that's it for us. carol costello is next. hello, carol. >> kate, thanks so much. have a great day. "newsroom" starts right now. >> i'm carol costello. washington by the numbers. day 15 of the partial government shutdown, less than 40 hours until a potential economic disaster of a debt default. right now on capitol hill, an eleventh hour deal taking shape behind closed doors. senate's top two men, democrat harry reid and republican mitch mcconnell say they're optimistic

they can finalize a deal today. later this morning, mcconnell will meet with his fellow gop senators to present a tentative agreement. the biggest challenge is likely in the gop-controlled house. right now, republican house leaders are summiting their troops to discuss what's in the plan and what their next move is. this morning there's a lot of moving parts and not much time. let's get the latest from jim acosta, at the white house this morning. good morning, jim. >> good morning, carol. president obama appears to be quietly working the phones in search of a deal. a gop source confirms to cnn that the president called senate minority leader mitch mcconnell yesterday about this compromise agreement. one thing we should also point out is that the white house is also signaling that the president does support this budget deal that's been worked out by the senate leaders. in part because it includes a debt ceiling increase potentially for four months. that would give both sides, democrats and republicans some time to work through this budget nightmar nightmare. >> mr. president, we know it's

been a difficult time for everyone. >> lo and behold, two experienced capitol hill brawlers, senate majority leader harry reid and minority leader mitch mcconnell may have found the path to budget peace in washington. >> we are not there yet, but tremendous progress and everyone just needs to be patient. >> reporter: both men shared the news on the senate floor that they are close to a deal that would both reopen the government and raise the nation's debt ceiling before potential default in less than two days. >> i think it's safe to say we've made substantial progress and we look forward to making more progress in the near future. >> is there a deal? >> reporter: but as vice president joe biden indicated by staying mum on the subject, it's not over yet. here is how the deal would work. the government funded through mid january. the debt ceiling, extended to early february. in a nod to gop opposition to obama care, changes to that law are also under consideration. including new income verification requirements for health care subsidies.

those are tweaks to obama care the president may not support. but he is all but pressuring republicans to take the senate deal. >> if republicans aren't willing to set aside some of their partisan concerns in order to do what's right for the country, we stand a good chance of defaulting. >> a new abc news/washington post poll finds the public is furious with the gop, with 74% saying they disapprove of how republicans have handled budget negotiations versus 53% who feel the same about the president. but some house republicans are holding their ground. still demanding concession. >> i like to do something where he gets something, i get something. >> reporter: barbara boxer compared the gop's tactics to acts of violence. >> i have to say when you start acting like you're committing domestic abuse, you've got a problem. i love you, dear, but -- you know, i'm shutting down your

entire government. >> reporter: now that kind of rhetoric will not go over well with senate republicans who meet later this morning to go over the details of this potential agreement. meanwhile in the house, house republicans are talking about this agreement right now, carol. and, of course, that is where all eyes will be turning shortly if this agreement does get out of the senate. and that is because house speaker john boehner has a very difficult task on his hands. many conservative tea party backed republicans are, of course, complaining out loud about this deal and some, as you know, even doubt the effects of a potential default that would would be present in the economy here in the united states and around the world. they just don't think it will be as bad as the white house than even some in their own party say it will be. >> jim, it sounds like the same thing over and over. do you know how many times we told our viewers about closed door meetings and they're close to a deal and this time might be it? it's depressing. >> reporter: right. this time there are only two

days left, less than two days left. the way this has worked -- you've seen this before, the fiscal cliff. you know, the debt ceiling -- debt deal back in 2011. it's when their backs are up against the wall and their shirttails are on fire that they start to get serious. and that might be why they're getting close at this point. i think that the odds are that they're working toward an agreement at this point, carol, better than the odds were about a week ago. >> okay. well, that ain't saying much, but it's saying something. >> reporter: got to be optimistic. >> that's right. jim acosta, reporting from the white house this morning. later this morning angry veterans will protest at the world war ii memorial, calling for an end to the partial government shutdown, as of right now, adding to the anger we've already seen at the white house. conservative protesters dismantled barricades that had closed off the world war ii memorial and lincoln memorial. it was a picture perfect moment for one senator, even though ted

cruz has actually been pivotal in the washington gridlock. he says the politics are just plain unamerican. >> why did the federal government spend money to erect barricades to keep people out of mt. vernon? why did the federal government spend money to erect barricades to keep people out of mt. rushmore? look, our veterans should be above politics. enough games. >> let's have a real conversation about our veterans and what this partial government shutdown means to them. veterans and their families could pay a much higher price. according to the va, if the shutdown drags on, it will not be able to send out more than 5 million benefit checks november 1st. that includes disability and pension payment force veterans and special benefits for their families n all, those checks add

up to $6 billion in payments. it's that loss of financial support that mobilizes the vets for next hour's protest. millions of other americans will feel the economic sting of washington's gridlock, if they haven't already. christine romans joins us live from new york to tell us about that side of the story. how much has it already cost us, christine? >> about $20 billion so far. that's the analysis from moody's analytics in washington that watch this is very closely. think about that, put it into context, economic damage caused by a hurricane or big storm except this is a hurricane or big storm, national disaster caused by washington. you can make up that lost economic activity if it's just a brief pullback and then things get back to normal. it hasn't been normal for a couple of years. when you look at the budget battles all together since 2009 here is the analysis for how many jobs have been lost, how much economic activity has vaporized and jobs lost. economic advisers, 900,000 jobs

since the budget battles began in 2009. mark zandy from moody's, he says it's about 1 million jobs, job loss tied directly to the fighting over the debt situation in washington. in the very near term, 20 billion just from this particular skirmish. longer term much more than that. we're seeing everything from veterans benefits to people using payday lenders, trying to get money so they can keep their mortgages going. there's been paperwork tie-ups. we know all kinds of different businesses from fishing to tourism to you name it has said this has impacted their bottom line already, carol. this is something that is not just in the process, in the halls of congress. this is something that is at our kitchen tables right now no, question, carol. >> let's talk about this, too. some states in our great nation are taking matters into their own hands, not waiting for the federal government to get it together. in arizona they're thinking

about -- they reopened the grand canyon, right? >> right. >> it will cost the state of arizona $93,000 per day. the state ewe of liberty has reopened but will cost the state of new york $61,000 a day. in south dakota, they've reopened mt. rushmore. in utah they decided let's open our national parks but it will cost utah $167,000 per day. those are state taxpayer monies, right? we think the federal government is going to pay them back. but will it? >> look, those are symbolic things, too, right? tourist meccas, very important for motel owners and business around the region. when you're talking about licenses to keep your business open, when you're talking about putting food on the table, wow, some of these numbers are really stunning. what the markets are telling us, carol -- you look at stock. they're up 500 points in the

