>> hi, big girl. can you say hi to everybody who is watching? >> this is my best. >> happy birthday, ainsley. >> bill: good morning, everybody. a storm of deadly and historic proportions making landfall and puerto rico is in the cross hairs. hurricane maria making landfall at winds with 150 miles per hour, category 4. warning of catastrophic damage and we've some of that already today. all eyes on that island throughout the day as we say good morning. i'm bill hemmer live in "america's newsroom." good morning, shannon. >> shannon: a tough time for those folks. more than 500 shelters are open across puerto rico. they're expected to take a big hit from a storm that has killed already eight people and

caused significant damage to several smaller caribbean islands. the people are prepared as they can be. >> i ask for america's prayers. my administration has done everything within our power to prepare for this event and to protect the lives of everyone on the island. we know this will be tough. but i have faith in our resilience and our capacity to rebuild. >> bill: they will need a lot of help. president trump tweeting overnight. we'll be there to help. team fox coverage starting us now adam clap and steve harrigan is feeling the brunt of it in puerto rico. good morning and hello. how does that feel? >> good morning, bill. san juan has been taking a pounding the last couple hours. winds gusts over 100 miles per hour. enough to be destructive.

we heard the governor talk about strong winds. chunks of buildings coming off. side walls, balconies, satellite towers. this is the most fortified part of the capital near the airport. you can imagine what's happening throughout the country side on this island of 3.5 million people. a u.s. territory. a lot of houses are roofs that are project tiles now. there are 500 shelters open but 11,000 people taking advantage of those shelters. this is coming at a terrible time for this island. they were grazed by irma two weeks ago and it knocked out power for a million people. this is a direct hit in the most populated part of the islands are things are starting to calm for a moment we could be seeing the approach of the eye right over san juan. toss it back to you guys. >> bill: we saw your image two hours ago when the side of the hotel was torn off.

has that continued at the same rate since then? >> it has been steady throughout. we've seen bits of the hotel go and holes through the hotel. the casino floor we slept last night is a river now and this is the place where the first responders are staying. so if this is the safest spot and it is already being torn up, you can imagine what's happening to the island. the governor said it's a life threatening storm. they've been going door-to-door trying to get people out. it is not like in florida where you can get in your car and drive. you're either in your shelter or house. >> bill: was there a passive feeling given the storms that rolled through there in the past couple of weeks or would you describe it that way, steve? >> i think the mood on the street was mixed. i think it was real tension. people going out and buying what they could. they are rationing things like water and baby formula.

you could buy two cases of water. it is not like a storm on the mainland u.s. where you could be out of power here for weeks or months at a time. there are still 40,000 people without power from irma. so -- when you don't have electricity, you don't have running water. this could be disastrous. we've heard promises of immediate aid from fema and emergency declaration by the president. they could need help in a hurry. this island has been sheltering people from irma and they're in the worst of it now. >> bill: when you say the first responders chose that hotel for refuge it gives you a sense of what's happening elsewhere, too. steve harrigan, thank you. back to you in a moment there. >> shannon: for more on maria's track we'll go to adam in the fox weather center. >> the island now getting the brunt of this storm. winds at 145 miles per hour

still gusting to 190 miles an hour moving to the northwest at 13 miles an hour. you can see the eyewall. as it runs on the island it becomes more difficult to distinguish. across the san juan area likely off towards the west of there where the strongest winds are along the eyewall. san juan, the most hefshly populated area getting strong winds. continuing to at this hour and they'll linger for a little while. as you watch that eyewall move it becomes harder and harder to identify where it is. we're looking in the area where i am moving my finger off to the west of san juan. powerful winds all around it. we have a little bit of time where it will be on the back side of this system. the winds will stay strong until it lifts to the north of the d.r. continuing up towards turks and caicos. it will take a right turn. good news for folks in the keys or folks in florida who did deal with irma th. is going to stay a powerful category 4

storm by lifting eventually up the east coast. you see a width berth. the cone of uncertainty. it could go to the west or east. there is a question with this. most of our models at this point run it along the east coast. here in the next couple of days taking us into the weekend we'll have to continue watch it for a mainland u.s. hit. >> shannon: thanks for keeping us updated. >> bill: house speaker paul ryan going to look at the devastation by harvey and irma. he tours parts of florida and later in the keys. 6 million were ordered to get out in florida. he will head to texas later this week to see cleanup efforts along the gulf coast. two stops this week. >> shannon: right now rescue crews in mexico are working desperately through the night after a 7.1 magnitude earthquake. crews digging through rubble of

collapsed building searching for any survivors overnight. this is mexico's most deadly earthquakes in decades. the death toll is above 200, near half in the nation's capital. there was a rescue in southern mexico city in a grade school. it killed at least 22 children and two adults and officials say there are still dozens missing there. >> bill: president trump meanwhile back to work already in new york city after yesterday's speech at the u.n. the president holding meetings with several leaders including the jordanian king, the palestinian president, the british prime minister, the leader of egypt. the president tweeting this earlier today quote, big meetings today at the united nations. so many interesting leaders. america first will make america great again. end quote. chris stirewalt making things great every morning. sometimes these speeches take a while to marinate and soak in. 24 hours later how did the

president's speech go over? how is it being taken in? >> if we put it in the right context. six months ago, even before his inauguration, there was broad concern both domestically and internationally that donald trump was unstable, erratic, volatile, not up to the task. now you compare that to the response now. yeah, there are people who are saying the rhetoric was too hot and hillary clinton, duh, she is going to use this opportunity on a book tour, after all, to insert herself into the conversation. by and large the reception is this is a normal american foreign policy. yes, he uses his -- the rhetorical gymnastics that he likes to use but normal -- not standard. this is a conservative american foreign policy and rendered it in a fashion that was not extraordinarily colorful. he didn't say anything that was out of the norm.

this is the evolution of a president and the evolution of a presidency as he learns how to move the levers of u.s. foreign policy. >> bill: interesting. imagine you're writing about that today. what is today all about? is it middle east peace or more than that? >> look, middle east peace as our beloved friend charles krauthammer said, wake me when peace breaks out. talking about that, every president ever. we celebrated the anniversary of the most important peace accord in 1978. today is about reassuring -- the two big questions, how do we button things off in syria and wrap it up in the end? the situation isis is basically cornered and now what next? so the conversation with the jordanian king is very, very important. but then the other big question is this. how does europe, how does

britain and the united states and our allies on the continent and in the u.k., how do we go forward on trade, on mutual defense, on all these issues that are there? brexit and european union issues are important for the united states and trump's relationship with theresa may is very important. >> bill: disagreements there in the past. chris stirewalt in washington, d.c. the president left trump tower where he spent the second or third night, two or three this week. he is going to the palace hotel, by new york standards is six streets. takes about 30 seconds to jet there. >> shannon: if you're in a motorcade. for everybody else out there, six hours. get on the subway this week. that's it. president trump puts the world on notice making his position on north korea's defiance crystal clear. >> president trump: if it is forced to defend itself or its allies we will have no choice but to totally destroy north

korea. >> shannon: coming up ed royce with his reaction to president trump's first u.n. address. plus there is this. >> at the end of the day, i really believe we're gonna get 50 republican votes and i make a prediction. there will be a lot of democrats struggling with a no vote. >> bill: strong statement from lindsey graham, a new republican plan to undo obamacare is gaining traction. is this the chance republicans have been waiting seven years for? senator bill cassidy is here later to talk about it live, the co-author of the plan. >> shannon: stories we're watching. historic hurricane pounding puerto rico right now and a second earthquake rocking mexico's capital city. we're all over the stories and will bring you updates live throughout the hour.

