Early Start's new website
Freshman member of 113th Congress Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) on goals for his House term
It was like the first day of school on Capitol Hill yesterday as new members of the 113th Congress were sworn into the Senate and the House. Among the freshmen joining the House was Republican Representative Ron DeSantis of Florida's 6th Congressional District. DeSantis was one of less than a dozen newly elected members of the house who have served in Iraq or Afghanistan. He's also a Jag Officer in the U.S. Navy. Hopefully, he's prepared for upcoming battles in the House. Representative DeSantis joins us now to talk about his first day on the job, and what he plans to work on. First off, he says he would not have voted for the fiscal cliff deal passed earlier this week.
Marathon swimmer Chloe McCardel on world record swim attempt from Cuba to U.S. without a shark cage
Marathon Swimmer Chloe McCardel is attempting to set a world record doing something that's only been done once before—swimming from Havana, Cuba to Key West Florida through more than 100 miles of shark-infested waters. But, unlike the one time it was successfully done before, McCardel’s planning on making the swim without a shark cage. The swill will take place in June of 2013 and McCardel says 100% of the money raised will be forwarded on to cancer charities across the globe. The daring 27-year-old from Australia joins us from Melbourne this morning.
Jessica Watts, cousin of Aurora shooting victim, boycotts theater opening: the invitation is 'almost unspeakable'
Five months after the tragic shooting massacre at a movie theater in Colorado, families of victims are outraged over a plan to reopen the theatre. Twelve people died and 58 people were injured when a gunman opened fire inside the Century 16 movie theater Aurora, Colorado on July 20 of last year. Cinemark, the owner, plans to reopen the theater in two weeks. The opening reception will feature a special "remembrance ceremony", followed by a movie screening. Families were invited but several family members are furious that such an event is happening in the first place. Jessica Watts is the cousin of Jonathan Blunk, a victim of the shooting at Aurora who died using his body to shield his girlfriend from the bullets. Watts is disgusted by the gesture.
She didn’t personally receive the invitation, which was forwarded from a victim’s assistance group to some of the families, but she read it. “It was very painful to read,” Watts says, “because there are twelve people, and one of those being my cousin, who absolutely paid the final ticket price with their lives.” She also says survivors have difficulty being anywhere near the theater. “It was almost unspeakable that they would give us this invitation, like it was a Hollywood premier.”
Her main issue with Cinemark is that they had never reached out to the victims before this “to offer sympathies, condolences or support,” she says. “And we have never had communication with them. But they went ahead and gave us this invitation.” She and eight other families have since written to Cinemark and decided to “boycott, not only the Aurora Cinemark, but all Cinemarks.”
Best Advice: Kamau Bell
Comedian Kamau Bell shares with us his best advice.
Rep.-Elect Ami Bera (D-CA) will be sworn in today to the 113th Congress
Members of the 113th Congress will be sworn in today. There will be twelve new members in the Senate, adding three Republicans, and eight Democrats with one Independent. Eighty three new members will be joining the House, 34 Republicans, and 49 Democrats. Democrats retain control of the Senate and Republicans will retain control of the House of Representatives in the 113th Congress. Among the 49 newly elected Democratic freshman representatives is Representative-elect Ami Bera, from the 7th Congressional District in Sacramento County, California. He joins “Early Start” live from Washington this morning.
Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) outraged over House GOP's handling of Sandy aid vote: says tea party doesn't care about red states
This morning Speaker Boehner is pledging to make a Sandy relief bill a priority in the new Congress after abruptly pulling a similar bill late Tuesday night, right after the House passed the fiscal cliff deal. That move had lawmakers on both sides of the aisle enraged and politicians in the Northeast venting their anger.
New Jersey's outspoken governor, Republican Chris Christie, said yesterday: “National disasters happen in red states and blue states and states with Democratic governors and Republican governors. We respond to innocent victims of natural disasters, not as Republicans or Democrats, but as Americans. Or at least we did until last night. Last night politics was placed before hosts to serve our citizens. For me, it was disappointing and disgusting to watch.”
Boehner says lawmakers will vote tomorrow for a $9 billion measure, with more money later. Congressman Frank Pallone is a Democrat from New Jersey. His district includes Union Beach and Belmar, both towns hit hard by Superstorm Sandy. Outraged this morning over Congress’ handling of the Sandy aid vote, he joins us live from Washington.
Rep. Pallone agrees with Governor Christie’s assessment that politics came into play here. He even concludes that the Tea Party doesn’t consider a natural disaster in a blue state as important as a natural disaster in a red state, and that is the reason why Speaker Boehner neglected the Sandy relief bill. “I really think that the speaker doesn't care about New York and New Jersey,” he says. “The fact of the matter is that he was afraid to bring this up yesterday, in my opinion, because the Tea Party and the right wing did not want to vote for the spending bill for…New York and New Jersey.”
Sandy Hook kids resume classes; CNN's Deb Feyerick reports
In Newtown, Connecticut this morning, Sandy Hook Elementary School students are preparing for an emotional return to school for the first time since a gunman took 20 of their friends, and their innocence. Backpacks are being filled with books and tiny teeth are being brushed before the kids resume classes in another building in the neighboring town of Monroe. CNN’s Deb Feyerick has more on the new Sandy Hook school in Monroe, Connecticut this morning.
House passes fiscal cliff deal; Rep. Jeff Landry (R-LA) votes NO, criticizes Speaker Boehner for undoing 'everything he promised '
The House passed the Senate approved fiscal cliff legislation late last night with a 257 to 167 vote. Rep. Jeff Landry is a Republican from Louisiana and a member of the Tea Party Caucus. He voted against the bill and joins “Early Start” this morning to explain his reasons.
Landry says he was opposed to raising taxes on anyone, “but we're hiding the fact that we're spending way more than we're taking in.” He stresses the failure of the bill to work on the “16.8 trillion deficit and debt we acquired on the backs of future generations;” the looming debt ceiling fight ahead. “The sad part about it,” he says, “all we did was basically take us off one cliff, only to put us on one that's much higher.”
Landry also expresses disappointment in Speaker Boehner, criticising him for allowing the president to undo the promises he made after the 2010 elections. “The president was able to get the speaker to undo everything he promised he would do for the American people over the last Congress.”
Avoid your own personal financial cliff; Personal Finance Expert Manisha Thakor shares advice
The House finally passed a fiscal cliff deal 257 to 167 late last night, averting an avalanche of spending cut and tax hikes in the eleventh hour. So how can you make sure that Congress' last minute deal doesn't knock you off your own personal financial cliff? While we can't control what goes on in Washington, we can control our own spending. Manisha Thakor is a Personal Finance Expert and author of "Get Financially Naked". She shares advice for healthy spending habits live from Albuquerque, NM this morning.
House passes fiscal cliff deal; reporter for the National Journal, Chris Frates, goes behind the scenes
A deal to avert the fiscal cliff was reached late last night as the House passed the Senate approved bill brokered by Vice President Joe Biden and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell. Chris Frates is a reporter for the National Journal. He's been following all this very closely and joins us live from our Washington Bureau with details behind the scenes.
On Twitter
