>> schieffer: today on "face the nation," 2014 marks the 60th year of this broadcast and we start it with one of washington's most powerful but rarely interviewed officials, senate majority leader, harry reid. >> the house will be in order. >> schieffer: 2013 was not exactly a banner year from washington, will this year be any better? >> no organizational or legislative business will be conducted on this day. >> schieffer: so it's official, nothing to report so far. but what are the prospects for immigration reform, cutting the deficit, extending unemployment benefits. what will happen to obamacare and what about the national security agency. we'll ask the senate's top democrat, harry reid, who

controlled much of the agenda on capitol hill. then we'll talk to key house republicans, new york's peter king and arizona's matt salmon. we'll have analysis from peg knee noonan of the wall street journal. david ignatious of the "washington post." david sanger of the nova scotia times and cbs news political director john dickerson. and in our flashback, how a cbs news crew went to havana to interview fidel castro for face the nation and got scooped by ed you will van. 60 years of news because this is "face the nation." captioning sponsored by cbs good morning again before we get to senator reed a quick update on this bitter cold that has two-thirds of the country in its grip from the midwest to the

northeast and good part of the south. this cold is expected to set record lows in many parts of the country, some of the coldest weather so far is in the st. paul, minneapolis and wcco reporter has the latest from there. >> bob, it is currently nine degrease below zero only expected to get worse. for the first time in 20 years, schools are closed statewide on monday with lows expected at minus 25. with wind chills expected to be around minus 70 degrees, exposed skin can become frost bitten in minutes. ski hills and ice rinks have closed until tuesday at the earliest. today's green bay packers playoff game could be among one of the coldest nfl games ever played. the temperature at lambeau field is expected to be two degrease below zero with wind chills at minus 30 when packers and san francisco 49ers kick off. the arctic air will keep a track

east, chicago will likely hit 15 below. new york and new england will deal with frigid temperatures as residents there continue to dig out from that massive snowstorm. many heading south to escape the cold could also be out of luck. atlanta is forecasted to stay in the 20s and chilly temps could continue in to florida. highs in the minneapolis area may reach above zero by wednesday, but many meteorologistologists predict now that we've seen these cold temperatures it will just continue through the rest of the winter season, bob. >> schieffer: thanks, now get inside, quick. washington is seeing some of the lowest temperatures in about 20 years, not 9 below like it is ain't minneapolis but we want to thank senator harry reid for braving the cold to come inside and join us. thank you. we hope he'll we'll see you often during this new year. let's start out by talking about unemployment benefits, ran out

for 1.3 million americans in december. you have said, the president has said this is going to be one of the priorities items here. it's also going to cost $26 million for the year, republicans are already saying, no way, unless you a agree to somehow offset that with spending cuts, are you willing to negotiate that? >> this is typical for republican members of congress. not republicans. but republican members of congreg. vast majority of the american people believe that unemployment benefits should be extended, never was unemployment like that did we consider not extend can themment john mccain chief economic advisor during his physical shoot campaign, for every dollar we spend on unemployment benefits the government and country gets back 50 cents extra. it's so important to do this, gross domestic product would be increased by $23 million.

it's the right thing to do. we have long term unemployment. that's why the american people support this. democrats, independents and republicans. >> schieffer: senator, you praised the budget deal back in december for reducing the deficit. you said that's something that had to be done. but aren't you just undoing that now with this? >> bob, the place we always look to find out what's happening with the deficit is simpson, they set a goal of $4 trillion. we've already approached $9 trillion if we did comprehensive immigration reform it would be taking care of. we'd be at $4 trillion. the key thing is that we should start focusing as we have on reducing the debt, we've done that. let's start focussings on helping the middle class. we have a situation in america today that is really not good. the last 30 years the top 1% of

americans, their income and wealth has increased 300%. the middle class during that same 30 years has lost almost 10%. we've got to turn this around. i want the economy to be good. i want people to be rich and i have nothing against rich people. but the rich are getting richer. the poor are getting poorer, middle class are being squeeze thed out of existence. >> schieffer: a straight out political question here. if the republicans try to fill buster this, so far i think there's only one reapply can't senator that said he's ready to go along with you on this. do you have the votes to block a filibuster on this? >> it seems to me that a bipartisan bill. we have one of the liberal members of the senate and one of the conservative members members. we should extend these unemployment benefits. and they're right. >> schieffer: that's only republican, am i not -- >> the five of us.

