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No Deal Reached, Shutdown at Midnight; NATO Strategy Questioned
Aired April 08, 2011 - 09:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Here we are. It is Friday, just 14 hours from a dramatic deadline in Washington and consequences that will reach every corner of our country. All eyes on the House floor, there could be a breakthrough on a budget deal any minute now. And President Obama is waiting on a phone call from congressional leaders. Maybe that will happen this hour.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told our Brianna Keilar one issue holding up this debate -- it's not money, it's women's health.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REID: The debate has nothing to do with the number. It has everything to do with women's health. That's the only issue that was left undone when we left the White House last night.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Of course, he's talking about defunding Planned Parenthood.
House Speaker John Boehner's office says he's wrong. It's all about spending cuts.
Both leaders are expected to call the White House sometime in the next couple of hours -- as I said, we're keeping tabs on that.
In five minutes, we'll talk to Representative Michele Bachmann, a Minnesota Republican and Tea Party favorite about the holdup.
And in 15 minutes, we'll talk to a cancer doctor. He says his research program shudders if there's no deal.
And what about federal staffers? Who's essential and who's nonessential? And what exactly does that mean? In the meantime, our Ed Henry live at the White House, tracking developments there. But let's get right to Brianna Keilar joining us by phone from Capitol Hill. Brianna, you spoke with Senator Reid earlier this morning. What was his tone?
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on the phone): Yes, I'm actually sitting with a pen and pad waiting for Senator Reid and other democratic leaders so we can hear more information. But what he said, Carol, was that abortion really was the only issue. The Republicans desire to deprive Planned Parenthood of federal funds. Planned Parenthood does provide abortions among things like STD testing and cancer screenings.
But what you're hearing from him is completely different from what you're hearing from Republicans, who say "no, spending cuts." The amount of cuts is still very much an issue. It certainly does not boil down just to abortion. You have basically Democrats who are saying that Republicans are willing to shut down the government over this hot-button social issue, and you have Republicans saying, "No, it really comes down to Democrats who don't want to cut spending, and Democrats are trying to make it look really like we would hold this hostage to a single issue of abortion.
You have a couple of things going on here, Carol. You have the blame game, the conditioning in case there is a government shutdown for the message here. But you also have, as we go in to a shutdown here, in 14 hours, if no deal is reached, this sort of each side using what they think is their strongest position to try to make the other side flinch in what is finally shaping up to be a game of chicken.
COSTELLO: And you're sitting there with your pen and your paper and your pad ready to go. So we'll let you to get more information. So Brianna Keilar, many thanks.
Let's get right to our Ed Henry. He is at the White House. So President Obama is waiting on this phone call, Ed, and he's hearing these things fly around on Capitol Hill today. So how might he react?
ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, he basically set a deadline late last night when he came out and told reporters after his fourth meeting with Speaker Boehner and Senate majority leader Reid in just the last couple of days. Basically said "I want a readout from them. I want some sort of progress report early on Friday."
The idea being that there's a lot of preparations that have started but would really need to kick into high gear if the government is shut down at midnight. So the president is demanding an early read. I'm told by officials close to the talks the president is expecting that call, maybe 10:00, 10:30 Eastern time. So we're right in that zone right now. But I was also cautioned to not -- that they don't want an arbitrary time, that Senator Reid, Speaker Boehner are going to keep talking amongst themselves, with their staff, until the final moments here so that they don't set an arbitrary deadline.
But the president is pushing for some sort of readout here. I think the bottom line is that when you step back on how this week has turned out. It started Monday with maybe the White House thinking they were moving closer to a deal. The president actually filed a paperwork for his official re-election in 2012. Now the week is ending potentially with him overseeing a government shutdown that could be politically radioactive. Heading into that next election.
You think about the last two elections, 2008, 2010, where voters focused on change, throwing out a lot of incumbents. This is the kind of move that, if it all falls apart, who knows who's going to get the blame, Carol.
COSTELLO: Ed Henry, live at the White House.
We want to bring in Congresswoman Michele Bachmann now. She's a Tea Party star, and is now talked about as a presidential -- possible presidential contender. Congresswoman, welcome.
REP. MICHELE BACHMANN (R), MINNESOTA: Hi, Carol. Thank you.
COSTELLO: Hi. We're glad you're here. I'd like for you to listen again to what we just heard from Senate majority leader Harry Reid, because his allegation is very specific. So listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV), MAJORITY LEADER: The issue does not deal with the number. It's good for you to try to switch the debate. The debate has nothing to do with the number. It has everything to do with women's health. That's the only issue that was left undone when we left the White House last night.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Of course, congresswoman, he's talking about the defunding of Planned Parenthood and the abortion issue. Nancy Pelosi is also talking. She's calling the GOP budget a war on women. As a woman, how do you respond to that?
