Today in newtown, connecticut, more sad reminders of what happened just a week ago. Funerals are being held today for students Emilie Parker anna marquez green, joe feen gay. Yesterday morning at 9 30, people paused to remember the loss. They held a moment of silence and in the town Church Bells Rang 26 times. The National Rifle association is finally speaking out on the pass ker in newtown, but the group isnt addressing the idea of banning or limiting guns used to kill the students and teachers at sandy hook elementary. They say the answer is deploying armed guards at schools. I call on Congress Today to act immediately to appropriate whatever is necessary to put Armed Police Officers in every Single School in this nation. It the only that i can stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. Some politicians were quick to slam their proposal. The nra, i would say that they were tone deaf, but its beyond that. Theyre just deaf. I mean, they have completely ignored, dont understand, dont grasp how deeply wounded this nation was. National correspondent Susan Candiotti joins from us new york. Susan, the nra is adamant in its position and here we are talking about it today. So was this their game plan to change the focus of discussioning from gun control to School Safety . Well, good question. But of course, is one exclusive of the other . If you ban these types of weapons, if you restrict the size of magazine clips, for example, does that mean that you couldnt also require an armed officer in every school in the thing is, the nra did not take any questions at all when they made their statement. They left so were left to wonder. But we did try to sample opinions of what people are thinking. And we talked to, for example, a gun owner in newtown, connecticut, to see what she thought about this. Im very torn at this point. Im not happy with the nra. I am not happy with the nra and im a gun owner myself. Theres just no reason for automatic weapons out there in the public. And clips that discharge so many rounds of ammunition. We got the opposite side of the spectrum. We went way over to the other part of the country to los angeles and spoke with a retired sheriff. Listen to him. The only way to fight fire is with fire. So if youve got somebody thats armed and youre not, youre part of the problem. Youre not part of the solution. So youre right, miguel. The debate is on. So much so. Susan, you were one of the first reporters on the scene there, not to diminish the pain and suffering that the families that the people in the town are going through, but it is a hard story to cover. I covered the oslo massacre in norway. It still sticks with me today. How are you coping a week after . These tragedies are always so difficult but especially, of course, for the people who are going through it. And this is a town that is now has a new definition of what community means. They are helping each other to get through this. They will have to continue to do that. As time goes by. But here i think everyone agrees, this incident, this massacre at this school here may very well be the Tipping Point that will force some change. That is what everyone says. And i think thats what everyone there certainly is expecting. Just tough tough story. What about the investigation, the search is obviously for a motive. Have investigators been able to ascertain anything from the shooters computer about him himself . Even if they come up with a motive, miguel, i doubt that anyone will still be able to understand why this happened, but no, theyre still working on trying to put that hard drive back together again after the shooter in this case smashed that computer. Theyre trying to retrieve information. But of course, theyre not waiting for that. Theyre trying to talk to friends, relatives, going on the internet in om other way to find out if he left any kind of footprint to see whether he flagged his intentions to anyone. Did he play online games with people and maybe start up a conversation with them . These are some of the things theyre trying to do. Now were hearing that damd lanza has not been buried with his mother. Do you know why . Well, mother was buried a few days ago in a private ceremony. And a family friend has said its just too soon for that. They havent made any decisions and might not until this spring. Thats what we know. He a family friend saying mrs. Lanza was becoming more concerned about adam. What do we know about that . Well, you know, clearly we have been unable to find anyone who was friends with this young man. He seemed to spend most of his time at the home, but concern because hes 20 years old. She was talking about maybe moving out west, perhaps enrolling him in a school out there. We dont know whether she ever had help from anyone. Was this young man getting any counselling . Was she getting help from anyone . And, of course, were still waiting the results of the toxicology tests to find out whether he, in fact, was taking any prescription drugs. Del have anything in his system . There are just so many questions here to try to figure out why this was obviously a troubled young man. Yeah, clearly she was grappling with something though. Thank you so very much. Walmart is changing its gun selling policy in the wake of the massacre. It centers on the brand of Assault Rifle used in the murders. Well have that story in our next half hour. Its worse than a lump of coal in the old christmas stocking. Higher taxes, lawmakers and president obama have left washington for christmas with no deal on tax hikes and spending cuts set to go in effect after the first of the year. Brianna keilar is live in hawaii where the president is spending the christmas holiday. Brianna, the president maybe a little too optimistic that a deal can be reached . Aloha, by the way. He did say last night that he is a hopeless optimist that something can