last five days. investors are thinking there is no way in washington they could be so stupid to allow this to get worse. you know, i mean, the people who are running money in this country are saying no way could this go on forever. but people at home, federal workers and people who rely on the federal government for paychecks are saying, yes, they could be so stupid because we feel it already. >> yes, we do. sadly, a lot of people believe, yes, congress could be that stupid. because they can't get it together. >> what can you do? >> you have to laugh or you'll cry. christine romans, thanks. unintended victim of the shutdown. the first lady's garden that sprawls across some 1,500 square feet on the grounds of the white house. once carefully and beautifully manicured it's now neglected and choked with weeds, according to a foodie website that monitors such things. according to obama food,

vegetables are rotting on their vines because of drastic cuts to the national park service gardeners. a lot of rotting potatoes in that garden this morning. just keeping you ever informed. still to come in the "newsroom," how some republicans are characterizing the fight against obama care. why are some still pushing to defund the law? i'll speak with one former republican senator next. my mantra? trust your instincts to make the call. to treat my low testosterone, my doctor and i went with axiron, the only underarm low t treatment. axiron can restore t levels to normal in about 2 weeks in most men. axiron is not for use in women or anyone younger than 18 or men with prostate or breast cancer. women, especially those who are or who may become pregnant and children should avoid contact where axiron is applied as unexpected signs of puberty in children or changes in body hair or increased acne in women may occur. report these symptoms to your doctor.

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checking our top stories at 14 minutes past. we are expecting suspected terrorist al liby in court today. al liby was snatched ten days ago during a raid in tripoli, libya, is now undergoing medical treatment in new york for hepatitis. his wife says he has a severe case of hepatitis c, a liver disease that can result in long-term health problems, even death. heartbreak on a carnival cruise ship. a 6-year-old boy is dead after drowning in a swimming pool. passenger jumped in and tried to save the boy, but his efforts

failed. >> out of nowhere, i heard all of this commotion. actually lifted the boy up. i actually helped to prop his body up in the proper position so they could perform the cpr. everyone was crying. the family was distraught. they had to pull the mother away. and the father. the father was next to his son, pleading and begging his son to stay alive. >> drownings on cruise ships do not happen often and cruise ships are not required to have life guards on duty. nfa under fire again, facing allegations of collecting hundreds of millions of personal contact lists every year from e-mail and messaging accounts worldwide, including those of many americans. the leak comes from edward snowden, who shared documents with "the washington post." the nsa says it's focused on foreign targets and is not interested about information about ordinary americans. blackberry wants you to know it's not dead.

they published an open letter stressing its profits and commitment to get back on top saying, quote, these are no doubt challenging times for us. we don't underestimate the situation or ignore the challenges we're facing. we are making the difficult changes necessary to strengthen blackber blackberry. it does not mention it is for sale and has received a preliminary $4.7 billion buyout offer. for the second time in two days, a dry ice bomb exploded in a terminal at the los angeles international airport. police say the device was found in an employee restroom along with several others that did not go off. cnn's renee marsh has our story. >> reporter: it happened again. who was behind this second dry ice bomb that went off at lax airport? that's what investigators are working to answer this morning. last night the explosion happened at the bradley terminal, triggering a massive response, bomb squad as well as police arriving on the scene

there. now, there were no injuries that have been reported so far. but police say the restricted area where last night's dry ice bomb went off was not accessible to the gate area in the terminal. police also telling cnn it's still early in the investigation, but at this point they believe there is no link to terrorism. but what's so peculiar about all of this is this is the second dry ice explosion that was set off in the very same airport, second straight day. the day before, sunday night, dry ice was placed in a plastic bottle and exploded in an employee restroom that caused a brief shutdown in terminal two. no injuries in that incident as well. carol? >> rene marsh, reporting live from washington. thank you. congress searches for a debt deal as the house and senate huddle on capitol hill. i'll talk to a former lawmaker who is part of the push to find a bipartisan fix to the nation's financial problems. is there one?

could it be possible? i don't know.

exposing not only cracks in congress, but within the republican party. now speak out, slamming the obama defunding strategy along with the man at the center of that strategy, senator ted cruz. >> it was never realistic. you're not going to have a moment like this to leverage doing away with the central agenda item of the president. it's just not going to happen. so we basically wasted two months. >> we allowed 35 or 40 people, basically, to threaten to bring the house down. as a result of that, we're in this position. ted cruz was behind it. this was a stunt by him. as a result of that, the country is on the verge of default and the government is shut down. >> to change this law you'll neat a supermajority to get rid of it. we can tinker around the edges where there's bipartisan support. there's very little bipartisan support. we'll have to explain that to the people and say we've done

the best we can but we can't ruin or destroy the country because of it. >> joining me now, tim hutchison, a member of fix the debt, lawmakers pushing for a comprehensive plan to fix the nation's finances. good morning. >> good morning, carol. how are you? >> well, i'm doing a little better, depending on what the answer to -- your answer to my question will be. so, the senate supposedly has come up with a potential deal. sshlly what this deal does is it just sort of -- let's use that old tired term, it just kicks the can down the road. we'll have another budget fight, another debt ceiling fight in 2014. so, some americans might say, why bother? >> well, i, like most folks, like you, were fwlad that there's some kind of deal in the works. i hope it will pass the house of representatives. i'm disappointed that our leaders continue to take us down

this path of lurching from crisis to crisis, coming right to the edge. doing an 11th hour small ball deal that doesn't really address the underpinning problem, the great threat to our country, which is this unsustainable national debt. >> okay. let's start there. we heard what you said. so, this whole fight this time around was over obama care. was that a waste of time? >> it was a big distraction from the great threat. i think most of us see, which is the national debt. we were focused on obama care. all the attention was on obama care. when we got to -- we've got to reform our entitlements. i was there in the '95-'96 shutdown. one of the big differences is as bad as that was, there was a lot of negotiation from the very beginning and it was totally focused on the budget. this time we were off talking this obama care polish and not

focused on the real problem, which is out of control spending. >> okay. so maybe we should focus on out-of-control spending. i don't think any american would disagree with you there. but should those issues be tied to the debt ceiling? or should we, you know, talk like grown-ups in the halls of congress and come up with a budget, which we haven't had in five years? >> well, carol, we are where we are. there's plenty of blame to go around in washington, d.c. i hope that this deal goes months that we have before we ew reach our next big deadline will be focused on a thoughtful and comprehensive entitlement reform plan that will have bipartisan support. that's what fix the debt is all about. that's where we want the focus to be the next two months so that no one ends up coming to the cliff again with another small ball deal and not really traesing the great threat to my

grandchildren, to millions of young kids around this country who are going to inherit the results of our reckless spending. >> just another thought about this potential deal in the senate. it has to pass the senate, right, and goes to the house. a lot of house republican, especially conservative republicans are upset that there's nothing in the deal that really addresses obama care in a big way. right? >> right. >> eric acerickson writes in pa, quote, americans need house republicans to fight. senate republicans are openly hoping to blame a debt default on ted cruz. they want to blame him for everything. they hate being seen as the capitulators that they are. do you think the house will derail this deal? >> my great worry is that we'll stumble into what's called an accidental default. everybody says they would like to find a way out of this. one small miscalculation when you're less than two days away could result in an accidental

