i appreciate congressman sander levin's concern. when you look at the bureau of labor statistics and a 12.5% increase in jobs and economic benefit. when you look at companies like android industries in indiana that are bringing new jobs to indiana simply because of right of work it's important that we give workers that freedom to choose what they think is best for them and their representation-instead of paying that private industry, that private union that is instead providing what is in some cases a sub par service. you ought to be buying a service that you believe in and you believe is going to represent you well. 17% of michigan are union folks today. 17% will be union tomorrow, gwen. >> ifill: state senator john prose, republican and representative sander levin, a democrat. thank you both very much. >> thanks very much. >> woodruff: now, back to the battle over the fiscal cliff. much of the debate has centered on the question of whether to raise tax rates on high income earners. but many experts are also raising questions as to

plus, after the bell, michigan congressman sander levin said going back over the cliff would also bring what he calls a human cliff. he'll join us live to talk about that and why failure to lead now would lead to chaos. all right. i'm being told right now that secretary tim geithner has also joined the meeting and vice president biden is also there as well. we have a whole committee gathering at the white house. >> heavyweights. >> these are the most actively traded stocks at the new york stock exchange right now. stay with us. back in a minute. [ male announcer ] at scottrade, you won't just find us online, you'll also find us in person, with dedicated support teams at over 500 branches nationwide. so when you call or visit, you can ask for a name you know. because personal service starts with a real person. [ rodger ] at scottrade, seven dollar trades are just the start. our support teams are nearby, ready to help. it's no wonder so many investors are saying... [ all ] i'm with scottrade. it's no wonder so many investors are saying... excuse me, sir i'm gonna have to ask you to power

. >> i want to bring you in and say good morning to sander levin. sir, it's good to have you with me. what is your expectations or thoughts about hear that the president and vice president joe biden are calling the four congressional leaders behind closed closed doors today. >> i am hopeful. i wouldn't say i'm optimistic, but i think confidence has gone down. i think the key is whether the speaker will be the speaker of the entire house and let the matters come before us where there could be a majority of democrats and perhaps a majority of republicans, but let es speak our will and act on our will. that's really one of the keys. i think if the senate bill or what was in it were brought before the house, keeping the middle-class tax cuts, but not those for the upper income, and making sure the alternative minimum tax did not go into effect -- i think it would pass with a coalition. and i think the same could be true of unemployment insurance. 2 million people will lose their federal benefits tomorrow, if we don't have. 2 million people. >> when we s

congressman sander levin recounted the story today at the "washington post" of how union rights were enshrined by governor romney. congressman levin met with governor romney in the 1960s when mr. levin was a state senator. he says, quote, we sat there for an hour. the governor was in a rocking chair with his blue sweater. and he said, well, i think we have resolved all the issues. let's proceed. the two pieces of legislation that governor romney and democrats in the legislature passed in 1965 marked a major step forward, major step forward for labor relations, providing full collective bargaining rights to public employees and strengthening them for private sector employees. both passed on solid bipartisan basis. thank you, mitt romney's dad. but support for union rights isn't just ancient republican history, or ancient conservative history in michigan. i mean governor snyder and these guys in the legislature may be unified right now in their efforts to take away right now union rights that their party once championed. but as eager as they seem to be to jam through these changes now w

. >> congressman s sander levin, you very much. >> thanks. >> coming up next, they are suving in iraqfghanistan and in huge numbers, but without either the pay, benefits or other side benefits of being a combat troop. what do women really want next on "andrea mitchell reports." wasn't my daughter's black bean soup spectacular? [ man thinking ] oh, this gas. those antacids aren't working. oh no, not that, not here! [ male announcer ] antacids don't relieve gas. gas-x is designed to relieve gas. gas-x. the gas xperts. >>> 280,000 women have served in iraq and afghanistan since 2001. 144 have died. yet more than 230,000 current positions in the military are closed to female troops. backed by the aclu, four women service members are suing the pentagon for barring them from direct combat duty. zoey is a captain in the u.s. marine corps reserves and plaintiff in the lawsuit, air yell la is a senior staff attorney for the aclu women rights project. thanks so much. captain bodell, you deployed twice to afghanistan and basically left the active duty marines corps because you were blocked from

. >> dave camp and sander levin cut a deal? >> begin the process and try to confer. if there is a new revenue source, carbon tax, some sort of consumption tax, it will emerge out of their common frustration that they cannot get where they need to go. what we need to do is do not micromanage, don't be prescriptive. give them a number, a ratio of expenditure reductions to tax reform, revenue enhancements, and if that task falls to the -- and give them that task this fall to the committee and over the next six or nine months, task them to meet those numbers. i think the capability is there to do it. it may not be rostenkowski and packwood, but if there is a will, they will get the job done. >> i do not think it is credible to kick the can down the road that far at this point. i think the reaction in the real economy would be devastating. you have to imagine what you are suggesting, vic, which is a good suggestion in the context of doing something now and whether that something is betting at the rates snap back, as i would support, and taking some effort to restrain mand

