but the only thing you're facing tomorrow is either a hangover or a cold from the drafty bunker. don't quit your day drop or sell your possessions because as the ancient mayans couldn't predict the end of their own civilization, what makes the expert to predict hours. that is my two cents. here's what your posting on the facebook page. if it does, i'll have to call him dead at work. so silly as i gerriwillis.com, 4% said yes, 96% said no. that is it for "the willis report." don't forget to dvr the show if you cannot catch us live. we will see you back here tomorrow. lou:

lou: a vote will be coming to plan sequestration and that vote

was passed narrowly, but it did pass. now we're going to have a vote on plan be coming. we will of course be watching that very carefully and bring it to you this evening. >> the president knows i have been able to keep my word and every agreement we have ever made. the fact is his plan is not balanced. and as a result time is running short i will do everything i can to protect americans as much as i can. lou: the company and bill passed moments ago, the bill passing sequestration for one year. moving the defense cuts of a specific rather than arbitrary spending cuts. limiting the amount of money, of course. congressional budget office scoring this bill $218 billion

of debts and reductions over the decade beginning january 1. boehner's plan within the approval of americans for tax reform, grover norquist despite the hike in taxes for top earners. saying republicans supporting this bill confirming to their constituents in writing that this bill, the sole purpose of which is to prevent tax increases is consistent with the pledge they made to them, change of commerce coming out in support of boehner's alternative plan. the chamber releasing a statement that in part ready "we are not comfortable allowing tax increases on anyone in this environment, however we understand at times politics requires compromise, thus we support passage." what is interesting about that, norquist who is obviously against tax hikes and the author of the pledge against those tax hikes with so many republicans,

and the support of the conservative chamber of commerce ,-com,-com ma conservative activist in particular conservative activist and media research president has bound to back republican primary challenges to any republican who votes yes on boehner's plan b. we will be asking why here tonight. the deputy of states testifying hillary clinton may have reviewed tables for benghazi asking for help. we will also be joined by senator joining us here live. the month of november, strong signs for a recovery in the housing market, we will be joined by ceo and president president richard smith amongst our guests here tonight. with about 11 days to go before the so-called fiscal cliff, americans facing the biggest tax hike in history if the president and congress don't strike a deal

did with talks now stalled, house speaker boehner right now zeroing in on the so-called fallback plan. chief congressional correspondent joining us with the report. >> this has been a heavy lift with numerous groups urging republicans to vote against speaker boehner's plan b, but with the economy less than two weeks from the fiscal cliff, they're trying to avoid a massive tax hike for everybody. >> the house housel asked today to be up to the senate and house to ask. >> securing more republican support, the house is voting on a separate measure to cancel next year's pentagon cuts as part of sequestration by slashing domestic programs. that has upset some house democrats did speak out these bills are not a plan, they are a ploy. these are bills to nowhere. in a deeply cynical move, so

cynical, i have decided to offer another bill to put off some of the sequester. >> while the process moves forward, boehner has not given up hope on a grand bargain with the president. >> the president and i in our respective roles have responsibility to work together to get a result. and i expect it will continue to work together. >> the top republican in the senate didn't sound so optimistic. >> the president is willing to leap off the cliff. well we are not going to let him take the middle class with that. >> 53 senate democrats voted for similar plan two years ago to raise taxes on millionaires. the republicans suggest the senate should also consider plan b. forget about it says the senior senator. >> that was two years ago, republicans should have taken up the offer them. you cannot take the clock back two years. if republicans wanted to take a million dollars, they should have taken it back then under

entirely different political circumstance. >> the majority leader took it a step further. >> the plans are non-.mac nonstarters. >> i am not convinced at all that when it passes the house today it will die in the senate. at some point the senate has to act. >> first the house has to pass the bill, house leadership has the votes but this is not an easy one because many members say they were not elected to raise taxes. lou: thank you very much. as our chief correspondent just said, this looks like it is going to be a tough vote. the 21 republicans defected on the earlier vote on the spending reduction act of 2012, which did pass, so this is going to be some high drama over the next 15 to 20 minutes as we watch what happens in the house of representatives.