default that could have calamitous consequences. yes, i worry about the house. i think if it passes the house, it will require a lot of democratic votes for it to happen. they're definitely going to be some broad republican opposition to the plan the senate is talking about. so it's pretty worrisome with lots of two days left. >> who needs to be the leader in this? who needs to come out and make this happen? >> there's been a real vacuum of leadership, i think, all the way around. at this point, the pressure on john boehner -- and i love john and i wouldn't want his job for anything. but an awful lot of the responsibility now is going to fall on his shoulders, on what direction the house goes. they're having a conference as we speak. and i hope that he is successful in persuading cool heads to prevail. >> does it come town for him -- is it between keeping his job and doing what's right for the

country? >> i don't know if it's a matter of keeping his job. but it certainly will put his job in jeopardy. and he knows that. but i know john boehner and i believe he loves this country and he's going to ultimately do what's right for this country. >> senator tim hutchison, thank you for joining me this morning. i appreciate it. >> thank you, carol. still to come in the "newsroom," critical day on capitol hill for republicans as lawmakers in the house and senate try to find common ground on a debt deal. live report from capitol hill next. ido more with less with buless energy. hp is helping ups do just that. soon, the world's most intelligent servers, designed by hp, will give ups over twice the performance, using forty percent less energy. multiply that across over a thousand locations, and they'll provide the same benefit to the environment as over 60,000 trees. that's a trend we can all get behind.

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1ñp ♪ "first day of my life" by bright eyes ♪ you're not just looking for a house. you're looking for a place for your life to happen. good morning. thank you so much for being with me this morning. i'm carol costello. opening bell on wall street about to ring. we'll keep a close eye on stocks

today. futures are flat since investors aren't totally convinced washington can get a plan together to avoid default. christine romans is live in new york with more about this. good morning, christine. >> good morning. this is, you know, what have you done for me lately. that's exactly what this is, the dow up 525 points over the past four days, carol. they need to see real progress. they don't need to hear more about the process of what's going on in washington. they really need to see the result. and we're getting very close to this october 17th deadline here. they want to see something done over the next few days for sure, to make sure that we're not sending signals to the rest of the world that we don't have our act together. oh, wait, we've already been sending those signals around the world. they want to show that we have solidarity in washington to get our problems solved. until you get your actual deal, it will be rough sledding here. you could see volatility as the market trades on different headlines one way or the other out of washington, carol. >> christine romans, reporting live from new york this morning. let's see how that tentative

deal is going. the senate may be working toward a pact. some house republicans are saying not so fast. they're critical to ending this stalemate. here is how one of them, jeff denim of california, reacted to so-called progress in the senate. >> certainly it's good news to hear there may be agreement in the senate. really it's going to depend on those details. i'm someone who very strongly believes we have to get this $17 to 18 trillion in debt under control. we haven't had a budget in five years now. >> and that is true. we haven't had a budget in five long years. athena jo athena jones is on capitol hill. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. house republicans are meeting with their caucus, discussing this senate plan on the table. the basic outlines of that plan would reopen the government

until mid january, swran 15th. it would require a new budget deal be struck some time in december. it might address some of representative denham's concerns on ta front. the debt ceiling would be raised until february 7th. not what some democrats want. that's what's on the table. it only makes small changes. it would require income verification. federal subsidies through obama care to buy health insurance. the big question here is whether that will be enough for house republicans. certainly a large number of conservative house republicans who are, number one against raising the debt ceiling at all. bigger changes to obama care in order to raise the debt ceiling or reopen the government. we have some indications, certainly, that they could offer their own bill or changes to the bill that comes from the senate. once that passes the senate. of course, that deal isn't even finalized yet. some things could still change. christine romans talked about

how investors don't want to see process. we're steeped in process here. that's what's going on here today. >> we're steeped in process. give us a little glass half full. why should we feel hopeful today despite what's going on in the house right now? >> certainly we heard yesterday from both leaders in the senate, senate majority leader harry reid and minority leader mitch mcconnell. some of the most positive and optimistic language we've heard in days. people are aware that this debt ceiling deadline is fast approaching. thursday is the day. and a lot of movement needs to get under way before then in order to get something done in time. so, that's the glass half full. at the same time, we already have seen speaker boehner resist pushes over the last couple of weeks to bring to the floor of the house any bill that doesn't have majority support from house republicans and it's not at all clear that this senate plan would have that. so the question becomes if this passes the senate, what will speaker boehner do? will they send it back with changes, bring it to the floor for a vote knowing he will need

support? we hope to get some answers or some indication of what the plan might be a little while from now after this meeting is over when we see republican and house leaders head over to the microphones next to me. carol? >> i saw those microphones behind you. of course, when speaker boehner gets behind those microphones, we'll take it live. athena jones. only family with two living presidents, no stranger to health scares. now we're learning president george w. bush may have been in worse shape than we were all led to believe. we'll talk about that next.

former president george w. bush may have narrowly avoid a health scare. one of our most athletic presidents had a stent placed in his heart. over the years he told us he was

okay. just a few pounds heavier. >> fine. health's fine. probably ate too many birthday cakes. >> he looks pretty good, huh? sources, though, say bush had a major blockage in his coronary artery, 95%, almost completely shut off the flow of blood to one of his heart's chambers. erin mcpike has more for you. >> reporter: george w. bush has long been considered one of our country's most athletic presidents, in office and after presidency. the 67-year-old former president's heart problems may have been more serious than previously thought. a major blockage in a coronary artery discovered during his annual physical in august had almost completely shut off blood flow to one of his heart's chambers. a close friend to the former president tells cnn the blockage was in the ballpark of 95%. over memorial day weekend, bush

led these wounded warriors on an annual long-distance bike ride at his ranch in crawford, texas. bush notably gave up drinking alcohol on his 40th birthday. he was even listed in the superior category offitiness for men his age after an annual physical exam late into his presidency. his only hiccup was gaining four pounds because he said he had -- >> probably ate too many birthday cakes. >> those infamous eating habits may have caused the blockage to the artery doctors found in his august exam. bush had surgery next morning to insert a stent. >> 95% blockage in one of his coronary arteries doesn't mean he was going to have a heart attack but was at significant risk of a heart attack and something it need to be done. >> close bush family friend tells cnn that the former president is very grateful that the blockage was found and fixed when it was. he recently joked about his health in an interview with abc

news. >> other than the fact that i nearly bled to death when i -- excuse me, nicked myself shaving because i'm taking blood thinner, i'm doing pretty good. >> erin mcpike, cnn, washington. >> george h.w. bush has had his own medical scare this year. he is currently confined to a wheelchair. brutal firefights of the afghan war and refused to leave anyone behind. >> he was completely under control of the whole situation. he knew exactly what had to be done and when. >> all new at 10:00. now retired army captain about to become the sixth living recipient ever of the medal of honor. >> out numbered, out gunned and we have taken casualties. >> william swenson on the battle that earned him the award and how he says it went all wrong. that's ahead in the next hour of "newsroom." la's known definitely for its traffic,

