according to the U.S. military. Insurgents also launched attacks north of Baghdad today as well. A suicide bomber detonated inside police headquarters in Mosul, killing at least two people and himself.

And in Baquba, police say gunmen shot and killed four police officers and wounded two at a police station there.

A U.S. soldier was also killed today in a roadside bombing near Kirkuk, bringing the U.S. death toll to just over 1,520.

As the casualties mount, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is reminding U.S. soldiers today that their sacrifice in Iraq is noble.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD RUMSFELD, DEFENSE SECRETARY: The answer as to whether it's worth it is, you bet. There are 25 million Iraqis that are free. We've seen the effects and we know for a fact that the great sweep of human history is for freedom. And what you're seeing in Ukraine, and what you're seeing in Lebanon, what you've seen with the Palestinians, what's happened in Afghanistan I think is a reflection of the fact that human beings basically want to be free.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BAKHTIAR: Defense Secretary Rumsfeld told a Sunday morning talk show that there are at least 30 projects under way to reduce stress on U.S. forces.

The U.S. military is enlisting new soldiers for its missions overseas. Recruits with astounding abilities on the battlefield, and absolute nerves of steel. They're robots and these amazing machines are about to get even more impressive with engineers designing ultra advance robots that look like they're right out of a sci-fi flick. More now from CNN's senior pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): This explosion two months ago in Iraq a result of U.S. soldiers employing the latest in robot technology, using a small radio-controlled vehicle called the Pac-bot to detonate a road side bomb. The Pac-bot was developed by iRobot a cutting edge company outside Boston, co-founded by Helen Greiner. An M.I.T. engineer who saw her future in "Star Wars.

HELEN GREINER, CHAIRMAN, IROBOT CORPORATION: When I was 11 I went to see "Star Wars" with my parents and I was really inspired by R2D2. R2D2 wasn't just a machine. He had a personality. He had an agenda.

MCINTYRE: While the versatile Pac-bot can't think for itself, it can do reconnaissance, disarm bombs and search caves and it works so well in Iraq and Afghanistan the Pentagon just put in an $18 million order for 150 more.

(on camera): It had been a long time before robots ever replace humans but what they're perfect for is dirty, dull or dangerous jobs.

(voice over): The next challenge for robot designers, deadly urban combat. So future urban assaults like the siege of Fallujah maybe done with the aid of swarms of small robots. Just like tiny mechanical spiders search for Tom Cruise in the movie "Minority Report," these rudimentary machines in development by iRobot use the same swarm principle.

They talk to each other so one operator can control hundreds at a time.

VICE ADM. JOE DYER (RET.), IROBOT GOVT. INDUSTRIAL DIV: But over time, we're going to see robots that can take a mission. Go out and execute it. Navigate themselves, see, and communicate back. Gather information. Come back and deliver that information in a human-like function.

MCINTYRE: Joe Dyer is a retired navel admiral and an f-18 pilot who now works for iRobot. He predicts the world of robots in vision by sci-fi genius Isaac Asimov depicted in the movie "I, Robot" is maybe 25 years away.

DYER: "I-Robot" the movie we think had an about right. You will start to see androids that you might want to go out and have a beer with.

MCINTYRE: And while Dyer says humans will remain in the loop for a long time, in "I-Robot" they do treat their robots sort of like people. And the lobby hangs a memorial to a pack thought who died in the line of duty.

Jamie McIntyre, CNN, Boston.

(END VIDEOTAPE) BAKHTIAR: We have new developments on Capitol Hill now in the case of Terri Schiavo. Joe Johns is standing by. Let's go to him for the latest. Joe.

JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi Rudi. The Senate has just approved this legislation that would allow the feeding tube of Terri Schiavo to be replaced. Also, giving, standing to her parents to sue in federal court on this case. This has been a long battle over the last several days for the United States Senate. Senator Bill Frist, the majority leader, on the floor right now talking about what bill does, what it does not do. The bill was passed under unanimous consent. No one objected.

No Democrats on the floor of the United States Senate, although they made it clear that they would not object to the passage of this bill. So once again, the United States Senate has passed, waived through this bill to keep Terri Schiavo alive. Now, over on the house side, is where the focus returns. Of course, we're being told that the house will come in around 9:00 this evening. Have three hours of debate. And the intention is for the bill to be voted on just after midnight in the House of Representatives, midnight Eastern Time, of course. All of this, they say, a race against time to try to get that feeding tube replaced before the condition of Terri Schiavo worsens.

Rudi back to you.

BAKHTIAR: All right, Joe Johns on Capitol Hill. Thank you for that. Again, reiterating that the Senate has passed a bill to -- on the Terri Schiavo legislation to get that tube reinserted. We'll have more on this. We'll be covering it for you all evening. Let's go now to other news of the day.

The weather on this first day of spring has come in like a lamb in parts of nation. In other parts, it's more like a lion. There was some stormy weather here in the south. CNN meteorologist Orelon Sidney is standing by with our forecast. Orelon what can you tell us?

ORELON SIDNEY, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Thanks a lot. Well, nothing much happening now. Not really going to get going tonight. It's mainly tomorrow night into Tuesday event. We did have some thunderstorms last night in Texas that caused some windy conditions but it's fairly quiet now. I'll show you kind of the wind-up before the pitch is what we're looking at right here. This is the storm threat map from the storm prediction center for tomorrow. Slight risk of severe thunderstorms, covers much of the Mississippi valley. A moderate risk area now covers much of eastern Texas, Louisiana into Arkansas.

There is a high risk also that the storm prediction center has a category. Don't see that, which is certainly some good news. But what you can expect, if you see severe thunderstorms, any one of these or combination of them. Hail, 3/4 of an inch or larger, winds 58 miles an hour or greater, and/or tornadoes. So any of these parameters produce what is defined as a severe thunderstorm. Here's what's happening, this low pressure is moving eastward now, moisture's going to start coming in from the Gulf of Mexico. As low pressure develops across the Rocky Mountains. Classic setup for this time of year. We're going to see this situation several more times between now and the 1st of July. By tomorrow afternoon, cold front moves through Texas, moisture and warmth out ahead of it. Interacting with an upper-level disturbance could mean that potential for the severe thunderstorms mainly overnight extending into the eastern United States and diminishing intensity on Tuesday -- Rudi.

BAKHTIAR: All right, thank you Orelon.

SIDNEY: You are welcome.

BAKHTIAR: A magnitude seven earthquake hits Japan. How much damage and loss of life did it cause? And is there a concern for a tsunami?

Also ahead, is this intensely violent street gang the new mafia? Find out what the justice department thinks. And what it is doing about it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BAKHTIAR: Just moments ago, Marine One landed at the White House. President Bush cutting his stay at his Texas ranch short, heading back to Washington right now to stand by in case he is needed to sign the Schiavo bill. Senate earlier unanimously passed the bill. And the house reconvenes at 9:00 p.m. and is expected to vote at midnight on the bill. Of course we're keeping you up to date on this story, and we'll be bringing you all of the details throughout the evening. Here to do that for us of course will be Carol Lin, once I take off.

Carol what have you got coming up?

CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Well of course tonight, we will have our own special coverage of the debate in the House of this Schiavo bill. And we'll be covering the vote in full, so that everybody knows exactly what happens, whether this bill in fact passes and goes to the president or is this suspense going to continue? And at 6:00 tonight, we're going to have a really compelling story about an American doctor who gave up her career here in the United States after 9/11, and went to Iraq. And some of the stories that she tells about the civilians and the soldiers she has treated. Some who did not make it, but their memory remains alive with her and some who are doing just great.

BAKHTIAR: Amazing. Can't wait to see that one. Thank you Carol.

LIN: Thanks Rudi.

BAKHTIAR: Well, you may want to keep your young children away from the first video in this next story, which shows violence street gang initiation rights. The gang is called MS-13. Police say it's spreading in this country and overseas. Using especially violent methods. We have a report from CNN justice correspondent Kelli Arena.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) KELLI ARENA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): This is the MS-13 welcome wagon. New recruits are violently beaten for 13 seconds by gang members. This is how they treat friends. Their enemies receive much worse.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They will do anything like. They don't care about killing anybody.

ARENA: He should know. This MS-13 member in his early 20s, who we will call Jose, agreed to be interviewed if his identity could be kept a secret. Seen here flashing gang signals, he's been a member since he was 16 and wants out. But says the only way he's leaving the gang is in a casket.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is a family. That is why you have to stay in. Never can get out.

ARENA: Jose says he can't even remove the many gang tattoos on his arms and legs.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can get killed for take off your tattoo.

ARENA: It's the type of loyalty once enjoyed by traditional organized crime families and the FBI has decided to fight them the same way.

CHRIS SWECKER, FBI ASST. DIRECTOR: They are an emerging and up and coming gang. They are making efforts to organize themselves on a national scale and even international scale. We see an opportunity through a coordinated effort to knock them down before they become a force in more cities in the country.

ARENA: Mara Salvatrucha MS-13 was formed in Los Angeles in the late '80s by immigrants from El Salvador. Today gang units coast-to- coast are battling as many as 10,000 members in 33 states, according to the justice department. And the number of MS members increases five fold if you include other countries. Immigration and customs enforcement agents have also launched a new gang initiative aimed at MS. Arresting 103 members in the last month.

MICHAEL GARCIA, ASST. HOMELAND SECURITY SECY: We can not only take them off of the street, detain them but we can deport them from the United States.

ARENA: Still even after deportation, many make their way back to the United States.

OFFICER DAMIEN LEVESOUI, LAPD GANG UNIT: The moment you start coming to the park and start hanging out with other gangsters then it's not OK with me.

ARENA: Los Angeles police officers Damien Lavesoui and Matthew Ziegler work MS full-time as part of a gang unit that patrols the downtown area.

LEVESOUI: MS is unlike any other gang. They're very violent. They're very -- they have a very, very tight-lip with their inner workings. Whereas other gang members do it for the machismo, MS does it for the business oriented.

ARENA: Their so-called business mostly involves drug and weapons trafficking and auto theft and robberies and violently protecting their mark. Their turf often marked by graffiti.

LEVESOUI: The gangs abbreviation MS for mara salvatrucha. They have MS written, you have 13, which signifies their southern California street gang. It has a reference to the Mexican mafia.

ARENA: The LAPD has been dealing with the MS problem the longest, and often lends its expertise to other police departments. Cops are using experimental technology to match pictures of suspected MS members with those already on file. In California courts have issued injunctions, restricting the movements of known gang members.

OFFICER MATTHEW ZEIGLER, LAPD GANG UNIT: It's a court order that prohibits them from doing certain activities such as hanging out together. Being out after 10:00. Being in the area of alcohol. And my partner and I are going out and we're enforcing the gang injunction and it's working.

ARENA: Enforcement, though, is just half the battle. Communities have to convince young people that gangs are not the answer. Jose says since he's been a member, MS has gone after younger recruits as young as 12.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now, I see a lot of kids from school trying to be in MS. Try to be tough because they think they can get a girl, you know? But they see like MS gets, what they see is like MS getting big you know.

ARENA: And he says this new generation is even more lethal. Showing no remorse for spilling innocent blood.

For CNN's America Bureau, Kelli Arena in Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BAKHTIAR: So how can parents tell if their children are being lured into a gang? Or are they already in a gang? How do you keep them from getting their hooks into your kids? All very valid questions. Frank Sanchez is on the front lines of that effort. He is senior director of Delinquency Prevention for the Boys and Girls Club of America. Frank, thank you so much for joining us.

FRANK SANCHEZ, BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF AMERICA: Thank you for having me.

BAKHTIAR: Lets talk about this gang. How prevalent is it?

SANCHEZ: This is a fast growing gang. It's growing throughout the country. MS-13 is a very violent gang. A gang with its roots in Salvador and it's a dangerous gang. It is a gang that communities should be aware of. BAKHTIAR: Its roots are in El Salvador.

SANCHEZ: Yes. In Central America.

BAKHTIAR: How many people are we talking about here? And is it in many states?

SANCHEZ: Yes in many states. But that is not the only gang in America. There are some 21,000 gangs in America and there is about 800,000 youth currently in gangs across America. So this is just one gang. One of many gangs in America that are violent and causing real issues in communities.

BAKHTIAR: What are these types of gangs looking for? Who are they targeting to recruit them into their gangs?

SANCHEZ: I think they're looking for young people who don't have a place to go after school. Young people who have a lot of time unsupervised. Both parents are working and the young person goes home and does not have a lot of supervised people working with them. So these gang for kids who have low self-esteem, kids who are unsupervised. Don't have a place to go and then they attract them. They make them feel like they belong. They make them feel like family. And they lure them into the dangers of gangs.

BAKHTIAR: I imagine for parents, this must be one of their worst nightmares, their kids now being part of a gang. How can they tell, though, if their kid is part of a gang? Are their telltale signs?

SANCHEZ: Yes absolutely, I think parents should have -- there are three significant messages. One is a parent should communicate with their child. They should know where their children are after school; they should talk to their kids about friends. Look on their book bags. See if there are is any signs or symbols. See if there is any behavior change in their young person. If their grades change. If they're afraid to go to school, that's one sign.

The second would be, I would ask their parents to find out who their friends are? Who are their kids associated with after school? Know their friends, know their parents and the third critical thing is from 3:00 until 7:00 what's happening with your kid. Find places like Boys & Girls Clubs, find places where your youngster can go be with paid profession staff that are there to help them, protect them, keep them safe but also a program for them so that they become productive citizens.

BAKHTIAR: So what does a parent do if they figure out that their child is in a gang? How do you get your child out a gang, since some people were saying they were afraid of being killed if they left the gang?

SANCHEZ: I think a parent has to really have a deep conversation with their child. They have to discuss with their children why they're getting involved in gangs. Why are they there? And then supplement that with other positive adults and Boys & Girls Club is one venue where a parent knows after school, their child can go to a club, get involved in programs. We have great programs.

BAKHTIAR: I am sorry; I am going to have to stop you here. We have a live presser coming up. The attorney for Terri Schiavo's parents is now speaking. Let's listen in quickly.

DAVID GIBBS, TERRI SCHIAVO'S PARENTS ATTORNEY: We have word that they would debate probably 40 minutes, and then they will vote on it. And we are fairly confident that from the commitments we have heard before and what we understand from the leadership in the House that the bill will pass. That will entitle Terri to protection in the federal courts.