BACHMANN: Well I think that it's a very different perspective. Because as a woman, I'm a mother of five children. I've also been a mother to 23 foster children, I believe in life, and in the protection of innocent life. And so I believe that Planned Parenthood does have a problem when it comes to acceptance of government grants. They are a billion dollar a year operation, $350 million of which comes from federal government grants.
There's a lot of people that have moral problems with that. And I think it's difficult to force people to violate their conscience to send that money to Planned Parenthood. Because, again --
COSTELLO: Congresswoman, I'm sorry to interrupt. But Senator Reid said it's all boiling down to this one issue. Planned Parenthood could throw a wrench into everything. Does it boil down to this one issue?
BACHMANN: Well, not according to John Boehner. If you look at John Boehner's statement, he said that the policy riders, which would include Planned Parenthood, have already been resolved. So we're hearing two very different messages. John Boehner said the policy issues have been resolved. I would take John Boehner at his word.
He's not going to say something that isn't true. And also he said that it's down to money difference. He had mentioned that they're down to about $6.5 billion difference. In a $3.5 trillion budget, a $6.5 billion difference is not -- is not a large difference. I actually am positive about the fact that I think the two sides will come to agreement. Now for me, I have felt from the beginning that this is a very small ball arena. I thought that they should actually be fighting over larger issues, like the defunding of Obamacare. They chose not to do that. And so I won't be able to vote for this budget bill because I think it spends too much and it doesn't attack the defunding of Obamacare. But I do think that both sides, in all likelihood, will reach an agreement sometime today.
COSTELLO: So members of the Tea Party who were very against the funding of Planned Parenthood, would they be happy with that issue being pulled off the table to come up with some sort of deal?
BACHMANN: I think there are people who will be unhappy with it. I'm unhappy with it. I won't be able to vote for this deal.
COSTELLO: So if that issue is pulled off the table, you won't be able to agree to a budget deal? That one issue.
BACHMANN: I won't be able to agree to the budget deal because I said very early on that we need to have bigger spending cuts and we needed to defund Obamacare. That's the stake in the ground that I put in. We aren't even touching Obamacare in this bill and so I can't vote for it. I can't speak for the other members, what they'll be doing. But John Boehner needs to deliver 218 votes, and I think that the two sides are close enough now that I think he'll be able to do that again. I disagreed from the beginning. I believed we needed to have a bigger fight. We didn't have that so I can't give my vote.
COSTELLO: But why not wait until -- why not fight over the 2012 budget and have that bigger fight then, as opposed to now?
BACHMANN: Well, Carol, I think that's exactly what's going to happen. I think you will see the bigger fight in 2012, because there are a lot of big issues, including the defunding of Obama care, Planned Parenthood. But also getting at the real problem with the budget, which are all of the entitlements that need to be reformed.
We're looking at social security and Medicare on shaky ground. They need to be shored up. They need to be made secure and safe, so that people can rely on them. On the current budget they can't. So that's where the fight will be, I think, in 2012.
COSTELLO: And just a last question, because there are voters out there who blame the Tea Party for the mess that we're in now over the budget. They say that they're throwing a wrench into things that doesn't need to be thrown. How do you respond to them?
BACHMANN: Well, the truth of the matter is actually unfortunately, Harry Reid. Because he and Chuck Schumer and Howard Dean said last week on tape that they wanted to see the federal government shut down and they plan to blame the Tea Party. So that was their political strategy from the very beginning. They have to own their words. They want to see the government shut down. And so I ultimately don't think it will today. I think that it actually will stay open. And then the big fight that we need to have will come in the 2012 budget. COSTELLO: Congresswoman Bachmann, thank you so much for joining us. We appreciate it.
BACHMANN: Thank you, Carol.
COSTELLO: And you can get a different perspective on this debate coming up at 11:00 a.m. Eastern. Suzanne Malveaux interviews the president of Planned Parenthood.
So if this 11th hour talks fall short, what happens? It will take all day to run down the list so I'll give you a few examples. The FDA will have to cut back on inspections to make sure your food and medicines are safe. An official says the FDA will be severely limited. National parks, places like Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, the Statue of Liberty and the National Mall would close and could lose about $32 million per day. Around 800 federal workers could be furloughed. And U.S. troops, including those fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq won't get their paychecks on time.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's all up in the air. There's nobody giving any concrete answers. They seem to be fighting like children.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You've taken money from a man or a woman that you just sent to Iraq or Afghanistan to pull a trigger. It doesn't get more ludicrous than that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: You can bet the world is watching the U.S. budget battle.
CNN's Zain Verjee is in London and she's following things from that angle. Hello, Zain.
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Carol. Let's go straight to see what the headlines are saying. This is what "The Guardian's" headline is. "How one disagreement can shut down a country." It goes on to say, "Is this only the start? A bigger budget battle is looming over the budget for next year, and beyond."
The "International Herald Tribune says "Why pay Congress? If congressional Republicans actually shut down the government this weekend, they will be making a powerful argument for autocracy. Chinese television will be all over the story."
