>> that was a really fast three hours of television. we get to do it again tomorrow. >> tomorrow is wednesday. >> i'll be on the five later. same outfit. >> see you tomorrow. >> bill: good show there. good morning, everybody. breaking news, are republicans failing on their promise to repeal and replace? at the moment it's hanging in the balance. another critical defection inside the party means as of now, they do not have the votes in the senate. we'll know a bit more later this morning after they get together as we say good morning. i'm bill hemmer live in "america's newsroom." a big show for you, too. >> shannon: it is not going to ever slow down. we're here for you. i'm shannon bream. republicans facing a potential defeat over healthcare. collins joining others in opposing the cassidy graham bill that would undo much of obamacare and turn its subsidies into block grants that state decides how they want to use it. it is spurring questions and

confusion among lawmakers. >> i told the president i would take another look but that i was not optimistic that i would be able to get to yes. >> if we do this, the end result will be we'll have a food fight over the formula. this is not repeal. this is not what we promised. >> we need new ideas and a better approach. that's what the senate pursued this summer and what senators graham and cassidy are pursuing now. >> americans want good healthcare, lower premiums, more coverage. this bill does the opposite. >> shannon: john roberts beginnings our coverage this morning. good morning, john. >> good morning. we've referenced the movie the princess bride whether obamacare will or will not be repealed and this morning we have to go there again. we're being told by the white house while the graham-cassidy bill is not all dead, it is mostly dead. late yesterday as you pointed

out susan collins, after it showed it would save on the deficit over 10 years, millions of people would be without health insurance, susan collins came forward to say she cannot support that bill. listen here. >> i have to do what i think is right. i have to do what i think is right for the people of maine and the people of this country. and that is what has led me to my decision today. >> a source said the reason why it is mostly dead and not all dead is because the white house is still holding out hope they can get lisa murcowski on board as well as perhaps kentucky senator rand paul. he has been the most vocal note here. the white house has been talking to here. they aren't optimistic but they're holding out hope paul may come on board. the only way he came on board is if the block grants are

removed or reduced, which they don't believe will happen. but already there is talk, shannon, that if this measure does fail and at the moment it looks like it will fail, white house not prepared to pronounce it dead but it is almost all the way there, the senate is talking about introducing another reconciliation measure after september 30th to give this yet another try. the president really wants this and the senate is trying to give it to him. so far it doesn't look like they'll get it. >> shannon: the president is continuing his feud with the nfl. >> this was continuing on this morning. he claimed the patriot high ground where the dallas cowboys owner locked arms with members of his entire team and took a knee before the national anthem was played. the president tweeting, quote, the booing at the nfl game last night. it was audible when the entire team dropped to its knees was

the loudest i ever heard. great anger. jones and the cowboys stood for the anthem itself. while dallas dropped to its knees as a team. they stood up for the national anthem. big progress. we love our country. a rally for luther strange. mike pence said he stands 100% with the president on the nfl issue. >> folks, we've all got a right to our opinions, but i don't think it's too much to ask the players in the national football league to stand for our national anthem and i know the people of alabama agree. >> that was the luther strange rally last night. special election is today. the president this morning also going off on his favorite topic, television ratings. ratings for the nfl football are way down except before the game starts when people tune in to see whether or not our

country will be disrespected. the president has a press availability this afternoon with the spanish prime minister. likely we'll hear about this issue at that press conference. a lot of other important things we need to talk to the president about, including what he is going to do about all those poor folks in puerto rico. lots to talk about today. >> shannon: devastating situation there. we don't want it to get lost in the other headlines. >> bill: good preview there. we're here with ronna mcdaniel. seven years repeal and replace. >> seven years. it's tough. i was in pennsylvania yesterday and i felt it from our voters. they're hurting. they feel let down right now. they are saying hey, our premiums are doubling. this isn't going away for us. insurers are pulling out of our counties. we're struggling and we need help. we sent you there to get it done. there is a recognition, though, that democrats are nowhere to

be found. they're hiding again. they put this in place and they haven't come across the aisle to find solutions for the american people and republicans continue to fight. >> bill: how will it affect the gop? >> it's a struggle. as party chair i say let's look at 2018. you can't give up. you have the president and vice president and 217 house members who fought for it and passed it. we have 49 senators. we need to expand our margin in the president. 10 states president trump won who have democrat incumbents. we're going after those states. >> bill: i can't believe it will help you in those states. the failure of repeal and replace will help? >> they won't be running at washington candidates running against democrats who have done nothing. who put this in place. who are not finding relief. who are putting a solution forward similar to bernie sanders which is a single payer monstrosity. we can win in those states. we have to do it and give the president a better majority.

but today it is disappointing to see republicans holding this up. i wish they would vote for it. i hope they will change their mind. >> they tried to help maine, alaska, arizona. >> yep. >> bill: as of now all three of those states could be no votes. >> you have three or four republicans that are no but you have 48 that are yes and you have the house that's yes and the president and vice president and the american people have to look at the republicans that are fighting for this. and know -- do not give up, we need you in the mid-terms. we have to expand our majority. >> bill: tax reform the president goes to indiana tomorrow night. what can you tell our viewers about what will be in this properal as great report. >> bill: the president has already kick started our economy and now tax reform. we have the simplify the tax code and relief to the middle class to bring more money home and we have to make our

corporate rates competitive. >> bill: do you know about the specific details he will share? >> i don't. we'll let the president reveal it tomorrow. middle class tax cuts and corporate tax rates in line with the rest of the world to kick start our economy and get jobs back. >> bill: alabama, there are different sides clashing of ideas in alabama, whether it's donald trump and mike pence, whether steve bannon, etc., etc. what does this vote mean? >> from the rnc perspective we'll be supporting that nominee and keep that seat. we have to keep it republican. this is what we do as a party. you have primaries and you come together and let your purpose unite you. there is nothing more than that we need than another republican in the senate. we have to keep that seat. the president needs every republican we can get to fund his agenda. >> bill: fundraiser in new york city tonight and the president is coming back here. what about the competition for money between the rnc and dnc

nine months in? >> the republican party is thriving. we're raising money because of our president and his support. we have 93 million we have' raised so far. the democrats have raised half of that and seven times more cash on hand and investing in states already to win the mid-terms. >> bill: we'll see what all these issues tell us real soon. thank you for coming back here. more news now. >> shannon: we're getting new information on a deadly shooting near jerusalem. early this morning a palestinian man shot three israeli security officers dead and critically wounded a fourth. the attack happened at a crossing between israel and the west bank. comes at a tense period amid the jewish high holidays. we're live in jerusalem to tell you more. >> the attack came just as president trump's envoy arrived in the region to begin talks about israelis and palestinians. israeli police say it was a 37-year-old palestinian man, a father of four with a valid