there is still by the way tonight no answers when united states failed to act once the 9/11 terrorist attack in benghazi began. the senator addressed that very issue today with two of justice department's top officials. >> look at those people through the front gate, with the take that long had indeed they responded to it immediately. looking at film, it is a lot more sterile and actually being there on the ground at the time but when people are coming through the front gate, it is time to do something about it. virtually everybody was in. lou: deputy secretary of state today admitted there were memoranda that went to secretary hillary clinton's office. describing the dozens of security incidents in the region

before the benghazi terrorist attack claimant for american lives. joining us, member of the senate foreign relations committee says that here he explains exactly why secretary clinton needs to testify. good to have you with us. this is remarkable as i understand the testimony secretary clinton was in receipt of the most telling her what was going on, what was transpiring as to the inadequacy of secretary over many months in benghazi. is that right? >> that is why we need to secretary clinton to testify in person in public and not to answer just those questions, but a number of questions where she was during the attack, what she did, did she give any orders in the same applies the president of united states what he was doing and what he did. i saw the videos from the drones and from the security cameras

and the center is absolutely right. most people don't focus on the fact there were two deaths and almost immediately, and then the other two who died died about seven hours later. so it is hard for me to believe. lou: senator, there are a couple of discrete judgments to be made. mike mullen testifies point-blank there was no way for the military to respond to the confrontation with these terrorists. do you concur? >> it gets back to the boy scout motto of be prepared. you think you would want to have assets available within a certain distance of places, but there is no sign anywhere we ask any help from a neighboring countries, anyone else in the vicinity to help us at that

time. so you just have to say how could they have put these people in this situation ,-com,-com ma they have failed to connect the dots and failed to anticipate what was happening and once the attack began, there was something they could do immediately, but have they responded immediately, might have prevented the death that occurred seven hours later. lou: it is interesting to me that those who say this was at the level of assistant secretary for both diplomatic personnel, security for diplomatic personnel as well as for embassies and the head of security and that should be it. they have resigned, they were forced to resign as a result of these lapses. obviously you disagree with that. >> it is very hard to actually fire somebody in the state department, they have to show willful negligence, so gross

incompetence isn't enough to fire someone who is working there for the government. you think about that aspect of it. but we have to hear from secretary clinton, as secretary of state, come and testify in person and on the record. there are a lot of questions and today's hearing added two more questions. lou: do you think they will be answered here? secretary clinton has said she will testify before mid-january, which would be before the inauguration, and presumably in an effort to satisfy the senate. your thoughts. >> i think it is critical she does that for her own credibility and i think she wants to testify but there are many tough questions that need to be answered for what the secretary of state was was doing as well as the president of the united states was doing. did the president know about these requests?

the narrative was al qaeda is on the run. we see al qaeda linked terrorists were actually training in eastern libya not far from an ghazi, that seemed to be a hotbed training area for those folks and makes you wonder if the state department believes the president's own press releases rather than what they should have seen on the ground, they should have been connecting the dots and they failed miserably. lou: pointing out directly al qaeda is far from dead and remains active and significantly so in the region. always good to talk with you, thank you for being with us. what's much more on the state department's response to benghazi, the scandal that ensued and we are focusing on the fiscal cliff, the vote is expected on the boehner plan b. i-pronoui-pronou n want to bring you up to date very quickly ,-com,-com ma we have received word the house has recessed rather than move into a boat on plan b.

we are now told that they decided to recessed, the expectation is they would return relatively soon, perhaps within the hour. but at this point we simply do not know. in fact, this is a maneuver by the speaker definitively to delay that vote on the so-called republican plan b. we will bring you details throughout this hour. pulitzer prize-winning prize winning columnist michael goodwin calls the president the console or in chief. joining us tonight to tell us if president obama has a realistic chance of taking on the pro-gun lobby and weakening the second amendment. -@home prices rising, home sales are up, homebuilder enthusiasm at the highest level in six years. richard smith is the ceo running some of the most prestigious

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lou: the latest report shows the housing market making big strides in the month of november. ceo and president richard smith joining us in just moments to talk about whether this apparent recovery is for real. tonight, wall street investors focusing on other things as well as the mess in washington. not only sales of existing homes are higher, gdp grew at 3.1%, the fastest rate, much faster rate than first reported. and well over the second quarter growth rate just over 1%. investors welcoming the good news.

the s&p up eight, nasdaq six. 3.6 million shares traded on the big board. two sides to watch tomorrow. research in motion, which after the bell reported smaller losses and larger gross margins. and athletic shoemaker nike bringing in $1.14 per share expectations. nike up in the session, and up in after-hours trading as well, the market up again, 10 year treasury yield of 1.80%. existing home sales up almost 6% last month at a seasonally adjusted rate just over 5 million, that is the highest level since november 2009 when buyers were rushing to close deals in order to benefit from a federal tax credit. remember those days? november sales up more than 14% from a year ago. joining us now, richard smith.

