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CNN Saturday Morning News
Obama Makes Final Health Pitch to House Democrats; Fargo Residents Wait Behind Dikes for Red River Crest; Pope Apologizes to Irish Abuse Victims
Aired March 20, 2010 - 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, hello there, everybody. From the CNN Center, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING for this March 20. Yes, a Saturday, but it is a busy weekend on Capitol Hill.
Hello to you all. I'm T.J. Holmes.
ABBIE BOUDREAU, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Abbie Boudreau. It's 6 a.m. here in Atlanta. Thanks for starting your day with us.
It's getting down to the final hours before the vote, and several House Democrats are still trying to decide if they'll decide for or against the health-care reform bill. We'll look at what's in the bill, how much it will cost and who's voting for it.
HOLMES: And stop me when you've heard this one: The Red River is about to crest. Reynolds Wolf is there for us in Moorhead, Minnesota.
Reynolds, it seems like you do this story -- what? -- I don't know, every year?
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, it sure seems that way. I mean, they've got it down to a science here in this part of the world.
I'm actually coming to you from Moorhead, Minnesota. Across the way, you've got Fargo. And right between us, the Red River. So you've got two cities, one river and one massive flood, certainly of historic proportions.
We're going to talk about how people have been dealing with that, how locals have been coping with it, how this has been affecting thousands of people. At the same time, on this first day of spring -- yes, spring begins today -- we have a major winter storm that is developing across parts of the nation. In fact, in Oklahoma, the state has already declared a state of emergency. All 77 counties in the state of Oklahoma under that emergency, possibly getting up to a foot of snowfall in some places.
It's another busy weather morning. We're going to talk more about all of it coming up in just a few moments.
BOUDREAU: Of course, health-care reform is our top story this -- this hour. After months of debate, the house pushes toward a vote tomorrow on the Senate version of the bill. Now, the House Rules Committee meets at 8 a.m. Eastern today. It'll decide how tomorrow's voting will play out.
The full House convenes this morning at 9.
President Obama huddles this afternoon with House Democrats for a strategy session on pushing the bill through. Two hundred sixteen votes are needed to pass or kill the measure, and across the country today, "tea party" groups are meeting to protest the health-care reform plan.
HOLMES: Also, within the next hour or so, we're expecting to see a letter from Pope Benedict. He's due to issue this pastoral letter about the priest sex-abuse scandal in Ireland. We're expecting to see possibly an apology from the pope.
Earlier this week, Ireland's top Catholic cardinal conceded that the church's response to the years of abuse allegations has been -- quote -- "hopelessly inadequate."
BOUDREAU: Well, air travelers across the world could be feeling the effects of a labor strike. British Airways is canceling more than a thousand flights today after a walkout by the airlines' cabin crews. That's really big news. The last-ditch talks collapsed last night between the airlines and the unions. So we'll have to see where that all -- where that all goes.
HOLMES: And we have been saying, it seems like for quite some time, that this it for health-care reform. So we're going to say it again -- really, this could be it. A vote expected tomorrow, and for a lot of these lawmakers, one vote -- it comes down to this, and it could mean the difference between them having a job come November.
Our Dana Bash has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANA BASH, CNN SR. CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: T.J., this health-care vote is difficult for many Democrats, but it is especially true for the freshmen, who helped give House Democrats their huge majority by winning Republican districts. And for them, it is nothing short of their jobs that are on the line.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good morning, Congresswoman Kilroy's office. OK. Well, I can definitely pass the message along to the congresswoman for you. And could I just get your name and address, please.
BASH: You're a new member of Congress. You're from a -- you're from the swing district in the swing state. There's a lot of pressure on you politically, and you could lose your seat over that.
REP. MARY JO KILROY (D), OHIO: When I campaigned for my seat, I said that I was going to work for jobs for our community, that I was going to help work to improve our economy, that I understood the many people who are just a pink slip away from losing their health insurance. BASH: Tom Perriello is another freshman Democrat who voted for the health-care bill in November, and got pounded for it in his conservative Virginia district.
Still, on a conference call, he said he would vote "yes" again.
REP. TOM PERRIELLO (D), VIRGINIA: I think, at the end of the day, this is vital for the working families of our district, for the hospitals and clinics of our district, for the doctors and nurses of our district.
BASH: Freshman Democrat John Boccieri is from a Republican- leaning district in Ohio who voted "no" on health-care in November, but revealed he's switching to "yes.
REP. JOHN BOCCIERI (D), OHIO: A lot of people are telling me this decision could cost me my job. The pressure I felt was back in the district, from these families who called me and who had written to me, who had told me that they want me to be with them, and not the insurance companies.
BASH (voice-over): How much angst do these freshmen Democrats have? We asked Dina Titus, who barely won her seat and already has an uphill battle to get re-elected.
(on camera): Well, how much pressure are you feeling back home? You're -- you're in a -- you're one of those -- you're one of those Democrats who's in a pretty tough district politically.
REP. DINA TITUS (D), NEVADA: We're getting a lot of phone calls, and there's about a million dollars worth of TV ads running against us.
BASH: Are you worried about losing your seat?
TITUS: I think there are more important things than my re- election, and the health of the people in this country would certainly be one of those.
BASH: Titus later said she's voting for the health-care bill again.
But not all vulnerable Democrats, freshmen or otherwise, are breaking for the bill. In fact, Jason Altmire, who is from a swing district in Pennsylvania, and voted "no" on health care in November, publicly considered voting "yes" this time. But he decided he is once again a "nay."
And there are plenty of other Democrats in tough re-election battles this year who are undeclared. But they don't want to talk about it -- T.J.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: All right. And thanks to our Dana Bash. Let's give you some numbers here now. Everybody's trying to keep up exactly with what's happening. But those are the special folks right there. These are the Democrats who have not yet declared how they will vote on the bill tomorrow.
The total number of Democratic "no" votes needed to kill this bill is 38. Now, by our latest count, they're at 30 Democrats who saying "no" right now. Others, still kind of up in the air.
Throughout the day, CNN will continue to keep count. We are canvassing House members for any updates on those numbers.
BOUDREAU: All right. And we know how much it's expected to cost, but where will the money come from to pay for health-care reform?
The Congressional Budget Office puts the estimated price tag at $940 billion over 10 years. Now, much of that would come from the increase in the Medicare tax on the high-income households. And for the first time, the tax could be applied to investment income as well as wages.
Money would also come from a tax on high-cost medical plans, but that would be delayed until 2018.
Now another source: Penalties for those who -- who don't get health-insurance coverage. CNN, of course, is counting the votes. Follow our special live coverages as the decision comes down to the wire, all day tomorrow, right here on CNN.
HOLMES: Well, we turn to the weather and a situation we see play out every single year at the Red River, and we're doing it again. Not expecting a record levels of it to crest -- 37.5 feet. I think around 40, 41 feet is the actual record that they saw last year.
But about a million sandbags have been filled now. They are in place. The governor up there, Tim Pawlenty, seems to think -- you know, we got this under control. They think they have the people in place and maybe the sandbags in place right now to handle this, because they have a lot of practice, quite frankly. They do it every year.