work visa that killed three israelis and wounded another. he was mingling at the checkpoint among other palestinian day laborers coming into israel to work when he opened fire attacking the guards here. israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu condemned the attack and called on palestinian leaders to condemn it as well. we're responsible for the attack because of their incitement and said the attackers home would be destroyed. by all accounts the attacker had issues at home and it have tried to carry this out because of family issues. it doesn't appear he was working with anyone and was some type of lone wolf similar to what we've seen in terms of attacks in the last several years. there are angry young palestinian men who carry out these attacks for other reasons but they target them on israeli citizens here both in the west bank and here in israel. >> shannon: thank you for the update. >> bill: wow. 10 minutes past the hour. primary day in the great state

of alabama, have you heard? >> our president asks the people to alabama to send luther strange to the united states senate. i stand with luther. >> bill: president trump now throwing his muscle behind big luther as well. luther strange but the challenger has a lot of support. which side wins out? karl rove set to analyze on that and talk to him live in a moment on that and then there is this. >> shannon: arriving on capitol hill with his meeting with the house intelligence committee taking question on the russia investigation. we'll bring you details as soon as we get them. >> bill: amid rising tensions with north korea the parents of otto warmbier now talking for the first time since the death of their son imprisoned and they believe tortured in a north korean prison. >> no mother, no parent should

ever have gone through what we went through. the fact that otto was alone all that time with no one to comfort him is inexcusable. i work overtime when i can get it.

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>> shannon: trey gowdy is demanding details on any senior trump administration aide or official whose private emails for work comes after top advisor and president trump's son-in-law jared kushner admitted to using private email

to communicate with fellow white house staffers and at least six white house staffers have used private email. it gives the without until october 9th to comply. >> i've been in washington less time than the president has and we've become personal friends. we have the same goals, same agenda, and so i think it's a narrative that is being created because there are other agendas out there. people who don't like mitch mcconnell. i'm keeping my eye on the ball. >> bill: senate primary runoff is today. president doubling down on twitter said this on behalf of luther strange. luther strange has been shooting up in the alabama polls since my endorsement. finish the job, vote today for big luther. vice president mike pence had a rally last night for strange. meanwhile former white house strategist steve bannon was also in alabama rooting for strange's opponent roy moore. bannon saying a win for moore would be a win for the populism

that elected president trump. former white house deputy chief of staff to president george w. bush karl rove. strange currents running through alabama. i'm confused. bannon on one side saying that trump will regret his support. i have pence and the president on the other. straighten it out, karl. what does an outcome mean? >> full disclosure. i'm a volunteer with american crossroad senate leadership fund supporting strange. this race is going to be close. moore leads in the polls but he led in the first round. in fact, the polls suggested luther was going to run third and moore might even take it all with more than 50% in the first round. the president as appearance on friday night and vice president's appearance last night are helping luther finish strong. we'll see how it comes out

tomorrow. but if luther strange wins it is a huge win for the president because of president trump's appearance friday night. >> bill: two things. steve bannon with sean hannity last night suggesting the president has been given bad information on this vote. >> this is not about debating the issues. they tried to destroy donald trump. the same gang that is going after roy moore is the same gang that went off donald trump. i think it is sometime later a review needs to look at this. >> bill: he called you out last night as well when he said this. >> mitch mcconnell, ward baker, karl rove and steven law, all the instruments that tried to destroy judge moore and his

family, your day of reckoning is coming. >> bill: what about all that, karl? how do you respond? >> i've been threatened by more fear some people than bannon. let's start with the first part. this decision by president trump to support luther strange was made while steve bannon was at the white house months ago. so maybe bannon lost out on the battle in the west wing and bitter about it. there was a reason why the president supported luther strange. he was the sitting senator and he was the leader. he had introduced a bill to pay and build the wall from taking money from sanctuary cities. roy moore was a strong opponent of the president in 2018. even after donald trump became the republican dom knee he dismissed the idea of the wall and said he opposed the president on healthcare. he would not have voted for cassidy graham or even for the

earlier skinny repeal bill. look, roy moore is the todd aiken of 2018. a guy who set up a private charitable foundation that seemed to exist for the care and feeding of him. when he was out of office, he was the president of the charitable foundation. when he was in his office, his wife was the chairman. not clear what it does except pay for airplanes to fly him to give speeches to church group. >> bill: you have to think of the conservative credentials of roy moore. people in alabama believe he stood up to the government for the ten commandments ten years ago to putting the ten commandments in the state capitol. >> he put it on the grounds in the judicial building in violation of state law that set up a procedure. he was sued in court. federal judge held he violated

state law and go through the procedure and he told the federal judge i won't abide by your injunction, removed by a special commission that oversees the jude i shall naer. you have to have respect for the rule of law. and when the supreme court -- he directed local officials not to agree with and act in accordance with a u.s. supreme court decision. >> bill: you have people that make american great against at the moore outing. currents are crossing. >> it's like this. >> bill: we can agree on that. come on back real soon. got to run. thank you for your time. >> shannon: brand-new saber rattling out of north korea. they are threatening to shoot u.s. bombers out of the sky. so what are our options to deal with that crisis? we'll ask the former counter terrorism advisor to vice president dick cheney. >> bill: parents for otto

warmbier >> we discovered that north korea is not listed as a state sponsor of terror. ♪

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>> bill: the brave parents of otto warmbier sharing their story today on "fox & friends." three months after your son otto returned home from north korea and died six days later. 21 years old when he was accused of stealing a poster during a visit to north korea. he was in prison in that country for a year and a half. his parents say when otto was medically evacuated back to cincinnati, ohio, he was blind, deaf, scarred and had severe brain damage. they are now pushing for tougher action against north korea. >> we see north korea claiming

to be a victim and that the world is picking on them and we're here to tell you north korea is not a victim. they are terrorists. they kidnapped otto, they tortured him, they intentionally injured him. they are not victims, they are terrorists. >> bill: his parents are great people. >> shannon: their account of seeing their son and being so unprepared for how badly injured he was is just gut wrenching. >> bill: the way they describe when they went on the plane for the first time is tough. prayers are with you. >> shannon: we shouldn't forget what happened there. the white house is pushing back on claims by north korea they say that president trump has declared war against the regime after sending u.s. bombers to fly close to north korea's east coast over the weekend. the regime's foreign minister made these comments yesterday. >> since the u.s. has made a declaration of war, we will have every right to make

counter measures including the shooting down of bombers even if they don't come into our airspace. >> shannon: michael waltz is a counter terrorism advisor to dick cheney. okay, want to start by playing the reaction from the white house. this is sarah sanders in response to that foreign minister's claim. >> we have not declared war on north korea. frankly, the suggestion of that is absurd. it is never appropriate for a country to shoot down another country's aircraft when it's over international waters. >> shannon: do you think they would take that provocative step or is this more bluster? >> this is clearly in the realm of bluster. the north koreans said that south korea declared war when they withdrew from a joint industrial park in north korea last year. so this is part and parcel for north korea's how it operates.