first i say welcome to you, richard. good to see you. i have good knowledge to the audience i do own stock and make that very clear, this does not happen very often, but it does, full disclosure. the market, is this rebound in housing for real? >> looking at the report today, coming to some conclusion after this is the beginning, they would have to back up because today is irrelevanirrelevan t to that regard. backup the third or fourth quarter of last year we were forecast in the early stages of a recovery. it had to see the root of the recovery, and they were clearly there. a couple of things missing, we had to see month over month growth in this report should make it very clear it is a year-over-year growth. the same% year over year, a

sizable increase year-over-year activity. you also had to see prices move upward. you had to have the market telling you home values were undervalued and what will the market bear, what will the market react to that? the median price report is up 10%, fairly dramatic change. the extent this is sustainable, which we have believed for some time it is, evidence with the numbers, the correction in the housing crisis shows a sustainability in this recovery. lou: the housing market right now is far outperforming the real economy. the rest of the $15 trillion economy. why is that? >> the rest of the world is trying to figure out where it is going and how it will get there. it deals with the ebb and flow of life. 1.2 million new households

despite the economic. 55% of those folks will become homeowners, that is clear. you have a deeply discounted or detroit people are finally paying attention to. it will not stay there forever. the prices down 34%, some market down 50%. and people recognize the value will not stay there. it is a very important point because in a recovery it will be uneven. pricing will react differently, so we are seeing that play out, those are very strong indications of sustainability. lou: let's turn to the fiscal cliff, speaking of things that aren't real and aren't sustainable. the way the white house and speaker john boehner and congress are proceeding, they have got to come p with a deal,

it would seem, or we are going to 12 days be a wrap. >> they are doing this at the last minute as they so often do. what you are seeing is the state rattling. you and i both know to get a deal done, parties that can make a decision, get in a-determia-determi ner room and make a decision. this back-and-forth is the exchange of getting documents to lawyers and tell them to negotiate a deal. that doesn't happen. lou: do you think we're going to see the mortgage deduction removed? >> i seriously doubt it. that is foundational, also in the u.s. economy. there is some rattling in that regard, but i think the mortgage interest deduction is secure. lou: deal or no deal? >> i think it will be tough before christmas. there's a better chance by december 31, the risk of moving

into january. lou: and that is a risk to the market. >> yes. lou: great to have you with us. coming up next, the house remains in recess. still waiting on word when they're coming back for the all-important vote. and speaker boehner's plan b. which is dead on arrival at hasn't arrived yet. what is happening as we continue. and later, the shootings in newtown, connecticut, has focused on the violence in america. we will be talking with michael goodman joining the next with his thoughts on what happens next.

lou: another day of funerals for the victims of last week's elementary school shooting in newtown, connecticut. gathering for the funerals of five students in special education teacher.

during the teacher's funeral, the cardinal compared her to jesus saying her life wrought light the world upset by wicked. our next guest says the president must back down on gun control without touching the second amendment. joining us now, michael goodwin. michael, your column you talk about that balancing act that seems to me all but impossible. that is to control guns without infringing upon the second amendment. >> i think president obama has two challenges. the first is as someone else put it, to take the mass out of mass murder. that is what is scaring the country. although these are fairly small number of the overall homicides in this country, they're the ones that terrorize people. we saw in connecticut the ability to target children and put them over the cliff now.

lou: we should point out we're talking about .0001%. we are talking about so many thousands. >> nine to 12,000 per year it ranges, homicides, not including suicides, which are actually more. so you have this small number, but horrible, horrible kind. taking the mass out of mass murder. lou: this all sounds great, don't think anybody would say i am against mass murder, i am against murder, i'm against violence death, but would people are for us the freedom to choose the constitutional rights. and as you point out, this is a fraction, we are talking about most of the murders in this country or with one shot, one victim, one purpose.

