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Town Hall Blitz with Senator Grassley; White House Reception for Newly Appointed Justice Sonia Sotomayor

Aired August 12, 2009 - 10:00   ET

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

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: And here are some of the other stories we are watching right now.

Costa Rica's president has the H1N1 flu, also known as the swine flu. The 67-year-old president, Oscar Arias, is resting at home this morning but is expected to be back at work next week. Twenty-seven people have died from the swine flu in Costa Rica.

President Obama welcomes the newest supreme court justice to the White House. Here's Justice Sonia Sotomayor arriving just a few moments ago. She is the guest of honor, of course, at the special White House reception coming up next hour. These are live pictures that we are looking at right now. This is all going to take place in the East Room about 15 minutes from now we understand. Sotomayor was confirmed last week and sworn in as the 111th Supreme Court justice over the weekend.

Now, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is in Nigeria this morning urging leaders there to crack down on corruption. She's also talking to religious leaders about recent violence that killed at least 700 people. Nigeria is the fifth stop on Clinton's seven-nation tour to Africa.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, first of all, another myth that we've been hearing about is this notion that somehow we're going to be cutting your Medicare benefits. We are not.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CLAIRE MCCASKILL, (D) MISSOURI: Hey, hey, hey! OK, ma'am. OK, everybody sit down. Everybody sit down. Everybody sit down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: We begin this hour in Iowa where a leading Republican faces the prospect of a long day and short tempers. Senator Chuck Grassley is holding four town hall meetings on health care reform. Senior political correspondent Candy Crowley is in Winterset where these first meetings get underway just a few minutes from now.

So, Candy, we have seen a lot of fireworks, as we just saw on our air, Claire McCaskill there and, of course, Arlen Specter from yesterday at these town hall events. It seems most of it directed at Democrats. To be fair, there are also many of the town hall meetings that are happening where there are civilized discussions and hopefully some answers being found for everybody. But you are there with a leading Republican. Is Senator Chuck Grassley expecting a rough crowd today?

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: I don't know if he's expecting a rough crowd, but he's certainly preparing for it. I mean, one of the things we know is that Senator Grassley really is at the core of the debate now in the U.S. Senate because he's the leading republican on the Senate Finance Committee which has been struggling for weeks and even over this break to try to come up with something in the way of health care reform that would be acceptable in the U.S. Senate where you need those magic 60 votes. So, certainly he's at the core of this and Iowans, as you know, are pretty plugged in politically, even when it's a nonpresidential year.

COLLINS: Sure.

CROWLEY: And you know, also the other thing about this is that in fact, Iowa has a population that is holder than the average in the U.S. and much of the criticism and much of the angst that we've heard has come from senior citizens worried about Medicare, worried about what is in there that might affect their life, their quality of life. So there were a lot of reasons that I expect you will see some very pointed questions. And while I've seen rowdy Iowa crowds, mostly what I have seen from Iowa crowds in presidential years is good, tough questions, but not craziness, if you will.

COLLINS: Well, I have to wonder and you may not have a great idea about this but I see all the people behind you and I imagine you have been talking with some of them about what they plan to say or do, any idea what some of these sticking points, some of the most common questions will be today for the senator?

CROWLEY: Yes, and I'm going to ask our other cameraman, Floyd, to sort of let...

COLLINS: OK. Great.

CROWLEY: -- you get the drift of people that are gathering here. And also to tell you that they moved this outside, which is great because it is a gorgeous day. But it was going to be inside but they think that the venue would be too small.

COLLINS: Yes.

CROWLEY: So listen, I think some of the points that, in fact, people are worried about and that is, really, the personal points because what we know is that while most people think health care needs reforming, most of them are also happy with their health care. So, there are a lot of questions. How is this going to affect my health care? How is this going to affect my pocketbook? Will I be forced into a program I don't want to be forced into. We have been hearing a lot lately, particularly from seniors about end of life decisions and things that are stuck in these bills. And part of the problem we have, Heidi, is there's no one bill and everybody, I mean, the reason they have judges is they look at the law because people dispute what the law is about and that is doubly true when it is just a piece of legislation as the people read one thing one way and other people see it in a different way. So there's lots of those sorts of end of life - what is it going to cost me, are you going to come back on Medicare, can I still see my own doctor and one of the things that Republican conservatives want to talk about a lot is how much is this going to cost a nation as a whole. If it's a trillion dollars over 10 years, there are a lot of conservatives who say at this point in the country's history, we simply can't afford that because it's a debt that we pass on to our kids and our grandkids.

