us? >> jenna: my little girl turns 1-year-old tomorrow. we're taking some family time. >> jon: i hope you recover from your cold. >> jenna: thank you. "america's news hq" starts now. >> melissa: we begin with a fox news alert. president obama's former national security adviser susan rice now responding for the first time to claims that she requested the unmasking of trump transition members after the election. hello everyone, i'm melissa francis. rice is not denying the unmasking, but flatly rejected any claims of wrongful or political motives behind the move. especially concerning michael flynn. listen. >> did you seek the names of people involved in -- did you unmask the names of people involved in the trump transition, the trump campaign, people surrounding the president-elect in order to spy on them, in order to expose

them? >> absolutely not for any political purpose. >> did you leak the name of mike flynn? >> i leaked nothing to nobody. never have, never would. >> melissa: john roberts joins us from the north lawn. what else did rice have to say about the allegations? >> reporter: good afternoon to you. it's interesting to note that when asked about it, susan rice did not deny the reports that she asked for members of the trump transition, trump campaign to be unmasked in these intelligence reports. what she did deny, as you saw there, is she had any role in leaking any information, though no one has accused her of doing that, or that the unmasking was done for political purpose, saying such unmasking is generally pretty routine. listen here. >> the allegation is that somehow obama administration officials utilized intelligence for political purposes. that's absolutely false. it was necessary at times to

make those requests to find out the identity of u.s. officials on every topic under the sun when it seemed relevant. i don't have a particular recollection of doing that more frequently after the election, for example, than doing so before. >> reporter: keep in mind that just two weeks ago rice denied any knowledge of this whatsoever, these revelations. promptly called for rice to testify before the congressional intelligence committee senator lindsay graham said he for one wants to get to the bottom of all this. listen. >> every american should know whether or not the national security adviser to president obama was involved in unmasking trump transition figures for political purposes. it should be easy to figure out, and we will. >> reporter: no word on the congressional intelligence committees whether they'll request that susan rice. it's a pretty safe bet that those committees would like to hear from her. >> melissa: the president made an appearance at the builder

trade workers conference. what was his message to them? >> reporter: i have seen him in elments like this before. he really was in his element. he is a builder by trade, real estate developer, and was among his people. the president saying, boasting how many presidents know how much rebar you can lay in a day. he said this election was all about returning power to the people. listen here. >> when we rise above the cynics and critics who live only to defend the status quo and to defend themselves from failure, then we, too, will construct a lasting monument to national greatness. >> reporter: the president vowed to improve the job prospects of people in the building trades by improving the economy. he did acknowledge that there likely isn't much he can do for people who are in the plastering trade because there's not a lot

of calls for plasters. >> melissa: he was, like you said, among his people. >> reporter: he was. >> melissa: thank you very much for that. now back to our top story. as former national security adviser susan rice denies allegations she unmasked members of the trump transition team for political reasons. ari fleisher was white house press secretary for president george w. bush. what do you make of what she says, sir? >> well, i think there are questions that she asked. >> melissa: what are they? >> unphafbing is the authority of the national supervisor but what did you do with information. you say you didn't leak it? did you provide it to anybody? did you provide it to any communications people at the white house who they may have given it to the media? can you assure us that nobody you gave it to leaked it? and also, i'm surprised that andrea mitchell did not ask susan rice why did you tell judy woodruff two weeks ago that when it came to unmasking, you didn't know anything about it? so i think there are more

questions. i'm glad susan rice is answering them. i think congress is now going to have a lot of questions it will ask likely beginning in a classified session with her. >> melissa: you have a great reporter's ear. i was watching with interest an was waiting for that second question when it came clear she was going to say i did this but there was nothing that i did that was wrong. but why do you want it now but you didn't remember it the last time you were asked? that's a change of story, no? >> that's such a red flag to all journalists. when journalists hear somebody change their tune, somebody looks like they're in the hot seat, it makes them suspect. what's bothered me since this news broke yesterday was how really lackadaisical so much of the media has been about this. it was a knee jerk reaction to dismiss this news about susan rice. not to inquire where might this lead. to think there were no more questions particularly when two weeks ago she said she didn't know anything about it.

