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CNN Sunday Morning
Landmark Health Bill Passes House on Close Vote; Fort Hood Shooting Suspect Taken Off Ventilator; Ida Regains Hurricane Strength Off Mexico
Aired November 08, 2009 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Well, from the CNN Center, this is "CNN SATURDAY MORNING" (sic) for this November...
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: SUNDAY MORNING.
HOLMES: Yes, isn't it though?
NGUYEN: November 8th.
HOLMES: It's the 8th.
NGUYEN: We're going to have (INAUDIBLE).
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: I should have known the day though. Trust me, folks, the rest of the information I'm going to give you this morning is going to be accurate.
NGUYEN: Yes.
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: Hello to you all. I'm T.J. Holmes.
NGUYEN: Yes, good morning, everybody.
HOLMES: Good to have you with us.
NGUYEN: I'm Betty Nguyen as well. Thanks so much for being with us today.
You know, we got a lot to talk about. There's been a little bit of a house party going on, if you will.
HOLMES: You clearly can call it that. Let's show you this House party, all right? Literally in the House. They're pretty excited; a lot of high-fiving, chest-bumping, whatever you want to call it. Because the House passed their version of health-care reform late last night.
You probably missed it. Check it out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: The yeas are 220, the nays are 215. The bill is passed.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: They partying late into the night last night.
NGUYEN: Yes, they were.
HOLMES: This was ....
NGUYEN: Do you know all the congratulatory remarks ...
HOLMES: Yes.
NGUYEN: ...that were made over and over again?
HOLMES: And over and over again, huh?
NGUYEN: And over and over.
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: But yes, this was late last night. A lot of you probably missed it. But the bill now, even though they're celebrating, there is a long way to go, folks.
NGUYEN: Oh yes.
HOLMES: It has to go to the Senate. They have to pass their version. We'll explain all that has to happen next. You'll hear from the president this morning, from both sides and also from the RNC chairman.
NGUYEN: All right. Also want to hear from Ida this morning, especially if you are in Mexico, Cuba maybe for you tourists out there in Cozumel and Cancun. Because for the second time, Ida has been upgraded to hurricane status. Reynolds Wolf has been watching all of this and he will be joining us live with the latest.
All right. Let's get to some of the top stories that we've been following overnight.
First up, the Taliban claiming responsibility for a suicide bombing at a marker in northwest Pakistan. At least a dozen people were killed, including a local mayor who was fighting against the militant group. Police say he was the target, and 36 others were wounded.
HOLMES: Also, doctors treating victims this morning from Thursday's massacre at Fort Hood say many of them are pulling through, including the accused gunman. You see him there. That's Major Nidal Hasan. He was taken off the ventilator yesterday, so breathing on his own now. He remains, however, in intensive care.
An Army investigator says the evidence right now indicates Hasan acted alone. He also says there are no signs any of the wounded were hurt by friendly fire. That was a concern at first. We'll have a live report from Fort Hood coming your way in a few minutes.
Also, the Dalai Lama is in northeast India this morning near the disputed India-China border, leading a five-day spiritual workshop for Buddhist monks there. The Dalai Lama's visit was sparked - or has sparked protests in China because of its claim to that area.
All right. You might have missed this last night. The - the House working on a rare Saturday session....
NGUYEN: Late.
HOLMES: Late because of health-care reform, and they got their ...
NGUYEN: They did.
HOLMES: They accomplished what they planned to accomplish.
NGUYEN: They sure did. The Democratic-controlled House - narrowly though, passed legislation overhauling health care last night.
Now, here are the numbers. The measure was approved 20 to - I'm sorry, 220 to 215, with one Republican voting for it. The Senate still though must pass its version of reform. But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Minority Leader John Boehner disagree on its effect.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PELOSI: If our bill prevails, which I'm - I'm certain that it will in these respects, that - being a woman is no longer a pre- existing medical condition. That if you have a pre-existing medical condition, you cannot be denied insurance. You cannot have recisions. You cannot lose your insurance just because you've become ill. And the list goes on and on.
If you're a senior, the doughnut hole is closed. If you're a young person, you can be on your parents' policy until your 27th birthday. If you're a consumer, you are protected by the public option. The list goes on and on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OHIO), MINORITY LEADER: There are problems in our current health-care system that we all want to address. I heard all the criticism of our bills, and - and the fact that it doesn't do everything that everybody wants it to do.
But do you know what it does do? It lowers the cost of health insurance and solves the problem of those with pre-existing conditions and begins to insure more Americans. That's what the American people want, a step-by-step approach to making the best health-care system in the world better. We can do that.
What we don't need to do - what we don't need to do is to create this giant bureaucracy, spend all of this tax money, imprison our - our children's future by passing this 2,000-page bill.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: So no surprise that Boehner and Pelosi don't see things eye to eye.
But CNN's Brianna Keilar was there during the debate and the passage.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This is a very significant victory for President Obama and for his Democratic Party, as they have now spent months and months tirelessly trying to find a way to restructure one-seventh of the U.S. economy, trying to overall the U.S. health-care system and trying to get those 47 million uninsured Americans health-insurance coverage.
This vote late Saturn night - Saturday night in the U.S. House of Representatives just one of the two chambers of Congress that this health-care reform effort has to clear. This was a squeaker of a vote.
Democrats needed 218 votes for this to sail through. They got 220. Many Democrats actually voted against this, and only one Republican put in their support for this bill.
So this gives new momentum to this effort. But there's still a rocky road ahead in the U.S. Senate, where Democrats are really struggling to get the votes they need to pass health-care reform even within their own party.
The goal at this point still by President Obama and Congressional Democrats: to get health-care reform on his desk and signed into law by the end of the year.
Brianna Keilar, CNN, Capitol Hill.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: All right. Well, President Obama issued a statement saying the legislation - quote - "will provide stability and security for Americans who have insurance; quality, affordable options for those who do not; and bring down the cost of health care for families, businesses and the government, while strengthening the financial health of Medicare. And it is legislation that is fully paid for and will reduce our long-term federal deficit. Thanks to the hard work of the House, we are just two steps away from achieving health-insurance reform in America."
HOLMES: Well, let's see if the RNC chairman feels the same way as the president about what we saw last night. Here is what Michael Steele had to say - and I'm quoting here: "Today, with help from their liberal House allies, President Obama and Nancy Pelosi finally got what they have been creating behind closed doors these past months: A government-run health-carte experiment that will increase families' health-care costs, increase the deficit, increase taxes on small business and the middle class and cut Medicare."
NGUYEN: Thirty-nine Democrats voted against the bill. Excuse me. Louisiana Republican Joseph Cao was the lone Republican crossing the aisle and voting for the measure. I'm going to ask him why when he joins us this morning about 20 after 8 Eastern.
HOLMES: We turn now to what we saw last Thursday, that massacre at Fort Hood, at the Army base. We're getting some new - some new information. We do know that 13 people, including one civilian, died there.
Our Sean Callebs is on the case for us. He's been on the story. Joins us now live from Fort Hood.
And - and - and Sean, day by day, piece by piece, we're starting to get a little information about the circumstances surrounding this shooting.
Good morning to you.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, T.J.
Exactly. This is becoming a little more clear. You talked a bit ago about how Major Hasan is now off a ventilator. Apparently, investigators have not been able to speak to him yet. So far, he has been in a coma or a comalike state. So clearly, they're eager to find out what could have been behind this.
We did hear from the Army Criminal Investigation Division yesterday. Now remember, Hasan is accused of more than a hundred rounds. Forty-six people were injured or killed by gunfire during that four-minute spree. So people want to find out could, possibly, any of the authorities returning fire injured any of the soldiers. Apparently, that not the case. They say no friendly-fire incident.
