and we need to fix that and ensure they have the capabilities which might mean more in real assets to do surveillance, and it may mean a new command and control system that allows unimed to work with local law enforcement agencies, to work with a local government and rebel forces that exist in the region to have a comprehensive law enforcement and the cover that we need to do exactly what you are talking about which is a security peace. >> on less a mandate is changed, even getting back to just the protocol and counter a rebel group out in the desert, by the time if they go through the things they have to do which basically are waving at them almost, the rebel groups are gone and it seems to me that is something pete regardless of the other things you're talking about everyone acknowledges the problem that could be changed otherwise getting back to these camps, they are going to become

permanent cities because no one is going to go out back to their homeland as long as the type of security we are not providing continues to exist, and i know you know that but i just hope that you will work stringently with the u.n. to get that changed and i will call as well. we met with a central banker while we were there, and they talked about the various issues, the sanctions are creating for them and again i'm going back to the cpa because if we end up having the train wreck that on the present course will occur, okay, darfur, as terrible as it is, is going to get far worse and is going to spread to. so we met with our intelligence agencies and i know many folks here have done that here. the fact is there is no evidence today in spite of the atrocities we all are aware of there is no

evidence that sudan is involved as a state sponsor of terror. none. so the unintended consequences of that defined term existing life think may be hurting us as it relates to these other efforts, and i just wonder since there is no evidence of that and since we understand the importance of this comprehensive peace agreement achieving as it is desired in 2011i am wondering if we are again on one of those paths of unintended consequences and i wonder if he might respond to that. >> you're exactly correct there is no evidence and the intelligence community that supports being on the state sponsor of terrorism. what we have found is the consequences of the sanctions that resulted from that are preventing collis from has to

come through port sudan and khartoum and sanctioned so what is happening is we are hurting not only the local level humanitarian level that people because they can't download educational programs and that kind of thing but in addition we are actually hurting the very developmental things we become able if they choose to secede. a viable economic state. the worst things are now sanctions and so donner exactly right at some point we have to unwind some sanctions so we can do the things we need to do to ensure a peaceful transition in a state that is viable should they choose to do than. >> so we are cutting the nose of despite the face today. >> that is probably a fair analysis. >> mr. chairman, thank you for this hearing. >> senator shaheen.

>> thank you, mr. chairman. i am not sure which of you would like to address this question. i would like to follow a little on senator corker's questions about what is happening with women in sudan and the gender based violence that's been going on. when the government expelled those 13 ngos there was the programs they were doing including many that addressed sexual and gender based violence were lost. can you address what the current status of those are, have any of them had been restored and is the government of sudan obstructing efforts to restore those gender based violent programs? >> thank you for the question, senator, you are absolutely right. when we lost 13 ngos during the expulsion we lost our

capacity and international capacity to support gender based programs including prevention of violence and how to deal with gender based violence. we are doing now is working with existing ngo's on the ground to expand capacity so that they can expand the women's programs into other areas. slow in coming back and in fact if one were to look at the various sectors that we lost when the ngo's were expelled that is probably the slowest one coming back on but it is critical and something we are very mindful of. >> thank you. i appreciate that. senator feingold and boxer held a hearing earlier several months ago where we heard directly from women who had been, and people who had been working with women and darfur who talked about to use and sexual violence as a

substitute for genocide, and i think whatever we do cannot come fast enough and be important enough to address the very difficult issues that women and families on the ground are facing so i would urge you to continue in every effort possible, and if we on this committee can be helpful, i certainly stand ready to do that you talked about the unimed mentioned in darfur, and i know that it was authorized and 2007. we still are not supposed to be one of the biggest peacekeeping forces of the assembled particularly in africa yet we have seen delay in its deployment. so can you talk about the gaps

in their capacity, about how we are working to address the gaps and with the prospect is for increasing their capacity to address the challenge on the ground? >> let me touch back on the women's thing. what we found is that if we are going to fix the problems and sudan we have to start with the women. if we start with the winning the communities come along so you are totally right. we have to restore their respect and dignity and safety and use them as the centerpiece for really working the humanitarian development things that will come later but on unimed we are at about between 65 or 67% right now and in talking to the u.n. while i was there on the field they basically said that by the end of the year they should be a 92% of the forces. as you know we've been working hard trying to facilitate the m i35 coming in from ethiopia but they still have significant gaps

and i would say an area that is affecting us in addition to the mandate that needs to be adjusted as was pointed out command and control elements, strategic planning, logistics planning are probably things where we need to help beef up the support in terms of soldiers i think we are beginning to see a phill but in the technical peace if we have to get into this monitoring piece if we start doing intel sharing on border activities between the two groups we will probably need more analysis and more work on the intelligence side and certainly if we start the monitoring and he was eager overhead aerial platforms for reconnaissance and surveillance we will need more of the high-tech piece, but those things are probably too premature to ask for but i believe we need to start planning now so we can get the elements and if we are successful in the peace process. >> so, what is our plan to do

that? >> is we are looking at africom coming up with eight individuals that fit the bill of planners and also helping with the command and control elements and as we continue in the process and define the requirements bigger i will be very honest with you. in the past we haven't defined requirements. it was just send us six helicopters, said eight people, send a regiment and ask why and that really wasn't very clear. just send them. we have to get up to 26,000. right now i think we have reached the point we have the bulk of people lined up to come and now we have to be specific to tailor the needs, tayler the requirements of the people that come and now really fill the niche is because what we have now is good in the general sense we need to add on to the specific side.

>> thank you. >> thank you, senator. senator isaacson. >> thank you. it should be pointed out he brought the charts and didn't refer to them. if i am reading and like i want to compliment you because i believe you were appointed in april -- is that not correct? >> march. >> in march we were less than 50% capacity in food, medicine, water, nonfood items and if i read correctly now by august we will be at 100% in everything but on food items; is that correct? >> that is correct but there is a caveat. earl and his team have put together measures to make that happen, and the other part is we haven't really been able to take that capacity and fill the gaps. first of all there was a lot of pre-existing gaps. secondly because the distribution has been there are still gaps that exist. the good part is that that is

the current capability we have and we have for ngos coming back and as we continue to work what i am trying to show is we are going to fix the emergency stop gaps and make them more permanent. that is the effort and what earl and i work on a daily basis, but number two we are going to try to get back in and through efficiencies we have gotten working with the sudanese and the additional capacity of new ngo was coming and i believe we can have a significant impact in the future is significantly and better and we have averted what we thought was going to be a major crisis in the season. i think we've been able to avert that. >> you and mr. gast are being commended. i was there in may when you're in the 80% range of capacity on recognizing abject deplorable circumstances. you are to be complemented with the khartoum government the

fourth one being cooperation in the counterterrorism effort and falling on what senator corker said regarding the designation of sanctions, isn't it true not only is there not any evidence they are cooperating with terrorists but in fact helpful stopping the flow of weapons coming through sudan and egypt casa more recently? >> that is true and they have helped with key leaders of al qaeda. >> i think it is more important to know, senator lugar, that that evidence will to me -- one thing not having any evidence of cooperation but to have an act where in fact they were helping counterterrorism begs the question senator corker asked with regard to the sanctions counterproductive to the goals so i just wanted to follow-up on that point. next, one of the keys to the cpa is a legitimate and the sudan in

2010. i think originally it was established by february. i know that's been pushed back to april is the right? is it being pushed back any further or are they legitimately moving towards those e election? >> we are trying hard to move to april but both sides are reluctant in some ways to have them but we believe the community supports us that those e elections are so important not only for who gets elected but the process these. if we can push through the laws and push through the voter registration and education programs, making sure the referendum in southern sudan have a chance of being fair, free and credible. if we skip i think is going to be difficult to have free fair and credible referendum. >> moly if we skip but if we

have an illegitimate election it will ensure that the february, 2011 referendum of the south will be secession vote i would think. i commend you on pushing on that as fast as you can and last with regard to what senator shaheen was talking about, i find it interesting in your of on levels of influence in the fourth kind of looks like dante's levels in the 80's but on your fourth level there is the i united nations. i don't know if that depicts the level of the influences or if you just put it out there, but it does seem having been in darfur as recently as two months ago see what deployment is there and the expanse i think a lot of people don't realize how big sudan is. it is huge. we don't seem -- they don't seem to have the tactical or infrastructure support to carry out the mission that i think the

u.n. intends to have. is that the u.n.'s fault or is that the fault of you in participating nations not following through on the plan? >> i think without the u.n. and support to this mission and without u.n. participation and food programs and ngos and support we are getting we wouldn't have been able to do have the stuff we are doing. you then can be looked at as a glass half full and glass half empty. i look as a glass half full and i think we need to work hard to help them get the capacity they need as opposed to tearing them down when they don't measure up. so i think we are working hard to ensure they get the capability. i think they are in a capacity

that can be used productively both on the humanitarian side and security side. they are not there yet but i believe they can be. >> my statement was sent to be critical of perce. it is to make an observation that 15 years ago and rwanda in thea lee to act in a timely basis to make a difference a tragedy took place and we are on the cusp of the tragedy again if everything falls down and darfur and in the south and with the elections so it is critical i think the u.n. forces in concert with african union get the manpower but also of tactical and logistical equipment to secure the rights of those women to go get firewood is going to take the high-tech things you were talking about as well as aerial support through helicopter as if nothing else so continue to work to push them because if that does fail in 2011 in the southern referendum

where we have a break down before then it could be a catastrophic situation for africa and for the whole world. >> one thing i would like to add to are correct but the fact that unimed can't cooperate is disastrous. if there is a problem in the three areas in southern sudan those forces and darfur can't come over to assist. that is something that has to be changed and we need to work on ann arbor ability between the u.n. command and a more effective way. >> i appreciate your work and mr. gast thank you for durham humanitarian work. >> thank you very much. i am going to recognize you momentarily. a very quick comment from senator feingold. >> thank you, mr. chairman. i ask for just ten seconds to respond to the statements both by senator corker and senator isaacson with regards to sudan's counterterrorism cooperation.

