here in washington, chris van hollen who will be the top democrat on the ecommittee. welcome back to "fox news sunday." congressman van hollen, this week, the house democratic caucus voted not to even bring this compromise to the floor for a vote, but that was non-binding. my question is as a member of the democratic leadership, if the senate -- they're going to go first. if they pass this compromise, will speaker pelosi bring this to a vote on the floor or not? >> this vote will come to the floor of the house in some form. let me say something -- >> chris: you say it will? >> in some form. it will come to the floor of the house. house democrats are being portrayed as people who haven't adjusted to the post election reality, we don't want to cut any deal at all. there are some to. there are some house democrats who will refuse to go along with any deal. most of us understand we have to make tough compromises. most of us agree with almost all of what the president negotiated. there is one thing that just was the choking point. that deals with the estate tax break. it do

congressman chris van hollen is chairman of the -- outgoing chairman of the campaign committee. ranking member in the next congress on the budget committee. he joins us. >> good to be with you. >> i have to ask you immediately, because you put out a clarification after, you said yesterday -- yesterday morning, we're not going to hold this thing up at the end of the day. okay. but then you clarified. you think people -- did we overread what you meant there? so this is not a done deal? >> no, it's not a done deal. some people had misinterpreted the house caucus to suggest we were going to block any vote coming to the house for a vote. >> you'll bring a bill to the floor. will you bring the senate bill? >> as the democratic caucus said, this bill in its current form sun acceptable. it will come to the floor of the house in some form. and it will be open to changes. and people will have an opportunity to work their will. so i just wanted to clarify the point that the democratic leadership in the house is not going to take the bill, put it in a tradrawer and say, we're n going to hav

here's what congressman chris van hollen said last hour. >> it's not a done deal. the bill in its current form is unacceptable. it will come to the floor of the house in some form and it will be open to changes. >> joining me, former chairman of the democratic national committee and former vermont governor, howard dean. good morning. >> good morning. >> i'm wondering what your folks are telling you. do you think this is a done deal? >> it probably is not a done deal, if chris van hollen says it's not a done deal. look, there's a lot of problems with this bill. leaving aside the ideological objections to which taxes get cut, how much, the big problem in this country is not just unemployment it's the enormous federal debt. and this bill, essentially, gives about $300 billion to people who make in the neighborhood of $1 million a year over the next two years. that doesn't do anything for the economy. but it does expand the deficit dramatically. the other thing it does, for the first time it takes money that was going to go to social security trust fund and diverse it

chris van hollen, one of the fiercest critic of the president's compromise said this past weekend, they do anything to hold this bill up in the house. he would like to see something different and house liberal democrats would like to see something with the estate tax. most likely not going to happen because when joe biden said, take it or leave it. there will be upset house democrats. but i said last week, which day will be the pivot day they say at the end of the day this has to go forward because they have to appease the president, probably wednesday, thursday, friday. be well. >> let's bring in our company. patrick gavin, galina espinoza and jim gilmore. patrick, is this how you see it, what the vice president said, i don't know, five days ago, is going to hold, what you see is what you get, or could there be, if the vote in the senate is close, could the house push through amendments? >> well, i think as we've seen so far, it's very hard to predict what's going to happen and what surprises are around the corner. i do, however, think that though a lot of folks here in washington thou

on fox news sunday, representative chris van hollen took issue with the estate tax. some believe the parties are playing ideological chicken. republican representative paul ryan of wisconsin ups the stakes. >> if the democrats in the house scuttle this deal, that will be the first thing we do is prevent these job-killing tax increases and we'll do it retroactively after the first of the year. >> on meet the press, austin goolsbe. made the case that you can't reduce the deficit unless the economy is growing. he believes the republicans won't be able to renew high income tax cuts in 2012. >> i believe they will have to stand up and defend on their own merits that they think these work and they will not be able to do that because they don't. fox news sunday, van hallen may have shown his hand. >> we do think that simple question should be put to the test. >> reporter: it is shaping up to be a very interesting week in washington. melanie alnwick, fox 5 news. >>> it is 4:30 on this monday morning. there is a live look at interstate 66 eastbound. that is the rest area for