We have already submitted at request of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta a brief on this issue. We have been in contact with the Middle District Court in Tampa. Very graciously, the judges and the clerks of that court have agreed to open this evening. And they will be ready to receive any of the filings that need to be done. We are anticipating that those filings will be somewhere between 1:00 and 2:00 in the morning at latest.

Obviously we would like them to be earlier but clerks have a process it is a new lawsuit that will be filed. There is a computer program that then randomly generates the judge. I believe that there are six or seven judges in the middle district. They have all agreed to make themselves available. And so what clerk will do is she will assign it to a judge as the computer dictates. That judge will immediately receive the filing of the lawsuit as well as the injunctive relief sought and the injunctive relief is quite simply put please get the food and water back to Terri immediately.

And so that is what we're hoping to have the federal court rule on. Obviously the federal judge has the discretion in how long he will hang on to that in terms of making his decision. But what we will be encouraging the court and what will be in our pleadings is the United States Congress has worked day and night through the weekend, through recesses to get this done. The president of the United States has adjusted his schedule as literally as one of the busiest people in the world, and he has landed in Washington, and is ready to sign the bill.

We are asking the federal judges to make sure that they give it the same sense of urgency. The same sense of importance that these other elected leaders are and to this point, we have received full cooperation from both the clerks and we have heard that the judges will be ready and willing to move expeditiously. At that point there, would be action taken. Where Terri would most likely be hospitalized. She has been through this torture. She has been through this abuse. She has not had food and water since late afternoon on Friday, and we're going to get that into her system preferably in the middle of the night and then we're hoping she'll be nursed back to complete health.

Again, she's looking good. She likes my voice. I think I'm loud and noisy, and she kind of follows that around and enjoys that. But in talking with her, I the privilege to kind of smiling at her and saying, Terri, we hope to get you some dinner. We hope to get you some water later on tonight. Again it's still not done but we really believe the prayers of the people across America and the leadership of our Congress and our president has demonstrated once again how wonderful it is to be part of the United States. People sometimes ask, they say, well, Mr. Gibbs, why should the Congress get themselves involved in a situation like this?

And I would like to comment to that. In the finest tradition of our nation, whenever there is gross injustice, the United States Congress has always stepped forward and demonstrated leadership to do what was right and do what was fair. There was a time in this nation's history where based on the color of your skin or based on the ethnicity, there were some states that discriminated against who you were. And the United States Congress said, we will pass the law; we will enforce equal protection for this nation. There was a time in this nation's history where some states would treat men or women differently just based on their gender in the work place or in other arenas. And the Congress once again said we are going to have equality for all. There were some states that didn't treat the disabled the same as the able-bodied. And the Congress, once again, responded with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

And our United States Congress has shown an ability to do what is right under the constitution, under the law, under their sense of fairness and justice, and I am very proud of what our Congress has done. I have realized the bill has not yet passed the house but we have every expectation that it will.

But we are delighted that they have shown a love and a concern for a woman. Please realize Terri Schiavo, because of her brain injury, will probably never be able to vote. Most likely, she'll never be able to work on a campaign. Most likely she'll never be able to go out and raise money give any contributions to any political causes for a Democrat or for a Republican. But you know what the men and women in Washington with broad bipartisan support stepped forward and say it doesn't matter if this lady can vote for us. It doesn't matter if people say her life isn't worth living, we believe in America that our constitution and our federal law requires equal justice for all. And I believe you are watching in the finest of American tradition, the United States Congress and our president step forward and demonstrate what has made America great.

And again I believe with leadership like this in Washington, we can once again pray that God will bless the United States of America. I need to go and I'm not going to be able to take questions but thank you very much.

BAKHTIAR: We've been listening there to the attorney for Terry Schiavo's parents reacting to Senate action today. Of course that Senate action being that they unanimously passed the bill to have Terri Schiavo's feeding tube reinserted. House is -- the house is going to reconvene at 9:00 p.m. and they are expected to vote at midnight tonight. President Bush has cut his trip short from Crawford, Texas; he is headed back to Washington, standing by in case he is needed to sign that bill. All of this to get Terri Schiavo's feeding tube reinserted to possibly save her life. Our Bob Franken is standing by in Piniellas Park where all of this is happening -- Bob. BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the family has been going through some real pushing and shoving today with Michael Schiavo. He of course Terri Schiavo's husband, who had been successful in getting the feeding tube disconnected on Friday, and that has produced this flurry of activity which is now resulting in the Congressional action. We just heard from the family lawyer for the Schindler family. Which is the parents and blood relatives of Terri Schiavo. They have been in a bitter fight with Michael Schiavo trying to get the tube reinserted.

Now there was a little bit of some ill will that boiled over earlier this afternoon. Michael Schiavo was inside visiting with his wife inside of the hospice and the Schindler family was kept away for several hours. They finally complained and were allowed to go in for a visit. Now it looks like the Congress, according to the lawyer, is going to pass the legislation, the president will sign it, which would get it into the federal court system, but the supporters of Terri Schiavo's family, the Schindler's all acknowledge this could possibly only be a temporary delay if in fact the tube is reconnected.

That this still does not permanently solve the problem, but it would end this crisis sort of speak now. And get this matter into federal court where there could be a little breathe room, assuming that the judge to which this is assigned, would issue the equivalent of a temporary restraining order or restrain against keeping the tube outside of the body. Usually the standards for that legally are is that there is a likely possibility. That the final litigation will prevail and also the fact that there could be irreparable harm. Well obviously there is about a two week window here, most experts and doctors say that if the tube was kept out for up to two week, Terri Schiavo would die, which by the way is the intention of disconnecting it. But this is a battle that has gone far beyond such a bitter family battle. And has become a fight over the meaning of life and death that has now gone to the highest levels of government -- Rudi.

BAKHTIAR: Bob Franken in Pinellas Park, thank you for that report.

And that's going to do it for us. I will have a check of the headlines for you right after the break. And also "Next@CNN" straight ahead with Daniel Sieberg.

ROB MARCIANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi I'm Rob Marciano in the CNN Weather Center time for the cold and flu report. Out of the CDC less and less red showing up on the map today. Spring arrives. And as that ceiling gets higher in the sky and it gets a little bit warmer people start to feel a little bit better. Blue representing regional activity that still pretty troubling on the map. It means color should begin to simmer down after we get closer to summer now that we are into spring. Hope you are feeling well today and enjoy the rest of your weekend.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com

Aired March 20, 2005 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RUDI BAKHTIAR, CNN ANCHOR: A Democratic end around on Capitol Hill in the battle over Terri Schiavo's fate sets the stage for a midnight meeting for members of Congress.
They're considered to be one of the most violent gangs on America's streets. Even its own members face death if they want out. This hour, a look at the gang, MS-13 as told by one of its members. And what parents can do to keep their kids away from gangs.

Also, straight out of a sci-fi movie, a look at the soldiers of the future. You might say they have nerves of steel.

Hello, everyone. Welcome to CNN LIVE SUNDAY. I am Rudi Bakhtiar. All of that and more after this check of the headlines for you.

The life or death decision on Terri Schiavo may be up to Congress. The House is expected to vote on a bill tomorrow that could lead to doctors reinserting Schiavo's feeding tube. Democrats today temporarily blocked a Republican-led bill that would send Schiavo's case to federal court. We're going to have extensive live coverage of the case in just a few minutes.