i think the characterization's are overstate and do not state the situation. i played my concerns in a classified letter and i would be happy to repeat them in this setting. i would like the record to be clear and i look for to dialogue. thank you. >> it's a very important issue with respect to any kind of policy determination that we make, and the committee will have a classified section to explore this so we can make an intelligence that judgments. and i appreciate your raising the issue. it's one we need to go for any way and we will do it in the right setting. >> i was struck by your notion this wasn't the most secure sitting in the world. i can't imagine why you felt that. [laughter] senator coffin psp mix thank you for holding this hearing. this is incredibly important but difficult problem and i want to thank both of you for working on this problem, and i thank you,

mr. gast, talking about my comments on john grindle, who died in sudan. and the 91 employees we have had. i myself was not aware it was 91. this is a dangerous place and people die in almost anonymity and i speak on the form i say time and again our federal employees doing this kind of work are incredible people doing an incredible job for all the right reasons. but john, when he died, was disturbing radios to better improve communications in the area. what are we doing in terms of communications in the area? >> important part of our program especially in the south is education and education by radio. the shift in the assistance now is civic education and giving

and getting prospective voters ready for elections over the next eight to nine months so voter education and civic education are critical components and obviously a lot of people in the south don't have access to schools and so we have devised radio instruction programs. >> is that the substance of it in terms of communications? that is why we are basically doing is educating folks for the transactions. >> and general civic education programs. >> what are we doing to prepare, the rainy season is coming. what do we do to prepare because that is a time when we have famine. what is usaid doing about that? >> we do have a position of stock. the rainy season is coming. however we have experienced the last four or five years and how

to operate in the environment. as the general mentioned earlier in number of interventions we've had to take, the international community mainly wfp and ourselves are not fully sustainable so with regard to the food assistance there are some things that are not sustainable for a table instead of relying on the ngos to deliver food and be able to monitor that we are relying on local relief committees. and so we are trying to analyze the impact the rainy season might have on the local relief committees distributing aid. >> general gration, senator kerry at the beginning talked about we don't just have to meet humanitarian aid, we have to surpass what we are doing. as khartoum willing to cooperate and increase the amount of humanitarian aid? >> yes, sir. we have been taking a good hard look at this and have a stoplight charge that it

inaugurates what they've said and what they've turned into and we've looked at that every week to make sure they are indeed holding out to the agreements they've made. for example they said they would hold up to the 2007 joint communique which meant we only need modifications to travel and we are seeking evidence that is working. they made the agreement they would start issuing multiple entry and exit visas and they are starting to do that. we have reached other agreements in terms of technical agreements we had a backlog up to six months they signed about 98% of all of the technical agreements, and so we are now working the details like right now this thing brought about the organization, international organization, we know that if we are going to get these and be able to think about people moving out we've got to do this in a way the human rights are

guaranteed and this isn't an involuntary term but a fallen to return in stability and security so we are now working with the government to work those aspects, working with the world food program to start thinking how will we move from humanitarian assistance into development so we can put in the social networks of water and schools and helped some people can give to these areas they want to make their homes in a secure and stable and with the human rights that come along with it. i see a lot of positive change but we have a program that says not trust but verify but verify in trust and right now we are in the verification mode and when we see more and more things happening and i have to tell you honestly is very positive but we also know what we are against and we are making sure these are verified and continue to be verified but as words turn into deeds there is more trust and

confidence and we can build the confidence not only the humanitarian side the security side, political process side and also in the south. >> you mentioned the need to expand the unimed mandate and the need for additional training. what role is the u.s. went to play on additional training? >> we have a meeting scheduled in africom to discuss this issue. right now i am not sure. i know what our requirements are. our military as you know is strapped and not only will we have going on in iraq but also implicit in afghanistan and other missions on the world, so i don't speak for them but we will lay out our requirements, things we need to do and do this in the most effective way recognizing they have commitments they have to do. >> thank you for all the you were doing and i look forward to that social security briefing. >> thank you. >> thank you, mr. chairman for

holding this hearing and to both of our witnesses. i a testament to bipartisan concern about this issue eight samet terse -- eight senators have spent listening to the testimony and have taken a considerable amount of time today to stick around. i am sure you are aware, general gration, that there is a concern that the administration is now speaking with one of the lease on the issue of sudan. as you know, during the campaign last year, senator obama bdy emily denounced the government as practicing genocide. ambassador susan rice stated

june 15th genocide is ongoing. however you have stated the situation in darfur was the remnants of genocide. i would be interested in you commenting about at worst it seems to indicate you are doubtful there was ever a genocide, so it does seem in that respect are you, ambassador, and presidential candidate obama were taking one position and you are taking the other. also ambassador rice praised the issuance of an arrest warrant for president al-bashir and that is a statement that seems at odds with the administration's engagement strategy that you have outlined today so i would

like you to comment about that. >> thank you. the president referred to the genocide that is taking place and darfur and that is clear to me and he is also directed -- >> indicating that it is on going? >> you can read that how you need to read it but that is his statement and what he has directed me to do is to reverse the donner ongoing consequences of genocide and that means to ensure militias are disarmed and that the persons can return to homes when they want to and where they want to and the people of darfur who have suffered so much can continue to live or can live in peace and security and dignity. >> don't you think is important for us to know to the best of our ability whether there is a continuing genocide ongoing as

ambassador rice stated? >> this is a an issue and what i can do is only describe what i see. >> have you and the ambassador had a conversation about this difference? >> i will tell you in public that susan rice is one of my dear friends. there are few women in the world i say i love you too and susan as one of them. i loved suzanne, and susan and i talk and we disagree on some issues, but it is not a personal thing, and there is not space -- >> no one is suggesting that but it's fair to 66 [laughter] i am heartened people in the administration are fond of each other. >> we are. [laughter] >> i just say that to say, you know, they're has been characterization's of susan on one side and me on the other. there has been honest debate but that's why we have love debate

-- have the date that reflect a comprehensive to ensure all elements are taken care as you know we are focusing on saving lives, making sure people that live in those idp camps can live as best they can and that they have a future. islamic in your opinion are we dealing now with only the remnants of a genocide that is over? >> i'm not singing the genocide is over. what i am saying is my focus is on recovery. i have been a refugee myself. we lost everything we owned when we left congo. i lived in an attic waiting to find a house. i don't want people to go through that situation. i don't want people to live in that environment. i understand and i'm passionate

about changing it and it doesn't matter what we call it in my view what matters is we have people living in donner desperate conditions that must end. we have women that fear for their lives and they have their sold ripped out of them and that has to stop as gender violence continues. my view is to get involved in debate that is not required is not as important to fix the situation which is required. that is my mandate and with the president has asked me to do and why i am dedicated 24/7 to do that. ..

>> have asked for a plan for ask gain for concrete progress on a number of fronts. and they have called for benchmarks, at a time table to hold the government accountable. and they have asked the administration not to rule out further punitive actions and more muscular steps in our

approach to the national government. what is your response? >> one example, when i took over we had two of areas where we had a major goals of of implementation of the peace agreement. we started with 12 hours per day be teens here in washington, four of them. today's expanded add another two we then went to khartoum. we could reach agreement on every single one of those 12 except and the consensus size talk to the leadership on both sides we will resolve that there are benchmarks, timetables and i will be happy to share with you all of those agreements made not because of the us but because we created the environment so the two parties could make the agreement that is the way i see our role to be able to create the environment to help push in areas that we can push to use the levers of the

international community not for u.s. policy but to create the environment so that those to different views from the south and north can be rationalized and problems resolved. we will go out there next month to raise the agreement that we got at the working level of 15 key leaders to raise that up at the two vice presidents and indoor fur -- darfur we're doing the same thing to create environments it to you night. we create environments where they can come together identify issues and leaders then be facilitate going to doha where we can have a comprehensive peace agreement that is required to bring peace to darfur. we're not giving anything we have not given anything but we have got agreement, 12 pages worth of things they have agreed to not necessarily with

us but the news that will move our shared vision of what sudan should be going forward that is what we're trying to achieve. >> appreciate it if you would respond on the record of those specifics. >> for the record. >> i will turn them in. no problem. >> thank you senator mendez. >> i want to thank you general for your service. i have to be honest, i had a meeting in the office why was partly listening to some of your answers but what i don't understand or what i fail to glean from what i have heard you are the third or fourth special envoy we have had twos sudan? we have real engagement by citizens in this century from this issue or my home state but across the country we have thousands of that engagement

by people and the political engagement at the highest levels of our government, we have funding for humanitarian programs, laila's singh in our efforts were keying multilateral. i have difficulty understanding that we cannot move forward if i am sitting in a camp, the same dismal conditions and worry about my security or my life the council of patient and delayed do not satisfy.

successful conclusions we want to turn the tide on the lives of these people? >> very difficult question. i just know we have a plan to make a difference that includes five tracks in darfur which is political, security element of the humanitarian assistance, as solving the problem between chad and sudan with the integrated and comprehensive way to integrate the cpa and to stabilize the stern security pact and the ngos better on the eastern side. all i can do is work all of these problems together as hard as i can. we have assembled the best teams we have bright people helping us. we are pulling in expertise for the whole international

community and building international organizations. we don't say the united states can solve this problem but we believe there is a solution and we cannot fail. there are too many people whose lives depend on our success that is why replied together every effort we can and why president obama has given me the support and secretary clinton has been totally supportive because we all understand this is the one. >> what is our time frame? >> we have the election of april next year and a referendum in june. the number of days is 174, 362 until the referendum that is almost mission impossible but i believe there is help and we can succeed that is why i get up every day and at work 6:00 a.m. seven days per week that is an incredibly compress timeline an almost impossible job but if we sit back and do

nothing we will fail i am giving it everything i can. >> i have no doubt and i certainly am not an advocate of nothing i have been an advocate of this committee i included legislation giving the u.n. resources from the federal government because genocide does not have the offset. the reality i am trying to get the sense of what is it that you don't have that you need, if anything? or do have everything you need? what is it that you need outside of time? >> time is big, and we need space on the sanctions. there are things that we are doing it better hindering me to bring development to the south. the people of sudan and getting kept from getting the education they need i have a

simple radio that connects to five leading institutions of the doctors in darfur in the south can call-in to get the latest medical help and i cannot distributed because of the sanctions. the very elements that we need and equipment we need to develop the south cannot come for the ports because it is sanctioned it. we have to take it could look and say what can we do to ensure that the southern sudanese have every opportunity that is not in an incubator but survive on its own? i will tell you we have worked issues employer sells in the box and we need some help from a congress in those areas. >> another set of questions, what does this say we are talking of lot of our soft power but in terms of

