jonathan: this could be the first signature piece of legislation tied to trump. american healthcare system complete overhaul. kimberly: it comes from criticism from both ends of the spectrum. today a step forward from the bill, house commerce and the ways and the means committees needing to discuss. white house provading vice president mike pence live now from the executive office building in washington. turn it over to chief political correspondent scott thuman. pence playing the familiar role of explainer in chief. scott? scott: thank you for being with us. >> pence thank you. jonathan: you might not be joining us if this didn't require a hard sell. very few people describe obamacare as perfect but everybody in your own party there are critics for this plan. loudest say fewer people may have healthcare. estimates from 10 to1

>> obama care is not perfect. obamacare has failed. one of the greatest policy disasters of my lifetime. it passed an i was a member of congress at the time in 2010. we have seen premiums go up. millions have lost the ability to choose their own doctor. obama care failed. in the campaign and the administration, president trump made a commitment to repeal and replace obamacare. not with the taxes and mandates of that policy. but with more consumer choice, more resources and flexibility to the states for medicaid.

we look forward to president trump signing the legislation to repeal obamacare and set into motion the policies to give the american people more choices in healthcare. give states more flexibility in medicaid and a better healthcare future. jonathan: you mention the promise. scott: you said we have people on the far right saying this is a broken promise because it should be a full repeal of the obamacare. there is a bill in the house and the senate for a clean repeal. if that happened and it got to the president's desk, would he veto that? vice president pence: i had meetings today with the conservative leaders and members of congress today. i will meet with more tonight at the vice president's residence. this is part of a process. you are a great local station. you know washington, d.c. more intimately than most. this is

we are encouraged as the dialogue underway. keeping the promise to repeal obamacare is not all the president committed to do. as a candidate president trump said we will repeal and replace and he directed the leaders in congress to do it at the same time. this legislation begins the process. it will take more regulatory action and likely another bill this spring. but president trump wants to do all we can in this early budget bill to keep the promise to the american people. i am encouraged at the reception we have gotten from so many across congress. scott: quickly on that front. democrats were accused of jamming obamacare through congress. they had to take advantage of the small window of opportunity when you control both chambers. is that is what happening now? you have something, maybe not everything you wanted but you have to put through something you think can pass? vice president pence: the contrast is dramatic to be honest with you, scott. in 2010,

literally written in backrooms. it never went through the committee process to my knowledge. it came through the floor of congress without amendments and consideration of consequence. i remember speaker nancy pelosi said we have to pass the bill to find out what is in it. what the american people are witnessing now in the introduction o the bills and as your anchor said in the consideration in two key congressional committees is the legislative process at work. congress will work its will. the president indicated that is the framework. we are open to improvement in the legislation. at the end of the day the american people will see a transparent process that ultimately represent our commitment to repeal what is failing in obamacare but pass legislation to give americans more choices to buy health insurance across state lines and let states across the

country innovate in medicaid to serve the most vulnerable. scott: before i let you go, on russia. if the president gets the investigation he is demanding over the allegation of the wiretap doesn't it keep a story you wanted to put in the rer view mirror regarding russia? and have you had conversations or meeting with the ambassadors or diplomats that you have had to divulge? vice president pence: let me say president trump and i are confidence that the bipartisan committees in congress that are looking at any issues last year raised in the media will do their job, do it thoroughly and fairly. we anticipate those outcomes. i can tell you that the president and i and our entire administration are completely focused on making sure the country is safe and secure, on creating jobs. we have a great job meet -- scott: any meetings for you? >> vice president pence: repealing and replacing obamacare. we

there. i can tell you at the end of the day i think american people will find in president trump someone who has kept his promise to the american people and resulted in a safer and more prosperous nation. scott: we are out of time. i appreciate your time. thank you very much. abc7 is posting the entire interview with vice president mike pence online to watch. it will be on wjla.com shortly. jonathan: thank you. on international women's day many in the metro area sought to make presence known or missed. the biggest example of that was the schools shut doing for a day in alexandria and prince george's county. >> some use the day as a strike, others went out of their way to visit women-owned businesses. stephen tschida show us why this year's event is important this them. stephen: at butter cream, bakery in the shaw neighborhood they got busy today. >> it's awesome. >> the reason, woman owned business. international women's day. >> some participated in a

to raise awareness of the women's contributions. others coming together in a show of unity. >> i have felt the need to be able to get women's perspective and women's power felt more. because i think it's underappreciated, underreported, undervalued. stephen: at smoked and stacked across the street they saw brisk business. >> it's fantastic. the energy in smoked and stacked is inspiring. >> some we spoke with say they don't think a day without a woman is just for those of privilege or it put the extra work on those women who had to show up today. >> this to me was important that people understand that women are more than half the world. >> kathryn says she supports today's march and those who took the day off. but she had to work to support the fellow females. >> it wouldn't be possible. we are a close knit family work establishment. everyone needed to be in on hand, on deck