COLLINS: Yes. All major, major concerns in the thick of it. All right. Our Candy Crowley, senior political correspondent in Iowa there this morning. We will continue to check in with you. Thank you, Candy.

With Congress on recess, the health care debate has moved way outside the beltway now and our Ali Velshi is on the road to find it in the CNN Express. He is joining us now live from his latest pit stop and that is Paducah, Kentucky, good morning to you, Ali.

ALI VELSHI, CNN, SENIOR BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hey. We left Paducah. I last talked to you we were leaving Paducah and heading towards east St. Louis to Missouri. East St. Louis, Illinois and East St. Louis, Missouri but we had a conversation. We are having a conversation about health care and (inaudible) are calmer and a lot more civil than these town hall meetings. We pulled to Paducah and we ended up having a conversation with people about health care. There was a little gazebo by the side and the restaurant across the street (inaudible) and here's a little of what we were told while we were there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, my husband and I are two of that 47 million plus that don't have health care, and I'm not talking insurance. Of course, we don't have insurance but I want health care. My husband has diabetes and he just had a bout with cancer. What insurance company is going to cover us? There aren't any. If I get sick today, where do I think I'm going? I'm going to the emergency room. Who is that costing? That's costing us, the taxpayers. So if it's going to cost my bottom line, they have to tax me more in order to get health care, tax me, tax me, tax me. I am willing to pay.

VELSHI (on camera): Let's talk about the 46, 47, 50, whatever million you want to use, number of people who are not insured in this country. What's your thought on that?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would really love to drive a Hummer, they're cool cars. I can't afford one, so I don't drive one. I drive what I afford.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my god. I can't believe that you're saying that people don't deserve health care if they can't afford it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where did I say that?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's what I hear you saying.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're not listening -

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. I hear you.

VELSHI: You did say, you like to buy a Hummer and you can't buy a Hummer because you can't afford it. So you're saying, if you can't afford health, you can't afford the Hummer, you don't drive it. If you can't afford health care you shouldn't get it?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, no, no. I'm saying, you have the basic stuff. You get a catastrophic illness, you're in a car crash, an accident, something like that happens, of course you get coverage for that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: All right. So a little bit of trouble with the CNN Express there and Ali Velshi, our signal not so great. So I just wanted to let you know that if you would like to see more of the town hall that he held, you can certainly do that at cnnmoney.com as Ali makes his way on the CNN Express towards St. Louis now. We'll continue to check in with him.

Meanwhile, a look at some of the town halls we're monitoring for you today. Democratic Senator Arlen Specter held one this morning in State College Pennsylvania. He had that one yesterday that we had live on our air, a lot of fireworks yesterday. So this is day two for him. Meanwhile, Senator Chuck Grassley wrapping up another one soon in Winterset, Iowa. But the Republican has three more scheduled around the state and Democratic congressman Steven Rothman holds a pair of them in New Jersey. Another Democrat Congressman Alan Boyd has two scheduled in Florida today.

By now, you probably have seen these town halls turn ugly pretty quickly, but are these meetings just turning into places to vent or are Americans really taking something away from them? We'll ask three people who were in the crowds recently in our snapshot across America. Make sure you catch that coming up at the half hour.

Now, to Southern California where some ranchers are moving their horses and other livestock out as the fire closes in around them. It's burned more than 32 square miles in Santa Barbara County fueled by the dry brush in the canyons. More than 1,000 firefighters are trying to contain it, in fact. So dry that parts of Texas, farmers are beyond desperate. They started praying for rain and praying to St. Isidore, the patron saint of farming.

Rob Marciano is watching the story for us as well. 32 square miles or is it 3,200?

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Probably 3,200. COLLINS: Yes.

MARCIANO: But praying never hurts, you know.

COLLINS: Yes. Definitely not, for rain. Obviously.

MARCIANO: And I've done it to try to get a forecast right at times.