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>> bill: 15 minutes past the hour. new reaction after president trump's big moment on the world stage. with this direct message for north korea and the iran nuclear deal. >> president trump: as president of the united states, i will always put america first. we do expect all nations to uphold these two core sovereign duties. to respect the interests of their own people and the rights of every other sovereign nation. north korea's reckless pursuit

of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles threatens the entire world. the united states has great strength and patience. but if it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy north korea. rocket man is on a suicide mission for himself and for his regime. the iran deal was one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the united states has ever entered into. frankly, that deal is an embarrassment to the united states and i don't think you've heard the last of it. >> bill: that was 23 hours ago. a lot of reaction still now. congressman ed royce with me in studio. welcome back to new york city. frame it. you can pick any point you want. turn over all theme. >> here is the theme. the number one security risk --

threat to all 50 states is the fact that north korea now has a hydrogen bomb 17 times more powerful than the one that was used at hiroshima. we have a situation where all the tests north korea have done up until this last test is still not as powerful as the totality of what they have unleashed. the attempt to focus the world's attention on the fact that we have an opportunity to shut down this north korean program, but only if we have beijing's attention. we need china's attention here. they are merchant bank and their agricultural bank continue to give the hard currency to north korea it needs for this multi-billion program to run this build-up. >> bill: there is a lot of money under the table. the headline caught everyone. let me take you back 2 1/2 weeks ago. general james mattis outside

the west wing on north korea. >> our commitment among the allies are iron clad. any threat to the united states or its territories, including guam, or our allies, will be met with a massive military response, a response both effective and overwhelming. >> bill: two key lines. met with a massive military response. that is essentially the president's message from yesterday. on this line, mr. chairman, the administration has been consistent. >> yes. the communication here is to other governments, especially the government in beijing, that we need to have this cooperation and this is an opportunity to send this message out to the world. we expect the international community to be behind us in enforcing the efforts that have to be deployed now because we have a way to head north korea

off. we have a way to implode them, to cut off their currency with respect to sanctions. but we have to have that compliance and mattis is signaling the same thing. >> bill: let's move to the middle east. there is a true relationship here between president trump and netanyahu, would you agree? >> i would. >> bill: here is how netanyahu characterized the speech from yesterday as well. >> i've listened to countless speeches in this hall, but i can say this, none were bolder, none were more courageous and forthright than the one delivered by president trump today. >> bill: from yesterday. you were in israel four weeks ago with benjamin netanyahu. how is this developing? >> this is a circumstance where we see our other threat, which is iran, moving to develop not just this icbm capability but they have now moved iranian guard forces onto the border

with israel in syria. for the prime minister what he wants to see is pushback. he wants to see iran called out for the threat because they are bringing missiles in besides manpower. they are establishing potentially bases there, putting in manufacturing facilities in syria, and in lebanon to manufacture more rockets to attack israel. he wants to understand that someone has israel's back on this. and clearly the steps the united states needs to take right now is to also organize the international community to put additional pressure on iran given the leverage that was given away already by the former administration. >> bill: these two men have a long relationship and we'll see how it develops. these are issues that could change the world. chairman ed royce here in the studio. >> thank you. >> shannon: more than 200 people now reported dead after

a massive earthquake in mexico. rescuers digging through rubble right now looking for any possible survivors. the very latest on those efforts just ahead in a live report. plus an historic hurricane making landfall in puerto rico. u.s. officials trying to help get out and get to safety while they can. >> life safety first. we'll do a quick assessment and i say we, the fema organization will do a quick assessment try to figure out where the most damaged areas are. we get the teams in the street and do as much good quickly. time is of the essence. i don't know why i didn't get screened a long time ago.

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>> shannon: mexico reeling after a massive 7.1 earthquake causing devastation killing more than 200 people.

mexico city the quake toppled buildings and forced the international airport to close. rescue teams are digging through the rubble hoping they'll find any survivors. we're live in los angeles to tell us more. adam, do we expect these numbers to climb? >> we do unfortunately. they're digging through those buildings. the videos coming in. if you look at social media and look online you can see monitoring the different news agencies from mexico they will show these dramatic video coming out from parts of mexico city. while it is only eight million it's larger than that. a lot of smaller towns and municipalities attached to it. the earthquake struck at 1:00 yesterday afternoon about 75 miles south of mexico city. the 7.1 earth quake follows another earthquake over 8 just two weeks ago that shook everything. basically mexico city is build on filled land. it was once a lake years ago.

over the centuries it has been filled in. susceptible to these types of movements. we know at least 25 bodies were pulled from a school in the southern neighborhood, a more colonial area. all but four of those. 21 were children. four were adults. there are still searchers on site as you can see digging with their hands and yelling to be quiet. parents are standing outside the gates hoping for any sign of survival. there have been some reports there is a what's app text received by one of the parents. when you have these type of things all sorts of information coming out that makes it very fluid. the numbers are very fluid. the numbers of survivors are told. 60 were pulled. the numbers of deaths at 217. all expected to change. >> shannon: you mention social media is covered with these pictures and videos. why are we seeing so many buildings? it appears that they just look

like they're falling apart and collapsing. >> what's interesting. you see a bunch of different things. you see video of people on the 30th and 40th floor and their buildings are fine or they swayed or people in taxis getting out and water in one of the canals shaking and tourists holding onto their drinks and stay upright and more videos from smaller villages south. mexico city is interesting colonial buildings built two centuries ago and modern buildings with district building codes to deal with earthquake and you have shanty areas not supposed to be there at all. three different types of buildings in mexico city and why you see areas like this with a collapsed building and right next door more modern building with virtually no damage at all. the crews, we saw this thing in haiti we covered earthquakes and we saw the same thing in other parts of the world where you see the buckets being passed and people doing

whatever they can digging with their hands and we're going to see amazing signs of survival. that always happens in this situation but now it's a dire situation unfortunately and for many families at least 217 have been confirmed dead, shannon. >> shannon: the folks working through the rubble risking their own lives to bring good news. thank you very much. >> bill: president trump's stern warning on north korea, how world leaders are reacting to that message today as the president continues his meetings with leaders this hour. today's agenda in a moment. john roberts on that plus a new showdown looming over healthcare. watch this story. republican-led repeal bill is gaining momentum but do they have the votes? we're about to find out. >> i spoke with jimmy kimmel where those who have their needs address. his family -- he has a job,