The sex offender suspected of kidnapping and killing 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford makes his first court appearance today. A Florida judge set bond for John Couey on a probation violation charge. The judge did not set bond on a second charge of failing to register as a sex offender. Couey hasn't been charged in the Lunsford case yet.

On this Palm Sunday, Pope John Paul II misses the start of Holy Week services for the first time in his papacy. The pope did appear before the faithful at his window at the Vatican after today's ceremony. The pope is still recovering from recent surgery.

And the man who's car sent Michael Jay Fox "Back to the Future" has passed away. John DeLorean created the futuristic looking sports call the DeLorean. In the 1980s, the car was featured in "The Back to the Future" movies but proved to be a marketing failure. DeLorean himself was 80 years old.

We begin this hour with the emotional and legal tug-of-war over Terri Schiavo. Today, is the brain-damaged woman's third day without food or water. She remains in a hospice in Pinellas Park, Florida. Our correspondents are monitoring different angles of the story. Joe Johns in on Capital Hill where there was a rare legislative session on the Schiavo case today. But first let's go to Bob Franken in Pinellas Park. Bob, what can you tell us?

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well Rudi, there's evidence that although national leaders are debating the outcome of this, this is really at its heart a bitter family dispute. Just a few minutes ago, the mother and father and blood relatives of Terri Schiavo were fighting a tough fight to try and get her feeding tube reinserted. Were denied access to the hospice where Terri Schiavo is. And they have complained they were kept out for several hours, although earlier in the day there had been some visits.

It turns out, according to officials, that Mike Schiavo was inside with his wife. He is the one who has fought a year's long battle to get her feeding tube disconnect. According to a variety of sources, he has said that he did not want them in there when he was there because it would be of course awkward at very best.

But just a couple of minutes ago, the family members, the immediate family members were escorted inside and will have another chance to visit Terri Schiavo.

Terri Schiavo, of course, is somebody who has become a symbol. But as I said, at its very heart, this is really a very bitter battle between family members. And also a battle about whether killing her, letting her die would be killing her or would be an act of mercy.

This is something that has been debated at highest government levels, but it is also as I said something that's very, very, very much being fought out in the room where she is seeking peace in this hospice -- Rudi.

BAKHTIAR: All right. Bob Franken, thank you for that report.

Let's take a different angle now. Members of Congress will not be voting today on an emergency bill that would allow federal courts to decide the brain-damaged woman's fate. But a vote could happen at midnight.

Our Joe Johns is on Capitol Hill with all of the details -- Joe.

JOE JOHNS, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I have to tell you, Rudi, things have changed very quickly on this story from time to time, simply because the Congress in some ways has been making it up as they go along. And so I have to tell you that some of that earlier information we had apparently is changing.

What we're being told, of course, about that legislation that would allow the feeding tube of Terri Schiavo to be reinserted, also allowing standing for her parents to go into federal court, could in fact be on the floor of the House and the Senate by the end of this day.

The first information we have is that the House of Representatives now apparently looking toward convening around 9:00 this evening to begin a debate that would end up with a vote just past midnight, just past midnight this evening. That is in spite of the fact that a number of Democrats, we're not sure how many and we should probably should categorize it as a handful, are saying they don't thank legislation is the right way to go.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BILL FRIST, (R) TENNESSEE: This action will allow The Senate to come back into session at a moments notice to consider the legislation. The Senate will remain here throughout the afternoon and, if necessary, late into the evening in order to act immediately on this bill once it is ready. Terri Schiavo, because time is of essence, Terri Schiavo is being denied life-saving nutrition at this very moment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JOHNS: So that actually of course was Senate majority leader Bill Frist talking about the urgency of the situation here in Washington, D.C. Some indication, also, that the Senate is trying to figure out a way, actually, to get the bill on the floor passed, perhaps just waived through on unanimous consent this evening before the House even acts.

So, things are very fluid here, changing from minute to minute. And Rudi, we will keep you informed.

BAKHTIAR: All right. John Johns at the Capital. Well, to press that point, President Bush even cut his stay at his Texas ranch short and is heading back to Washington right now to stand by in case he is need to sign the Schiavo bill.

Her case is fueling the highly charged debate about when life begins and ends. Our Dana Bash has that part of the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Listen to how conservative politicians are describing their quest to keep Terri Schiavo alive.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It has to do with the culture of life.

SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE SPOKESMAN: The society that is built on a culture of life.

BASH: Culture of life is a catch phrase for abortion opponent. Now Terri Schiavo is exhibit A of an evolving movement and a broadening debate over how to define right to life.

WENDY WRIGHT, CONCERNED WOMEN FOR AMERICA: This case is really mobilizing people and helping them to understand that the attack on the culture of life extends beyond abortion.

BASH: From researching stem cells to cloning to ventilators and feeding tubes, with each scientific development new questions about when life starts, when it ends and who decides. GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We must strive to build a culture of life. Medical research can help us reach that goal by developing treatments and cures that save lives and help people overcome disabilities.

BASH: Some religious conservatives want the definition of life as broad as possible. For them, Schiavo is a rallying cry.

In phone calls and on Web sites, groups urge activists to call lawmakers. G.O.P. leaders, wading in unchartered waters to change Schiavo's fate, insist they're following the spirit of the constitution not politics.

REP. TOM DELAY, (R) TEXAS: This is about Terri and her life and her family that wants to take care of her. It has nothing to do with politics. And it's disgusting to even suggest it.

BASH: But Republican talking points circulating in the Senate suggest some do see a potential upside against Democrats on the ballot next year. "This is a great political issue because Senator Nelson of Florida has already refused to become a co-sponsor and this is a tough issue for Democrats," a G.O.P. memo says.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi. How are you you? You look so pretty.

MARTHA BURK, NATL. COUNCIL OF WOMEN'S ORGS: I think the Democrats are moving toward the right culturally. I think they are trying to look like junior Republicans. And in some cases, like this one, we see it most starkly.

BASH: Democrats stung from a series of electoral losses among social conservatives are by in large biting their tongues on the Schiavo matter.

Dana Bash, CNN, Crawford, Texas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BATKHIAR: Senate major leader Bill Frist says he has neither seen nor authorized the Republican talking point and condemns its content. He ads that his interest in the case is, quote, to assure that Mrs. Schiavo has another chance at life.

And let's see if we have those shots. That is it. That is the shot of Air Force One taxiing on the runway.

President Bush is on that plane. He cut his stay at his Texas ranch short, heading back to Washington right now. There he is, taxiing on the runway.

He's there to be able to sign the Schiavo bill if he needs to sign it later on this evening.

We'll be bringing you updates throughout the evening on this very compelling case, very emotional case of Terri Schiavo.

Well, this often heated and impassioned debate over Schiavo has been waging in the courts for more than a decade now.

She collapsed in her home in 1990 when her heart temporarily stopped cutting oxygen off to her brain. Eight years later, eight years later, her husband Michael Schiavo filed the first petition to remove her feeding tube. After two years of bitter court wrangling, a judge ruled that the tube could be removed. But it wasn't removed until more than a year later in April of 2001. And it was out for only two days before being reinserted.

Then in November 2002, a Florida judge orders the judge to remove the feeding tube again. That following October, a Florida appeals court refused to block that order and the tube is removed the next day.

It was reinserted six days after that. After the Florida legislation passed Terri's Law.

