ktvu's allison burns reports he's trying to keep the focus on future technology. that was a key part of last night's state of the union address. good morning, allison. >> reporter: good morning to you, pam. that's rite. it was president obama's most explicit call yet for innovation. and he repeatedly declared america's need to win the future. his challenge today bringing a divided congress together to do it. >> mr. speaker, the president of the united states. [ cheering and applause ] >> reporter: in a rare show of unity after the tucson shooting, democrats and republicans sit together for president obama's third state of the union address. he's calling on them to be united for the sake of the country's future. >> we will move forward together, or not at all. for the challenges we face are bigger than parties. and bigger than politics. >> reporter: while president obama wants to freeze most nonsecurity spending for the next five years, he wants more investment in education, innovation and infrastructure. the bay area delegation is embracing the ideas. >> president

ktvu's allison burn asks live in our washington d.c. newsroom. she has all the explanation. good morning, allison. >> reporter: good morning to you, dave. the leaders of the new republican congress want us all to learn a thing or two about the constitution. so less than 24 hours after john boehner took the speaker's gavel and republicans took control of the house, they will read the constitution aloud on the house floor. something that's never happened before. it's a nod to the tea party that's argued democrats overreach their constitutional powers when they were in charge. speaker boehner declared yesterday this is the people's house. >> the american people have humbled us. they have refreshed our memories to just how temporary the privilege of serving is. they reminded us that everything here is on loan from them. >> reporter: republican leaders are also rolling out an ambitious bunch of legislation for the next 20 days. including big spending cuts and repealing health care reform. now critics say gop leaders are already breaking their own new rules. i'll have more on that

allison burns live in our washington d.c. newsroom. she has all the details and the reaction. good morning, allison. >> reporter: good morning to you, dave. that's right. president obama today travels to a green energy plant in wisconsin as he tries to keep the focus on future technology. >> mr. speaker, the president of the united states. [ cheering and applause ] >> reporter: for his third state of the union address, his first before a republican house, president obama tries to rouse congress and the nation to come together to win the future. he's calling for new spending on education, innovation and infrastructure. >> at stake right now is not who wins the next election. after all we just had an election. at stake is whether new jobs and industries take root in this country or somewhere else. >> reporter: to deal with federal record deficits, president obama is also proposing a five year freeze on most government spending. a look at possible social security reform. and the elimination of tax cuts for the wealthy. republicans are scoffing at the new spending and say the natio

ktvu's allison burns joins us now from our washington d.c. newsroom with all the details. good morning, allison. >> reporter: good morning to you, pam. as china's president arrives here on capitol hill this morning, some lawmakers are very critical of his visit. one republican basically called him a criminal for china's human rights record. a senate majority leader called him a dictator. but he got a warm welcome at the white house last night. this is a look at the chinese president arriving and being greeted by the president and michelle obama at a star packed dinner. some of the other guests included figure skater quan, fashion designer vera wank. and here's a look at oakland mayor gene quan and ed lee before the dinner. we talked to mayor quan about what it meant for her to be invited. >> i had not realized there had not been that many state dinners and that because there are so few chinese-americans in politics and we're one of the few mayors who got an invitation that it was such a big deal. it was a bit of a surprise. >> reporter: and there were actually a number of p

ktvu's allison burns is live in our washington d.c. bureau with the very latest. good morning, allison. >> reporter: good morning to you, dave. the chorus against china's human rights record and economic policy is pretty loud here at the capitol. and china's president will probably get an earful when he sits down with congressional leaders. here is what senate majority leader harry reed had to say ahead of today's visit. >> he is a dictator. he can do a lot of things. they have a different type of government. and that's an understatement. >> reporter: tough talk at the capitol comes after a star studded state dinner at the white house last night. here's a look at the president's arrival. president obama offered a toast for cooperation between the u.s. and china. they were a number people from the bay area at the dinner. most notably mayor quan. she says she didn't realize what a big deal it was to get invited until she got here. reporting live from washington d.c., allison burns, ktvu channel 2 news. >>> state senator yee from san francisco is demanding an apology

ktvu's allison burns is in our washington d.c. newsroom with more on that. allison. >> reporter: good morning to you, pam. president obama has no public events today but historing words from last night are being closely scrutinized this morning. president obama used his address to the nation at a memorial service in tucson to eulogize the victims. praise the heros. and call for more civil public discourse. as the crowd cheered him on, president obama said americans cannot use the tragedy as one more occasion to turn on each other. >> rather than pointing fingers or assigning blame, let's use this occasion to expand our moral imaginations, to listen to each other more carefully. >> reporter: now those calls for unity are continuing here at the capitol this morning. a democratic lawmaker is circulating a letter calling for democrats and republicans to sit together during the president's state of the union address in a few weeks. usually they sit on opposite sides of the chamber. reporting live from washington d.c., allison burns, ktvu channel 2 news. >>> well,