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principal. we can help you plan for that. >> shannon: puerto rico under siege, the island of more than 3 million hunkering down as hurricane maria does devastating damage. winds of 150 miles an hour. hundreds of shelters have been opened for evacuees. eighth deaths already blamed on the storms. it's the strongest hurricane to hit puerto rico in nearly a century. we'll have more news all day on the fox news channel. >> bill: president trump at the united nations turning his focus on middle east policy today here in new york. he is holding a meeting with jordan's king abdullah. stand by for that. john roberts with us in studio. good morning to you yet again. where are we a day later and what happens today, john? >> the president keeps going

with a big agenda. tweeting about that early this morning. big meetings today at the united nations. so many interesting leaders, america first. will make america great again. the president yesterday saying everybody should adopt the notion of america first. you look after your own country first and then the global community. he arrived at the palace hotel with jordan's king abdullah which we'll probably get live in a few minutes. middle east peace on the agenda this morning. meeting with abbas, the palestinian president at 10:30 this morning. this afternoon african leaders and wraps up with prime minister theresa may. all the talk today about the president's big speech yesterday before the u.n. general assembly. a lot of people thought it was exactly the message that had to be sent. after years of kind of i guess moderate talk coming from that podium. >> bill: diplomatic speak. >> a lot of people i talked to said the president was

appropriately tough on people he needed to be tough on. hillary clinton didn't like it too much last night. she was on the colbert show and here is what she said >> i thought it was very dark, dangerous. not the kind of message that the leader of the greatest nation in the world should be delivering. what i hoped the president would have said was something along the lines of we view this as dangerous to our allies, to the region, and even to our country. >> president trump tweeted after allowing north korea to research and build nukes while secretary of state, >> world reaction you touched on. i imagine it continues to come in. venezuela had a big reaction. >> iran as well. you saw what prime minister netanyahu said about it. he thought it was the best speech he had heard this 30 years. the foreign minister for iran didn't like it too much

tweeting out trump's ignorant hate speech belongs in medieval times not the 21st century. unworthy of a reply. fake empathy for iranians fools no one. and the foreign minister of venezuela said this. >> this racist and supremacist theory which he is expounding, this return to the cold world, i for a moment we didn't know if we were listening to president reagan in 1982 or to president trump in 2017. >> we have to call out insult fail on the part of him. likeening a republican president to ronald reagan is not an insult, mr. foreign minister. >> bill: we'll see what happens with the jordanian king. not a lot of difference in fighting the war on terror between these two men. >> they're on the same page. making sure the president wants to keep momentum going for the

potential of a middle east peace deal. a lot of people say it's impossible but the president is holding out. >> bill: talk to you later. shannon. >> shannon: new obamacare repeal plan seems to be getting steam. it scales back obamacare spending and replaces it with block grants to the states. graham says it is optimistic it will be approved despite rand paul being a no. >> we've had weeks of talking and the only time they've gotten serious is when they're afraid my bill may pass. now they're coming to me, what about this and what about that? >> they are ashamed of this bill. they're afraid to find out what it actually does. justice being blind? our republican colleagues should be walking around with blindfolds. they don't want to see what is in the bill they're being forced to vote for. >> i've supported every repeal.

this bill doesn't repeal. this bill keeps obamacare. obamacare light redistributed to republican states and i think it's petty. >> shannon: the former assistant to president bush and richard fowler, good to see you both. richard, is that a fair assessment by senator graham saying we would work on something with democrats but not until they think this thing is inching across the finish line that they want to come talk to me? >> the bill is a non-starter for more than just democrats. a lot of republicans in states that expanded medicaid that will have a problem with this bill because it sort of guts that portion of the affordable care act. whether you like the affordable care act or not. the truth is for the past 7 or so years states have benefited from the medicaid expansion money. now if the cassidy-graham bill passes as is, what it means for states they'll either have to raise revenue, raise taxes,

two, cut benefits to the poorest and most vulnerable citizens or three, they'll have to find some way to make up the difference to help these individuals get healthcare. that's what's problematic about this bill and why i don't think republicans will have the votes to pass it. you'll look at alaska, you'll look at maine, the senator from maine and also other senators i would look at is the republican senator from west virginia who could vote against this bill because it will strip the money for opioid abuse and those are suffering from that horribly. >> shannon: richard outlines fiscal issues. a number of states took the money in the medicaid expansions, a number of gop governors say they can't give it up. it points back to what many people say is the underlying problem. nothing is free. you have to figure out some way to pay for this. richard thinks it guts too much. senator paul says it doesn't gut enough. we have three or four votes hanging in the balance.

>> we can lose one but we can pick up votes on the democratic sides. you've heard lindsey graeme say -- >> bill: we have to go quickly with a meeting to the president. we'll listen in real quick. >> president trump: we're working together on many problems and some things that aren't problems that are very good and we'll make some of the bad ones turn out good. i want to thank you for everything you've done in terms of the refugees and taking care of people that who knows what would have happened without you. so i want to thank you and i want to thank everybody involved with you. you have done an amazing job. thank you. >> mr. president, thank you very much for having us here and again, you know, we've met several times this year and it just shows the special relationship between our two countries and how closely we work together and i'm grateful for your support to our country in these difficult times and the special bond between our

two nations and extend our condolences for the victims of hurricanes and how you, the government, the people, the first responders reacted to this crisis. for us sitting on the outside looking at how the americans came together in a difficult time is an example to everybody else and we're grateful for that and everything that we're doing to try to solve our problems. >> president trump: we have a big one going now. you look at puerto rico. it's one after another but i think we're doing a good job. i have to say this about the king, he is a very fine gentleman, a very nice man and a great, great fighter. people have to understand that, right? >> we're all fighting together. we have -- terrorism is a scourge around the world. jordan will always stand beside you and your country and we will overcome. >> president trump: thank you very much. thank you, everybody. thank you. >> shannon: you've been listening to president trump

and also king abdullah of jordan at a meeting today. they had a lot of mutual praise for each other talking about the fact they're fighting together on these issues of terrorism and president trump praising jordan. it has taken in refugees through this whole situation. they have spent million else of dollars taking in people. it's flooding their economy and a burden on them. they talked about working together. the king praising americans in a response to the hurricanes sending condolences but saying the best of america has come out. >> bill: in that region of the world terrorism is everywhere. they have been able to keep the jordanian people safe through all of this. the arab spring and the years that followed. they are in lock step on this issue. i imagine a good friendship comes out of this, too. former f.b.i. director james comey when asked about president trump's claims of wiretapping during the election said the following. >> with respect to the

president's tweets about alleged wiretapping directed at him by the prior administration, i have no information that supports those tweets. >> bill: now we hear his former campaign manager paul manafort was wiretapped during the campaign. so what now? judge andrew napolitano, he will sort it out in a moment.