number two, they don't have the capability to shoot down fighters and bombers over international waters. they have an aging soviet era air force that i'm not worried about at all. they do have some fairly sophisticated missile defense systems but they're defensive. the last time an american plane was shot down was a helicopter in 1994 over the dmz. they did kill an american pilot and take another one hostage and did torture that pilot. can i just say, you know, the otto warmbier family's account this morning was truly heartbreaking and we do still have american hostages held in north korea today. >> shannon: we can't forget that. it is something that with all these other headlines and the saber rattling that's a fact. there are real human being lives on all sides of this equation that are now in danger because of this. we flew bombers over the weekend, much further north of

the dmz than we have this century. now we go along with naval exercises with south korea. china said they want us to stop the joint exercises thinking its provocative on our part. what do you say? >> the russians have said the same thing. not surprising the chinese would say that. they've been saying it for years. the prerequisite the chinese, north koreans and russia want to see us stop doing but it's about our commitment to our south korean and japanese allies and the region who are on pins and needles from a north korean regime continuing to launch missiles and threatening the entire region with nuclear blackmail. that's the last thing we should do stepping down our commitment or demonstrating our capability. it's important to operate jointly with south korean air force and japanese air force. >> shannon: the foreign minister in north korea said we've declared war on them has said they may now test a

nuclear device of some kind over the pacific ocean. if they could, if they do, what must be our response? >> that would be a hugely provocative action. the last country to do that was china in the 1980s and then the united states way back in the 1960s. there is a couple of things that we need to continue to do. i'm okay with the tough talk from the white house because we have to keep up the pressure. china and north korea are good at dialing up tensions while the world is focused on the issue but as soon as we shift attention it's back to the status quo. a number of foreign diplomats are reporting this morning that gas prices in pyongyang have tripled since the beginning of the year. so we are starting to see sanctions bite. we have to keep up the pressure. china is very good at doing kind of cooperating publicly but then backing off privately because the status quo works in

their favor. >> shannon: passing the sanctions is one thing. getting them enforced by all the countries is another. michael waltz. thank you for your service and your time this morning. good to see you. >> bill: one of our top stories of the day. can republicans deliver on repealing obamacare? >> right now they don't have my vote and i don't think they have mike lee's either. >> bill: that's ted cruz and mike lee. will republicans try the vote this week? we'll talk to him live about that. stay tuned for that answer next. ♪

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>> shannon: the fate of the latest republican effort to repeal obamacare is up in the air. four republican senators oppose the graham-cassidy bill leaving it short of the votes needed to pass. >> i am disappointed that we could not come together in a bipartisan way and draft a comprehensive bill. >> i made a promise to repeal obamacare.

i never had one person come up to me and say what you mean by repeal is that you'll keep most of the spending and then you are going to block grant it to states, right? nobody said that. >> shannon: will the bill actually get to the floor for a vote of any kind? joining me now is mike lee. he is yet to make a decision on how he will vote. welcome, dw g to have you with us this morning. i have to imagine the gop policy lunch could be very interesting in three hours. how do you expect the discussion to go? what do you need to know about this bill to make a decision? >> i need to know what the final tax is going to look like. after all the changes have been made. i want to know what it looks like. changes have been made in the last 48 hours or so. i think it has been moving in the wrong direction frankly. the bill in its current form is giving more power to federal bureaucrats and less regulatory relief to american fam laoels who have seen their healthcare costs skyrocket under the weight of obamacare. that's what i'm looking to find

is final text and answers to some of these questions about how we'll provide real relief to american families. >> shannon: so the way this bill has been couched and the framework so far has been take the money away from the feds and give it to states in the block grants and is it your impression part of the attempt to win over some out lying no votes from the gop at this point that has led to some of the changes you referenced that seem to be turning it in the other direction? >> yes. perhaps they took it a step too far in trying to get votes they weren't going to get anyway. i'm not sure. i do think that we can pass a bill and that bill can provide real relief to the american people. look, the american middle class has been hit hardest by obamacare. they've seen their healthcare costs go through the roof with no end in sight as to the escalation of the costs of health insurance.

health insurance that in many cases people weren't able to use because the co-pays and deductibles are so high. we need to bring down those costs for middle class family and that's what i want the bill to do. >> shannon: you get to september 30th. the deadline for using the framework to get something passed with 51 votes. it doesn't look like that will happen. you get past that and then you have to look at something technically semi miraculous, you are stuck with getting to 60 votes. senator susan collins, one of your gop colleagues said we have to sit down and work with the democrats. if you can't get 52gop votes. do you think you can work with democrats to pass something that in any way chips away at obamacare? >> i don't know. it might be possible, shannon. while we have this opportunity we would love to see us take it

and run with it. we would love to see us repeal as much of obamacare as we possibly can. every single republican who has campaigned for federal office over the last seven years has done so on the promise of repealing obamacare. we have to actually do that. we have the means by which to repeal it with 51 votes right now and we need to take advantage of that this week. >> shannon: i want to ask you about a move by the supreme court yesterday as well. the president's travel ban was set to be argued at the court on october 10th. they issued a new revised travel ban again sunday night so the court has pulled the case off the argument calendar and asked the sides to come forward with new briefs about whether the case is mute. do you think the justices will weigh in on what president trump has attempted to do through this measure? >> difficult to predict what they'll do in any particular case. what happened yesterday the supreme court moved this particular case off of its argument calendar and instructed the parties to brief to justices on whether or not the case had been rendered mute. it is not exactly clear what

will come of that briefing but if the court concludes that it is not mute they'll quickly rescheduled the case for argument later on in the term. >> shannon: senator mike lee. keep us updated how you come down on a vote after the luncheon today. we would love to be a fly on the wall. thanks for your time, sir. >> bill: an aggressive wildfire growing in anaheim, california. fire and emergency crews working to contain the frame. we're live in l.a. with more. william, good morning, what's happening? >> firefighters know when this fire started but now how. could have been a spark from a car, lawnmower, homeless guy. at 3:00 yesterday this fire exploded. in a neighborhood like this there isn't enough brush for the flames for embers to spread. this one ripped through backyards, palm trees, tall brush to light up 2,000 acres

forcing 1,000 residents to evacuate. >> just came up quickly like a firestorm up over the ridge there. probably 50 foot flames. sounded like a turbine engine when it came over. at times we were thinking we probably should have left. >> flames were across every hill all around us, swirling embers, it was crazy. >> the fire is just about 5% contained despite a dc10 and helicopters working overnight. they closed portions of the 91 freeway. firefighters only lost one home as crews came in to assist. local high school gym is open for evacuees to avoid the danger. flames are burning away from the homes right now into the cleveland national forest. bad news is winds and temperatures will pick up later today into the mid 90s. we'll have to wait and see. >> bill: thanks, william. keep us posted on that in southern california. >> shannon: another nfl team with a sign of protest.

dallas cowboys joining the debate monday night and drawing a response. mixed reaction to what they did and didn't do. we'll break it down and how much longer does this debate last? plus this. >> if we have to evacuate. we need aisles clear. >> bill: smoke filling the cabin of that plane. what the passengers on board are saying about the airline. >> a little scary when there is smoke and worry about blowing up. >> i've flown many times. i was in the military, too. never experienced anything like this. i love you, basement guest bathroom.