There are showers that are in the forecast for Texas, but not as far south as we probably need them. So, that's the problem here as is the problem in Southern California. We're getting rain across the southeast today where it was raining quite a bit yesterday in spots, so, it's kind of hit or miss. Where you get it, you get it pretty heavily and these have been known to produce some rainfall one, two inches over a couple of hours. So be aware of that.

The New York and northeast which got their fair share of thunderstorms that were pretty rough and tumbly the past couple of days, looks like that action has so far sunk down to the south. All right. Here it is on the radar scope, the rain showers getting a little bit closer to Philly and up towards D.C. and getting down to Raleigh and north of Atlanta and then it gets a little bit more spotty as you head towards the Gulf of Mexico. All right.

Let's talk a little bit about the tropics. Here's what's going on in the Atlantic. This is tropical depression number two. Looks fairly impressive on the satellite imagery here. 35 miles an hour winds, gusting to 45. Moving west at about 12 miles an hour, but it is still, oh, goodness, about 1,000 miles away from the Windward islands. Because of that, we're not looking at too much action as far as where this thing is going to go any time too soon.

But the National Hurricane Center has its forecast to become a tropical storm if that happens become the name of Anna and that will be pretty darn late to see one develop this late in the season. So we're getting a slow start for sure. Official forecasts for this is for it not to become a hurricane, but intensity is always an issue.

So we'll keep you posted over the next three or four days. 88 degrees expected in Memphis, 83 degrees in D.C., and 81 degrees in New York City and back to the west, our friends who are waking up in San Francisco, 69 degrees and for this time of year, Heidi, that's pretty toasty.

COLLINS: Yes, that's lovely.

MARCIANO: Yes.

COLLINS: I like it. All right. Rob, we'll check back a little bit later on.

MARCIANO: Good. Meanwhile, lots of live events, we are watching for you coming up this hour in the NEWSROOM. The president hosting a reception for new Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Live pictures for you there, coming out of the east room and we'll check in on that.

And also, focus on health care reform, we'll keep a close eye on a town hall meeting just getting under way in Iowa. Will a leading Republican also face public anger?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: We've been watching a lot of these town hall meetings taking place on health care reform all across the country. In fact, right now, just letting you know things have started in Iowa, Senator Chuck Grassley there that you see, Winterset, Iowa to be exact. This is just the first of four different forums that he will be holding in his state. Since he holds a key position on Capitol Hill, things could get heated. Of course, we're going to keep an eye on it. In fact, let's go ahead and listen in right now. They moved this town hall outside to accommodate more people. Let's listen.

SEN. CHARLES GRASSLEY (D), IOWA: I'm one half of the process of government and you folks are the most important process, half of the process for representing a government. All of our constituents and so you talked to me and you talked to your congressman and your other senators and everything and what you do is you try, you try to, -- you try to take what you receive at the grassroots and take it back to Washington to do good things.

So, we're here to listen. We're here to answer questions and we're here at a time when I sense that people are scared for our country.

(APPLAUSE)

And people are scared for our country and that's why we're having these big turnouts. And I think it's related as much to issues involving health care, but a lot of other issues where people feel that on a fiscal policy and an economic policy, that things are not headed in the right direction. So we come here to listen and I'm going to take a few notes. So, if I'm not looking at you while you talk to me, you know, don't worry about it.

Because I want to write some things down that I get here. I take notes not only for my own benefit, but I take notes, as well, for -- OK. I don't think it will make much difference. OK. Yes. We don't have. There's no microphone. OK. Then let's go back to the basic issue. There's concern about what's going on in the country and I think that's for the big turnouts. And I think some of you are coming because you're wondering what I feel about health care issue. And I want to discuss that with you, but I also know that a lot of people come...

COLLINS: All right. So we just wanted to give you a little bit of flavor. We will continue to monitor this for you as things get under way in Winterset, Iowa, as the cameras begin to steady because Senator Chuck Grassley there getting ready to take up quite a few questions, we believe.

Meanwhile, to this happening right now. Live pictures for you. President Barack Obama and Supreme Court Justice, newly appointed, Sonia Sotomayor. This is a reception for her that is being held in the East Room and we know that the president will speak and then she will be making some brief comments after he is finished. Let's go ahead and listen in right now.