In September of last year, Florida Supreme Court declared Terri's law unconstitutional. And last month, the Florida judge again gave Michael Schiavo permission to order his wife's tube removed.

Friday it was despite federal subpoenas. And yesterday, congress convened to pass emergency legislation in the Schiavo case. And that is where we are right now.

We're going to have more on the Terri Schiavo case in a few minutes. It is unprecedented for Congress to draft a bill for an individual, but is it unconstitutional? We're going to talk with a constitutional lawyer about that.

Also ahead...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK LUNSFORD, JESSICA LUNSFORD'S FATHER: I need everybody's support on pushing the death penalty upon this man.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BAKHTIAR: The father of Jessica Lunsford launches a new fight on the day her suspected killer goes to court.

Plus, they are the ultimate soldiers capable of going anywhere, anytime with no danger to human life. We're going to take a look at the battle fighters of the future.

And a decade ago, Tokyo was caught off guard. A deadly gas unleashed in a crowded subway. See what steps are being taken to prevent another surprise attack like that one.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BAKHTIAR: Welcome back, everyone. The man suspected of kidnapping and killing Jessica Lunsford is under lock and key in Florida. So far accused, though not formerly charged, in the 9-year- old girl's death. John Evander Couey made his first court appearance this morning in Citrus County, Florida. And that is where we find CNN's Sara Dorsey with the latest developments -- Sara.

SARA DORSEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rudi, we're actually in the Lunsford neighborhood. And here there is a lot of activity today. The family has been in their yard greeting well-wishers and people coming back pay their respected. But only one town away John Couey, the man accused of killing Jessica Lunsford, sits in jail.

Couey appeared in front of circuit court judge Stephen Spivey today charged with crimes unrelated to Jessica's case. Those are: failure to comply with sex offender reporting and a probation violation. Couey will not be allowed bail. But a sheriff's office here says charges regarding the Lunsford murder are forthcoming. They are on the way.

Today, Mark Lunsford, Jessica's dad, spoke to the media and called on Florida legislators to change the laws against convicted sex offenders like John Couey.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LUNSFORD: And I need the support of all of the politician, lawyers -- I don't care who you are, I need your help now. You're in high places, but your children ain't safe either. They can reach all of them. And we need to stop them as much as we can.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DORSEY: A roadside memorial for Jessica Lunsford grows larger each day as community members, many strangers come by to pay their respects to the little girl.

And I can tell you, Rudi, that today, Mark Lunsford was not the only person talking about legislators changing the law here. There is a gentleman out here that is putting out a petition trying to get legislators to give more time to convicted sex offenders, keep them in longer and make the sentence harsher if they do commit a crime like his.

And I can tell you the community around here is signing these petitions -- Rudi.

BAKHTIAR: Thank you, Sara. Sara Dorsey.

46-years-old John Evander Couey is no stranger to the criminal court system. His record spans more than 20 years. At the moment, he's charged with failure to comply with sex offender registration requirements. And with violation of his probation. This latest arrest brings to the number to 25 times that Couey has been arrested since 1977. Those include burglary, attempted grand larceny, carrying a concealed weapon, indecent exposure, disorderly conduct, driving under the influence and fondling a child.

The battle over federal intervention in the Terri Schiavo case has seemingly divided the parties in Congress once again, but is the effort by Republicans to pass legislation even legal? We're going to get some analysis right after the break. And a winter blast not of weather but fire. The possible cause behind an explosion at a mountain lodge in Colorado.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BAKHTIAR: And now let's get back our top story, the battle over Terri Schiavo. Support or outrage over congressional intervention in this case depends on who you're asking. It's rare for Congress to draft a bill for an individual, but is it unconstitutional?

Bruce Fein is a constitutional lawyer in Washington. He's a staunch Republican. And he is against Congress intervening in this case.

Bruce, thank you so much for joining us.

BRUCE FEIN, CONSTITUTIONAL LAWYER: Delighted to be with you.

BAKHTIAR: Let's talk about the legal implications here. What are the implications of Congress getting involved in this case?

FEIN: It's not unprecedented for Congress to address a single individual. For example, that was done with regard to President Nixon in various issues relating to Watergate. But it cast doubt upon any legitimate federal interest involved in this case.

If had to ask that all of Ms. Schiavo's parent's rights to seek review of judicial decisions now stemming over 16, 15 years and 16 judges up to the U.S. Supreme Court have been exhausted. There have been untold number of medical professionals who are appointed by independent neutral judges to examine Ms. Schiavo and concluding that she has zero chance of recovering, any brain capability.

Moreover, the justices have painstakingly concluded from Terri Schiavo's past that, by clear and convincing evidence, given the irrevocable death of her brain function, that she would not want to retain on life support systems. That there seems zero federal interest to disturb this particular decision made by state courts.

Moreover, what casts further doubt on the constitutionality of the congressional action is a Supreme Court decision, 1989 called Cruzon, which basically holds that you have a right to die if it can be shown by clear, convincing and voluntary evidence that you would have not wanted life preserving systems to keep you in a vegetative state. And the courts in Florida have concluded, again, after held the most scrupulous regard for her attention, that she would not wanted to retain her position on life support.

BAKHTIAR: It'll be interesting to find out if we will ever know for certain what Terri Schiavo herself would have wanted. But in your opinion, are Terri Schiavo's constitutional rights being upheld here?

FEIN: Yes, that's in fact what the Cruzon decision says if you're incapacitated like she is, but had given information that by clear and convincing evidence, convinces a judge that you would have wanted life support removed when you had no brain function, then her constitutional rights are being fully honored.

And it's in an effort to dishonor constitutional right to die, so to speak, that the Supreme Court proclaimed to insist that over what she would have wanted, her objections that there be a return life support system. That's tampering with an individual's right to control his or her own destiny.

BAKHTIAR: How much of this is the administration's desire to really uphold the sanctity of human life? And how much is this just political maneuvering in your opinion?

FEIN: Well, it seems to me, it's largely political maneuvering. But I don't want to cast that aspersion only on the Republican Party. Political maneuvering dominates most everything in Washington, D.C.

But if there were just a generic concern for the treatment of patients who are on life support systems, overall, to ensure that they are given the most scruples attention, then the bill would not be limited to Terri Schiavo alone, it would cover every single individual who is on a life support system, requiring special procedure hurdles perhaps to ensure that there is no dishonoring of their right to the last efforts to preserve their lives.

But this targeting of Terri Schiavo alone, again, is indicative of a political gesture rather than a serious effort to address the question of how we treat those who are terminally ill or brain-dead.

BAKHTIAR: Bottom line, do you think this is going to get to the courts? Or do you think that is ultimately just going to get slapped down? Because as you mentioned earlier, this has been going on for years, many judges have heard this case.

FEIN: Yes. 15 years, 16 judges, and just recently the United States Supreme Court refused to intervene and disturb the removal of the feeding tube ordered by a county judge in Florida. And I fully expect that if the legislation is enacted, the federal courts will hold their hand and conclude that the statute is unconstitutional, there no federal jurisdiction here and this tragic case will finally come to a decent end.

BAKHTIAR: Bruce Fein, thank you so much for joining us.

FEIN: Thank you.

BAKHTIAR: We appreciate your insights.

Severe weather is heading for the southern part of the U.S. The forecast and what to expect ahead on CNN LIVE SUNDAY for you.