trying to save people's lives? >> but what it really is making a difference to the ngo to increase capacity for the ngos to work and a billion more development and a development program that the sudanese themselves come up with and come up with the plan and work on their plan to make them successful it is not about us doing that but as helping them help themselves in the african region and that is what we're trying to do. >> one last question and come up with men go out to get firewood and end up getting raped in the process. there's a lot of alternatives

dose, have you looked at that to see what is the best alternatives we can better secure those who are in the camps? >> thank you for your question earlier reduced have a discussion of women's issues especially in 85 you are right. if there were good, me effected fuel efficient stowe's it would reduce the exposure of women outside of the camp. what we have found is some of the early models that we have have of fuel efficient stoves the have not lived up to their promises they're not as efficient as they led us to be the eighth. we are now working on a steady two ways to improve them so we come up with a better design with the stove that truly is fuel-efficient and energy efficient. >> what is your timeframe? >> it is in progress now and i

cannot give you any definition when it will be concluded that we will certainly work with you and your staff. >> we would like to know your progress. thank you very much. >> we will move to the next panel but senator wicker i do think, if there is a debate that it is imports and obviously with respect to our policy and the choices we have available to us but also a debate fraught with some difficulties at this plant in time which is why intelligent and committed people can have differences of opinion. according to article to comment genocide means any of the following five acts committed with intent to destroy in whole or in part to a national and ethnic racial or religious group, killing members of the group, causing

serious bodily or mental harm to members comment deliberately conditions of life to bring about physical destruction in whole or in part for obviously there could be a significant debate about the camps and people's ability to move back and lack of provision was adequate protection and those measures intended to prevent birth and forcibly transferring the children to another group. international law includes within genocide the issue of conditions that lead to the destruction of the group. there's a lot of room for argument. what general gration is saying in this debate what their art is ongoing impacts we are living with them. darfur is a day today hal in terms of the impact of

2004/2005 but obviously but those activities what is the accurate figure that were killed? what is the best judgment? >> [inaudible] >> correct. and today we have largely criminal activity as the conditions people are living in which takes some lives but serious questions of whether it is the remnant of independent acting otherwise versus a government driven effort. so these are things we can argue about but if we sit around and do that we would like at the camps taking care of and mr. gast talk to run the on sustainability of the current situation.

just paint that picture what do you mean by on sustainability in the context of the post march for each end? >> when we refer to on sustainability we have to ask actors to take on roles they are not used to doing so that means they're not implementing programs that meeting acceptable international standards. i mentioned for example, the delivery of a food. we have a monitoring element built in along the way. we cannot do that now we do not have the resources. >> can the government of khartoum our ability to do that better? >> the government of khartoum can facilitate that ability to do a better buy doing what it is doing now. and. >> do you feel since general

gration visit and my visit and others there is a sense they are more engaged? >> absolutely. the problem is rebuilding that capacity. we talk about the process days progress it has made with technical agreements and issuing visa and not requiring a travel permit but the one area they have not fully implemented is through assets. assets that were seized after march 4 have not been returned for the most part we are rebuilding capacity to appoint we will have all sustainability and greater coverage prior to march 4 and we're doing that by expanding the presence of existing ngo eight of them are currently expanding and can bring in more international staff and hire more local staff and the general also mentioned for ngos coming back to sudan and

three of which will werke and darfur. >> there is more to be covered but we don't have time we have to get to the next panel. >> could i have another moment for two? clearly the chairman's comments are well taken however if ambassador rice is correct, and if there is the ongoing genocide, then clearly the congress and the united states approach to dealing with the government should be different. i want to ask one question about the succession broke. i would not be surprised, a general, if the south did not vote to secede under any

circumstances. do you expect the khartoum government to honor this vote? or water the implications of that? >> i do believe they will honor the vote and i do believe that the agreements we have made right now, the number and the south have agreed with the legislation with or without the required legislation. i believe it will happen and what we understand if the vote happen today they were probably vote to secede but we will see what happens in 2011. but i think they will allow it to happen. >> and khartoum will allow the seceding south to go quietly and peacefully and orderly? >> that is what we're working toward with full implementation of the cpa to allow the vote to be unity, a

peaceful coexistence that is what we're striving for with our negotiations in the work we're doing. >> thank you sir and mr. chairman. >> a very important line of angry i wanted to be declared of. i believe i believe general gration is on the right track and i think i think his engagement has saved lives and in finance our ability to advance the piece process both in darfur and is cpa north and south and the consequences of not doing both would be disastrous. we are presented b'rith day and have a situation what was happening 2004 and 2005 is not happening today i will not get caught up in the argument and general gration has said we can spend our time doing that but the key is the government

of khartoum moving to redress the critical humanitarian concerns and to a vance the piece process itself we have a very different situation confronting us and that is the main thing we have to look for with our policy there are real measurements of what they're doing and we advance that process and i think that is exactly what general gration is doing. the time frame is critical and it will take heavy lifting by special envoy and others to advance this. so with that said let me invite a seamless transition to the second panel. i need to meet with some folks for just a minute and a senator lugar will chair in my absence so thick you for being here we will leave the record open for one week there will be additional questions that

will the clarification a particularly mr. gast we did not have a chance to get to some of the things we need to know about the program and we look forward to doing that. thank you for being here. we invite the second panel to come up and take their seats. [inaudible conversations] >> may we have order so we can progress with our distinguished panel blacks i will call upon new in this order first of all, professor at shinn said muhammed eisa

then susan page will you please proceed? biv i think you senator lugar i want to emphasize the eggs situation existing in sudan very much involves the entire surrounding region program also suggest that most of sudan at nine at nabors would prefer to see problems between north and southern sudan ultimate aim resolved with a southern sudan at remaining united with the rest of sudan even though that is not the way it seems to be headed. which ejected being the most forcefully taking that position. negative a gay geographical unifies sudan is clearly depend on the willingness and ability of khartoum to make it attractive to southern sudan

and the southern sudan willingness to the the door open to that possibility. some observers might argue that a breakup of sudan and i would suggest a break up may very well go beyond just a northern and southern sudan but possibly the breaking off of parts in the north and in the south. some would argue that might be a good thing but i respectfully disagree. so long as khartoum can make you be attractive to the south. but should that fail it is incumbent upon khartoum to allow the cpa to move forward and the referendum on independence to proceed. there is a lot to criticize in sudan but i want to focus on a few areas where there have been progress. one that has been talked about is whether sudan should be

considered were left on the list of state supporters of terrorism provide would argue it should not but be removed from that list. it is often said if you remove sudan from that list did you remove sanctions but that is a misnomer. of the above the sanctions against sudan is so long and entangled it would take years to undue that jungle even if you remove saddam from the state sponsor of terrorism list. only we have talked to a high of the emotional charge of genocide but i am in the camp that would argue that today what is happening in darfur does not meet the definition of genocide as defined by the 1948 convention and i think it does not serve u.s. policy well to continue to comment that because of heavy emotional baggage it brings to the question for our suggested

a series of very specific policy suggestions which have been alluded to but just to mention a few of them, i would try to make one last effort to make unity attractive in sudan to perhaps pulled together a small group of international experts that could sit down with the national congress party to identify agenda where that might still happen. of the odds are not a good but nevertheless the effort is worth trying. i think a much better effort should be made in resolving the internal difficult-- difficulties with chad working with france and libya and that plays out very heavily what is happening inside sudan its self. i think u.s. policy will be well served if what is going on in the sudan in falls more

directly the key actors and general gration indicated that may be under way and that is a positive move also the international community press hard on both the sp calum and the government to demarcate the border from the tribunal. and finally i would suggest there ought to be pressure on both the splm and and cp to reduce the amount of money they're spending on the military and would not encourage both to rebuild the agricultural sector i would also make the are you ever upgrading u.s. representation and khartoum and more important it would agree with general gration there must me more on the ground ability to monitor what is happening in

sudan -- sudan and make a case for the american president's program at idea of 1%, one american officer position scattered around locations with maybe one or two local nationals and that would give a great advantage to understanding the situation. thank you very much. >> to the members of the united states senate, my name is mohammed and i am a native of gration -- darfur sudan thank you for the invitation to come today i also want to thank you for your support.

i'm here to testify today before you on the issue so dear to my heart not coming gets i am sad and by events which have brought me hear today. a leader in my community, in preparing for this testimony come i have consulted with a number of darfur leaders and i stand here today expressing many of their views. one american doctor that has worked in darfur since 1989 says since 2003 we have provided american treatment two hundreds of civilians as a result of the conflict. they come in various forms gunshot

wounds, rape, torture, beating , and other forms of violence. one particular concern is the displaced camps which have been aggravated by the international organizations and the sudanese government. the shortage of food and clean water and sanitation and the administration of violence the few organizations which have been allowed to return to sudan have not been able to stop operating through the bureaucratic red tape so activist as myself for being targeted by the government making it impossible for us to

provide the need to our people. many who live outside of city and fear for our lives if we were to return. for more than six years we have been calling for peace in darfur it is needed in darfur. the comprehensive peace agreement signed with the sudanese liberation movement and the government of sudan it has the negotiable peace agreement in darfur it paves the way for the democratic transformation and provide for equitable wealth and freedom of religion and the rise of one identity. these of the same issues we're fighting for and 85 similar of what is needed to in darfur in

a peace agreement must address that issue of accountability for crimes committed by the country but a conducive environment must be created. land owned by a people in the displaced camps have been occupied by settler is coming in. these lands must we returned to the rightful owner and in order for this to happen some alicia must be disarmed. this will create a safe environment for the people to return to their homes. four sustainable peace in sudan the united states should add the government of sudan to allow the return were

functioning of the system in and remove the same shin that prevents commencing operations and including leadership from the displaced and refugees and ribbon organizations in the piece process. as a key player in the piece process united states should have time implementation. but we hope to continue working with united states and we're counting on the united states to play a key role to bring about peace in darfur and sudan.