>> melissa: especially your first point. when she said i leaked nothing to nobody. she used the word leaked again. sort of like okay maybe you didn't leak it but did you discuss it? how do you think all of this information became basically common knowledge? >> exactly. the reason that is so important. the authority to receive unmasked information is a precious authority. it's our civil liberties. it is appropriate for a national security adviser to receive that information in certain instances. but when you get it, it is given only to the requester, only to the national security adviser in this instance. and if she disseminates it, she needs to explain why she disseminated it. that is a precious document she is given with the names of americans on there and it should not be disseminated. >> melissa: still, it seems like based on what she said, it would be almost impossible to say she did anything illegal. she said she thought maybe even if she discussed it with other

people they would have to prove that it was for political reasons, that she requested the information. i mean, do you think she was within the law? >> the issue is not legality. i see no reason to think she did anything in violation with a law. the issue is proprietary. did she convey it to others hoping they would disseminate the information in a bid to make donald trump's people look bad? that's really what is relevant at this stage. that would mean political purposes as opposed to legitimate national security purposes. >> melissa: we still don't know why devin nunes said this has nothing to do with russia. before we run out of time i want to ask you about this meeting coming up with china on thursday. here's what president trump had to say. >> i have a lot of respect for him. i have spoken to him numerous times. but we have to do better. because our deficit with china,

$504 billion. that's a year. that's enough for a life time. i'm sure we're going to have a fantastic meeting. we'll talk about a lot of things, including north korea. a problem. that's really a humanity problem. >> melissa: there is a lot riding on this meeting. how would you approach it? >> there are two things with donald trump's presidency. one are the personal issue. second are the economic issues. china is a huge economic issue. if president trump is able to make progress with china, secure better trade deals for america and get american job opportunities at home, he has a real chance to be successful. make no mistake economic opportunities for americans is first and foremost. >> melissa: interesting perspective. ari fleisher, thank you as always. >> thank you. >> melissa: gop reviving plans

to replace obamacare. white house working on a compromise gathering a group of moderate house republicans to restart negotiations. vice president mike pence also meeting with members of the house freedom caucus seeking conservative support. chief congressional correspondent mike emanuel is live on capitol hill. so, what is the status of these renewed talks? >> reporter: melissa, good afternoon. talks are on going. house leaders are trying to find the right mix of conservative and moderate support. >> it's important that we don't just win the votes of one group, but that we get the votes and consensus of 216 of our member. that's kind of where we are. it's premature to say where we are because we're at that conceptual stage. this is all about getting to the conceptual stage. we don't have a bill text or agreement yet. >> reporter: there is no bill text or agreement seems to lower expectations of getting this

done by the end of the week, ahead of the easter recess. >> melissa: what are you hearing from some of the rank and file members? >> reporter: there is definitely attention between some of the members that they would sign on for this package several weeks ago and conservatives who held out. conservatives are defending, trying to strike a better deal. >> what do they need? that's what we're here to do. it doesn't mean that we're going to make it better for one group over another. how are we going to get everyone's concerns addressed? >> we are all very happy to move on. i think it was a wakeup call for some who voted no and went home and they maybe did not get a ticker tape parade. >> reporter: if they don't get a deal this week to pass this in the house of representatives, nobody really seems to know the impact of allowing lawmakers to go home for recess and what that will mean to efforts to reform and replace health care.

melissa? >> melissa: mike emanuel, thank you. president trump meeting with business leaders to determine ways to create a pro industry climate. but the boom on wall street has levelled off. have you noticed that? can the president get things back on track? senate set to start debate this hour on supreme court nominee judge neil gorsuch. and republicans plan to have him on the bench by friday. democrats though may have other plans. >> i voted for both of obama's nominees. i just ask that neil gorsuch be given the same treatment. he's highly qualified.