get done, but what we know, its not going to be that big package, obviously of deficit reduction as well as dealing with these tax hikes that are set to kick in. Thats not whats going to be happening, instead, hes pressing for something smaller just to a deal with stopping those tax hikes from kicking in for americans making 250,000 per year or less. And also trying to make sure that Unemployment Benefits are extended. Listen to what president obama said last night and also listen to what some of the House Republican resistance from Speaker Boehner to his sort of shortterm plan here. In the next few days, ive asked leaders of congress to work towards a package that prevents a tax hike on middle class americans, protects Unemployment Insurance for 2 million americans, and lays the groundwork for further work on both growth and deficit reduction. Thats an aachievable goal. That can get done in ten days. The president s solution of raising tax rates would still leave red ink as far as the eye can see and it would hurt jobs at a time when far too many of our citizens are struggling to find them. Reporter but so now, miguel, the plan is to just deal with the tax hikes, stop them from kicking in. Thats what president obama wants to do, and were not going to be seeing any sort of big agreement that would also include longterm deficit reduction dealing with entitlement reform and spending cuts. What republicans wanted to see. So thats something that may be dealt with sometime in the new year, but its just not on agenda as the president struggles to get this done here in the next few days. And if there is no deal, are workers across the country going to see an extra little bump in the amount the government takes from their paychecks starting january 1 . Not starting january 1. Technically, these tax cuts would expire at the beginning of the year. So that is the truth. However, if you were looking at your paycheck and you fell certainly under seeing your taxes increase, you wouldnt see that kick in right january 1st. Processors, payroll processors would use the 2012 equation to deal with that, and until theres some certainty in exactly whats going to happen, they wouldnt use the new equation. So you wouldnt see it until perhaps the end of january, the beginning of february. But if the country were say, hypothetically speaking to go off the cliff that to persist, ultimately somewhere into late january, you might see that affect your paycheck. Oh, dear. The House Speaker john boehner was dealt what seems to be a hugely embarrassing blow by his own party when they refused to vote on his plan b proposal. How bad is it for republicans right now . Well, right now, they are sitting at home in their home districts. Thats what happened. Congress left town. And they are sort of in a way House Republicans have abdicated their role in this process. You know, normally if you were in their role, you want to maintain a position of trying to shape whatever legislation might go forward. But now the ball, theyve taken it out of their court. It comes down to the senate having to do something which is democratic led but in order to push something through will require some republican support there. So House Republicans have kind of abdicated their role in this to the Senate Minority leader Mitch Mcconnell. If perhaps he could get on board with something with democrats in the senate to move along, presumably that might be able to be pushed through the house. The House Republicans at least some of them, would have to vote on that in order to pass it so they have some i guess influence in that regard, but really theyve given away a lot of their almost all of their influence on what this package can ultimately look like. Oh, dear, im not smelling a lot of hope. Aloha. Thank you very much, Brianna Keilar. Its a wintry mess for much of the country today as americans gear up for holiday travel. This midwest blizzard is now ripping across the northeast. Most of the problems are from high winds as high as 40 miles per hour. Aaa predicts some 93 million americans will travel between now and new years. But if the roads look anything like this, you may want to stay home. Alexander steele is in the cnn weather center. Whats the latest on the storm . This holiday has been fraught with airport delays. Today is no different. Washington, d. C. An hour plus delay for you. Newark there all morning. Fort lauderdale has trouble at the airport but that is not wind related. San francisco, the rain an inundation with rain today for you, as well. Big picture today, the wind and rain and, of course, the snow off the great lakes in the northeast. The rain and mountain snow in the sierra well be tallying it up to feet of snow. Some incredible ski conditions, but the balance of the country today is dry and a little bit colder than where we should be this time of year. A White Christmas, look at the swathe of it. Meet logically a White Christmas is when theres an inch of snow on ground christmas morning. It doesnt have to be knowing at that time. So much of the countries will see that. But the forecast for christmas here in the northeast, not out of the question for boston and new york to see snow flurries. In the northeast predominantly it will be dry and cool. Atlanta rain for you on christmas. Nashville, as well. So cloudy and a little bit of rainy in the southeast. In the upper midwest to northern plains, cold but dry. Minneapolis, fargo in the single digits. And out west, more rain from seattle to San Francisco on tuesday. Really, its the west coast getting slammed with all this rain, especially San Francisco. Skiing, White Christmas, i love it. Alexandre, thank you very much. Sure. Theres a 12 days of christmas but were just ten days to the fiscal cliff. Could these two men end up being the grinches that steal christmas . Well talk live to republican congressmen about