Congress ron barber. Meanwhile on capitol hill, Cruise Control or controls. Its House Republicans versus the Senate Conservatives as the tea party drive to defund the president S Health Care law hits Speaker Boehner against the texas senator named ted cruz. Plus with the senate set to consider Caroline Kennedy, a look at the intersection between policy and how it compares. Good morning, its thursday, september 19th. Well begin with more that were learning about the red flags surrounding the alleged gun map aaron alexis and the days and weeks before mondays massacre at the Washington Navy yard. Map aaron alexis and the days and weeks before mondays massacre at the Washington Navy yard. The investigation is complete on site. Building 197 is mostly reopened. But the probe into alexis background is just beginning. He sought help as recently as august. He visited two va hospitals and complained of insomnia and was given a generic antidepressant. When questioned, he denied depression. The doctors were not a waiver the report from Rhode Island Police who had notified the navy weeks earlier that alexis told him he was hearing voices. Officials looking for clues in to the motive revealed he had carved phrases into the stock of the sawed off soft gun he used in the attack. They read better off this way and my elf weapon. That could stand for extremely low frequency. But officials caution they dont know what the phrases actually mean. Vice president by ten biden visited the two shooting victims still hospitalized and the president and first lady will attend a Memorial Service on sunday. Back on capitol hill, we finally got a glimpse of some of the outrout r outram rage that continues to feel as if its missing in the days since the attack. It came mostly from the families of shooting victims who tried to reignite a debate over gun control. Were all different colors and classes. But we all have the same thing in common. That we last one, someone that did not deserve to die. I dont want another family to go through what im going through right now. I dont want another 15yearold to be having to pick out his sisters casket. There is such a thing as righteous anger and you have heard it here today. Its justified when our leaders do nothing. A number of reviews are now under way. Three by the navy, two more by the pentagon. When you know back in hiin hindsight and look at all this, of course there were red flags. Should we have picked they will up . Why didnt we, how could we . All those questions need to be answered. The Justice Department is looking in to alexis got the security clearance in the first place. Joining me now, michael isikoff. What more have we learned about the various security clearances, issues with alexis . Well, chuck, there has been a pretty aggressive Ongoing Investigation that the u. S. Attorneys office in washington here has been conducting in to the whole procedures of granting of security clearances. In fact they have made Something Like 19 convictions and guilty pleas among investigators who have done these background checks for submitting fraudulent reports. Claiming to have done interviews that were never done, claiming to have checked records that were never checked. And the u. S. Attorney is now saying hell ramp up those efforts and look at what happened here with the alexis security clearance. We know he was granted the clearance in march 2008, which is after that initial Seattle Police arrest in which he says he blacked out because fueled by anger, shot out the tires of a neighbors car. His father says he suffered from tells police he suffered from anger management problems. Why wasnt that picked up . There is the additional arrest, one in georgia for disorderly conduct, again in ft. Worth for shooting the for discharge of a firearm. All this is reported to the navy. But it never affects his security clearance which he can take with him for ten years. So when he goes to work for that Information Technology from the experts as civilian contractor, they say they know nothing about this and they checked with d. O. D. , the security clearance is in good standing. A lot of people looking at this saying something there are a lot of things that fell through the cracks and were there did people misreport. And by the way most of the folks that do these background checks are government contractors. They dont actually work for the government themselves, if im not mistaken. Exactly. Threefourths of the background checks, and there were Something Like 2. 1 million in 2012, threefourths of those are done by outside contractors. One of those firms, usis is the most prominent. Theyre already under investigation. They did the background check on edward snowden. And they denied yesterday that they did the background check on alexis, but we are told from sources that an outside contractor yet to be identified did do the alexis background check. Were trying to find out which one it was and how extensive the check really was. Clearly may not have been anymore extensive than making a phone call to confirm he still had the security clearance. Thank you very much for your reporting. I want to focus on the Mental Health impact now. There is pressure building in congress to address some aspect of these shootings. If gun control cant seem to be something that everybody can agree on, why not this. And why is this legislation on hold. So with me now is the author of Mental Health first aid act. Its a man who of course has firsthand experience in dealing with gun violence. Arizona democratic congressman ron