So here's what the CID had to say about the investigation, and how it's moving on so far:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRIS GREY, SPOKESMAN, U.S. ARMY CID: All evidence at this point indicates that there was only one shooter who allegedly acted alone in the actual shooting. If any new evidence comes to light that contradicts that, we'll pursue it aggressively and immediately.
We have not established a motive for the shootings at this time. I'll repeat that: We have not established a motive for the shootings at this time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CALLEBS: And of course, that what people here and across the country want to find out: What could have possibly triggered this unspeakable massacre?
Now, some eyewitnesses say that Hasan actually yelled, "Allah Akbar!," 'God is great,' either during or just before the attack. But actually, there's appeal for calm from perhaps some unlikely sources.
We know of the 13 who were killed, there was one civilian. That was 62-year-old Michael Cahill. CNN had a chance to speak with some of his family members yesterday, and of course, they're upset. But they said: 'Don't feel anger. And certainly, don't feel anger against those who practice the Muslim faith.'
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEELY VANACKER, FORT HOOD VICTIM'S DAUGHTER: There are people who have problems and who will do crazy things like this, Muslim or not Muslim. And we can't look at this guy who killed my dad and blame him because he was a Muslim. He was a man who had some serious issues. And whether they could have picked up on that early enough, I don't know.
But I know that this is just a man, an American man, who had issues and problems and did a horrible, unspeakable act. But being so angry at one group of people because of this? It - that's not going to bring my dad back. And how can you live your life full of anger?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CALLEBS: Well, T.J., it's tough to hear. And we found out more about Michael Cahill, the one civilian.
And this was someone who was dedicated to the medical profession. He's worked here at Fort Hood for six years, at the SRP, at the Readiness program Center, working with those troops who were either about to go overseas or coming back. Certainly, just a horrific tragedy as we find out more about these people who were victimized in that shooting - T.J.
HOLMES: Yes, Sean, and we're learning more about Sergeant Munley, who was a - so much attention has been focused on her. She was the one who actually stopped the shooter, according to police. There she is; we're showing her picture.
We're hearing from her family now as well, on her behalf.
CALLEBS: Yes, exactly. And this is someone, very small in stature, but - but - but certainly standing large in the aftermath of this shooting.
We now that she fired twice, apparently hitting the suspect two times. She was injured, shot three times in both legs and in the wrist. We talked to some of her friends yesterday. Her family, of course, with her now; her two children, her husband and her parents, who are from North Carolina.
And the family issued a statement yesterday, saying, 'Look, we're very humbled by all this. We don't feel like a - a - a hero. We're - our thoughts, our prayers go out to all of those who were injured in this shooting.'
But she is someone, certainly, people are looking to in the aftermath of this shooting as - as perhaps a silver lining. This could have been a lot worse if it hadn't been for the quick actions, the brave actions of this civilian police officer.
HOLMES: All right. Sean Callebs at Fort Hood, Texas, for us this morning. Sean, we appreciate you.
And a lot is going to be happening at Fort Hood this week. Let's take a look at what we're going to be seeing.
First of all, we can tell you officials are expected to hold a news conference at 1 p.m. Eastern Time this afternoon to talk more about this investigation. And then tonight at 6 p.m., Texas Governor Rick Perry will be among speakers at the First Baptist Church for a live prayer service for those victims.
Then on Tuesday, the president and first lady are expected to attend a memorial service for the victims.
NGUYEN: All right. Let's talk a little weather this morning. Hurricane Ida headed to the Gulf Coast, and meteorologist Reynolds Wolf has been tracking it.
In fact, it's kind of interesting tracking this, because once it was hurricane, then not so much, and then now a hurricane again.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I know. I mean, this thing has been flipping back and forth. And it looks like it may go through a few different changes over the next couple days, and it certainly looks like it may be making its way closer to the Gulf Coast. The question is, is it going to make landfall in the U.S.?
That's the million-dollar question. We're going to be giving you some answers very, very soon. Stay tuned.
HOLMES: All right. Reynolds, we appreciate you. We'll talk to you again soon.
And we are learning more and more about the victims of the Fort Hood tragedy. We'll be telling you about them throughout the morning, throughout the days and the coming week here on CNN.
But here now, just a few of them.
Michael Pearson, 22 years old, from Bolingbrook, Illinois. He was scheduled to deploy to either Iraq or Afghanistan in January. He was learning to deactivate bombs and training in the Mojave Desert.
NGUYEN: Pfc. Aaron Thomas Nemelka, 19 years old. And he was set to deploy to Afghanistan in January. He was the youngest of four children.
HOLMES: Also, Specialist James - or rather, Jason Dean Hunt. His friends called him "J.D." He's from Tillman, Oklahoma. Twenty-two years old. Spent his 21st birthday in Iraq. He chose to re-enlist. He had just gotten married about two months ago.
NGUYEN: Also, Sergeant Amy Krueger from Kiel, Wisconsin, joined the military just after the September 11th attacks.
HOLMES: Also, Francheska Velez, from Chicago. Twenty-one years old. She enlisted three years ago and she was three months pregnant.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: All right. Weather outside, especially toward Mexico. And we're talking about Hurricane Ida. Why? Because it's headed to the Gulf.
Reynolds Wolf is tracking this at the Hurricane Headquarters. And, you know, a lot of people wondering, 'All right, is it going to reach the U.S. anytime soon?'
WOLF: Maybe. There's a - a real big maybe of a chance. And the reason why it may is because it is moving to the north, it's going into the Gulf of Mexico. We're expecting it to strengthen a bit more, possibly going up to a Category 2 hurricane. Not a major hurricane, but still a Category 2. And then there's the chance it may strike the U.S., but there's some reasons why it might not.
Let me show you. We're going to hop on over. Please excuse the formality or lack thereof, moving around this camera, going over here to our magic wall, where you can see this storm. And it is really in pretty bad shape for the time being.
Sure, it's a bit stronger as it makes it way right between the Yucatan Peninsula and parts of Cuba. But as it moves north, it's going to interacting with shear, strong upper-level winds that are come - flowing in from the west. And that's going to really interfere with the structure of this storm.
As it stands though, winds are at 90 miles per hour, gusting to 115. And to give you an idea of where this thing is headed, we're going to put this into motion and show you the path, the forecast path from the National Hurricane Center. And as we put it into motion, you'll notice the path goes to the north, strengthens a bit to a Category 2.Then, as it close to the Louisiana coast at early, early in the morning on Wednesday, with winds around, say 50 miles an hour, it weakens very rapidly, and then skims right along the Florida Panhandle, still offshore, and then just to the west of Tampa and downgrades to a depression.
Again, there's a whole lot that can happen with this storm. It might die out altogether; it may strengthen and become a much-stronger hurricane. But this is the latest forecast path we have, and I can just tell you from experience, all we can really do is watch it very carefully. In fact, very quickly, take a look at some of these computer models that we have. Each and every one of these threads that you happen to see coming away from this symbol indicates a different computer model. Some of them go over towards Cuba, some back to the Yucatan. Some go across Florida, some up through Alabama. And some just die out in the Gulf of Mexico altogether.
So the bottom line is this: There is a lot of uncertainty with this storm. So again, it just bears watching, which is exactly what we're going to do here at CNN. We're you're hurricane headquarters.
Let's send it back to you at the studio.
NGUYEN: All right, Reynolds. Thank you so much for that.
WOLF: You bet, guys.