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>> melissa: new information on the deadly subway attack in russia. the death toll in the st. petersburg bombing rising from 11 to 14 today, including the

bomber. dozens of people are still in the hospital. and although police were originally seeking two people as possible suspects in the hours after the attack, they're saying now it was the work of a suicide bomber. police believe that this is him. they say he was born in the former soviet republic of kurdikstan and had turned 22 days before the attack. there was no immediate claim of responsibility. the economic trump bump appears to be losing steam. stocks were soaring after election day, but things have changed since the president took office. with the big winners suddenly losing after a series of policy stumbles. the president today assuring construction union leaders that economic growth will continue. >> i promise you that america's labor leaders will always find an open door with donald trump. one of my first acts as

president was to stop one of the great sellouts of the american worker. i immediately withdrew the united states from the disaster, this would have been a disaster. this would have been another nafta. i took you out of the transpacific partnership. >> melissa: joining me now is charles payne host of making money with charles payne on the fox business network. what do you think of where the market is right now? 'cause there is a feeling we were off to the races after the election. now less so. >> we got spoiled. people got spoiled. in $3 trillion in a matter of weeks added to the value of our stock market is mind boggling stuff. we establish all time records with president trump in the first couple months of this is thesy, since the election. now what we're doing is consolidating those gains and waiting for the next wave of data. the first wave of data has been

beyond my dreams. you hear the president talk about it. particularly when it comes to surveys, confidence, whether it's small businesses, large businesses. whether in the retail sector. they reported for the first time in over a decade, positive foot traffic of would be home buyers. we have to know main street. we have to know wall street. it's starting to materialize into reality. there were 18 manufacturing industries. 17 reported growth last month. >> melissa: i want to separate out the stock market from the economy. we all hear people say the stock market is supposed to predict what's going to happen with the economy. i don't really believe that any more. stock market seems like it's more emotion these days. what do you think is going on with the real economy? we're getting a big number on friday. >> i think the real economy has been phenomenal. >> melissa: even now? >> i think we're on a cusp. i think we are on the cusp of a

phfbing renaissance. last jobs sphoeed an all time high in goods producing jobs. mining, manufacturing, construction. all time high numbers. that was matched very closely by the one from the government. those are areas, by the way, of high paying jobs. those are areas where america was hit hardest in the great recession. they determine the outcome of the election. today when president trump talked about infrastructure, not about the trillion dollars. it's about being able to put these people back to work, removing the regulatory hurdles. i think this is a very very beginning of something that could be absolutely huge for a long time. >> melissa: let me challenge you on that and say what the opsy side is saying. lot of the investment that was made or even the hopes out there, some of the hiring, some of the business opening was based on the idea that we were going to fix health care and

corporate tax cuts were on the way. if those things don't happen or if they may be slowed down, we may have gotten ahead of ourselves both in the market, but also in the economy a little bit as people then become disappointed. they maybe change some things and it doesn't come true. >> something tells me, the first thing i'd say, as much as this is a donald trump rally, this is a hillary clinton rally. people aren't corporation. the idea that somehow corporations aren't people. they're not people, but they're organisms. ones that have to grow, have to take market share, have to be innovative. you must live to get bigger and stronger. they went into hibernation under president obama. that's not how they grow their businesses. any artificial timelines we put on some of these thing, must happen in the first 100 days. rally is okay. just like the market believes they'll get those tax cuts.

yesterday auto sales came out. they were horrific except for one thing. bentley sales up 100%. bmw sales up 3%. so rich people and big companies are putting to work already. smaller businesses will be able to do so particularly once we get these hurdles down. i would tell investigators don't worry about that stuff. businesses are going to get back to basics. basics mean growing and getting better. >> melissa: is your mazeratti parked outside? give me a ride next time. thank you. meanwhile, some terrifying moments as a tornado rips through an auto repair shop. picking up a car and tossing it like a toy. we have the latest on those deadly southern storms. and the debate expected to begin soon on the senate floor over the fate of supreme court nominee judge neil gorsuch. will republicans be forced to go nuclear?

