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Fort Hood, Texas (CNN) - As investigators at Fort Hood meticulously probed Thursday's grisly massacre, a Texas surgeon said more of the wounded victims of the shootings were slowly but surely on the mend.

Flanked by Texas Gov. Rick Perry and two state representatives, W. Roy Smythe, chief of surgery at Scott & White Memorial Hospital, said "a lot of progress has been made" in treating patients wounded in the rampage and that "some of them are out of the woods."

But Smythe told reporters in a Saturday news conference there is a possibility some patients will be "physically impaired" for life. And, he said, there's "no doubt many" will be "psychologically impaired the rest of their lives."

Thursday's mass shooting left 12 soldiers and one civilian dead and 38 others wounded at the Fort Hood Army Post in Texas. Thirty-four of the injured had gunshot wounds, military officials said. The suspect in the shooting, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, a licensed Army psychiatrist, was among the two dozen who remained hospitalized Friday night.

Hasan was transported by air Friday afternoon to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, and had been listed in critical but stable condition.

The incident has sparked national outrage. In his Saturday address, President Obama said it was "an act of violence that would have been heartbreaking had it occurred anyplace in America." But the president said, "it's all the more heartbreaking and all the more despicable because of the place where it occurred and the patriots who were its victims."

The White House said President Obama and the first lady will be attending a memorial service on Tuesday and the president ordered flags flying over the White House and other federal buildings to be lowered to half-staff until Veterans Day on Wednesday.

Washington (CNN) - WASHINGTON (CNN) - Calling it the chance of a generation, President Barack Obama Saturday urged lawmakers in the House of Representatives to pass pending health care legislation "that the American people urgently need."

"Millions of Americans are watching right now," the president told reporters in a brief news conference in the White House Rose Garden. "Their families and businesses are counting on us. After all, this is why they sent us here: to finally confront the challenges that Washington had been putting off for decades. To make their lives better. To leave this country stronger than we found it."

Obama's comments came shortly after he had returned to the White House from Capitol Hill, where he met with the House Democratic leadership.

The president said he reminded lawmakers "that opportunities like this come around maybe once in a generation. Most public servants pass through their entire careers without a chance to make as important a difference in the lives of their constituents and the life of this country.

"This is their moment, this is our moment, to live up to the trust that the American people have placed in us - even when it's hard; especially when it's hard. This is our moment to deliver.

"I urge members of Congress to rise to this moment. Answer the call of history, and vote yes for health insurance reform for America," Obama said.
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The president paused for a photo after meeting with Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn and other House Democrats on Capitol Hill Saturday. (Photo Credit: Matt Hoye/CNN)

Washington (CNN) - Emerging from a meeting with President Barack Obama, the House Democratic leadership appeared confident Saturday that their health care legislation would pass.

"Today we will make not only history, but progress for America's working families," Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters assembled outside the meeting room.

"We're on the cusp of making an historical decision on behalf of the American people," added House Majority Whip James Clyburn of South Carolina.

A senior Democratic aide quoted the president as saying during the meeting that he was "absolutely confident that you guys will get this done."

"Absolutely confident that when I sign this in the Rose Garden, each and every one of you will be able to look back and say 'this was my finest moment in politics,'" the aide quoted Obama as saying.

White House spokesman Bill Burton said the president made the case that Congress has a historic opportunity today to provide stability and security for those who have insurance, affordable coverage for those who don't and bring down the cost of health care for families, small businesses and the government.

Burton also reported that Obama told the Democratic lawmakers that they had made more progress on comprehensive reform than any administration and any Congress in the past 70 years, and that they should take this historic opportunity to pass health care reform so that he can sign a bill by the end of this year.

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Updated: 1:27 p.m.

–CNN's Elaine Quijano contributed to this report.

Washington (CNN) - In a special Saturday session, the House of Representatives began debating health care legislation crafted by House Democrats, as lawmakers on both sides of the aisle considered an amendment to the bill that would put restrictions on abortion funding.

President Barack Obama made a rare visit to Capitol Hill earlier in the day to meet with members of the House Democratic caucus and push forward proposed the health care measure.

But the contentious issue of abortion is threatening to delay Saturday's scheduled vote on the nearly $1.1 trillion bill by the full House of Representatives and possibly push it back to Sunday, according to two Democratic sources.