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we've been watching this shot you're going to see. they're waiting for house speaker john boehner to come out and talk because house lawmakers have been behind closed door this is morning, talking about that potential deal that senators reid and mcconnell came up with in the senate. will they accept it? won't they? will they present a new plan to you today? we just don't know. we're expecting to hear from

them soon. athena jones is covering all of this for us. what are you hearing, athena? >> we're hearing that house republicans are planning on presenting their own bill today. this bill would also reopen the government until january 15th and would raise the debt ceiling until february 7th, along the same lines as the senate bill. it would also make a few more changes to obama care, including, for instance, this income verification to make sure those getting federal subsidies to buy insurance under obama care show what their income is. it would also include a two-year suspension of this tax on medical devices. this is part of tax that helps fund obama care. there has been some bipartisan support for either delaying or repealing the tax. that's just what we're hearing. more is coming. we'll soon hear from house republican leaders after they end this meeting where we can

hopefully get more details on what their plans are today. that's the latest from here, carol. >> we hear that president obama is very interested and kind of likes the senate deal. i don't think the senate deal includes this two-year suspension on medical devices or does it? it was senator susan collins' idea. >> reporter: that was what was included, coming out yesterday about this deal. senate gop is meeting today at 11:00 to kind of hammer this out. it's not yet finalized. some of the details could change. we also do know, though, from senate republicans who met with the president last week that he indicated that this medical device tax issue is, a quote, legitimate concern. that's what the president is quoted as saying. it's not a core part of obama care. and so while we have heard indications from the white house that the the president doesn't want to see any changes to the law, there have also been some indications that something like this, that doesn't gut the law, doesn't make any big steps to

dismantle it is something that may be able to win some approval. but it's still a question mark, carol, to see what this house bill will be, finalizing the senate bill and whether they can reconcile those two. carol? >> just to make people aware of what this medical device tax is, it's an excise tax on medical device. both republicans and democrats say it hurts small businesses. those taxes that are generated from the tax on these medical devices help pay for obama care. >> well, right. so, there has to be some sort of offset. there's been discussion of that as well. this is an example of how all kinds of details are slowly trickling out and we'll have to wait a little while for a clearer picture of all that will be in this plan on the house side, just as we're waiting for final word, what will be on the

senate side as of yesterday. we'll have to wait for final word after this 11:00 meeting that senator mitch mcconnell is having with republicans in his caucus to try to sell this compromised plan he has been working on with majority leader harry reid. details we're hearing trickling out and we'll have to see how it all comes together in the end. >> okay. so the flags are set up. the microphones are up. we're awaiting house speaker john boehner. of course, eric cantor will probably be close beside him, along with the majority whip. when they appear behind the podium, we'll take you back to washington. we'll take a quick break and be back with more in the "newsroom." [ male announcer] surprise -- you're having triplets. [ babies crying ] surprise -- your house was built on an ancient burial ground. [ ghosts moaning ] surprise -- your car needs a new transmission.

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just a quick recap for you. house leaders have been meeting for about 50 minutes. they've come up with their own deal to add on to the senate deal to, in their words, make the senate deal more fair to the american people to re-open the government and of course, talk about the -- talk about the debt default later on. next year, in 2014. so they call agree to kicking the can down the road.

talks over the budget and the debt ceiling in 2014 and they'll re-open the government. in the meantime. terror some things attached to that that maybe the president won't agree upon. one of the things i'm wondering about, in this house gop plan is this medical device tax. they want to eliminate that. would the president be agreeable to that? >> reporter: you know, that is a very good question, carol. for weeks and weeks and weeks, the president and secretary jay carney has said they're not going to allow a debt ceiling increase to come across the desk and be signed or something that tinkers with obama care. this obviously would be tinkering with obama care. the question becomes does the white house view this as something that really does major damage to the law? now, white house officials have grumbled that if you take this tax out, that partially pays for

the plan. so you would have to find some sort of offset that would help resolve some of the -- some of the deficiencies that would be created in the funding of obama care if you take this tax out. that is a question. and it just needs to to be resolved by the white house saying one way or the other. now, one thing i did hear from the white house officials when i was talking to them yesterday, is that their main goal at this point is to get a clean debt ceiling increase. they feel like that is very important for a couple of reasons. one, because they said no future president should have to deal with a congress with a potential default hanging over his or her shoerl. that that is just not fair to this president or to future presidents. republicans and even some democrats say, now there have always been negotiations around the debt ceiling. what's the difference here? the president wants to establish a new precedent for the presidency. there seems to be wiggle room when it comes to a continuing resolution. could you cast a plan where you have two bills?

you have some of these things attached to the continuing resolution and therefore the debt ceiling is kept clean and pure. at this point it really is sort of how they craft this thing in the last two days as the clock is ticking down that's going to be interesting to watch. but the president has said before, no conditions, no ransom. the question is whether this qualifies as ransom, carol. >> i'm reading over the republican house plan. and this was obtained by dana bash. it's complicated. maybe you can help us understand. the house gop proposal would modify the emerging senate agreement to -- special treatment, requiring all to be placed in obama care without taxpayer provided subsidiaries. >> right. that gets to -- that gets to, you know, what i think is a misunderstanding about the law itself. obama care, you know, provides

access to health insurance for people who don't have insurance. and so, there's a little bit of a political jab here. what's been said among conservatives, if obama care is so great, why don't members of congress take, why doesn't the president and vice president take it? they already have health insurance through the federal government. so there's a little bit of a political jab in there at the president, at the house, at democrats. the question is whether or not that really spoils the deal. my sense is if that is something that were to get out of the house, the senate would pull that out. senator majority leader harry reid is not going to accept something like that, i would think, and send it off to the president to be signed. >> okay. so something else that's in this gop deal. it says the house gop plan eliminates the special obama care protection for labor unions and replaces it with a two-year

delay of obama care pacemaker tax, which is the medical device tax, which places the new tax on the essential medical devices. >> reporter:. yeah. it also goes on to say in that note, there's talking points being circulated among republicans, that house republicans have the sense or the indication from the administration that they're willing to accept. we have not heard that at this point. that's going to be interesting how it plays out. as for the tax that you mentioned, that is something that the labor unions wanted. and no surprise that house republicans saw that emerging in the senate deal. there's some indication that it's no longer really under discussion there. and they're saying, hey, wait a minute, why is that in there? let's take that out. and a lot of this is who gets what out of this deal. the white house likes the deal coming out of the senate right now because the continuing

resolution would only last until january of 2014. that would allow them to re-open the discussion about the sequester cuts. because the next round of forced budget cuts in the sequester kick in in january. the white house likes that. the republicans are saying, hey, what's in it for us? you get the debt ceiling and the sequester, what's in it for us? and that's why you're seeing some of the additional measures added for the house republican plan. they're looking are for a way to sell this to the conservative tea party republicans who have said not nice things about the plan come out at this point. and they feel like on principal, they're right. and if it's not in that deal, it might be in a different deal, carol. >> we're still awaiting the them to come out and speak to the public. hopefully they'll be behind the podium when we come back. we went out and asked people a simple question:

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good morning. i'm carol costello. thank you so much for joining me. washington by the numbers. day 15 of the partial government shutdown. and less than 40 hours until the disaster of a debt default. right now, on capitol hill, an 11th hour deal has been reached in the house of representatives. that coupled with the senate deal might re-open the government. we just don't know at the moment. we are expecting house leadership to talk directly to you in just a few minutes.

you see the flaggette up and the microphones. until then, let's talk with athena jones. what's in if? >> reporter: hi. this deal would do a couple of things that the senate bill also does. it would re-open the government through mid-january, january 15th. it would also require that a new budget deal be struck sometime in december. it would raise the debt ceiling through the beginning of february. february 7th. but it would also say that the treasury department cannot use extraordinary measures to keep paying the nation's bills once they reach the debt ceiling. this is something that gives the trek treasury some flerks ability. they want to see that february 7th date to be a hard, fast deadline. this would do a couple of other things. it would include a two-year suspension of a medical device tax that helps fund the obama care. that has seen some bipartisan support in the past.

but it would require income verification for those getting subsidiaries to buy health insurance under obama care. that's something that the senate bill also does. but one controversial provision included in this house plan would mean that congress members, cabinet members would not get subsidiaries under obama care. that's something probably going to get a lot of pushback on the republican side. we also know if the plan if it's well received is to have a vote as early as tonight. >> wept to go to the white house and jim acosta. would the president buy into this? >> reporter: my sense is no. part of the reason why, carol, this was outlined sort of to me by a white house official yesterday that basically at this point, they see the senate as the way out in all of this.

they feel like any kind compromise that's going to be reached at this point is going to be brokered by senate majority leader harry reid and senate minority leader michigan mm contintal. i would be very surprised at this point if the house bill that we're e they're talking about would go through the senate to begin with the harry reid, i would say, would have serious doubts about this. and then it would get to the president and he would sign it. i don't see all of those things falling into place. essentially wh especially when you look at the thingings outlined. there are things there that -- obviously the republicans are accusing the white house of doing political things as well. i don't think it's going to pass the smell test. >> but athena, in two days we're going to default, right? so the house will vote on its plan that the president probably won't like, tonight.

and then it will go back to the senate. is it possible to get this all done? to come to some sort of an agreement? >> reporter: is certainly seems like they're running out of time. two days is not a long time when it comes to trying to get these two bills to reconcile. to make sure it's something that can pass both the house and senate. we know the republicans are meeting at 11:00. mitch mcconnell will be trying to sell that plan to his caucus on the senate side. ant hope was that the bill on the senate side could get enough broad bipartisan support to send it back over to the house and give it more of a chance on the house side. but with the new approach we're seeing from the house, it looks like it's going to be a lot more complicated that's going to be able to pass both parties in both chambers in time for the thursday deadline. a lot going on and very unclear whether it's going to be

resolved fast enough. >> so if it's not resolved fast enough and they don't raise the debt ceiling when they should, christine romans will join us now from new york to tell us what that might look like. >> well, look, if there's a deal at the last minute or a deal right now, you might get, i would say, no reaction in the stock market. it's already been up 500-something points on the assumption that they're going to get a deal done. even now you're not seeing much reaction to the stock market. because they'll believe it when they see it. your first scenario, i think, is you have a six-month debt deal and going out into the beginning of the year, you get no stock market reaction. if there's no deal? whats? one group said you get it down 10% right away. s&p down 40% right away. that go get their attention in washington. then you might get a deal after the third deadline. and then after early next week

you would have a market selloff that would suddenly provide all of these people covered to go in and make choices. and then you might have a recovery. just how deep the stock market selloff would be if there is no deal, no one knows. really know one knows in the bond market as well. you're seeing stress in the t-bill market. you're seeing stress there. but otherwise, the stock market is waiting for sanity and not making any big moves here today. >> let's go back to jim acosta. if the senate and house can't reach a deal, and i know the president said he would not do this in the past, could the president raise the debt ceiling himself? >> reporter: no. white house officials have said and the president has also said that, no, that the constitution

does not permit him. i know people talk about the 14th amendment. but they believe that the president does not have the constitutional ability to union alertly raise the debt ceiling on his own. it is important to know that the last time we got close to a default and the nation's credit rating was affected, the coming gave the president the ability to raise it. but that was done through a bill that was pass the by the congress and signed by the president. but they don't believe that he has the constitutional right to do this. the other thing that is important in all of this, is that you heard some house republicans and some senate republicans saying, well, if we hit the debt ceiling and go through the debt ceiling, they can do something like prioritization. you can pay these bills, but not these bills. and this was expressed by jay carney just recently, in their mind, prioritization equals default. meaning if you're paying some

bills an not others, you're in default. at that point, we're in default. i would say at this point, we're kind of experimenting a little bit in terms of how financial markets would react if we get into that area. that's something that the country hasn't done before on any kind of wide scale. >> it will be history making if it happens. when we come back, we'll take you out to the world war ii memorial where veterans are angrily pleading with the government. get something done. get a deal on the table. work something out. we'll be right back. stick with innovation. stick with power. stick with technology. get the flexcare platinum.

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behind the microphones to outline that plan for all of you. included in that plan, they're going to put things off. they're going to end the shutdown and talk about the budget and debt ceiling in 2014. so again, it seems that they're lunching from crisis to crisis. that's how some of you characterize congress. a governing style that many find frustrating and tiring and sadly, business as usual for washington. here is how jimmy kimmel summed it up. >> just when you thought congress couldn't do any less, somehow they managed to do even worse than nothing. it's almost inspiring. it's like the house on halloween that turns all the lights off and leaves a bowl of candy on the front porch. >> joining me now, congressman of new york. go morning. house republicans say they come up with a deal. have you heard any details? >> not a thing.

but one daley know is we'll have no committee input and it will go directly to the rules committee as all of this is done. we will find out about it after they finally file a bill. the things that we are concerned about is that it will make such a major difference in what the senate is going to pass. and once again having to vote a -- and it will cause a further shutdown. and we could take the senate bill off the floor at any time in the last two weeks. i called for votes on it three times in the house. and the republicans were desperate to vote in the shutdown, not a one of them voted for it. so there aren't democratic fingerprints on the shutdown in the house. and i'm pretty much concerned that what they're going to do instead of passing the cr to go directly the president and open the government, is they're going

to lard it up with things totally unacceptable. for some reason they seem to like the shutdown. >> john boehner is in a tight spot. he has to appease those conservatives -- >> no he doesn't. >> why, they're going to block it. >> all he has to do is put it on the floor. the democrats will pass it with the republicans who really want to vote for it. we had to do that with the violence against women bill. and we're perfectly ready to do that. and the minority leader said they would get it up to the votes. moat of them sienld the letter. what he's got to decide is opening up the government and being a responsible speaker of house of representatives is more important to him than appeasing other people who really did not understand when they voted to shut down, that that meant that the government shutdown.