Carol, the world's watching.
COSTELLO: Incredible. It certainly is. And not in a good way, frankly.
Zain Verjee live in London, thank you.
NATO admits it may have fired on the very forces it's trying to protect in Libya. But it's not apologizing. We're live in Libya, after a break.
Actually, we're back, because there is no break right there. Sorry about that.
We may be facing a government shutdown with some real, unintended consequences. I'm going to talk to a doctor who will tell us how some cancer patients could be really hurt by a shutdown. Now we're going to a break. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: If the federal government shuts down, one group that will be hurt, cancer patients. Those who take part in medical trials that receive federal funding could face losing access to their life- saving drugs.
Dr. Robert Comis is the president and chairman of the Coalition of Cancer Cooperative Groups and he joins me now live from Philadelphia. Welcome, doctor.
DR. ROBERT COMIS, CANCERTRIALSHELP.ORG: Thank you, Carol.
COSTELLO: Tell me what's at stake here.
COMIS: So, the National Cancer Institute sponsors trials, clinical trials in cancer throughout the country. And our cancer cooperative groups put on about 25,000 cancer patients a year, both adults and children. So, these trials are sponsored by the Cancer Institute, and dependent on the cancer institute for their conduct.
For instance, we're about ready to open a new trial in malignant melanoma, the skin cancer, where we're very, very hopeful that for patients for high risk after surgery we may be able to decrease their risk and increase overall survival with a brand-new approach to immune treatment. We are just about ready to open that study, and now we can't.
COSTELLO: Now, why not? Why can't you? How does the federal government get involved in that?
COMIS: So, these studies are sponsored by the Cancer Institute, but there are critical functions that the Cancer Institute plays. For instance, the new drugs that are used in these trials are generally made available through the Cancer Institute. So if the government shutdown occurs, we'll have increasing difficulty in actually getting the drugs to treat the patients on not only the trial I just mentioned but all the on-going trials throughout the country.
So if this drug distribution system falls apart, we're going to have to start telling our patients that we can't get these medicines.
COSTELLO: So are there any other options?
COMIS: Not with these trials, because, you know, they're sponsored by the Cancer Institute and they're covered by institutional review boards throughout the land, actually. And it's sort of complicated and arcane. But these medicines have to come through the NCI or the National Cancer Institute when the investigational drugs are sponsored by the National Cancer Institute.
COSTELLO: Well, we still have a dozen or so hours to go. We hope some budget deal is reached. Thank you so much, Dr. Comis, for joining us today.
COMIS: Thank you, Carol.
COSTELLO: Turning our attention now to Libya. An admission, but no apology from NATO today. NATO concedes its air strikes might have mistakenly hit opposition forces and their tanks in eastern Libya, killing four people. But NATO is not apologizing for the deaths, saying it had no information that opposition forces were using tanks.
In the meantime, a former CIA operative says the no-fly zone is not working, and NATO must put troops on the ground.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT BAER, FORMER CIA OPERATIVE: We have to do something decisive now. We cannot let this fester or it will turn into a complete catastrophe.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Let's go now to CNN's Nic Robertson. He joins us by phone from outside Misrata. So, Nic, is it necessary to put boots on the ground to get real control of the situation?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (ON THE PHONE): Well, we're just about to go into Misrata the rebels are surrounded, besieged by government forces. This has been going on for the last five or six weeks. The whole duration of the no-fly zone. We've heard the NATO commanders say that it's difficult to target government forces at Misrata because it's an urban environment. That the tanks, we were here a weak ago, a week and a half ago, tanks were hidden under trees. Military vehicles hidden inside store fronts. To have made any enforcement of the NATO -- the U.N. resolution to protect civilians, it makes it very, very difficult.
But it's also very difficult military environment. Gadhafi's forces far outnumber the rebels and have more equipment. Yet they're not able to take over the city. So even boots on the ground here would be struggling to make a decisive impact here. And the rebels have nowhere to fight to here. They're fighting to hold a piece of territory. They can't break out of this town and hook up with rebels elsewhere. You know, the other rebels are 400 to 500 miles away here, Carol. So it's a very difficult and intractable situation.
COSTELLO: Nic Robertson, reporting live from Misrata, Libya. Thank you so much.
Pro basketballer Allen Iverson has a run-in with police while riding in his car. His very expensive car, with a friend. We'll tell you about his tirade with the cops, next.
And we're expecting House Speaker Boehner any minute now. We're keeping a close eye on that.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Fans of "American Idol" say they're going to stop watching unless last night's huge injustice is not rectified. "Showbiz Tonight" show A.J. Hammer has that story and more, including the story of Allen Iverson and his run-in with police. Here in Atlanta. Hi, A.J..