i want to go back to chris van hollen.s representative pete defazio talking about what's at stake here. >> the white house is putting on tremendous pressure, the president is making phone calls saying this is the end of his presidency if he doesn't get this bad deal. i don't feel that way. i think this is the end possibly of him being re-elected if he gets this deal. it's a trap and a tax on huge cuts to programs we care about because this adds half a trillion bucks to the deficit next year. next year when the new republicans come in, we've got to cut the heck out of everything because we have a $1.7 trillion obama deficit. they won't be talking about their role in creating that. >> congressman, how big of a setback would it be if president obama couldn't get this bill through the house and the senate? >> well, i think at this point in time it would be a setback for the president obviously because he's put together this deal. and if it fails, he's got a lot riding on it. mort made the key point, and you guys have been make

members wanting their leadership, nancy pelosi, chris van hollen and team to not bring this to the floorany others talked about the hardships people in their districts are facing and wanting to assure they would get unemployment checks, have some sense of knowing what the tax rates would be and some of the other things like the child credit and help for students and things like that. there are strong feelings. it does appear perhaps by tomorrow the house would be given the chance to vote on this and the big picture. it seems if you are reading all the tea leaves this will likely pass but not by the kind of margin we saw in the senate. >> a quick question about the appropriations, a big government spending bill loaded up with earmarks. what happened to the lessons of the election and the tea party? >> this is a huge spending package that covers all of the agencies. there are 6,400 earmarks. some requested by lawmakers months and months ago. now oppose earmarks, not saying the programs might not be worthwhile but won't spend the people's money this way. republicans say it shouldn't be cram

. >> in the meantime, chris van hollen says that the bill will not ultimately be held up. >> most of us understand we have to make some tough compromises. most of us agree with almost all of what the president negotiated. there is one thing that just was the choking point. and that deals with the estate tax break. i am confident when we get to january, there will be no tax increases on the middle income americans and certainly also that portion in the president's deal with respect to the top rate earners. >> but let us not forget how this will be different two years fro now especially for republicans. austin gouhlsby. >> in 2012, that's not going to be the circumstance. i believe they will have to stand up and defend on their own merits that they think these high income tax cuts work. and they will not be able to do that, because they don't. >> so what about them not working now? >> and from the president, newfound confidence over what he will do. quoting, i can confidently say that, and i haven't made an announcement, if i ran for re-election, i could confidently say i would not ext

look, i think that you saw chris van hollen kind of the lead budget voice for house democrat over thentially concede, oh we may change something here or there, but this is going through, chris. look, they want to get to the new s.t.a.r.t. treaty. they want to get to some these other things. and frankly, let me just point out and make a plug for our own poll "the washington post"/abc poll 69% like this tax cut compromise. >> overwhelming poll, devastating. >> chris, people don't go against things, politicians don't go against things that 70% people. >> "washington post" was dead right on it. this looks like a good compromise both around 68%. you can't beat in. we have to go now, chris, but thanks for that assessment. stay with us by the way. >>> when we return a federal judge down in virginia rules that the key provision in the obama health care bill is unconstitutional. republicans are loving it like george -- he's going to run for -- trying to make a comeback on this baby. but it's still not over. it's got to go the appellate level. >>> welcome back to "hardball." a federal judge of

and you have heard chris van hollen saying that he expects a deal to be done, and there is a senate votey, which is expected to be largely favorable. and also, 52 house democrats who lost elections, and they are not beholden to the house caucus, and they are centrists, and i think they will support this. >> it is interesting, because boehner says he likes the bill, and he won't entertain a lot of changes in it, and he wants common ground, but not compromise, and well, how do you do that? >> well, it is easy, contessa. one thing that republicans have done and why we got fired from office is that we compromised too much, and we agreed with the democrats and really to spend far too much than we were bringing n and the republicans gained their way back into power by making a promise to the american people that we wanted a smaller government. we wanted a more responsible government, and that is not compromising on the principles. so obviously, we can find ways to work with the president. i think that it is encouraging that the real size and shape of this tax package, but you don't have to com

