Republican Leadership Welcomes Obama Back To Congress, Offers Stern Warnings

Travis Martinez, University of New Mexico-Talk Radio News Service

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) said during a press conference Wednesday that they look forward to welcoming back President Barack Obama to the Capitol tonight and hope that he's been paying attention to public opinion. Leader Boehner concluded that after listening to his constituents during the August recess, "the American people want the current [health care] system to work better, but they don’t want big government to run it.”

McConnell also asked for a bi-partisan agreement on the final legislation, but voiced his opposition to any health care bill that raises taxes or takes from medicare.

McConnell also addressed the need for Insurance reform, which he said most Republican members are in agreement towards, with respect to pre-existing conditions, interstate competition and portability.

Leader Boehner stated that the aim of the President's joint address may be to, “double down and put lipstick on this pig”.

Rep. Dr. Charles Boustany (R-La.) has been selected for tonight's republican response. Boustany has worked for twenty years as a cardiac surgeon.

Constituents More Concerned About Jobs Than Health Care Reform, Claim GOP Congressmen

Travis Martinez, University of New Mexico - Talk Radio News Service

Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) and Rep. David Camp (R-Mich.) claimed Tuesday that during the numerous town hall meetings held throughout the August recess, the focus was not just on health care reform. The top question being asked was: “Where are the jobs?”

Camp noted during a pen and pad session with reporters that only three counties in his district do not have a double digit unemployment rate, with one county nearing 16%.

The Congressmen touched upon health care reform, both reiterating their opposition to the public option.

“The American people don’t want another health care speech. They want another health care plan,” said Pence.

Camp added, “The public option is not the only concern,” but is “the most offensive part of the bill, because it will lead to many losing health insurance they already have."

When asked how will President Obama’s joint address to Congress Wednesday will be received, Pence responded “The Republicans will welcome the President back into the Congress respectfully."

Chertoff Explains Significance of Color-Coded Advisory System

Former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff explained the importance of the Department of Homeland Security's color-coded advisory system, noting that many organizations, such as the separate U.S. military branches, use a similar method of communicating rapidly. (0:43)

Chertoff Disappointed With Emergency Response Communication

Travis Martinez, University of New Mexico - Talk Radio News Service

Former Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff noted Thursday that while many improvements have been made in U.S. emergency response capabilities, more can be done to improve communication between different agencies.

"All of the groups need to make an agreement on the [technological] language used," Chertoff said during a panel discussion at the National Press Club. "We still have a ways to go."

To counter the current shortcomings of inter-agency communication, Chertoff suggested reserving part of the radio spectrum solely for emergency response, thus allowing responders to transmit voice, data, and video more efficiently through portable devices like BlackBerrys and iPhones.

The idea to scrap the system we have now or to wait for equipment to become obsolete is not a viable option, Chertoff warned.

$1 billion has been distributed to states and localities to promote interoperable communications.