A.J. HAMMER, "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" HOST: Hey, Carol. Make no mistake about it. Former NBA superstar Allen Iverson takes his celebrity status very, very seriously. Now, cops pulled him over in Atlanta last week. We're just getting the police report now. I got to tell you this thing is good reading.
When the officer told Allen that his plates were expired, well, Iverson let him know, "Take the vehicle, I have 10 more." That's according to the police report. Now Iverson then dropped some expletives, and a, "Do you know who I am?" He added the gem, "I make more money than you will in 10 years." All before returning to apologize for his behavior.
But, Carol, staying true to his image, Iverson was picked up later by a friend who was driving a Rolls-Royce. So all ended well for him, I guess.
COSTELLO: Well, maybe. Are the police charging -- he didn't have the proper license plate on his car. Is that all they can charge him with? I guess so.
HAMMER: I don't know what happened as a result of his outrage and his rant. We'll have to sort of wait and see on that. But I'm guessing he'll be getting a summons or two for the expired tags.
COSTELLO: Got you. So talk about what happened last night on "Idol"?
HAMMER: Yes, this was a huge shock for "American Idol" fans last night. One of the season's favorites to win it all got voted off. Take a look at what happened.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RYAN SEACREST, HOST "AMERICAN IDOL": Pia. Stefano, you are safe. You are safe.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, no, no!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: The judges and the other contestants were just stunned. You could hear the crowd booing there. A lot of "Idol" lovers really thought that Pia Toscano was going to be the one to go all the way and win it all. Pia barely made it through her farewell song. She was singing "I'll Stand By You," and she broke down after singing it. Idol fans just erupted on social media after this happened.
Many are vowing to never watch the show again, even J. Lo broke down in tears at one point. She and her fellow judges, Steven Tyler and Randy Jackson rushed right up onto the stage. They wanted to console Pia at the end. The judges did use their only save a few weeks ago, Carol. They wanted to save another favorite, Casey Abrams. I'm wondering today if they have regrets about that. I mean, that was a good save for them. But, again, this one, Pia, the favorite to win the whole thing. So maybe they're thinking, oh --
COSTELLO: Sometimes even if they're voted off early, I mean things work out for them. Maybe it will for Pia.
HAMMER: That's absolutely true. Yes, and sometimes it can be the best thing that happened to them. Well, we have to wait and see -- wow, when you were even hearing her singing in her farewell song "You're like oh, my goodness, they shouldn't have let this one go." But it's the fans, it's the people voting at home, who are responsible for that, not the judges.
COSTELLO: Exactly. So "Jersey Shore" spawning not one, but two spinoff series?
HAMMER: Are you as excited as I am? Get ready for more fist pumping. MTV has announced that the "Shore's" Pauley D. is going to get his own show. It's going to document his life as DJ, and then Snookie and J. Wow also green lit for their own series, which is supposed to give viewers a glimpse into how the two deal with life and love when vacation is over.
Both series are slated to air next year. "Jersey Shore," Carol, has been the most successful series in MTV history. Perhaps that is actually what is responsible for our impending government shutdown. I'm just saying.
COSTELLO: I look the way your brain works. A.J., thank you. We always appreciate it. If you want information on everything breaking in the entertainment world, A.J.'s got it tonight on "Showbiz Tonight" at 5:00 p.m. Eastern and 11:00 p.m. on HLN.
The Bronx Zoo cobra that's been in the news since it escaped last week, now has a name. It even has its own twitter account, still. The zoo and the "New York Daily News ran a contest and got more than 33,000 name suggestions. The winner, Mia, which is short for missing in action. Oh, and in the cobra's tweet last night, "So the vote is in," the snake said, "They want to name me Mia, but in my heart I'll always know that my true name is Mrs. Justin Bieber." A.J., you stuck around for this. Don't you love this?
HAMMER: Oh, I did. Well, because I'm here to dispel any rumors that the snake will be going on tour with Justin Bieber's hair, which is something that we had talked about previously. I wanted to make sure that information got out. It's Friday. There's a lot going on, Carol. But people need to know the cobra not touring with Justin Bieber or his hair.
COSTELLO: Wasn't there a Facebook push to have the cobra like guest host on "Saturday Night Live"?
HAMMER: Yes, exactly. It worked for Betty White. There was the big campaign to get her on "SNL." She ended up hosting the show. So perhaps we're going to see the cobra hosting "Saturday Night Live." I don't think so. But you never know.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: Really strange these days.
COSTELLO: Thanks, A.J.
No work, no pay. Non-essential workers could be collateral damage in the budget battle between the president and Congress. We'll tell you just who those non-essential employees are.
And we're expecting to hear from House Speaker John Boehner any minute now on the budget. We're keeping a close eye on that building right there. We'll be back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Republican House leader John Boehner expected to come out any minute to say a few words about the budget battle, and whether any deal has been cut. We understand he might have been presenting some sort of deal to Republicans in the House but we don't know that. When John Boehner comes out, of course, he'll probably tell us that.