there's 45 of them. it would seem to me that five republicans in the senate should agree with the republicans around the country. republicans around america want us to do something to extend these benefits. why? because it's good for the economy. it's good for the country. everyone of these people they get one of these checks they spend the money they don't put it in the bank. it helps small business. that's why small business favor this. same reason they favor doing something about minimum wage. they know it's good for the economy. so republicans in congress have to get away from being republican in congress. background checks, 90% of americans want that. republics in congress oppose this. extending unemployment benefits, 75% of americans want that done, republicans in congress oppose it. >> schieffer: you don't -- they're just not -- they're out of touch with what's going on in america today. >> schieffer: let me just ask

you this, senator. i think most people would say that the last meeting of congress was probably the least productive. maybe in the history, certainly the least productive that i can remember. what you seem to be saying to me, listen, we're in for the absolute same thing, nothing much is going to change here. >> bob, unless the republicans in congress decide they should do something for american people, i'm sorry toe say that's true. rating of congress is down. if somebody called me on a poll i'd vote with them. this is awful what has been going on. that's the reason, bob, that we had to change the rules. they were even opposing people who were part of obama's team. never in the history of the country to show you how -- my predecessor, one of my predecessor, lyndon johnson, he had overcome one or two filibusters, r.

me, 430 filibusters, things have gotten out of whack that's why we change dollars the rules, now we say, madge court not such a bad word, majority will determine who can be on president obama's team. the founding fathers, this fill buster that they so loved is not part of the constitution. it's not a privilege it's a right. and, bob, just also i want to just say this, the founding fathers they decided what should be super majority, impeachments and stuff like that. one was improving nominations. approving nominations. >> schieffer: let me ask you this, listen to you this morning if republicans continue to throw up the opposition you've been receiving, you say you've been receiving, do you have plans to extend this ban on filibusters? right now you've worked out this rule which they vehemently oppose so that it's very difficult to filibuster

nominations, would you be willing to just go to a senate where just majority rules and that's it? >> bob, i think it's something that we have to understand. >> schieffer: you're thinking about that? >> that's this. we cannot have a country that's paralyzed because of a group of people, the group of people who are tea party driven republicans in congress, not republicans. i'm not here to bad mouth republicans around the country. i get a lot of supports from preapply pans in nevada, always have had. they are mainstream republicans not driven by this craziness we have. so the sans this, -- the answer is this, we should pass raising minimum wage, we should extend unemployment benefits, she would get rid of these tax loopholes and create jobs so middle class can started growing not shrinking. >> schieffer: would you do away with filibusters entirely? >> we're not there yet. >> schieffer: are you even thinking about that? >> i'm not thinking about that

today. >> schieffer: you're holding that out as possibility? >> everyone should understand that the country cannot continue on the road that it's on. it cannot -- you cannot have when you have vacancies in the judiciary as we've had, dc circuit, some say more important than the supreme court. they said we're not going to fill these spots because we don't want to. that's not the way we legislate. >> schieffer: do you think that the minimum wage will pass? can you get the votes to pass? >> i think that there are five republicans, dean heller plus four republicans, remember dean heller is not some maverick that is out spewing socialism, he was a guy who is really a conservative person and he wants to extend unemployment benefits. i admire him. can't we get four republicans to agree with the american people that we should do that? i would certainly hope so. >> schieffer: you're saying that that's still very much

there because you can't get -- >> i'm saying holefully we can get four more republicans, gee, whiz. i mean that's something we never stopped -- >> schieffer: getting back to the budget agreement we talk about that you all made in december. you have just two weeks to get those funds appropriated and allocated to get the whole package through congress again. do you think that that's going to happen? >> bob, the answer is, yes. let me just say this as a cautionary -- >> schieffer: if you don't raise the debt ceiling -- >> cautionary note. what was done was historic, it's wonderful that these two people on opposite sides of the political spectrum got together and did good work. i will always admire them for that. we should get the appropriation. i'm afraid, why am i afraid? it was just matter of couple of months ago that two-thirds of

the republicans in the house of representatives voted to keep the government closed and default on the debt. i hope we can get this done. but i have really -- i am really concerned about what's going on with republicans in congress. repeat to your viewers two,-thirds of the people in the house of representatives are republicans. voted to close the government, keep it closed more than 16 days and default on the debt. i mean, i want this to pass, i hope it does, it should. we have appropriation bill, but i don't know. >> schieffer: what do you think about the future of obama care. republicans were willing to shut down the government in effort to kill it they don't it. then it had this disastrous roll out. with this election year for a bunch of your democrats in the senate, 21 of them -- >> 21 of us, 14 of them. >> schieffer: democrats run