BOUDREAU: Well, yes. And I mean, there's been a -- a lot of careful planning, and they -- they felt like they were really prepared. But at the same time, there are still a few unexpected problems. Engineers and volunteers had a chance to test how ready they really were, when suddenly the dike suddenly sprung a leak.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK MILLERS, FARGO ENGINEER: You have a joint every six feet. Those joints, we believe, started failing. And so we started getting water on the dry side of our levee system.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: All right. Our Reynolds Wolf is live for us there in Moorhead, Minnesota. Made his way up yesterday.
And Reynolds, I know you have seen this river and seen it this time of year, when it begins to flood, every single year. But is there anything that seems kind of different this time? Are they in worse shape or better shape than, quite frankly, you have seen before?
WOLF: I -- that's a great question, T.J.
I would say overwhelmingly, much better shape. I mean, there is a sense of calm here. And part of it is preparation. They -- they got things started, really, on March 1, over a million sand bags covering both sides of the river. They've done an amazing job.
I will tell you, on a personal level, last year, I actually drove up here from the Twin Cities. Yesterday, the crew flew in. And as we came in, seeing this area from -- from high above was just mind- boggling -- how far and how wide the flooding is, how expansive it is in the Red River -- a river that's been flowing northward for thousands and thousands of years.
As you mentioned, T.J., it is still flooding as we speak. The level expected to just go shy of the crest of last year, going up to 40.8 feet. But still, major flooding.
Keep in mind, folks across America, that -- that flood -- the flood stage, a major flood is about 18 feet or higher. We still anticipate it's going to get up to about 37.5. Right now, it's just a little bit over 36. So it still has a ways to go.
Now, very quickly, you can see the trains moving right across here. This is Union Pacific Railway. Right behind that, you've got the Main Street. And if we could pan over just a little on this side, you can see the Center Street Bridge, water is very high in both directions. As the sun comes up, we're going to give you a better view.
Now, as this train is chugging along, we've got another storm system that is chugging along in parts of the Central Plains. I want to go right to the maps very quickly, starting off with what we have right now, which is widespread flooding. Again, you see the map here; everything shaded in green, those are your watches and warnings in terms of the flooding. You see it right there in Fargo, and it goes as far north as Grafton.
Meanwhile, in the Central Plains, you see the numbers there. Up to a foot in some places, perhaps even more at -- just south of -- of Denver, right along parts of I-25. Anyone traveling in that direction, it could be rough for you.
(WEATHER REPORT)
WOLF: You know, we've been showing you just a little bit of what's been going on. There are tons of men and women who have been out here working around the clock, trying to -- to make sure that things are just fine.
We've got a special guest with us this morning. Let's get to him right now.
This is Sergeant Jason Augdahl.
MASTER SGT. JASON AUGDAHL, NORTH DAKOTA AIR NATL. GUARD: Yes, that is correct.
WOLF: Augdahl. And you -- you're with the North Dakota Air National Guard. And you've been out, I guess all night, checking the -- the -- I guess the strength of the -- of the -- the dams, correct?
AUGDAHL: That's correct.
WOLF: (INAUDIBLE). Well, what exactly do you do? When you're out there and you're walking about, what do you -- what are you looking for?
AUGDAHL: We're looking for cracking. When the dikes start cracking off towards the river, we got to alert the engineers at that point. That way, they can get out and check it out.
Also looking for -- when it cracks through the center of it, and it starts leaking through, that's also a concern, so...
WOLF: Now this has got to be a tough thing to do, just on a -- on any average day, but, I mean, when you're doing this around the clock -- I mean, this has got to be kind of tough.
What -- when -- when -- if you were to see something break in one of these -- these levees, what exactly do you do? What is the first step you take?
AUGDAHL: First step is going to call back to our emergency- operations center, alert them. That way they can get a hold of that quick-reaction teams, send them out to that spot exactly, start hitting it. So...
WOLF: You know, and it is all about protecting the people. What has the mood of the people been, the people that you've interacted with over the last couple days?
AUGDAHL: It's been upbeat and good. People bring us cookies -- you know, little snacks, things like that. So it's always nice to see them out there supporting us.
WOLF: Just that little measure of appreciation makes a long night a lot -- a lot easier to take, I'm sure.
AUGDAHL: It does. It does.
WOLF: OK. We're going to let you go. Sergeant, I know you've had a very long night. Thank you so much for your great work. I know many people are thankful. Get some rest, buddy.
AUGDAHL: Sounds good. Thank you.
WOLF: You bet. Take care, sir. All right. That's the story. You know, it really is that Midwest can-do attitude that people have. As you can see right behind me, the water is still coming up. We're going to see it rise a bit more.
One of the reasons why -- you see the snow right there in the background. It's all melting. That should stop. But again, the water still coming up through the afternoon and into tomorrow. And remember, spring officially begins today. What a mess.
Guys, let's send it back to you in the studio.
HOLMES: Yes -- yes, that looks like springtime, doesn't there, Reynolds?
WOLF: Yes.
HOLMES: We appreciate you, buddy. We'll be checking in with you plenty this morning. Thanks so much.
BOUDREAU: Well, at least they're getting cookies...
WOLF: You bet.
BOUDREAU: ...you know, for all the help that they're doing.
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: That's something. That's something (ph).
BOUDREAU: All right.
Well, lawmakers on Capitol Hill on working on a Saturday, gearing up for a possible historic vote this weekend.
HOLMES: Yes, we're expecting to see that tomorrow. But a lot of activity, a lot of movement happening today that we'll be bringing you as well.
Also, they might as well declare Thursday of this week and Friday just a national holiday, because all the productivity at the office goes kaput anyway. So you might as well let people out for the day. And you probably know what I'm talking about.
We're right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BOUDREAU: Basketball fans across the country are reeling from March Madness.
HOLMES: Yes, the president gets involved in this as well.
As you know, the president's a pretty big basketball fan. He's such a fan -- there he is, filling out his bracket again. He did this last year. Did it again this year as well. But this year, he correctly predicted 13 of the 16 teams that won on Friday. That's one more win than he got the day before. But still, pretty good numbers for the president.
BOUDREAU: Right, and he had chosen Georgetown as one of the teams to make it to the Round of 8. Instead, the No. 3 seed was stunned by the 14th-seeded Ohio University.
HOLMES: Yes, this was a stun for everybody. Georgetown was expected to do pretty well, and pretty much, they are the ones that should be embarrassed...
BOUDREAU: Pretty much in a lot of the...
HOLMES: ...by what happened.
BOUDREAU: ...games.
HOLMES: I am (INAUDIBLE). Thursday was a holiday for me. I sat down at noon and didn't get up from the same seat until about 10 at night.
BOUDREAU: Really?
HOLMES: Yes.
BOUDREAU: I -- I don't know. I'm -- I'm more of a baseball fan.
HOLMES: Oh come on.
BOUDREAU: I'm sorry. I know, I'm embarrassed. Sorry.
HOLMES: Well, that's all right. Baseball is a good sport.
BOUDREAU: (INAUDIBLE) football.
HOLMES: But everybody gets into this.
BOUDREAU: Basketball's my No. 3. But anyway.
HOLMES: Well, all right, then.
(LAUGHTER)
BOUDREAU: Well, want to know what's really in the health-care bill?
HOLMES: Yes, we -- we all do. Everybody's been poring through a bunch of different bills, actually. Now, we got a reconciliation bill to consider.
Josh Levs doing some digging. Has a reality check for us this morning.
Good morning to you Josh. JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, I guess it's just my thing, but I could stand here and do "Reality Checks" from noon to 10 and be perfectly happy. It's just what I'm into.