>> shannon: in the wake of hurricanes irma and harvey there is a hearing on disaster policies and procedures with america's most vulnerable citizens after the tragic deaths of several seniors at a nursing home in florida after it lost power from hurricane irma and the air conditioning was cut off. investigation underway to determine what exactly went wrong and if there is any criminal responsibility in the deaths at that rehab center. >> bill: president trump claiming that trump tower was tapped during the election.

it was denied by the obama team but now there is information that paul manafort was under f.b.i. surveillance. his spokesperson saying this, quote, mr. manafort requested department of justice release any intercepts involving him and any non-americans so interested parties can come to the same conclusion as the doj, there is nothing there, end quote. the judge andrew napolitano here to make sense of all of this. where do you want to start? >> well, i want to start with the fact that there apparently was this surveillance going on at trump tower. we don't know if it was aimed at then mr. donald trump or if it was aimed at paul manafort. it appears as though it was done via a search warrant. if it was done via a search warrant from fisa court, then the standard for that is very low. you don't have to show criminal behavior, only show it's more likely than not that manafort was speaking to foreign persons.

>> bill: two years prior manafort was surveilled in a case that could have been related or not. we don't noe. >> the problem with that kind of a warrant the fruits of that warrant are available to the white house and we know that susan rice has acknowledged receiving some of that material. and we know that one day after she received some of it, a transcript of a conversation between ambassador kislyak and general flynn showed up in the "washington post". the other is the f.b.i. traditionally gets. a judge and testifying under oath in secret about the crimes they're investigating and why they need this surveillance to bolster their case because it is more likely than not the person they want to surveil is discussing criminal activity. >> bill: you are saying they were justified in the request. let me back up a little bit. >> i don't know which kind of warrant they got. one produces evidence of crimes to be introduced at trial.

the other is available for the white house, unlawfully but available to use for political purposes. >> bill: just found out obama had my wires tapped in trump tower before the victory. nothing found. he took a lot of heat for that. that same week james clapper who used to run the dni was on "meet the press" and the exchange went like this. >> there was no such wiretap activity mounted against the president, president elect at the time as a candidate or against his campaign. >> there is no fisa court order. >> not to my knowledge. >> of anything at trump tower. >> no. >> bill: also in the same clip you didn't hear chuck todd says if there is a fisa order you would know about it. he said yes. >> he would know about it. >> bill: was he telling the truth or not? >> i don't know. he may very well be splitting hairs when he said nothing targeting trump tower.

nothing targeting donald trump. because the target was paul manafort. remember, paul manafort and trump spoke on a regular basis. it appears as though the essence of president trump's statement, they tapped my wires, is true even though he was ridiculed. whether he was the target of those taps or paul manafort was the target of those tap. tapping wires is an odd phrase for him to use. he may be knowing exactly what he is talking about or he may be talking about a lay term. today's surveillance is not just telephone calls, it is key stroke on a computer. >> bill: i have to go. this is very important. he was criticized for the grammar he used in that tweet but in retrospect it may be saying that my wires tapped in trump tower were wires that he had control over because he owned the building. >> that may very well be what he was talking about.

if that's the case he was 100% correct even though he was ridiculed for month. >> bill: you wrote a great piece. judge andrew napolitano right here. >> shannon: we're following two major national disasters right now. screen left hurricane maria slamming into puerto rico. there are dire circumstances there and a massive earthquake rocking mexico city. search and rescue efforts just beginning. over 200 confirmed dead. tech: when you schedule with safelite autoglass, you get a text when we're on our way. you can see exactly when we'll arrive. i'm micah with safelite. customer: thanks for coming, it's right over here. tech: giving you a few more minutes for what matters most. take care. kids singing: safelite® repair, safelite® replace.

>> shannon: a look at what's happening in puerto rico. hurricane maria is making landfall. a monster category 4 storm ripping parts off buildings, tossing heavy debris like weightless toys.

sustained winds topping 140 miles an hour, gusts approaching 190 miles an hour and a surge that could get to 10 feet high. they are expecting more than a few hours of hurricane force winds there. there are reports of major damage like balconies and roofs being ripped off of buildings there. steve harrigan is brave right in the middle of all this live in san juan, puerto rico. we've watched over the hours as your position -- the conditions have deteriorated steadily. >> we can see some of the debris that has come off buildings from all around here. bits of roof, walls, satellite dishes. everything getting whipped down by winds up to 150 miles per hour. the worst case scenario for this island. the heavy populated eastern part of the island where 3 1/2 million people live. a u.s. territory getting pounded by the winds. it feels like the eye is partially over san juan now. the heavy wind and rain that

we've been seeing has dipped a little bit and we're seeing a change in the wind direction. the real destruction will go on for at least another day. we could see up to 20 inches of rain in some places, a possible 10-foot storm surge and in the center of puerto rico very mountainous region. a possibility for mudslides there. it will be a while before the damage is assessed from this. fema has pre-positioned teams to help. electricity is already out for a million people. it will be a struggle to reach and help the people who need it. >> shannon: we've been watching that american flag flying over your shoulder there the past few hours. it was whipping in the wind. now it is tattered and barely hanging on to threads as you watch so much around you just be ripped apart by these winds. we heard from some folks who decided to ride out irma in key west. they talked about it being the worst mistake of their lives and trying to describe what the conditions were like. what is it like to be in the middle of a storm that is this

powerful? >> i think this is a very scary storm even for people who have been in a lot of storms who lived through them or covered them. this building here is where the first responders were to ride out the storm and it is a really scary and weird feeling when you are called down to the lobby at 3:00 in the morning because the higher you are up in a building the more dangerous it is. everyone goes down to the lobby and water starts leaking in. >> shannon: it looks like we've lost that shot with steve. we pray he stays safe and done a great job. sometimes the elements overtake what you are trying to do. >> bill: it's amazing we get a signal. this is a monster yet again following on the heels of irma and harvey, the rain maker prior to that. we'll talk to the fema administrator brock long to find out what we can do to help and what you can do as well.