(APPLAUSE)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: All right. Good morning, everybody.

UNIDENTIFIED VOICES: Good morning.

OBAMA: And welcome to the White House. I am glad all of you could be with us today as we honor the newest member of our highest court, who I'm proud to address for the very first time as Justice Sonia Sotomayor. We are also honored to be joined by Justice Sonia Sotomayor's new colleagues. We have Justice Ginsburg who is here, as well as Justice Steven Stevens. So, I just want to thank Justice Stevens and Justice Ginsburg not only for being here today, but for your extraordinary service on the court and I know you'll be giving Justice Sotomayor some good tips.

I also want to thank everyone who has worked so hard to bring us to this day. I want to thank, especially, our Judiciary Chairman Senator Patrick Leahy as well as our Senate majority leader Harry Reid for their outstanding work - for their outstanding work to complete this process before the August recess. I want to thank Senator Schumer, Senator Gillbrand, both of whom are Justice Sotomayor's home state senators for their extraordinary work on their behalf.

I want to thank all the members of Congress who've taken the time to join us here at the White House event. And I want to acknowledge all the advocates and groups who organized and mobilized and supported these efforts from the very beginning. Your work was absolutely critical to our success and I appreciate all that you've done. So, pat yourselves on the back. Congratulations.

Two members of Congress that I just especially want to acknowledge, Senator Bob Menendez who worked so hard on the Senate side. And Congresswoman Nydia Vazquez who is our chair of Congressional Hispanic Caucus. And I think we all want to take a moment to recognize the woman who in so many ways truly made this day possible, Justice Sotomayor's mother, Celina Sotomayor. Mrs. Sotomayor is here with her husband, Omar, and Justice Sotomayor's brother, Juan, and other members of their family and we're thrilled that they could join us here today.

And, by the way, I don't normally do this, but let me also just thank my extraordinary White House staff who helped usher this stuff in. We're very proud of them. Thank you very much. Of course, we're here not just to celebrate our extraordinary new Supreme Court justice and all those who've been a part of her journey to this day, we're here, as well, to celebrate an extraordinary moment for our nation.

And we celebrate the impact that Justice Sotomayor has already had on people across america who have been inspired by her exceptional life story. We celebrate the greatness of a country in which such a story is possible. And we celebrate how with their overwhelming vote to confirm Justice Sotomayor, the United States Senate, Republicans and Democrats tore down one more barrier and affirmed our belief that in America the doors of opportunity must be opened to all.

With that vote, the Senate looked beyond the old divisions and they embraced excellence. They recognize Justice Sotomayor's intellect, her integrity and her independence of money. Her respect for the proper role of each branch of government and her fidelity to the law in each case she hears and her devotion to protecting our core constitutional rights and liberties. As Justice (INAUDIBLE) once said that in order for government to ensure those rights for all its citizens, government officials must be attempted to the concrete human realities at stake in the decisions they make. They must understand as Justice Brennan put it, the pulse of life beneath the official version of events.

The pulse of life beneath the official version of events. Justice Sotomayor understands those realities because she has witnessed them first hand as a prosecutor, a litigator and a judge working up on our laws and keep our community safe and give people the chance to live out their dreams. Work that she has done with devotion, with distinction and with an unyielding commitment to giving back to this country that has given her so much. And she understands these things because she's lived these things.

Because her life is one of those only in America's stories. Raised by a single mom in the South Bronx, determined to give her every opportunity to succeed. Propelled by the talent and the hard work that would earn her scholarships and honors at the best schools in the country and driven always by the belief that it doesn't matter where you come from or what you look like or what challenges life throws your way, no dream is beyond reach in the United States of America. With her extraordinary breath and depth of experience, Justice Sotomayor brings to the court both a mastery of the letter of the law and an understanding of how the law actually unfolds in our daily lives.

Its impact on how we work and worship and raise our families on whether we have the opportunities we need to live the lives we imagined. That understanding is vital for the work of a Supreme Court justice. As Justice Stevens and Justice Ginsburg will testify. The work of applying principles set forth that are founding to the cases and controversies of our time. For as visionary as our founders were, they did not presume to know exactly how the times would change and what new questions fate and history would set before us, instead they sought to articulate ideals that would be timeless. Ideals that would accommodate the ever changing circumstances of our lives and preserve for each new generation our most sacred rights and freedoms.