And of course, as you know, President Obama is awaiting a phone call from both John Boehner, and Harry Reid of the Senate, a Democrat from the Senate, to see where things stand in the budget negotiations. So we're keeping an eye on that. As soon as John Boehner comes out and speaks, of course, we'll take you back to the capitol live.
13 hours and change before a possible government shutdown. Consequences that reach every corner of the country. Not exactly comedy gold, but Conan O'Brien managed to milk this budget mess for a laugh.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CONAN O'BRIEN, HOST "CONAN": If the government does shut down, federal meat inspection may be delayed. Yes. In other words, in other words, Taco Bell will not be affected.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: So wrong.
On that note, it is time for Political Buzz when we gather different viewpoints on the most pressing political questions of the day. Each of our political observers gets 20 seconds to answer each question brilliantly. Dana Loesh is a Tea Party supporter and CNN contributor. Steve Kornacki leans to the left and is the politics editor for salon.com. And Pete Dominic is our guy with a unique perspective on all things political.
So, let's get right to it. Who will voters blame if the government shuts down? Steve?
STEVE KORNACKI, POLITICS EDITOR, SALON.COM: Well, I think it's pretty clear that they blame Republicans -- I think even Republicans realize that. And that's why I could be proved a fool by the end of the day, but I think this is all brinkmanship on Speaker Boehner's part. Because he knows he's got to come to a deal. He just has to stretch out this process as long as possible so that he can go back to the very conservative members of his party in the House and say, I tried as much as I can. Now we have to fold.
COSTELLO: OK. We don't have the clock, so I'm guessing here. So, Dana, take it away.
DANA LOESCH, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, I think if you look at the last couple of polls that have been released and you see that Americans would like to see more cuts implemented, I don't know how you can say that Republicans would be blamed when you just have a draft guidance issued to an OBM directive by the president that targets military pay during a government shutdown that freezes their salaries.
And that makes that a political football. Looks kind of bad. Also, when you realize that Democrats have the majority last year and didn't pass a budget, why now? I think the answer is kind of clear.
COSTELLO: OK. Twenty seconds is up. We're keeping time back in the control room. Pete, take it away.
PETE DOMINICK, SIRIUS XM RADIO HOST: Well, listen, I think voters are going to blame Congress, as they should. Democratic voters can blame themselves because, as Dana said, they didn't pass the budget when they had the ball. And Republican voters can blame themselves for voting in Republicans who will never, ever passed a tax increase, who are anti-science, who think that funding women's breast cancer screenings is a bad idea.
But, really, in the end, we can probably blame ourselves, Carol.
COSTELLO: OK. 20 seconds. That was perfect. Next question, is the political -- is the fight over political ideology or fiscal responsibility? Dana?
LOESCH: I think this is all about fiscal responsibility. I'm all for cutting everything. Cut the funding to Planned Parenthood. Cut the oil subsidies. Cut it all. Cut it or shut it. Less than 20.
COSTELLO: Steve?
KORNACKI: It absolutely is not about fiscal responsibility. When you consider the difference between the two parties right now that are negotiating this is about one seventh of one percent of the entire federal budget. That's the difference they're fighting over right now. So, if the Republicans decide they don't want to sign off on a deal, it's not because of financial considerations. It's because the Democrats didn't want to go along with their plan to defund Planned Parenthood and also to limit and restrict abortions --
(SOUND OF BUZZER)
COSTELLO: Oh, that's the buzzer! Out of time. We're on to Pete.
DOMINICK: Definitely ideology. I got to say ideology. The idea that, again, to pay our bills that we can't raise any money, we can't raise taxes and that we want to cut Big Bird's contract and defund health care for women. But at the same time, the fact that they can't, as Steve said, get along over that number. Ideology! Done!
COSTELLO: OK, next question: is the military being used as a political football? Steve?
KORNACKI: Yes, I think so. I mean, the Republicans passed this bill last night, you know, that would provide funding for the military for the rest of the year. You know, trying to make it look like the Democrats are against funding, you know, the military -- are against the troops.
The problem with that is they didn't pass a clean bill that only funds the military. They also included a bunch of additional cuts very friendly to their base. That's not just about the military. That's about using the military to advance a different goal.
(BUZZER)
COSTELLO: Dana.
LOESCH: I completely disagree with that. The reason that Boehner included the military pay in that is because the White House explicitly issued a directive that targeted military pay. The original directive, written during the Reagan administration, was adhered to during the Clinton administration. Why the administration this time decided to target our men and women, their pay, that is using it as a football.
Boehner's hands were tied. What do you go to do? It has to be a legislative action.
COSTELLO: Pete?
(SOUND OF BUZZER)
DOMINICK: Oh, yes. Of course it's a political football. Both parties use this as a political football all the time. Both parties want to fund the military. This is ridiculous to insinuate that either one doesn't.