HOLMES: Well, lawmakers worked pass the House care - House health-care bill.
NGUYEN: Yes.
HOLMES: Some were tweeting as well. Josh Levs here to show us some of that.
Good morning to you, Josh.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Good morning to you guys. It really is about the old media vs. the new media, what a lot of lawmakers are jumping on to.
They literally sent out tweets throughout the night. Some are still going right now, including some potent messages that set the stage for the next part of the health-care battle. What they wrote and what it means for health reform in this country. It's all right here, and I'll show you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: A quick check of our top stories here.
The Democratic-controlled U.S. House has passed its version of health-care reform. The vote was 220 to 215. They only needed 218 to pass it, so just got by. The measure would cost $1.2 trillion over 10 years. The Senate still must vote on its reform legislation. Not clear when that might happen.
NGUYEN: Well, the Taliban claiming responsibility for a suicide bombing at a market in northwest Pakistan. At least a dozen people were killed, including a local mayor who was fighting against the militant group. Police say he was the target. Thirty-six others were wounded.
HOLMES: Well, doctors treating victims from Thursday's massacre at Fort Hood say many of them are pulling through, including the accused gunman, Major Nidal Hasan. He was taken off a ventilator yesterday, so he's breathing on his own now. But still in ICU.
An Army investigator says the evidence right now indicates Hasan acted alone. He also says there are no signs any of the wounded were hurt by friendly fire.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: All right. So following the late-night health-care vote, a lot of lawmakers rushed to their computers to start tweeting about it, or maybe they even did it from, you know, their BlackBerrys...
HOLMES: Yes.
NGUYEN: ...or iPhones, hoping to fire up constituents on both sides of this issue.
HOLMES: Yes, Josh Levs keeping an eye on that stuff for us.
Hello to you again.
LEVS: Hell to you guys.
You're right; they were using it from their all iPhones and all their portable devices all throughout the night, and that including after the vote and even up until minutes ago.
We're following these, and it's kind of amazing what we're seeing happen. This hasn't really happened before with major legislation in America.
Let's zoom in behind us. A Web site called Talking Points Memo has put together these lists of Democrats and Republicans who are in the House who are on Twitter. And you can just see, they keep coming in - 4:02 a.m. It just keeps coming in. And we are seeing even more pop in.
Let's take a look at a few a lot of people are talking about.
This one this morning - we'll look at the Democrats first. This one from Tim Ryan, "The House did its job. Now the ball's in the Senate's court. Don't let America and let's get this done."
Here's from Joe Sestak: "Proud to have voted for the Affordable Health Care for America Act." And he attaches his floor speech.
So this is a lot of people celebrating here. Keith Ellison saying, "House passage of health care reform is huge for Dmomentum," meaning Democrats. "Senate can't do less. I'm sure Obama is happy. Puts wind at his back."
There were also some attacks along the way. Let's look at Earl Blumenauer, for an example, from Oregon. He says, "Trial lawyers are the only group the Republicans dislike more than immigrants."
But we're also seeing Republicans as well. Let's take a look at what the GOP has been saying. Over here, we have some examples for you. All right, we'll just scroll - scroll through right here.
Dana Rohrabacher writes here, "When the Berlin Wall came down 20 years ago, we made the mistake thinking that socialism was defeated."
And let's jump over to Virginia Fox, who's been getting attention lately: "Very sad for our country. Close vote will spoke the Senate. That's the next challenge." She says, "Keep praying God has a plan." Virginia Fox from North Carolina.
I'm linked all these up for you. Just go the graphic. It's all up at CNN.com/Josh. It's also up at Facebook and Twitter, joshlevscnn. So you can follow them yourselves.
And Betty, T.J., we'll keep an eye on these tweets throughout the morning. We'll bring you some morning.
NGUYEN: All right. And we've been asking you what you think on our Twitter and Facebook pages this morning. Let me quickly go to my Twitter site. I got a couple of responses.
Manontheradio, "Could not be happier, Betty. Hats off to Representative Cao from Louisiana for having the courage to do the right thing."
And what he's referring to is Representative Cao is the lone Republican who voted for the measure. And again, that vote was 220 to 215. Went late into the night.
Want to know what you think about. Are you happy with it? Are you supporting it? It still has to go through the Senate, so there's still a lot of work to be done. But we are hearing from you this morning.
So let us know. Go to our Facebook page, our Twitter page. You can also reach us on the blogs at CNN.com/betty or CNN.com/tj.
HOLMES: Well, we are following that breaking story on health care, but also another one out of Pakistan. Advancements overnight in the army's offensive, and some militants are killed. We'll be live in Islamabad.
Stay here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, hello again to this CNN SUNDAY MORNING. I'm T.J. Holmes.
NGUYEN: Yes, good morning, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen.
All right. We got a lot to talk about, especially in our top stories. Listen to this.
HOLMES: Yes, Democrats in the House, they have pushed through their health-care reform legislation by a slim vote. They needed 218; they got 220. The final tally, 220 to 215. Republicans and Democrats disagree on whether the legislation will hurt or help Americans. Among the provisions, an amendment prohibiting federal funds for abortion services.
Also, doctors treating victims from Thursday's massacre at Fort Hood say many of those victims are pulling through, including the accused gunman, Major Nidal Hasan. He was taken off a ventilator yesterday and remains in intensive care. An Army investigator says the evidence indicates Hasan did act alone. He also says there are no signs any of the wounded were struck by friendly fire.
And finance officials from the Group of 20 nations have wrapped up their meeting in St. Andrews, Scotland. Among the topics, climate change, a controversial tax to fund future bank bailouts, as well. U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner rejected that idea.
NGUYEN: Let's turn back to health care reform legislation because President Obama visited Capitol Hill and met behind closed doors with Democrats in an effort to shore up support before the vote.
HOLMES: Yesterday a pretty long day for House members. Here is how it finally played out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: The yeas are 220. The nays are 215. The bill is passed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: That was the House party, literally, last night. Happened a little after 11:00 Eastern Time. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi later held a news conference and gave President Obama much of the credit for getting this legislation passed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PELOSI: Some of my colleagues just received a call from the president of the United States, Barack Obama, congratulating us on a great victory for the American people.
I thanked the president for his tremendous leadership because without President Obama in the White House, this victory would not have been possible. He provided the vision and the momentum for us to get the job done for the American people. And for that, we are very, very proud.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Now, this is a step, a significant one.
NGUYEN: Yes.
HOLMES: But this is a long way from being a done deal.
NGUYEN: Absolutely. HOLMES: Because, folks, all that, they just went through in the House they're going through it in the Senate right now, as well. And much tougher sell in the Senate. They have to pass their own version of health care legislation. Then they have to take that with what the House just passed, do some negotiating, come up with another bill that will both houses have to vote on again.
NGUYEN: And possibly pass, if they can make that happen.
HOLMES: So it's one step, folks. The president still is calling this vote we saw last night, calling it historic.
NGUYEN: No doubt. He's now going to turn his attention to try to convince senators to pass reform legislation, as well. Here is CNN's Elaine Quijano.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (On camera): Betty and T.J., this is a huge victory for President Obama after he made that personal appeal to House Democrats on Capitol Hill Saturday.
And in a written statement released shortly after the House vote, the president said "Tonight in a historic vote, the House of Representatives passed a bill that would finally make real the promise of quality, affordable health care for the American people."
The statement goes on to say, "Thanks to the hard work of the House, we are just two steps away from achieving health insurance reform in America. Now the United States Senate must follow suit and pass its version of the legislation. I am absolutely confident it will, and I look forward to signing comprehensive health insurance reform into law by the end of the year."