When Justice Sotomayor put her hand on that Bible and took that oath, we took yet another step towards realizing those ideals. We came yet another step closer to the more perfect union that we all see. Because while this is Justice Sotomayor's achievement, the result of her ability and determination, this moment is not just about her. It's about every child who will grow up thinking to him or herself that if Sonia Sotomayor can make it, then maybe I can too.

About every mother or father who looks at the sacrifices Justice Sotomayor's mother made and the successes she and her brother have had and thinks I may not have much in my own life, but if I work hard enough, maybe my kids can have more. It's about everyone in this nation facing challenges and struggles in their lives who hears Justice Sotomayor's story and thinks to themselves if she can overcome so much and go so far, then why can't I? Nearly 80 years ago as the cornerstone was laid for the building that became our Supreme Court, Chief Justice Charles Evan Hughes declared the republic endures and this is the symbol of its fate.

Justice Sotomayor's rise from the humble beginnings to height of achievement is yet another symbol of that faith. Faith that the American dream still endures. Faith that equal justice under the law is not just an inscription in marble, but an animating ideal of our democracy. Faith that in this great nation all things are still possible for all people. This is a great day for America and I know that all of us here are proud and honored to have been a part of it. And, so, with that, I would like to introduce the newest member of the United States Supreme Court, Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

SONIA SOTOMAYOR, SUPREME COURT JUSTICE: No words cannot equally express what I'm feeling. No speech can fully capture my joy in this moment. Nothing can convey the depth of gratitude I feel to the countless family members starting with mom and my brother and the many friends and colleagues so many of you who are here with me today and the others who aren't, who have helped me to reach this moment. None of this would have happened without all of you.

Mr. President, I have the most heartfelt appreciation for the trust that you've placed in me by nominating me. And I want to convey my thanks to the Judiciary Committee led by Chairperson Leahy for conducting a respectful and timely hearing. And to all members of the Senate for approving the president's selection. I am so grateful to all of you for this extraordinary opportunity. I am most grateful to this country.

I stand here today knowing that my confirmation as an associate justice of the Supreme Court would never have been possible without the opportunities presented to me by this nation. More than two centuries ago in a constitution that contained fewer than 5,000 words, our founders set forth their vision for this new land. Their self- proclaimed task was to form a more perfect union, to establish justice and to secure the blessings of liberty for themselves and their posterity.

Over the years, the ideals at the heart of that document have endured as subsequent generations have expanded those blessings. These rights and freedoms to more and more Americans. Our constitution has survived domestic and international tumult, including a civil war, two world wars and the catastrophe of September 11th. It draws together people of all races, faiths and backgrounds from all across this country, who carry its words and values in our heart. It is this nation's faith in a more perfect union that allows a Puerto Rican girl from the Bronx to stand here now. (APPLAUSE)

SOTOMAYOR: I am struck again today by the wonder of my own life. And the life we in America are so privileged to lead. In reflecting on my life experiences, I am thinking also today of the judicial oath of office that I first took almost two decades ago and that I reiterated this past weekend. "To judge without respect to what a person looks like, where they come from or whether they are rich or poor, and to treat all persons as equal under the law." That is what our system of justice requires, and it is the foundation of the American people's faith in the rule of law, and it is why I am so passionate about the law.

I am deeply humbled by the sacred responsibility of upholding our laws and safeguarding the rights and freedoms set forth in our Constitution. I ask not just my family and friends, but I ask all Americans to wish me divine guidance and wisdom in administering my new office.

I thank you all again for the love and support you have shown me, and I thank President Obama and the United States Senate for the tremendous honor and privilege they have granted me. Thank you.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you. Thank you. You're going to be great. Best of luck.

COLLINS: So, President Barack Obama and Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor at reception that he and the first lady holding for the newly confirmed justice you see there in the East Room today. We saw her get a little emotional there, and I believe that is her mother that she is hugging. Very nice, once again, coming from the East Room this morning.

Meanwhile, we are continuing to watch a number of live events happening on this busy morning. To Winterset, Iowa, where Senator Chuck Grassley is holding one of four town hall meetings on the health care reform today. We are watching this and will continue to check on that throughout the morning for you, bringing any sound and questions from the large crowd that has gathered. They had to move things outside in order to accommodate everybody that is there. Just as soon as we are able to do that.