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>> shannon: hurricane maria slamming puerto rico this morning making landfall as a monster category 4 hurricane. winds as high as 155 miles an hour. the strongest storm to hit the high land in more than 80 years. welcome to a brand-new hour of "america's newsroom." it is a very busy one. i'm shannon bream. >> bill: a long first hour. >> shannon: we have another one to go. >> bill: i'm bill hemmer, good morning. president trump expressing confidence there is real chance for a peace deal. administration watching this situation carefully ready to step in and help once the storm passes. so as we await on that want to get to janice dean now. she has been watching this storm for hours now in our extreme weather center and puerto rico is taking a hit right now, j.d. >> the worst of the storm and storm surge, the worst of the winds and rain fall right now

moving over puerto rico. we had a landfall at 6:15 a.m. the southeast coast and san juan getting gusts of 113 miles an hour. the one thing about moving over mountainous regions it is starting to weaken the storm. however, that means potentials for more rainfall, mudslides, rock slides. it is not a good situation. it's weakening the storm a little bit but we could see upwards of two feet of rainfall that will devastate this area. the worst of the hurricane force winds and worst of the storm surge and upwards of two feet of rainfall potentially will devastate this area. here is the latest coordinates now. 145 mile-an-hour sustained winds moving northwest at 13 miles per hour. the high has been disrupted here but it is about to go over very warm water so we do expect the storm to strengthen as it moves potentially over the

turks and caicos and east of the bahamas but we'll have to watch for it. you saw the landfall and well-defined eye moving over the mountains that has disrupted the storm for now. still a category 4 storm. the strongest they've experienced in 80 years and it will go into the warm waters and perhaps regain strength. the images coming out of san juan, puerto rico are destructive and landfall across the british and u.s. virgin islands as a category 5. to see a category 4 across the united states in one season is unprecedented. we're on track for a historic season. track as we go further in time. a new advisory at 11:00 a.m. where the potential of this storm will go. moving northwest. turks and caicos have to be prepared. making preparations and completing them. the bahamas have to watch this. the east coast is also going to

have to monitor this as the computer models are spread out especially as we go further out into next week. it's too close for comfort. if i could show you the gss and european model monday and tuesday and then coming very close perhaps a brush across the mid-atlantic or northeast. we just need high pressure across the atlantic, the bermuda high to get stronger and maybe push the storm inland. the one thing that will be a good piece of news is that the storm will be considerably weaker but again, bill, sandy was a 1 and a very large storm and did a lot of damage. we need to watch maria. for now the images coming out of puerto rico are devastating. >> bill: thank you, janice. we'll talk to you later. j.d. there in the weather center. >> shannon: the president turning attention to mideast peace efforts holding talks with arab leaders on the sidelines of the u.n. general assembly. he is meeting later in hour

with palestinian president abbas. now he is meeting with the king of jordan, another key player in the middle east. all eyes are on iran as the u.s. pushes for changes to the iran nuclear deal. the president arriving a short while ago and speaking there later today. bret baier anchors special report and spoke with secretary tillerson last night. we want to play a little of your interview with him and parse it out about what he was getting at. >> if we're going to stick with the iran deal there has to be changes made to it. the sunset provision simply is not a sensible way forward. it is just simply kicking the can down the road again for someone in the future to have to deal with. the president takes responsibility seriously. he takes his responsibilities seriously and that's why he is giving very careful consideration as to what's the best way to address that issue. >> shannon: bret, you know the president ripped the deal yesterday in his iran speech.

do you see daylight between him and the secretary of state? they're on the same page. >> they are and speaking with one voice that something has to change in the deal. the problem is that it's tough to imagine the european allies are suddenly going to wake up and say let's redo this deal. and without germany, france, great britain signing onto something like that, they are going to have a tough time. so what happens, the deadline is october 15th to make a determination whether iran is living up to the letter of the law or not. it sounds like there is going to be some push to try to fix some element of this and if not, abandon the deal, which is a big deal in geopolitical politics. >> shannon: we heard from leaders of france yesterday and over the last couple of days here at the u.n. meetings in new york saying we're one of these european leaders that is not interested in redoing the deal. we committed to it and it's binding on all of us. the president of iran will speak today.

he warned a couple of days ago there would be high costs for the u.s. if it decides to pull out of this deal. what do you think we'll hear from him today at the u.n. >> pretty aggressive, actually. tipping the hat to the obama administration and the deal that they made and you heard the president yesterday saying how bad that deal is. the iranians will defend the process i'm sure. and say that everyone agreed to every letter as it went through the process. but i do think that there is some questioning about what was expected from iran even though it's not in the deal itself. this deals with nuclear issues. the fact that they're exporting terrorism and doing a lot of things throughout the region. the secretary said that doesn't meet the spirit of the law. >> shannon: i want to turn to a domestic issue while we have you. the senate, the gop is playing out its last hand trying to repeal and replace obamacare

before they miss out on the 51-vote window. we are hearing quibbling about what to do with tax reform. the freedom caucus in the house saying you are keeping things secret from us now like we saw healthcare play out. a bit of a piece in the "wall street journal" from congressman jim jordan. saying the freedom caucus says don't introduce your tax reform. we won't show it to you until you vote for the 2018 budgets. if a salesman shows you a picture of the car. you might ask to see the car. we face that situation with tax reform. we haven't seen a picture of the car. >> that's true. listen, there is some frustration for all the talk about regular order and getting back to that, we have not seen that. it has been a lot of deals behind closed doors. however, i think when push comes to shove there is going to be the sense that republicans need a win. you are seeing that in the

graham-cassidy bill. this push to try to get another vote to get the healthcare bill passed. and whether they get there or not i think is yet to be seen. but tax reform they are really going to have to clear the decks to be able to get everybody on the same page. that is the big ticket item this administration wants and needs. >> shannon: talk of some bipartisan buy-in on that and we'll see you from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. eastern for a special report. >> bill: on the same topic. tight deadline to vote on a new healthcare system. republican majority has until the 30th of september. 10 days from now to pass it with 50 votes. otherwise the rules change. the co-sponsor of the current bill louisiana senator bill cassidy is also a doctor. senator, good morning. i guess i should say good luck. the time is ticking here. how many votes do you have right now? >> i feel like we're pretty close. we have to get closer and we'll

know that by early next week. >> bill: rand paul is a know. he says your bill does not repeal obamacare. he says the taxes are still in place. so how is your bill better than what is already there today? >> we repeal the penalties upon individuals who don't purchase insurance. upon employers. we repeal that penalty. we repeal the medical device tax and over the counter tax and save $134 billion. give power back to the states so states can come up with a system that works for the state giving power to the patient. we drive a stake in the heart of single payer healthcare plan. if somebody votes against our bill they vote for obamacare. if you are voting for our bill you are voting for power to the patient and the state. >> bill: do you contact rand paul directly? >> rand and i have spoken. rand has communicated through tweets his decision. all i can say if you vote for our bill you eliminate penalties on individuals and employers giving power to patients and state.

if you vote against us you're voting to keep obamacare. >> bill: paul ryan said if you pass it, we pass it. if you get it through the senate this will be the new healthcare system in america. now, rob portman, i don't know what he does. lisa murcowski voted no and two others. you have to thread the needle on this. i know you're aware of that. >> the governor of arizona has come out in favor of our bill as an example. and i think when -- we had 15 to 17 governors send a letter yesterday in favor of our bill. they like the ability to use the dollars that the federal taxpayer gives them to care for the working families in their state. we think the system will drive innovation, lower costs, expand coverage. for some states they will receive resources they have not before.

for example, virginia, texas, maine, missouri, florida. we think it will result in greater coverage and we take care of those with pre-existing conditions. >> bill: there is something you coined last week called the jimmy kimmel test. the late night comedian who has gone back and forth on the issue for several months based on his personal experience with his newborn baby. he says you were not very honest, to use his phrase, in the way you are addressing it now and what you've told him. what would you say now about that comment. >> i wish he understood completely. those in states like maine and virginia, resources to care for those currently uninsured t. but now the state has the ability to provide coverage so when the child has a problem the parents have the coverage that the child's problems can be addressed. we protect those with pre-existing conditions. if a state applies for a waiver it specifically says the state must establish there is adequate and affordable coverage for those with preexisting conditions.