the guest will be paul ryan and the incoming ranking member chris van hollen.lso an interview with supreme court justice stephen briar. at 3:00 p.m., it is state of the union with david axelrod, and two democrats. senate majority whip dick durbin and a former director of national intelligence will be guests. at 4:00 p.m. on face the nation, the guests will be white house adviser david axelrod, jerry nadler, and former vermont governor howard dean perry the five network tv talk shows are brought to as a public-service by the network and c-span. those re-airs begin at noon. listen to and all on cspan radio ads 90.1 radio in the washington area for satellite/xm radio. >> this weekend>noah feldman on fdr's supreme court appointees. the man who began their tenure as friends and ended up as scorpions year. find a complete schedule at book-tv.org. ♪ >> in london, riots over higher tuitions, program cuts, and politicians debate the debt crisis in england. this month q &a expands into two programs. a former member of parliament will be tonight at 8:00. >> "washington jo

despite the fact that you have top house democrats like chris van hollen saying there should be a damagetate tax and they should twaict and sendt and send sit back to the senate. everybody believes the threat on the senate side fit comes back changed at all, it will not get through. the threat from the administration that the economy cannot handle that. it should all pals. megyn: we have seen pushback from republicans saying their words we can do better. let's not do this. let's wait until the gop controls the house. and we can take out some of these sweeteners president obama put in to get democratic votes and we'll do it our way to quote frank sinatra. is there any way for the republicans to have enough votes to stop this from going forward? report no. zero. not a chance. nada, zip, no chance. the senate passed this compromise by a vote of 81-19. that's not just squeak it through. that is overwhelming. that's after the closure vote of 83-15. with that momentum heading into the house. it's like a bulldozer. it's going to gothrough few. when you have the d it's going to go through. and w

, it is the house's turn and we heard a surprising announcement, from democratic congressman chris van hollen as we said whether the democrats in the house could hold up the vote and so, done deal or not? checking in with chief political correspondents carl cameron on capitol hill, carl, i'll ask you, scan the senate go from zeo to 60 by mid-week. >> reporter: yes, they are expected to today, a procedural debate that starts on the senate floor and they'll get 60, perhaps 70 votes, we're told according to the democratic and the republican vote counters and will begin the formal debate, likely to wrap up wednesday an assuming they get the 60 votes plus they need today, it all but guarantees they'll have the 60 votes necessary to pass it finally by mid-week and it goes to the house. and there it is an entirely different battle but there's a lot of indication the democratic leadership of the house has had sort of the gut-check moment and begun to signal that they expect it to pass there, too. arthel: with the gut-checking you kind of figured that was going to be happenings by various forecasting

listen to what chris van hollen, a leading democrat on this issue, told us earlier today. >> we will bring a tax bill to the floor in some form. we find the senate bill in its current form unacceptable and there will be changes made especially as they relate to the most egregious provisions like the estate tax, which puts a $25 billion hole in the deficit, $25 billion over two years to benefit the wealthiest 6,600 estates. >> reporter: so the question is how are they going to do that. and if democrats put up, let's say, an amendment -- that's what they're talking about potentially doing. there are all kinds of procedural ways to do it. say they put up an amendment to change that and make it something that house democrats like better. if it succeeds, then what? the whole package has to come back to the senate. you already have the president, the vice president and the budget director who we're told is making calls today to house democrats warning if there are major changes. and that may be one of them. this whole thing could unravel. that is the sort of balancing act house democrats -