>> melissa: the senate now begins voting to open up debate on supreme court nominee judge neil gorsuch. they need a simple majority to move forward. the debate will likely be going -- it will likely be a contentious one. democrats have enough votes to filibuster him, potentially forcing republicans to invoke the nuclear option. peter doocy is live from washington. and, peter, how likely is the nuclear option at this point, would you say? >> reporter: we just from senate

majority leader mitch mcconnell. i does sound like that is what republicans are preparing for. his remarks, which were very brief, during which hedy not take any questions, came after his colleagues in the senate, his republican colleagues, spent the last few hours saying why they think the nuclear option is their on choice, even though they know changing precedent like this, making it so you can confirm a supreme court justice with only 51 u.s. senators supporting could really handicap who ever is in the minority for years to come. >> we'll confirm him. but this has very severe long-term consequences for this body because we've just abandoned one of the pillars of it. it's going to be very harmful. some day the democrats are going to be in the majority and we will lose the unique aspect of the way we should be doing business. >> reporter: we all heard just a few minutes ago from republican

senator john koons. he said it is up to democrats how gorsuch gets confirmed. if they want to come to the table, help republicans get enough support so they can break a filibuster, then they don't have to go nuclear. otherwise sounds like they will be nuclear. sounds like the direction it looks, but nobody will say that for sure. >> melissa: what are democrats trying to do to avoid having the nuclear option used against them? >> reporter: there is one from delaware who is saying he wants to go and sit down. we just heard this as well from chuck shumer. they want to figure out a way to keep their filibuster abilities inta intact because the nuclear option would wipe out their ability to filibuster. it does not seem like a deal the imminent. this is why. >> what the majority leader did to merritt garland by denying him even a hearing is even worse than a filibuster.

for him to accuse democrats of the first partisan filibuster belies the facts, belies the history, belies the basic truth. >> reporter: so there is still a big focus on president obama's last pick for the supreme court who never did get a vote, even though they are on to president trump's first supreme court nominee. the senate is voting to advance judge neil gorsuch right this minute. melissa. >> melissa: everyone is getting along as usual. peter doocy, thank you. all right. five people are dead after dangerous storms tore through the southern u.s. one mississippi woman died tragically after her car slid into a flooded creek. look at that. 52-year-old jacklyn williams dialled 911 as her car began to sink. she desperately tried to guide rescuers to her position. able to hear their sirens before she drowned in rushing waters.

her body was later recovered from the creek. a suspected chemical attack in northern syria. dozens reported dead, including children. the white house calling the attack reprehensible. vice president mike pence shuttling back and forth from the white house to capitol hill as republican leaders push for a deal to replace obamacare. >> i won't get into details of these things other than to say this is all about getting to the conceptual stage.

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>> melissa: former national security adviser susan rice firmly pushing back against allegations that she ordered the unmasking of trump associates caught up in incidental surveillance. >> there were occasions when i would receive a report in which a u.s. person was referred to, name not provided, just u.s. person. and sometimes in that context, in order to understand the importance of the report and assess its significance, it was necessary to find out or request the information as to who that u.s. official was. >> melissa: simon rosenberg former campaign adviser to president bill clinton. matt schlapp chairman of the american conservative union and

white house political director for president george w. bush. matt, let me ask you, convincing explanation in your mind? >> i am just sorry, melissa. she failed to register on the credibility meter with me. you know, the fact that she said just days ago that she had no knowledge of any of this, literally days later she's saying it was routine to ask for names of people i read in these intelligence reports. it just begs so many more questions. i think mrs. rice is going to need to get a lawyer. >> melissa: simon, it does seem like she changed her story from what she said on pbs. >> this is moving very quickly. i think we're all lucky that there are these on going investigations in the house and senate and fbi investigation that this can get rolled into. we have a lot of resources to figure out what happened with russia and the trump campaign's involvement in it. i'm sure this will now be part

