we have a number of reports tonight, and start our coverage with jonathan karl on capitol hill. jon? >> reporter: charlie, with the big speech over, today the challenge for the president is to get a divided democratic majority here on capitol hill to unite behind a single plan to reform health care. the speech was aimed at a congress deadlocked over health care reform. >> the time for bickering is over. the time for games has passed. now is the season for action. >> reporter: to democratic leaders, a smashing success. >> a game changer. >> a tour de force. >> an amazing performance. >> reporter: in reality, it's not clear if the president's speech changed much of anything, it certainly didn't convince republicans. >> bottom line, i thought the speech was partisan, uninformative, disingenuous. >> unfortunately, what the american people got wasn't a new health care plan, it was just another lecture. >> reporter: but what the president needed most was to unify those bickering in his own party, divided on whether to create a new government-run insurance program or public option. mod

here's jonathan karl on capitol hill. jon? >> reporter: charlie, this is the health care bill that tracks closest to what the president outlined in his speech last week, but it has hit capitol hill with a thud. >> reporter: senate finance committee chairman max baucus was all alone when he unveiled it. >> this is a good bill. this is a balanced bill. it can pass the senate. >> reporter: the bill is the product of relentless negotiations with moderate democrats and republicans. based on the principles outlined by the white house, the bill would require most americans to buy health insurance or pay fines of up to $950 for individuals, $3,800 for families. expand medicaid, making more people eligible. give money to those with household incomes up to $66,000 to buy insurance, and ban insurance companies from denying coverage for those with pre-existing conditions. for all the negotiating, not one republic endorsed the bill today. but more troubling for the white house, was the avalanche of democratic opposition. democrat ron wyden

here's jonathan karl. >> reporter: it's not often you hear language like this on the senate floor. >> "shut up," this government says, "don't communicate with your customers. be quiet and get in line." >> reporter: he's talking about this order issued last night by the department of health and human services, telling insurance companies who serve medicare recipients to stop "misleading" and "confusing" mailings, saying, quote, we are instructing you to immediately discontinue all such mailings, and remove any related materials from your websites. the extraordinary order came in response to a mailing the humana insurance company sent customers in the medicare advantage program. the humana mailing warned that because of medicare cuts in the health care reform bills, quote, "millions of seniors and disabled individuals could lose many important benefits and services." max baucus says it is misleading to say his bill cuts medicare benefits and ordered the hhs to investigate, prompting the gag order. some legal experts say the order is unconstitutional. senator mcconnell agrees. >> we cann

jonathan karl, abc news, capitol hill. >>t's a good bet they're burning the midnight oil at the senate offices. there are those 500 amendments. max baucus wants those gone through by friday. >> it sounds like baucus's bill does not have a public option. they're talking about nonprofit co-ops to compete with insurance companies. it's going to be a long night needless to say. when we come back, why chimps attack. >> a deadly incident earlier this year, it raised serious questions about keeping chimps at home. stay with us. >> congress is also looking into the keeping of domestic chimps. we were talking about it right before we went to break. >> the subject came to light earlier this year when a chimp attacked a woman leaving her blind d without hands. vicki mabrey looks at the vicious assauland what may have caused it. >> oh, those crazy chimps, so cute, friendly and trainable. in commercials they're so human like they almost could work in your office or direct the band. or learn to dance. this is travis, who appeared with a

. >> reporter: jonathan karl, abc news, capitol hill. >>> vice president joe biden will meet with prime minister nouri al maliki, and other officials in baghdad today. the vice president arrived yesterday on a three-day mission. talks are focused on security, elections, syria and the u.s. troop withdrawal. also yesterday, insurgents fired mortar shells at the city's green zone. two civilians were killed. bumrbiden was not in any danger. >>> a pakistani man involved in the raid in new york city, denies he has any terrorist connections. officials confirm that naji, who was visiting from his home in colorado, was under surveillance for ties in colorado. >> of course, i have nothing to do with any al qaeda. and any link with al qaeda. and tomorrow, any question you have, feel free to ask me. >> zazi is from pakistan. he plans to hold a news conference today. >>> now, for this morning's weather from around the nation. stl stormy across the south today, with thunderstorm, heavy rain and ongoing flooding from east texas, and oklahoma to florida. some of the showers extend up the east coast, al

jonathan karl is on capitol hill. >> max baucus was all alone when he unveiled it. >> this is a good bill. this is a balanced bill. it can pass the senate. >> reporter: the bill is the product of relentless negotiations with moderate democrats and republicans. based on the principles outlined by the white house, the bill would require most americans to buy health insurance or pay fines of up to $900 for individuals, $3,800 for families. expand medicaid making more people eligible, give money to those with household incomes up to $66,000 to buy insurance and ban insurance companies from denying coverage for those with preexisting conditions. for all the negotiating not one republican endorsed the bill. democrat ron wyden told us the bill would force many people to buy health care they could not afford. >> under the draft proposals, certainly some significant number of middle-class folks could end up paying more, yes. >> reporter: and that's a problem for you? >> it doesn't pass the smell test. >> reporter: senator jay rockefeller called the bill a big, big tax on the middle class and