>> thank you very much. not like to call upon this page. >> thank you very much a ranking member it and honorable members of the committee thank you for this opportunity to justify. four years after signing a comprehensive peace agreement it is holding but remains very fragile and full-scale war between the north and south is always at risk of erupting. interests nec by land has increased and tie darfur finance continues. on june 28 the national election commission postponed elections for a second time from theory 2010 through april 2010 political tensions rose in the southland ford affairs minister created a new political party called the splm for democratic change despite these changes progress was made and the government of national unity agreed to allow

for governmental organizations into the country to replace the ngo that were expelled after the accident of president bashir the advancement of peace was made as alluded to following last week's ruling with the arbitration and respect for the decision and a newly drawn map has been agreed to and i think a part as a testament to the part of general gration and the senior leadership and the ruling was announced. nci has worked in sudan since 2004. and our focus group research has the most extensive qualitative information on the opinions of the sudanese people we have completed 10 focus group studies including southern sudan, two in the three areas by blue nile and two in the northpark pro as

part of these studies focus group discussions have been held in 71 locations across the country. we are assisting in developing the capacity of 75 southern civil society and if the eighth phase organization to serve as domestic election troopergate network for the domestic elections the organizations have stressed the importance of working together and corded efforts with the north with those of the established networks in the south park out amidst -- admits to the challenges the expressions show a desire for collaboration regardless of the outlook comes of the referenda to build a just and accountable government at all levels. the focus group research in

the north and south and three areas show the city's strong news of for reelection as the best way to choose their leaders. they are strongly committed to participating and called a deep desire to hold elected officials accountable what they cannot currently do with it a point* official while many people expect cheating to take place a number of participants stated they would "except to the bride the but yet still but for the candidate of their choice" end quote. but misinformation is widespread in respect for the positions they're voting and in blue nile a number of people erroneously believe there will also participate in the referendum. the research raises important points and demonstrates sudanese citizens of frustration with the incomplete implementation of the cpa parker increase technical assistance and

government has the ability to build in sectoral implementation including the two referenda are crucial ways to support the government of national unity the government of southern sudan and the 25 states in implementing the next critical stage of the cpa additional support for rotor education programs is crucial in order for elections to be viewed as credible the electoral framework must be understood and regulations put in place as soon as possible blood donors should continue to support the election commission to make sure it remains the independent body. parties must me able to compete and campaigned freely and media should provide equal access to all competing interest. additional the domestic observation of the process, at electoral process provide sudanese citizens the opportunity to provide in the

life of their country and make informed decisions about their future. collectively the independent electoral commission adequate citizen education and responsible media coverage, political tolerance for campaigning and the freedom for domestic sudanese organization to observe the electoral process will minimize the risk of pre-and post election and referendum violence has well as to help ensure respect for the sudanese people as expressed through the ballot. thank you very much. >> thank you very much. let me commence by following up on your suggestions come but clearly the information that could come from the focus groups or already has as well as the findings as you publish them and discuss them are critical for these referendums to bring about decisions where

citizens have confidence in our more importantly do nightingale june 5 is because of what they receive they have incompetence in administration or fraud and abuse. the national credit institute and public institute have cooperated for many years and latin america and i can recall vividly the attempts made to help print ballots that were clear or signals for signs to persons who were illiterate as to what the choices might be two political parties but that is apart from people sitting around it tabled with the balance being raised and everybody is examining it, procedures through would find in the united states now to be very tedious but in the case of the first election and

in many latin america and countries it was crucial for the accountability because we're all looking forward to these elections and clearly the amount of education about the numbers of physicians to be filled, who is going to be up for election. i asked you first of all, what sort of resources do you or other groups have to make that kind of information available if the 25 states of sudan? that is a daunting figure as one considers all of the differentiations. >> they accuse senator. 10 ti has received a lot of funding from u.s. aid u.s.-made civic education and voter education a priority so we do have lot of resources and research from the focus group is consistently published and we do briefings in the field not just for the

political leaders north and south and the state level but also for citizens so they understand what people are saying in terms of the election bridle think and i a country the size of sudan the resources are every enough but to get to those actions we need clear regulation passed by the electoral commission people need to be educated but you cannot do all of the educating until we know exactly what we need to tell people. that is the first and foremost a national election commission is also understaffed and has spent slowed to publish the regulation to implement the electoral act. >> this is an important part of that hearing to eliminate the process because these are action steps finally and

actions made by citizens and the information they have the opportunity they have and the integrity of the process is tremendously important. but let me ask as so many americans appreciate your own contribution and humane services, likewise your observation about darfur, what are the prospects for the many groups within darfur? many of them have been involved of contest of their own for turf levying aside the rest of sudan within darfur what are the prospects for unity? and a healthy darfur even if the rest of the world would the fed alone?

-- to leave it alone? >> to be i have been working as an american activist and we are working with affiliations and tribal groups and we have four related -- for formulated formulated, we are in levying in the same atmosphere and we will continue to live in that same network so 24 but the problem of darfur together. but to have the solution of

peace in darfur as a group but that is what we are building in soho there prohibited and movements are restricted and that is one of the problems we are looking for the piece where everybody is at peace is the only solution for darfur and sudan cement that is encouraging but with their groups in darfur but it on location and this is obstructive by the government and these meetings and reconciliations are frustrated? >> that is what we are trying to do because even the people instead displaced camps have their leaders and release negotiate together and that is

our echoes for the people and darfur. >> professor, i was intrigued with your thought that nabors of sudan, even recognizing the referendum about two o occur as well as other phenomenon, all things considered, will buy 2c1 united sudan as opposed to a southern function or another split. you even suggested in the worst-case analysis there may be more than two. there could be a vaccinated country of first of all i am just curious why would other countries worry about that? why does this affect their

foreign policy one way or another? and furthermore, is this the unified feeling of the neighbors or do other countries have various agenda is perhaps that work better? can you eliminate that situation a bit more? director of the nine countries that border sudan come i could make a strong case that at least six of them would prefer a unified sudan when this is over with seven have some question marks on it kenya and uganda me high of economic advantages and the situation in chad is so confusing it is hard to deciphered normally do blunt unified because they have the same problems if bifurcation of chad they have been the sudan and it is not a good precedent but the bad relations with khartoum complicate that.

in some cases it is a practical consideration they simply do not want to do with one or more additional countries but they have to negotiate quotas for use of the nile water they would rather do with khartoum and be done with that. in the case of a country like ethiopia, they find it easier to deal with one neighboring capital, not two or three or more i have had this conversation a number of times the preference is for a unified sudan but they will excepted if it comes. the more interesting part of the question is are some countries interested in having a division in order to make it weaker and work to their advantage? that is a possibility that is why the if chad in a separate

category they are the blunt country that may fall into this situation. that may not be anywhere else. but i think the president of division along ethnic lines or otherwise is more over ratings and wanting to take advantage of smaller entities and with u.s. interest the last thing we would want to see is a series of countries landlocked and poor and dependent upon outside a even those that may have oil. >> thank you very much. >> the key for being here i appreciate it very much. dr. muhammed, how would you describe, we had the little discussion about what is going on in darfur today on apologize but i would like to

hear your description how would you describe what is happening on the ground today in 10 darfur? >> thank you what is happening and i have been there for more than 20 years darfur. it is a question the residents do not have the equality to share in the power or wealth. and all indicators show a very dire situation. what is happening after, the people are now coming and the displaced comes produce see what is happening.

they are living and that greatest situation but everybody in it darfur wants to grow. but there are preconditions the land which is occupied by the other sellers -- such dollars and now occupies the land. they are armed. >> the government. >> lee needed to be appalled and take its a mandate. they should be disarmed and

demobilized so it is a conducive environment for people to go home and have a normal life in their home. they're coming from a very good area and nobody is lacking to live in that situation. so to be it is very difficult to see ic catastrophe but also today you can get out anyway we want the committee to understand we don't have the infrastructure that is basically needed and the question of helicopters or

other mechanisms should have the upper hand to control the situation usaid in terms of the current. >> of the principal rebel groups, they're not a gauge the way they were in a confrontation going on but the question i asked you is one senator mentioned with the three or four on a voice with senator mendez, what do you think we have gone through a number of getting close to agreements and within hours or-- the agreement the people have walked away and it has fallen apart. is there something that is alive today that it is in this

moment that you think is different we can capitalize on or are restock aire reader we go around and we will get through this meaningless agreement process? temecula is a question not a matter how many agreements but is there a political will to implement? >> that has to me but all of the parties. >> correct. the rating faction the implementation is cpa is demanded with a consequence these would be implemented. >> what is your judgment about that will? is that they're now? >> to me i know what is happening in the city and government it never made who

will to solve the problem with darfur but it wants to continue as the military option. >> ambassador? what do you say about that? >> it is hard to read the minds of the people who are running said government and khartoum but i do see however a willingness to reach out 22 governments like the mayor can the government for perhaps the first time in a long time and i think that ought to be pursued rather than and rejected it may not lead anywhere and it would be unfortunate if it doesn't but i think that general gration is on the right track by reaching out on a seeing what is there, seeing if there can't be further moves by the government in khartoum to do what has to be done not only to resolve the problem and

darfur but the cpa and i am a little optimistic, not real but a the ~ it. >> so am i parker naturally. i think it is possible to put the dynamics together it is a tough issue and maybe want to comment miss page i you see the north-south process and the citizenship on the borders and wealth sharing? >> thank you senator i do believe that some of these suggestions outlined by ambassador shinn is quite right the region has to consider africa does not have a long track record of appreciating other independent states on its border and especially the fact sudan if the south votes to secede we need to have a process of how we will help both the government of national unity

which is the integrated government to help the number eight and the south would replace the mechanisms that would make that happen so what general gration talks about whether unity or a peaceful coexistence or separation, how do we do that? it is part of the three elections and the political process but we have to make it less of a zero sum game so it is only a winner and a loser and that the state what they had with the ruling that both sides thought that they had won something that is part of the why it has been accepted without any violence so far. >> how do explain the rise of violence in the south in certain areas? is that localized, tribal or north/south. >> a little of both. but they're very much on the

rise one quote states there were more deaths in southern sudan then there was then that darfur. that is a scary statistic. if the international community does not rally around to try to take out the zero sum game, to make it a and all win or all or nothing situation, then we do not take away the incentive for the government to put spoilers in the mix. but is held government's around the world but if we don't take away some of those possibilities by giving them some real thoughts of how they can work through some of the process these so the outcome of the elections will be respected the outcome of the

