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GOP Split Over Threat of Shutdown; Interview with Rep. John Fleming; New Link to Georgia Kidnapping Case; Six Bodies Found in Cars Pulled from Lake
Aired September 19, 2013 - 09:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. I'm Carol Costello. Thanks for joining me this morning.
They've only been back in Washington for 10 days, but Congress is once again engaged in a battle over Obamacare with money to keep the government up and running potentially at risk. That's right, the threat of a shutdown is once again rearing its ugly head. Here's how one Tennessee lawmaker summed up his opposition to Obamacare.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. PHIL ROE (R), TENNESSEE: I have never understood it the day I got here, is why in the world health care is a Republican or a Democrat issue. It is a people issue. I've never treated a Republican or Democrat cancer in my life. I've never seen a Republican or Democrat heart attack in my life. They're just people problems. And that was a mistake that was made from day one with this bill right here. And that's why the American people don't approve of it and half the population didn't get a chance or half the Congress didn't get a chance to have any input whatsoever in this bill.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Congressman John Fleming of Louisiana joins me live now.
Welcome.
REP. JOHN FLEMING (R), LOUISIANA: Thank you, Carol.
COSTELLO: Thank you for being with me this morning. I appreciate it. I know you wanted to defund Obamacare, but you say tying it to the federal budget and possibly a government shutdown isn't the best strategy for Republicans. So you seem to be at odds with the more conservative end of your party and a lot of pundits say, you know, because you're not alone in that, the Republican Party seems to be in disarray. How would you characterize it?
FLEMING: Carol, I would say that the Republican Party is, I think, unifying on this issue. It's the White House that's in disarray over the implementation of Obamacare. And there are a couple of good strategies and we're going to apply both of them first to give the American people the opportunity to rise up and support a full defunding of Obamacare prior to implementation, connected with the upcoming -- COSTELLO: But, sir, the House has done that 41 times or something like that already.
FLEMING: Well, no, the House has voted to repeal in one way or another 41 times. To actually defund and connect that with must pass legislation, to my knowledge we've never done that. This is going to be the first opportunity, which is going to be, of course, this Friday, where we attach it to a continuing resolution to continue operations of government.
COSTELLO: Right, I understand that, but are you for that strategy or against it?
FLEMING: I am for the strategy. However, what I have discussed with leadership and many others, and I think that we're coalescing around this, is that should that strategy not come to fruition, that there's another one that may work even better, and that is to delay the implementation of Obamacare for a year -- President Obama has delayed big chunks of it already and it's not ready for implementation -- and attach that to the debt ceiling, where there is not an issue about shutting government down.
COSTELLO: So some people might say, you know, you're just playing games with the economy right at the moment. Why not separate the issues? Why not work to repeal Obamacare another way? Because you know that these things probably won't pass the democratically-controlled Senate and the president would veto it even if it did.
FLEMING: No, I think the president secretly would love to delay the implementation of Obamacare. Look, this should be renamed --
COSTELLO: Well, if that's true, then why tie it to the budget at all? Why not sit down and negotiate with the president and Democrats?
FLEMING: Well, that's - and that's what happens with must-pass legislation. We sit down and we negotiate these things. And again, remember that every new job today created, 77 percent of those jobs are part-time jobs as a result of Obamacare. We're having announcements by U.P.S., Delta Airlines, Walgreens, who are changing insurance in one way or another as a result of Obamacare in a negative way as a result of Obamacare. People who own businesses are rapidly converting many of their employees to part-time work instead of full- time, downsizing their businesses. This law should be named the unemployment and unaffordable act because that is the impact it's having on the economy. And our constituents --
COSTELLO: Well, it's true - it is true, there are a lot of - there are a lot of negatives, but there are also positives connected with Obamacare. But I'm just going to run these statistics by you. So the majority of Americans don't approve of Obamacare. That's true.
FLEMING: Yes.
COSTELLO: But almost 70 percent of Americans do not understand what Obamacare is, so they're for or against something they really don't understand. FLEMING: Well - well, they - they --
COSTELLO: Whose fault is that?