In a late night development, anti-abortion Democrats scored a major victory by persuading Democratic leaders to allow them to offer an amendment during the debate Saturday that would ban most abortion coverage from the public option and other insurance providers in the new so-called "exchange" the legislation would create, three Democratic sources told CNN.

The prohibition would exclude cases of rape, incest or if the mother's life is in danger.

House Democratic leadership sources said that win or lose, they hope giving abortion foes the opportunity to vote will clear the way for passage of their health care bill. But sharp differences among Democrats on the abortion issue and others, such as immigration, are raising questions over whether Speaker Nancy Pelosi currently has the 218-vote majority needed for passage of the legislation.

Several anti-abortion Democrats will offer the amendment, including Rep. Brad Ellsworth, D-Indiana, and Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Michigan.

House Minority John Boehner told reporters after debate on the legislation had begun that the GOP leadership strongly supports that amendment.

"We believe taxpayer funding of abortion is wrong, and we will do everything we can to stop that from happening, by passing the Stupak amendment," he said.

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Washington (CNN) - President Obama will meet with members of the House Democratic caucus Saturday in a rare visit to Capitol Hill as he works to push forward proposed health care legislation.

But the contentious issue of abortion is threatening to delay Saturday's scheduled vote on the nearly $1.1 trillion health care bill by the full House of Representatives and possibly push it back to Sunday, according to two Democratic sources.

In a late night development, anti-abortion Democrats scored a major victory by persuading Democratic leaders to allow them to offer an amendment during the House health care debate Saturday that would ban most abortion coverage from the public option and other insurance providers in the new so-called "exchange" the legislation would create, three Democratic sources told CNN.

The prohibition would exclude cases of rape, incest or if the mother's life is in danger.

House Democratic leadership sources said that win or lose, they hope giving abortion foes the opportunity to vote will clear the way for passage of their health care bill.

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Washington (CNN) - President Obama used his weekly address to discuss the recent shootings at Fort Hood in Texas.

Read Obama's full remarks after the jump.

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(CNN) - Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is taking aim at President Obama's decision not to travel to Germany next week to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the latest in a string of conservatives to criticize Obama's decision to skip the ceremony on November 9.

"Some consider President Obama's refusal to attend the commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall in Germany next week an outrage, I consider it a tragedy." Gingrich wrote in an op-ed published Friday in The Washington Examiner.

"To commemorate, after all, is to remember. And Americans need to remember, not just that the Wall fell, but why it fell," Gingrich added. "We need to remember that the Berlin Wall was the symbol of more than just the Cold War, more than just the division of Europe."

While the president had originally planned to be on hand for the event, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs confirmed earlier this week scheduling conflicts and preparation for his impending 10-day trip to Asia have instead caused Obama to stay in Washington.

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Washington (CNN) – Opponents of President Obama’s approach to health care reform have outspent supporters by more than $7 million in the past 30 days in what has become the most expensive one year, single issue advocacy campaign on television in the nation’s history.

So far, more than $151 million has been spent in 2009 on TV ads by organizations promoting, opposing or simply weighing in on the health care debate, according to an exclusive analysis conducted for CNN by TNSMI-Campaign Media Analysis Group (CMAG).

Supporters of Obama’s approach to health care reform began airing TV commercials earlier in the year than opponents and account for $61 million, while opponents have spent $52.3 million and groups with an interest in the debate but not advocating a position have dedicated $38 million.

In the past 30 days, supporters of Obama's approach to health care reform spent nearly $12 million on TV ads while opponents countered with $19.1 million.

“We are starting to see a separation in the messaging,” said Evan Tracey, president of CMAG and CNN’s consultant on political television advertising. “Groups that are opposed to President Obama’s health care plan are starting to turn up the volume in key states to put pressure on lawmakers to vote against these bills.”

On Wednesday, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce spent a whopping $1.5 million alone to air an ad linking the depressed economy to the health care debate in cities stretching from Juneau, Alaska, to Roanoke, Virginia.

“This advertising is turning very gray in terms of the senior voters they are targeting and the mood of the electorate who are pessimistic about the economy,” said Tracey.