Now, a senior aide says that is President Obama did watch the House vote as it took place. The president was watching from Camp David where he spent Saturday night. The president is due to return to the White House from Camp David this afternoon. Betty, T.J.?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: All right. Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele is critical of the legislation. He issued a statement saying, and I'm quoting here, today with help from their liberal House allies President Obama and Nancy Pelosi finally got what they've been creating behind closed doors these past months, a government run health care experiment that will increase families health care costs, increase the deficit, increase taxes on small businesses, and the middle class, and cut Medicare," end quote.
All right. So, only one Republican voted yes for health care. Hear for yourself why Representative Joseph Cao broke his ranks with his party. He's going to join me live in about an hour.
HOLMES: We have some new developments, as well, in Pakistan overnight. Our Ivan Watson following things from CNN's Islamabad bureau.
Ivan, we want to start with this suicide car bombing that killed several including a local mayor. What can you tell us there?
IVAN WATSON, CNN INT'L. CORRESPONDENT: That's right, T.J.
It took place this morning in Peshawar, that is the largest city in northwestern Pakistan. This is the fourth major bombing in Peshawar over the period of a month. A car bomber, a suicide bomber, in a car, hitting outside the home of a local mayor, a mayor of a Peshawar neighborhood. He was killed, this man, named Abdul Malik .
It happened on a street very close to a Sunday street bazaar where animals were being bought and sold ahead of a Muslim holiday here; 12 people killed in this attack. We saw terrible scenes of children being brought into a hospital. Some 36 people wounded. Just an example of the death toll in the latest of the series of attacks that have been rocking Pakistani cities.
Now, the target Abdul Malik, he is significant because he was the leader of an anti--Taliban militia. He was helping fight back the Taliban. He had actually been a supporter two years ago, and he switched sides to support the government.
We have spoken to the Taliban today, T.J. They are claiming responsibility for the attack, and they are warning they will target anybody else who interferes with the Taliban, T.J.
HOLMES: Well, Ivan, while militants are still obviously on the attack, there are still the government, and government forces, have an offensive going on, as well?
WATSON: There is a military front in this conflict as well, T.J., that's taking place in mountains along the border with Afghanistan, in a region called south Waziristan. That is where the Pakistani army has been attacking, for three weeks, to try to capture territory that's long been controlled by the Taliban. And the fighting is still very fierce. The latest statistics we've gotten from the Pakistani military say 20 militants killed, eight soldiers wounded, over the course of the last 24 hours. And that battle continues there, T.J.
Taliban commanders, that we have spoken with, they claim the high numbers of militant losses, that the Pakistani military is offer, that this is all bogus. They say they are making a strategic withdrawal and they're promising to pull in the Pakistani army, and then mount a guerrilla ware against the military when the winter sets in. So this battle is still raging in the mountains, while the cities are repeatedly, almost every week, if not more often, becoming the target of these devastating suicide attacks, T.J.
HOLMES: All right. Ivan Watson, we thank you this morning from Islamabad. Thank you so much.
We also will have an update this morning on the condition of Sergeant Kimberly Munley. We have been hearing an awful lot about her.
NGUYEN: Yes, a hero.
HOLMES: And rightly so over the past several days.
NGUYEN: A hero of the horrible shooting rampage. That is what she's being called. She is a civilian police officer credited with taking down the accused gunman in Thursday's shooting rampage at Fort Hood.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COL. JOHN ROSSI, U.S. ARMY: Kimberly Munley, and family, would like to extend their thanks and appreciation for all the thoughts and concerns surrounding Kim from around the nation. They are deeply touched by the outpouring of strength, thoughts and prayers that have been sent their way. At this time, the main concern for Kim's family is her safe and rapid recovery.
The family would also like to extend their heartfelt condolences to all those affected by the tragedy on Fort Hood. Mrs. Munley is very concerned with the well-being and safety of all involved and is hopeful that all injured will make a speedy recovery. Kimberly underwent her second surgery this morning and is currently in good condition. Cards and prayers can be sent via the Metroplex hospital website.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Well, a doctor said earlier Sergeant Munley had received a gunshot wound that hit an artery. Again, she's in good condition.
Want to give you a look at what is happening this week at Fort Hood. Officials are expected to hold a news conference at 1:00 p.m. Eastern to talk more about the investigation. Tonight at 6:00 Eastern, Texas Governor Rick Perry will be among the speakers at First Baptist Church, in Killeen, for a live prayer service for the victims. Then on Tuesday, the president and first lady are expected to attend a memorial service for the victims.
Back to another story we've been following closely for you, the House worked late into the night to pass their version of the health care bill.
HOLMES: We'll talk more about why this is considered much needed big win for the Obama administration.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Some of our top stories. One of the biggest ones you'll be hearing about today, and for the next couple of days, the U.S. House passes health care reform legislation just narrowly. It needed 218 votes to pass. It got 220. The final tally, 220 to 215. Only one Republican voted for that measure. Betty will be talking to that representative a little later this morning. NGUYEN: Meantime, though, police in Pakistan say a local politician, who fought against the Taliban, was the target of a deadly suicide bombing this morning. He was killed along with 11 others on the outskirts of Peshawar; 36 people were wounded. The Taliban are claiming responsibility for that attack.
HOLMES: And doctors treating Fort Hood shooting victims say many of them are pulling through, including the accused gunman, Major Nidal Hasan. He was taken off a ventilator yesterday. He remains in intensive care. An Army investigator says evidence shows Hasan was the lone gunman, and that there are no signs the wounded were hit by friendly fire.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Sometimes it is the Severe Weather Headquarters, now it is the Hurricane Headquarters. You know why?
HOLMES: We've got the little lady named Ida.
NGUYEN: Yes, Ida is causing a little problem and Reynolds Wolf has been tracking this.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Who are you calling little? Man, this is a big storm now moving just to the east of Cancun. If you have any friends that happen to be tuning in from there, but going there. They've been teasing you all week long about going down to the Mexican Riviera and Cancun. Well, they're not having the best time. Because they have the showers, they have the storms, they have all the rough stuff due to this storm system.
This is, of course, Ida moving to the north around 12 miles per hour; gusts have been up to 115 miles an hour. Maximum sustained winds at 90.
And to give you and idea of where this thing is headed, take a look at this discombobulated forecast. It's a good forecast from the National Hurricane Center, but it's weird how it's almost like a backwards question mark. It is expected to travel to the north of Yucatan as a Category 2, gaining some strength over the warm waters of the Gulf. But then it's going to interact with a frontal boundary and an area of low pressure. And that is going to actually cause this thing to shift south of Louisiana, at least according to this forecast, and then moving right along parts of the Florida Panhandle, and then just due west of Tampa, where it should begin to fizzle out. That is if this forecast holds true.
The National Hurricane Center, the best forecasters on the planet, they are watching this thing very carefully. But I have to tell you, these storms can be very fickle. There's a lot that may happen, especially over the next 12 to 24 hours. The storm may die out, it may strengthen significantly. And this path is always subject to change. This is a very fickle system. So, we are going to watch it for you very carefully.
One of the reasons why we can see this change that I mentioned, and we are seeing this area of low pressure just west of the Yucatan Peninsula. Here is Ida, high pressure forming up over parts of the Carolinas. Then as we make our way into Monday's forecast, there's that boundary I was talking about. That may actually cause this thing to steer back towards Florida.
If this boundary were not here. This area of low pressure and this cold front and warm front, there is a chance Ida could come right up and go right into Louisiana. But it looks like, the way it's setting up in the atmosphere, it should remain offshore. That's some good news.