Here's the thing -- latest ones for you this morning. President Obama saying it will save the nation more than a trillion dollars. But that's not exactly what the Congressional Budget Office actually says.
Health-care and taxpayer money, coming up in your "Reality Check."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: All right. Getting down to the wire with this health- care reform legislation. We're hearing a whole lot of claims, maybe some new ones on both sides about what's in there.
BOUDREAU: But are they true? And that's what Josh Levs is going to tell us. And he's here this morning with us.
Josh, what have you got for us?
LEVS: All right, guys.
We are going to start off with something that the Democrats have been saying -- Nancy Pelosi said it and President Obama said it just yesterday.
Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: But this bill, according to the Congressional Budget Office, which is the referee, the scorekeeper for how much things cost -- says it will save us a trillion dollars. Not only can we afford to do this, we can't afford not to do this.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: So we're hearing this a lot, that it would save the nation a trillion dollars over 20 years.
That's not exactly what the Congressional Budget Office is saying. That's not exactly what the Congressional Budget Office is saying. Let's -- let's -- am I hearing that we don't have screens? OK. So I just have to talk to you guys about it? All right. I'll just do my best here.
Here's the basic idea: The Congressional Budget Office was asked to take a look at what's going to happen -- there you go. It is working. See, Claude (ph), you got it.
Over the next 10 years, the Congressional Budget Office says it would actually save $138 billion. That's not more than a trillion.
And then they were asked to look at what happens past that, another 10 years. And here's on the next screen, what they found -- they found that it would save a little tiny piece of whatever our GDP is at that point. So they don't actually know how many dollars it will save us. They think it will save a broad range, about one-half percent of GDP.
So whatever our GDP is in that decade, they think it will save a tiny little bit. Does that mean it will save more than trillion dollars? We don't really know, unfortunately.
I got something from the other side for you now. Let's take a look at one thing a lot of Republicans have been saying.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. CLIFF STEARNS (R), FLORIDA: There is no precedent for what the Democrats are doing. We have never written a reconciliation bill to amend a law that does not exist.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: Is there no precedent for this? And are the Democrats doing something -- pretty much amending a law that does not exist? Well, kind of.
I want to show you a Web site really quickly, that's really cool. It's called PolitiFact.com. In case you haven't seen it before, they go through -- they look at all sorts of assertions. This is one right here -- they talk about lies about health care. And what they do is, they rate various claims.
And they took a look at this one, from this Republican representative, Cliff Stearns. And they gave him this little thing here, it says "Half True."
Here's the very basic idea why -- let's go to these screens and I'll show you. They talked to a whole lot of experts about this, and they say experts say that there's actually a lot of similar examples of what the Democrats are proposing to do.
However, he is right on part of it. Stearn (sic) is correct; this is the first time Congress has ever -- and listen -- listen to these words -- first time Congress has ever written a reconciliation bill to amend a law that does not exist.
I like stopping and taking a look at that, because it's a reminder of how incredibly complicated this entire system is and what's going on in Washington right now. And if you want to know everything that's going on in Washington right now, this is the best place to go: CNN.com/healthcare. It's packed with information, and I got links for you on my Facebook page right there, Facebook.com/joshlevscnn.
And we got links to what I just showed you: PolitiFact; also another fact-check site; and CNN.com/healthcare.
So Abbie and T.J., we will be keeping an eye on all these claims flying around Washington in the coming days, and especially in the coming hours. What are we down to? Like, 36 or less before that big vote on Capitol Hill.
HOLMES: But who's counting?
LEVS: Who's counting?
BOUDREAU: So many hours.
LEVS: Tick tock.
HOLMES: Too many numbers right now.
Josh, thank you.
LEVS: Thanks, guys.
HOLMES: We're going to be getting into some more numbers, of course, this morning.
A lot of folks out there -- you're talking about all these representatives and their votes being on the -- or their jobs being on the line. Well, do you actually know how your member of Congress is voting on health care? A lot of people, quite frankly -- do you even know who your representative is?
Go to CNN.com/politics for a list of the votes.
And then, we want you to tell us who your representative is, and why you agree or disagree with how he or she is voting. This is also the Facebook question of the day.
You can e-mail us. You can send it -- you know how to find us. Facebook, also on Twitter. And also you can go to CNN.com/tj.
Also, speaking of numbers, we got another big number for you here: $38 billion. A new initiative to get Americans back to work.
BOUDREAU: And coming up, a closer look at what's in the new jobs bill for you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, SeaWorld Orlando trainers have a new set of rules for handling killer whales now. They've been ordered to keep their distance when extracting blood samples. Also, when doing simple things like brushing the whales' teeth and feeding them. They used to be all up on them, a lot closer than they're allowed to get now.
This happened, of course, after that attack that killed one of the trainers there. There are some indications, however, that some of the new rules could change by summer.
SeaWorld says all the new decisions are in honor of that trainer who was killed by -- during a whale performance.
BOUDREAU: The pressure-cooker weekend in Washington. President Obama meets with House Democrats today in an effort to encourage support for a sweeping reform plan. Two-hundred sixteen votes are needed to pass the measure. That vote expected tomorrow.
HOLMES: Also, opponents of the president's health-care reform will be gathering on Capitol Hill today, trying to send a message to Congress. The "tea party" and other affiliate organizations taking part in a noontime protest. Several lawmakers are scheduled to speak, along with actor and activist Jon Voigt.
CNN SATURDAY MORNING will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC, HUEY LEWIS, "WORKING FOR A LIVING")
BOUDREAU: Jobs: It's been the No. 1 economic issue for President Obama. And this week, he offered new help for struggling Americans.
On Thursday, he signed into law a new $38 billion package. It offers modest tax breaks for employers, and only a relative handful benefits for those willing to hire in such uncertain times.
Now, the bottom line: It -- it falls short of what he and many other Democrats wanted. The White House it said -- it sought sweeping incentives for employers to add jobs.
HOLMES: Also on the president's radar today, the nation's financial crisis. He's got a lot of stuff he's juggling right now.
BOUDREAU: Yes. And in his weekly address, the president calls for the biggest overhaul to the financial system since the 1930s.
The legislation introduced this week in the Senate also calls for the creation of an agency that would advocate for everyday Americans.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: The fact is, it's now been well over a year since the near-collapse of the entire financial system, a crisis that helped wipe out more than eight million jobs and that continues to exact a terrible toll throughout our economy. Yet today, the very same system that allowed this turmoil remains in place. No one disputes that. No one denies that reform is needed.
So the question we have to answer is very simple: Will we learn from this crisis? Or will we condemn ourselves to repeat it? That's what's at stake.
I urge those in the Senate who support these reforms to remain strong, to resist the pressure from those who would preserve the status quo, to stand up for their constituents and our country. And I promise to use every tool at my disposal to see these reforms enacted, to ensure that the bill I sign into law reflects not the special interests of Wall Street, but the best interests of the American people.
Thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BOUDREAU: The proposed overhaul comes amid more bank failures. Regulators shut down seven banks yesterday, on top of the 30 closed earlier this year. Experts say the rate of bank seizures will likely accelerate in the coming months.
Thirty. Wow.
HOLMES: Well, hello again, everybody. At the bottom of the hour now, glad you could be here with us on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING. I'm T.J. Holmes.
BOUDREAU: And I'm Abbie Boudreau.