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during our national anthem. end quote. adrian elrod and katie pavlich, ladies, good morning to both of you. all right. let's reflect on your time in the nfl, ladies. kidding. just in a general sense, adrienne, is the president on the right side or the wrong side of this issue? >> i think he is on the wrong side of this issue. let's take a step back and remember why players are kneeling in the first place. it is to protest police brutality and racism. that's what colin -- it is not disrespect to the flag. a lot of that has been lost. >> bill: is he on the right or the wrong side of this? >> he is absolutely on the right side and he is on the side of the majority of americans in this country. the nfl ultimately will have to make a business decision here.

polling across the board no matter where it is the majority of americans disapprove of athletes kneeling or refusing to stand for the national anthem in disrespect for the flag. the number one reason according to j.d. power why fans tuned out of games last year was a result of these protests. we're talking money here, a brand-new poll this week shows that 34% of americans are less likely to watch games now as a result of all these athletes kneeling. it is pretty simple. the nfl as the president says as rules and regulations what you wear and do in the end zone. the nba has a standard of you standing for the national anthem. if you don't you pay a fine. they'll have to make a decision. >> bill: the owners pay the commissioner a lot of money. goodell may be making $50 million a year now. the nfl's game operations man yell says that all players must be on the sideline for the

national anthem and stand at attention, face the flag, hold helmets in left hand and refrain from talking or face disciplines. he continues. the league regularly penalizes players for dancing in the end zone but allows players to violate the rules regarding the national anthem with impunity. where is the commissioner on this? where are the owners on this? where does it go? to katie's point, how does the league dig itself out of this? >> we're still relatively in the beginning of football season. i don't think players will be changing their stance at all. i think you'll continue to see players kneel and i think you are probably going to continue to see donald trump tweet about this. if donald trump wasn't so focused on this and more focused on other issues -- >> bill: i think they're changing already. you hear what happened yesterday and developed?

i'll give you a situation in pittsburgh, right? the army ranger, he is the one would stood in the tunnel or outside the tunnel with his hand over his heart. his quarterback ben roethlisberger reversed himself entirely yesterday. roethlisberger said this, the ideas to be unified as a team is paid to things dividing our country. i wish we approached it differently. i personally don't believe the anthem is ever the time to make any type of protest. for me and others on our team it is a tribute to those who respect our country and those who made the ultimate sacrifice. he said they screwed up and did it wrong. >> they did. >> the most important thing in my view is we're talking about this and bringing to light the players are doing this to stand in solidarity with millions of people who don't have voices out there who have been subject to police brutality and racism. we're -- >> that is absurd to say. it's a ridiculous notion. >> bill: the fact that the

league has not taken control of this, they have managed to put coaches and players all over the country in a very difficult position. that's what you find from all pros like roethlisberger in that statement. now you've got. >> people have the freedom to do what they have to do. >> bill: you have an army ranger who did three tours overseas who stood before the national anthem by himself. >> alone. >> bill: left his team behind after they reached an agreement on saturday afternoon. now you've got this veteran of the u.s. military reversing himself in confusion when he said this yesterday. watch. >> i saw the picture he stood by himself. unintentionally i left my teammates behind. it wasn't me stepping forward. i never planned to boycott the plan the steelers came up with. i thought there was some middle ground where i could stay in the tunnel, nobody would see me and then afterwards i would

talk to the media. >> bill: they have put these men in a tough spot. >> he was the only one who was following the nfl rule book by going out, holding his helmet to his side, putting his hand over his heart and standing without speaking in respect for his country and the national anthem. the american flag and those who died to give him and the players in the locker room who are being cowardly the right to protest however they please. the reason he is reversing himself because his coach came out to berate a veteran to stand alone on the sideline to respect his country. that's where we are. we're in real trouble. >> bill: adrienne, thank you, katie thanks as well. thank you for yours today. what's next. >> shannon: desperate situation unfolding in puerto rico now after hurricane maria leaves that u.s. territory in ruins. millions without power and water. officials say the storm set

them back decades. we'll take a look at recovery efforts right now underway on the ground.

>> shannon: a dire situation in puerto rico getting even worse, the island is in ruins. millions of people have no power and no phones. officials say the devastation from hurricane maria has set them back decades. president trump promising earlier that more help is on the way tweeting this, quote. thank you to the mayor of san juan for your kind words on fema. we're working hard. much food and water is there and on the way. there has been a lot of confusion and conversation about exactly what's pouring in there. when you think about an island of more than three million people who, as far as we know, are mostly still -- the vast

majority without any kind of electricity, plumbing is out. cell phones are out. communication is out. you can imagine if you strip all those things away from a developed community how tough it gets very quickly. >> bill: we see the gas lines there and that's typical after any storm. but when you have a storm of this magnitude on an island, it makes it 10 times as difficult because you have to bring everything there in order to go ahead and get society back to where it was before. geraldo has been down there and so has garrett. >> shannon: let's join him live. good morning, garrett. >> good morning, bill and shannon. we spent a lot of time at the airport over the last couple of days and have seen the military planes coming in are relief supplies. help is on the way but the problem is getting help to those who need it. in the capital six days after maria a lot of roads are still covered by debris to say nothing of the more rural areas

outside of the capital. government officials say there are still areas they have not been able to contact to see how those folks are doing. this building used to be the community's basketball court. you can see evidence here of the fierce strength of maria. the 10-foot steel poles, beams have been bent almost 90 degree angles. down the road there are families, we see houses everywhere without roofs. you go inside and they still have water on the floors and they are forced to be able to clean up, rebuild and at the same time they are looking at long lines for the basic necessities, food, water and fuel. looking at hours-long lines. when you are faced with that decision of do i wait in line for fuel or for food, do i get gas to go and see how my family is doing, that's why the governor is calling the situation here in puerto rico a humanitarian crisis. >> shannon: exactly what it looks like. thank you so much for the update. >> bill: good to have him there too certainly. today is the day in alabama,

who wins this race between luther strange and the challenger judge roy moore? will president trump's support be enough to put strange over the top?