Also, is it a scene from a movie or real life? Why don't you try both. A look at the soldiers of the future.

Also, a street gang that's considered so dangerous, the feds are trying to break it up. Hear from a member who wants out.

And sarin gas unleashed in a crowded subway. What's changed since that deadly day in Tokyo ten years ago?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BAKHTIAR: Stories in the news right now, the House may vote just after midnight Eastern to act in the Terri Schiavo case. Democrats today blocking efforts to pass a bill that could lead to doctors reinserting the brain-damaged woman's feeding tube. House debate on the matter begins tonight.

Two touchy issues top the agenda in Beijing for Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. She sat down to talk about Taiwan and North Korea with China's president, Hu Jintao. Rice is on the last leg of a six-nation trip to Asia.

Terror suspect Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is sentenced in absentia to 15 years in prison for plotting the deadly attack on Jordan's embassy in Iraq. Jordan has already sentenced Zarqawi to death for the killing of a U.S. diplomat in Amman.

Turning now to Iraq where it has been a bloody Sunday. An insurgent attack on coalition forces ended with the deaths of 24 militants according to the U.S. military. Insurgents also launched attacks north of Baghdad today as well. A suicide bomber detonated inside police headquarters in Mosul, killing at least two people and himself.

And in Baquba, police say gunmen shot and killed four police officers and wounded two at a police station there.

A U.S. soldier was also killed today in a roadside bombing near Kirkuk, bringing the U.S. death toll to just over 1,520.

As the casualties mount, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is reminding U.S. soldiers today that their sacrifice in Iraq is noble.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD RUMSFELD, DEFENSE SECRETARY: The answer as to whether it's worth it is, you bet. There are 25 million Iraqis that are free. We've seen the effects and we know for a fact that the great sweep of human history is for freedom. And what you're seeing in Ukraine, and what you're seeing in Lebanon, what you've seen with the Palestinians, what's happened in Afghanistan I think is a reflection of the fact that human beings basically want to be free.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BAKHTIAR: Defense Secretary Rumsfeld told a Sunday morning talk show that there are at least 30 projects under way to reduce stress on U.S. forces.

The U.S. military is enlisting new soldiers for its missions overseas. Recruits with astounding abilities on the battlefield, and absolute nerves of steel. They're robots and these amazing machines are about to get even more impressive with engineers designing ultra advance robots that look like they're right out of a sci-fi flick. More now from CNN's senior pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): This explosion two months ago in Iraq a result of U.S. soldiers employing the latest in robot technology, using a small radio-controlled vehicle called the Pac-bot to detonate a road side bomb. The Pac-bot was developed by iRobot a cutting edge company outside Boston, co-founded by Helen Greiner. An M.I.T. engineer who saw her future in "Star Wars.

HELEN GREINER, CHAIRMAN, IROBOT CORPORATION: When I was 11 I went to see "Star Wars" with my parents and I was really inspired by R2D2. R2D2 wasn't just a machine. He had a personality. He had an agenda.

MCINTYRE: While the versatile Pac-bot can't think for itself, it can do reconnaissance, disarm bombs and search caves and it works so well in Iraq and Afghanistan the Pentagon just put in an $18 million order for 150 more.

(on camera): It had been a long time before robots ever replace humans but what they're perfect for is dirty, dull or dangerous jobs.

(voice over): The next challenge for robot designers, deadly urban combat. So future urban assaults like the siege of Fallujah maybe done with the aid of swarms of small robots. Just like tiny mechanical spiders search for Tom Cruise in the movie "Minority Report," these rudimentary machines in development by iRobot use the same swarm principle.

They talk to each other so one operator can control hundreds at a time.

VICE ADM. JOE DYER (RET.), IROBOT GOVT. INDUSTRIAL DIV: But over time, we're going to see robots that can take a mission. Go out and execute it. Navigate themselves, see, and communicate back. Gather information. Come back and deliver that information in a human-like function.

MCINTYRE: Joe Dyer is a retired navel admiral and an f-18 pilot who now works for iRobot. He predicts the world of robots in vision by sci-fi genius Isaac Asimov depicted in the movie "I, Robot" is maybe 25 years away.

DYER: "I-Robot" the movie we think had an about right. You will start to see androids that you might want to go out and have a beer with.

MCINTYRE: And while Dyer says humans will remain in the loop for a long time, in "I-Robot" they do treat their robots sort of like people. And the lobby hangs a memorial to a pack thought who died in the line of duty.

Jamie McIntyre, CNN, Boston.

(END VIDEOTAPE) BAKHTIAR: We have new developments on Capitol Hill now in the case of Terri Schiavo. Joe Johns is standing by. Let's go to him for the latest. Joe.

JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi Rudi. The Senate has just approved this legislation that would allow the feeding tube of Terri Schiavo to be replaced. Also, giving, standing to her parents to sue in federal court on this case. This has been a long battle over the last several days for the United States Senate. Senator Bill Frist, the majority leader, on the floor right now talking about what bill does, what it does not do. The bill was passed under unanimous consent. No one objected.

No Democrats on the floor of the United States Senate, although they made it clear that they would not object to the passage of this bill. So once again, the United States Senate has passed, waived through this bill to keep Terri Schiavo alive. Now, over on the house side, is where the focus returns. Of course, we're being told that the house will come in around 9:00 this evening. Have three hours of debate. And the intention is for the bill to be voted on just after midnight in the House of Representatives, midnight Eastern Time, of course. All of this, they say, a race against time to try to get that feeding tube replaced before the condition of Terri Schiavo worsens.

Rudi back to you.

BAKHTIAR: All right, Joe Johns on Capitol Hill. Thank you for that. Again, reiterating that the Senate has passed a bill to -- on the Terri Schiavo legislation to get that tube reinserted. We'll have more on this. We'll be covering it for you all evening. Let's go now to other news of the day.

The weather on this first day of spring has come in like a lamb in parts of nation. In other parts, it's more like a lion. There was some stormy weather here in the south. CNN meteorologist Orelon Sidney is standing by with our forecast. Orelon what can you tell us?

ORELON SIDNEY, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Thanks a lot. Well, nothing much happening now. Not really going to get going tonight. It's mainly tomorrow night into Tuesday event. We did have some thunderstorms last night in Texas that caused some windy conditions but it's fairly quiet now. I'll show you kind of the wind-up before the pitch is what we're looking at right here. This is the storm threat map from the storm prediction center for tomorrow. Slight risk of severe thunderstorms, covers much of the Mississippi valley. A moderate risk area now covers much of eastern Texas, Louisiana into Arkansas.

There is a high risk also that the storm prediction center has a category. Don't see that, which is certainly some good news. But what you can expect, if you see severe thunderstorms, any one of these or combination of them. Hail, 3/4 of an inch or larger, winds 58 miles an hour or greater, and/or tornadoes. So any of these parameters produce what is defined as a severe thunderstorm. Here's what's happening, this low pressure is moving eastward now, moisture's going to start coming in from the Gulf of Mexico. As low pressure develops across the Rocky Mountains. Classic setup for this time of year. We're going to see this situation several more times between now and the 1st of July. By tomorrow afternoon, cold front moves through Texas, moisture and warmth out ahead of it. Interacting with an upper-level disturbance could mean that potential for the severe thunderstorms mainly overnight extending into the eastern United States and diminishing intensity on Tuesday -- Rudi.