HOLMES: Want to give you a look now at some of the things we're keeping an eye on today.
Certainly health care is going to be a big story all weekend long, and probably beyond the weekend. But the House plans a vote tomorrow on the Senate version of the bill -- kind of, sort of. We'll get into the technical stuff here in a little while.
But this morning, the House Rules Committee is going to be meeting to decide how tomorrow's voting will play out. There are -- they are the Rules Committee, so they set the rules, quite frankly. And the full House then going to convene at 9:00 Eastern time.
President Obama, meanwhile, is going to make a final push, a final plea to House Democrats. He's going to meet with them this afternoon, going to have a strategy session on getting the bill through the chamber. Two-hundred and sixteen -- that is the magic number, how many votes are needed to either pass or kill the health- care reform measure.
Also in Washington and across the country today, Tea Party groups meeting to protest what they call Obama care.
BOUDREAU: Pope Benedict will address the church sex scandal today as new accusations surface in Europe. In about half an hour, the pope will release a letter that focuses solely on the abusive priests in Ireland, where the scandal is growing. New complaints are cropping up in six European countries including the pope's homeland of Germany.
HOLMES: More than a 1,000 flights are being canceled today. You're listening to me at an airport, right now, you probably just cringed but let me explain. We're talking about one of the world's largest air carriers, is dealing with a strike, a three-day strike. Cabin crews have walked off the job and negotiations have broken down last night with British Airways. That airline chartered flights for some of the rivals to accommodate some of those affected passengers. BOUDREAU: And it's a big day for health care, as we all know, and the president, it's big day for him, as well. Some lawmakers are pushing to kill the bill while President Obama urges it forward. A vote is likely tomorrow.
HOLMES: Also this morning, we are keeping an eye on the Red River. How high can it go? And will the million sandbags hold everything back? All that water back. Our Reynolds Wolf is there with the flooding in Minnesota. We'll be checking in with him all throughout the morning. It is the bottom of the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: The battle over health care is approaching-we always say a critical juncture, but seriously this time. This is really it.
BOUDREAU: This is big. Right? OK. So House Republican leader John Boehner said this morning that if the Democratic health reform plan passes it will have a drastic affect on our economy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JOHN BOEHNER, (R) MINORITY LEADER: From the beginning, the one thing the American people wanted out of health care reform was lower cost. That's why Republicans proposed the bill based on common sense reforms that is according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office would reduce premiums for families and small businesses by up to 10 percent. Our bill achieves these goals without cutting Medicare or raising taxes and all the details are available at healthcare.gop.gov.
The Democrat's bill, which runs more than 2,300 pages, actually raises premiums and ushers in a massive expansion of government, with roughly 160 new boards, bureaus and commissions. Instead of finding a responsible way to pay for all of this, Democrats impose more than a $0.5 trillion in Medicare cuts and more than $0.5 trillion dollars in tax hikes.
In fact, this bill requires 10 years of tax increases and 10 years of Medicare cuts just to pay for six years of supposed benefits. Many of which don't even go into effect until 2014. That's not reform.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BOUDREAU: The health care debate provides us with a sound of the week this morning.
HOLMES: Take a listen to just some of the rhetoric we have been hearing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PROTESTORS: Kill the bill! Kill the bill! Kill the bill!
OBAMA: I'm confident it will pass and the reason I'm confident it's going to pass is because it's right thing to do.
BOEHNER: We have made clear it's time to scrap this bill. They are going to continue to ram, ram, ram this bill through the Congress.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just his co-pays for one month is $350. He's a diabetic. He's got asthma. He's got high blood pressure. He has hepatitis.
REP. NANCY PELOSI, (D) SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: The CBO report that we have, again, speaks so eloquently to the savings that are there for the American people.
REP. ERIC CANTOR, (R) MINORITY WHIP: Make no mistake. This vote that may occur this week is a betrayal of the American people. Where people vote on this bill will have a huge factor, will have a huge impact on whether they're here next year or not.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's it going to mean for Obama? Will his presidency be crippled? Or will he be -- or will he be the comeback kid?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BOUDREAU: CNN is following the health care vote and you can, too. All day tomorrow with our special coverage. CNN, your place for politics.
Armed with about a million sandbags, folks here in Minnesota and North Dakota border hoping they've been doing now have protect the homes and businesses from the rising Red River. The River's expected to crest this weekend at about 37.5 feet. That's below the flood protection levels. They're doing everything they can. The governor is confident that the personnel and the place can handle the situation. They seem pretty calm. We'll see how it's going, though.
HOLMES: They seem calm and they seem confident because they do this every single year. They have a lot of experience at this. Reynolds Wolf in Moorhead.
You hear me all right, there buddy? I see you adjusting your earpiece. You got me all right, though?
WOLF: Got you loud and clear. What we got right now, you hear noise in the background. We got, if you pan over here to one side, we have CNN photo journalist Chris Davis with us. You can see the train going right across the trestle, across the Red River. And as that is chugging from east to west, you had the Red River actually chugging the way from south to north.
This is a north-flowing river and one question we get, T.J., is why does this thing flood so often? The answer is actually pretty simple. This river was actually formed about 10,000 years ago from a giant glacier. It formed a lake and the water from this river has been relatively weak, so as it flows its way to the north it kind of meanders. It doesn't really have a deep gorge. So that when you have a massive snow melt, and you can see snow here in the background, when it melts there really isn't a lot of places for the water to go. So it spreads out and, again, causes all kinds of issues.
Issues like, well, some of the flooding we had last year. This year, of course, it is beyond record stage. Flood stage is right about 18 feet. This time expected to be up near 37.5. I think I misspoke a second ago. This is not record setting. Record set was last year at 40.8 feet. This time we're expecting about 37.5. As it make it is way to the north.
As you mentioned, T.J., we are actually in Moorhead. Across the way is Fargo. You have two cities dealing with this one flood and they have been dealing with this very, very well. In fact, they started planning the sandbags back on March 1st. That is when they started making them. And because of the freezing conditions, a lot of the sandbags-like the one you see right here--are actually frozen solid. They are not really malleable. So, there is a big chance that a lot of these sandbag levies that we have in the area might break. That is a big issue.
So, with that in mind, you have got a lot of people from the National Guard on both sides of the river looking very carefully to see there are any breaks in those dams, in those levies. So, it is something they are doing 24 hours a day.
Although there have not been any reports of any houses flooded on either side of the river, if you have one of those levies that breaks, it is a total game changer. Things can change very quickly. That is why we're here today. That's why we are going to be here tomorrow as that river crests.
Very quickly, let's go to the forecast. Show you what is happening around the rest of the world.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HOLMES: We are glad we have you on the weekends for us. It's very good, Reynolds, you made that point. Even though they do this every year and down to a science, they are really just one levy break away from disaster right now even though things look pretty good. We appreciate you keeping it all in perspective for us.
WOLF: T.J., I'm sorry we have a little bit of an issue with our audio. What we are going to do is keep the great question. You are full of good ones. Keep in it mind and ask me when I see you again.
HOLMES: OK. We'll let Reynolds go for now. We'll talk to him again soon.
BOUDREAU: For some House members, the vote on health care reform could be one of the most important of their political careers.
HOLMES: It could be the last. Some folks really do believe-oh, my goodness what a beautiful shot of the capitol this morning. But it's going to be ugly inside possibly today so we're going do get into who's undeclared still. We'll look at how the decision could literally cost them a job.