whats stopping the president and the House Speaker from reaching a deal. I always wait until the last minute. Can i still ship a gift in time for christmas . Yeah, sure you can. Great. Wheres your gift . Uh. Whew. [ male announcer ] break from the holiday stress. Ship Fedex Express by december 22nd for christmas delivery. Were just ten days away from the country going over the socalled fiscal cliff, automatic tax increases on nearly every american and huge spending cuts to defense and social programs are set to take effect the 1st of january unless the president and Congress Reach a new budget deal. But most lawmakers have deserted the capital to be home for christmas leaving america teetering on the brink. One of those enjoying christmas back if california is republican congressman Tom Mcclintock joining us from sacramento, california. You are a tea partier. Youre part of the Tea Party Caucus but you supported House Speaker bane area plan b. Yes . , of course, i did. Again, there is no bill before the congress that proposes raising taxes on millionaires or anybody else for that matter. There is a law that goes into effect in ten days that raises taxes on millionaires, Small Businesses filing as millionaires and everybody else. Boehners bill tried to stop that for everybody else. Offa lifeguard sees ten swimmers drowning off of his beach and can only reach nine of them to save them, it doesnt mean that hes drowned the tenth one. All in nonsense somehow boehner was trying to raise taxes is just that, nonsense. Your point is if you are antitax, vote for this bill. He was trying to stop a massive tax increase and unfortunately, some of my colleagues didnt see it that way. How bad is it up there . Americans look at whats happening in washington right now and want both sides to get to work. I know it can be very collegial up there but in these meetings behind closed doors, whats the atmosphere like . Miguel, bad process creates bad policy. And what were watching today is extraordinarily bad process. For example, the president is not supposed to be part of the negotiations of the legislative branch. He is a separate branch of government. The deliberative process is supposed to be contained independently within the two houses, the house and senate are supposed to act independently of each other. In order to do so, in offered to deliberate, weve got to be in the same room 0 deliberate. Instead were scattered across the country. Im embarrassed to be speaking to you from my district when we should be back in washington right now. When each house then comes to its own independent judgment upon the course of action, then weve got a conference process thats very good at resolving the differences between the two houses. But it has not been invoked. Only then is the president brought into the process. What weve got now is a couple of legislative leaders sitting behind closed doors coming up with plans that they then drop in the laps of both houses of the congress for a take it or leave it vote. That doesnt end well. Its just so frustrating. How bad is it for Speaker Boehner right now . This is a guy who put up a plan and his own party couldnt get it to pass. How is that playing out . Where does that leave you guys . Two years ago, Speaker Boehner promised to restore that process around which our entire government was designed. And so far, he has failed to fulfill that promise. I fault him for that. The plan that he will produced i thought was sound. Thats why i supported it. But it is it obviously did not command a consensus within the house of representatives. And thats because it was bad process. We have committees that are supposed to be supposed to include people who have got expertise, years of experience in those fields and that represent the diversity of opinion within the house of representatives. Theyre supposed to be producing these proposals. Unfortunately, theyve been sidelined. The house has been sidelined and instead this whole process has been abdicated to legislative leaders. Our system was not designed to operate that way and it invariably produces terrible public policy. Is a deal going to get done . Yes or no. Well, that requires fortune telling skills. I dont have any. It has to be because the alternative is unthinkable. On january 1st, were going to see more than a 20 increase in the tax burden of this country in a vet brittle economy. That is going to be devastating. Frankly, the president s insistence that we raise taxes on those very wealthy folks who make over 200,000 is disastrous because many of those very wealthy folks arent even folks. Theyre 1. 3 million Small Businesses that file under sub chapter s. 84 of net Small Business income would be hit by that tax increase. Thats going to cost, according to the congressional budget office, more than 200,000 middle class jobs, 700,000 if you believe ernst young. That would be devastating. Theres got to be a resolution to this. I certainly hope that the president doesnt get his way, and impose massive tax increases on these small byes. Congressman. Twothirds of the jobs we depend on in our society. Congressman, thank you very much. Try to have a merry christmas. Hillary clinton gets ready to step down as secretary of state. But will questions about the attack on the u. S. Consulate in the libya impact her legacy . We actully keep track of how many times this kid picked his nose . Hair pulls, stink eyes, man we see eveything. Oh, its the old man. Hold on, i gotta send something out. You can have two apps open at the same time . Howd you do that . Its the galaxy note 10. 1 man, it just does it. How do you think they made it . Magic. Do more with the Samsung Galaxy note 10. 1. Available at best buy and st buy mobile stores. Secretary of state Hillary Clinton says shell implement all the changes suggested by an accountability review board in response to the attack on