let's go tour o reporter allison burns in our washington d.c. bureau with more on why they're reading the constitution on the house floor this morning. good morning, allison. >> reporter: good morning to you, dave. one of the most common complaints from republicans when democrats were in charge in the house was that democrats were overreaching their constitutional powers. well, now that john boehner has taken the speaker's gavel and republicans have taken control of the house, they're taking the unprecedented step of reading the constitution aloud on the house floor this morning. some democrats like nancy pelosi will also step in and read parts of it. also this morning a key house committee is getting right to work on a bill to repeal health reform. republicans call it obama care and say parts of it are unconstitutional. but democrats say it's a big mistake to try to undo what they see as big health care improvements. >> like being able to put your children on health insurance to age 26 and not being stopped from getting insurance because of pre

ktvu's allison burns joins us now from our washington d.c. newsroom with the very latest.ood morning, allison. >> reporter: good morning to you, pam. as congress gets back to worked to the first order of business for house republicans is trying to repeal what they call obama care. gop lawmakers say the health reform law signed by president obama is too expensive, too intrusive and too burdensome. but today the obama administration is fighting back by releasing a report that says up to half of americans have conditions that could make them at risk of being rejected by insurer's if the health law goes down. at the same time, some democrats are indicating a willingness to change parts of the law like requirements for small businesses. >> if we can move that conversation to what about the bill do you want to change, that is a legitimate debate that we should frankly have. the bill's not perfect and never has been. >> reporter: now even if this health reform repeal passes the house, the vote is tomorrow, it is very unlikely to make it through the senate. but republicans say the

ktvu's allison burns is live in our washington d.c. newsroom with the very latest.ood morning, allison. >> reporter: good morning to you, dave. republicans are trying to make good on one of their big fall campaign promises. just weeks after john boehner took the speaker's gavel and republicans took control of the house, they're moving ahead with a repeal of what they call obama care. the health care bill signed by president obama is too substance abusive and expensive. democrats disagree but acknowledge parts of it are burdensome on small business should change. >> are there changes that need to be done to make sure health care insurance reform pass work exactly as we intended? of course. but to throw it out and say we're putting our hands back in the -- our lives, families, health care back in the hands of the insurance company executives and their profits is a wrong move. >> reporter: the house vote is slated for tomorrow to repeal health reform even if it passes the house it doesn't stand a chance in the senate. that's why work is getting underway immediately in

ktvu's allison burns is live in our washington d.c. newsroom to talk more about what the president will say. allison. >> reporter: good morning to you, pam. the white house is making clear this is not a political speech or a political trip. president obama has been working on his message since monday. he will pay tribute to the victims and the heros who responded to the tragedy. and he'll call for a renewed focus, national focus, on public service. meanwhile back here in d.c. members of congress are holding a rare bipartisan meeting on security today. we talked to the senate sergeant in arms who says lawmakers must do a better job reporting their security concerns. >> the members and their staff do so many of these events it becomes routine. what we want to emphasize is number one they always have to tell us about their concerns about, about the threats, about the letters, about someone who walks in. >> reporter: now one lawmaker is calling for the house and senate chambers are to be enclosed inplex glass here at the capital. other law

ktvu's allison burns is live in our washington d.c. newsroom with much more on this. good morning, allison. >> reporter: good morning to you, dave. that's right. as the nation grieves, president obama assumes the role of mourner in chief. like president clinton after the oklahoma city bombing. he hopes to help the horrified country heal from the tragedy. he's reportedly been working on his speech since monday and will use the opportunity at a memorial service tonight to focus on the victims and call for national unity. >> he has to give a lovely, passionate memorial statement. eulogy of grief, of hope perhaps for the future. but it's not a political speech. >> reporter: san francisco congresswoman and house speaker -- excuse me former house speaker nancy pelosi made a visit to gabrielle giffords office yesterday, will be among the dignitaries joining president obama at tonight's memorial service in tucson. meanwhile, here in d.c. members of congress will be leading their own tributes. i'll have more on that during my next update in about an hour. for now we're live in

allison burns joins us now with a tough message that mayors are going to get from the president. good morning. >> reporter: well, good morning to you. that's right, we have been reporting this week about the mayors of san francisco and oakland getting the high- profile invitation to the white house state dinner. they were the guests of honor at another reception last night. mayors from all over the country are hear for meetings with each other. oakland's mayor tells us that one of her top priorities is boosting funding for local school programs, and she said that she talked about it with the secretary of education. >> i asked him to take another look at an initiative that links school tosca rears, that more closely links schools with employers so that our young people will stay in school. >> the mayors are getting a pretty tough message from president obama this morning that they should not expect much in the way of federal funding next year because of those stimulus dollars that have been flowing to cities are running out. >>> it is 7:17. governor jerry brown has declared a new