>> it is all about compromise. the senate deal has some minor modifications to obama care. >> just a moment. the cr does not. ment cr was agreed on. the number was agreed on between bain remember and reader. reader passed his part. boehner couldn't do it. he could have done it. as you know, they changed the rules so that nobody else could bring it up on the floor. and i personally put on the floor tree times a chance to vote to the cr. it could have gone to the president that afternoon. it would have been the same bill that the senate had passed. >> i think everybody would agree with that on both sides of the aisle, that it has been a game. >> it hurts. it makes us look terrible before the world. and our citizens are totally misunderstanding of what we're trying to do. and yet, the speaker persists in continuing to play this game. why they want this shoub?

we've never been able to really find out. >> they say they don't want the shutdown. right now, not far from where you're standing, a group of veterans is protesting at the world war ii memorial, saying, hey, congress get it together. get it open. joe johns is covering that part of the story. >> it didn't need to be shut down in the first place. they could have kept the agreement that reid and boehner had and we would have avoided this shutdown. they didn't want to do it. they maybe appeasing some people. but for heaven's sake, do something for your country. this is totally unnecessary. if i can't make any other point in the world, i want you to know that at least three times with what i was doing and once with what another was doing, the republican had a chance to bring it to a halt and failed to do so. >> the saddest part of all of this is people like veterans have become pawns in this

gamesmanship. what are these veterans saying, joe? >> we need to end the backlog and need to solve -- >> this is the veterans for foreign wars. 33 groups being represented here. it's 'the military coalition that advocated for veterans and their dependents. they say they speak for the 5.2 million americans. and the point of the news conference is to call to an end to the shutdown. the veteran's administration has warned that it won't be able to ensure delivery of checks without an end to the shutdown. we're talking about $6.2 billion in payment for compensation but also for pensions, dependent care, as well as insurance. not to mention things like tuition payments. i had talk with some v.e.t. here

and they feel like they're in a political battle. active duty military and their families could start feel it november 1st. >> also, from their press release, joe, i've ascertained that they're really tired of being used as political pawns through this and they wish somebody would do something to ease the pain. >> reporter: i think that's right. and if you talk to a lot of different veterans, they don't feel a lot of times as though they're treated the best by the government anyway. and then on top of all this, they might not even be able to get their checks starting on november 1st. it's sort of adding insult to injury. >> the other interesting things that's happening, and i know you've liked traveled them all lately, people are going to the lincoln memorial, they're ignoring the barricades and going through. the problem is garbage is starting to pile up on our

national mall. that's appalling. >> reporter: the gore badge is starting to pile up. i've seen people on their own going out there and picking up the trash. we're getting self-help from american citizens at a time when the government can't do its job because of the shutdown. >> that's a disgusting sight. this represents our country to visitors around the world. >> reporter: yeah. and it's interesting, too, there's just so much shutdown. you know, there are plenty of places where the government provides bathrooms for people on the mall. but i've seen people searching for port-a-potties. >> it's a travesty. we'll be back with much more in the "newsroom." i spend long hours with her checking her heart rate, administering her medication, and just making her comfortable. one night britta told me about a tradition in denmark,

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checking on other top stories at 22 minutes past the hour. authorities are investigating another dry ice explosion at the los angeles international airport. the second to go off at laynce r l.a.x. in as many nights.

other dry ice bombs were found that did not explode. when george w. bush went to the hospital this summer, it was much more serious than first announce the. one of his arteries to his heart was 95% blocked and he had a stent put in one day after the blockage was detected. >> certainly he was at significant risk having 95% blockage in one of his coronary arteries. he was certainly at significant risk of a heart attack and something needed to be done. >> bush has no family history of heart disease. doctors have let him get back into mountain biking. one of the most wanted men is now on american soil. al libi was captured and he's accused of playing a role in the deadly u.s. embassy bombs in africa in 1998.

he's now in a new york courtroom. cnn is out the courthouse it morning. tell us more. >> reporter: carol, what we can tell you is he will be inside in federal courthouse about 12:45. he's going to appear in front of the judge and then the judge has heard a number of terror cases in the past specifically related to the u.s. embassy bombing dash aide to osama bin laden and he's accused of taking foe foez of the one in kenya. and navy vessel right after he was picked up. he was questioned by the members of the elite high value detainee interrogation team. but apparently his health was compromised so they had to bring him to shore more quickly than they anticipated.

>> we're hearing he suffered from a severe case of hepatitis c and he may be near death. what's the truth? >> the truth is that, yes, he did have medical conditions. cnn was told by his family that he does suffer from hepatitis c. one of the reasons there was secrecy surrounding his transport over the weekend, they needed to figure out exactly where to bring him and the kind of medical care that he needed. but doctors on board the navy vessel did not believe they could offer the care that was required. that's why he was brought onto u.s. soil perhaps sooner than anticipated. we're told that he's stabilized and he'll be in court. we should learn more about the illness at that time. usually during the arraignments the judge will say what sort of medical needs do you have? we'll probably learn a little bit more then. >> thank you. all right. we're going to take a break. but before i go, i just want to tell you what we'll have when i

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at restaurants from chase sapphire preferred. so you can be inspired by great food once again. chase sapphire preferred. so you can. all right. we're still waiting for house leadership to stand behind the podium and talk about this deal that house republicans have come up with to end the government shutdown. we know that the senate came up with a potential deal. well, now the house has come up with a potential deal. and it includes some interesting things. dana bash broke the story for us. what's in this house plan, dana? >> reporter: first of all, big picture. this is appears to be the house republican end game. you know, i say that with caution, because when we think, just when we think they're kind of realizing that they don't have the votes to do what they want the do and the senate and

the backing of the president that they will back down, it doesn't happen. so i just want to put that out there. but what house republicans have decided to do is to take the contours of what the senate democratic leader have agreed to, big picture, re-open the government and fund the government through january 15th and to lift the debt ceiling and keep that up extended to february 7th. but here is the big but, they want one more chance at putting their stamp on it. and their stamp in this particular bill would be to deal with the whole question of members of congress and what republicans say is a question of fairness. members of congress and members of the cabinet. and this bill would take away employer help. by "employer," we mean the federal government because they're obviously federal employees, employer help for