referenda, the two of them will be respected and without violence but felt so if we could get international supporters together with different experience as mr. shinn has suggested it is worth a try to what do you do? the pipeline is not in southern sudan. their house to be some sort of mechanism but will they do with the above the "new york post" 2011? >> unfortunately we're running up against the clock which i regret enormously to as we could go one publicly for some time we will need to follow-up the but let me close out a couple of quick questions, dr. muhammed, a good darfur peace agreement

many people thought lacked a sufficient civil process could you share quickly how can we make sure the civil society is properly heard in the process of this initiative forever with respect to darfur? >> . >> the disagreements from darfur we're seeing now a part from the destruction of the government of sudan but we think this situation is more dire now. everybody is longing for peace. that is the good momentum to have to make use of it. i think those adjust waiting to see momentum to continue

negotiations and it is good momentum but the government of sudan will find the solution for the problem. let them give them hope what the international organization group go back to help with but idp. so they moved together to find a solution and to make a position and for the piece and come together, it lists list the rebels. and then they have no choice except to except at and that we're very united that across

the country with the international community we will achieve peace very soon . . u.s. and international community seems to have to press this point and to make it clear how to khartoum and the in cp this is the occasion to turn a new leaf to bring more darfuri in

civil society into this. i agree it is critical to do that. i don't think the other groups would disagree and the splm component of the government of national unity would probably be supportive of this so i think again there is an opening to do something here. >> i think that is a good note, both of you and your comments unless you want to add to that but i think that is a good note to pull this together, a little optimism in the sense what is possible. i think some of those rebel groups it was my perception over there are taking advantage of their toyota land cruisers and bonds and money that flows their way is not a lot of liberation theology driving in which these days. so i think we need to call things as we see them and press the opportunities to bring people together to try to resolve this. and we are greatly admiring as

you know your efforts over all these years. thank you for your leadership and courage and the national democratic institute racially appreciate what you're doing. as i said we will leave the record open. i know there will be a questions submitted and if you could help us complete the would be terrific. it's been helpful to everybody. senator lugar, do you have any other -- we thank you and we stand adjourned. and all conversations [inaudible conversations]

vice president laden was a featured speaker at this year's annual conference of the urban league. she talks about the administration's strategy to stabilize the economy and how these initiatives are benefiting cities, minorities and small businesses. he's introduced by the group's president, former new orleans mayor marc morial.

from chicago, this is about 40 genex. >> 36 years in the united states senate the ranking member, our chair of the senate judiciary committee for 17 years. vice president biden was widely recognized for his work on criminal-justice issues including the landmark 1994 crime bill and violence against women act. as chairman -- [applause] ranking member of the senate foreign relations committee since 97. vice president biden played a pivotal role in shaping united states foreign policy. he has been at the forefront negative use of legislation related to terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, post cold war

europe, the middle east and southwest asia. urban leaders, join me in giving a resounding welcome to the 47 the vice president of the united states, the honorable joseph biden. [applause] [cheering] >> thank you all very much. [applause] marc thank you, folks, it's an honor to be here. thanks for having me. [applause] speed line, it is good to be back with you again. marc and i -- i met marc's mom backstage and she reminded me that we met when i was a 32-year-old united states senator. she remembered exactly where we

met. she remembers whose house we were in. and mom, i'm flattered you would remember me. she probably remembers i used to have here, and that's even more flattering. marc, it's great to be with you. you did a great job as the mayor of new orleans and a great job here as the ceo of

if i could do my job one-tenth as well as he does his i would go down in the history books, but i don't have the talent he has. magic johnson, just touch me, will you? [applause] ladies and gentlemen, for 99 years, 99 years the urban league has been helped this, and after 99 years, you shape the lives of millions of americans as well as american history and all for the better and i would argue there is a greater need for you today in this new century that even

them there was 99 years ago so i want to congratulate you congratulate you not only for sticking with it but for the passion you bring with them. in my city of wilmington delaware the urban league -- [cheering] i didn't know you all were here. [laughter] the urban league has revived the city and reintegrated the city in a way with all the credibly talented african-american businessmen and women who now people every major industry in my state are now back engaged in the communities in which they no longer live and which they care deeply about. so, your place and our need is really high and i mean it when i say the country needs you more than any time in the past.

you know you've stare-down -- the urban league has steered down tough periods of american history and the urban league has never backed down. he stuck to your core mission, fight for economic justice and social justice and you've done it in good times and bad times. you have boosted millions, millions of americans out of poverty into the middle class. you kept your mission, and your mission has always been as you know better than i carter. the harder the economic times are. these are particularly difficult economic times for the american people. a lot of people are having trouble holding on. not only the very poor, but those who finally made it to the middle class and find themselves being economically disenfranchised again. they feel like they are falling back. white, black, hispanic, asian.

the american people, through the vast majority of circumstances to no fault of their own find themselves and found themselves in the end of the last administration free fall. millions of americans are uninsured. but the rate of the uninsured is higher for african-americans. unemployment is unacceptably high for all americans, but much higher for african-americans. we inherited what i refer to as the great recession. this recession is deeper, more complicated, more profound than any economic downturn america has seen since the great depression. particularly aggravating is economic realities the past three decades. the world has gotten the phrase we have all used, flattered and much more complicated, which has also made it more difficult to bust out of recessions quickly.

we've learned through the rescissions the past three decades one of the harshest realities of deep recession, and this is the deepest, is that employment lags well behind economic growth. growth in the gdp. in the 70's and in the 80's gdp began to grow significantly and still on employment did not and, and only when it was really we redid the employment picture begins at jobs to the economy. it's the nature, it's the nature of the world economy. we, along with economists across the board, across-the-board, when we were sworn in, even before we were sworn in, knew that something significant, something big had twin

realities. our economic team put together an aggressive plan to deal with what we inherited. some suggested we are trying to do too much. i would argue how can we do less? how can we do less than what we are doing? [applause] we put in place a three-pronged approach to address the deepest recession since the great depression. remember this was a recession born out of a massive housing bubble inflated by excess of speculation and lack oversight of the financial industry and wall street. the first thing we had to do is take care of the damage left by the housing bubble to try to stop this cratering that was going on so we passed the president's housing plan. we continue to work with mortgage lenders to keep responsible homeowners in their home and mortgages affordable for middle class families across america and the plan also helps and has helped keep interest rates at historic lows enabling

millions of homeowners for hanging on by their fingernails or hanging on barely to be able to refinance their mortgages and take it vintages that are historically low rates saving between 12 and $1,600 per year for the average middle class family with a mortgage. then we had to go out and stabilize the financial system threatening to take down. people have short memories. i'm a bird that big summit at the g20 we were talking about, the g8? the question was could we rationalize the system to keep the major banks their operations so we passed the financial stability act. complicated and on popular but

absolutely necessary to begin to stabilize financial markets. with this plan we added liquidity to the landing system. private capital markets now are reviving and investing in these banks as a result banks or recapitalizing with private money through these independent investors and then came feathered piece of this three-pronged strategy. a piece i would like to talk about today. the most misunderstood and that is the american recovery and reinvestment act. the recovery act was sent on its own as some may understandably or, well i don't know what their motive is, but some would have us believe it was not designed to be as my grandfather would say the worst that carried the

sleigh. it had a purpose. it was one of three major initiatives. it by itself was not designed nor have the capacity to revive the entire economy. it was designed to restore, help restore economic health. it was one very important piece and remains an important piece. maybe the most misunderstood piece of the policy. i like to talk about the recovery act, the recovery act is sort of three initiatives in bonn. three important goals. relief, recovery, and reinvestment. if you read the press or watch news accounts many people are led to believe or maybe we've led them to believe actually inadvertently a lot of people believed the 787 -- and i was talking with marc about this a moment ago -- that the $787 billion in the act was $787 billion designed to go out

and rebuild roads, hi whitcomb infrastructure. people are saying $787 billion, where is it all? well, the truth of the matter is, the truth of the matter is it is much more than that. because people thought that it's all about just free investing and the economy by directly building things and employee people. people are saying i don't see what it's doing. why isn't it doing more? the urbanville league knows the infrastructure part of this act was only one part of act. less than one-third, gigantic but less than one-third. when we are putting together the act, the urban league came in and met with our folks and us, the president and me and pointed out something we already knew but needed reinforced. that a lot of people were falling through the cracks. a lot of people needed help. a lot of people need immediate

help immediate relief for failing fast. we had to do something quickly to keep them from falling further. we had to act immediately. so one big piece of this act related to dealing with to distressed people and recently on employed people and only a few months we've already extended more than $4 billion in high unemployment benefits which will continue for the next 18 months. [applause] we have spent about $6 billion trust in the first seven months, actually six months we spent $6 billion to lower the cost of health insurance for those you know have lost their jobs. they wouldn't have any without this. we've already delivered $43 billion in tax relief to

working families and businesses, 95% of the people who get withholding in their paycheck are getting 60 to $80 a month more in their paychecks than they were before. they needed help. it matters. we've added $20 billion for improving the food stamp program which now serves 30 million more people. [applause] and half of them are children. [applause] folks, i say to our critics would you not have done this? what you not have said these and 30 million people who have fallen on desperate times? would you not to extend unemployment insurance? would you not have provided for the obra and funding to maintain your health care policy when you've lost your job? through eight to the states we've been able to save tens of thousands of teachers, firefighters and police officers

from being laid off. the essential people to the wellbeing of any community. i was with four governors yesterday, two days ago and philly. each of them got up. we were talking about -- each of them got up and pointed out what every governor but to i have spoken to so far -- and i've spoken to every governor -- have said without this so-called countercyclical health to the states, they would be bankrupt. they would be in dire shape. the governor of pennsylvania said without this help i would have had to lay off an additional 10,000 firefighters, cops, teachers. and new york city alone with an education sometimes great pressure on it and they've given

over 14,000 teachers their notice that they would not be rehired next year, meaning september. this recovery act money, they are all going to be back in the classroom. it's not just that they have a job -- [applause] -- but it also means ase -- it also means -- and also means that kids are all going to have larger class sizes. they are going to work better. it also means you're going to have all the help school needs to deal with the chemical responsibilities of running a school. and i might add in all of your states where your schools are in fact run, funded by property taxes, absent over $100 billion that is in here for education, your property -- you have to do one of two things; ignore your education system to avoiding the students' interest or raise your