reporting live from washington, d.c., allison burns, channel 2 news. >>> you can watch the president's state of the union address tomorrow live right here, 6 p.m. you'll find coverage on ktvu.com as well. >>> new reports say federal regulators missed at least two chances to approve the safety before september's san bruno pipeline explosion. the san francisco chronicle reports in 2003 and 2005, the pipeline and hazardous materials safety administration considered tougher rules but didn't impose them because of industry pressure. after that explosion last september, the agency did pass rules requiring the companies to report which techniques were used to check their pipelines. pg&e is denying that better reporting would have prevented the san bruno explosion. >>> 8:20. it's the cheeseheads versus the terrible towels for super bowl xlv. fans went crazy in wisconsin as the green bay packers beat the long-time rival chicago bears 21-14 in the nfc game. quarterback and former cal star aaron rodgers ran for a touchdown and made a touchdown- saving tackle after throwing an interception. >> a g

alison burns, ktvu channel 2 news. >> thank you, allison. 8:16. incoming house speaker john boehner will make today's first session a social networking event. online viewers will be able to watch the house of representatives transition to republican control at the facebook pledge. the live video event will show activity on the floor. the facebook broadcast debut begins in less than an hour at 9:00 a.m. >>> 8:17. senator dianne feinstein won't be in washington with her colleagues for the start of the new congress. that's because the 77-year-old senator will have knee r eplacement surgery in san francisco. feinstein says during her t hree-week recovery period after the surgery, she won't be able to travel to washington, she will be working at her home in san francisco. >>> investigators in east palo alto hope surveillance video will help them find a person who started a fire at city hall. it forced the cancellation of last night's city council m eeting. the fire started in a restroom trash bin late yesterday afternoon. smoke began pouring into the f

reporting live from washington, d.c., alison burns, ktvu channel 2 news. >> okay, allison. thank you. >>> 8:17. well, at last check, a controversial map is still p osted on sarah palin's facebook page. now, it's a map 245 was removed from her political action site shortly after that shooting in arizona on saturday. here's the map. it shows what looks like gun site crosshairs over congressional members who voted in support of the healthcare plan. a spokesperson for palin claims those images are directional locaters but there is a lot of talk this morning about aggressive tea party rhetoric. >>> bob brady says he will introduce a bill to make it a crime too publish websites that places crosshairs on a congressional members side -- site. >>> we've just learned from a military official that the alleged gifford shooter was e he -- was rejected from the army because he failed a drug test. >>> 8:18. a big step has been made in relations between the u.s. and china. defense secretary robert gates and the chinese defense minister agreed to establish a working group to discuss strateg

alison burns has reaction on capitol hill. good morning, allison. >> reporter: good morning to y ou, tori. it is the lowest unemployment rate in more than a year and a half as we've been reporting this morning. the unemployment rate for december dropped to 9.4%. now, this label department shows there's been the most job growth in lee sure and hospitality, healthcare. the south korea run -- construction industry is still shedding jobs. ben bernanke is on capitol hill talking about it. he predicts hiring will continue in the months ahead. but he's concerned it won't be enough. >> this could threaten the strength and sustainability of the economy. 40% of the unemployed have been out of work for six month ors more. >> reporter: benber nan kay thinks it will be five more years before the job situation, normalizes. reporting live from washington, d.c., alison burns, ktvu channel 2 news. >> thank you. >>> it is 8:14. just moments ago, the house of representatives, took the first step. voting largely along party lines this morning. the house set the rules

alison burns is following this historic moment from our washington, d.c. bureau. good morning, allison. >> reporter: good morning. let's get right away to a live look inside the u.s. capitol building. right now, members of congress are for the first time reading the united states constitution. now, it got off to a rough start with a couple of democrats making some procedural arguments about what should be included in the reading. a few minutes ago, the first ever reading of the constitution got underway. >> "we, the people, of the united states in order to perform a more perfect union establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our poss terty, do ordane and establish this constitutional for the united states of america." >>> all legislative powers h erein granted should be vested in a congress of the united states which shall consist of a senate and a house of representatives. >> reporter: democrats and republicans will take turns r eading the u.s. constitution for the n

burns is live in our washington, d.c. bureau with the latest. good morning, allison. >> reporter: good morning. right now, president obama and chinese president hu gin to are closed-door meetings at the white house. but this state visit began and will end with a lot of public ceremony. this is the south lawn of the white house a few hours ago. president obama announced the two nations have a huge stake. but he also expressed his concern about china's rights record. >> the two leaders will be m eeting with chinese business executives about increasing trade this afternoon. including the heads of bay area companies, motorola, intel. and two local mayors will be at the, jean quan, and ed lee. we're talking about to mayor quan about her agenda and we'll have that later for you today on ktvu. for now, we're live in washington, d.c., alison burns, ktvu channel 2 news. >>> it is 8:14. house republicans are expected to keep a campaign promise today by voting to repeal healthcare reform. but the vote will be largely symbolic because in the senate where -- where democrats still hold the majority, the repe