But again, as I mentioned, a lot of this may be changing.
(WEATHER REPORT)
NGUYEN: We've been talking this morning, and we have been asking you, as well, what you think about the fact that the House has voted for a bill, a health care reform bill narrowly, 220-215 votes. Well, let me see what you're saying out there this morning.
Don Glasso (ph) says on my Twitter site, "It is about time. Amazing how long it takes even with a majority to get something done in Washington's bureaucracy."
And MHicks00 says, "Finally we have a voice against the health care industry. They have always had control. Now it's time to do what's right."
HOLMES: I'll share a couple of Tweets here, as well.
At the top, one says, "I dared get my hopes up. Like any law or change for that matter is through actual reformation and not merely the passage."
I'll go two down, here, where someone says, "I'm glad that some form of bill was passed. The American health care system needs a wake-up call."
One more, someone being just a little cautious, saying, "Not quite ready to celebrate. Waiting to see how this bill is really going to work."
And my favorite so far of the morning is from Maria, says, "Yes, we did. Didn't know this bill would allow children to stay under their parents' health care till 27. That's great news. Go, POTUS, go."
So, I assume she's maybe in her 20s somewhere.
NGUYEN: She doesn't want to lose her health care.
HOLMES: Holding on to mom and dad a little while, maybe, maybe not. But hey, a lot of people, some just taking a wait and see approach right now. It's still early.
NGUYEN: Yes. We want to hear from you. You may disagree with it. You may have really have some major objections to this bill. So e-mail us, or you can reach us at our Facebook pages, or Twitter sites. Go to our blog, CNN.com/betty or CNN.com/tj. And we'll be reading your responses throughout the morning.
Meantime, though, there is some new information coming out of Fort Hood about that shooting on Thursday. We'll have the latest on that, and the police officer who is being hailed a hero because her family actually is speaking out. So we're going to hear from them.
HOLMES: Of course, the military communities know how to support one another in times of need. We'll take a look how Fort Hood families are helping each other out right now.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Well, many soldiers coming home from Iraq are sent to Fort Hood, but sometimes even a happy homecoming isn't easy. The emotional scars of war have taken a toll.
HOLMES: CNN Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr takes a look at how some soldiers at the post struggle with just trying to fit in.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice over): At Fort Hood, Texas, pure joy, after a year in Iraq, homecoming. But coming home can be tough. This squad home for just a week struggles to cope.
PFC. KEVEN ABBOTT, U.S. ARMY 1st CAVALRY DIV.: I got anger issues. You know, to be honest, I get angry over a lot of little things.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I really just find myself getting a lot angrier over smaller things.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Crowds really kind of get on my nerves.
LT. GEN. RICK LYNCH, COMMANDER, FORT HOOD: They can go across street to the Wellness Center.
STARR: After watching suicide and stress rates skyrocket across the Army, Fort Hood's Commanding General Rick Lynch said, enough.
LYNCH: The pace of the deployments that we've had, over the course of the last six years now, has led to this condition.
STARR: Lynch has begun several programs to encourage troops to spend more time with their families. He believes that families are the key to reducing stress. This renovated church will be a new spiritual center for meditation and reflection.
LYNCH: The youngsters, like the ones you just talked to, that just came back, who have raw emotions based on what they experience, they sit down in a group and share with other folks who are wondering the same thing, and they learn from each other.
MASTER SGT. GUADALUPE STRATMAN, U.S. ARMY: Can you set the table and get ready for dinner?
STARR: Master Sergeant Guadalupe Stratman, back from Iraq for four months loves General Lynch's order that troops must be home for dinner.
STRATMAN: I grew up with a big family, same as my husband, so families are very, very important. Just being here and watching them grow.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just south of Baghdad.
STARR: But for the squad just back, the pain is still fresh.
SPEC. CRAIG MISIER, U.S. ARMY, 1st CAVALRY DIV.: The same stuff makes me mad is probably going to make him mad, too, or whatever. So, you know, we have each other.
STARR (On camera): I also hear a lot of laughter. There's good times?
ABBOTT: Some of the roughest and hardest times we had, we sit back and we laugh on it. We're very well together, and you can't really -- you can't bring us down.
STARR (voice over): Barbara Starr, CNN, Fort Hood, Texas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Well, a win for Democrats and President Obama. Their health care bill squeaked out of the House overnight by a very slim margin.
HOLMES: By two votes, exactly. What does this mean for health coverage for you, for me, for Betty, who's a little under the weather right now?
NGUYEN: Yes. Some relief.
HOLMES: What happens next? We're live in Washington.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WOLF: Music and the sparkly teeth are always the things that are, you know, going to make you smile on a Sunday morning.
Guys, we have a lot to talk about. A lot to get to very quickly, about big events happening around the country. .
NGUYEN: What's going on today?
WOLF: Yesterday was the Radio Hall of Fame induction. It was in Chicago yesterday, Neil Boortz, here at WSB in Atlanta, he's nationally syndicated. The late Phillies broadcaster Harry Callas and Dr. Demento, were among the inductees.
Also the National Toy Hall of Fame induction in Rochester, New York, the Big Wheel, the Gameboy, the ball, elected. You would have figured.
NGUYEN: Just now the ball is getting inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame?
WOLF: Well, hells bells, take a look at this. The stick was inducted last year, the stick. That's right.
HOLMES: A lot of cool stuff like "Candyland" is in there, "Monopoly".
NGUYEN: "Candyland" made it in before the ball and stick.
HOLMES: All kinds of stuff.
WOLF: The stick could be used as a weapon, "Candyland" not so much.
NGUYEN: The stick was like the first toy?
HOLMES: The first toy,
WOLF: I guess. I would think so. I think cave children, not cavemen played with sticks.
One thing I'm really into are omelets. And yesterday was, actually today, the Giant Omelet Festival in Abbeville, Louisiana. I've heard that this omelet is the size of a like a twin bed mattress. It's huge. They are cooking up that, a 5,000 egg omelet. I don't know if it comes with cheese or onions, or any of that kind of stuff. But it should be some good stuff.
Yesterday, we had the USS New York commissioning, an incredible thing to see out there on the Hudson River, beautiful day. Today will be just as pretty. Here's some of the video from the event, just yesterday. Cobalt blue skies, a few scattered clouds here and there. But just a beautiful thing. very patriotic moment.
Guys, the bow of the ship was actually made with parts of the wreckage of the Twin Towers, correct?.
NGUYEN: Absolutely, 7.5 tons.
WOLF: Amazing.
HOLMES: 7.5 tons of steel. A great idea from one guy, who popped up at 3:00 in the morning, had the idea. A volunteer firefighter we talked to yesterday, from New Jersey. It was his idea, and it came to fruition. He was there for the ceremony yesterday. And the USS New York is officially now in the Navy fleet.
WOLF: Amazing. He wakes up at 3:00 morning and thinks of something like that. I wake and think of vinegar and salt potato chips. It's a great thing he thought of and something that generations of people will celebrate.
NGUYEN: Absolutely. We appreciate it, Reynolds.
WOLF: You bet, guys.
NGUYEN: I'll be with you shortly, about Ida, I'm sure. Got a lot of weather to deal with this weekend.
WOLF: Oh, yes.
NGUYEN: In the meantime, hello, everybody. Thanks for joining us from the CNN Center in Atlanta, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING. It is November 8th. Good morning. I'm Betty Nguyen.
HOLMES: Good morning. I'm T.J. Holmes. 7:00 a.m. were we sit in Atlanta; 6:00 a.m. in Madison, Wisconsin; 4:00 a.m. out in Portland. Wherever you may be, we are glad you are right here with us.
