host: peter sullivan a staff rider for the hill newspaper. we want to spend this time talking about the state-run health exchanges all part of the affordable care act. thank you for being with us. guest: good morning. host: what is an exchange? guest: it's a marketplace where people can buy health insurance that was set up under the affordable care act or obamacare. so the idea is kind of like expedia with how the proponents of the law portrayed it so you can compare prices and choose a plan. host: let's look at figures. over 8 million people have selected a plan through the state-based marketplaces. also the federally facilitated marketplace and about 2.2 million are between the ages of 18-34 but now some of these are in financial trouble. why? guest: well they're supposed to rely on fees from health inshurors and also helps them if more people sign up but some of the state exchanges have actually had trouble signing people up compared to the federal exchange in 37 states using the federal health care.gov that a lot of people know well have

peter sullivan talks about state-run health exchanges facing financial trouble. later, author and blogger looks at how some companies are changing their policies to attract and retain working mothers. as always, your calls and you can join the conversation on facebook and twitter. "washington journal," is next. >> ladies and gentlemen, if we want to be not only the majority party, we want states like pennsylvania, ohio, michigan and wisconsin, then we have to be the party that if we were a rising tide lifting all boats understanding this, there are millions of americans with holes in their boats. we have to be the party that says we will not just let you try to screw out your boat as the tide rises, but we will be there to help you so that you can sell to the great heights of the american dream. host: former pennsylvania senator rick santorum among the

we are joined now by peter sullivan from the "hill" newspaper.e is a staff writer from that location and he will be covering martin o'malley's announcement today that he is running for president. peter sullivan, good morning to you. guest: good morning. how are you? >> i'm great. tell us what we should expect when governor o'malley makes this announcement. guest: he's announcing at a rally in baltimore making it official that people have expected for a while that he is running for president and he faces some long odds against hillary clinton but he's going ahead anyway and he's been looking to kind of position himself on the liberal side of hillary on issues like to immigration and trade. 's been opposed to the trade deal that president obama is for, which is a big issue for some labor unions and liberal groups. so he's trying to carve out his own space in this race but it's an uphill climb for him. host: which theme do you expect him to focus on in his announcement speech? guest: i think he's trying to really present himself as a fresh face. his

and peter sullivan about state-run health exchanges facing financial troubles and an author and blogger looks at how some companies are changing their policies to attract and retain working mothers. we take your calls a you could join the conversation at facebook and twitter. "washington journal" at 7:00 a.m. on c-span. >> sunday night, former bloomberg news reporter kate anderson on the world of the white house through the eyes of the people work there from the kennedys through the obama for you >> who are the england's -- thicklands? >> they are an incredible family. i interviewed the only current part-time butler, he is still there, he may be there right now. he works every week after the white house. nine members of the family work there. his uncle and brother were maitre d'. he told me my uncle read the white house. they brought him in when he was averaging years old during the eisenhower -- when he was 17 years old during the eisenhower administration. he used to work in the kitchen. they cap to give him ice cream to eat. it is incredible humor member what to the eisenhower's -- i

and peter sullivan about state-run health exchanges facing trouble.nd author and blogger looks at how some companies are changing their policies to attract and retain working mothers for as always we take your calls and you would join the conversation at facebook and twitter. washington journal live at 7:00 a.m. on c-span. >> sunday night on q&a, former bloomberg reporter. >> who are the thicklands? >> as they are an incredible family, nine members have worked at the white house. i interviewed the only current part-time butler. he is still there. he works every week at the white house. and nine members of the family worked there. his uncle john and charles were maitre d''s, the head butler. he told me my uncles ran the white house. they brought him in when he was 17 years old in 1959 during the eisenhower and diminished ration and he is dealing working there. -- and he is still working there. there is this great, it's incredible for him to tell us how the eisenhower's road like. he remembers that. i wanted to pay tribute to these people. >> sunday nig