FLEMING: Well, the supporters of this have had three and a half years to explain it. And the problem is, it is so complex that it can't be explained. That's the difficulty with the implementation. But they're about to get a lesson. October --
COSTELLO: But isn't that part of your job too, congressman, to make your constituents understand the bad and the good associated with this bill?
FLEMING: Oh, I - look, I spend a part of every day educating people about Obamacare, particularly on the digital media. And the news every day that comes out -
COSTELLO: Do you say anything positive about it? I'm just curious.
FLEMING: Well, if something comes out positive about it, I'll be happy to relay that to you, but, remember, October --
COSTELLO: Are you for the health care exchanges, for example?
FLEMING: October 1st, America is going to learn the steep rise in premiums that are going to happen. In my state alone, some people are going to get as much as a 400 percent increase in their premiums. On average, probably about 80 percent. So I'm letting people know about this. If you think that's good, Carol, tell me what's good about that.
COSTELLO: I agree with you, there's a lot of negatives connected to what (ph) I hear right now.
FLEMING: A lot of negative stuff, yes.
COSTELLO: But in other states, what you've just said is not true. It just depends on which state you live in, right?
FLEMING: No. No. Virtually all states will see a net increase. There are a few states that already have similar rules and they may see declines in certain areas, but those are spotty and anecdotal. That's not really going to be the case generally. And so, you know, the thing about this is, the way you expand health care to more people is first make it more affordable. Make the system more efficient. And this law fails to do this.
COSTELLO: But everybody agrees with you - everybody agrees with you, but we went through an enormous battle to get this health care law passed, right? And right now -
FLEMING: Not really.
COSTELLO: I know you want to repeal it, but what goes into its place?
FLEMING: No, Carol -
COSTELLO: Like, how do you solve the problems if it completely goes away?
FLEMING: Not one single Republican - not one single Republican voted for this law.
COSTELLO: I know. I get it. Trust me, I get it.
FLEMING: It happened to be -
COSTELLO: I'm just asking you, congressman -
FLEMING: It happened to be a point -
COSTELLO: I'm asking you --
FLEMING: It happened to be a point in time in history when Democrats had full control of Washington and they got their dream bill. But the problem is, America's not on board. Two to one Americans hate Obamacare, this whole concept of government run health care.
COSTELLO: But 70 percent of them don't understand it.
FLEMING: Well, they've had every opportunity. I mean the people who support it have had every opportunity to explain it to them. It's the complexity that makes it impossible to understand.
COSTELLO: I cannot disagree with you there, sir.
FLEMING: Yes. And -
COSTELLO: Congressman John Fleming. I have to go. I'm so sorry.
FLEMING: Great.
COSTELLO: But it's been a great debate.
FLEMING: Thank you, Carol.
COSTELLO: Thank you so much, congressman.
FLEMING: Yes. All right.
COSTELLO: Still to come in the NEWSROOM, a kidnapped teenager reunited with her parents. Now police may have uncovered a connection between them and the men accused of kidnapping this young girl.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: A kidnapped Georgia teenager is back at home this morning. Ayvani Perez was rescued one day after being taken from her home by armed men. Now we're learning of a connection between Perez's mother and one of the men who's been placed under arrest. Martin Savidge is here with more.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Yes, let - you know, of course the good news is that this young girl is safe and sound, and that's thanks in large part to the dedication of the 150 local state and federal law enforcement. That should not go understated.
But then there is the issue, and this has always been the debate, why did it happen? What terrified that neighborhood was, of course, the report that it was random, that they broke into this home and it could have been anybody's home. Well, now we're starting to find out maybe it wasn't so random, and that is as a result of connections that are starting to be made.