A lot of stuff going on this morning. A lot was happening overnight while you were sleeping. You may have missed this, a big victory for President Obama. That is the top of our top stories.
The U.S. House yesterday narrowly passed a huge health care reform measure. The vote was 220-215. Only one Republican supported this bill. The Senate still must consider its own version of health care reform, still unclear when that might happen. We'll take you live to Capitol Hill in just a few moments.
NGUYEN: Well, at least 12 people are dead, 36 wounded, after a suicide bombing in northwest Pakistan. Police say one of the victims is a mayor who was fighting against the Taliban. They believe he was the target. Taliban claiming responsibility for that.
HOLMES: Doctors treating victims at Fort Hood say many of those victims of the shooting on Thursday are pulling through including the accused gunman, Major Nidal Hasan. He was taken off of ventilators. He is now breathing on his own. He does still remain in intensive care. We are told he was shot some four times. And Army ...
* T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: ... victims at Fort Hood say many of those victims of the shooting on Thursday are pulling through, including the accused gunman, Major Nidal Hasan. He was taken off a ventilator. So, he's now breathing on his own. He does still remain in intensive care. We're told he was shot some four times.
An Army investigator says evidence shows Hasan acted alone, that there are no signs the wounded were hit by friendly fire.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, back to our top story.
Passage of that health care reform measure signaled actually a big step for Democrats. We want you to listen to how the Democratic members of the House counted down to the seconds before that passage.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) CROWD: Six, five, four, three, two, one!
(CHEERING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: A far different attitude outside the Capitol, however, yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CROWD: Kill the bill! Kill the bill! Kill the bill! Kill the bill!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Well, you got them inside celebrating and cheering. You got them outside saying, "Kill that bill." Well, they were not successful in killing that bill.
Our senior congressional correspondent, Dana Bash, joins us now from Washington.
All right, Dana. Are Democrats taking in this moment? They were counting down like it was New Year's last night.
DANA BASH, CNN SR. CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: They were. It did seem like New Year's. It was almost midnight. So, that's a good analogy.
But, look, this was -- they're very happy, of course -- this was done with a lot of good old-fashioned arm-twist -- arm-twisting, rather, wavering Democrats got calls from the president, they got calls from his top aides.
And get this -- the House Democrat who's in charge of vote- counting, he even left the Capitol during dinnertime to find undecided Democrats in the restaurants around town to persuade them.
But, you know, the bill did pass narrowly. A huge number of Democrats, 39 voted no. But, surprisingly, there was one Republican from heavily Democratic New Orleans who did break ranks. And that is something that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was eager to crow about.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), HOUSE SPEAKER: Well, the Democrats voted for the bill and a Republican voted for the bill. That equals bipartisan. But we're very proud to take responsibility and credit for this great victory because it was obviously largely with Democratic votes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Obviously, very largely with Democratic votes. And, you know, the White House is hoping that this will give, frankly, what they know is a very frustrated Democratic base, something to get excited about. But this is, T.J., very far from over. You mentioned that the next stop is the Senate and the fate of that health care bill is very unclear right now.
HOLMES: OK, Dana. Was she trying to be tongue-in-cheek there talking about one Republican, so she's calling it bipartisan? And we know that she wanted to take Democratic credit for it. But they're not at all trying to say this was bipartisan, are they?
BASH: Oh, sure they are. Sure they are.
HOLMES: Oh, you're kidding me.
BASH: It's our -- it's our job to point out that that's one Republican out of 220 votes. But you're going to see it in the Senate. If they get one Republican in the Senate, they're going to call it that, as well.
HOLMES: Oh, my -- well, I hope you continue to call them on it.
Tell us, what's actually in this big thing, $1.1 trillion, $1.2 trillion? What's actually in it?
BASH: Well, look, this would ban insurance companies from denying insurance because people have pre-existing conditions or dropping people because they're ill. It would also require every American to get health care and penalize those who don't. But it would give subsidies through Medicaid, expanding Medicaid to most -- those people who can't afford it.
Now, it also creates a government-run health care insurance option, so-called public option. And that will be offered as part of a new exchange of insurance companies. And you know, this trillion- dollar-plus bill would be paid for mostly by taxing the wealthiest Americans, but there's another way they're paying for it, T.J., and that is with big cuts in Medicare.
HOLMES: All right. But a lot of deal-making had to be done, lot of that horse trading. And you're used to seeing that when it comes to pulling out votes from the other side, but Nancy Pelosi and the leadership had to do this to get Democrats on board.
BASH: That's right. And what they had to do was something that they did not want to do, which was -- which was cut a deal on the very controversial issue of abortion. The only way House Democratic leaders could pass this was by reluctantly allowing a huge number of anti-abortion Democrats, anti-abortion Democrats, to offer an amendment that effectively bans abortion coverage in the public option and the exchange unless -- unless -- somebody buys supplemental insurance that includes abortion coverage.
Now, that actually was the only true bipartisan vote during yesterday's debate. Most Republicans joined a good number of Democrats to pass that anti -- excuse me, abortion rights Democrats are not happy about this but the leadership basically said, "Look, we have no choice." It was a very interesting dynamic, T.J. I was there very late on Friday night as they were trying to work this out, and a big player in this was the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and they basically had to bless this for many of the anti-abortion members to go along with it.
HOLMES: Well, bishops blessing things, that's what they do, isn't, Dana?
All right. Bipartisan -- I'm still stuck on that. And that one Republican we were talking about, Betty actually has an interview coming up with him a little later. So, certainly, curious to talk to that one Republican who voted for this bill.
BASH: Absolutely.
HOLMES: Dana Bash, good to see you this weekend.
BASH: Thank you.
HOLMES: Thanks so much.
BASH: Thanks, T.J.
HOLMES: Meanwhile, the Republican National Committee chairman, Michael Steele -- how do you think he feels about it? Well, let me show it to you now. This is what he said, quote, "Today, with help from their liberal House allies, President Obama and Nancy Pelosi finally got what they have been creating behind closed doors these past months - a government-run health care experiment that will increase families' health care costs, increase the deficit, increase small taxes on small businesses and the middle class, also cut Medicare."
And as we mentioned, just then, one Republican voted yes for this health care bill. He will be joining us live. He'll be talking to Betty here at about 8:20 this morning. His name is Representative Joe Cao. He broke ranks with his party, the only Republican.
And, Betty, I am curious to hear some of his answers...
NGUYEN: Yes.
HOLMES: ... to your questions this morning.
NGUYEN: I think we all are curious to hear why he voted yes. But we all know that he is in a heavily Democratic district. So, I'm sure that probably weighed in.
HOLMES: That might explain some things.
NGUYEN: But we're going to ask him anyway, and find out what he thinks about the whole deal.
OK. Let's get on to some other news that we're following, and that being the latest on the deadly shooting rampage in Fort Hood, Texas. Governor Rick Perry is expected at church services for the victims today 6:00 p.m. Eastern. Our Sean Callebs joins me now live from Fort Hood.
And, Sean, well, they are gearing up for church services today. What is the latest in the investigation?
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it's a significant day here at Fort Hood. The latest on the investigation, the Army Criminal Investigation Division came out last night and said, "Look, we're sure that Major Hasan acted by himself. No soldiers or civilians were killed or wounded by friendly fire."
But as for a motive, as to why the burning question here at Fort Hood and really across the country, they still have no insight into that.
We do know that Hasan's condition is improving. He is no longer on a ventilator. We don't know if he is still in a coma or a coma- like state, or if investigators are going to be able to speak to him soon.
