listen to sherrod brown. listen to the 56 senators who want to do the right thing in the democratic party. stop grandstanding and get this done. >> senator ben nelson says he will filibuster health care reform unless the law is written to the approval of catholic bishops. where do you begin with that? >> well, first of all, i doesn't think he's going to filibuster health care reform. i think nobody wants to see that, even the republicans can get in trouble for doing that. i don't think a religious gerut group ought to get a veto power over any legislation in this country, no matter who the religious group is, whether you agree with them or not. >> in terms of the final product, do the amendment right now matter very much or is the real meat what carper and reid and others come up with behind closed doors? >> look, i'm not sure any of it matters right now. they've got to get a public option, a real public option that works. the house bill is pretty good. that's what really ought to pass. there are lots of diff

but i did want to mention that this legislation is cosponsored by senator sherrod brown and roland burris. and i was more than aware and very proud that this amendment would have been the first time in american history that a medicare for all single-payer bill was brought before a floor of congress. i was more than aware that that amendment would not win. i knew that. but i am absolutely convinced that this legislation or legislation like it will eventually become the law of the land.

. >> brown: we'll talk to senators sherrod brown and lindsey graham about the bill's components, compromises and politics. >> ifill: then thousands of iranians turn a funeral for a dissident cleric into a full- scale street protest. margaret warner looks at what's next for the opposition in iran and their supporters here. >> brown: what happened in copenhagen and what now. >> now it's up to people to come together because we need a deal that is real. >> brown: ray suarez just back from the climate summit explains. >> ifill: and we'll take a second look at john merrow's reports on an attempt to overhaul a major urban school system, whatever it takes. >> compassion . i think that when you're doing the kind of work that i'm doing in public education where the lives and the futures of children hang in the balance, you cannot ... you can't play with that. >> brown: that's all ahead on tonight's pbs newshour. >> major funding for the pbs newshour major funding for the pbs newshour is provided by: >> what the world needs now is energy. the energy to get the economy humming again. the energy to tack

i think for example sherrod brown of ohio told us that he would like to see the president come down and express how important to him the public option as an lean on some of these moderates who are saying they won't vote for the bill unless the public option. >> senator majority leader reid has expressing once a have this bill done by christmas. do you think we are any closer to that goal? >> it is hard to tell but i would say that is definitely an ambitious goal of this point. they don't seem to be very close. i don't get the sense from talking to democrats on both sides of the spectrum that there are near an agreement on some of these major issues. if they lose over abortion and which seems likely at this point they are going to need it least one republican to vote for this bill and right now they don't have that republican vote. >> alice when is a staff writer with "congressional quarterly." thanks for joining us. >> thank you. >> and steinmark permission about the health care bill at cs bantz health care hub. it contains the bill, information about amendments as well as comments, int

welcome, my colleague, sherrod brown of ohio on the committee, and members of the staff and other members who will come in and out. i should notify my call is as well that there may be a vote around 3:45 p.m. what i will try to do is continue the hearing and we will try to stagger. senator reed of rhode island has joined us as well. let me begin with a opening statement after which i'll ask my colleagues if they had agreed opening comment and did we will turn to our witnesses and hear from them. and then have a series of questions for you this afternoon regarding this bill and related matters. so i began by again thanking each and every person for being here this afternoon. our job on the banking committee is to make sure that regular folks get a fair deal from their lending institutions and other financial institutions. the whole notion that depositors in the bank, people who buy insurance policies, people who buy shares in our public companies, people who have mortgages, all those financial activities, we've got to keep in mind as we talk about the stability of our finances, safety and

liberal side, sherrod brown of ohio. jay rockefeller of west virginia, tom harkin of iowa. some folks are proxies of the leadership like charles schumer ew york, who is the number three senate democrat and mark pryor of arkansas. i probably missed a few. >> this idea that is percolating, if this idea of dropping the public option for going the medicare route, would this affect support of that underlying bill? could it possibly attract republican support as well? >> i think this is more a case of democratic coalition management at this point, getting centrists to a very suspicious of big government involvement in the health insurance market and liberals getting them more or less on the same page. i doubt it would bring anymore republican support. i guess votes of two moderates from maine, olympia snowe and susan collins are still in play. >> what about senator reid? he apparently given the group a deadline of today to reach an agreement. >> he wants this today, because he has to rush it over to the congressional budget office for scoring, because how will you sell anyone on

