Today i am announcing that in the coming weeks, i will be resigning as a member of the United States senate. Let me be clear. I may be resigning my seat but i am not giving up my voice. I will continue t to stand up for the things that i believe in as a citizen and as an activist. It looks like in this situation here when you have that ground swell of people on your side saying time to get out, you really cant be an effective leader regardless but he did take that opportunity to fire some salvos from the floor. Yeah, he absolutely did. Lets take a listen actually well get to Tom Fitzgerald right now. Fitz obviously a lot of talk about this one today. Reporter well, we can talk about those salvos, jim, because it really did open a lot of eyes. What he said when he was on the floor of the u. S. Senate today was standing there unaware of the fact that he was leaving the United States senate when the president of the United States and the Republican Senate candidate for the seat in alabama roy moore have themselves both been accused of Sexual Assault and sexual harassment. Franken made these comments today and in time did say some things that did catch some people off gou guard a bit. He then disputed some of the claims against him but at the end said he was going to resign because he wanted this to not be about him and that the minnesota voters that put him here deserve better. I got to tell you the reaction here has been resounding. No more so than the female members that we have spoken here to today. We caught up with d. C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes norton and virginia congressman Barbara Comstock. Both of them have been vocal about this in recent weeks and today reacted to this new brightest stars of the democratic party, tonight has fallen. The democrats sometimes painfully have stepped forward. Conyers longest serving member of congress and said hes got to go. The Democratic Senators have said the same thing about al franken even though most of what he did was before he even became a senator. So, it seems to me a new standard has been set. I think the focus right now needs to be much more on what can we do to right things for the victims. If somebody here in Congress Left their job because they felt they were being sexually harassed, how do we change that . How do we make that up make sure that doesnt happen in the future . Reporter it is unclear exactly when al franken will leave his senate seat. He said several times in his speech today that that will come in a couple of weeks. However, tonight the leading appears to be tina smith. She could serve through next year when there will be a special election and if she chooses to do so stand for a full election in 2020. That is when al frankens term would have expired. All right, thank you very much fitz. We also know that during his resignation speech today, senator al franken noted the irony between his resignation and the number of democrats calling for him to resign and the fact that President Trump had a lot of allegations against him and he is still in the white house and also the allegations against roy moore. Take a listen. Of all people am aware that there is some irony in the fact that i am leaving while a man who has bragged on tape about his history of Sexual Assault sits in the oval offi repeatedly preyed on young girls campaigns for the senate with the full support of his party. All right, lets bring in our path tonight. Jack bourbon and tv1s Rowland Martin both here tonight. Good to see you. Happy thursday. Is it a happy thursday. How often do you get two resignations. What franken dits the right result. Its a good thing for the country because i think theres evidence he did some bad things but if i were advising him, if i were a democrat i would say stick it out because the issue will pennsylvanias in january. You can probably beat the rap. What you did is worst Case Scenario you resign and do it in a way that you dont apologize for the story will actually continue. I think its worst case for al franken. Republicans are playing hardball. Democrats took out senator al franken and took out congressman john conyers. You still hav blake fan hold still in the Congress Paid an 84,000 settlement. Youve only had one republican woman Barbara Comstock of virginia call for him to resign and so the republicans are saying, oh, yeah, yall can take all the headlines. Heres the deal. I agree in part but disagree in part. The broader you might be right and you might be able to make that argument. Right . I am. Except for the fact that the democratic leader one nancy pelosi reversed herself humiliated herself contradicted and embarrassed herself on john conyers. She had the chance to make herself the leader of the womens movement. This is not just a womens movement. I want to ask you both about the hypocrisy that were seeing here. We have, you know, the Republican Party who is now reversed itself and coming back to support roy moore, the Senate Candidate from alabama. Weve got a president in office who had multiple allegations and talked about it on camera for Sexual Misconduct but then wre this isnt this should not be a political issue and sh not be politicized. The Republican Party does not care here about principal, about faith. When you have a Franklin Graham who says im going to pray for roy moore and his family yet for 40 years all we heard from religious leaders who were conservative is about character and principles. They