I leave the rest of my time to remind our CNN viewers the Boston Red Sox have yet to win a game this season, Carol.
(LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: Oh, I like that! I like that. Because it just took our mind away from this mess just for a minute.
Thanks to all of you for playing our Political Buzz. You'll be back Monday. We appreciate it. And we'll fix our clock problem. And I know that was an annoying buzzer. Maybe we'll soften it a little. I don't know.
If a budget deal isn't reached by midnight, nonessential workers will be told to stay home, and that means no pay. CNN's Stephanie Elam has more. So we were wondering, if somebody calls, for example, me a nonessential worker at CNN, I'd be hurt by that.
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes. You know, there's a lot of ways someone can basically say, or indicate that you're nonessential, right? But to be actually told that, Carol, I have a feeling that might do something to morale. I have a feeling that might not make you feel exactly that rosy about getting back in the saddle whenever you do get back to work.
But in light of this discussion, in case, you know, the 13 or so hours from now, if the government doesn't work it out and we have a shutdown, we wanted to take a look at who's essential and who's nonessential.
So, let's start out by taking a look at the essential folks. And we're talking about 1 million people here who will get back pay at some point. They're talking about people who are necessary to the safety of human life and protection of property.
The difference here, you've got airport screenings, you people who do the food inspections. VA health facilities, Secret Service. Air traffic control. Being awake there, that will be very important, obviously. Those are the people who they're talking about who will be essential workers.
Now, this is the nonessential people. Let's take a look at that. Talking about 800,000 people who would fall into that category. And in that case, these people well, they may be non -- oh, that's -- there's the one we want, the nonessential one. We're talking about people who could get backpay if Congress approved it. That has happened in the past when we've had a shutdown. But there's no guarantee that that will happen this time.
So in this case, you're talking about Park rangers, people who support judges, federal education workers and the like. Also many of the economic bureaus, of the -- the census bureau, Housing Administration, Small Business Administration, all of those offices would be closed down.
So this is something that I think would still be very hard for someone to hear. And they're probably finding out soon whether or not they're essential or not, Carol. COSTELLO: Right. I know. Hopefully they are. This doesn't mean they're not needed, it just means they're not essential to human safety. So, I get it now. Stephanie Elam, thank you --
ELAM: Yes, I mean, right. To some sort of level, yes. Maybe that will make them feel better.
COSTELLO: Thanks, Stephanie!
Talk about someone worth friending. We'll tell you about an incredible organ transplant that began as a plea on Facebook.
And John Boehner, he may come out and talk at any moment. We're keeping an eye on Capitol Hill. When he does come out, we'll bring his comments to you. We're going to take a break. We'll be right back.
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COSTELLO: We're keeping an eye on that podium right there, and when John Boehner gets behind it we're going to take it live and listen to what he says about budget negotiations that are still ongoing in Washington. When that happens, we'll bring it to you live.
April is National Organ Awareness Month, and while every successful transplant is a wonderful story with a happy ending, there's one tale we felt compelled to tell you. Jeffrey Kurze has been suffering for years from bad kidneys. The dialysis and pain was too much for his wife, Roxy, to bear. So, she went on Facebook and posted a plea for a potential donor, and boy did Ricky Cisco answer.
Joining us live from Detroit this morning, the two men of the hour and the woman who helped bring them together, Roxy and Jeff Kurze, joined by Ricky Cisco. Welcome to all of you.
UNIDENTIFED MALE: Hi.
UNIDENTIFED MALE: Good morning.
COSTELLO: So Ricky, let's start with you. What moved you to respond to the Facebook posting that you saw requesting a kidney?
RICKY CISCO, ORGAN TRANSPLANT DONOR: Well when I saw the post, Roxy had posted that she wished a kidney would fall from the sky, and that she was looking for a Type-O donor. I had known in my past that I was a Type-O, and that let me identify with the post.
And what started out as a kind of what if, and I researched more about it online, and the more I learned, the more it became something that I could see myself doing, and my worries were sort of negated the more I learned --
COSTELLO: I know, did you ever think of donating a kidney -- donating an organ before of any kind?
CISCO: No, no. Actually I knew absolutely nothing about it. I -- for me the whole kidney organ thing was always something that I had the impression you wake up in a bathtub, in a bunch of ice. It was just a really daunting, scary thing. And I didn't realize that it was something -- I didn't realize it was a live donors. The whole process was amazing and --
COSTELLO: We were looking at those pictures. Those pictures are fantastic!
So Jeff, how are you feeling? And well, actually, first of all tell me, you get this response on Facebook and you're thinking what?
JEFF KURZE, KIDNEY RECIPIENT: I'm in disbelief at first, just feeling so amazed, so shocked. I had to sit down because I couldn't even breathe, it was just so shocking to me.
COSTELLO: And Roxy you're the one who posted like please make this kidney fall from the sky. Did you really expect it would?