buying the health insurance if they're going through the exchange. to drill it down and sum it up for people out there who might work for a big employer or small ber, they know that if they have health insurance through their employer, they get some some cases kind of a big chunk of change to help them buy their health ibs. same goes for federal employees. they'll continue to get that from the federal government. this would carve out and make it impossible for the members of congress to get that help and make it impossible for the cabinet and members of congress to get that federal help. this is symbolic. it hurts a lot of members of congress who don't have a lot of money and others. but it's trying to make the point that they should not benefit from federal dollars to get their health care. it's been a very controversial issue. earlier versions included conversational staff. many of them take a lot less

money. that did not appear to be a part of this. so that would be one portion. the other thing that they're including are bigger issues regarding obama care. obama care, they would delay the medical device tax, which helps pay for obama care for two years. this is something that the president had said he didn't want to do right now. and harry reid the democratic leader says he doesn't want to do right now. this is in the house bill. there are changes in there. but house republicans want to do is pass their version of bill re-opening the government and extending the debt ceiling with their additions later today. and then this goes up to the senate and it would be up to the senate that they would strip out the provisions that they don't want. one other development that's happened in the last few minutes is that senate republicans were supposed to meet at the top of the hour, 11:00 a.m., they've

now delayed that and they're waiting to have their regular weekly lunch at 12:30. perhaps part of that is they're trying to figure out the dance with the house republicans and try to figure out what the coreography will be after the house republicans will pass the bill later today. >> having said all of that, should we see this as a hopeful sign? we've got two days until we default. >> i think the answer so that will be yes, if. this is a big if. let's play this out. house republicans pass this bill today. the senate takes it up and let's say they have the votes we assume to strip out some of the more controversial elements, obama care-related elements. the big if is whether or not the house speaker john boehner then

will be willing to finally take up what the senate passes even though a lot of conservatives will vote no. even though a lot of conservatives will not be happy. it appears just looking at this that, as i said, this is sort of john boehner and conservatives' last stand to sort of make their point one more time that they don't want anything, quote, unquote, clean, but they want to chip away at least at obama care as part of this deal to raise the debt ceiling, as part of the deal to re-open the government. but as we've said, we sort of been down this road before. that is going to be the key thing to watch. how the senate deals with it. but maybe more importantly, if they do pass something along the lines of what we've been reporting, a bipartisan deal in the senate, what john boehner will ultimately do. this is tuesday. we'll probably be late tomorrow, wednesday night, a day before the debt ceiling is supposed to

be reached. >> i know you'll continue to follow this throughout the day and the night and next day and the night. joining me now is our panel. good morning to both of you. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> the house has a deal, a potential deal that they're going to send to the senate. donna, are you hopeful? >> a little hopeful. i think everyone understanded that the clock is really running out right now and it's time to really put forward a clean bill so that we can re-open the government, raise the debt ceiling. there are a lot of issue that as you can tell from dana's report and that the house and senate may need to work out on the health care bill, on the future budget agreement. but right now the american people, they really just want the government to re-open and raise the debt ceiling and get this, you know, manufactured crisis out of our way. >> so donna is hopeful. david, i'll ask you this. included in this potential deal

that the house republicans have come up, there are got you moments for president obama. they want to eliminate the tax subsidiaries for the president and vice president so that they can force them into obama care. i'm going to read a line here. if the president and senate democrats are going to force the american people to live under obama care, then they and all washington leaders should not be shielded from the law. thoughts? >> well, carol, the fundamental point here is that we're moving very close to a deal. i think we're going to get -- i don't think we're going to default. the fact that the house leadership instead of waiting for the senate to send over a bill and then having conservatives revolt against it and vk a real mess in the house, they're trying to come up with something that keeps their caucus together. yes, i think they've got these little add-ones. but time is running out. but i think everybody knows now they're going to try to get this done before the default hits us.

the bad news is, they're going to keep fighting when this is over and it's going to go on and on and on and we're all sick of it. and this got-you moment, you know the republicans retreated on a lot of things. i imagine they'll have to retreat on some of this before it's over. they have not played their hand as well as they might have. >> and i think david is right. because the deals in both the senate and house, it's just like we'll deal with this in 2014. that's basically what they say. >> that's three months away, carol. and you know what? that's a lot of time to again, bring back a grand bargain. look at the longer picture. i really do think that the american people are just sick and tired of these, you know, every four or five months we're back in a standstill and shooting at each other and finger pointing. they want these leaders to come together and solve the issues so we can focus on what the american people care about, job creation and getting the economy

up and rung again. >> and david, a last question to you. it's been so big this time around. i'm surprised i'm saying that in light of what happened just two years ago or in 2010 -- >> you diplomat think it would get any worse. >> i know. >> and it does. >> is this a turning point? >> i think we're on a downward slope. we're picking up speed as we go downhill. and it would be kornl if we could bring back the grand bargain. but there's so much distrust now. and it's not just between parties anymore. house republicans don't trust senate republicans, vice versa. and there's extremism especially in the republican party. i think we're going to see a contentious next fews months. i would love to see a grand

bargain eemerge. but the atmosphere just doesn't -- the best thing everybody could do is go home for a little while and get over their sore heads and see if if they can recover a little balance in their perspectives in life. >> thanks to body of you. we'll be right back. i couldn't wait to see her again. but i didn't want her to see my psoriasis. no matter how many ways i try to cover up, my psoriasis keeps showing up. all her focus is on me. but with these dry, cracked, red, flaky patches, i'm not sure if i want it to be. this is more than uncomfortable, it's unacceptable. visit psoriasis.com where you can get refusing to hide, a free guide filled with simple strategies for living well with psoriasis. learn more at psoriasis.com

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dead lock in washington. first d.c. lange wishes in a stalemate because there was no plan to solve the shutdown of the debtcise. now there may be two plans. john avalon is a cnn political analyst. john, welcome. i'm just keeping an eye on this. >> thanks, carol. >> house leaders are supposed to speak. i'm keeping an eye on things so that we can go to that live. i kind of wanted to ask you

first off, what we've learned through all of this mess so that we can take something from this that's valuable. >> you're asking for a positive less ns to feel good about in the middle of this self-created fiasco? nothing yetst honest answer. we're in day 15 of a shutdown. two days away from a default. a totally manufactured crisis imposesed on the american people by congress. and they're busy trying to rearrange debt chiers on the titanic right now in the competing house and the senate. and it looked like it was this ways of morning, the senate to pass a bipartisan bill with broad support and then for speaker boehner to realize that he didn't immediate to be held back by the house and open it up for a vote. instead they're kicking back and calling the folks of the senate all that typical rhetoric.