>> shannon: a nail biter in alabama as voters go to the polls in a senate primary setting up a battle between the gop establishment and washington outsiders. it will be one to watch. welcome to a brand-new hour of "america's newsroom." that's just the tip of the iceberg. good morning, i'm shannon bream. >> bill: pretty fast hour. good morning, everybody. today's primary testing president trump's political clout and power in the populist conservative movement that helped send him to the white house. senator luther strange appointed to replace jeff sessions now the ag facing off against judge roy moore alabama's former chief justice. steve bannon endorsing moore last night at a rally. while vice president mike pence

was campaigning for luther strange. same day, same night, same race, wow. >> the president also sent me here tonight to ask the people of alabama to send luther strange back to the united states senate. luther, big shoes to fill but i can tell that's never really been a serious problem for you. >> shannon: president trump making a final push tweeting today luther strange has been shooting up in the alabama polls since my endorsement. finish the job, vote today for big luther. peter doocy is live in birmingham, alabama. good morning, peter. >> the crowd went wild in fair hope when judge roy moore pulled a gun out of his pocket and started waving it around to make a point that just because the nra didn't endorse him doesn't mean he is not firearm friendly. >> been very hard for my wife

and myself to whether two, nearly three months of negative ads that we couldn't answer with money because we didn't have it. the ads were completely false. that i don't believe in the second amendment. i believe in the second amendment. >> the strategist who helped get president trump elected steve bannon did speak for moore on election eve and described a divide within the gop to moore supporters who he said as being cast aside by republicans rooting for luther strange. >> they think you're a pack of morons and think you are nothing but ruse. they have no interest at all in what you have to say, what you have to think or what you want to do. and tomorrow you will get an

opportunity to tell them what you think of the elites that run this country. >> president trump's pick in this case, luther strange, already voted this morning and did a last-minute diner visit trying to turn out as many voters as possible. last night the vice president came to birmingham and careful not to rock the boat with republicans who he may have to eventually ask to vote for judge roy moore. >> we aren't here because we're against anybody. i am here because president donald trump and i are for luther strange. >> the two things senator strange has really tried to hammer home in the homestretch. number one, that he has the endorsement of president trump who a lot of people in the state really want to succeed. number two, that he thinks he has the best chance on the ballot against a democrat in november. we'll find out very soon if voters prefer that to the

so-called ten commandments judge roy moore. polls close at 8:00 eastern. >> shannon: a fascinating countdown to those polls. thank you very much. >> bill: while we await that we await this. awaiting the republican leaders weekly news conference. any moment now it should begin and we expect questions, comments on healthcare and tax reform. two of the biggest issues this week. we'll get you there when it starts. as of this hour, four republican senators will be voting no on the obamacare repeal bill before that body. chief congressional correspondent mike emanuel live with all this on the hill. here we go, good morning. >> yeah, that's right. it appears senate republican leaders have come up short on healthcare reform with too many defections from their own ranks. collins, cruz, mccain and paul have said they're no on graham-cassidy at this stage. gop leaders could only afford

two nos with vice president mike pence breaking the tie. collins said she talked to president trump and others but just could not get to yes. >> it was completely cordial, as was my conversation with vice president pence and with secretary price, and with many other members of the administration. i appreciated their input. just at the end i can't support this bill. >> now the question is what senate majority leader mitch mcconnell will do. a better sense after the republicans have their weekly lunch today. graham talked about the challenges trying to get to 50 yes votes. >> i just think ted cruz at the end of the day wants to repeal and replace obamacare. this does it. senator cruz is a fine man. he has asked us for things, some of which we could do and some which we can't. pre-existing illness is

required. they're not going to play around with that and do anything to suggest you don't cover preexisting illnesses. >> capitol police arrested 181 protestors yesterday. top democrats note the opposition to this legislation. >> when americans hear what this bill is about almost none of them like it. none of them like it. that's why we're hiding this bill. that's why we're not debating this bill. that's why we are trying to rush it through without a score. >> that score reference is referring to the congressional budget office that said it didn't have time to do a full analysis. preliminary review was enough for collins to say she is a no. >> bill: more analysis with shannon on that. >> shannon: mitch mcconnell is speaking about healthcare on the senate floor now.

they'll have the gop senate policy lunch at 12:45 and find out if they try to put the bill on the floor to get to an actual vote. looks like senators overseeing things as they get to work this morning on the senate floor. tax reform another key issue on the republican agendas we await the house gop news conference. we'll take you there live. president trump heading to indiana to push the tax cut plan. good morning, guy benson. there are those within the gop who say let's let the healthcare thing go. there is a good chance they don't put it to a vote. let's move to tax reform and get democrats votes on that and that's what they put in the win column looking for months for a legislative win. >> let's talk about healthcare first. i think the graham-cassidy bill died on friday when john mccain said he wouldn't support it. i would be very surprised at this point with mitch mcconnell

says let's go through the embarrassment of calling a vote we'll lose again. they went through that a few months ago. he isn't eager to do that again. the other thing i would point out, though, one of the difficult senators in this whole process from the leadership perspective is susan collins. we heard the sound bites from her a moment ago. she is a moderate. the one thing i might counsel senator mcconnell to consider, she put out a plan months ago. it is somewhat similar to the graham-cassidy bill but has significant differences. would susan collins be willing to support her own plan? i'm not necessarily convinced of that at this point. seems like she is a hard no on anything that looks like obamacare repeal but she put it out there and i wonder if that might be a building block for republicans if they will do one last ditch effort to build it around collins cassidy. we'll see what happens. as of right now as it stands, i would be very surprised if you

will see mcconnell put his members on a march off the cliff to vote for something that has no chance of passing. >> shannon: before we get to tax reform, who pays next year? if the predictions from the right that obamacare continues to crumble, if it is truly going to be the disaster the right claims it is, do you just let it implode now? does the gop own that because they didn't do something or try to scramble together and pass something that's a partial repeal replace that itself has many flaws and then they own that? how does it work in 2018? >> it's tough. you will have a lot of republican voters furious at the party for failing to follow through on a seven-year promise on which the party won three out of the last four elections. you have a lot of people on the other side wanting to punish republicans for even thinking about taking care away from people because that's been the line from the left has been very successful. so you are in this very difficult status quo. sort of stuck in it unless you

can come up with a solution over the next year or you might have less time than that. which is obamacare is failing. it is not like we have to wait to see if those predictions are correct. it is harming millions of people while helping some people as well. if you are just stuck with one party defending the status quo, the democrats and maybe looking to single payer and that hugely expensive proposition and you have the republican party which keeps saying we want to get rid of it and replace it with something else but we can't do it even though we're in charge. where do we go from there? >> shannon: i used up all your time on healthcare. we didn't talk about tax reform. that will be around for weeks and we'll bring you back many times. >> bill: heard from ronna mcdaniel. she said she got an earful in pennsylvania yesterday. the beginning of what a lot of lawmakers are walking into if it fails. the debate raging over the nfl national anthem program yet

again. >> this isn't about the president being against something, which is what everybody wants to drive. this is about the president being for something. this is about the president being for respect in our country. >> bill: and this morning new reaction from the president as congresswoman marsha blackburn introduces a new resolution calling for all americans to honor the flag. >> shannon: protests getting underway at georgetown university as jeff sessions prepares to address the lack of free speech on college campuses. panel with join us to debate that. plus this. >> however, last weekend trump once again said that our leadership will not last making a declaration of war. >> bill: there is a barrage of threats in one afternoon from north korea's foreign minister. how the white house is responding to all of that.

