when we come back, linda douglass will be joining us from the white house. and in our next half hour, bob schieffer. "washington journal" continues on this tuesday morning. >> the u.s. house comes and for general speeches. morning our is the 10:30 a.m. eastern and legislative business at noon. several agendas -- several business bills on the agenda today. they're also expected to debate the 2010 defense authorization bill. live house coverage is here on c-span. on c-span2 president obama walley news conference at 12:30 p.m. eastern at the rose garden -- will hold a news conference at 12:30 p.m. eastern at the rose garden. and health care legislation markup live on c-span3 beginning at 10:00 a.m. >> discover an unfamiliar sight of our nation's first president as rare live from george washington's mount vernon estate with historian and author john ferling. that is sunday, july 5, live on in death on c-span2's "book tv ." host: we want to get your phone calls and just to -- and just a moment linda douglass. democrats:(202) 737-0002 republicans:(202) 737-0001 in

caller: and sews or a did not get a chance to speak with linda douglass. i am in diabetic and i have kidney problems. i was beginning to have liver problems and eye problems, all kinds of problems. diabetes is a most monstrous of diseases. i wrote a letter and sent it to michelle and barack obama on march 17 and i have not heard anything of to now, nearly the end of june. and i know kathleen sebelius, but she was just appointed about a month and a half ago. i'm so glad that you had linda douglass on because i wanted her to go and look for my letter. how can i get her direct number or e-mail or fax number? host: you can call the white house. by the way, you can go to whitehouse.gov. @@@@@@@@ tt tt we're talking about the white house health care plan, raleigh is joining us. caller: i am on vacation. i don't want people to think a federal employee son the phone talking while they should be working. i want to clear that up. but my question is, what makes the federal government think that it has the right to pay for all americans to have affordable health care

then a conversation with linda douglass. later, bob schieffer of cbs news. washington journal begins each morning at 7 eastern -- at 7:00 a.m. eastern. on c-span 3, health care legislation. live coverage from the senate health committee begins at camp a.m. eastern. >> now, president obama signs a bill expanding the food and drug the administration's authority to regulate the sale and marketing of tobacco products this is about 10 minutes. >> ladies and gentlemen, the president and vice president of united states [applause] -- of the united states. [applause] óóóóóóóóóóóqo >> please, have a seat. i am thrilled to be here for what is an extraordinary accomplishment by this congress, the bill we are about to sign into law. i would like to acknowledge a few of our special guests. first off, we have the crew from the campaign for tobacco free kids. [applause] we have our fda commissioner, dr. peggy. we have our cdc director, and we have some extraordinary members of congress here on stage, senator dodd, senator bourbon, senator harkin, representative waxman, rep

senator john mccain, with up -- with us and 8:00 hour and bob schieffer will join us at 9:00, and linda douglass, the director of the white house health-care task force, communications director, will join us at 8:30 a.m. eastern time. tomorrow and be seen it -- abc news will have a one-hour town hall meeting about health care at the white house and the president will talk about it at a noontime news conference. this story -- despite everything, americans are seeing better times ahead. are you? good morning, independent line. caller: good morning. i enjoy your show quite a bit. the reason i am calling. i'm an independent. i come from a family of democrats. i am in favor of revamping the health system -- that is just one problem that i do not think obama can overcome because of the costs generating such a system. in canada it is not working, in britain it is not working. in france, it is working. but to compare it to the united states, you are talking about possibly a $2 trillion situation. now, keeping in mind what obama wants to do, what about the construction of highways, construction of bridge

and in the next hour, senator john mccain and linda douglass from the white house and finally bob schieffer from cbs news all ahead this tuesday morning, june 23. "washington journal" continues. >> july 4 weekend on "book tv." discover unfamiliar side of the nation's first president as we are live from george washington's mount vernon estate historian and author on the ascent of george washington. join our three-hour conversation sunday, july 5, live on "in debt." >> how c-span funded? >> through donations? >> i think a little bit from the federal government. >> stuff like that. >> may be from sponsors? >> it might get some government funding. >> viewers? >> how c-span funded? 30 years ago america's cable companies created c-span as a public service, a private business initiative -- no government mandate, no government money. >> there's still time to get your copy of c-span's 2009 congressional directory. with information on house and senate members, the cabinet, supreme court justices, and the nation's governors, plus district maps and how to contact committees and caucuses. it is $16.95,