>> bill: are you saying jimmy kimmel is wong? >> i'm saying if he understands the bill he is wrong. it will increase coverage and protect those with pre-existing conditions particularly with those states who haven't had the benefit of medicaid expansion. we help those states. millions of americans. >> bill: more to come on all this. do you feel like you'll get it or not? >> i think we will. i don't know that for sure but i think we will. >> bill: bill cassidy. thank you for your time. the republican senator from louisiana. >> shannon: the other top story of the day, hurricane maria pummeling puerto rico now. you are looking live from san juan. brock long joins us this hour with how we're helping. >> bill: look at these new images of mexico city. a massive quake. the latest recovery efforts underway. >> shannon: the president slamming venezuela in front of

the u.n. general assembly calling out the socialist nation saying the u.s. is ready to take action there if it needs to. >> president trump: wherever true socialism or communism has been adopted it has been delivered anguish, devastation and failure. these discredited ideologies only contribute to the continued suffering of the people who live under these cruel systems.

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>> bill: breaking news. another storm of historic proportions in puerto rico. maria hitting land as a category 4 hurricane. we mentioned before how dangerous this storm became. this is steve harrigan's live picture. we've watched the palm trees and the side of this hotel ripped apart for hours now. people bracing for more impact. an island of 3 million. 500 shelters open. expecting 25 inches of rain on top of the wind. updates on this storm as we get it. we'll talk to the fema director in about seven minutes here on "america's newsroom." >> president trump: the problem in venezuela is not that socialism has been poorly implemented, but that socialism has been faithfully implemented. >> shannon: the president putting venezuela front and center in his big u.n. speech ripping its government for its

socialism and growing authoritarian policies. let's bring in colonel ralph peters. there was a pause there and then there was some applause. people seemed maybe a little stunned by just how direct the president was in some remarks and some people agreed maybe socialism isn't the best thing for everyone in the world. >> i'm with the president on venezuela. obama never called them out remotely as forcefully. as we watch the hurricanes and earthquakes. they're natural disasters, we can't stop them. but the tragedy in venezuela was utterly preventable. venezuela, a nation with the largest oil reserves in the world. 32 million people. once the richest country in latin america with a thriving democracy. and now look at it. president trump is also right about the effects of socialism. the problem with socialism is

it's so damned antisocial. it destroys societies. socialism, the twin of communism, elevates theory above humans. the great thing about our democracy is it puts the humans above any theories. so socialism sounds great. equality, social justice, fairness, free stuff, except it doesn't work because it doesn't take into account human nature. and when humans disappoint socialist governments, instead of changing the theories to fit the people, the governments try to force the people to fit the theories. now we have in this once rich country of venezuela people are literally starving. >> shannon: they are. it's interesting because the pushback and reaction we got from the foreign affairs minister of venezuela was this. listen. >> this racist and supremeist theory which he is expounding, the return to the cold world,

for a moment we didn't know if we were listening to president reagan in 1982 or to president trump in 2017. >> shannon: i find that confusing on a lot of different levels. some of the an all goelz he made there. i'm not sure he knows that equating someone to president reagan in the midst of the cold war is not exactly a burn here in the u.s. >> exactly. when those on the left run out of other charges, they immediately say racist policies and racist this. my message to the venezuelan foreign minister is simple. feed your people. you have hungry people, starving people in the streets of venezuela that cannot get bread, that cannot get salt. feed your people and then tell us how awful democracy is. >> shannon: it is a difficult situation there. the president has said the u.s. has taken action and will take further action necessary if the leaders don't start turning things around and giving power back to the people in a true democracy.

colonel peters, great to have you with us. thank you, sir. >> bill: two natural disasters now. one in mexico, the other in puerto rico. hurricane maria making landfall battering the u.s. territory. historic and devastating strength. talk to brock long, the fema administrator, standing by on the federal response just moments away. live-stream your favorite sport

at the airport. binge dvr'd shows while painting your toes. on demand laughs during long bubble baths. tv on every screen is awesome. the xfinity stream app. all your tv at home. the most on demand your entire dvr. top networks. and live sports on the go. included with xfinity tv. xfinity, the future of awesome. >> shannon: more than 200 confirmed dead. that number continues to climb after a devastating earthquake in central mexico. the search for survivors in full swing. first responders and volunteers now scouring the rubble for any signs of life. any survivors. the magnitude 7.1 quake was

centered southeast of mexico city. unrelated to the quake that hit two weeks ago off the country's southern coast. >> bill: maria hitting land as a category 4 hurricane in puerto rico. the storm is a killer. we mentioned how dangerous this storm has become. fema administrator brock long with me now out of washington, d.c. it's all too common we have a conversation. here it is again. what are you doing and what are you hearing about this storm now? >> yesterday we were looking at a very fierce but compact storm. unfortunately as the system was passing south of st. croix that wind field expanded due to what's known as an eyewall replacement. unfortunately hurricane force winds extended far out to the north. impacted st. croix before making landfall this morning in puerto rico. the same show. we are back here, these guys have been going almost 30 days in a row right now coordinating

the federal government's response down through the governors of not only the virgin islands but puerto rico as well. >> bill: i don't know if it's st. john, st. thomas, you can pick an island in the caribbean based on irma and now you have this. how can fema assist in the best, most efficient manner? >> the good news is that we had -- we already pre-positioned 3200 staff members in the islands in a combination of the islands of puerto rico and u.s. virgin islands. we also were able to push in over the last 48 hours a large amount of meals, water, hygiene kits, ready to go. once the storm passes we establish an air bridge as well as get the ports open so we can start supplying everything that we need and teams and equipment and personnel. that's in addition to using what we already have on site. >> bill: can you gauge for us

how much puerto rico took these warnings to heart? >> i think the governor did a tremendous job. his leadership was tremendous yesterday. he hit the streets, went door-to-door in many communities telling people to take it very seriously. through his leadership and the warning order network that we have through the national weather service partners, i believe they had people taking heed. >> bill: think about harvey in texas, irma in florida and the entire state of florida and the caribbean. are you stretched too thin? do you have what you need? >> so the good thing is that where we are right now is with harvey and irma, the response phase has basically come to an end and we're working with governor abbott as well as scott to help them provide a bridge to recovery and support recovery initiatives. because of that, we have a majority of our search and rescue teams on stand by to

support maria and ready to go. some of those teams are already on the island as we speak. >> bill: thinking about mexico, too. i don't know if there are conversations between the u.s. and the mexican government. have there been any requests so far in the early stages of that natural disaster? >> yes. i can't speak to the specifics but i do know that the white house and the mexican government are talking as of yesterday soon after the event occurred. and we're on stand by to support once a request comes in. >> bill: do you have updates of the dead or injured or what they need? >> not at this time i do not. >> bill: your staff has been working 30 days straight. what kind of toll is that taking on the people who work for you have? >> this is a dedicated group of individuals and we signed up for this mission. and i think at heart everybody wants to do what they can to help people and they are utilizing that energy to continue pushing forward. we have good staff rotations.