i have called my senator here, sherrod brown, and he gives me this flubflub answer that means nothing me, and he will not listen. and not only did i call him, i called probably during the course of this last week, 25 u.s. senators. and most of the time their voicemail boxes are full. you can't leave messages. when you do, they are very kind to your suggestion, yes, we'll let the senator know. and i know darn well they don't. these people have already set their path. they know where they are going. all i want to know is can this thing be repealed when these rascals get thrown out? host: terry on the democrat line, you are next. caller: hello. thanks for taking my call. also i'm really a great fan of c-span. i think it's great that we are able to see our government at work. a few days ago i saw on c-span2 a policy discussion about health care in which one of the persons talked about an article written in 1994 after the present debacle called the institution, stupid, explaining that the reason why health care has not been passed in this country was due to the fact that the senate doesn't

you've got the senate, a number of senators from midwestern states, sherrod brown, debbie stabenow, there we are confident we can move quickly. host: thank you for being us -- with us. jared bernstein joining us from the white house to talk about the administration's plans to add $5 billion to an existing program of tax credits with the idea of creating new jobs in the clean environment, green sector. we have 10 more minutes until the top of the hour for open phones. we would like to go back to your calls on any topic. you can continue on jobs and the environment or anything you would like. jack kingston is our next guest at 9:00 a.m. eastern time. we will talk about defense spending and of legislation by the house of representatives that would fund operations in iraq and afghanistan. the final guest this morning will be joining us, john bresnahan from politico, talking about health care and senate rules. let us get a couple of twitter comments while we are waiting for your calls -- let me see if i can pull up comments. here is one that says -- that is a twitter message. if we could find

i called my senate -- senator, sherrod brown, and he gives me this answer that means nothing to me.e will not listen. not only did i call him, but i probably called during the course of the last week 25 u.s. senators. most of the time the voice mailboxes are full, you cannot leave messages and when you do they are very kind to your suggestion, yes, we will let the senator know and i know darn well they don't. these people already set their path, know where they aren't going. , went to know is if this thing can get repealed when these rascals get thrown out. host: terry on the democrats nine. all the cut -- caller: thank you for taking my call. also i am really a great fan of c-span. i think it is great we are able to see our government at work. a few days ago i saw on c-span2 a policy discussion about health care in which one of the persons talked about an article written in the 1994 after the clinton debacle that was called the institution, stupid, explaining that the reason why health care has not been passed in this country was due to the fact that the senate doesn't work. and wh

but i did want to mention that this legislation is cosponsored by senator sherrod brown and roland burris and i was more than aware and very proud that this amendment would have been the first time in american history that a medicare for all single-payer bill was brought before a floor of congress. i was more than aware that that amendment would not win. i knew that. but i am absolutely convinced that this legislation or legislation like it will eventually become the law of the land. and the reason for my -- my optimism that a medicare for all single-payer bill will eventually prevail is that that will be and is the only mechanism we have to provide comprehensive, high-quality health care to all of our people in a cost-effective way. because it is the only approach which eliminates the hundreds of billions of dollars in waste, administrative costs, bureaucracy and profiteering that is engendered by the private insurance companies, and that is the simple truth. we are not going to provide comprehensive, universal cost-effective health care to all of our people without eliminating the hundr

and senator sherrod brown, democrat of ohio, another champion of public option told reporters i want to see health care reform. there's going to be a good bill. your thoughts this morning. hollywood, florida. reed on the democrats line . what do you i this of this latest on the negotiations. >> caller:? hello? >> host: reed, what do you think. >> i am absolutely opposed. i think it case pitlation. it is false bravado on part of democrats. they failed miserably. i think it's, i studied in europe many years ago. and i was, i envoyed their -- envied their health care system 40 years ago. it is bound to be better now. i think we have one of the worst health care systems in the world. i think it is a tragedy. i think many more people are going to die. i don't think health care costs are going to be held down. i think this is disaster. and the republicans are probably, celebrating. and, they have brought a president down who, has, who had all the capital in the world and, i think it is a tragedy. >> host: north adams maine, or massachusetts. rick on the independent line. good morning. >> c

. >> ifi: senator lindsey graham, senator sherrod brow you all ve some more votes ahead of you. we'll be talking to yo >> brown: still to ce on the nehour, anti-government protests back onhe streets of in. after copenhagen, at happened and what's next? d the start of a week long seriesecounting the challenges facg the washington d.c. hools. that follows the otherews of thday from hari sreevasan in our news ro. >> sreenivasan: go evening. ch of the east coast struggled backo life today after weekend blzard ralyzed state after state with rord snow. thousands students and teachers stayed ho from schoolnd the storm was bled for seven deaths. newshour correondent kwame holman has our report. >> reporter: millionof pele from the mid atlantic to new england snt this first ofcial day of winter struggling to dig ou the onslght began friday night and coinued in some ples for 24 hours non-stop. the shington d.c. region was buried under nearly two feet of snow, fcing federal agencies to cle today. and everywhere commuters had to brave icy roads a slick sidewalks this morng. those who opted for blic transportati ran into d