and small businesses and doing, you know, a few things to medicare, and then that gets us into next year where we can do bigger stuff like corporate tax reform and larger reforms to the tax code. jon: amos, what do you think about that proposal? that proposal, the whole situation is telling. we didn t have to be here. we all saw this coming for months. we knew it was coming. doug is right, house republicans did act. they acted to stop the defense cuts and stop the tax hikes. what happened since then, senate democrats have done nothing with it. i think president obama, senator reid, they have to bear some responsibility they haven t moved any of this house-passed legislation. it is time for president obama and senator reid to act. one thing an amos piece. senate passed a bill which protected folks making 250 and less and small businesses from a tax increase. that is collecting dust in the house right now. jon: well, doug, let me throw it back at you, this is the same senate that has
able to make it. harris: you talking about situations not necessarily weather-related, peter. reporter: yeah. this is true. they are politically related. politics. harris: a storm of its own. peter barnes from the fox business network. good to see you. thank you. jon: well, one washington resident having no trouble getting back to the nation s capitol to continue those fiscal cliff talks, the president. of course it helps when you have your own airplane. the president arrived at andrews air force base moments ago enroute to the white house as a new poll is out showing americans are growing less optimistic that our leaders will reach some kind of a deal to avoid a fiscal cliff. take a look at this new gal lup poll. it find half of americans believe lawmakers will come to some agreement. that is down from 58% from just a few weeks ago. amos snead, former press secretary for former house republican whip, ray blount. doug furnell former
time around. how can they lay all of the blame at the feet of the house of representatives? i would say, look, i think everyone shares in the blame what is going on here and but i do think that what you re seeing on the house is this, a almost a reluctance to take yes for an answer the president has put forward a plan which results in $2 trillion in total spending cuts. protecting tax cuts for the middle class and small businesses. 98% of individual, 97% of small businesses. he has talked about doing some entitlement reform. if i was republican i would say, you know what? that is perfect. i ll take it. that is stuff they have been working on for years and they weren t able to accomplish it under george bush. i just feel like the president has bent. he has worked and tried to compromise with john boehner and john bain are i think has to as well but he has 80, 90 house republicans who are unwilling to do anything on tax rates for the rich. jon: amos, how do you respond or how should jo
and that was a talking point for republicans over the last election. so, getting lectures from republicans on doing something on medicare is kind of ridiculous when the only thing that they have done on medicare is actually broaden a prescription drug plan over the last 10 years and made it bigger. jon: amos, what is your response? what i would think would be the best to happen for the senate democrats to actually ask and spend 2013 talking about corporate tax reform, increased government efficiency, lower government spending but instead we have waited for harry reid and democrats to act. now we re up at the last minute situation i think could have been totally avoided. but think, amos, we weren t waiting on harry reid. we re waiting on john bain are is trying to push the gimmick plan b plan through. i think that should be acknowledged there. jon: we ll have to leave the discussion there. the fiscal cliff grows every closer. are we going over it? we ll see. doug, amos, thank you bo
harris: president obama cutting his vacation short to avoid the fiscal cliff but house speaker john boehner says the people who need to take action are not in the oval office. as the investigation continues into the deaths of four americans in libya we re learning people who were initially blamed are back on the payroll with little or no punishment. unbelievable video. some aquariumgoers getting way too close to a real live shark. as close as you can get without becoming dinner. it is all happening now. harris: hello, everyone, i m harris faulkner, in today for jenna lee. jon: nice to have you up here in the big studio instead of down in the newsroom. harris: good to be here. jon: i m jon scott. there is deadly weather pounding the united states. a powerful winter storm bringing snow and driving rain to the northeast. blizzard conditions in some areas. it is the same system that brought winter storms and tornados to the south and midwest. at least 12 people have died in