also, congressman sander levin and garrett, they were here this morning.hat's about the only thing they agreed on through the course of this. >> they agreed to sit together, quite an accomplishment. a sense of optimism on the hill this morning. the final points are still tripping up both sides. a democrat from virginia, directly involved in the talks, and is one of the gang of eight. senator, i'm thinking there was this movie when i was growing up, dr. strangelove. i'm thinking, after listening this morning, how i learned to stop worrying and love the fiscal cliff. is that where we are right now? >> you know, jim, this shouldn't be that hard. the idea that we've got to get a $4 trillio over ten years, with a mix of revenue increases, spending cuts. you know, when you look at the size of our economy, when you're looking at what's asked of people all across europe, uk, all in emerging nations, this is so small on a relative basis, that it's almost unamerican we're not going to be able to step up and get it done. you know, i'm optimistic that we're going to b

last hour we spoke to a republican, now we have -- pleased to be joined by democratic congressman sander levinof republicans, we heard it -- a parade of republicans on the senate floor saying they were upset with the president. one said that they felt heckled by him, he was just too partisan and it was the wrong time for that. what do you make of that? >> i very much disagree. president had to lay down the marker for the present package including addressing the automatic cuts. they have to be addressed and also as to future deficits, the president made clear he laid down the marker. there have to be added revenues as well as program cuts. we have to do both. it has to be balanced. that's been the president's position all along and i think it was important that he make that clear as we proceed. so no one should be offended when the president speaks clearly. >> that's a case that you make on the substance, but i think some republicans, i know some republicans were also offended on his -- about his tone. that he was just too abrasive and sarcastic. and that it was -- >> he was pointed. when he's

acting commissioner steven miller wrote house democrat sander levin, quote, this situation would createwo significant problems. lengthy delays of tax returns and unexpectedly higher taxes for many taxpayers. miller said that the irs has to reprogram its computers, it might be late march before people affected by the amt could file their returns. house republicans will vote today on a bill that includes an amt patch with both parties want but democrats object to other parts of the bill, jon. jon: who pay this is alternative minimum tax? >> reporter: well the 2011 tax-exempted families making less than 75,550 a year and single taxpayers, $58,000 a year. if there is patch applied to 2012 it will hit families making $45,000 a year and single filers, making $33,750 a year. that means 30 million additional families who may not be aware they're subject tax join those already paying it. congressman levin said, quote there would be no clearer warning failure to act on fiscal cliff will throw the 2013 tax filing season into chaos. commissioner miller says 2/3 of country might have to wait to file

they're the four senators that generally vote sanely two of them anyway particularly bernie sanders also carl levin and two other democrats the remainder of them schumer and gillibrand for example from the york where i am and lined up with the republicans on many major public policy issues so that as they campaign as being against the republicans where the rubber hits the road they end up voting with them in a very very few progressive insane members of congress on the other side as in this case well last month the e.u. adopted a resolution urging all member states to accept this act interestingly enough the french ambassador here in most case had the powers is to stay out of it do you think other countries will follow france's late my hope so i mean there's a socialist government so-called anyway in paris and at the very least they have to appear to not be hard core cold warriors even though the soviet union doesn't exist anymore but an interesting backdrop is the t p p meeting this going on in the new zealand right now where they're looking to open up trade in the pacific basin and particularly d

and at 9:00 eastern, representative scott garrett and sander levin.awk on the street." >> that's right. "squawk on the street" we have a lot to come, as well. the two senators we're talking with next, two members of the gang of eight now. we'll talk to them. guys we'll send it back to you right now. >> great. thanks, guys. appreciate that. we are now, though, going to flip it over to phil lebeau who is in new york and he's got breaking news. >> as expected we knew that delta was in negotiations to buy 49% stake in virgin atlantic. the deal has been completed. the price is $360 million for that delta will increase its access to heathrow. that's really the key here. 31 daily nonstop flights. that's all part of what goes between the uk and north america for virgin atlantic. the brand remains, guys. make that clear here. the virgin atlantic brand does not go away. what changes is that delta has a 49% stake in the company. there's going to be a press conference later this morning here in new york. we're going to be talking with delta ceo richard anderson,

. >> dave camp and sander levin cut a deal? >> begin the process and try to confer. if there is a new revenue source, carbon tax, some sort of consumption tax, it will emerge out of their common frustration that they cannot get where they need to go. what we need to do is do not micromanage, don't be prescriptive. give them a number, 8 ratio, of expenditure reductions to tax reform, revenue enhancements, if that task this fall to the committee and over the next six or nine months, task them to meet those numbers. i think the capability is there to do it. it may not be rostenkowski and packwood, but if there is a they will get the job done. >> i do not think it is credible to kick the can down the road that far at this point. i think the reaction in the real economy would be devastating. you have to imagine what you are suggesting, vic, which is a good suggestion in the context of doing something now and whether that something is betting at the rates snap back, as i would support, and taking some effort to restrain mandatory spending in order to offset the sequester -

if the dave camp and sander levin cut a deal on the ways and means committee?ocess and see what they can produce then begin the process of trying to confer. if there's a new revenue source, carbon tax, some sort of consumption tax, it will emerge out of their common frustration. that they can't get where they need to know. so don't micromanage or be prescriptive. give them the ratio of expend reductions to tax reform revenue enhancements, give that task, this fall, the committee and over the next six or nine months, task them to meet those numbers. i think the capabilities -- capability is there to do it. there's a will and i believe there is, with the president and john boehner, they will get the job tone. >> could i just add an amendment to what he's saying? i don't think it's credible to kick the can down the road that far at this point. i think that the reaction in the real economy would be devastating. so you have to kind of imagine what you're suggesting, vic, which sing a good suggestion, in the context of doing something now. and whether that something