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HOLMES: Well officials in Iraq are still counting, still counting the votes after the parliamentary elections there. Seems like two weeks ago now? They say there's no clear leader. The latest in declaring a winner could cause complications if the process takes too long.
Mohammed Jamjoom joins us now, live from Baghdad.
Mohammed, hello, good to see you. We are talking about how it can complicate things if it takes too long. Has it already taken too long? Where are we in the vote count now?
MOHAMMED JAMJOOM, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, hi, T.J. With over 90 percent of the votes counted so far, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki's State of Law Coalition is narrowly ahead. They are leading in seven of the country's 18 provinces. The race has been much tighter than originally expected between the Prime Minister Al Maliki's bloc and the bloc of former interim prime minister, Ayad Allawi.
His bloc is leading in five of the country's provinces. But it is a close vote overall between Allawi and between Al-Maliki. Now, besides those two coalitions, you also have Iraqi National Alliance, that is the mainly Shiite alliance, that is leading in three of the country's provinces. And also you have the Kurdistan alliance, which is leading also in three provinces, T.J.
HOLMES: OK, you talk about how close things are, even once we get all the voting in. We still might have a pretty ugly process because it doesn't seem like anyone's going to have a big enough majority to form the government on their own, so these groups will haves get along.
JAMJOOM: That's right. That's right, T.J., I mean, you said the word "ugly." And we can't underscore that enough. The fact of the matter is when 100 percent of these results are announced-and it could be any day now-none of these parties is going to have enough seats in order to form a government on their own, or the put forth a platform for a government on their own. So what you are going to see is a prolonged and difficult process with all of these parties, people negotiating.
And the negotiation has really already begun, but it's only going to continue. It is only going to get more intense. And this thing could take months and that is where the real hard work is going to begin. They say Iraqi politics is complex. It was difficult enough getting this election going, getting an election law passed. Now the election is over and still, really the hard work has just begun.
HOLMES: Quickly, we know there are some allegations of fraud. Now that the time is going by, you are starting to see more of a drumbeat and momentum for people starting to question the process. Some regular Iraqis starting to question the outcome?
JAMJOOM: Well, that's right, T.J., so far Iraq's Independent High Electoral Commission has said that over 2,000 complaints from different political parties-different politicians, rather-have been lodged. But they're saying that they don't have any evidence of any real large-scale, widespread fraud, or manipulation.
Nonetheless, the longer this goes on, the more not only candidates are going to question this, and want to really make sure that this is being done on the up and up, but Iraqi people, as well. Everybody wants this to be-this process to be out there in the open, and to be transparent. But the longer this takes, the more people are going to get frustrated, and more you are going to see people question the process, T.J.
HOLMES: Mohammed, we appreciate you jumping on, jumping in front of the camera this morning. Talk to you again soon, buddy.
JAMJOOM: Thanks, TJ.
BOUDREAU: Some of our iReporters are sending us their thoughts on what's going on in Washington today. And Josh Levs is following all of that this morning.
Josh.
LEVS: Hey there again, guys. What people are saying about health care and about America at some events like this. Take a look at some iReport video. Our iReporters are battling it out and what they say here could impact tomorrow's vote.
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BOUDREAU: On the eve of a vote about health care lawmakers are not the only ones with strong feelings on both sides. We are hearing from you, too. Our Josh Levs has the latest iReports for us this morning.
Josh, are you hearing from lots of people, what is going on?
LEVS: We are. As we know, health care really fires people up, right? For more than a year now, all over the country, but even now when the big vote is down to the wire, we are hearing from more and more people around the clock. Here's one example. This is someone who supports the reform legislation, overall. One of our frequent iReporters, Ebgerto Willies.
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EGBERTO WILLIES, IREPORTER: Most are a job away from health care related financial ruin. The health care reform bill is the only buffer you're likely to have in that eventuality.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: He says he doesn't think it is perfect, but the thinks on balance it is the way to go.
Let's look at the other side, now. We have an iReport from a person who attended a rally put together relatively at the last minute, just a couple of days before it happened, fighting against the health care reform legislation. Let's listen to what the speaker said there.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're all scared. We're all worried about what is going on in Washington right now. We see the corruption. We see the willingness to change the rules, do things with no votes. Trying to pass this by any means necessary. It's just not American. It is just not the country I grew up in. I don't think it's country you folks thought it was, either.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: And then he adds some of that video there. You can just see people standing around.
That's the kind of thing that we're getting. We are hearing a lot of fired up people on both sides. I want to show you how you can weigh in. Go to ireport.com. You can just write it or you can send us a video from wherever you are, your photos.
Here is an interesting one. We actually have an iReport political cartoonist who sends us his own political cartoons all the time. His name is Jim Brennamen (ph). He says it boils down to "Do over, or overdone". And you can see here, he's got the elephant representing Republicans, with one piece of paper, and here the donkey holding 10,000 pieces of paper representing the liberal side.
Take a look at some of the many we are getting here, but I also want to show you that iReport is getting all sorts of things on different topics. Sometimes it is a lot of fun. This one really struck me. On the main page of iReport, look at what one of the iReporters found. Moving on from health care. She just saw this: "Come hear our pastor, he's not very good, but he's short."
Some of the more interesting ones, get on the main page here of iReport.com. Let me get back out to see a couple of others. People sending us what they're doing around the country. This one is pretty beautiful. One of our frequent iReporters, Chris Morrow (ph), rode in a hot air balloon and taking a picture of another one, right nearby. And just said it was absolutely beautiful.
One more, because I've never seen anything like this. Scottie, we get way in there? Look at the things they're sending us. Sometimes it is so random but amazing. This is one of the iReporters in Brazil seeing an marmoset in the wild. I know it is random, but you know what, some of these iReports are pretty amazing. Keep them coming, iReport.com. We always love to hear from you, obviously. In these last hours leading up to tomorrow's vote we can expect hundreds more. People weighing in on health care, and we'll bring you some right here.
HOLMES: Josh, we appreciate you. Yes, some interesting ones in there. We'll turn back to health care now. We were asking you throughout, do you know who your representative is? Some people don't but if you do, do you know how they plan to vote on health care? We're starting to get responses in from you, via Twitter via Facebook. I'll share a couple.
I'll just read them off from the Mac over here on the left. AKA, Mom teach, she says, no, my representative is Republican and votes against everything Democrat. I've written and called him to support the bill.
Coolbreeze, from Georgia, voting for health care. "I agree with him."
Right under there, another says, "I don't agree with health care reform being passed without a public option. But if the bill fails to pass, it might destroy Obama's presidency."
And one more from Cyrus Webb (ph), saying, "T.J., I don't agree. The whole thing smells of desperation. Sad what some will do not to be proven wrong."
So keep them rolling in. We appreciate your responses so far. To keep up, if you don't what your representative is doing, go to cnn.com/politics. For a list of the folks. Tell us who your rep is and why you agree or disagree with his or her vote. Also you know how to find us on the Facebook question of the day. E-mail it to us on Facebook.com. Also Twitter and you can comment on our blog, as well. CNN.com/tj.
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BOUDREAU: Basketball fans across the country are reeling from March Madness.
HOLMES: Yes, favorite time of the year right now. The president seems to enjoy it, as well. You know, he is a big basketball fan. Filled out his bracket again with Andy Katz of ESPN. He correctly predicted 13 of the 16 college teams that won yesterday; 12, he got right on Thursday. So the president off to a pretty good start on his brackets.