we bring in teams from all over the country and switch teams out to make sure everybody is fresh and go home, take care of the family front and respond to help people. >> bill: can you think of a frame of time that parallels what we've been watching over the past month? >> yeah, sure. i lived deep water horizon as the director of alabama emergency management. if i remember correctly it was a 78 day activation. >> bill: that was one event. these are several spread out over a great area. >> you're right. i would say it was somewhat similar to the 2004 hurricane season when we had charlie, francis, gene and ivan hit at the same time. but the area of damage was pretty concentrated in that 2004 hurricane season versus what we're seeing here. >> bill: 2004 was a big year. my best to the men and women who work with you and under you.

brock long, fema administrator in washington thank you for your time. >> shannon: the other big story we're monitoring. president trump meeting with several foreign leaders this morning. last hour it was the jordanian king. moments from now he will meet with palestinian president abbas after telling the world he believes a peace deal is possible. all this as the president keeps up pressure on everyone to go after isis terrorists. >> president trump: from now on our security interests will dictate the length and scope of military operations, not arbitrary benchmarks and timetables set up by politicians.

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because the time to think about tomorrow is today. >> shannon: take you live where president trump is meeting with palestinian leader mahmoud abbas. >> president trump: i want to thank you for all the work. the toughest deal of all it has been considered, peace between israel and the palestinians. the toughest of all. i think we have a very, very good chance and i certainly will devote everything within my heart and within my soul to get that deal made. our team is expert.

your team is expert. israel is working very hard toward the same goal and i must tell you, saudi arabia and many of the different nations are working also hard. so we'll see if we can put it together. who knows? stranger things have happened but i think we have a good chance. it's a great honor to have you with us, thank you very much. >> thank you. [mahmoud abbas speaking] >> shannon: i won't be able to translate that for you. they may be getting questions now. let's see. [mahmoud abbas speaking]

>> bill: a complex subject. toughest of all. him saying at the end who knows? >> shannon: he expressed a lot of optimism and he praised everybody at the table. the direct parties and saudi arabia and others working together to try to bring together what people say is impossible. but what the president believes is possible. they continue to take questions but again it appears that president abbas is not -- there is no translation for what he is saying at this time. >> bill: we also know that benjamin netanyahu and president trump have known each other for a long time and we know about that relationship and watching the two men around new york city their relationship has gotten firmer. in addition we know netanyahu met with egyptian president on monday night here in the city or sunday night, the nights are escaping me now. the point is there are discussions and conversations. will they lead anywhere?

we don't know. for more on all this ohio congressman dennis kucinich and nan hayworth. a complex subject, mr. kucinich, toughest of all. is this possible or is this a pipe dream? >> well, it is certainly desirable to have peace in the middle east and to have israel and the palestinians talking peace. but it is also important that you go back to the spirit of the oslo agreement, which involved not building settlements. if there will be peace, the settlements will have to be rolled back so you can have a two-state solution that so many people have been talking about including mr. abbas. >> bill: nan? >> i take the greatest hope in the fact the president trump has stood firmly against the theocracy in iran. if there is any mall factor who

is creating the most risk in a two-state solution which both president abbas who i met years ago in israel as part of a congressional delegation and prime minister netanyahu, they support a two-state solution but with hamas in gaza under iran's influence, that has been even more challenging. but president abbas has now taken action against hamas in gaza. i think that's a very good sign combined with the president's stand against the theocracy. i think president trump stands the greatest chance of creating progress that we've had in a long time. >> bill: you need all sides. take you back to yesterday. dennis kucinich. i want you to react to the phrase the president used about terrorism in the middle east when he said this. >> president trump: the united states and our allies are working together throughout the middle east to crush the loser terrorists and stop the

reemergence of safe havens they use to launch attacks on all of our people. last month i announced a new strategy for victory in the fight against this evil in afghanistan. >> bill: crush the loser terrorists is the phrase. pause it for a moment. here is the president. >> president trump: so many people have talked about it and it has never happened. but we're fighting very hard. we are trying very hard and all getting along together well. we'll see if we can do it. and if we do it, it would be a great, great legacy for everybody, for everybody. so let's see what happens. good luck, everybody. good luck. and you have millions of people rooting for you, that i can say. thank you. >> bill: the comment, clearly what you hear on the microphone

is about the iran deal. dennis kucinich, if you -- stand by. >> president trump: i'll let you know. thank you. >> bill: here is the big question to the former congressman, if you get a middle east peace deal, how would that change the world? >> it would change the world because so many of the actors around the globe, particularly in the middle east, have been very concerned about the plight of the palestinians. if the palestinians and israelis can come to an agreement, which we certainly hope for, two-state solution in this case, it would, i think, be a major step towards achieving peace. let's go back to the spirit of the oslo agreement. if we work from that as a template there is a chance something could happen and i'm certainly glad that president trump has had the opportunity to meet with mr. abbas. i hope they continue the

conversations and also bring mr. netanyahu and mr. abbas and also hamas as part of a larger peace deal. we need to talk to everyone in order to get peace. >> bill: how would it change the world? this would be something else, as you know. >> it would, bill. the middle east has been a powder keg as we know for decades, extending before world war ii when israel was established in 1948. israel is such a magnificent democracy in so many ways and such an innovator i would love to see -- i respect exactly what dennis has said. he is right. we need the palestinian people also to feel secure. their arab allies have to not be an impediment to peace. but if we can have peace and stability there, we can create a beacon of progress for the rest of the world.

the nation of israel has a magnificent potential to be a world leader even more than it is now. >> bill: thanks to both of you. come back any time. >> shannon: reminder that we're tracking hurricane maria as it is in puerto rico as a category 4 storms. wind gusts some up to 190 miles an hour. there are thousands of people in shelters. there is a storm surge coming as there is destruction already all over the island. it is predicted to be catastrophic. we're keeping an eye on that and continue to take you back there live as we know more. the president authorized emergency funding and help as we wait for the storm to pass through. then rescuers and helpers can flood in assessing damage and helping those left behind. again maria hits puerto rico as a category 4. >> bill: is this the last chance to repeal and replace

obamacare? can republicans get on the same page? a new deadline is right around the corner and we'll tell you about that next. >> shannon: attorney general jeff sessions visiting a sanctuary city where he accused governments -- >> we cannot continue giving such federal grants to cities that actively undermine the safety of federal law officers and actively frustrate our efforts to reduce crime.