BAKHTIAR: All right, thank you Orelon.

SIDNEY: You are welcome.

BAKHTIAR: A magnitude seven earthquake hits Japan. How much damage and loss of life did it cause? And is there a concern for a tsunami?

Also ahead, is this intensely violent street gang the new mafia? Find out what the justice department thinks. And what it is doing about it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BAKHTIAR: Just moments ago, Marine One landed at the White House. President Bush cutting his stay at his Texas ranch short, heading back to Washington right now to stand by in case he is needed to sign the Schiavo bill. Senate earlier unanimously passed the bill. And the house reconvenes at 9:00 p.m. and is expected to vote at midnight on the bill. Of course we're keeping you up to date on this story, and we'll be bringing you all of the details throughout the evening. Here to do that for us of course will be Carol Lin, once I take off.

Carol what have you got coming up?

CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Well of course tonight, we will have our own special coverage of the debate in the House of this Schiavo bill. And we'll be covering the vote in full, so that everybody knows exactly what happens, whether this bill in fact passes and goes to the president or is this suspense going to continue? And at 6:00 tonight, we're going to have a really compelling story about an American doctor who gave up her career here in the United States after 9/11, and went to Iraq. And some of the stories that she tells about the civilians and the soldiers she has treated. Some who did not make it, but their memory remains alive with her and some who are doing just great.

BAKHTIAR: Amazing. Can't wait to see that one. Thank you Carol.

LIN: Thanks Rudi.

BAKHTIAR: Well, you may want to keep your young children away from the first video in this next story, which shows violence street gang initiation rights. The gang is called MS-13. Police say it's spreading in this country and overseas. Using especially violent methods. We have a report from CNN justice correspondent Kelli Arena.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) KELLI ARENA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): This is the MS-13 welcome wagon. New recruits are violently beaten for 13 seconds by gang members. This is how they treat friends. Their enemies receive much worse.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They will do anything like. They don't care about killing anybody.

ARENA: He should know. This MS-13 member in his early 20s, who we will call Jose, agreed to be interviewed if his identity could be kept a secret. Seen here flashing gang signals, he's been a member since he was 16 and wants out. But says the only way he's leaving the gang is in a casket.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is a family. That is why you have to stay in. Never can get out.

ARENA: Jose says he can't even remove the many gang tattoos on his arms and legs.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can get killed for take off your tattoo.

ARENA: It's the type of loyalty once enjoyed by traditional organized crime families and the FBI has decided to fight them the same way.

CHRIS SWECKER, FBI ASST. DIRECTOR: They are an emerging and up and coming gang. They are making efforts to organize themselves on a national scale and even international scale. We see an opportunity through a coordinated effort to knock them down before they become a force in more cities in the country.

ARENA: Mara Salvatrucha MS-13 was formed in Los Angeles in the late '80s by immigrants from El Salvador. Today gang units coast-to- coast are battling as many as 10,000 members in 33 states, according to the justice department. And the number of MS members increases five fold if you include other countries. Immigration and customs enforcement agents have also launched a new gang initiative aimed at MS. Arresting 103 members in the last month.

MICHAEL GARCIA, ASST. HOMELAND SECURITY SECY: We can not only take them off of the street, detain them but we can deport them from the United States.

ARENA: Still even after deportation, many make their way back to the United States.

OFFICER DAMIEN LEVESOUI, LAPD GANG UNIT: The moment you start coming to the park and start hanging out with other gangsters then it's not OK with me.

ARENA: Los Angeles police officers Damien Lavesoui and Matthew Ziegler work MS full-time as part of a gang unit that patrols the downtown area.

LEVESOUI: MS is unlike any other gang. They're very violent. They're very -- they have a very, very tight-lip with their inner workings. Whereas other gang members do it for the machismo, MS does it for the business oriented.

ARENA: Their so-called business mostly involves drug and weapons trafficking and auto theft and robberies and violently protecting their mark. Their turf often marked by graffiti.

LEVESOUI: The gangs abbreviation MS for mara salvatrucha. They have MS written, you have 13, which signifies their southern California street gang. It has a reference to the Mexican mafia.

ARENA: The LAPD has been dealing with the MS problem the longest, and often lends its expertise to other police departments. Cops are using experimental technology to match pictures of suspected MS members with those already on file. In California courts have issued injunctions, restricting the movements of known gang members.

OFFICER MATTHEW ZEIGLER, LAPD GANG UNIT: It's a court order that prohibits them from doing certain activities such as hanging out together. Being out after 10:00. Being in the area of alcohol. And my partner and I are going out and we're enforcing the gang injunction and it's working.

ARENA: Enforcement, though, is just half the battle. Communities have to convince young people that gangs are not the answer. Jose says since he's been a member, MS has gone after younger recruits as young as 12.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now, I see a lot of kids from school trying to be in MS. Try to be tough because they think they can get a girl, you know? But they see like MS gets, what they see is like MS getting big you know.

ARENA: And he says this new generation is even more lethal. Showing no remorse for spilling innocent blood.

For CNN's America Bureau, Kelli Arena in Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BAKHTIAR: So how can parents tell if their children are being lured into a gang? Or are they already in a gang? How do you keep them from getting their hooks into your kids? All very valid questions. Frank Sanchez is on the front lines of that effort. He is senior director of Delinquency Prevention for the Boys and Girls Club of America. Frank, thank you so much for joining us.

FRANK SANCHEZ, BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF AMERICA: Thank you for having me.

BAKHTIAR: Lets talk about this gang. How prevalent is it?

SANCHEZ: This is a fast growing gang. It's growing throughout the country. MS-13 is a very violent gang. A gang with its roots in Salvador and it's a dangerous gang. It is a gang that communities should be aware of. BAKHTIAR: Its roots are in El Salvador.

SANCHEZ: Yes. In Central America.

BAKHTIAR: How many people are we talking about here? And is it in many states?

SANCHEZ: Yes in many states. But that is not the only gang in America. There are some 21,000 gangs in America and there is about 800,000 youth currently in gangs across America. So this is just one gang. One of many gangs in America that are violent and causing real issues in communities.

BAKHTIAR: What are these types of gangs looking for? Who are they targeting to recruit them into their gangs?

SANCHEZ: I think they're looking for young people who don't have a place to go after school. Young people who have a lot of time unsupervised. Both parents are working and the young person goes home and does not have a lot of supervised people working with them. So these gang for kids who have low self-esteem, kids who are unsupervised. Don't have a place to go and then they attract them. They make them feel like they belong. They make them feel like family. And they lure them into the dangers of gangs.

BAKHTIAR: I imagine for parents, this must be one of their worst nightmares, their kids now being part of a gang. How can they tell, though, if their kid is part of a gang? Are their telltale signs?

SANCHEZ: Yes absolutely, I think parents should have -- there are three significant messages. One is a parent should communicate with their child. They should know where their children are after school; they should talk to their kids about friends. Look on their book bags. See if there are is any signs or symbols. See if there is any behavior change in their young person. If their grades change. If they're afraid to go to school, that's one sign.

The second would be, I would ask their parents to find out who their friends are? Who are their kids associated with after school? Know their friends, know their parents and the third critical thing is from 3:00 until 7:00 what's happening with your kid. Find places like Boys & Girls Clubs, find places where your youngster can go be with paid profession staff that are there to help them, protect them, keep them safe but also a program for them so that they become productive citizens.