BOUDREAU: But the president did choose Georgetown, right? As one of the teams to make it to the round eight, but instead the number 3 seed stunned by the 14th seeded Ohio University.
HOLMES: Ain't nothing to be ashamed of. A lot of people picked Georgetown to go further than round one.
BOUDREAU: What did you pick?
HOLMES: I don't fill out a bracket, actually.
BOUDREAU: Oh, you don't?
HOLMES: I refuse to because I just like to enjoy the game and not cheer for a bracket, I like to cheer for the upsets. I'm a purist. Such a snob when it comes to the tournament. We'll turn back to North Dakota here in just a moment. About a million sandbags guarding the city of Fargo right now trying to keep floodwaters out. Our Reynolds Wolf is not too far from there in Moorhead, Minnesota.
Hey there, Reynolds.
WOLF: You're right, guys. I am coming you from Moorhead. Across the river we have Fargo. Two towns, we have the Red River. We have one major flood and still a lot of danger for a lot of people. We are going to bring you the very latest, plus another huge winter storm bull's eye in parts of the Central Plains. We are going to bring you the full story coming up on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
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HOLMES: Hello there, everybody. From the CNN Center, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING for March the 20th, a Saturday but a busy work day on Capitol Hill. We're glad you could be here with us. I'm T.J. Holmes.
BOUDREAU: And I'm Abbie Boudreau. It's 7:00 a.m. here in Atlanta. Thanks for starting your day with us.
It is getting down to the final hours before the vote and several House Democrats are still trying to decide if they'll vote for or against the health care reform bill. We'll look at what's in the bill, how much it will cost, and who's voting for it.
HOLMES: And it is a familiar scene in Moorhead, Minnesota this morning. That's where our Reynolds Wolf is, where they are literally standing by, hoping and praying that the water doesn't go any higher or maybe doesn't go any further.
Good morning to you again, Reynolds.
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BOUDREAU: Of course, health care reform is our top story this hour. After months of debate, the Democratic-controlled House pushes forward toward a vote tomorrow on the Senate version of the bill. The House Rules Committee meets at 1:00, one hour from now -- sorry about that. It will decide how tomorrow's vote will play out. The full house convenes today at 9:00 a.m.
President Obama huddles this afternoon with House Democrats for a strategy session on pushing the bill through. Two hundred and sixteen votes are needed to pass or kill the measure. Across the country today, tea party groups are meeting to protest the health care reform plan.
HOLMES: Pope Benedict breaking his silence on the Vatican sex abuse scandal in Ireland and apologizing to victims in Ireland. Moments ago, the Vatican released a letter from the pontiff, promising to meet with victims again. He did use the words, "I'm truly sorry"; also directed some of his attention to some of those priests, as well, saying, "You betrayed the trust placed in you by innocent, young people and their parents. You must answer for it before Almighty God."
We're going to give you much more into this a little later in the morning. But, of course, new complaints are starting to crop up all across Europe -- at least six European countries, including the Pope's homeland of Germany.
BOUDREAU: And air travelers across world could be feeling the affects of a labor strike. British Airways is cancelling more than 1,000 flights today after a walk out by the airline's cabin crews. Last-ditch talks collapsed last night between the airline and the union.
HOLMES: All right. We're going to turn back to health care now. And tomorrow's vote -- our Brianna Keilar is standing there this morning.
Not usually, I don't think there with so much company you're going to have at the Capitol today on a Saturday, Brianna. I'm not even sure where to start with you now. We talk about policy. We could talk about politics. We can talk about vote counts.
Where do you want to go?
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Let's talk about sticking points.
HOLMES: All right.
KEILAR: I think that's where we'll start, and you know what? We're going to be talking about all the different angles throughout all of the hours today and there's a lot to cover.
But right now, what I want to tell you about is a major sticking point that Democrats have come upon as they try to look within their ranks to get their vote. Remember, President Obama is going to be coming up here to the Hill later today, really exerting that final squeeze, trying to create some pressure for some of those last-minute undeclared Democrats.
But abortion, once again, is popping up as an issue. You say, what does abortion have to do with health care? Well, in the Senate bill that the House is now considering, it has stricter -- or pardon me -- has looser language, less strict language on the issue of abortion than the bill that the House passed in November. That House- passed bill is now at the window. They have to deal with the Senate- passed bill and you have anti-abortion Democrats saying, you know, this is not good enough for us. We're going to vote no if it stays like this.
Back in November, what we saw with these anti-abortion Democrats coming in at the 11th hour and striking a deal with Speaker Pelosi so that they got their strict language. And there's a question of whether something like that might happen now. Bart Stupak, who is the lead anti-abortion Democrat on this, says that he's been talking to Speaker Pelosi. We're not so sure if leadership is really going to indulge these Democrats on this issue.
But we do know, T.J., is last night, there were a few members of the Pro-Choice Caucus as they call themselves, they're for abortion rights, and they say, no way. We are not OK with this. And we are going to vote "no" on this bill if it goes through.
So, it's such a tight vote. You can see how this is becoming such an issue.
HOLMES: Well, you talk about the tight vote and we're trying to keep as close of a head count as we can here at CNN. So, I guess, where are we now? We talk about that magic number of 216.
KEILAR: That's right. That is what you would have to get to either pass or kill the bill, 216 -- all-important number. And we have a lot of Democratic leadership sources telling us that they're above 200. But after that, it gets pretty fuzzy, and that's still -- that's still a really heavy lift between 200 and 216, T.J.
So, the way CNN has been keeping track of it is looking at who is voting "no." Considering the Democrats are planning on going this alone, at this point, they don't have any Republican support. They're looking within their ranks. We figured out it that 38 Democrats saying "no" would kill the bill. That would give opponents of this bill 216 votes.
Well, how many Democratic noes are there right now? In our count, there's 29. So, you can see it's awfully close. We are expecting this vote will be quite a squeaker.
HOLMES: All right. Brianna Keilar there for us on Capitol Hill -- we appreciate having you. We know we would be talking with you plenty as you say throughout the hours. Thanks so much, Brianna.
BOUDREAU: Now, we know how much it's expected to cost, but where will the money come from to pay for health care reform? The Congressional Budget Office puts the estimated price tag at $940 billion over 10 years. Much of that would come from an increase on the Medicare tax on high income households and, for the first time, the tax could be applied to investment income as well as wages. The money would also come from a tax on high cost medical plans but that would be delayed until 2018. Another source: penalties for those that don't get health insurance coverage.
HOLMES: Well, sorting through all these yeses, and noes, the undecideds, the undeclareds. It's kind of a week of flip flops and political maneuverings as lawmakers battle the clock and each other over health care reform. Again, we are trying to count these votes for you.
We just heard from our Brianna Keilar there that the magic number is 216 that everybody needs. That's either to pass it or to kill it. Now, 38 Democrats, if they decide to vote "no," if 38 Democrats do, then that kills the bill. At our count right now, we're at about 29 Democrat who are saying, who have declared that they will not vote for this legislation. So, this is a very fine line.
Lisa Desjardins is trying to keep up with all this stuff for us as well. She's a Capitol Hill correspondent for CNN Radio.