as proud sponsor of obama compare or run away from it? >> it's interesting. i can't come here say the roll out was great, it was awful. but look where we are today. the website has been fixed, perfect, no. right now as we speak there are nine million americans -- nine million americans who have health care who didn't have it before. we have as you know three million medicare, three million on policies because they haven't reached age 26. and we have more than two million, they're coming on rate of 30,000 a day. i think we'll have some staggering numbers even more than this come april 1. we're at nine million already. it's the law. is that important, of course. women are no longer considered preexisting disability. seniors, the donut hole is being filled. they can have their checks, do

pap smears all this stuff that women couldn't do before. insurance companies can't cancel you for no reason. we have -- >> schieffer: anyway, you think it's going to work. >> it's already working. republicans should get a life start talking about doing something constructively. all they talk about is how bad obama compare is they don't talk about doing anything to improve it. >> schieffer: we'll see what they say about it. mr. leader, thank you so much for joining us. we appreciate having you. now it looks from the other side of the street we do have indeed two republicans, congressman peter king is in new york and congressman matt salmon joins us from his district in phoenix. let me just go to you, i'll go to you first congressman king what is your reaction from what you heard from senator reed this morning? >> i was very disappointed because i thought the days of government shutdowns were behind us, just whole implication senator read is when you say are you going to pass appropriation

bill he sort of hesitated, sending out a threat of maybe shutting down the government or process that's wrong attitude to have at the beginning of the year. we can have disagreement, but find ways to compromise on all the issues he was talking about. possibility for compromise but if he's going to talk day one implying that there could be shutdowns, to me that's the wrong way to start, wrong message to send, there's something wrong -- it will trace right back to the show this morning. >> schieffer: congressman, what's your reaction? >> i think it's interesting that senator reid spent his entire time just blaming republicans for everything, every calamity in the world not really offering any solutions. i think that's why the american people think that congress is so dysfunctional. because it's just partisan politics. honestly i think we deserve better and if senator reid is that interested in improving the economy in helping us get jobs

again, maybe he could just take up at least one of the 39 bills, jobs-related bills that we've sent from the republican house to the senate which language is in his drawer. the fact is these give away programs, government programs don't create one job, not one job. if we want to energize the job march get get rid of job breaking regulations and our tax policies that is hurting our economy. >> schieffer: let me just ask you, mr. salmon, what about this extending the unemployment benefits, he does make the point and economy is backed this up that some of this unemployment insurance that paid out does go back in to the economy. it's not all give away. obviously it's a big cost, a big ticket item, $26 billion for a year but some does get back in to the economy. will you support that in some fashion? >> if the senator comes up with

any kind of a reasonable idea to offset the $26 billion i think that he might find some people that are willing to talk to him. but i think we need to focus our attention more on not what the problem itself, but focus on the root cause. that is unemployment. let's get people back to work. let's approve the keystone pipeline. let's deal with one of the 39 jobs bills that we've sent him to try to get our economy going again and people working in the private sector. the answer isn't government, the answer is the private sector, let's get it going again. >> schieffer: congressman king, do you see any kind of compromise that could be struck to continue at least some part of this unemployment insurance for these people? >> i agree with what matt said about cutting back on regulations trying to unleash the economy in the private sector. i would however want to supportings tension of unemployment benefits to some extent for brief period of time.

only speaking for myself i'm not saying offset dollar for dollar but some compromise coming from the democrats. i don't want the permanent state of uncomplete where you end up like europe. there are people who need some help i would like to find way to get a compromise to extend unemployment insurance for brief period of time but at the same time the democrats should make compromises burdensome regulations in an attempt to unleash the economy. the answer is not unemployment insurance is more jobs. for temporary period of time i could see extension of unemployment benefits, again with restrictions are we don't have permanent class of people on unemployment insurance and doesn't become impediment to jobs. >> schieffer: let me ask both of you, do you think there is any chance that raising the minimum wage will happen this year, mr. salmon? >> first of all i think that the raising of the minimum wage actually hurts very people we're trying to help.

obama administration wants to raise minimum wage to ten bucks an hour. i don't believe again that's the government is the answer. i believe that the answer is -- >> schieffer: can i interrupt you just ask you an obvious question. why hurt someone to pay them more money? because that's what you just said. >> i'll tell you how it hurts them. the people that are mostly on minimum wage are folks that are 18 to 28. those folks right now have the highest unemployment rate in the country, by far. not even close. and history has shown us that when minimum wage rises those companies that are paying minimum wage jobs end end up laying people off and hiring less people. that's what i mean by them actually being the people that are hurt. >> schieffer: gotcha. do you think we ought to raise the minimum wage? >> hive supported it in the