with say they are more compelled to do something on this international women's day than on others. because of the current political situation in the country. stephen tschida, abc7 news. equilibrium at if most, first lady melania trump marked international women's day with a luncheon. joined by ivanka, karen pence and kellyanne conway among others. abc7 has complete coverage of international women's day and the day without a woman event online. see events from around the world in the palm of your hand downloading the abc7 news app. jonathan? jonathan: the son of a vice presidential nominee arrested after a raucous protest over the weekend in minnesota's capital. police arrested six people accused to starting fights and smoke bam in the rally for donald trump. quite the scene. among them was linwood kaine the youngest son of tim kaine. the prosecutors have not filed crimi

say it will happen when they figure out who set off the smoke bomb. in a statement, senator kaine said he loves that the children have concerns over the political issues and he added they understand the concerns should be expressed peacefully. indictment to tell you about today against former delegate mike vaughn. prince george's county democrat accused of taking $10,000 of bribes and that is surrounding the liquor board. he he resigned an hour before the legislative session began. kimberly: look at this. 217 guns all from virginia. new york city police officer brought weapons in an undercover investigation operation. he bought them there. the investigators say they broke up a gun running ring that exploited the loophole in the gun laws. they arrested 22 people in vas. one in d.c. and another in new york. "7 on your side" now is looking into the cool bus drivers concern -- school bus driver concern that the job is making them sick.

inside the office and lounge. the school system c.e.o. says if they find a problem they will fix it. workers say they have been complaining about the problem for years. >> that building is to be condemned. it's just not safe for people to be in there. >> technician took samples for testing today. "7 on your side" will let you know what they find. jonathan: a fourth person now died from the injuries suffered in a fire at an assisted living facility in baltimore. three people rescued from the cozy cottage last friday remain in critical condition. there is still no word on the cause of the fire but a recent inspection found inspirit fire training for the staff. now it has happened again. this time it was captured on video. more unprovoked attacks by teenagers in baltimore. watch this. the first one happened in the everything rush. driver and the traffic started recording when he saw a group of teens waiting

man. then another report past that one. that time a man walking past jumped in to help. the victim asked not to be identified. >> he was my savior. the gentleman saved my life. he got out of the car and chased and said get away. he asked if i was okay. he said i'm here to help you. jonathan: in the second attack the police caught up with the teenagers and arrested nine of them. the youngest was 12 years old. police say they have seen attacks like this going on for weeks. kimberly: it is a legal loophole. a family said they lowed a man to kill their daughter. and now they is a fight to close the loophole before anyone else is hurt. jonathan: new video shows what led up to a crazy police chase through the ceiling of a movie theater. doug: clear and mild tonight. but winter returns. the numbers may shock you coming up at "abc7 news at 6:00".

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announcer: you're watching "abc7 news at 6:00". on your side. kimberly: caught on video. you are watching the final moments of a 22-mile police chase. that chase started overnight in laurel and ended after police threw down

stopping the car in southeast washington. police say the chase began because officers happened to recognize the car as one that fled a traffic stop two weeks ago. the driver now faces a list of the traffic and drug charges. jonathan: it was a scene out of hollywood. police chased a guy through a movie theater. he climbed in the ceiling. he did. all played out this time last night ending with a man arrested accused in more than a dozen burglaries. now we have learned that arrest came after a massive police effort to hunt this guy down. we have new video showing that effort. police used a helicopter to tail him. his name is sherod weaver. they say that is his s.u.v. right there. the dark s.u.v. behind the house. he was pulling behind a townhome to park, try and hide. they say weaver went inside. stole a television set. the police confronted him there. he threw the 52-inch tv at the officers and then the race was on. he took off. it all ended with the chase when he climbed in the ceiling of the movie theater

started to throw tiles on officers. finally they talked him down and took him away. kimberly: you see them darting in and out of trees. this rabid fox bit a 71-year-old woman on tuesday. she was talking a walk in great falls, virginia. the woman fought it off and ran to her neighbor for help. >> i thought i was dealing only with a blood issue until i saw her hands. and her hands were exposed, several fingers were exposed to the bone. kimberly: ouch! an hour after the first attack, the fox attacked a cat in a driveway three miles away. the cat's owner trapped the fox until the officers arrived. that is amazing. the cat did have the rabies vaccinations. it will be fine. the woman will need a series of rabies shots in the days and the weeks ahead. jonathan: fight underway to close a deadly loophole in the law. there is a quirk that allows residents forbidden from owning guns to buy specific kinds of weapons. as

mother is fighting to close the loophole after her daughter was murdered. >> she loved to dance. >> cassandra atkins bravely spoke before the judicial proceedings committee explaining how her daughter was gunned down in the georgetown target parking lot. her ex-boyfriend donald bricker jr. convicted felon pulled the trigger twice before driving off in his white pickup. >> i shot her. kevin: bricker seen here admitting to the killing told detectives although unable to buy a firearm in a store he was able to purchase a replica antique black powder pistol online thanks to a little known loophole in maryland. >> this was an 1851 replica. manufactured like an 1850 replica, loaded like 1851 replica but shot like a modern 2017 handgun. kevin: prosecutors say he received the $200 gun in the mail monday morning and practiced firing it tha