Also looking that Dow, bottom of your screen there, look at that. Up triple digits for the Dow Jones Industrial averages by 112 points. Resting now at 9,354. We'll watch that, as well. Back right here in a moment in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Very quickly back to this because we have been watching a number of these town hall meetings taking place across the country. Health care reform, obviously, the issue. This one, in particular, as you can tell, being held outside to accommodate the large crowd that has gathered in Winterset, Iowa. Senator Chuck Grassley holding the first of four he will tackle today. We've been listening in, taking a lot of questions. In fact, our senior political correspondent Candy Crowley is also there. A lot of people, as you see, taking notes and trying to get as much as they can out of this particular town hall meeting.

Well, you've seen some of them also get pretty angry. Angry crowds pushing and shouting and shoving at the health care town halls. What are they mad about in particular, though?

We're looking at what's fact and what's fiction about health care plans being considered on Capitol Hill because remember, we don't have a bill yet. It's still, of course, being formulated. And we have our senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen and Josh Levs on the CNN Truth Squad today.

Elizabeth, let's start with you. One of the big questions is, will my employer actually go for the public option? First, we want to listen in to what the president's response was to that question.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: I think private insurers should be able to compete. They do it all the time. I mean -- if you think about, if you think about it, you know, UPS and FedEx are doing just fine, right? No, they are. It's just the post office that's always having problems.

So, right now, you've got private insurers who are out there competing effectively, even though a lot of people get their care through Medicare, Medicaid or D.A. There is nothing inevitable about this somehow destroying the public marketplace as long as, and this is a legitimate point you're raising, it's not set up where the government is basically being subsidized by the taxpayers...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ELIZABETH COHEN, SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Okay. Here's the concern that the president was trying to address just there. Some of the plans, including his own say, hey, let's have a government- sponsored health insurance program for people under the age of 65. We already have one of those for people over the age of 65; it's called Medicare.

The concern is that plan is going to be cheaper. Now, usually we think of cheaper as good. Here's the worry. The premiums for the government plan will be, I'm told, probably be 10 percent to 20 percent less than for private plans. Aetna, United, Blue Cross, those folks. The concern is that companies, employers are going to say, wow, 10 percent to 20 percent less. Let's jump on that band wagon and forget the private insurers. We're going to go with the government plan.

A couple things to say about this. First of all, employers right now don't always go for the cheapest plan. They can, right, they can buy whatever they wanted. They don't always go for the cheapest plan. Often they go for something that is a bit more expensive than what they could get because they want to compete for employees and because maybe they like the slightly more expensive plan. That's one thing to keep in mind here when we're talking about this government-sponsored health insurance plan.

COLLINS: Well, will all employers be allowed to use this government-sponsored plan or does your company have to be a certain size or make a certain profit or what's up with that?

COHEN: That's an excellent point, Heidi. Not all companies can just say, okay, we want the government plan, let's do that. Different plans spell it out differently, but there are limitations as to how many companies can jump on that band wagon. For example, under some plans, if you're a larger companies can jump on that bandwagon. For example, under some plans, if you're a larger company, you just can't get this insurance. You'd have to get a private plan.

Only small companies can do the government-sponsored plan. And it depends, in different years. I mean, there's all sorts of parameters out there. But no, every company can't just jump on the government health care bandwagon, even if they want to.

COLLINS: Yes. Understood. OK, Elizabeth, thank you for that.

Also at these town hall meetings that we have been keeping our eye on, we hear claims from people in the crowd, including some assertions that seem to be popping up more and more frequently. And our Josh Levs have been looking into some of those, particularly one, Josh, they have been bringing up. What is this about now?

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. It's been really interesting, Heidi. We've been hearing it several times, and the basic idea, some voters saying they're concerned as far as health reform, the government might have access to their private bank accounts. Look at what a voter said yesterday to Senator Arlen Specter.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: On page 58 and 59 of this bill , which gives the government access to private individual bank accounts at their free will -- I do not think the government has the right to do that. I would think -- I would have to brush up on my Constitution, but I would think that is unconstitutional. I know definitely it's un- American.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEVS: Heidi, the "Truth Squad" has broken that down (ph). Let me get you straight to the major points. We'll go to some graphics.