Lisa, you heard us there. We're talking to Brianna just a moment ago about these numbers, but Democrats were starting to sound fairly confident that it was moving in their direction, that they would get enough votes. But really, some of these folks we talk about undecided, undeclared -- is anybody really undecided right now? They're just not telling us. Would that be fair to say?
LISA DESJARDINS, CNN RADIO CAPITOL HILL CORRESPONDENT: First of all, how about the CNN Capitol Hill team with it, like tag up here? We are all over this story and your question is the one that we have.
Are there any real undecideds here on Capitol Hill? I believe there are. Now, they're not that many. I think there's maybe a dozen or two dozen at the most.
And I think as you say Democrats like the trend. You know? And Brianna talked about all those "no" votes and "yes" votes that we're counting. Well, here's what the trend was yesterday, T.J. We saw undecided come out this way: 11 new "yes" votes and two new "no" votes. So, that's the trend that Democrats want to see.
But remember, they only have seven "no" more votes that they can get. So, it's not just a trend that they need to go their way, they need to stop almost anyone else from saying "no" at this point.
HOLMES: And that's an interesting point you make that there are really some true undecideds, but just a handful of people right now that are still up for grabs. We talk about this totally confusing process of how they're trying to get this bill through. But essentially, they will be approving the Senate bill, the bill that the Senate did. And there are changes they're a approving, as well -- that those won't be implemented until maybe later, next week or something.
But, I found it fascinating. You actually sat down. You read this entire 2,000-page bill, first of all. But you also read the changes, the reconciliation package, as well.
DESJARDINS: Right.
HOLMES: Congratulations for one. And did you understand any of it enough to explain to us what kind of stood out to you?
DESJARDINS: Oh, absolutely. I mean, it's a slog reading these bills, and because there were so many different versions, you know, we ended up having to read three different 2,000-page bills here. I think a lot stood out.
You know, a lot of people know the basics here. They would require that all of us pretty much get insurance. They would require that most big businesses with over 50 workers pay for that insurance.
Now, here's the deal with what's happening right now with the bill. Some of the changes, Democrats have added some new taxes to pay for all of this. Specifically, they're talking about taxes on investments, increasing those investment taxes. And more taxes on the rich. So, that's what's in this package.
And, you know, T.J., I know everyone has got a giant headache. I know I do about this reconciliation process. This is how Democrats want to think of it -- think of it as though you want to buy a sort of broken down car but you say to the guy you're buying it from, "I'm going to buy the new transmission first and as soon as I buy that transmission, I'll automatically buy the car, as well."
That's how Democrats see this. They see the Senate bill as broken down. They don't want to sign on to it until they buy the fixes first.
Republicans see it differently. They say this is obfuscation. But that's one way to look at it.
HOLMES: Lisa, I had enough to worry about. Now, I have to worry about transmissions. You want to throw that into the mix now.
All right. Lisa Desjardins, part of our team and a big team it is today following the health care vote.
DESJARDINS: That's right.
HOLMES: We'll talk to you again here soon. Thanks so much.
DESJARDINS: OK.
BOUDREAU: CNN is counting the votes. Follow our special live coverage as the decision comes down to the wire all day tomorrow right here on CNN.
HOLMES: Well, the Red River is expected to crest this weekend, causing a lot of concern for homeowners in Minnesota as well as North Dakota.
BOUDREAU: Right. But this morning, some good news for people who live near the problem spots.
HOLMES: And our Reynolds Wolf is keeping an eye on things for us.
Hello again to you, Reynolds.
WOLF: Hey, guys. I got you loud and clear this time.
And I'll tell you, things are looking pretty good here for the most part. The water is still rising. Expected to top out around 37.5 feet, but keep in mind, again, they're watching the levees, watching the dikes very, very carefully. If there happens to be any breaks, we could see all kinds of problems. We're watching this for you very carefully.
We're also watching yet another big storm system in parts of the Central Plains and could bring parts -- some of the areas in Oklahoma could see up to a foot of snow. More on that coming up in just a few moments.
BOUDREAU: Plus, paying off your loans in a bad economy. We'll talk about that.
HOLMES: Yes. Financial analyst Clyde Anderson has some creative yet legal ways to pay down your debt. He's coming up here shortly.
It's 11 minutes past the hour. Stay with us.
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BOUDREAU: Right now in Minnesota, all eyes are watching the Red River. Governor Tim Pawlenty is confident measures in place should prevent massive flooding, but they're still not taking any chances. About 700,000 sandbags are already being used, with extra 300,000 bags ready if they're need.
Now, the river is expected to crest at about 37.5 feet. That's below flood protection levels. So, hopefully, things are OK. Things are a little bit calmer there than normal.
HOLMES: Well, and again, like we say, they do this every single year. They can keep the water back. We'll bring in Reynolds Wolf here.
Reynolds, they can hold that water. But again, they are just one -- I mean, one break away from total disaster there.
WOLF: Yes. You know, I mean, you know, it's freaky, T.J., because hold on for one second. I'm going to pick up the sandbag. It's kind of frozen solid because sandbag, it's a little bit of a moisture-content here, some water that's been frozen solid. When you have these sandbags, the thing is, it's hard to believe, T.J. and Abbie, it's really just stacks of these that are keeping communities safe to make those levees.
And for people who are tuning in or not familiar with flood-prone areas, you know, we're a nationwide network, we got viewers from all over the planet. You know, when you -- when we're talking about things like levees, you might wonder, what's that?
Well, it's basically a defense mechanism to keep the rising waters away from communities, away from major streets. You can see right here, this is the Red River. It's normally a relatively small river. Not very wide in a normal situation, but, of course, it escaped its banks due to all the snow melt because of warmer temperatures and now, of course, it's been coming up.
I will tell you, though, it should be just shy of the record that we had last year, 40.8 feet. And I can also tell you -- give you and the viewers some perspective. I was actually here at this exact location last year and I was wearing waders and had water that came up right to my waist or so. Obviously, not so high, but still, at this point -- but still, we can see it rise another foot or so and then there's always the possibility of seeing some levees break.
Let's give you some more of the situation breaking in terms of your weather forecast. Let's go right to it and show you, first, shades of green. Everything you could see on this map in terms of green indicates places where you have watches or warnings across parts of Fargo, even over to St. Cloud, even Minneapolis, and should be even back towards Chicago.
But as we put it into motion, you'll see that we have another danger that's a bit further to the south. That is not from snow but -- rather not from flooding but is from snow, anywhere from eight to 12 inches of snowfall possible for places like Oklahoma City. One thing to keep in mind about Oklahoma itself, the state has declared a state of emergency for all 77 counties. And you see all the white stuff right there, that's snowfall, that is the reason why right to the southern half of that frontal boundary, you have strong storms that could develop.
Look for delays in places like Will Rogers Airport. Of course, all your airports in Texas.
The eastern seaboard looks great, out west looks fine. But there, the story is going to be the flooding.
We're going to watch this river for you very carefully -- again, expected to crest sometime late tonight or by tomorrow, right around 37.5 feet. But if one levy breaks, it changes everything.
Let's send it back to you in the studios, guys.
HOLMES: Reynolds, thanks. And we -- I think you have a monitor there. We can put up a picture of the Oklahoma area.
You talked about the state of emergency there but it's going to be blizzard conditions. Reynolds was saying and they could get, I think Reynolds said eight to 12 inches. But they've declared a state of emergency.