that very night. >> i therefore plead to close the loophole to prevent any parents here to go through what i am feeling right now. >> committee members offered their condolences. and initially appeared swayed. >> there may be many other parents will be saved from the horror you experienced because of your courage today. >> yes, ma'am. kevin: the senate judicial proceedings committee will now decide whether to accept this bill. if it does, it will move to the senate floor for a vote. in annapolis, i'm kevin lewis, abc7 news. kimberly: tonight we know why the statue of liberty went dark for an hour last night casting a ghostly image on new york harbor. the national park service says a light controller wasn't properly reset after someone changed out faulty equipment. more outages are expected in coming weeks when a new emergency

jonathan: it looks like we have to wait longer to see the famed cherry blossoms at the national mall in all their glory. they are beautiful. the national park service is pushing back the expected peak bloom to march 19-22. it was forecast to start as soon as next tuesday but the coming cold snap the reason for this delay. kimberly: doug joins us now. what do you think about that? doug: they can't pick the exact day. they say between 19 and 22. we first saw 14th. jonathan: that would be the first day ever. doug: they may have to change it again. it's weather dependent. let's start with our coverage. the cherry blossoms love these temperatures. 6 o's at 6:00. 65 downtown. 63 in reston. 61 in frederick. low to mid-60's. widespread including in annapolis and woodbridge as that hour. through the evening the temperatures will drop. clear

the humidity is only 15% right now. that is rare to have the humidity levels this low in washington. but 39 to 47 is the range. no trouble making the numbers given the dryness of the air. rapid warm-up. we see plenty of sunshine. temperatures are soaring in the upper 60's. i bet one of the reporting station will hit 70 tomorrow afternoon. but everything changes when we get through late tomorrow night with the approach of a cold front. tomorrow afternoon is breezy and warm, widespread. a large field of the west/southwesterly winds. front. disturbance moving through once the low moves east to push the front through from the north to northwest. we change wind direction before the sunrise friday morning. same time the areas of the rain may follow the front. far enough north, wet snowflakes at the higher elevations. farther north and east from our region, better chance of snow behind the front. even in those areas rapid clearing. gusty winds and the falling temperatures. fall they will. through the 40s in

mid-20's by friday night. that will introduce the modified arctic air mass that will keep it cold through the upcoming weekend. lower teens when you get up on saturday and holding in the 20's throughout the day. sunday we will look south for the storm system possible. it's there but way south. we may get clouds out of it but that is it. the forecast through the weekend is 50 on friday after the morning rain. 39 on saturday. 41 on sunday. early next week it won't warm up much. the extended outlook keeps it in the lower 40's through monday, tuesday, wednesday. by the way, another reminder to turn the clocks ahead one hour saturday night as we go to daylight saving time. chilly next week as well. let's talk sports with robert burton. robert: thank you. as the redskins tu

the latest on the redskins g.m. scot mccloughan. much more next in sports.

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announcer: and now the toyota sports desk brought to you by your local toyota dealer. robert: a lot going on at the redskins park for the past few weeks, scot mccloughan, kirk cousins deal, jay gruden contract ext

according to espn mccloughan is no longer involved in the team's decision making. the agent will meet with the team soon to discuss the situation. mccloughan has been m.i.a. from redskins park for weeks and not present at the senior bowl or the nfl combine. redskins fans will have to get used to not seeing one of their favorites on the field in 2017. garcon reportedly found a new home. he willreunite with kyle shanahan and the 49ers once free agency begins tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. chris morten says he will make $16 million in the first year of the contract. one guy staying is vernon davis. they announced they re-signed the former terp. according to the snapchat account it will keep davis in d.c. for three more years. round of applause. stephen strasburg second start of the spring not as smooth as the first. he was tagged for six

seven hits and a walk on two innings of work. nats lose it. 9-3. college hoops, u.v.a. opens up a.c.c. play against pittsburgh at 9:00 and georgetown plays st. john's at 7:00 p.m. the big east tournament. jonathan: strasburg will be fine. robert: if he says healthy. it's the grapefruit league. it doesn't matter. kimberly: looks like grapefruit weather but you wanted a jacket. doug: another beautiful day in the upper 60's tomorrow. it will change on friday. turning colder in the afternoon. back to winter. only upper 30's on saturday with the sunshine. wind chill in the teens to start the day. steve rudin has an eye on that and the shower chances coming with the front and the weekend, too, at 11:00. kimberly: "world news tonight" with david muir is up next. jonathan: thank you for watching. see you at 11:00. have a good nig

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tonight, the deadly apartment fire. the plane off the runway. damaging winds fueling it all. several dead at the apartment complex. the passenger jet boarding takeoff, and the race to get families out of wildfires. the new track tonight for the damaging winds now moving east. the fbi and the urgent hunt tonight. who gave the cia secrets to wikileaks and now the world? how the cia can break into phone, ipads and tvs. what you should know about your phone and tv at home. the revolt within. republicans not seeing eye to eye tonight over the replacement for obamacare. and this evening, the american medical association and aarp now arguing the new plan is no good. the deadly collision. that train and tour bus, and an