property taxes. but people don't know that understandably. we also provided more than $80 billion to states to preserve their ability to provide medicaid services, keeping roughly 20 million people from falling off the rolls and having no health care coverage. ladies and gentlemen, it's a fancy name called fmap translated into regular speak means the states have to pay for part of the medicaid requirements that they provide. but they didn't have the money so we came along, not bail them out, but save the health care availability for 20 million people including many of them newly unemployed would have no

alternative. and before we even unpacked our bags in washington, we rushed to expand the schip program, state children's health insurance program. we extended health care benefits to 11 million more children who did not have it. [applause] so, folks, i could give you more aspects of the act, but the bottom line here is what part of this act is about was not keeping people from falling into the cracks but keep them from falling into a deep black hole, and i asked our critics what would they have done? what they have let 20 million people fall off the rolls? medical coverage, people in poverty? in addition to providing desperately needed relief, which

is about one third of this act, we had to build, and we believe, the president believes, we had to build a foundation for a new strong for economy. here is where we start. middle class folks did not get their fair share of the last two expansions in america. the president and i are determined that when we come out of this recession and we will i guarantee you -- [applause] when we come out we do not want people who left behind. from 2000, 22007 productivity in america grew by 20% to get the average middle class american had a net loss of 3%. ladies and gentlemen, that wasn't the deal we made. society made a deal in the 20th century. those who are responsible for

the increase of productivity are entitled to a piece of the action. [applause] and ladies and gentlemen, it didn't happen. so we know we have to build an economy not built on dot com double or housing double but built on a firm foundation, not on pieces of paper being shuttled between wall street skyscrapers. so folks, that is what we focused on, the places where the new jobs will be the new green jobs and modern jobs. we focused on over $7 billion in broadband and smart great high-speed rail, healthcare i.t., a renewable energy, the economy of the future. remember the time we put this together people said we shouldn't be focusing on that. a lot of our critics. how could we compete in the 21st

century? how could we compete in the 21st century without a radically altered health care system? without a radically altered energy system and without a radically altered education system? so part of this act, another big chunk of it was all about leaving this new foundation. but here is the difference. we've not only wanted to make a new foundation. we wanted to make sure those people aspiring in the middle class had a shot to get a piece of the action. so what did we do? let me give you one example. weather is asia, over $5 billion -- any american can tell you hear there is a lot of money, $5 billion total for weatherization quickest, cheapest way to reduce carbon and reliance on foreign oil. so what did we do?

the said we want state buildings, county buildings, federal buildings and public housing projects with their highest -- weatherized. so what are we doing? we train people to become professional weatherizers to people to assess homes and install but is needed to reduce cost and talk to our secretary of housing. he will tell you about the program we have in public housing projects. we allow them to save 130 to $150 a year in their costs in those housing projects, but also to train the close to 1 million unemployed people in those projects, pick them and train them for the jobs of the future so they not only have a better environment so when this recession is over they have a

marketable skill. this isn't a make a more job. we want to make jobs that cannot be exported and extend the opportunity as recover as my mother would say out of everything terrible, something good will happen if you look hard enough. this is an opportunity to do good as well as building a platform and provide a ladder for more people to get into the middle class. these are the jobs. these folks will be able to keep jobs in the future. small businesses, too, are getting into the action and the small business loan program is making a difference. 20% of all with the recovery act small business loans and guarantees have gone to minority-owned businesses. 20%. nobody knows it but it is a fact. [applause] right here in downtown chicago there is a salon owned by a

woman named kim shackelford. through the act, she saved $2,700 in fees and secured 150,000-dollar loan because we guaranteed it, the african-american business owner receiving a loan from an african american bank willing to give the law because the federal government was backing her. [applause] now she can enhance her business. the bank has a new customer it wouldn't have had otherwise and people are going to be employed that would have a otherwise been laid off or not had a job. look, we realize a big part of participating in this recovery is having the information you need. what contract opportunities are available? to build roads and highways and to deal with weatherization and all of the people did to do. who is eligible for these opportunities? if i am a small-business owner how do i get the information i need to submit bids to hire workers? you need information. magic, i used to have a great

friend who died of throat cancer, magic mabey villamil i to remember the days when providence college had this great basketball teams and this guy was my great friend pete mclaughlin. he paid and died of throat cancer before he reached 50 but he had a great saying. academics were not his forte but he is a smart guy and one of the things he said was joe, you've got to know how to know. you've got to know how to know. and ladies and gentlemen, one of the things we need your help on, the urban league's help, we need you to help reach out to people to know how to know they can participate in these programs. i will get you one other exhibit. yesterday i called a cabinet meeting, the head of the small business operation and our operation pointed out to me she was just able to put together a

high-tech robotic minority firm with the department of defense for significant contract. the department of defense didn't know this robotic firm existed. minority-owned business didn't know how to get connected to be able to compete for these contract. part of the help we need is how do we help people know how to know what's available? that's why i'm happy to announce today that i have charged two members of my recovery cabinet, negative spoken, on a call them, but they are barack's common of my cabinet. [laughter] they are not mine, they are barack's. [applause] but they are part of this recovery team and that's why they have put in the speech mind, it isn't mine.

[laughter] but former governor gary locke, six to eight commerce and the department administrator, administrator mills in the small business administration are making sure the communities we cared most about you have focused most of. get the help they need to compete to get in here and prosper. i tasked the cabinet with the permission of the president to make sure we meet our commitment minority-owned businesses but women and veterans that are among the highest on and played rates in the country. so, starting next week over the course of the next 90 days the agencies across the entire government will be conducting workshops to educate small businesses women and minorities, a veteran business is how they can better assess information on their opportunities existed in the recovery act. i'm asking each of the departments of to just tell me they are working on it but come back with detailed plans

mechanically what are you going to do, how are you going to reach out? in the next 90 days and i mean this sincerely and i talked about this we are going to meet next week in a conference call with a number around the country ideas to qualified people who in fact just don't know how to access this we could use the help because in the 90 days i want a hard frost plan from every single cabinet member. all in all we are making concrete efforts to end our urban communities. this is the most urban friendly administration we have had in a long, long time. [applause] in this scene of old friends is we can think of nobody better to partner with the urban league to help us work through this to get your ideas s for when we put

together the act. we've got something we haven't had before in this country. we have got a true metropolitan investment strategy. now we have got to implement. that is why president of, and i created the white house task force excuse become a white house often on urban affairs at the white house level. the can't succeed if our urban areas don't succeed. mayor daley has forgotten about this issue than on we can't succeed unless the urban areas succeed and like you, we are doing everything we can to empower them to lead us into the future down the path to power. despite efforts we know millions will be left on and wait and other and played for some time or before we can get to them before we have full recovery. that is just the nature of the beast of the world economy these

days. why had the great pleasure of knowing not closely with the chance to meet him as a young senator once said and i quote the hardest work is being out of worked. the hardest work in the world is being out of work. [applause] whitney young and my dad knew something else about being out of work that when you were out of work you would not only have lost your income and ability to provide for yourself and your family, you lose your dignity. your dignity is damaged. and i believe and whitney believed and mr. young believed the hardest work is being out of work. i think the longest walk in america is the block a mother or father has to make the short flight of stairs to their child's bedroom to say how

honey, mommy or daddy lost their jobs or honey we are going to have to move. my dad made that walk like a lot of your state. i was in third grade even remember him walking up the stairs -- we were living in my grandfather's house everything jot down there and we will get a place and bring you and your mommy and brother and sister my dad said that with absolute conviction and i can only

imagine how hard it must have been for my dad to look at me and tell me that. but my dad did. attends and millions of moms and dads state and tends and millions of moms and dads are making that walk and we've got to make sure they will be able to say what my dad said to me with absolute conviction, to be able to look at your child and say honey, it is going to be okay. it is going to be okay. it is almost that simple. it's almost that simple and profound. we've got to put people back where they are able to look at their kids and say honey, and you know what? positive things are beginning to

happen. i am certain we will come out of this recession stronger. i am absolutely positively certain when we come out of this recession we will not be leaving people behind. i am absolutely positively certain that this recovery act is working and our plan will work. folks, remember where we were six months ago. our market was in a freefall. we were talking about the possibility of a depression. a worldwide financial collapse. our banking system was on the verge of collapse. remember the discussions, mr. mayor, citibank or bank of america or all the big banks, are they going to be able to stay open? people were talking about maybe we need a bank holiday. ladies and gentlemen, job losses

were staggering. they are still terrible but they were staggering. the month before we took office, 600,000 jobs lost. the month we took office, 700,000 jobs lost. we inherited the largest economic crisis since the 1930's and now look at we are talking about. still didier but no one is talking about a total collapse of the banking system. no one is talking about a total collapse of housing we pray god have hit the bottom. housing stats are up for the month. does that mean we are out? no. does that mean there will be no more foreclosures? no. but we are moving in the direction we have to. the on the planet rate is still unacceptably high but not growing nearly as fast. less good is not good, but less

good is better than worse. [laughter] [applause] and today -- and today we got a piece of -- when i say less good, less bad. we got a piece of less bad news. it was expected the economy gdp would continue to plunge. well it phill ligon this quarter -- it fell again this quarter. i believe and most economists will tell you by the last quarter of this year we will be technically out of recession and we will be plus something, technically out of recession. that's good. but it's not sufficient. growth in the gdp is necessary but not sufficient to deal with

all the problems. i suggest the commitment barack and i made to each other when we teamed up was it wasn't enough just to make the gdp growth. i repeat what i said before. at the end when we leave office we will measure ourselves by not whether or not there is a statistical uptick in the gdp, we will measure by whether or not we had a leap forward in opportunity for americans. we will be measured by progress we see and promises we keep. we will be measured whether or not the standard of living of middle class in preus and whether those aspiring to the middle class can get there and stay there. that is what we are but today's news is a glimmer of hope we are putting the brakes on this recession. we are lifting ourselves out of that the poll we were dropped

into and that we will get through this. and we get on our work feet and we will be a much stronger nation the and when we went into this recession. so ladies and gentlemen as my mom would say, actually she got this from my grand ball, keep the faith. keep the faith. every time she would say that as i walked out the door my grand pulpwood say no, spread it. well, ladies and gentlemen, i don't want to exaggerate the progress we've made, but it is real and it is concrete. these are building blocks that are necessary to get to the place we have to get to. so i just want to and by thanking you. thinking you for your work. thinking you for your commitment and telling you how badly we need you to maintain that commitment and passion because we have to build a new economy

and restore the old economy. we have to build a new economy. so everybody, everybody has a shot. ladies and gentlemen, thank you very, very much and may god bless you and may god protect our troops. thank you very, very much. [applause] [applause] ♪ [inaudible conversations]

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now a hearing of the house transportation and infrastructure committee. this is part of a series of hearings looking at the $787 billion economic stimulus package. specifically infrastructure and transportation projects. james oberstar of minnesota chairs this three hour hearing. >> the hearing none infrastructure will come to order. for work today we will review the third in the serious of oversight of the operation and effectiveness implementation of the recovery act also known as stimulus. i would like to project on the screen three presentations that i think are important for an

understanding there has been a great deal of discussion and the secular press of the recovery act and it -- its ability to put money into the job of arena and there are indeed other aspects of the stimulus recovery that are not working effectively but the highway and transit portion especially the high weight formula find some -- formulas or in place and working as we anticipated except a few states. and we call the first percentage of the recovery act highway and transit 59% obligated, that means states committed their money to specific projects.