>> i want to address another important development. we're excited about this. we believe that we have an

historic chance at prosperity in this country. republican leaders in the house, senate and white house have come together on this concrete framework for historic tax reform. this is not just a big moment for congress but for americans. too many people are struggling in america today. they pay too much in taxes, they feel stuck, anxious and they are living paycheck to paycheck and we need faster economic growth and a tax code built for growth that helps struggling families. people need relief and we know this. that's why this framework is going to be focused on helping american families and helping the people in the middle. it will be focused on helping people get to the middle struggling to do that. at the same time our businesses in america cannot compete with the low tax rates of foreign nations. so what are they doing? they're moving overseas. and the people who are staying here, the companies that stay, they are getting hit hard.

when a company moves overseas it takes its jobs and it takes its capital overseas. i was over at harley davidson the other day, an american made company in wisconsin. everybody knows what a harley davidson motorcycle is and the challenges they face. they are competitors face lower tax rate than harley does. historic tax reform will put all of our businesses in a better competitive position so they can stay here at home. so that they can raise wages, increase economic growth, more investment in american jobs and more investment in american economic growth and more take home pay so the people in america living paycheck to paycheck can get the relief they need and deserve. if we succeed in tax reform and if we lower the tax rates, these kinds of companies will prosper. they will grow, they will hire and increase wages. there is no doubt about it, this country needs this and that's why we're very, very

excited about historic tax reform, reform that we have not seen in this country since 1986. it is high time we do this and that's why we're very, very excited about doing this, bringing prosperity, wages, higher take-home pay to american citizens and why tomorrow is the beginning of a very important process that we're really excited about here in congress. questions. >> mr. speaker, we share a common bond of being owners of the green bay packers. last week the president -- been muching or firing players that disrespect the anthem by sitting or kneeling. what is your take on that? >> people are within their rights to express themselves how they see fit. my own view though is we shouldn't do it on the anthem. the national anthem, our flag, and the people who defend it and represent it, that should be celebrated everywhere and always.

that's my opinion. casey. >> mr. speaker, you were talking about healthcare, tax reform. >> i slipped. i was sending a message to the senate. >> there has been a split in the party in the senate that republican voters are very angry at congress for not doing anything on major priorities. do you think they will forgive you if you can pass tax reform even if you fail -- >> in the house we're a little frustrated. the house has done its job. we passed our healthcare bill last may. we've passed more bills in the stage of the trump presidency at the same stage of presidency in the past. we passed all our appropriations bills. we're a little frustrated the senate has not acted on a promise, healthcare, which by the way obamacare is collapsing. tax reform affects every single

american. tax reform affects our confidence as a country, whether or not middle class taxpayers struggling can meet their mortgage payment, get their kids in school, save for retirement. it really determines whether we have the kind of economy that gets people into the middle class in the first place. tax reform is the most important thing we can do to restore confidence to this country to get jobs and prosperity and that is why we're so singularly focused on getting this done this year. >> [inaudible question] >> we'll answer those questions when we release our outline. this particular question you're asking will be addressed tomorrow. susan.

>> is it still your goal to -- [inaudible question] >> yes. it is. your question about simplification of the tax code is one of the most important priorities. a lot of american families are struggling under the complexity and weight of the tax code and invasiveness of the internal revenue service. this is a top priority of ours and something we'll also address tomorrow. thank you very much. >> shannon: you've been listening to the gop house press conference about the tax reform plan they'll roll out tomorrow. joining us now to talk about that and more marsha blackburn who recently introduced a resolution in the house on conduct during the national anthem. we'll get to that but i want to start. welcome congresswoman, good to have you with us this morning. want to talk about tax reform. there was a question there about the huge slate of legislative priorities that have come and gone with respect to getting some of these major things ticked off the list. the house has passed all kinds

of things but it hasn't happened in the senate. how are house members feeling about your colleagues across the hill? >> well, there is a little bit of frustration with the senate. that's fair to say. we're very hopeful that they are going to find a way to take an action on healthcare before september 30th hits the books. and we are very hopeful that they are going to join us in our push to make the tax code flatter, fairer and more simple. tomorrow we'll be all sleeves rolled up focused, working through this, making a determination of exactly what that package is going to look like. >> shannon: will you do it with democrat votes? >> we'd love to do it with democrat votes. shannon, it is so important that many of the things we're doing, we do in a bipartisan way. as a matter of fact, out of the 300 bills that the speaker referenced that we passed in the house, a good number of those are bipartisan bills. and some of them are democrat bills. so you do see us working across

the aisle and reaching across the aisle. we would encourage more of that. >> shannon: let's talk about the resolution you introduced. who does it apply to and what kind of statement are you making how we act during the anthem? >> this is hr532, a restatement of support for what is in u.s. code, 36 u.s. code 301b and it details how we should conduct ourselves during a playing of the national anthem and my short little resolution just a few lines long actually just says -- gives the historical background on the resolution and that we follow conduct as prescribed. it is a restatement of that decorum. it is a restatement of respect for the national anthem. that we stand and we be grateful and we honor our country and the opportunity it gives. >> shannon: we're out of time. we'll keep an eye on that. thank you for your time.

we appreciate it. >> bill: in the meantime nuclear north korea upping the ante threatening to shoot down u.s. bombers from the sky. we'll ask how the u.s. should respond next. if you have medicare parts a and b and want more coverage, guess what? you could apply for a medicare supplement insurance plan whenever you want. no enrollment window. no waiting to apply. that means now may be a great time to shop for an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company.