this is what one of the democrats who is leading this fight, chris van hollen told us earlier today about that. >> we will bring a tax bill to the floor in some form. we find the senate bill in its current form unacceptable. and there will be changes made. especially as they relate to the most egregious provisions like the estate tax, which puts a $25 billion hole in the deficit, $25 billion over two years to benefit the wealthiest 6,600 estates. >> now, wolf, house democratic leaders met earlier today to try to figure out their way forward. i'm told by two senior house democratic aides is what they might do is bring this package up as is and offer an amendment with what i just described to you, something less generous. i would not be surprised if when president obama comes out in a short while, he will urge the house not to do this because both he and the vice president and others have said that any changes in this would potentially make this whole deal unravel. >> dana, we're standing by. momentarily, the president will go into the briefing room and make his statement. we'll see if he a

in the "washingn post" today,ç maryland democrat chris vanç hollen vowed to try nonetheless writingnsible or fair to provide a tax-cut bonanza to super-rich estates." for his part, president obama again urged lawmakers to come together and finish the job. >> i know there are different aspects of this plan to which members of congress on both sides of the aisle object. that's the nature of compromise. but we worked hard to negotiate an agreement that's a win for middle-class families and a win for our economy, and we cant afford to let it fall victim to either delay or defeat. so i urge members of congress to pass these tax cuts as swiftly as possible. >> reporter: the house could vote on the tax cut package tomorrow. >> lehrer: it is on that estate tax provision where judy woodruff picks up the story. >> woodruff: we now get two opposing viewpoints on the estate tax that has been a key sticking point for many house democrats. republican representative kevin brady of texas andçç democratic representative earl pomeroy of north dakota join us from capitol hill. both men serve on the

chris van hollen in remarks to nbc said that the amendments to alter the state tax provision has a decentt in the house and that would send a compromise back to the senate for reconsideration. but he went on to say, "i think is fair to say that if the fix is not made and we do not send it back to the senate, a, i think my best guess is that the deal passes." fewer people applied for unemployment benefits last week. it is the third drop in the past four weeks. the congress, department -- the commerce department showed that sales of homes rose in november. and there is new construction in brussels. nato's secretary general spoke at the groundbreaking today for the alliance's new headquarters. the building will be a new home for a new nato, capable of tackling global challenges like terrorism, piracy, and cyber warfare. critics say the long-awaited move comes at a bad time amid sharp cuts in defense spending. and while the alliance is involved in the one afghanistan. those are some of the headlines on c-span radio. >> this weekend on hot "book tv "-- and on afterwards, hugh shelton on his mu

. >> he was talking to me and he said that chris van hollen says they're going to get this thing truent. >> okay, i'm sorry, i'm fascinated. >> the point was, bill clinton, his base stuck with him. women stuck with him through all of the horrible stories about women, because he -- the partial birth abortion, when that debate came up, he stayed with liberals, he stayed with women's groups. that's the one danger of basically telling your base, don't need ya. >> but i don't think that's what he's doing. he's telling congressional democrats, that's not his base. and right now among african-americans and hispanic voters, among even a lot of liberal voters, barack obama's still really popular. he hasn't lost his base. what he's losing is the "professional left." and to the point about the tax plan, as mark said earlier, what he needs to do to get past that, and i think he will do, he needs to now in the next six weeks push tax reform and come out with a big definicit reduction plan. >> so liberals are staying with him? >> they will stay with him, but i think he can get the professional left

i think you saw chris van hol n hollen, we may change something here or there, but this is going through to the new s.t.a.r.t. treaty. some of these other things. "the washington post" abc poll, 69% of people like this. >> devastating. >> politicians don't go against things that 70% of people favor. >> it told me that there's not a big difference in republicans and democrats. both around 68%. you can't beat that. we have to go now, but thanks for that. >>> stay with us. when we return, a federal judge in virginia rules the key provision in the obama health care bill is unconstitutional. republicans are loving it. he's going to run for try to make a comeback on this baby, but it's still not over. you're watching "hardball" only on msnbc. asked me if i wanted to change the world. i said "sure." "well, let's grow some algae." and that's what started it. exxonmobil and synthetic genomics have built a new facility to identify the most productive strains of algae. algae are amazing little critters. they secrete oil, which we could turn into biofuels. they also absorb co2. we're hoping to suppl