One of those connections is that the mother of this 14-year-old was arrested in a drug raid last year. She was not charged or the charges against her were dropped. But another person arrested in that same raid, one of those now in custody in connection with the kidnapping case. So there is the link. Exactly what that link is, we don't know. And the other thing you should know, two other people on the loose. This is the Clayton County police chief talking about the good and the problems still out there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF GREG PORTER, CLAYTON COUNTY, GEORGIA POLICE: She's been reunified with her family. We currently have two suspects in custody. We're looking at some other suspects and I'll let the FBI talk about that later. She was recovered at a location in Conyers, Georgia. The investigation is still active and still -- we're still receiving phone calls as we speak.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAVIDGE: One of the things that was sort of dropped at the very end was that the images that we've seen of two men that broke into that home, they're not in custody yet, which then makes you go, all right, they're armed, they're dangerous, they're still out there, and that there is more than just two people. This seems to be a conspiracy of sorts. Was it premeditated? If so, what does it all really mean? And that's what investigators are focusing on today.
COSTELLO: So how exactly was this girl found? Was she in the custody of those two men? Was she wandering the street? I mean --
SAVIDGE: Right. And those are the kind of details we've asked about but that the federal government and both the local law enforcement are holding back. We don't know, other than, as you heard, she was found in Conyers. That's about 25 miles away from where she was taken. Exactly in whose custody she was, what the conditions were and where she had been during the time of her kidnapping, we don't know yet.
COSTELLO: Martin Savidge, thanks, as always.
SAVIDGE: You're welcome.
COSTELLO: Here's what's all new in the next hour of NEWSROOM. Miss TV ratings gold here in the United States.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Me Honey Boo Boo child.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Little girls made up to look like grown-up beauty queens going head to head on the runway. But one country wants to outlaw child beauty pageants. Critics say too much skin at too young of an age.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And now it seems OK for a little girl to be walking in thigh-high boots and short booty shorts and smacking her butt? Come on, that's what a stripper does.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Could the U.S. be the next to put a stop to kids beauty contests? That's all new in the next hour of CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Here's what's all new in the next hour of NEWSROOM. Miss TV ratings gold here in the United States --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Me honey boo boo child.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: -- little girls made up to look like grown-up beauty queens going head-to-head on the runway.
But one country wants to outlaw child beauty pageants. Critics say too much skin at too young of an age.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And now it seems ok for a little girl to be walking in thigh-high boots and short booty shorts and smacking her butt? Come on, that's what a stripper does.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Could the U.S. be the next to put a stop to kids' beauty contests? That's all new in the next hour of CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: What started as a training exercise could end up solving two mysteries and bring closure to some Oklahoma families. Oklahoma Highway Patrol divers were testing some new sonar equipment when they found two rusted-out cars at the bottom of a lake. And then they made an even more startling discovery -- there were bones inside those vehicles. Now people who live near Foss Lake are hoping for answers to questions they have had for decades.
CNN's Ed Lavandera has more.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, in this part of western Oklahoma, there were two missing person cases involving six different people that went cold more than 40 years ago. No one would have imagined that the answers to those mysteries could very well have been hidden in the lake you see behind me.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAVANDERA (voice-over): These cars have spent more than 40 years submerged at the bottom of Foss Lake in western Oklahoma. Investigators can peel apart the metal and hardware with their bare hands as they look for clues. Two corroded rifles, a muddied wallet and purse and the remains of six people three in each car. It's one fluke discovery that might have solved two long-forgotten mysteries.
In 1973 teenagers in a 1969 Camaro disappeared. The mystery of what happened to Jimmy Williams, Michael Rios and Leah Johnson made headlines in the local newspapers. And the year before, in April 1969 John Alva Porter and two friends were driving around in a 1950s Chevy and never seen again.
More than 40 years later, two cars matching those same descriptions were found sitting right next to each other in this lake.
DEBBIE MCMANAMAN, MISSING MAN'S GRANDDAUGHTER: It's been so long, it's been 44 years. You know it's -- there's a lot of things in between there that -- that we can't answer because we don't know. It's like, through the years, what happened, what happened? Just a mystery. We don't know.
LAVANDERA: Debby McManaman was 13 years old when her grandpa Porter vanished.
MCMANAMAN: He was here one day and the next day he was gone. I mean no trace. No, you know, clue at all. I mean, his bank account was there. His house was locked up. Utilities were on. You know. He just walked away.