and these laws that are being talked about what even begin to address that issue. >> and the guns involved in most murders are handguns, that would be legal depending on the state law, but they would not be under a federal ban. the federal ban would be very narrow targeted to semi automatic rifles. lou: are you watching the congress trying to deal with this? are you watch the president of the united states? the emotional content of this has been such a reflexive response on the part of the democrats. it is in their dna to do so, we understand that, but what we are talking about is a young man who is mentally ill. talking to a number of psychologists who will continue to do so. one of them would not even defined it as mental illness this young man's condition. there is so much to talk about the mental health profession

itself, psychology, psychiatry as well as the need to bring services and provide services to those desperately ill. 20% of us have a mental disorder of some kind in the course of the year that requires treatment. it is stunning. >> there is a confidentiality issues, the treatment itself. all kinds of privacy and freedom issues, which is why i think that should be part two of what president obama has to do. lou: remember when we were smarted enough, focused enough, energetic enough, we didn't have to do things sequentially, to not have to have part a, part b, we did not have to have comprehensive, we could fix a problem with our intellect and our values. it is quite a world that is altered around us. >> in many ways it is a better

world. things are more complicated because we have so many wonderful freedoms and science and technology making treatment options not available. we have two come i think, bring our solutions up to date with our problems and that is where this larger conversation has to be aimed at the videogame issue, pharmacology and mental illness. lou: always good to see you. up next, an update on speaker boehner's efforts to win enough support to pass plan b legislation. the house in recess for just about 20 minutes. republican conferences suggesting speaker john boehner may not yet have the votes necessary to pass plan b. we will keep you posted and updated next. the sandy hook massacre. tonight we focus on america's mental health problems and issues in the lou dobbs for him.

what can be done. psychologist join us. we have the very latest crash test results for you. some surprising results. so surprising, i would say don't even consider buying a new car before you see our report. house speaker john boehner is plan b for the fiscal cliff looking more and more like plan a bearded >> president: to pass a bill that would protect 98% of the american people from a tax hike. well, are they ever going to do better than that question mark our bill would protect 99.81% of the american people from any increase in taxes. lou: boehner's problems are not late just to the white house. the media research council among them. he joins us here next. copd makes it hard to breathe,

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lou: as i said, the house has just recessed waiting on a vote on plan b that would hold in place the tax rate marginal tax rates for everyone but those earning a million dollars or more. the house recess house recess just about 20 minutes ago clearly a sign the speaker is deferring and i-pronoui-pronou n not have the votes to pass the legislation. we are going to see a conference meeting of republicans. just about nine minutes and we will keep you apprised throughout, of course. meniscus urging rejection of this bill, saying it is a terrible plan for the country. joining us now from washington, d.c., a conservative advocacy group, president of the media research center. you are lined up with president president obama on this one.

>> i am lined up with ronald reagan on this one. this is an awful policy. the reason there is disarray is because everybody knows it is awful policy. they have painted themselves into a corner, it is their fault, of the speakers making, and now he is telling his congress they have to support a tax increase, which is analogous to cutting their own throats politically. lou: the all-time animal on tax increases, and republicans for tax reform, grover norquist says go for it. chamber of commerce, conservative business group, they even say go for it. they understanunderstan d it is not the perfect solution, but it is compromise and this is politics.

>> 30 other conservative organizations, all of whom signed off on the opposition to this saying this is terrible policy, this corrects nothing, this is a tax increase in what we need to be focusing on spending cuts every single person in town knows. lou: in all due respect, i understand the political power, the convulsions of any conversion. you are under the same reality speaker john boehner is. >> let me explain the reality. reality this solution is no solution at all. lou: nobody has said a solution, nobody. this is a bridge to possibly a beach that will lead to a place called reason and rationality,

but it is a long journey. everybody would acknowledge it. >> with all due respect, i'm so sick and tired of hearing that. we have been hearing that for years from republicans. they came to washington, d.c., back in power because they promise, that made of some promise to constituents they would put amends to the runaway spending of the nancy pelosi democrats. the reality stick in everybody's cross, spending is higher under john boehner and republicans as it was under the democrats. lou: i agree with you. my problem is they're finally getting on this. they are admitting they don't know what the heck they are doing. the president trying to find a-determia-determi ner way to screw this up, john boehner has just emerged from weeks of negotiations if you want to call it that, and he

looks beat up. the american people are getting a pretty clear picture this is a mess. let me finish this and i will give you an opportunity. if you guys play purist in this deal and drive the votes away from it, which by the way is part of the process and that is the outcome, so be it. but the result will be about 2 million people losing their jobs. we know the results will be just about 4% gdp growth. that will either be the fault of the republican party for this president. do you really want to be responsible for that? >> is possible for what as opposed to what? lou: i could not be more clear, could i? >> what makes you think they could prevent all that? what barack obama has said every step of the day while he files

his nails is no to every proposal the republicans have put in. he wants maximum taxes and we're going from 10:1 spending cuts to tax increase ratio to tax increases and more stimulus spending. but what is going to happen is if they pass this on january 1, they will start all over again discussed in the next tax increase and the next payment plan and there will come a point -@where the economy will collap. what it often do is put forward their vision, put forward a fiscally responsible republican. lou: uses republicans should have won the presidency? they screwed that up. good to have you with us. thank you so much. appreciate it.