past. but not because economy is down it's an extra burden you are imposing on employers as they try to come out of the recession. i would again consider increase, perhaps coinciding with a cutting back on the burdens, because otherwise as matt was saying increase minimum wage. to me we have to -- again get to compromise, get these on the table where democrats are willing to give up some of these restrictions and burdens on businesses i'd be willing to consider somewhat of increase in the minimum wage. again ultimate answer is, lot of the private sector expand are not going to do that as long as we keep adding regulations on top of regulations, people like senator reid refuse to talk about lifting those regulations. >> bob, a lot of the -- >> schieffer: go ahead. >> i was going to say, i have conversations with a lot of the democrats on the floor, a lot of them very, very different. they are as frustrated as i am with leaders like harry reid that just want to continue to

push partisan agenda. they, like us, believe that there are answers that we can work together but i think that the leadership has to come from the top. when i was in congress before we served with bill clinton as president, in fact peter king and i served together during the '90s able to do all kinds of things. trade policies that grew our economy. reducing the deficit in fact we balanced the budget for the first time in 40 years in '98. this president is a polarizing figure that does nothing but address my way or the hey attitude. unactual we have a president that is willing to reach across the aisle it's going to be difficult. >> schieffer: the clock just pan out. we'll be back in one minute to look at the history of "face the nation." ♪ [ male announcer ] this is the story of the little room over the pizza place at 315 chestnut street. the modest first floor bedroom in tallinn, estonia and the dusty basement at 1406 35th street.

it is the story of the old dining room table at 25th and hoffman avenue. the southbound bus barreling down i-95. ...and the second floor above the strip mall at roble and el camino. ♪ this magic moment it is the story of where every great idea begins. ♪ so different and so new where those with endless vision and an equal amount of audaciousness believed they had the power to do more. time and time again. ♪ and then, it happened at dell, we're honored to be part of some of the world's great stories. stories that began much the same way ours did. in a little dorm room -- # 2713. ♪ this magic moment ♪ >> schieffer: it seems like only yesterday. people always say that, but actually it doesn't seem that

way. it seems like about 60 years ago because it was november 7, 1954, that cbs launched "face the nation." contrary to the belief of some i have not been at "face the nation" the entire time. i have only been at cbs45 years, the last 23 at "face the nation." it was the brainchild of late frank stanton what ran the network in the early days. when i asked him some years ago why he started it, he said simply, because nbc had "meet the press" i thought we needed a program like that. today the two broadcasts are the oldest on television. first guest was joe mccarthy, producers were apprehensive, he had shown up at another network packing a pistol. but he came to cbs unarmed. over the years everyone from a

parade of foreign potentates to the queen ever the crop of politics. presidents, candidates, diplomats, civil rights leaders, war leaders and revolutionaries. and authors and opinion makers. all came to "face the nation." chief george meeaney was one of the few that showed up late when moderator george her man chided him by saying, don't you know i'm a good union man? meaney responded, yours is not much of a union. in the early days "face the nation" included live report beamed to new york all the way from new jersey. now we can speak to news makers at any point on the globe. for all the technology, the remarkable thing about "face the nation" is, how little it has changed. we still do exactly what they did in the beginning. we sit down the key news makers

of the week, turn on the lights and ask them about the news of the day. you, our viewers, have seemed to appreciate that over the years so in case you're wondering we'll try to get better, but basically we'll celebrate this 60th year by doing just what we've been doing. we won't change much. back in a minute. [ male announcer ] if we could see energy... what would we see? ♪ the billions of gallons of fuel that get us to work. ♪ we'd see all the electricity flowing through the devices that connect us and teach us. ♪ we'd see that almost 100% of medical plastics are made from oil and natural gas. ♪ and an industry that supports almost 10 million american jobs. life takes energy.

and no one applies more technology to produce american energy and refine it more efficiently than exxonmobil. because using energy responsibly has never been more important. energy lives here. ♪ to prove to you that aleve is the better choice for him, he's agreed to give it up. that's today? [ male announcer ] we'll be with him all day as he goes back to taking tylenol. i was okay, but after lunch my knee started to hurt again. and now i've got to take more pills. ♪ yup. another pill stop. can i get my aleve back yet? ♪ for my pain, i want my aleve. ♪

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[the captioning of this program is provided as an independent service of the national captioning institute, inc., which is solely responsible for the accurate and complete transcription of program content. cbs, its parent and affiliated companies, and their respective agents and divisions are not responsible of the accuracy or completeness of any transcription or for any errors n transcription.] [captioning made possible by cbs sports. a division of cbs roadcasting, inc.] james: it is wild card sunday. dan: there's andy dalton. last week he threw four interceptions, they still won. he has to take care of the football for cincinnati to win. boomer: hey guys, maybe the best free agent pickup of the offseason, danny woodhead, 76 receptions, six t.d.'s, all career highs, 25% of the time in the red zone. shannon: whoer