The first thing to understand here is that there is a version that the House is looking at that calls on the government to set rules for electronic transitions. But on the next screen, we'll show you the point of those. And what the House Ways and Means says is that the purpose is to set up standardized payment systems business between insurers and the offices of doctors, not private accounts. So, on this last screen you'll see our ruling on this. The "Truth Squad" is back with our rulings. We've determined that one to be false because the provision affects companies in medical billing. It does not affect individuals. Simply the way the law reads right now. As you mentioned, a lot of things can change. We keep an eye on that. The "Truth Squad" will be around to do that. You can always see what's the latest -- here's an example right here -- at CNNpolitics.com. We'll be back as we follow these attacks and claims and assertions on all sides, Heidi.

COLLINS: OK. Very good. Josh Levs, Elizabeth Cohen, thank you very much. Appreciate that, guys.

In fact, we are asking you. Would you actually attend a town hall meeting, if you could? A lot of calls coming in to the "Heidi Hotline." Here's what somebody said, listen.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

CALLER: I would attend a town hall meeting to make sure that Washington understands that we will not put up with them rushing through a bill...

CALLER: My husband and I had hoped to go to a town hall meeting, and we found ourselves really turned off by the crazy stuff that's been going on in these meetings.

CALLER: I wouldn't be interested in attending those meetings. I feel a lot of people do not have the true facts.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

COLLINS: Well, that's just it. Everybody really searching for the facts in all of this at this point. In fact, we get a lot of responses on our blog, as well. CNN.com/heidi. Let's go over to the Heidi Mac and take a look right here.

One of them said, "Absolutely." Again, a response to whether or not you would go to a town hall. "I need to know the facts, and my opinions need to be heard. I'm sick of hearing all the sound bites and rhetoric on the news. The town hall meeting is the only place to hear at least most of the truth to be taken with a grain of salt, naturally."

Then also this one. "I would want to go to a town hall meeting. If I am assured there will be intelligent conversation. From what I've seen on TV, these meeting have turned into dangerous places where questions are not heard or answered. This is a shame." We'll try to do it a little bit differently here on showing you some town hall meetings that have not been so explicit, as well. Some civilized discussion is taking place.

It is not too late to weigh in. You can go to my blog at CNN.com/heidi or call the "Hotline to Heidi" number. 1-877-742-5760.

In fact, speaking of, we are looking at Senator Chuck Grassley there in Winterset, Iowa, holding one of four town hall meetings on health care reform that he will be doing today. Live pictures there. We'll check it out after the break.

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COLLINS: As we've been telling you, it is make and break month on health care reform. So we've seen a lot of these town hall meetings going on. Congress is in recess, as you know, and with lawmakers going back to their hometowns and listening to their constituents.

Right now, in fact, let's go and listen in for just a moment. Senator Chuck Grassley fielding questions from a large audience there in Winterset, Iowa.

SEN. CHUCK GRASSLEY (R), IOWA: I want to comment on your last point. I will ask this guy, since there's so many hands up, and you may think I have enemies around here I don't want to answer questions for. I will have him pick the next one.

(LAUGHTER)

But, just a minute. I want to comment. You said don't hurry it through. Let me -- let me suggest to anybody who's critical of me for negotiating for five months, and the last two months, well, I didn't say you criticize me. But you have been criticized for being at the table, just like I ought to be sitting in my office with my feet up on my desk instead of do what I'm hired to do, and that is to represent the people of Iowa.

(APPLAUSE)

But the bottom line of it is that I wanted to tell you because you said it's good that we got this month of August to think these things through. Do you know if we had a partisan bill out of Finance Committee. There was a markup date for June 23, and we would have a bill through the United States Senate, probably not one I would have voted for. But -- so if anybody criticizing me for negotiating, you've got six weeks to look a bill that you wouldn't otherwise have. And I don't think that you would have -- I would have 150 people at my town meeting or maybe 300 people here at my town hall meeting. Okay, you're picking the next person.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This lady right here in blue.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, Senator Grassley. I have a family of four. I have been trying to buy my own health insurance for me and my children and my husband, primarily my children. I did estimates, and the cheapest insurance that doesn't have a $10,000-a-year deductible per person is 830-some-odd dollars.