But there are a number of Christian services in and around Fort Hood today. And a lot of support, a lot of prayers, a lot of thoughts, are going out to the people in and around this area. And the Army says that has been incredibly important to them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COL. JOHN ROSSI, FT. HOOD DEPUTY COMMANDING GENERAL: This is really Army family. A lot of soldiers, peers, buddies, friends, outside the gate, inside the gate, this is that extended Army family that we truly are reaching out to, and we're reaching out to all of them to try to -- to try to help.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CALLEBS: And, of course, a lot of people want to know about the condition of Officer Kim Munley. Well, she is apparently improving as well. We had a chance to speak to a couple of her friends yesterday.
Munley has had two surgeries so far. She was shot three times. She, of course, is the hero -- civilian police officer who shot Hasan at least two times during that massacre. She was shot three times herself, in both legs and in the wrist, as well. She's getting better.
Her family issued a statement thanking everybody for all of the support out there -- Betty.
NGUYEN: And I understand that there has been a call for calm, in fact, from an unlikely source.
CALLEBS: Yes, exactly. Of the 13 people who did lose their lives here during the shooting, there was one civilian, a 62-year-old. He had been working here at this post for some six years. He was a physician's assistant. He was dedicated to making sure everybody had medical treatment, had -- you know, had all the medical treatment that they needed either going or coming overseas.
We had a chance to catch up with his family last night. His family says, "Look, we understand the anger. We understand the frustration. But please, don't lash out at those who practice the Muslim faith."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEELY VANACKER, FT. HOOD VICTIM'S DAUGHTER: There are people who have problems. And who will do crazy things like this. Muslim or not Muslim, and we can't look at this guy who killed my dad and blame him because he was a Muslim.
He was a man who had some serious issues. And whether they could have picked up on that early enough, I don't know. But I know that this is just a man, an American man, who had issues and problems, and did a horrible, unspeakable act.
But being so angry at one group of people because of this? That's not going to bring my dad back. And how can you live your life full of anger?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CALLEBS: A very thoughtful thought provoking comments coming from that family.
Betty, the next word we're expecting to get from the Army will happen at noon Eastern Time here today. So, we'll keep you apprised of that. Hopefully, we'll find out some more about the investigation into Hasan, if there was someone looking into his past, the fact that he simply didn't want to go overseas and the fact that some people were quite concerned about his mental state -- Betty.
NGUYEN: Yes. All right, looking forward to that, Sean. Thank you so much.
We also want to give you a look what is happening this week at Fort Hood. Officials expected to hold a news conference at 1:00 p.m. Eastern to talk more about the investigation. Then tonight at 6:00 Eastern, Texas Governor Rick Perry will be among the speakers at First Baptist Church in Killeen, for a live prayer service for the victims. On Tuesday, the president and first lady are expected to attend a memorial service for the victims.
Well, the House may have taken big strides. So, what happens now with health care reform?
HOLMES: Well, we're going to get an explanation, Schoolhouse Rock-style. Josh Levs is going to have that for us.
Good morning to you, sir.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you guys. Yes, because we've been hearing about health care reform for months, and what we're going to do now is help you follow the bill, or actually, the bills on Capitol Hill. What are the exact steps ahead for health care reform? We're going to lay it out for you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: All right. Well, if you haven't heard or you didn't see it last night, it was a huge night for Democrats and for President Obama with a health care reform bill winning passage in the House.
HOLMES: All right. One bill though.
NGUYEN: Yes.
HOLMES: Don't get it twisted. You saw a lot of celebrating and high-fives and cheering...
NGUYEN: There are a lot more to come.
HOLMES: A lot more going on. It could be a lot of changes even to just this bill. Josh Levs is here to show us the path for this health care reform.
Hello, again. A long way to go.
LEVS: Long way to go. Yes. And, you know, we're inspired by the Schoolhouse Rock stuff. We used to have it when we were kids.
So, what we've done is we have some pictures that help you trace the path of health care reform legislation in Congress. And this is the first one.
Now, this is what led to last night. You have three different House committees and they had to merge all of their different bills into one bill. That made it through the House. And when you look at it in that picture, you can see why another reason it's such an achievement.
Now, this is what needs to happen in the Senate. There, you have these two committees now that need to merge their bill into one. And then get back to the Senate.
Will it merge? How soon will it merge? What will happen in the Senate? Giant question.
If the Senate can pass it, this is the last thing you have. This is what would happen. The House and Senate would then have to get together in a special committee and they would have to each bring their bill together and try to come up with one that can make them both happy, and then that has to go through the House and the Senate, too. And if it does all that, then it gets to the White House.
So, that is why there are so many steps ahead. It is indeed, one monumental step for those pushing for health care reform. But you can see right there all the steps that are ahead.
There's another thing I want you to know. As you hear the debate and it's just firing up even more this morning, there are some terms that pop up here and there that might seem confusing. Take a look at an example here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PELOSI: You can have rescissions. You cannot lose your insurance just because you become ill and the list goes on and on if you're a senior, the doughnut hole is closed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: Rescissions, doughnut hole -- a lot of terms pop up a lot. So, let's zoom in here. I want to show you how you can always come to know these terms that fly around a lot. This is from CNN.com/healthcare. It's one of the main stories right there wading through the health care lingo.
And what we do is we link to you definitions. So, for example, the "doughnut hole" is explained right here. After seniors under Medicare reach a certain spending limit, they have to pay the full cost for prescription. That's what the doughnut hole is.
Rescission is over here. Health care rescission is a process by which insurers cancel coverage.
Anytime you hear a term, just jump on over the CNN.com/healthcare and we have it linked for you at the blog, also Facebook and Twitter. You can see my page here, CNN.com/Josh, Facebook and Twitter are JoshLevsCNN. We have linked all the things we'd just show you.
So, Betty and T.J., hopefully, empowering people with a good understanding as they hear these claims out there, they know what the terms mean at least.
NGUYEN: Yes. Empowering is so important, too, because we're talking about a bill that's, what, 1,900 pages.
HOLMES: Yes.
NGUYEN: And a lot of people are trying to figure out what the heck is in it, what have they passed.
LEVS: And that's just this bill.
NGUYEN: Yes.
LEVS: They want to see what's ahead.
NGUYEN: Yes, that's true. I mean, we still have to get the Senate version and the merged version and all of that.
OK. So, thank you, Josh, for that.
And we've been asking you, the viewer, this morning to weigh in as well, what do you think about the passage of this. And getting back to that point, we go to my Twitter site.
Linda, 4251 says, "You know, I'm not sure. Do not feel the public has been properly educated about the bill. I can't seem to sort out rumor versus fact."
And quickly to my Facebook page, Arnold says, "I hope that it does more good than saddling us and our grandchildren with another trillion dollars in debt."
HOLMES: You know, to that point about that bill, if anybody just goes and tries to attempt to read that bill, you can't make heads or tails out of it. To be quite -- I mean, it's almost like reading some kind of a legal contract.
NGUYEN: Right.
HOLMES: You have to go and get some kind of professional help to read the bill. And it's just so difficult for just an everyday person to try to read that thing. You can't make sense out of it.
One point I'll make here on -- from Emmy Mason, who sent in something on a tweet, says, "I'm very pleased the health care bill pass but very disgruntled with my Representative Ben Chandler, Democrat of Kentucky, who voted no." So, obviously, Emmy has tacked in here in that yes, 39 Democrats did oppose it and her representative was one of them who said no, one Democratic had said no. And she's not too happy with him.
NGUYEN: And one lone Republican voted for it.