41% not obligated that is still within the parameters of the law we also had our committee version been the final i think all of that would have been obligated. remember it was our committee moved the bill through the committee through the house to require obligation and projects within 90 days to was changed in conference and at the request of the administration to 180 days and have the funds needed to be held in the first 120 days and the other half, the next portion. any rate, the 59% obligated is within the parameters and the next chart. project out to bid and they are

49%, 16.7 billion out to bid, and 17.6 billion not out to bid. now i want to go into the flow chart. all right. go up further. thank you. now, -- bought it, i think you need binoculars to read that. [laughter] okay, there are copies of will be handed out to all the members. step one, february 17 the president signs the recovery act. step number two, federal highway administration portions the highway formula funds to the states. that was march 2nd. abbas roughly 13, 14 days after signing federal highway administration told all the states with their entitlement would be. step number three, within 30

days of enactment our legislation required each governor to certify to the d.o.t. that the state will maintain its eckert and funding of the regular 8020 program of transportation projects. within 45 days, april 3rd, governors had to certify the funds will be used to create jobs and promote economic growth and accept the responsibility that infrastructure investment is a appropriate use of tax dollars and they want all government to buy in on it. we made that clear going back to 08 when this committee moved such legislation and passed the house. we included in the recovery act. step number four, now the point at which federal highway administration approves the projects that the state has they

were going to commit to these projects. they were submitted to the federal highway administration division office normally approved within one or two days. step number five is now the federal role is complete. the federal role, except for the periodic setting out of funds. the next steps are up to the states. state following normal contracting procedures sends out invitation for bids. contractors normally have 21 days to bid depending on the size or complexity of the project. the bids come in, the state review the bid and awards contracts and that process normally takes four to 30 days, again, depending upon the

complexity of the project. then the contractor mobilizes, prepares to start hiring new workers or: their existing staff. then the state issues notice to proceed. work begins on those recovery act projects to 30 days. and 90 days the states have largely complied with the requirements of the act and that obligated the funds and set out the eye of the's and received bids and awarded bids and resolve any disputes as far as i can tell there haven't been any. and they have projects under way and they are continuing this process and now continues it is rolling along. so, we go to the -- than, than the latter part of that, the state then submits its voucher

to the federal highway administration and typically that voucher is fulfilled by and electronic overnight deposits by federal highway administration for each state. so let's go to the final fourth chart. beginning march 15 states were all getting projects april 1, bids were going out, bids reviewed, april 21 to may 10th, may 11th, contracts have been awarded. may 12th, not at your earliest actually, 13 days after the recovery act signed maryland had the first project under way on site. and work begins on the project. contractor reports job creation to the state and the reporting to us every three -- 30 days.

i asked for the best. wyoming has done the best job. 95.7% of their funds have been out to bid. they are the number one out of 51 jurisdictions. 85% of their funds are under contract. 72 to 76% of projects are actually under way on the job site. oklahoma, well, let's see, i was second with 88% out to bid at 50% of projects under way. unfortunately, hawaii, florida, and south carolina rank at the bottom. florida was the 51st mr. mica's in patients, and even outright anger with the justification.

very high unemployment rate as in my state, but for some reason only 2% of the funds are under way in the state of florida. only 12% of the funds are under contract. and hawaii and south carolina are in that same neighborhood. we need to find out why. we have sent in queries to state dot's to find out what is causing the delay. but i can say this, that for the federal side there was no red tape. the federal highway administration, the dot did their job. they moved the funding and a project under way 600 jobs on construction sites, that number is another 10,000 higher today,

but that is not -- that's not an official tabulation. today we are going to concentrate more on the non-transportation features of the recovery act. 160 days after enactment. we want -- i am troubled that there is considerable and even less -- unevenness and the trends in these rows of the end of june 600,000 construction workers were out of work. that is 1 million construction jobs lost since the recession began in december of 07. so, we are today going to review the environmental projects, that

is those of the state revolving loan fund this, inland waterways, public buildings. we are going to hear from government accountability office whose report is splendid and agonizing for some i should think but on the whole life read every word of it last night. while i have already cited the direct on-site jobs in the next report in september we will have accounting for those supply chain more jobs there were stimulated by on site project is, sand and gravel, pit operators, the asphalt that producers, the cement and ready mix producers, steel and others, including landscaping businesses

that -- the jobs that result from these stimulus projects. all of these count four the jobs created. but we won't have those numbers until september, mid september. federal agencies under the committee's jurisdiction have announced 9,356 transportation and non-transportation projects totaling $30.5 billion. the funds have been obligated for 8200 projects, totaling 24 billion. however, as state revolving loan funds are not moving their products out as fast as i anticipated and as fast as the srf managers plus in the committee they would be able to do last december and early in january. and the american road transportation builders have and

associate general contractors have expressed their dismay that projects in these long highway portions of the stimulus are all moving out as quickly as they had hoped and we had anticipated hearing from the epa corps of engineers, general services, fema, coast guard and gao this morning. happy to yield to my friend and ranking member, mr. mica. >> thank you for this hearing on the stimulus money. it is something we all pledged to do as the legislation moves forward and very well intended legislation to improve the nation's infrastructure and get people working. the chairman has pointed out that we do have some concerns about the rate of which some of

the money actually is being put into projects. i also have some concerns i want to express this morning about that. we saw the amount of obligated funds and that has increased now to over the 50% mark. the problem is that as of july july 27, only 919 million, that's not billion, 919 million of $48 billion of d.o.t. money has been spent, given the calculation and, you know, we estimate for every billion dollars in transportation infrastructure spending we can create 28 to 32,000, and if we use an average of -- welcome even take the high number it's

less than 32,000 jobs have been created so far by the money that has been spent. now we do have of course obligated money but in the meantime we have lost 1.5 million jobs nationally. .. >> of the problem we have this

building larger infrastructure projects this multi-year and a larger significance and and in the complexity i do have to it meant that but we prefer made people take to the floor mr. oberstar and i worked on the minneapolis bridge and that was within the budget and record time instead or with less than 437 days and sometimes it takes seven or 80 years but gerardo projects of that nature that have been undertaken and rehab looked at the stimulus last time we're hoping to spin up the process and give the states the flexibility they need to move

forward and also a kick in the pants but the information from gao only 12% of those funds are obligated on which projects and an additional 6% is all we will see for new bridges although they are crumbling we have very few projects on the horizon of a long significant natured to employ people long-term another problem mr. oberstar and i have is we made a deal this week and an agreement to supply $7 billion to the trust fund. we put in as much as we can to be responsible to keep the fund whole and we hope that does get done in the senate now but we are on a collision course to disaster because in addition to not having

stimulus of 40 to move forward in the expedited fashion to take on these big projects to employ people long term we're about to shut down the whole process of we don't have the current authorization that expires on the 30th. we do have current authorization but we are approaching a collision course. whinnied -- we need everybody's help to find backing a and a way to expedite the projects there is not a community from sea to shining sea that does not need infrastructure projects and many need large projects but unfortunately it is leaving the big projects behind we want no bridge of national significance left behind.

we will hear that report today. it is not my words. finally, the red tape, president obama went to indiana to push for passage of the stimulus package and in july, jeff taylor the county highway engineers said, i have said this before publicly, i have an engineer working full time and that is just about all he is doing is red tape and every day filling out forms. you will not see stimulus news until next year because this is all he will be doing with the red tape i went to boston recently i do not think of seasonal construction rehab