care about power and thats why im saying the republicans are playing hardball. They want to win. Theyre not trying to win an argument. They want to win power. I represent women in this arena and capitol hill as you may know. For me you have to be very careful because when youre in the moment with a mccarthy you dont know youre in the moment with a mccarthy. Do i believe roy moore did some things yes. The sunshine not what berkman believes the issue is what we can prove. When you deal with 40yearold accusations you have to be enormously careful. Jack, shall we roll the videotape back because i swear about two minutes ago there was overwhelming evidence that al franken did what hes accused of. There is no evidence. The sunshine is this. Now you say theres evidence. I didnt say there was overwhelming evidence. You said yes, did you. No. I said hes probably done some bad things and i said thats the right result for the country. Theres evidence against both but the question is is that okay so what youre talking about now roy moore is coming to washington. Theres talk that. First of all the election is tuesday. Hes not necessarily coming. Well, hes coming. Well see what happens on tuesday but the point there still is an election but the point here is this. Republicans are not speaking about the issue of faith and principles and character, they want to win and thats what it boils down to and democrats. Both parties. Democrats by taking out their own republicans are being let off the hook because theyre not challenging their own. Fan hold is still there and Speaker Paul Ryan has not publically come out and said its time for him to go. Where are the 30 republin this is a very hard argument to make when you have the democratic leader, the leader of women in congress, throwing women under the bus, taking politics siding with conyers and now rowland whats to come here and put democrats on the high ground. No, i didnt. Neither party is on the high ground on this issue. I would be the first to admit that. Jack when will 30 republican women put forth a letter calling on congressman blake be fair hold to resign. What is the evidence against fan hold. Hes made an 84,000 settlement and did you not criticize conyers for paying a 27,000 settlement. I dont know the facts of the conyers case. I do. I criticize employees see for reversing herself. 27,000 a settlement that was paid. Guys wait. Let me jump in for a second cause im just curious. We also learned that despite all the calls from the media and other lawmakers on capitol hill that there is no law to release the names of all of the Congress People who have paid out these settlements with taxpayer dollars. Why doesnt a congressman get up and say maybe its a Barbara Comstock or maybe its nancy pelosi saying you know what lets pass a bill that says that we release these women from their none disclosure agreements. Would that be a good move. Yes, i would support that. I think all the information about any taxpayer money should come forth. I dont think theres any question about it. My only point shawn is that there is a huge danger when you look into the past and youre going to look when youre descending into the past and you look way back and there is no evidence and were going to have this salem witch trial, salem witch 1692, you know, goody procter is is a witch if all you have a mere multiplicity of accusations unsupported and uncorroborated and we dont know what that corroboration is its very dangerous. Isnt that whats going on right now, though. Its also dangerous to conclude that just because there has been a settlement that somebody is guilty. People settle cases for all kinds of reasons. But thats not what the argument is. I watched the president and ceo of the concerned america conservative group say on fox business that they should release all the names but of course they will also call for fan hold to resign. If taxpayers have funded the settlement, they should be released. I agree. That has nothing to do with party at all but they dont want to do it because congress has always wanted to be separate from the rest of the people. They dont want to hold themselves accountable. Weve been given the rap. I want to ask you both real quick, whats more Important Party or the country. Jack. Well, of course country. Well so if that holds in both chambers. Rowland. Faith, principles character thats whats more important the hell with party. Thank you both so much. We agree we have we get to leave on agreement. Great conversation guys. Thank. New tonight the house and Senate Passed a bill to prevent a Government Shutdown this weekend. The vote became as President Trump and both parties voted to talk about healthcare and daca. Thats a big issue. The question is what role gh play in the do. Shutdown. Steven cruz strategist joins us. Thanks so much for being here. We know this only extends this for two more weeks. Do you think that there is a chance that daca will actually come up as we try top extend it beyond those two weeks that this will be a Sticking Point. Well, theres definitely a chance that it will be a Sticking Point. Theres certainly a chance that it will come up as the conversation continues to happen and as both republicans and democrats understand that we need a permanent legislative solution to deal with the dreamers. However, i dont think that this is going to be so much of a Sticking Point that we see the government shut down as a result of failure to act