ROXY KURZE, FOUND HUSBAND'S KIDNEY DONOR ON FACEBOOK: Really? No. It was just, like, a way for me to vent when I posted that on Facebook. And it's just amazing how like Ricky just private messaged me within the hour after I posted that. I mean, I never expected anything like this to happen. And I'm just so grateful that Ricky was there when I posted it.
COSTELLO: That's just so awesome. So Jeff, how are you feeling?
J. KURZE: Overall, I'm feeling pretty good. I mean, you know, you have your ups and downs. Right now, I'm feeling pretty tired. But overall, I would say I'm starting to feel much healthier than before. And I have a general better color to my skin. The doctors say I'm doing excellent. You know, they're very impressed with all the levels. They say the kidney is working excellent in my body.
COSTELLO: And you're all very personal friends now. Thank you for sharing your story with us: Ricky, Jeff and Roxy. So awesome. Thanks to all of you.
CISCO: Thank you.
J. KURZE: Thank you.
R. KURZE: Thank you.
COSTELLO: We're going to take a quick break. Of course, we're awaiting John Boehner, the House speaker to come out and say a few words about the budget. That's supposedly moments away. We'll be right back.
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COSTELLO: OK. You see a hand there, so maybe things are getting closer to John Boehner appearing behind that podium to talk about the budget. We also understand that Senator Harry Reid is going to make a statement about the budget on the floor of the Senate at 11:00 a.m. Eastern time. But, we're going to check in with John Boehner whenever he gets behind that podium.
Right now, though, we're going to head to our Washington bureau and check in with Paul Steinhauser, because Donald Trump keeps on talking, and we keep on covering him. So, what's the latest?
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Donald Trump, Carol, doing a very good job of staying in the headlines. You know, he's talking about running for the White House on the Republican side. He says he'll announce by June.
For about two months now, Donald Trump has been really talking about the birther issue question, whether Barack Obama, whether the president, was born right here in the United States. Today, the Donald's doing it again. He's going to be meeting in New York at his offices with a state lawmaker from Arizona who's introduced a bill out there in Arizona which would mandate that in Arizona, at least, presidential candidates prove they were born in the United States, show their birth certificate.
Now, later today, also, the Donald, he talks with our own Candy Crowley from CNN's "STATE OF THE UNIOIN," and that should be some interesting stuff. I look forward to seeing what he has to say to Candy. Carol?
COSTELLO: I look forward to hearing what questions Candy will ask Donald Trump.
STEINHAUSER: Should be a good one.
COSTELLO: Exactly. There's a new poll out. What do Americans think about these budget negotiations going on?
STEINHAUSER: Americans want compromise, Carol! Every poll says it! Look at this one from Gallup. Just icing on the cake.
Take a look at this. They asked, do you want your lawmaker to either stand firm on the budget you want or compromise to prevent a shutdown? Look at that: 58 percent say compromise. And Carol, other polls from other organizations say the same thing.
But they all show a partisan divide. Look at the next number right her in this poll from Gallup. And it's interesting: Democrats, independents, they say yes, lawmakers compromise to prevent a shutdown. Look at the Republicans there. Just over half of them say, you know what? Lawmakers stand firm on the budget even if it means a shutdown. Carol?
COSTELLO: Oh, that's interesting.
STEINHAUSER: Yes.
COSTELLO: Thank you, Paul.
STEINHAUSER: Thank you.
COSTELLO: We'll have your next political update in one hour. And a reminder: for all the latest political news, go to our Web site, CNNpolitics.com.
When it comes to government shutdowns, we've seen this movie before. Remember 1995? House speaker Newt Gingrich and President Bill Clinton faced off, and the government shut down. Kiran Chetry takes a look at whether anything has changed.
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KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR, "AMERICAN MORNING": We wanted to sort of take a look back at what happened in 1995, that was then, and what happened now.
First, we want to look at the major players. And we'll start with 1995. President Clinton, first term, led by -- he was taking on the GOP-led speaker, Newt Gingrich in the House. So the two of them going back and forth.
Today, of course, it's a little different, except that President Obama, first-term Democratic president, and he also is facing off with the GOP-led House, Speaker John Boehner, Congressman Eric Cantor, as well as Tea Party Republicans who want major cuts to spending.
So we take a look at what the sticking points are. What were they then?
Well, some of them are similar, actually. Funding for education, a big one. Medicare, environment, public health, not so different today when you look at what their sticking points are. Funding for abortion providers and a big sticking point over the Clean Air Act when it comes to EPA regulations. So again, some of the same points.
Well, what happened? The consequences of 1995? They actually shut down back then. Clinton vetoed the budget that Congress sent him. This time, though, they can't even get Congress to pass the budget.
When we take a look at the consequences right now, November, 1995, five days in November, they were shut down. Lasted for five days. The second time it was even a bigger trouble, this was from December -- this was from December 15th all the way to January 6th. That lasted 21 days.