HOLMES: Yes.
NGUYEN: That being Anh Joseph Cao. And he is going to be joining us live in our 8:20 hour Eastern this morning. So, you want to listen to that interview and find out exactly why he voted for it and why he was the only Republican who did so.
In the meantime, though, we still want you to weigh in. So, e- mail us or you can go to our Facebook site, our Twitter site. We also have our blogs, CNN.com/Betty and CNN.com/TJ. We want to hear what you think about it.
In the meantime, though, how do you attempt to console a community going through a tragedy?
HOLMES: And we're going to be hearing from a chaplain at Fort Hood who's talking to the soldiers on that post and talking as well to the families of the victims.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: Stay with CNN -- your hurricane headquarters.
NGUYEN: Hurricane Ida headed toward the Gulf of Mexico. And Reynolds Wolf is tracking that for us.
Ida just keeps changing, doesn't it?
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, it does. I mean, it's just kind of bouncing back from a tropical storm to a hurricane. Now, it's game one for hurricanes again.
Let's take a look at this. The latest we have, winds of 90 miles per hour. That's the sustained winds we have around the center of the storm, although there have been some gusts that have been considerably stronger. In fact, take a look at this number right here, 115 miles an hour -- that's how fast this thing is spinning.
As long as it stays over open water, it has the chance of getting a bit stronger. Guess what? Over the next 12 to 24 hours, it is going to be staying over open water. At least that's the latest forecast at the National Hurricane Center, which is we put this in a motion, you'll see this big one which stands for a category one storm.
But as I fast forward, take a look, it goes right up into the Gulf of Mexico, runs into some warmer water, which is like high octane fuel for these storm systems, it's going to become a category two storm. And it moves closer to Louisiana coast, it is expected to get caught up with some upper level winds which is going to push this thing a little bit more to the east, as it does so, to south of Pensacola, should weaken once again as we get into Wednesday and Thursday, as a tropical storm, then depression off the coast of Tampa, Florida, and then should die out. Again, that's the forecast.
A lot can change. I would say, if you happen to be anywhere from the Texas coastline to Louisiana to Alabama and to Florida, be prepared because these storms are very thick. And there's a chance that it may become calling (ph). Hurricane season ends at the end of November. So, we got a long way to go to say the very least.
Meanwhile, next 30 seconds, I'll show you what else is happening around the country. Not much in the southeast, beautiful sunshine, high pressure is dominating features. It's going to have a compressing effect on the atmosphere. The result is going to be sunny skies.
Back up in the Great Lakes, a mix of sunny clouds, could see some scattered showers there at Minnesota. But the back up into Pacific Northwest, this big storm system is getting ramped up in the Gulf of Alaska. And as that crosses into parts of the northern Pacific and then back into Washington state, the result will be some snowfall in the high elevations.
We've got some video for you. Let's go to that right now and showing you the snowfall right along parts of the I-5 corridor. It's fun for kids. Good times. Great thing to see up there with the great trees and all that kind of stuff.
But when you have to drive, that's where it gets to be a little bit tricky. They'll be use to it by the end of the season. But when you get out there for the first snowfall, it's not fun.
You see the ski lifts aren't moving by the time being, but that will change in the coming months. It could be a snowy winter which is great for the skiers.
Very quickly, in the next couple of seconds, your high temperatures around the nation, in the northeast, temperatures are mainly in the 60s, 70s. In the southeast, 83 in Miami, you lucky devil, 77 in Dallas, back to Denver with 58 degrees, Seattle 51, and L.A. with 71.
That's your forecast. Yes, kind of like it. Let's send it back to you guys.
NGUYEN: Yes, not a bad day on tap for Sunday.
WOLF: There you go.
NGUYEN: Get outside to enjoy some of that sunshine. Thank you.
HOLMES: All right. Thanks, Reynolds.
Up next here, two Americans missing in Afghanistan. We're talking to international affairs expert, Peter Bergen, in our 8:00 hour about -- not just that but also what has happened now that officially, Hamid Karzai has been declared the winner of those elections.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC)
HOLMES: All right. Students, doctors, whatever you may be out there, a lot of people take a lot of notes. We got something for you that could be just a Godsend here. The moment when you suddenly forget what you're supposed to be writing sometimes, you know, it's just a lot to keep up with sometimes.
NGUYEN: Yes, especially when you're at the doctor and you're trying to keep, you know, all the information as to when I take this medication, what's it for, how many times a day, blah, blah. Well, our tech guru, Mario Armstrong, recently showed us how this new piece of technology can help with all of that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: OK.
MARIO ARMSTRONG, TECHNOLOGY COMMENTATOR AND JOURNALIST: This is called the Livescribe Pulse pen. And essentially, it's a computer inside of this pen. And the pen captures the audio of what's being said in the room but links it to my handwritten notes.
So, let me give you an example.
NGUYEN: OK.
ARMSTRONG: When I was meeting with the doctor, I can touch -- I can touch -- I can go back at any point in time, touch a line and then... LIVESCRIBE PULSE PEN RECORDED AUDIO: When you reach temperatures of 102, it's over, he runs the risk of having seizures. Going forward, I want us to monitor his fever temperatures to make sure that we are looking for any warning signs.
ARMSTRONG: Follow me? So, what that means is I'm now capturing the audio of what's being said in the room. I am taking notes, but I can go back at any point in time and touch those notes to hear what was actually being said.
NGUYEN: At that point in time when you wrote that note?
ARMSTRONG: That's right, at that point in time when I wrote that note.
NGUYEN: My goodness.
ARMSTRONG: Think of it like a DVR for your TV programs, you can go right back and listen to it.
HOLMES: You see, I was fascinated by it, too.
NGUYEN: Yes.
HOLMES: But I had to ask a couple of other follow-up questions, like -- could you write one word, say doctor. And you could just tap that. But it comes with this special notebook. It's not like you can't just write on any piece of paper.
NGUYEN: Oh, OK.
ARMSTRONG: Good question. It does come with a special notebook that has these microdots. So, basically, it has a camera inside this pen, so that's what's capturing the handwritten notes. So, the idea is...
NGUYEN: Is it special paper on it?
ARMSTRONG: It is a special paper.
NGUYEN: OK.
ARMSTRONG: So, it can capture about 100 hours of recordings, or 16,000 pages of notes. So, it captures quite a lot of information. And then you can sync this up to your computer.
NGUYEN: I was going to say, can you just download that on your computer so you don't have to type it anywhere?
ARMSTRONG: You can, so you don't have to type it in. You can actually see the image on your computer just like you see here, one of notes.
NGUYEN: Well, forget about taking notes. Why don't just hold that up to your doctor, right?
(LAUGHTER)
NGUYEN: Just let him speak into that.
ARMSTRONG: You can do that, too.
NGUYEN: How much is something like that?
ARMSTRONG: A hundred and forty-nine dollars.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Not bad. And it can really save you a lot of time and stress if you can't remember what the doctor told you to do.
All right. Speaking of doctors and your health, health care bill has been passed by the House by a narrow margin and we're trying to get your feedback this morning.
I'll take you to my Twitter site really quick. Brian 5379 says, "I'm all for health care reform but why would anyone be excited about the half done bill they passed that had no one can understand." So, a lot of people weighing in trying to figure, "OK, yes, I hear the hoopla. But what exactly does it mean?" And this bill is far from being completely done, that's for sure.
HOLMES: A long way. We'll be talking about the long journey still ahead. Right now, Betty and I are going to hand it over to Sanjay Gupta for "HOUSE CALL." We'll see you back here at the top of more live news.