of those investigations. >> melissa: i' interesting that you would say that. when we go back to what the original nugget is from what devin nunes said, he said it had nothing to do with that. >> we think there are many questions that the obama administration and susan rice has to answer. why was she so interested to know these names and to find out if they were potential trump people. what were those messages? were they really relating to foreign affairs or were they more gossipy? was she running the nsc or dnc? these are very basic questions that if a republican nsc adviser had been involved with, democrats would be hooting and howling and crying. and republicans across this country want straight answers. >> melissa: simon, how do you respond to that? >> i think the investigation is

on going. i don't really trust anything devin nunes says. i think in terms of somebody, he's lost a lot of credibility. >> melissa: when did he lie on camera? >> said none of the information he got came from the white house. he said that on camera multiple times. that's prove ton be not true. right? i think the point is that we have these mechanisms in place to look at all this. i assume this will be folded into though investigations in the coming month. >> can i just say we don't know the information that devin nunes got until he explained it to the american people. that's the problem with the reporting on this whole series of topics. is that the american people are going to learn the details. then they're going to make a decision. they're going to have to decide whether the trump campaign did anything inappropriate which there is no credible information. and they're going to have to decide whether the benjamin netanyahu -- obama administration was playing politics. >> melissa: we don't know.

there are so many questions we don't know the answer to. attend of the day when you try an drill down on i and they have these hearings and do these tphfations, they can end up saying this is all national security an we figured it out, but we're not gonna tell you. where does that leave us? i think we're all agreeing. >> i think that's why we need an investigation. there are some things we do know. we do know russia interfered in our elections. we do know there are legitimate and serious questions about what role the trump campaign played. that's why we have thaoe investigations in the first place. right? we have to let them play out. i wish that the white house and devin nunes, instead of preventing these investigations from going forward, would cooperate more fully so we can move on. >> melissa: do you feel like they're not cooperating? >> no, no. what's happening here, devin nunes is following the facts. the american people deserve to know the facts. >> come on. >> it's not just what russia did in our election.

it's also about the obama administration did in terms of surveiling the american people. i'm very concerned about basic questions of civil liberties and is the government -- can they you our surveillance system for political purposes? >> can i just say one quick thing? that's not true. the investigation that is being done by the house and senate are into the investigation. >> that's not true. >> what you're saying is just not true. >> melissa: we can go back and forth forever. we're out of time. let's do it again. >> thanks, melissa. >> melissa: house speaker paul ryan saying about the chemical weapons attack in syria, quote, no words can capture the depth of this horror. nothing can justify the mass murder of innocence, especially children. as the united nations security council has called an emergency meeting. activists say nearly 60 people

are dead including 11 children in an alleged attack they say is one of the worst in the country's six year civil war. katie logan joins us live from london. what more are we learning about this attack, kitty? >> reporter: yes. we know the attack happened in the early hours of the morning in a northern syrian province. a chemical agent was dropped in an air strike. this is yet to be confirmed. what we are seeing in pictures coming out of hospital in that area, doctors frantically trying to save lives in the after math. many victims seem to be having breathing difficulties. one monitoring group said people were seen choking or fainting. local doctors say these symptoms indicate a gas at tack. you see also many young children were caught up in this. there were also large numbers of people seriously wounded. doctors say they're still struggling to treat all of the victims. reports of medical facilities

also targeted by air strikes. some of the injured have been evacuated for treatment in turkey. sadly, not everyone is expected to survive. now, we don't yet know what chemical agent may have been used but the u.n. said it has launched an investigation, melissa. >> melissa: can you tell me more about some of the reaction from the international security? >> reporter: welsh even though we have no verification yet, there have been widespread international condemnation already. the white house has described this attack as reprehensible. and the u.n. security council has called an emergency meeting for wednesday morning to discuss a response. the u.n. accused the syrian government of carrying out toxic gas attacks before. the government repeatedly denied the allegations. but again today the syrian military was denying any possible involvement. it said it would never use chemical weapons in attacks against its own civilians. melissa.