Americans for Stable Quality Care, a coalition of health care interest and liberal advocacy groups, spent more than $8.2 million over the past month on commercials to lead the spending in support of Obama’s approach to reform. The Chamber spent $9.7 million on TV ads, while America’s Health Insurance Plans, an association of insurers, dedicated $5.5 million to commercials during this same 30 day time period.

The House is meeting for a rare weekend session as the Democratic majority tries to pass a health care bill.

“The Chamber ad combined with a lot of weekend news coverage of the new unemployment numbers is going to be a potential one-two punch as House Democrats try to pass a health care reform bill,” Tracey said.

Tracey is referring to news Friday that the nation’s unemployment rate rose to 10.2 percent, the highest it has been since 1983.

Follow Mark Preston on Twitter @PrestonCNN

Washington (CNN) - President Barack Obama said Friday that flags at the White House and other federal buildings will be flown at half staff until Veterans Day in recognition of the shooting at Fort Hood, Texas.

"This is a modest tribute to those who lost their lives even as many were preparing to risk their lives for their country," he said at the White House.

"It's also a recognition of the men and women who put their lives on the line every day to protect our safety and uphold our values."

Full coverage: Fort Hood shootings

Obama said he met Friday morning with FBI Director Robert Mueller and other federal agency heads to discuss the ongoing investigation into the massacre.

"We don't know all of the answers yet, and I would caution against jumping to conclusions until we have all of the facts," he said.

The alleged shooter, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, a psychiatrist who worked in a hospital at Fort Hood, is blamed for the deaths of 12 soldiers and one civilian, military officials said.

Another 30 people were wounded; 28 of them required hospitalization.

Related: Search for clues in Fort Hood massacre

(CNN) - President Obama called the latest jobs report indicating the unemployment rate has jumped to 10.2 percent "sobering," and pledged Friday to "not rest until all Americans who want work can find work."

"I just signed into law a bill that will help grow our economy, save and create new jobs and provide relief to struggling families and businesses," Obama said in the White House Rose Garden.

"The need for such a measure was made clear by the jobs report that we received this morning. Although we lost fewer jobs than we did last month, our unemployment rate climbed to over 10 percent, a sobering number that underscores the economic challenges that lie ahead," he also said.

CNNMoney.com: Obama signs jobless benefit extension

Washington (CNN) - President Barack Obama on Thursday called the Fort Hood, Texas, shootings "tragic" and "a horrific outburst of violence."

He expressed his condolences for the shooting victims.

"These are men and women who have made the selfless and courageous decision to risk and at times give their lives to protect the rest of us on a daily basis," he said.

"It's difficult enough when we lose these brave Americans in battles overseas. It is horrifying that they should come under fire at an Army base on American soil."

Government authorities are working to ensure that Fort Hood is secure, he said. The president asked for all Americans to keep the soldiers from the base "in their prayers."

There is no greater honor or responsibility as president than making sure U.S. soldiers are properly cared for, he added.

"We will make sure that we get answers to every single question about this horrible incident," he pledged.

Twelve people died in the shooting - including a gunman - and about 30 were wounded, a Fort Hood spokesman told CNN.

Updated: 5:36 p.m.

Related: Eleven killed, plus gunman, in Fort Hood shootings, officials say

Related: Fort Hood, a home to thousands

Washington (CNN) - As the White House braces for new numbers coming out Friday that could show unemployment has reached double digits, senior administration officials tell CNN the president is planning to quickly sign legislationjust passed by Congress that will offer up to 20 additional weeks of unemployment insurance.

The legislation that will be signed Friday morning also aims to stabilize the housing market with a one-time extension of the $8,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers. The bill also provides an additional tax cut for businesses still struggling in the uncertain economy.

The bill signing will come just three days after an off-year election in which voters in several key races said the sluggish economy was a major factor in their votes.

(CNN) – Fresh off its considerable impact in New York's special congressional race, the Club for Growth is wading into the Republican Senate primary in Florida with a new ad criticizing Gov. Charlie Crist's initial support of President Obama's stimulus package.

"Since Charlie Crist helped pass Barack Obama's spending program, nearly two hundred thousand Floridians have lost their jobs," the ad's narrator states as video is shown of Crist and Obama at a rally in support of the package last February. "Unemployment is the highest in decades. Personal income's down. And the deficit in Washington is three times larger."