LAVANDERA: Alvi Porter, as he was known, performed in Wild, Wild West shows. Riding bulls around Oklahoma. Porter's oldest son Ervi Porter is now 85 and suffering from dementia. After investigators stopped looking for his father, he acted as his own detective, hunting down every clue he could.
(on camera): You spent a lot of time looking for him?
ERVI PORTER, ELDEST SON OF JOHN ALVA PORTER: You bet you. I'm still looking for him. But this is going to help me a whole lot.
LAVANDERA: Last week, Oklahoma Highway Patrol Divers were testing new under water sonar equipment when they discovered the two cars. It wasn't until the two cars were pulled out of the water that the bones were found inside. Divers went back in the water and found even more remains.
The Oklahoma medical examiner will use DNA to identify the bodies. It could take days, maybe even years, to positively do that. Alexa White's mother was John Porter's sister. She hopes her mother can finally find the answers that have eluded their family for more than four decades.
ALEXA WHITE, MISSING MAN'S NIECE: It has been difficult not knowing what did happen to her father. She never had that closure or the peace of mind or comfort -- always that uncertainty. And why did it happen? What did happen? Why can't we find what happened? And I'm hoping that this will bring closure.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAVANDERA: Right now, investigators have not ruled out foul play but investigators suspect that both of these cases could very well have been accidents. That the cars could have rolled into the lake, trapping the victims inside, and they drowned.
Carol -- back to you.
COSTELLO: Thanks, Ed Lavandera.
Still to come in the NEWSROOM, Razors banned in Boston the Red Sox rocked beards and pull them after homers. Now for one night, fans can be just like their heroes.
"Bleacher Report" is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: This weekend, golf will crown a champion for the 2013 season. And guess what the winner's prize is, a cool $10 million Andy -- oh, my gosh.
ANDY SCHOLES, BLEACHER REPORT: The big bucks are on the line this weekend for the 30 golfers competing in this year's tour championship. You know five players can win the FedEx Cup title and its $10 million prize by just winning this weekend's tournament in Atlanta. Those five golfers are Tiger Woods, Henrik Stenson, Adam Scott, Zach Johnson and Matt Kuchar.
The other 25 golfer in the field they also have a chance at the big money but they don't control their own destiny. The tournament begins later this morning at 11:40 Eastern. Tiger is the last one to tee off. He gets started at 2:00 Eastern this afternoon.
Well week three of the NFL season kicks off tonight with Andy Reid's highly anticipated return to Philadelphia. Reid is the winningest head coach in Eagle's history and he comes back to Philly tonight as the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs.
It's going to be interesting to see what kind of reception Reid gets from the Eagles fans tonight. Will they boo, will they cheer, we'll have to wait and see. Reid's Chiefs are 2-0 thus far this season. While the Eagles led by new head coach Chip Kelly they're 1-1. Kickoff tonight is at 8:25 Eastern.
Well on the lineup section of BleacherReport.com today you can check out dollar beard night at Fenway Park. That's beard, not beer Carol. Now fans with a beard real or fake were given dollar tickets to last night's game against the Orioles. More than 4,000 fans took advantage of the deal. Some pretty --
COSTELLO: She's a cow with a beard.
SCHOLES: As you can see the ladies took part in it as well. They did this promotion because the majority of Red Sox players are rocking beards right now. But unfortunately for Red Sox fans Chris Davis and the Orioles spoiled beard night. They won 5-3 in extra innings. Carol I know you're not a very big fan of Chris Davis. He's the guy who's ruining Miguel Cabrera's shot at back-to-back Triple Crown.
COSTELLO: I know but I am happy for the Orioles because they deserve some hub and some good news for a change and who knows, they still may make the playoffs.
SCHOLES: Yes they're right in the thick out of that -- that wild card race and yes which is crazy, there are six teams for two spots you know how that's going to turn out.
COSTELLO: Exciting.
SCHOLES: Yes.
COSTELLO: Andy Scholes thank you so much.
The next hour of CNN NEWSROOM after a quick break.
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