on daca or of any actions that are taken to advance the legislation. You know, steven it sounded like for awhile when it looked like daca was going to sunset so to speak the president had some interest in keeping it around. There were some republicans that saw some value in keeping daca around but now it seems like those voices have gone silent. On the contrary, several republicans prominent republicans both in the senate and the house have introduced different measures that address daca and theres actually a lot of current conversation right now around the fact that these measures dont do enough to satisfy neither the democrats nor the republicans because they dont address the issue of citizenship and they dont provide the permanent legislative solution so im very hopeful that the president s deadline of march will be well met and well have an answer on the daca question. Remind our viewers tonight what will happen if congress does not act by that time. At that point, the president will have waived daca completely and so the people that are now the dreamers, children that came here without consent and as minors will lose their status, their citizenship status right now so they will no longer be able to be in schools, they will no longer be able to be employed and be contributing members of society. Weve heard both sides s come to some sort of resolution. How much weight or faith do you have that the democrats will be able to get this finished in time . Well, you know, its really interesting because the problem with the democrats has always been that unless they get to define what Immigration Reform looks like, they never get to come to the table and so theres always the fear that latinos will be used as a prop and a political hot potato but i think that the urgency with the president sun setting the current executive order for daca will bring everybody together and hopefully give us the kind of result that we want, a legislative solution that puts this issue to rest. All right. Steven cruz good to see you tonight. Thanks for coming in. My pleasure. New tonight civil rights icon john lewis announced hell not attend this weekends opening of the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum because President Trump will be there. The georgia congressman was initially supposed to speak during the event but he said the president s policies are an insult to the people portrayed t congressman lewis cited the president s fast comments about women and nfl players who protest during the national anthem. There have been several other lawmakers and civil rights leaders who say they will not be there. Of course the white house responded by saying thats silly, this is a time to bring the country together. No surprise there are two sides to this one. Yeah. This is day four into the new toll lanes on 66 and there is outrage about the amount of money its costing you to drive out there and if youre wondering if something is going to be done, well, stay tuned. Well talk about that coming up. I dont know if that is a mercedes. It is not. That the crew is riding in but we are day four of those i66 toll lanes through Northern Virginia. Live look tonight. Some commuters have paid out as much as 40 just to drive that 10mile stretch. On monday fares peaked at 34. 50. Anjali hemphill on the road tonight. Shes on 66 racking up big bills on her ez pass, arent you . Reporter yes. [laughter] reporter yes, we are. Luckily, though, the prices have not been as high as we have seen at certain times. When we started this earlier in the evening around 5 30, prices were peaking just under 14. You can see now were now under seven bucks but again, were just on the last few minutes of rush hour here. Weve been reporting all week though weve seen prices much, much higher than this and that has got drivers really upset. It also has 16 Northern Virginia lawmakers upset. Theyre calling for these tolls to be stopped immediately. They want to go right back to our old hov rules until we come up with a better solution. Theyve even written a letter to the secretary of transportation to try and step in. They held a press conference today. Take a listen to to say. If the tolls were four dollars we wouldnt be standing here. None of us knew the tolls would be this high. Frankly this was an issue there we had resolved in 2016. We had a very specific deal with the governor that we would make improvements and once they were made we would go forward with the tolling and the fact that this got out of sequence i think you know what, maybe we should have known better but the bottom line is here we are. Reporter now these lawmakers say theyre upset over this weeks toll prices rising to more than double what they say was expected when these tolls were first discussed years ago. And the fact that the tolls started before any added lanes and infrastructure was built to accommodate all these commuters. Now vdot implemented this new toll officially on monday. Now single drivers are allowed on i66 during morning and afternoon rush hours, but theyve got to pay a price. Vdot says the toll prices fluctuate based on how many people a during peak times of rush hour, drivers have complained the prices have skyrocketed. On Tuesday Morning alone they were as high as 40 to go the entire 9mile stretch of 66 from the beltway to roslyn. Now, vdot did put out their own numbers today. They say that these tolls have cut down travel times for drivers by several minutes. The average round trip toll price for the first four days was around 14. 