barber. Congressman, walk me through your legislation and if you can, how you think your legislation could have at least helped connect some of the dots for the various warning signs that were there with alexis. I would like do that, but first let me say, chuck, to the families, the survivors and also the families who lost loved ones, i really am heartsick and i acceptsend my condolences to. I know whats happening in knows families and i want to make sure im thinking of them and sending my best wishes and praryers. As far as the legislation goes, if question perform parents, teachers, make them more aware of what theyre seeing, what the Treatment Options are available, services, and know how to dehe is askdeescalate a crisis, i th we can minimize to some degree the dangerous activities of people who go over the edge. In tucson, the shooter was displaying serious Mental Health issues for at least two years. Parents, students, the college all saw something, but they never put it together. The act provides training across the country to all of these First Responders and others who night come in to contact to give them a better understanding of mental illness, what theyre seeing and understanding what theyre seeing and knowing how to get someone into treatment. And thats really the focus of the bill. Its gathering a lot of support both in the senate and house. Im very hopeful we might pass this bill. It seems if there is ever a road block when it comes to Mental Health, it always comes to one word. The word is privacy. What is the line here between what kind of power do outsiders have in sort of forcing somebody who might have who might appear to have some Mental Health issues to get the treatment that they need. Well, what we do know is that at least in arizona, and i believe its true in many states if not all, Police Officer who responds to a situation where they feel the person is displaying simple tomorrows s they feel the person is displaying simple tomorrowymptos mental illness, they can take that person for at least a 72 hour observation by a professional in the field of Mental Health. That could well lead to a desire and need to have that person in treatment, whether voluntarily or involuntarily. And i think we need to make sure that our First Responders have a lot more information about what theyre seeing and knowing what to do about it when they see it. This is not panacea. This is not cure all by any means. We have a lot of things we need to do. But we need to focus a lot of attention and i think well get bipartisan support for attention on Mental Health services, making early identification and treatment more available. The bipartisan support appears to be already there. We know what happened during the entire manchintoomey debate. Senator reid has said he wants to link anything on Mental Health with an effort on the expanded background checks. That may be your preference. I dont know. But do you want to not see your bill pass if it ends up if it gets tied to the gun control, politics of that, and then your bill doesnt pass, is that a failure . Well, i certainly didnt want to see the Mental Health bill in the house or the senate for that matter go down. I think its important that we go forward. I also believe that expanded background checks are an important part of the answer. We have ten categories of people in this country including people who are seriously mental ill who should not be able to buy a gun. As long as we have gaps in that background system, people can get a gun. If theyre linked and they go down together, that would not be a good thing. I hope we can get the Mental Health bill through and see background checks expanded. Do you want to see them go separately then . If thats the way we have to go. Leadership will make their decisions. I know from the leadership of the Majority Party in the house my sense is that they want to have a Mental Health bill, a package, if you will, of bills including the one that ive proposed to go forward and probably not deal with background check issue. Thats where we stand. I think we have two different approaches in the two different chambe chambers. Ron barber, thanks for on coming on this morning. Thank yyou very much. Still ahead here, a new way to get an early look at who is looking stronger for the Midterm Election and the balance of power in the house and senate. Well pick apart some interesting numbers that we have put together. Nine months worth of data and comparing to 2009. Well explain. Plus more of this mornings first read. Are we on track for a shutdown or another last minute deal that just puts things off for a few more weeks . But first here is a look at todays politics planner. Vice president by the way meeting with King Abdullah of jordan today here in d. C. Mr. Boehner has a meeting with mr. Facebook. And then of course the president speaks to the export council. Youre watching the daily rundown brought to you by styx apparently. Fe driving bonus che. Rock beats scissors [ chuckles ] wife beats rock. And with two checks a year, everyone wins. [ female announcer ] switch today and get two safe driving bonus checks a year for driving safely. Only from allstate. Call 8669068500 now. [ dennis ] zach really loves his new camera. Problem is. This isnt zach. Its a friend of a friend who was at zachs party and stole his camera. But zachs got it covered. With allstate renters insurance. [ female announcer ] protect your valuables for as low as 4 a month when you add renters insurance to your allstate auto policy. Call 8669068500 