Today, if they can't reach an agreement, the government will shut down at midnight. It puts 800,000 government workers, tax returns, and also some loans in limbo.
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COSTELLO: Kiran Chetry, thanks.
We are waiting, as you know, to hear from House Speaker Boehner. If there's no deal by the midnight deadline tonight, the national parks would close, lose about 32 million bucks a day. Imagine the Statue of Liberty furloughed. Turn in your torch and go home.
Coming up, we'll show you what other landmarks might be off limits.
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COSTELLO: We are waiting to hear from House Speaker John Boehner. He's going to be talking about the budget, if there's any deal.
But right now, we want to head to Washington and our Washington bureau and Tom Foreman. He's actually at the CNN Shutdown Desk to tell us what else closes, stops or slows down if the government shuts down. Hi, Tom.
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, how you doing? This really is a question that everybody has. What's really going to be the difference if you have this big shutdown?
Let's look at it. The government shutdown, who's affected. An estimated 800,000 federal workers could be furloughed. U.S. troops wouldn't be paid on time. Processing of paper tax returns and refunds will stop. Passport applications would go at a slower pace. National parks and museums would close. The Park Service actually says if you're actually camping in a park, they're going to come tell you to pack up and get out.
COSTELLO: Ooh!
FOREMAN: Yes, exactly. Approval of small business loans will stop at the SBA. No new FHA loans. That really matters because, you know, like, 20 percent to 25 percent of all the loans in this country for homes have a federal component to it. The EPA would cease monitoring pollution, and no new clinical trials at National Institute of Health.
Who will get paid? Air traffic control, airport screening, food inspection, border patrol, and members of Congress. Members of Congress. Is it any surprise there that they would be paid?
(LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: Some of them said they're going to donate their salaries to charities or to our troops because their paychecks are going to be delayed.
FOREMAN: Oh, trust me that "I'm turning down my paycheck train" is getting crowded fast. A lot of those Congress members are saying, look, no way does this look good.
And actually did the math on this, Carol. Members of Congress as a practical matter, if you add up how much they all get, $174,000 a year -- you add them all up, what that means is every single hour that they're breathing, every member of Congress is getting a $20 bill from the taxpayers.
COSTELLO: Oh.
FOREMAN: Yes. Yes. So, my theory is that if they put a box in front of the Capitol and every hour that this goes on, they each went in and dropped in a $20 bill, when they're done they could, like, have a raffle --
COSTELLO: They could lower the deficit! No, I'm just kidding.
FOREMAN: Well, they could take some town to, like, Waffle House or something. Could be like the shutdown lottery or something. I don't know.
But the bottom line is -- I will say this, though, Carol. This is something we were looking at yesterday. Look at what some of the people are saying about this. Some of the people tweeting about this. "Commute times in D.C. will improve if all these people aren't working." Well, they're right about that.
Look at this one. "Government shutdown, do I still need to do my taxes?" A lot of people had this theory out there that somehow if the government shuts down they don't have to do their taxes. No, you have to do your taxes. Trust me, if there's one person working in the government, they will want your taxes.
But here's what's important about all of this, I think, Carol, is to bear in mind that where you are in the country will make a difference in terms of how this affects you. If you are directly connected to this, you work for the government, you're one of the states that has lots of government employees, like California or Texas or Georgia, then you're more likely to see an effect. Obviously, if you're involved in any of those things we're talking about, getting a passport, going camping, something like that, you're much more directly affected.
For everybody else, what we're probably talking about is more of a cumulative effect. You wouldn't see it for a few days. You might not really even feel it for a couple of weeks. But if it went on for two or three weeks, then you might see it.
So, Carol, who gets affected? Depends on who you are and what you do.
COSTELLO: Lots of people, it's safe to say. We still have 13 hours to go. So, there's still a possibility they might reach a deal. Tom Foreman, many thanks.
Remember you can go to CNN.com. There's a long list of agencies and services that would be affected in a shutdown. It's all right there.
Coming up in the next hour of CNN NEWSROOM, we're talking live to the president of Planned Parenthood. Democrats say the organization is one of the sticking points. Actually, the sticking point of the budget debate with Republicans. GOP leaders are saying, not so. We will ask Planned Parenthood president about the controversy surrounding his organization. That's coming up in the next hour of the CNN NEWSROOM.
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REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: That issue --
COSTELLO: All right, John Boehner finally speaks. Let's listen. He's talking about the budget.
BOEHNER: -- policy issues, but I think the American people deserve to know, when will the White House and when will Senate Democrats get serious about cutting spending? A bill that fails to include real spending cuts will hurt job growth and signal that Washington's not serious about dealing with its spending addiction.
And I think the Senate should follow the House lead and pass the troop funding bill and do it today. I also believe the president should sign the troop funding bill into law. This is the responsible thing to do to support our troops, and to keep our federal government open. Thank you.