>> melissa: kitty logan, thank you. arguments this morning before the massachusetts supreme judicial court over whether local and state law enforcement can detain potential illegal immigrants at the request of federal immigration authorities. critics argue the practice is unconstitutional, but the justice department said it protects the public by taking dangerous criminals off the street. molly line is outside the massachusetts supreme judicial court in boston. molly, what's happening in that courtroom? >> reporter: well, the arguments have wrapped up for the day. now they're looking at all of the facts they heard today. they're going to try to determine whether or not authorities, law enforcement authorities in the state as well as trial courts have the authority to act on these ice detainer requests. on request for detainer from ice. or if doing so is unconstitutional. now, the attorney general's office, the aclu, the plaintiffs attorneys have filed briefs in

the case. they made the overarchin argument that law enforcement and trial courts lack the authority to make civil immigration arrests and were acting in violation of both, the u.s. and state constitution, if they act solely on these ice detainers to hold an individual for a usual 48 hour limit particularly if that person would be otherwise released. now, lawyers for the justice department argue that it's law that the united states constitution does not preclude state officers from cooperating with federal authorities. here's just a taste of the arguments made in court. >> if state officials choose to kuwait based on their request, they have that authority. we haven't seen anything specifically taking that authority away from them. >> there is no back drop of imphreu silt authority on behalf of law enforcement agents to make warrantless arrests for civil violations. >> reporter: now, this takes off an arrest of a man charged in 2016 with unarmed robbery.

at the time of the arraignment ice had asked for a detainer against him. the commonwealth wasn't ready for trial. they answered not ready for trial. he was not prosecuted. ultimately slated for release, but he was not released. he was held at the courthouse for just a couple of hours. in that time ice agents arrived and took him into custody. melissa. >> reporter: thank you. supporters of sanctuary cities are pushing back against president president's crack down. now an entire state may be set to defy the white house, as the senate is set to debate our next guest said supreme court nominee judge neil gorsuch will be confirmed no matter what it takes. utah senator mike lee joins me next.

>> today house speaker paul ryan meeting with vice president mike pence. they will try again to repeal and replace obamacare. of course, if they want to

asroeu another failure, they will need support from conservative groups, like the all important club for growth. next hour, reaction from the group's president david mcintosh is my guest, among many other things at the top of the hour. that's bombing up today on shepard smith reporting. >> melissa: fox news alert. voting is under way in the senate floor on whether to proceed to the full debate over supreme court nominee judge neil gorsuch. republicans vowing to confirm neil gorsuch by friday, dismissing democratic threats of a filibuster. >> will he be sworn in by friday afternoon? >> he will certainly pass through the senate by then. i imagine immediately after he passes through the senate, he will be sworn in by this president. >> melissa: republican from utah, senator mike lee, sits on the judiciary committee and he joins me now. thank you very much for joining us. what happens from here? >> well, what happens from here,

we will be voting thursday. we're going to get him confirmed by friday. he will be sworn in by the end of the week. i look forward to that. it will be a good day for america. >> melissa: do you worry about the repercussions if you end up having to go nuclear? >> i want to be very clear about something. we have had a precedent that's been put in place since november of 2013. it was put in place by the then democratic majority. on the executive calendar, when we're confirming presidential nominees, whether to the judiciary or the executive branch or boards, those require a senate confirmation have been confirmed under this 51 vote threshold. that threshold that was put in place by precedent after the democratic majority in the senate at the time decided to go in that direction. this is a natural application of that. this is where we're going. >> melissa: so whether it came to it this time or not, you say that this is how this process could go from here on out no matter what? this is sort of what it's come down to. >> that's right. what i'm saying is, he's going

to be confirmed. the democratic majority in 2013 created this precedent, standard for ending debate on the executive calendar on presidential nominees the 51 and not 60. >> melissa: but can you tell me, sir, if the shoe were on the other foot, would you be complaining about being steam rolled by the democrats around me? >> they had already done it. they had already signaled the fact that they viewed what they did in 2013 as having gone nuclear, as having already crossed that threshold into the 51 vote margin. we're already here. this happened 3 1/2 years ago. we're continuing along with that precedent. >> melissa: does it foreshadow what's going to end up happening or what is happening with healthcare? because i think a lot of americans in our audience are watching and saying, we need things to get fixed. seems like this fighting is very similar to what we've seen for years. >> i hope and expect this won