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60% of women are wearing the wrong size pad and can experience leaks discover always my fit. find the number that's right for your flow and panty size on the top of any always pack. the better the fit, the better it protects. always. >> bill: attorney general jeff sessions meeting with local law enforcement in oregon denouncing sanctuary city policies there. arguing that in order to reduce violent crime cities must stop protecting illegal immigrants. >> rather than reconsider their policies, these sanctuary jurisdictions feign outrage that they might lose federal funds as a direct result of the actions that they have

undertaken to nullify plain federal law. >> bill: those comments in portland. he continues talking about dismantling sanctuary cities for a law-abiding nation across the country. >> president trump: i'll let you know, thank you. >> shannon: that happened just minutes ago. president trump saying when asked about the iran nuclear deal, whether we stay or go he has decided and he will let us know. he has made a decision and we will find out. senator deb fischer is with us. that happened moments ago, what is your reaction? >> i look forward to hearing what his decision is. iran is an exporter of terrorism. we know it was a bad deal. that's my feelings on it. i want to make sure that iran is in compliance in the future.

i have concerns about their capabilities in developing intercontinental ballistic missiles for example, why that was included at the end of the negotiations to be in a nuclear deal surprised many of us here in the senate. >> shannon: we know there is another certification deadline coming up in a couple of months. congress may play a part in that depending on what the president does. we know it's something you are watching closely also with healthcare. there is a timeline ticking for you on the hill. you have to get something done by tend of the month. we have this measure by senators cassidy and graham. where are you on that and do you think that the gop can get to 50? >> nebraska people need relief. we've had a 153 increase in premiums. we saw many lose their insurance. we have 47,000 people who pay a penalty rather than take

insurance. so we're watching a system that is failing many in our state. and we have to see some kind of relief. i think it's a great model that the senators have come up with, with the proposal to be able to take away this power at the federal level and put it back in the hands of the states. i would rather have our state legislators and governor make decisions that take into understanding what people in nebraska need. it is a diverse state and different from other states in the country. we need to make sure we have proposals that meet the needs of the people here. i think it's a good model. >> shannon: senator cassidy broke it down like this on "america's newsroom." >> we drive a stake in the heart of single payer healthcare plan. if somebody votes against our bill they're voting for obamacare. if you vote for our bill you're voting for power to the patients and power to the state. >> shannon: so far that

argument is not working on rand paul. do you think other senators will see it that way? >> i hope all of us take the time to look over the bill. we have some days here and i know i'm spending time reading through it with my staff to have a full understanding of what is in it and really what it does to help the people in my state. so i hope that all of our senators consider that. we made a promise to the people of this country when every senator that's elected now was running. that was to repeal obamacare. to be able to have a plan that gives decision making back to the states i think is in balance with who we are as a party when we look at federalism. we want decisions that are made close to home. we want to have constituents be able to talk to their state senator instead of having to worry about a bureaucrat in washington so i think this is a plan worth exploring. i hope all of my colleagues take the time to look at it

before they make comments about it. >> shannon: you are a member of the senate armed services committee. i want to ask you, there has been some bipartisan action, things have gotten done with respect to defense spending. and you say this is going to make up some of the gap and help with readiness that our military is currently lacking. >> yes, we passed a bipartisan national defense authorization act. secretary mattis has said he was shocked by the lack of readiness by our military when he returned after being out for four years. and that's a concern i think to everyone on the committee. it passed out of committee unanimously. we had a very strong vote on the floor and now after we get it passed in congress we need to step up and take up a department of defense appropriations bill as well. it is one thing to vote for the authorization and say you support the military. another thing -- let's get on

appropriations and commit to spending the money to appropriating that money to take care of our troops. >> shannon: it's another thing to do. we're out of time. thank you, senator fischer. more in a moment.

>> we're keeping an eye on puerto rico as the latest in a series of deadly hurricanes batters that island after pummeling parts of the u.s. virgin islands. what would happen if north korea fired a missile at the u.s. how quickly could the white house make a decision to try to shoot it down. rand paul taking heat for his opposition to the latest obamacare repeal plan but he is not backing down. how will it affect the gop on capitol hill at the top of the hour. "happening now." >> bill: hurricane maria

pounding puerto rico. she is a killer and a monster of a storm. yet again it seems we've said that for a while. frankly, that's the truth. when you think about irma and harvey in texas and now you have this storm of category 5 proportions yesterday. downgraded to a category 4 but the difference between the size of a storm is not much especially if you are in the way of this monster today. irma was a killer. killed more than 70 people. we know there are at least eight deaths as a result of maria. watching the images from steve harrigan in san juan, puerto rico, talking with the fema director saying his staff and crew haven't had a day off in 30 days it gives you a sense for what so many are dealing with. a wide geographical area. right now today it's about maria. she is a big one. >> shannon: she is. it's interesting. the associated press is getting a lot of direct reports from people on the ground.

the thing is, too, now social media changes everything. so quickly we can get these images and witness accounts of people who are riding out this storm. essentially they've been warned if you don't evacuate your life is in danger. that's the flag we've been watching all morning behind steve harrigan as it was peacefully flapping in the breeze hours ago and now ripped and barely hanging on. people are saying doors are ripped off the hinges of their homes and apartments flying away. a large water tanks, all kinds of things that normally you would have a tough time moving and essentially these winds are no joke. gusting up to 190 miles an hour. the last time a category 4 storm actually hit puerto rico directly was 1932. this is something that folks can only prepare for so much. >> bill: it can go on for 12 or 24 hours. 25 inches of rain on top of that. back in a moment. more of maria after this.

>> bill: between maria and the u.n. and middle east peace, health care. >> shannon: there's a lot to get done. don't forget tax your form is looming in the wings as well. >> bill: have a great day everybody, be well and we'll see you tomorrow. bye-bye. >> jon: a fox news alert for you, hurricane maria makes landfall in puerto rico as a category 4 storm. it is hammering the island with high winds and heavy rain. hello and welcome to "happening now," i'm jon scott. >> julie: and i'm julie banderas. maria slamming particle after pummeling parts of the virgin islands. the national weather service in san juan warning of catastrophic damage, unrelenting rain is expected to saturate the island with some parts getting up to 2e of days. this is one of the strongest hurricanes to ever hit puerto rico and its setting its sights on some more caribbean islands later this week. >> j