continuing tomorrow, president bill donohue joins us. fox news middle eastern allies to among our guests, be with that. and next the midwest hit with a deadly blizzard. wreaking havoc with holiday travel. the northeast is on alert. we will bring you up-to-date on the republican the late on that boat, plan b and the fiscal cliff, the latest for you right here next. [ woman ] ring. ring. progresso. i just finished a bowl of your new light chicken pot pie soup and it's so rich and creamy... is it really 100 calories? let me put you on webcan... ...lean roasted chicken... and a creamy broth

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lou: a major winter storm hammering the midwest tonight during one of the busiest travel times of the year. forecasters warning of lizard conditions in seven states from kansas to wisconsin, the heaviest snowfall expected from northwest missouri into michigan as you can see there.

so far six people have been killed, tied the snowstorm. canceling more than 150 flights out of o'hare airport, also spotted later with several cars in alabama. toyotas flagship camry sedan receiving a rating of a frontal crash test as did toyota previous .mac prius hybrid. honda newly released accord and tsuzuki, those did well,. americans want an increased focus on mental health issues,

and by the way, not gun control. the doctors take that up and more next. on this one a very important topic. we will be right back. can be. for fast, long lasting relief, use doctor recommended gaviscon®. only gaviscon® forms a protecti barrier that helps block stomach acid from splashing up- relieving the pain quickly. try fast, long lasting gaviscon®.

lou: we want to begin by showing you a new poll, a survey showing the number of americans, majority of americans believe the most effective ways to prevent mass shootings are increased police presence, 53%, followed by an increase on the focus of mental health care, 50%. no gun control at that point. number four in this survey.

joining us, psychotherapist, psychologist, also professor. >> we know what we're talking about. lou: good to have you all. people are struggling with here is the reflex first, ban all guns. washington, d.c., blazed with that idea. the american people in survey after survey, thinking a thoughtful approach to this are the politicians. what do you think about the idea we should pay more attention to mental health in this country? >> are usually supported. one of the things that would be helpful agreeing with mental health is the stigmatizing it.

there is so much shame surrounding a mental illness when the fact of the matter is a large portion of our society has diagnostic code. and most of those people are not violent, i just have to say. many people go without any issue. lou: those with a serious mental disorder. >> even if they have a serious mental disorder, most of them are not violent. a fraction of people who will always be violent and we have to look at that and address that issue. but mostly people mentally ill are not violent, and it is really important not to confuse mental illness and violence and furthhr stigmatize a group that is already having a hard time acknowledging or scapegoating them. lou: this young man so clearly was mentally ill. i have talked with mental health

officials who refuse to acknowledge that. they want to have these discrete judgments. your profession expressed by some in it would have these niceties rather than help for the young man or mother, one can only imagine how troubled that woman was, how much pain she was going through with her son. why is that? >> we really don't want to stigmatize people. we need to acknowledge it was because of the mental illness that he acted out in the way that he did. and we're lookinggat something more than just a pervasive developmental disorder. a young man who fell into psychosis, i truly believe. lou: we will return to the doctors in just a moment and they will expand that perspective here next, stay with us.

lou: we're back with dr. gardier and dr. ludwick. some speculate, that the shooter's mother was trying to commit him, that is what triggered this horrible massacre. >> that could have. lou: why, if a mother or parent feels their child is a danger, why couldn't she have gotten him committed right away? >> maybe she was waiting. it is hard for me to imagine you don't know how to do it. you call the police, say my son is a danger to myself or me i don't feel place, they come, they bring him to a psychiatric hospital, they have him evaluated. if they determine it is accurate

he is committed. >> a lot of kids are flying under the radar, they may not be deemed as being a danger to themselves and others, they don't commit them, if they don't they let them out in two or three days. lou: these tragic horrible stories, carry so many commonalities, whether it is aurora colorado or newtown,@ connecticut, tucson, arizona. >> we have to look at who is committing these crimes, they are young men in their 20s. and you know, they are often disenfranchized there is something slightly off with them. >> often alone. often had severe psychiatric histories, many on medication. but a lot of rage. and spend -- and everyone saying, eventually, we knew that guy was a time bomb waiting to