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>> i can sense something special about this man. i can sense his faith, his sincerity, his humility and his dedication to public service. luther strange puts alabama and conservative values first and he always will. >> bill: that from last night. vice president mike pence campaigning for big luther as the president likes to call him. alabama senator luther strange trailing in the polls facing off against the primary challenger judge roy moore.

a battle against the insiders and outsiders. before the 2018 mid-terms. former trump strategist steve bannon declaring war on the establishment. he was campaigning for the other guy larry, nice to have you back here on "america's newsroom." wow. okay. frame this for our audience, the crosscurrents with pence and trump in one corner, now bannon in the other. how is this going to go? >> this is a strange one, bill. if people are confused, it is completely understandable. you have the appointed incumbent, senator luther strange, being strongly endorsed and repeatedly endorsed by president trump. now, this is the republican runoff primary. you would think that was all she wrote since this was

trump's sixth best state last november and he won it by an incredible 28%. it's not, though. because the trump base is split as represented by steve bannon speaking out for roy moore, the former state supreme court chief justice who is considered more conservative or more populist or more nationalist, take your pick than luther strange. with the trump base split -- it really is split. you have a situation where alabama republicans have to figure out where their loyalties lie. and we are going to find out tonight. >> bill: i thought one of the more interesting things i read the president was there on friday night for the rally for luther strange but at the roy moore rally last night people were wearing make america great hats last night. i want to play you a clip from last night and figure out what his role is now in the dynamics of this political year. watch here. >> they think you are nothing but ruse, they have no interest at all in what you have to say,

what you have to think, or what you want to do. and tomorrow you will get an opportunity to tell them what you think of the elites that run this country. >> bill: nothing but a bunch of bump kins. how effective is steve bannon outside the west wing. how do you see his role now? >> he is an outsider now but he still keeps in touch apparently with president trump on a regular basis. and i don't think trump is terribly unhappy that he is playing that side of it because what bannon and sarah palin and others campaigning for moore have essentially been saying is the establishment has misled president trump on this one. you are not repudiating president trump by voting for roy moore. in fact, you'll be strengthening his agenda.

that's their argument. luther strange and his supporters like mitch mcconnell are saying if you want an effective senator you have one already, keeping luther strange. you know what was interesting to me, bill, the president's rally on friday night in alabama? reporters from a wide variety of perspectives indicated that as people were leaving, many of them said i love president trump but don't tell anybody i'm voting for roy moore. that may be why roy moore is up an average of 10 points in the polls, though we learned last november how effective the polls are. still, he is the frontrunner. >> bill: interesting to watch later tonight. larry sabato. nice to have you back. >> shannon: we're waiting a big meeting at the white house. republicans say tax reform is absolutely necessary to help american families. moments from now president trump will meet with republicans and democrats, the ones responsible for unveiling what will happen to your taxes and we'll take you there the second it gets underway.

holding onto hope in mexico city. more on the efforts to try to find any survivors following the quake there. we're live on the ground. north korea's foreign minister says the u.s. has declared war on his country and the white house says that's absurd. is the rogue nation becoming more of a threat. we will have an update. >> i'm okay with the tough talk coming out of the white house because we have to keep the pressure up. china is very good and north korea is even better at kind of dialing up tensions.

>> we've not declared war on north korea. frankly, the suggestion of that is absurd. it is never appropriate for a country to shoot down another country's aircraft over international waters. you -- our goal is the same.

we want -- >> bill: white house press secretary sarah sanders rejecting north korea's claim the u.s. has declared war. senator steve daines said it provided more context that north korea imposes to its neighbor and the globe. we must strangle the north korean regime and end their nuclear threat. he is my guest on the hill. welcome back to the united states. what do you want our audience to understand from that visit? >> it's very clear being on the ground there in south korea and going to the dmz and standing on the border between north and south korea of the grave threat that north korean regime press to the united states as well as the entire world. it is so important we have unified command. i saw that with general brooks, the commanding general of the forces there in south korea. i also had lunch with south

korean defense minister, but we have unity between the united states and south korea frankly and our allies. why is that important? there are 25 million people living in seoul. that's just 35 miles from north korea border. you have the ability, north koreans can launch artillery within seconds and hit seoul. we have 300,000 americans on the ground there, 30,000 that serve in the military. the north koreans have an extensive chemical weapons stockpile. so this is a very complicated situation. that's why it's so important we put all the economic pressure and diplomatic pressure we can on north korea for a peaceful resolution and denuclearization of the peninsula. this bully, kim jong-un understands one thing. >> bill: we act to the foreign

minister from north korea who this week said the following threat. >> since the u.s. has made a declaration of war, we will have every right to make counter measures including the right to shoot down the united states strategic bombers. even if they do not come into our airspace. >> bill: there is a fly by over the weekend. the white house says there is no declaration of war, that's completely incorrect. how do you respond to the ramping up of language that -- it hasn't backed down or ebbed? >> well, the claim from north korea is absolutely absurd that we somehow declared war. i lived in china back in the 1990s. i was living in china working for proctor and gamble when then president clinton signed the nuclear deal with north korea 25 years ago. our policies with north korea have failed. this is not a partisan issue. we've had republican and

democratic administrations and seen a failed policy there. i agree with president trump and vice president pence when vice president pence said in april, the era of strategic patience is over. if left to their own accord the north koreans will put a nuclear bomb on the tip of a missile and have the capabilities to hit the continental united states. this cannot be allowed and why i'm grateful for the men and women right now serving us in the u.s. military who are operating in professional capacity. the conversation with general brooks and his team of generals very, very thoughtful, very strategic but i tell you what, unwavering in their resolve making sure the north koreans understand that all options are on the table weekend we won't back down. >> bill: you had a bomber from guam fly near north korea today, eagle fighters as well out of japan. how do you find a way to back

this down? >> well, and literally that flight of those b-1s, f-15s and f35s flew after i met with the commanders. we need to cooperation and help from the chinese. they play a very important role in additional sanctions. the banking sanctions, stopping oil imports to north korea. those are important levers that we can throw there at the moment to work to the denuclearization of the korean peninsula. >> bill: it hasn't worked yet. >> it's why all options need to be on the table. this is an evil dictator in kim jong-un who is a bully that understands one thing, strength and force. that is why again i'm very proud of our president, our

vice president and the trump administration here who are ensuring that getting a clear message from the united states that shooting missiles over the top of japanese airspace is not going to be allowed. >> bill: twice. it may happen again. >> two times in the month of september. >> bill: thank you for sharing your story with us. we'll see what goes on next. steven daines. thank you for your time today. >> shannon: rescue efforts are winding down in mexico city a week after the devastating earthquake. 326 are now confirmed dead nationwide. at least 40 are still missing. bodies now still being pulled from the rubble. jonathan hunt joins us from mexico city with more. hello. >> a growing sense of sadness and resignation is beginning to hang over this site where the families of the missing have been waiting for more than a week now for word of their loved ones. they have been here day and

night ever since that 7.1 earthquake hit. whole families just waiting for news. and posted up here a list of those who are still listed as missing. then as we go past what has become a tent city here, you can see up beyond the last of these tents the rescue site itself. the search and rescue operation going on on top of that collapsed office building. in the past 24 hours we've seen the pace of that search and rescue operation slow considerably and the mexican government has announced that it will not go on much longer. just about another 48 hours. they say that on thursday, this will cease to be a search and rescue operation and it will formally become merely a recovery operation. and then the rebuilding of mexico city, healing the physical scars will take time and will take money. it will be much tougher to heal the mental scars, shannon.

>> shannon: a massive undertaking on all those fronts. jonathan hunt, thank you very much. >> bill: president trump getting ready to deliver on one of his more -- most controversial campaign promises. remember this? >> believe me, we have to close down our government, we're building that wall. >> construction underway near san diego on part of president trump's border wall but they face a roadblock. we'll tell you about that in a live report next. >> shannon: attorney general jeff sessions about to be greeted by protestors as he prepares to speak about free speech at georgetown university. why he says free speech on college campuses is officially under attack. whoooo.