. >> reporter: jonathan karl, abc news, capitol hill. >>> vice president joe biden will meet with prime minister nouri al maliki, and other officials in baghdad today. the vice president arrived yesterday on a three-day mission. talks are focused on security, elections, syria and the u.s. troop withdrawal. also yesterday, insurgents fired mortar shells at the city's green zone. two civilians were killed. but mr. biden was not in any danger. >>> a pakistani man involved in the raid in new york city, denies he has any terrorist connections. officials confirm that naji, who was visiting from his home in colorado, was under surveillance for ties in colorado. >> of course, i have nothing to do with any al qaeda. and any link with al qaeda. and tomorrow, any question you have, feel free to ask me. >> zazi is from pakistan. he plans to hold a news conference today. >>> now, for this morning's weather from around the nation. still stormy across the south today, with thunderstorm, heavy rain and ongoing flooding from east texas, and oklahoma to florida. some of the showers extend up the east coa

. >> jonathan karl, who covers congress for us, jon, what are the big hangups in terms of getting the democratic support they need to pass a bill in the house and senate? >> well, the biggest hangup, george alluded to it, to create a government-run insurance program that would compete with private insurance. and you've got a situation now, charlie, where a government-run plan, a so-called public option, could not pass in the senate, and you hear from democratic leaders in the house that a bill without a government option would not pass in the house. so, there's a real deadlock on this, but what you've got to remember is that this president will be coming into a chamber looking at the biggest democratic majority in congress in more than a generation, and underlying all the disagreement, there's a sense here among democratic leaders that with this, with some presidential leadership, they will get something passed. this is his top priority. this is their president. but they've overcome it. >> jake tapper who coverers the white house, also there at the capitol tonight, and jake, bill clin

jonathan karl, abc news, capitol hill. >> former president jimmy carter said congressman wilson's remark went deeper than a simple disagreement over the nation's health care system, that it was rooted in racism. the nation's 39th president also said some of the images at recent tea party events cross the line. >> i think an overwhelming portion of the intently demonstrated animosity toward president barack obama is based on the fact that he is a black man, that he's african-american. it's an abominable circumstance and grieves me and concerns me very deeply. >> reporter: wilson's son defended his father saying there is not a racist bone in his body, he doesn't even laugh at distasteful jokes. i know my dad and it's just not him. >> now to the issue that touched off the comment, health care reform. >> democratic senator max baucus is set to out line a detailed version of his legislation today. that drew a sharp response from charles grassley who said there's every reason to keep working on the bill until they get it right. >> now to the economy. it looks like americans who weren't on vaca

our senior congressional correspondent, jonathan karl, has more on that. >> reporter: welcome to the greenbriar valley airport, gateway to the greenbriar valley resort. a place where the rooms start at 500 bucks a night. the airport is about to get $2 million of stimulus funds to spruce up the terminal building. there's only two commercial right theres a day, like this one, at the greenbrier airport. and on arch, those planes only have three to nine passengers. and on this flight, the airport workers load a single piece of luggage. there are two pilots and two passengers. your tax dollars keep this airport in business. in addition to the stimulus money, the federal government subsidizes commercial flights here to the tune of about $562 per passenger. locals say the money is well spent. >> the most important thing we can have is an easier way for guests to get to the greenbrier. it doesn't befit just the greenbrier. it benefits the entire region. >> reporter: in alaska, millions of dollars are going to airports that make the greenbrier look like o'hare. the ouzinkie just hit the jackp

our senior congressional correspondent, jonathan karl, has more on that. >> reporter: welcome to the greenbriar valley airport, gateway to the greenbriar valley resort. a place where the rooms start at 500 bucks a night. the airport is about to get $2 million of stimulus funds to spruce up the terminal building. there's only two commercial right theres a day, like this one, at the greenbrier airport. and on arch, those planes only have three to nine passengers. and on this flight, the airport workers load a single piece of luggage. there are two pilots and two passengers. your tax dollars keep this airport in business. in addition to the stimulus money, the federal government subsidizes commercial flights here to the tune of about $562 per passenger. locals say the money is well spent. >> the most important thing we can have is an easier way for guests to get to the greenbrier. it doesn't benefit just the greenbrier. it benefits the entire region. >> reporter: in alaska, millions of dollars are going to airports that make the greenbrier look like o'hare. the ouzinkie just hit the jac

our senior congressional correspondent, jonathan karl, has the latest from washington. good morning, jon. >> reporter: good morning, robin. joe wilson's outburst has turned him into an instant celebrity. but it also makes him one of the few members of congress to officially be condemned after a vote by the house. even after the vote, wilson was defiant. >> it's game playing. political game playing. it's exactly what the president says shouldn't occur. >> reporter: democrats said wilson could avoid condemnation by simply apologizes to his colleagues for shouting out during the president's speech. >> you lie. >> reporter: wilson refused, saying he had already apologized to the president. >> the president said the time for games is over. i agree with the president. he graciously accepted my apology. and the issue is over. >> reporter: the resolution accuses wilson of a, quote, breach of decorum, that brought discredit to the house. >> this is about the rules of this house and reprehensible conduct. >> reporter: a handful of republicans agreed. but most republicans voted no

abc senior congressional correspondent, jonathan karl, is in washington for us. good morning, jonathan. >> reporter: good morning, chris. republicans are denouncing the bill. but more troubling to the white house, is the avalanche of criticism from democrats. after democrat jay rockefeller slammed the bill as a, quote, big, big tax to the middle class, he was summoned to the white house to meet with the president. >> then, i was alone with the president. and you don't breach that confidence. >> reporter: as soon as he left the white house, he put out another statement saying, quote, i cannot vote for this bill in its current form. democratic interest groups were even harsher. moveon.org called it a dream for insurance companies. but this bill, crafted by max baucus, after months of negotiations, is close to what the president talked about in his speech to congress last week. it would require most americans to buy health insurance or pay fines of up to $3,800 for families. expand medicaid. and help those with lower incomes buy health insurance. and it would ban in