And, Reynolds, they have even in their alert that's been going out, even cautioning people because Oklahoma City is hosting one of the regionals right now for the NCAA tournament. That could cause havoc for those folks who are there as well. So, they are getting ready ahead of the storm.
But just the -- you know, it's always strange, these wintry pictures can be gorgeous sometimes, but that is some dangerous stuff. It's a dangerous condition they're going to have to deal with here in just a little bit.
So, Reynolds, we appreciate you getting that in for us and we'll be talking to you again soon to talk what's happening.
WOLF: Absolutely. HOLMES: Thanks, buddy.
BOUDREAU: Responding to the abuse scandal in the Catholic Church, just minutes ago, the Pope released a letter detailing his reaction to the allegations. A live report from Rome is coming up.
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BOUDREAU: Pope Benedict breaks his silence on the Vatican sex abuse scandal and apologizes to victims of the Catholic Church in Ireland. Now, just moments ago, the Vatican released a long awaited papal letter that addressed only to the scandal in Ireland -- despite new allegations cropping up now in six European countries.
CNN's Diana Magnay is in Rome.
Diana, other than the actual apology, what was in the Pope's message to victims?
DIANA MAGNAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Abbie. Well, I mean, that is long, extensive letter, seven and a half sides I have here. And as you say, there is an apology and a really heartfelt apology.
The words that he writes in a very simple, a very direct and very personal -- so he said, "You have suffered grievously. I'm truly sorry. And in the name of the church, I openly express the shame and remorse that we all feel. At the same time, I ask you not to lose hope."
And that is the spirit in which the letter must be read, a pastoral letter rather than some kind of legislative directive to bishops and to tell them how to act from now on. That is something that the Pope says they're actually already in place, programs and protocols to make sure that this kind of abuse can't happen. He acknowledges the mistakes that the church has made in the past, not just in letting this abuse take place, but also in failing to report it.
And also, interestingly, Abbie, he calls directly to those who did abuse to acknowledge their crimes and to stand up before properly constituted tribunals to face justice for what they've done. One thing though that victims in Ireland have been calling for is resignations, and in this letter, there is no call for resignations -- Abbie.
BOUDREAU: One question for you. I mean, did he talk at all about the victims? Did he mention anything about meeting with them or sitting down and talking to victims of this?
MAGNAY: Yes, he did say that he's met victims in the past. Of course, he met victims in the United States in 2008 and he did say he would be willing to meet with victims again. That is something that the Pope understands is a very real part of his job now to try and control and resolve the child abuse problem.
In the United States, what he did was implement a zero tolerance policy, a one strike and you're out policy against abusive priests, and that model is what we can assume the model he's talking about this in letter that is currently being implemented in Ireland. But, certainly, meeting with the victims of abuse is something that the Pope has done before and that he says in this letter he will do again, Abbie.
BOUDREAU: All right. Diana Magnay in Rome -- thank you very much.
HOLMES: Well, a lot of people are trying to do it right now. It's kind of tricky though. How do you dig out of all your debt in a down economy?
Coming up, our financial analyst Clyde -- he has some easy ways. Easy, Clyde? There are easy ways to help you pay off your mounting bills.
We got to hear this. Stay with us.
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BOUDREAU: So, we've heard of the stories of people $10,000 or $20,000 in debt and then go on this tight budget and pay everything off in a year or less. But how realistic is it to pay off debt in a -- a bad debt in a bad, bad economy?
Financial analyst Clyde Anderson is here this morning.
Tell us a little bit about, you know, how people are supposed to be debt-free when, you know, this horrible economy exists and -- I mean, people are using their credit cards, it seems like they've been using it more and more. You don't have the cash.
CLYDE ANDERSON, FINANCIAL ANALYST: Yes, you do see a lot of people using more credit cards and leaning on credit cards. The key is they got to be responsible.
You got to take ownership of the debt and you got to get rid of it. It's a way of life. And so, you got to make that change. It's necessary.
BOUDREAU: So, you some have tips for us, right?
ANDERSON: Yes, I got several tips for you. I've been seeing a lot of creative things as far as what people have been doing. Some of them have virtually spending.
Virtually spending -- for example, it's actually thinking in your mind of those things that you want, but then waiting 30 days before you actually purchase them. At the end of 30 days, re-evaluate it and see if it's something you really want or if it's something you really need. Most people realize they don't need it.
BOUDREAU: OK. I mean, is that realistic? I mean, do people really hold off a full 30 days? Mark it on a calendar or something? ANDERSON: You got to have that self discipline. You got to do it, especially when dealing with debt. And that's the problem. Most people don't have that. And so, they're missing that point and they end up deep in debt.
BOUDREAU: Well, I mean, we laugh about it, but it's really not funny at all. And people are facing this and it's really difficult to know what to do. You have more tips for us right now.
ANDERSON: Exactly. Definitely. Another one is make a money vow. Money vow means I'm making a promise to myself and saying that I'm going to account for every penny that I spend, I'm going to track it, track those dollars. You know, you used to track it in your checkbook.
Now, check those spending habits that you have, and those debt -- you know, you're swiping that card. You want to swipe it of your own accord -- you know, account for it so you know what you're spending.
BOUDREAU: Right. And what about just not using your credit card? Is that just too extreme?
ANDERSON: No. I think that's something a lot of people should do. But you got to take baby steps. Everybody is not ready to just go cold turkey. So, you got to them baby steps. Ease in there.
And if you can stop using it, stop using it. You know, if you have that problem where you get out of control and you can't stop swiping, you need to put that credit card in the freezer somewhere and put it away.
BOUDREAU: OK. I like that.
ANDERSON: All right. You like that.
BOUDREAU: Because I understand.
ANDERSON: Twelve-step program. There's a couple of other ones -- 12-step program is one. Having a 12-step program, just like any 12-step program, the first step is admitting that you have a problem, and then from there, you got to really start hitting that debt and knocking it off.
BOUDREAU: So, we have to put all this stuff online?
ANDERSON: Right. Yes.
BOUDREAU: We have to have all those tips online so that people can reference that.
ANDERSON: Yes.
BOUDREAU: So, Clyde Anderson, thank you very much for joining us.
ANDERSON: All right. It's my pleasure. BOUDREAU: T.J., back to you.
HOLMES: A 12-step program, huh, Clyde? You know what? Those were actually -- you delivered. Not that you usually don't, but those were easy ways, those simple stuff you can do. Wait 30 days.
ANDERSON: Exactly.
HOLMES: That's very good stuff.
BOUDREAU: Put it in the freezer.
ANDERSON: Exactly. Put in the freezer.
BOUDREAU: I like that.
HOLMES: Very good stuff. Very good stuff. Thanks, Clyde.
ANDERSON: All right. Thank you.
HOLMES: Well, also, a big day for health care on Capitol Hill. I wonder if they could use some of Clyde's tips. Maybe they should wait 30 days before spend of our money up there. Maybe take a money vow, huh, Clyde? Yes, you know, that ain't happening up there on Capitol Hill.
It's down to the wire. President Obama is leading the charge. He's going to be up on Capitol Hill today. We're going to follow all the developments live from D.C.
Stay with us.
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HOLMES: We will be back in just 30 minutes at the top of the hour to continue CNN SATURDAY MORNING in our coverage, of course, of the big health care showdown on Capitol Hill this weekend.
BOUDREAU: But first, "SANJAY GUPTA, M.D." begins now.