This is a problem. I can't take my children to the doctor with no insurance. I would be more than glad to buy my own insurance if it was more cost effective. I need to know what are you doing to these insurance companies that putting everything in their pocket and just laughing at everybody else.

GRASSLEY: You probably don't fall into the category of people who have been denied based upon pre-existing conditions, but that's the biggest discrimination we have, and we do away with that. And then for people that have high costs -- and you have very high premiums and sometimes very low premiums -- we're going to narrow the band of premiums.

And then for people that are below -- and what I'm telling you now has not being decided in our committee yet, but there is discussion going on right now of tax credits, and if you're below 300 percent of poverty, it would probably be in the neighborhood of -- what we call a refundable tax credit for you to have help to buy your insurance. OK.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (OFF-MIKE)...I am not proud of the way the Congress is (INAUIDBLE) 535 people up there. Social Security is bankrupt, Medicare is bankrupt, the post office and bankrupt, and now a crowd of Americans is going to trust you people to do the right thing.

GRASSLEY: The last half of your sentence -- I was writing and I...

UNIIDENTIFIED MALE: How will I trust you people to do the right thing because of all the bankruptcy (INAUDIBLE) people caused us? (INAUDIBLE)

GRASSLEY: I don't think enough people come to town meetings like this. That's one thing. If every town meeting was made up of people that are fearful for our country, like I sense these people and more so, you know, what you've seen on television, I think it would make a big difference. And I don't think enough people write to congressmen. I think people feel -- will you hold that for me, sir? Let me get up here.

I think people -- I think people that writing to Congress doesn't do any good, and I suppose there are 535 different answers to that question, but I answer every letter. Now, I'm about 14,000 letters behind right now because -- because there's so many more people writing now, just like there's three times as many people coming to my town meetings as came over the last ten years on average.

What you're doing by being here is going to make a big difference. In the end, unless you come, and particularly in the United States Senate where you have to run statewide, in Congress, and Iowa would be an exception to this. But in so many states, Congressmen have such safe seats that they don't -- they have to listen to their people but maybe they don't have to be as responsive because their election margins are not so narrow. Out of 435 seats, there might be 100, or I mean 300 that fall into that category. See? Okay. Well, anyway, you asked how to participate.

Gentleman in the plaid shirt.

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)

GRASSLEY: I got to write that down. UNIDENTIFED MALE: I'll say this. Repeat the question for the senator while he's writing. The question was, if a health care bill or health insurance correction bill or whatever you want to call it gets passed, will a senator be willing to accept that same plan for his care?

(APPLAUSE)

GRASSLEY: The answer is yes, but let me give you a background so you know I'm just not answering your question today, but I had a six- year crusade ending in 1995. To get a bill passed that's called the Government Accountability Act. For 60 years prior to that, starting in about the 1930s, Congress would pass a law affecting people in this country, mostly business people. Like the minimum wage laws and the OSHA laws and the civil rights laws. There are probably about 15 or 16 of them that are encountered at one time.

They -- you know, I'm an employer. I hire staff. And from that standpoint, we were exempt from all those laws. So, we had one set of laws for Capitol Hill and another set of laws for the entire rest of the country. And so I thought that that was bad business. In other words, how could we understand what you as a small business person goes through...

COLLINS: All right. Once again, we have been listening in on and off to Senator Chuck Grassley holding a town hall meeting on health care reform. Winterset, Iowa. It's actually one of four sessions that he will be holding today. Answer questions that are coming to him from the audience. We obviously should let you know that he's a Republican. He's a ranking member of the Finance Committee and several other committees that he's involved in, as well. So, taking his information that he has on health care reform bill and passing it along to his constituents that are questioning him.

Also want to let you know because we're looking at the Dow today, up triple digits. Want to point that out quickly to you before we go. Up 125 points, in fact. Resting at 9,368. So, as we continue to watch interest rates. Still expected to be a change, but the Fed will announce that decision later on.

Meanwhile, I'm Heidi Collins. Going to take a little vacation and see you in a week. Hope you have a great week. CNN NEWSROOM continues after a quick break with Tony Harris.

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