18% unemployment in the central florida and we would love to have those jobs and the chairman also said florida unfortunately is lagging behind it to get the money out for any project let alone the the big projects but what scares me is we have the winter season in setting in which you don't think of in the south but many dot across the northern tier of the nation will be shut down and it could be pretty grim this winter. i am not a happy camper with this report mr. chairman but hopefully, and there are agencies that have gotten them out quickly the dot has done the best they can come faa's excellent work on their part and other so we just have to redouble our efforts but yield back. >> i think it's of the men for

those observations i am also concerned from the report from indiana on red tape i have no idea why they have any kind of process issue because because in 2007 and through 2008 we have an that members are surveyed to give us a list of projects through et acquisition, i decided engineering ready to go to bed all you need is the money there shouldn't have been any red tape if there is some processing, we need to know but that is that the state level and i have no idea why why those days are lagging to give the project sows of that is the subject of a continuing

inquiry. i said from the beginning we have this program that is supposed to create jobs we will not shielded to behind a curtain expose words and all and find out what the problems are or fix a you cannot create the jobs how do expect to do it in the long term and three or four year type projects if you cannot do the ones that are already at seven midstate? we are ready to roll. two minutes? >> thank you, mr. chairman. this is a very important hearing as we go out for august break if there's a difference between the funds negative of committee has jurisdiction and in particular also fema but the difference is unlike the state if it is

our subcommittee and the congress and the administration that is responsible for the work that has to be done because that work is old federal buildings and converting them into high performance screen buildings so for the taxpayer that serve the public it goes down and get fixed and then we save enormous sums in energy. but we are accountable and the white house is accountable there are no states involved, 50 states and four territories and the district of columbia benefit from these funds but it all the ads back to gsa. it will testify this morning and i will allow them to indicate how far they have

gone. i must say i am write-up front and i am very concerned the of very small part of what they had to do that has to do with the program and focusing on apprentice ships so they would not be unnecessary division between what amounted to hundreds of thousands of mostly white construction workers and minorities and women who have not been trained for many years so there is a small amount in but dot and a small amount and gsa and there are things i am very distressed 160 days later, they knew about this and worked on it even before there are awards all the $3 million is due back on

september 8. so they have blown much of the building season. i think what you're doing mr. chairman in insisting we have these oversight hearings is very, very important so it in 2000 you and the committee put in money that would have allowed half of a percent of state highway dollars to be used for treating. -- training. states did not use of for training but to build a so we have an aging construction work force. we have got to use this occasion when we put this big lump-sum into construction and infrastructure, to train for

the first time people to replace those who are aging out and we will need to rebuild our country and the thank you very much. >> thank you for raising that issue for that very purpose i designated napolitano to chair a task force to review the process on minority workers and minority enterprise is under the recovery act. i think that you and she and i should get together and talk about this matter. mr. bozeman? >> thank you mr. chairman for holding this imports into hearing whether you voted for the ad store opposed to the legislation we have the responsibility to insure the money is spent four intended purpose is. since the stimulus bill shortchanged infrastructure we have to conduct regular

oversight for the scarce resources and i appreciate mr. oberstar ever to do so in some cases is congress did a poor job to pick and choose which case is to define in other six cases is used to refreshing the money out the door given the fact the navigation projects a and flood damage projects provide economic benefits to the nation are like to see the administration and congress place a higher interest in the army corps of engineers for all of the projects but people to work which is another reason to put them on the priority list. thank you for holding this very important hearing and i look forward to hearing from the witnesses. i yield back. >> i share your concern about the lag for the lagging investment from the corps of engineers, they were supposed to get off of the box for this program. there should happen much more

money and the core there was more money but it was cut back and conference and we will keep up the rigorous oversight. as i said, that has to show everything, warts and all it is working fine and if not we have to have another hearing and that 60-- , ms. johnson? thank you, mr. chairman for continuing this series of hearings on implementation of the american recovery and reinvestment act. implementation is essential to our offer is to turn our economy around and create goodwill paying jobs on a understand the criticism it is not working fast enough and the economy continues to lose job if you heard the news

earlier this gnp is report improving but i was just for the enactment we would be in far worse shape today but that being said i do agree the primary focus of legislation was creation of jobs and i am concerned that has not been uniform across agencies under the jurisdiction of this committee proposal made today we will hear some assurance agencies understand the primary intent of this legislation to create jobs while at the same time promoting accountability and openness and expenditures. i read the written testimony and i commend them for the progress made thus far. i applaud the efforts of the epa for obligating over 83 percent of of the but clean water state fund dollars to the individual states and work

gain over the implementation challenges of the buy american in provisions in the recovery act and i thank you for this time and i will ask unanimous consent to file the rest of my statement. thank you. >> without objection. mr. cummings? >> i thank you for continuing to hold these regular hearings to have visibility and accountability and transparency over the expenditure of every dime provided for transportation related purposes for the american recovery and reinvestment act. as chairman of the subcommittee our maritime transportation employees to review the coast guard expenditure of the funding provided through the recovery act for the coast guard received funding with two main purpose is to fund the alteration or removal of bridges that pose a hazard to

navigation and to fund its own projects through the acquisition and construction and through the a cni. for the truman program the service received 142 million which is combined with monday's previously appropriated to support the authorization of four bridges with the aci account it has indicated 88 million will be extended for the use of rehabilitation these funds were sorely needed particularly those of the 86 account given the coast guard has the estimated $1 billion backlog of onshore facility maintenance and repair needs but that said the president fiscal year 2010 budget was only $10 million in capital funding for the coast guard shore base facilities and aid

to recapitalization projects you there you cut adamantly-- to be sure it would only increase a replacement cost while the being employment in the sub standard conditions i hope these funds are not seen as a replacement for what should be regular and robust aci funding. given the backlog of onshore made since i am concerned by what appears to be the coast guard very slow expenditure rate for these funds and i anxiously look forward to discussing planned projects in more detail today alex forger testimony of all witnesses and with that are yield by. >> i think the gentlemen for the comments that the federal agencies are subject to the same requirements as the state's. these recovery funds should not be a replacement for the

regular schedule program and we will pursue that during the course of this hearing. you are right to raise that. now you are in the hot seat mr. hooks support epa not so much epa but the state's srf that i may say i am very disappointed are lagging behind our expectations including in my own state of minnesota. the floor is yours. i read your testimony last night. >> thank you, mr. chairman and oberstar, mica come but thank you for the opportunity to appear today to discuss the implementation of the american recovery and reinvestment act of 2009 progress members of the committee know we're on the midst of one of the severe economic crisis our nation has seen. the act provides 7.$2 billion for a specific probe days programs for the epa drinking

water, a superfund, underground storage tanks and clean diesel program. it the targeted poor's shouldn't offending address this specific and community-based public health and environmental needs investing in this insurer's job creation and economic growth and beneficial results occur at the local level. we'll not only help the economic recovery but increase the number of green jobs to sustain committees to restore and promote scientific a vances' and technological innovation to ensure a healthy environment the majority of epa act funds totaling 4.7 are specified for programs under the jurisdiction of this committee the clean water act 4 billion, a superfund 600 million, and brown fell 1.million will continue to place a high priority on transparency and

accountability as the agency senior accountable fish all i have a steering committee to monitor recovery act planning and implementation on a weekly basis one inspector general sits on this committee and others are included when reporting begins in october we can provide on the ground level details of the of tangible results. of the 7.$2 billion made available thus far we have already obligated over 5.$9 billion of 82% and i am pleased to record this number has quadrupled since this appeared before the committee will also continuing to improve the process to adapt to the new requirements of the recovery act such as the buy american provision and you will see my written testimony of success stories to tell i look forward to continuing the work with this committee of

federal and state and tribal partners and the public as we implement the american recovery and reinvestment act 2009 with oversight and accountability and transparency thank you for inviting me to justify an accord to answering any questions you may have. >> you have a number of questions for you. mr. salt will come back. you first came before this committee you had a hard time. and you weren't very candid and i appreciate that. >> thank you sir. chairman oberstar and ranking member mica and members of the committee i am acting as secretary of the army for civil works thank you for the opportunity to testify again and discuss the army implementation of within the american recovery and reinvestment act of 2009.

the accomplishment of the projects through the recovery act finding is can to retain to the nation's eighth become a economy and darman and quality of life there provides funding to achieve the results of the development and restoration of related resources. and also supports permit activities for protection of the regulated waters and wetlands and cleanup sites contaminated as a result of the early efforts to develop atomic weapons. discretionary funding for the civil works and recovery act is four.6 billion provided in six accounts within the total program, the majority of funds was provided to the operation and maintenance and construction. as of july 17, financial obligations blunt 94 million which 640 million was for

contracts and outlay to totally 84 million. in most recent update raises the obligation total at 768 million, 708 million of that is for contracts with the outlay total raised at 100 million the third stage they are scheduled for financial obligation from me through september 2009 during that period over 1,000 and actions are scheduled as an abortive new contracts or options the first will continue through december 2009 at which time two-thirds of the civil works recovery act funds will be obligated through july 17 awards to small businesses total 222 million or 34% of the total obligated. 73% of contract patches today contain small businesses over 460 actions in these numbers

do not include the local small businesses that are hired by the larger companies as the subcontractors as they proceed with this were purpose of the works projects funded with recovery act funds were selected to achieve most of the work of contracting in a short period of time. this approach maximizes private sector employment impact and begins with the new board when the contractor begins to order materials and equipment and take other steps to complete the work treating additional indirect benefits from the economy progress a result we're finding the stimulus impact more closely related to the visible start for recovery projects and of the contract awards rather than the subsequent outlay which provides payments to contractors for work they have completed our supplies and equipment they have purchased for cray appreciate the church

you started a hearing with because it makes that point* very well and that i was trying to make negative point* as to how that works. last week i was in arizona and visited one of our states and i spoke to the head of the representitive of the contractor in june he was awarded a $12 million contract for work and i asked him what the impact of the recovery act project was he said but for that he would have shut down he would have had to let go the contract team that he had on-site. he had 120 people directly related and when he added and the subcontractors it was 250 people on the one contract but more importantly is what i meant with the folks from the

city of phoenix, arizona their enthusiasm and support parley was with respect to employment but imports and to work that was not able to budgeted was being accomplished work that is important to the city, as a federal interest that met the goals of the stimulus act. i think, we have to do a better job of explaining how not just in good job creation the work that we do and the overall work is happening and we're not doing a good enough job of explaining that. overall the investment of civil works recovery act funds will be invested in a very hundred projects supporting over 50,000 jobs and in addition to the direct jobs it will support numerous indirect jobs in supply a material and equipment and finally investment civil works

projects have positive impact long after the short-term the effects after repair activities have faded at four.6 billion the recovery act provides resources for the civil works program to have investments for a high priority projects that will create or support the goals directed by the congress. of thank you mr. chairman and members of the committee for the opportunity to testify on the civil works program. >> thank you secretary for your testimony we have a number of questions and we conclude all witnesses and now mr. costa for public buildings service. >> good morning mr. oberstar and ranking member mica i am the acting commissioner for the general services administration public buildings service thank you for appearing before made to

talk about the gsa green modernization and construction of our buildings. i have submitted a written statement for the record, today i will highlight the significant progress we have made since the administrator testified in front of this committee in april. on march 31 he received a list of 254 projects in all 50 states, the district of columbia and four u.s. territories were gsa will spend 5.5 billion dollars of funding to repair and green our existing federal buildings and construct high-performance green buildings progress three months ago he committed the gsa would award $1 million of recovery act funding by august 1. i am pleased to report that we not only met that goal but exceeded it. as of this morning our obligations are just under