50 in the morning, you were paying an average of 10. 70 in the afternoon, just under four dollars according to vdot. Now, vdot likes to point out the prices here are lower than the estimated average of 17. That was what they were discussing back in 2015 so they do say that is good news in this, that it is lower than what they expected but it is important to keep in mind, jim and shawn, that drivers who only went one or two exits not the entire stretch of the toll rate into those numbers so that is important to keep in mind. Thats the latest here on i66 tonight at the very end of afternoon rush hour. Ill send it back to you in the studio. All right, thanks so much. You guys be safe out in as you rack up all those tolls. Thats right. [laughter] some smoke coming out of the ez pass two. A look at news making headlines around the world when we come back at five at 6 30. Heard about eucrisa for mildtomoderate eczema . It can be used almost everywhere on almost everybody. The arm of an arm wrestler . The back of a quarterback . The face of a fairy . Prescription eucrisa is a nose to toes eczema ointment. It blocks overactive pde4 enzymes within your skin. And its steroidfree. Do not use if you are allergic to eucrisa or its ingredients. Allergic reactions may occur at or near the application site. The most common side effect is application site pain. Ask your doctor about eucrisa. Welcome back. Tensions running high in the middle east as the fallout continues from the president s move to recognize jerusalem at israels capitol. World leaders are calling for an emergency session at the un. There is the possibility of protests and hours ago the leader of hamas called for a new uprising against israel in the wake of President Trumps decision. The un ambassador to the United Nation center city warning north korea is getting more dangerous. Comes as the country says a nuclear war has become a matter of not if but when north korea says threats are making war unavoidable. [bell tolls] a somber ceremony at the world war ii memorial to mark pearl harbor remembrance today. Today marks 76 years since the japanese attack on the u. S. Naval base in hawaii. More than 2400 americans were killed when the japanese attacked. The attack sparked the u. S. s entrance into world two. Meantime President Trump marked the day by hosting a group of pearl harbor survivors at the white house. He also signed a proclamation for National Pearl harbor remembrance today. Mr. Trump thanked the veterans for their service and heroic actions nears ago. Were back after this on 5 at 6 30. This new day looks nothing like yesterday. Trails are covered. Paths arent what they used to be. And its exactly what youre looking for. In a noisy world. Northern virginias own novec is listening to its cust who want reliable, affordable electricity, Renewable Energy options, and ways to save energy and money. Novec delivers the most reliable power in the region. And customers are paying less for electricity than they did eight years ago. Novec is listening and responding. Thats because this notforprofit cooperative is owned by the people it serves. Novec. Listening. Responding. So yesterday when President Trump made his speech at the white house talking about the jerusalem switching the capitol there were something to and it had to do with the speech and the manner in which he delivered it. Absolutely. The white house today said it well, it was dry mouth but lets take a listen and you can decide for yourself. God bless the United States. Thank you very much. Thank you. You heard that. So, that wasnt the only time he did it. That was just the one there where it seemed like the president slurred his words. Again the white house today blamed what they said was a dry throat. Some people question whether the president was actually experiencing some sort of Serious Health problem. Again, the white house today said theres nothing to it wrote. Some people thought maybe it was a dental issue or something along those lines. We talk a lot on tv sometimes, that tends to happen from time to time. It was just a big speech and a lot of people Pay Attention to it. Yeah, you know, i mean, its the president so when Something Like that happens. Right. Everyone pays attention to it. Indeed. Anyway we hope you guys are paying attention to us tonight at 6 30 and we appreciate it. The news continues now on digital at fox5dc. Com. On fox5 plus. We see you on the final five talking healthcare deadlines next week for those aca markets. Well tell you what it means. Announcer today on tmz harvey just like old times, Lindsay Lohan back in the u. S. Of a, and she may stay. Its for music mainly. For music. She does still have to do a record. Shes still under a deal where she still has one record to do. Harvey if theres a statute of limitations, it should have run. See the record, thats all right. Were fine. Khloe kardashian, she was in santa monica and her disguise for being pregnant is going above and beyond now. Harvey its like whats the big reveal . Theyre saving it for their christmas card. This year they will all be pregnant and like put it out there. Harvey does rob get in the picture . Hes holding his belly too. Chris pratt was at the clippers game. Him and his son enjoying the popcorn. Cant wait until chris pratt unleashes on hollywood. Woman after woman after woman. Whos your prediction then . Whos your prediction