foreshadow anything on the legislative calendar. in other words, we have ways of achieving passage of a bill on the legislative calendar with 51 votes, but it's very narrow. it's limited to the budgetary context. outside that context, we shouldn't be doing anything that would monkey with the rules. i don't think we're going in that direction. >> melissa: where are we on health care? are getting closer to a solution? >> we're getting closer all the time. there were 17 days devoted to the american health care act prior to the time that it was pulled off. since it was pulled off the floor in the house, discusses have been on going. there has been an effort of republicans across the house and senate trying to come to terms that are acceptable to both chamber and acceptable to the white house. i think we can get there. >> melissa: that all sounds like a lot of government speak. i think what we're really wondering is how much progress is really going on?

>> okay. >> melissa: we saw rand paul. he had a smile. gave people hope. thought maybe the two sides, i doesn't quite seem as contentious. how would you characterize it for people? >> i'll put it in different language. i didn't think i was using government speak. another way of putting it is, we're not there yet. we don't have a compromised position. there is not a bill that can pass yet. i think we can get there. the reason the last one didn't pass is because there wassen enough assurance given to enough members that the bill, as written, would bring down the cost of healthcare. but this has been the focus of discussions that have been going on in the house and senate and at the white house over the last few weeks. i really do think we'll get there. we're just not there yet. >> melissa: senator lee, thank you for your time. we appreciate it. california moving closer to becoming a state wide state haven for immigrants. >> local law enforcement agents

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>> melissa: the california state senate passing a bill that would bar law enforcement in the state from making arrests for immigration violations or from helping federal officials investigate immigration cases. if the measure passes, california would join a number of cities and counties in giving illegal immigrants safe harbor from federal law enforcement. jonathan hunt is live in los angeles. jonathan, what would this measure do if it ultimately passed? >> reporter: it would introduce a range of measures clearly designed to resist president trump's immigration crackdown.

among the moves, it would prevent arrests or detention purely for immigration violations. it would ban state and local law enforcement from inquiring about someone's immigration status and it would limit immigration enforcement in schools, courthouses and other public facilities. but the bill would alaw law enforcement to notify officials before anyone convicted of serious or violent crimes is released from custody. california senate president pro tem. >> that we will cooperate with our friends at the federal level with serious and violent felons, but we won't cooperate or lift a finger or spend a cent when we're talking about separating children from their mothers and mothers from their children. that's not who we are as a great state. >> reporter: now, that amendment on violent felons was key to getting the measure passed in the senate. melissa? >> melissa: what are opponents of the bill saying? >> reporter: welsh quite simply, that this bill is a danger to

the people of california because it risks leaving certain violent criminals on the street and protects them from deportation. listen here. >> >> this bill would quickly transform california into a giant magnet, pulling every illegal immigrant to our state for crimes such as human trafficking, child abuse, stalking and elder abuse. >> reporter: senator ted gaines also said the bill risks making california a beacon of lawlessness. the bill will now advance to the full state assembly. even if passed won't go into effect until january 2018. >> melissa: thank you. we'll be right back. i accept i don't race down

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>> sandra: a police chase in southern california creating a light show. look at that! a cadillac traveling for several miles on its rims after police

deployed spike strips to slow it down. cops catching up with and arresting the suspect. the driver was suspected to be under the influence of drugs. here's bill hemmer for shep. >> it's 3:00 p.m. on the east coast. susan rice is talking after she requested names of trump up in surveillance. rice said she had to ask for certain names to do her job. democrats say this is to draw attention of the real issue about links between the trump administration and moscow. the facts ahead in a moments. it's time for a show down over the u.s. supreme court. democrats have enough support