now. What are you doing . Were switching Car Insurance. Why . Because these guys are the cheapest. Why . Good question. Because a cutrate price could mean cutrate protection. You should listen to this guy. [ female announcer ] with allstate you get great protection and a great price, plus an agent drivers who switched saved an average of 498 a year. Call now and see how much you can save. Just a few more ways allstate is changing Car Insurance for good. [ female announcer ] call an allstate agent and get a quote now. [ male announcer ] bobs heart attack didnt come with a warning. Today his doctor has him on a bayer aspirin regimen to help reduce the risk of another one. If youve had a heart attack, be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. Back now with more of first read. Wash, rinse, repeat. Setting the country up for yet another budget crisis and more economic uncertainty. Back in march, Speaker Boehner argued risking a Government Shutdown to defund the president S Health Care plan was a losing strategy. If we were to put obamacare into the cr and send it over to the senate, we were risking shutting down the government. That is not our goal. Do you want to risk the full faith and credit of the United States government over obamacare . Thats a very tough argument to make. But yesterday after losing that argument, among house conservatives, boehner decided if you cant beat them, join them and he officially capitulated. Were going to continue on do everything we can to repeal the president s failed Health Care Law. This week, the house will pass the cr that locks sequester savings in and defunds obamacare. By playing the game of survival in the party versus survival of the party, boehner chose a very perilous political path, if this crisis is not resolved by october 1st, the government will shut down. Ir ir ironicily the same Day Health Care exchanges are set to open up fp boehner may have set up the best chance the president has to get the public to rally around hiS Health Care law which isnt very popular right now. The president did his best to take advantage wednesday in his remarks to the business round table. You have never seen in the history of the United States the debt ceiling or the threat of pot raising the debt ceiling being used to extort a president or a governing party and trying to force issues that have nothing to do with the budget and have nothing to do with the debt. And of course this is now turning in to potentially a lose lose situation. The effort to defund the Health Care Law raises expectations for the conservative base. What happens if the feel legislation doesnt touch Health Care Law at all . Moderates in the party have not been thrilled. We cant let the government shut down. Complaint be kamikazes. But the capitulation was still not enough for some in the cruz crowd. Be kamikazes. But the capitulation was still not enough for some in the cruz crowd. Harry reid will no doubt try to strip the defund language from the resolution and right now he likely has the votes to do so. House republicans must tap firm. While his statement enraged some House Republicans who believe cruz is somehow now passing the buck. Tim griffin tweeted, so far senator rs are good at getting facebook likes and town halls, not much else. Do something. Asked to respond, a boehner spos map said we trust republicans in the senate will put up a fight worthy of the challenge that obamacare poses. Perhaps this is boehners exit strategy, what he and out republicans might be telegraphing is if Senate Conservatives cant stand firm against harry reid, then House Republicans arent going to go down wloon on this either. Its not clear, though, what success looks like for boehner and House Republicans if health care is not involved. Any sane person knows the Obama White House is not going to negotiate over the president s signature necessary tick chief thement in any way, shape or form. How does bay per get a win here . Thats the Million Dollar question. One more thing, shutting down the government doesnt actually affect the implementation of the Health Care Law. As a report stated back in late july. Quote, it appears substantial you were prepa implementation of the law might continue during lapse of appropriations that result in a temporary Government Shutdown. Meanwhile ben bernanke warned it could have serious consequences for the economy and the fed surprised investors by announcing it will keep buying government and mortgage bonds. Maybe because of all this. Saying the u. S. Economy is too weak to stand on its open and because of that the market soared. The dow spiked more than 100 points after the fed announcement closing at 15,676. The s p 500 jumped to a new high of 1725. Both posted their best day since june 13. Nasdaq closed up 1 . With me now, jack markow of delaware. So the fed announced the economy is not doing well. You cant look at it any other way. The fed wouldnt be doing if they thought the economy was doing well. I think there are millions of americans who would agree. The people across the country love to be working and who arent better your state is having a harder time than others getting out of this recession. Id say over the last year our employment growth has been better than the nations. But id also say as long as there is a single delawarean who is not work whog waing who want being we have work to do. Moodys said more than any other state delaware is at risk of recession. Why did they say that . In it w it was a bit of a strange report because weve been better than th