BAKHTIAR: So what does a parent do if they figure out that their child is in a gang? How do you get your child out a gang, since some people were saying they were afraid of being killed if they left the gang?

SANCHEZ: I think a parent has to really have a deep conversation with their child. They have to discuss with their children why they're getting involved in gangs. Why are they there? And then supplement that with other positive adults and Boys & Girls Club is one venue where a parent knows after school, their child can go to a club, get involved in programs. We have great programs.

BAKHTIAR: I am sorry; I am going to have to stop you here. We have a live presser coming up. The attorney for Terri Schiavo's parents is now speaking. Let's listen in quickly.

DAVID GIBBS, TERRI SCHIAVO'S PARENTS ATTORNEY: We have word that they would debate probably 40 minutes, and then they will vote on it. And we are fairly confident that from the commitments we have heard before and what we understand from the leadership in the House that the bill will pass. That will entitle Terri to protection in the federal courts.

We have already submitted at request of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta a brief on this issue. We have been in contact with the Middle District Court in Tampa. Very graciously, the judges and the clerks of that court have agreed to open this evening. And they will be ready to receive any of the filings that need to be done. We are anticipating that those filings will be somewhere between 1:00 and 2:00 in the morning at latest.

Obviously we would like them to be earlier but clerks have a process it is a new lawsuit that will be filed. There is a computer program that then randomly generates the judge. I believe that there are six or seven judges in the middle district. They have all agreed to make themselves available. And so what clerk will do is she will assign it to a judge as the computer dictates. That judge will immediately receive the filing of the lawsuit as well as the injunctive relief sought and the injunctive relief is quite simply put please get the food and water back to Terri immediately.

And so that is what we're hoping to have the federal court rule on. Obviously the federal judge has the discretion in how long he will hang on to that in terms of making his decision. But what we will be encouraging the court and what will be in our pleadings is the United States Congress has worked day and night through the weekend, through recesses to get this done. The president of the United States has adjusted his schedule as literally as one of the busiest people in the world, and he has landed in Washington, and is ready to sign the bill.

We are asking the federal judges to make sure that they give it the same sense of urgency. The same sense of importance that these other elected leaders are and to this point, we have received full cooperation from both the clerks and we have heard that the judges will be ready and willing to move expeditiously. At that point there, would be action taken. Where Terri would most likely be hospitalized. She has been through this torture. She has been through this abuse. She has not had food and water since late afternoon on Friday, and we're going to get that into her system preferably in the middle of the night and then we're hoping she'll be nursed back to complete health.

Again, she's looking good. She likes my voice. I think I'm loud and noisy, and she kind of follows that around and enjoys that. But in talking with her, I the privilege to kind of smiling at her and saying, Terri, we hope to get you some dinner. We hope to get you some water later on tonight. Again it's still not done but we really believe the prayers of the people across America and the leadership of our Congress and our president has demonstrated once again how wonderful it is to be part of the United States. People sometimes ask, they say, well, Mr. Gibbs, why should the Congress get themselves involved in a situation like this?

And I would like to comment to that. In the finest tradition of our nation, whenever there is gross injustice, the United States Congress has always stepped forward and demonstrated leadership to do what was right and do what was fair. There was a time in this nation's history where based on the color of your skin or based on the ethnicity, there were some states that discriminated against who you were. And the United States Congress said, we will pass the law; we will enforce equal protection for this nation. There was a time in this nation's history where some states would treat men or women differently just based on their gender in the work place or in other arenas. And the Congress once again said we are going to have equality for all. There were some states that didn't treat the disabled the same as the able-bodied. And the Congress, once again, responded with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

And our United States Congress has shown an ability to do what is right under the constitution, under the law, under their sense of fairness and justice, and I am very proud of what our Congress has done. I have realized the bill has not yet passed the house but we have every expectation that it will.

But we are delighted that they have shown a love and a concern for a woman. Please realize Terri Schiavo, because of her brain injury, will probably never be able to vote. Most likely, she'll never be able to work on a campaign. Most likely she'll never be able to go out and raise money give any contributions to any political causes for a Democrat or for a Republican. But you know what the men and women in Washington with broad bipartisan support stepped forward and say it doesn't matter if this lady can vote for us. It doesn't matter if people say her life isn't worth living, we believe in America that our constitution and our federal law requires equal justice for all. And I believe you are watching in the finest of American tradition, the United States Congress and our president step forward and demonstrate what has made America great.

And again I believe with leadership like this in Washington, we can once again pray that God will bless the United States of America. I need to go and I'm not going to be able to take questions but thank you very much.

BAKHTIAR: We've been listening there to the attorney for Terry Schiavo's parents reacting to Senate action today. Of course that Senate action being that they unanimously passed the bill to have Terri Schiavo's feeding tube reinserted. House is -- the house is going to reconvene at 9:00 p.m. and they are expected to vote at midnight tonight. President Bush has cut his trip short from Crawford, Texas; he is headed back to Washington, standing by in case he is needed to sign that bill. All of this to get Terri Schiavo's feeding tube reinserted to possibly save her life. Our Bob Franken is standing by in Piniellas Park where all of this is happening -- Bob. BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the family has been going through some real pushing and shoving today with Michael Schiavo. He of course Terri Schiavo's husband, who had been successful in getting the feeding tube disconnected on Friday, and that has produced this flurry of activity which is now resulting in the Congressional action. We just heard from the family lawyer for the Schindler family. Which is the parents and blood relatives of Terri Schiavo. They have been in a bitter fight with Michael Schiavo trying to get the tube reinserted.

Now there was a little bit of some ill will that boiled over earlier this afternoon. Michael Schiavo was inside visiting with his wife inside of the hospice and the Schindler family was kept away for several hours. They finally complained and were allowed to go in for a visit. Now it looks like the Congress, according to the lawyer, is going to pass the legislation, the president will sign it, which would get it into the federal court system, but the supporters of Terri Schiavo's family, the Schindler's all acknowledge this could possibly only be a temporary delay if in fact the tube is reconnected.

That this still does not permanently solve the problem, but it would end this crisis sort of speak now. And get this matter into federal court where there could be a little breathe room, assuming that the judge to which this is assigned, would issue the equivalent of a temporary restraining order or restrain against keeping the tube outside of the body. Usually the standards for that legally are is that there is a likely possibility. That the final litigation will prevail and also the fact that there could be irreparable harm. Well obviously there is about a two week window here, most experts and doctors say that if the tube was kept out for up to two week, Terri Schiavo would die, which by the way is the intention of disconnecting it. But this is a battle that has gone far beyond such a bitter family battle. And has become a fight over the meaning of life and death that has now gone to the highest levels of government -- Rudi.

BAKHTIAR: Bob Franken in Pinellas Park, thank you for that report.

And that's going to do it for us. I will have a check of the headlines for you right after the break. And also "Next@CNN" straight ahead with Daniel Sieberg.

ROB MARCIANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi I'm Rob Marciano in the CNN Weather Center time for the cold and flu report. Out of the CDC less and less red showing up on the map today. Spring arrives. And as that ceiling gets higher in the sky and it gets a little bit warmer people start to feel a little bit better. Blue representing regional activity that still pretty troubling on the map. It means color should begin to simmer down after we get closer to summer now that we are into spring. Hope you are feeling well today and enjoy the rest of your weekend.

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