The conservative political action committee, which spent upwards of $1 million helping to derail a Republican candidate in New York who many conservatives felt was too liberal in her social and fiscal policies, has yet to determine the specific amount of the Florida ad buy.

But Club For Growth spokesman Mike Connolly said the group was moved to quickly produce the 30-second spot after Crist told CNN's Wolf Blitzer Wednesday on The Situation Room that he never "endorsed" the stimulus plan.

"We wanted to correct the record," Connolly said.

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Washington (CNN) - President Barack Obama said Thursday that the federal government was guilty of mistreating Native Americans in the past, and promised to forge a new relationship between the federal government and tribal leaders.

"You deserve to have a voice," Obama told representatives of 386 tribes at a White House Tribal Nations Conference. "You will not be forgotten as long as I'm in this White House."

Obama signed a memorandum directing federal agencies to submit recommendations within 90 days on how best to improve tribal participation in key government policy decisions.

Leaders of all 564 federally recognized tribes were invited to the day-long meeting.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – A White House official involved in negotiations with Congress on health care reform confirms to CNN that President Obama will go to Capitol Hill Friday to meet with the House Democratic caucus to push forward on health care legislation.

The House is expected to hold a floor vote Saturday on the bill.

Related: Obama highlights federal grants for education reform

RICHMOND, Virginia (CNN) - Virginia's Republican Gov.-elect Bob McDonnell took a congratulatory phone call from President Obama the morning after his landslide victory over Democrat Creigh Deeds, McDonnell told reporters Wednesday.

The call came shortly after 11 a.m. this morning, he said.

"He was exceptionally gracious and kind," McDonnell noted. "We had a couple of laughs. He said that be sure the first thing you do is thank your wife."

"He also told me he thought we ran a very good campaign that it was a good contest, and now that the campaign was over he hoped we would work closely together to govern, especially with Virginia being a neighboring state to the District of Columbia," he said.

The White House said Wednesday that the president called the winners of all of last night's races, including Republican Gov.-elect Chris Christie of New Jersey, Democrat Bill Owens of New York's 23rd congressional district, and independent New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
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MADISON, Wisconsin (CNN) - President Barack Obama took his education reform campaign on the road Wednesday, highlighting a new $4.35 billion grant program designed to encourage higher standards and stronger teacher recruitment, among other things.

The "Race to the Top" fund is one of the largest federal investments in school reform in U.S. history, Obama said. It is being financed with money made available through the economic stimulus plan enacted in February.

"We're putting over $4 billion on the table ... but we're not just handing it out to states because they want it," Obama told an audience at a Wisconsin public charter school.

"If you're committed to real change in the way you educate your kids, if you're willing to hold yourselves more accountable and if you develop a strong plan to improve the quality of education in your state, then we'll offer you a big grant to help make that plan a reality."

The president outlined four key reform measures that will be used to help determine a state's eligibility for grant money.
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Washington (CNN) – On that unusually balmy Chicago night a year ago, the candidate who campaigned on what he called the "fierce urgency of now" became the president-elect who needed time.

"The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term," Barack Obama told the crowd in Grant Park. And he still needs time to turn a myriad of campaign promises into policy.

The list of the undones is long, varied and mostly difficult - immigration reform, new financial market regulations and a game-changing energy bill.

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Washington (CNN) – Victories in New Jersey and Virginia Tuesday provided a major shot in the arm for the Republican Party heading into the 2010 elections, but the Democratic losses of these two governorships should not be interpreted as a significant blow to President Obama.

While the economy and jobs were the chief concern for voters in both states, 26 percent of New Jersey residents said property taxes was also a major issue, while another 20 percent mentioned corruption, according to CNN exit polling. In a similar CNN survey taken in Virginia, health care was the most important issue for 24 percent of the voters, while 15 percent named taxes and transportation was mentioned by 7 percent.

Further proof that this election was not solely focused on Obama, 56 percent of Virginians said that the president was not a factor when it came down to their vote. In New Jersey, that number increased to 60 percent of the people who went to the polls on Tuesday.

Follow Mark Preston on twitter @prestoncnn

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