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if you get symptoms of a serious allergic reaction such as rash, swelling, difficulty breathing or swallowing. serious side effects may happen, including pancreatitis. so, stop taking victoza® and call your doctor right away if you have severe pain in your stomach area. tell your doctor your medical history. gallbladder problems have happened in some people. tell your doctor right away if you get symptoms. taking victoza® with a sulfonylurea or insulin may cause low blood sugar. common side effects are nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, decreased appetite, indigestion, and constipation. side effects can lead to dehydration, which may cause kidney problems. ask your doctor about victoza®. >> shannon: jeff sessions is headed to georgetown university law center in washington today where he is scheduled to speak to students about free speech while taking aim at political correctness it's become a big

issue of college campuses after clashes at uc berkeley over conservative speakers. the attorney general saying in remarks we've gotten a look at. the university is supposed to be about the search for truth, not the imposition of truth via government censor. we have rich lowry and brad woodhouse with us. all right. so you know, what do we think about these students and what they will face? they haven't heard a word yet but they don't like it. >> great irony that there will be protestors stl when he speaks. on a lot of college campuses it's gone way beyond that where speakers are shut down and physically threatened. we saw at berkeley a couple of weeks ago ben shapiro has been targeted by the alt right shows up to give a speech and they

have to spend $600,000 to protect him and people there to hear him. that's just outrageous. >> shannon: college is supposed to be the idea factory where you are not only learning new things but learning how to defend what you believe and evolving what you believe in. if students are so protected and coddled they don't hear anything that challenges what they believe, is that what we want for the college experience? >> sure, shannon. let's talk about who is being protected and coddled today. attorney general sessions is going to go give a speech at georgetown university to a conservative group that has banned the attendance of any student who disagrees with them or disagrees with the attorney general. protestors are being shipped off to another part of campus. attorney general sessions won't have to entertain the views of anyone except the group that invited him, which already agrees with him. the irony cuts both ways. this is administration that

only supports the free speech rights of people it agrees with, only supports the demonstrations of people it agrees with like the kkk and the neo-nazis. >> shannon: no, we won't groups. i think we -- we need to take that out of this particular conversation. the attorney general at georgetown. >> he has not one time come out and said you know what? i agree with those protestors' right to demonstrate or right to free speech even if i disagree with what they're saying. he said nhl players should be fired, he said that federal funds shouldn't go to college campuses where people protest people he likes. he doesn't believe in free speech unless it's the free speech of people he already -- >> shannon: rich, i want to read some members of the georgetown law fact it said about the visit. whatever our other objections views and positions we

acknowledge our colleague's right to invite attorney general sessions to the law center. we won't be fooled that it requires more than rhetoric but adherence through action applied by the head of the department of justice. rich, he is allowed to come here and speak but we still don't like him. >> that's fine. they don't have to like him. it's a free country. the issue is you have speech actually shut down and i'm not an expert on the invitation practices of the various centers of georgetown university. neither is brad. the reporting suggests that the centers have an invitation list they go to routinely when they have speakers that they in particular have invited th. isn't a violation of free speech. jeff sessions will talk about how people to the right and left should agree about it. brad would want dissenting voices to be heard on college

campuses and ex coreiate the leftists who have different views. >> shannon: you both think people of differing viewpoint should be welcome on college pam campus. >> he should say -- >> shannon: i know rich will say yes. >> you said should this work both ways? it should work both ways. sessions being shielded from dissent at a speech on free speech is hypocrisy. >> shannon: brad and rich, thank you for sharing your free speech with us today. good to see you both. >> bill: jon scott is coming up next on "happening now." good morning to you and your free speech. >> thank you, bill. as free as it gets. nhl controversy intense filing with the president taking about players taking a knee.

repeal and replace plan from republicans appears to be on its last legs. we'll talk to the senate's number three in leadership on the prospects and the tax overhaul as well and all eyes on alabama on a special primary to replace jeff sessions pitting steve bannon against president trump. it's a good one. stay tuned. >> bill: see you in 10 minutes. the trump team picked eight designs for the new border wall. now construction on those prototypes begin today. what do they look like? we're live at the border next.

>> bill: construction begins today on prototypes of president trump's new border wall. the government will have eight different design options. that wall still needs billions of dollars in federal funding to make it. adam housley is live on the

border near san diego. good morning there, adam. >> yeah, eight different prototypes by six different companies. the dirt actually moves today. a week or two before you need something of significance. they need to build the base. this is where people will go in and have been going in since setup this morning. as six different companies praoep prototypes to show the department of homeland security. a mile from here towards the end of the wall here in eastern parts of san diego is where the actual prototypes are being built. the culmination of the border wall that's been really talked about since the 90s, more recently became more famous, if you will, when donald trump came down that escalator in new york at the time becoming candidate donald trump and announcement making such an important of large part of that announcement about this wall. the culmination now really being today. take a listen. >> i would build a great wall. nobody builds walls better than me and i'll build them very

inexpensively. i will build a great, great wall on our southern border and i will have mexico pay for that wall. mark my words. >> infamous words that down here you talk about and the country has talked about since that time. the movement really began if you talk to people on the border including the border patrol a couple of weeks ago. they had to widen the roads, put up barriers and fencing in case of protestors. that has been going on for a couple of weeks and there is expected opposition to this. the state of california filed a lawsuit and groups supporting the help of the environment. take a listen. >> in this case, dhs is going forward with the prototypes and the border wall replacement and border wall in general without even giving lip service to these environmental protections. >> once again today, bill, eight different prototypes.

the beginning process by six companies. it will be five to six days before you see anything of significance. they have to level the land, get things prepared. build the forms and bases and that kind of thing. that begins today. we expect to get video at some point. as you might imagine down here the energy as the border patrol will tell you, they've been preparing it for over a year. everybody involved, opposition on those in favor and those who have to facilitate it is very high. >> bill: adam housley near the border of san diego and mexico. >> shannon: attempts to repeal and replace on life support. any no votes that can be swung back to a yes? a live report from the white house ahead. ♪

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his nachos. that cost him about $45. i love this, russell hand delivers a new order of nachos to the fan. i love that because everything at the park is expensive. >> bill: that's not zhou qi's >> jon: it could be a death blow for the g.o.p.'s latest efforts to get rid of obamacare. three ripa begin senators say that will vote no. and president trump reacting to it all, we've got that for you this morning. >> heather: i'm heather childers, we are live on capitol hill after president trump took to twitter to attack senator john mccain, one of the g.o.p. senators coming out against the graham-cassidy health care bill. susan collins, rand paul, and ted cruz also say they are against the legislation. aides to cruise says he might