and we're very far from a deal that saves us from default which would be a disgrace to the greatest nation in the world. positive lessons right now? ain't none to be found. i tell you one that will be, at the end the day, mesh suffers. >> you have a group of veterans on capitol hill saying police end this shutdown. we need our benefits. what are you doing? >> that's right. you know, the world of government to try to make things a little better for folks, the shutdown does the exact opposite. all the sudden when you ratcheteden it to the debt crisis, then you get the donors and you want to take on obama care and -- if the whole purpose of this tea party exercise was to try to instill physical responsibility and get people more serious about spending and restraining deficitness the debt, this does the exact opposite. it's made us more physically

irresponsible. and that's before we get our credit ratings reviewed. and this whole thing is a giant self-defeating measure about putting editology over problem solving and helping people. >> and they did not succeed in defunding obama care and they won't. what did it all matter? >> reporter: no. what it did was, it's the politics of throwing tantrumness a public place. one congressman complained and said it's hard to go back to my constituents and only getting a two-year delay in the medical device tax. i feel his pain, i guess. but again, he bears responsibility for that series of votes. this was always them trying to say they're standing up for -- from the "the wall street journal" editorial page on down warned that this was a fool'ser rand. but it's not enough to look

those folks on the far right in the face and say, stop holding our country hostage. >> on the democratic side it's frustrating to so many americans that the exchanges aren't working properly. health care.gov that you can't get on. how does that happen with their signature piece of legislation that they -- >> reporter: yeah. that's part of the scandal here. and it raises the ir-- it would have been a far greater strategy. we would, talking about how the obama care exchanges aren't working and how they spent over $300 million in taxpayer money and it's a defective website. but it's another problem with the republican strategy. weed be talking about the failure of this reform in the

technological side in the very least. so it's yet another fundamental problem with the quote/unquote strategy that we've seen. >> there doesn't appear to be any end game at all. we have two more days. we'll see what happens. john avalon, many thanksment. we're still waiting to hear from the house gop leadership. we'll continue to monitor that. we have to take a break now, though. great. this is the last thing i need.) seriously? the last thing you need is some guy giving you a new catalytic converter when all you got is a loose gas cap. what? it is that simple sometimes. thanks. now let's take this puppy over to midas and get you some of the good 'ol midas touch. hey you know what? i'll drive!

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let's check our top stories before we get back to the government shutdown. we're still awaiting house speaker john boehner to emerge from the close-door meeting to tell you about the deal that they've come up with to end the government shutdown. we'll get to that. in other news this morning, heart break on a carnival cruise ship. a six-year-old is dead after drowning in a pool. a passenger tried to pull the boy to safety. >> out of nowhere i heard all of this commotion. i lifted him up and helped prop his body into proper position so they could perform the cpr. everyone was crying. they had to pull the mother away, and the father. the father was next to his son pleading and begging his son to stay alive. >> cruise ships are not retired to have lifeguards on duty.

a possible break in the 2007 disappeared of 3-year-old madeleine mccann. on monday the police released sketches of a new person of interest. they even have the name of this man seen in the area around the time madeleine went missing when she was vacationing with her family in portugal. a young fisherman got a shocking surprises out on a lake in east texas. a lightning bolt struck in front of the 16-year-old. tucker owens was on a woet. he was fishing in lake athens on saturday afternoon. the lightning started happening a few yards in front of the boat. he captured it on the a camera mounted on the boat. today a retired army captain will get an honor long time in coming. it's a moment of compassion that he does not remember and may best describe the medal of honor

recipient. >> it was a helicopter ride into the hell of war and into the soul of captain william swenson who refused to leave anyone behind and spoke up when it all went wrong. >> what happened that day was a result of clouded judgment. it was a result of clouded judgment on behalf of people who did later receive letters of reprimand. >> reporter: in this valley four years ago they were ambushed in one of the most brutal firefights of the afghan war. he said his men did not get urgently needed air support. then his nomination file was said to be lost. now he is finally receiving the medal of honor, the nation's highest combat award. it was early morning when the column of more than 100 u.s. and afghan troops started up the pads. enemy fire opened up from three sides. >> we were outnumber and

outgunned. >> and the sergeant is shot in the throat and laying out in the open. >> he called out and said, i'm hit. he wasn't panicked. there was no indication of pain. i called out to him, all right. hold on. keep fighting. >> reporter: he runs across open ground dodging enemy fire to get to him. a helmet mounted camera captured swenson flashing an orange panel so the helicopter can find him. but it makes him an enemy target. >> he was completely under control of the whole situation. he knew exactly what had to be done and when. >> reporter: swenson and a medic. and then a moment amid the mayhem. watch as he gently kisses westbrook good-bye. >> i was trying to keep his spirits up. i wanted him to know that it was

going to be okay. and i wanted him to know that he had done his job. but it was time for him to go. >> reporter: swenson determined to get everyone out went back into the battle with others still under fire to find and bring out the bodies of dead american and afghan fighters. sergeant westbrook died a few weeks later. barbara starr, cnn, the pentagon. >> still to come in the "newsroom." closed doors and a closer deadline. what happens if thursday passes without a debt deal? christine romans looks at the realities of a potential default. at rest tends to stay at rest... while a body in motion tends to stay in motion. staying active can actually ease arthritis symptoms. but if you have arthritis, staying active can be difficult. prescription celebrex can help relieve arthritis pain so your body can stay in motion. because just one 200mg celebrex a day

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it is circled on the calendar and scarily at the center of the debt debate. thursday is the last day to avoid potential default. what happens if washington fails to hammer out a deal in time? are we really facing doom and gloom? christine romans is in new york to tell us. >> reporter: carol, here we are talking about whether uncle sam would pay its creditors or grandma her social security check. and just the discussion, the shutdown and not raising the debt ceiling has already hurt the economy to the tune of $20 billion. they say $20 billion is already

the hit that we have seen. now that could be temporary and reversible if this doesn't go on forever. this has been going on since 2009. you look at what that has done to the economy since congress has been arguing about how to pay the bills and make its priorities in spending. and we've got 900,000 jobs by one estimate that have been lost because of the debt drama since 2009. and they say it's more like a million jobs have been lost. so it it's hurting already. the worry about what happens after october 17th and then there's reality about what has happened. it's counter productive. it's holding back the economy at a time when we don't need to be held back. this is what's -- now what happens on october 17th? the sky does not fall on october 17th. but the markets may very well tell you, get your act together. you may see a big stock market selloff pushing congress to get some sort of a deal.

it looks as though the treasury has enough money to pay bills for a few days, maybe even a week after the october 17ed deadline by my math. but on november 1st, a bunch of bill bills coming due. billions have to go to seniors. you've got to pay the interest on your debts. all of these bills that are coming due. it's impossible mats. that's why so many economists and business leaders say you must raise the debt ceiling and get your financial house into order. >> the stock market is only down, what, 60 points. we expected that to be a steeper drop. why isn't it? >> because they don't think there's any chance in hell that they will not do something. it's such a dangerous and silly place to be that they're going to have to have some sort of a