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a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from tennessee. a senator: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent to speak as if in morning business. the presiding officer: without objection. we're in a quorum call. mr. alexander: mr. president, i ask consent to vitiate the quorum call. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. alexander: and ask consent to speak as if in morning business. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. alexander: thank you, mr. president. mr. president, nashville and middle tennessee have been hit with what the corps of engineers officials tell us is a 1,000-year rain event. in a thousand years, we wouldn't expect to have this much rain. it is providing enormous hardship to the people, not just of nashville and davison county but the counties in and around nashville. i wanted to give a brief report on what we know about that, what nor corker and i and congressman

cooper and the other members of congress from that region are doing working together so that the people of our area can know what -- what to expect. there is a telephone number to call, and i'd like to -- i can -- if i can find it here, i'd like to give it. 615-862-8574. that's a telephone number for the people in the nashville and middle tennessee area who are concerned about what to do, who have an emergency who want information about what help may be available to them. 615-862-8574. the cumberland river and the harpith river are the two rivers that are causing most of the problem. we have been waiting all day for the cumberland river which runs through nashville down from clarksville -- on up to clarksville to -- to crest. that crest hasn't happened yet. the latest predictions are that

it might happen around 7:00. it may be later. in the meantime, the corps of engineers with whom we're working are trying hard to minimize the damage from the lakes that they are responsible for. there are three major lakes in the middle tennessee region -- old hickory, percy priest and center hill. these damns, these -- these dams, these lakes hold the water, of course, and the corps of engineers releases water from the overflow of these lakes and that just puts more water into the cumberland river and that just floods nashville more. this is the latest report on those three lakes. the corps is currently not releasing water from percy priest lake, and they have told us that they will not release water from percy priest lake until the river crests. this is important information for people in downtown nashville.

first, -- first avenue, second avenue, both have a lot of water. some of the big buildings, the pinnacle building has a lot of water. the fact that the corps is not releasing water from percy priest lake until the river crests is an important piece of information. the water level, on the other hand, at old hickory lake is at historic levels, and the corps is releasing water from old hickory lake but only when absolutely necessary to maintain the stability of the old hickory dam. fortunately, the corps is not having to release water from the third lake, the center hill lake. it has some room to spare, and this is an example of the congress and the federal government doing something right, mr. president, because over the last several years, we have added funds to the appropriations bills -- i have and others have, in order to improve the safety of center hill dam because up to the last

couple of years, the water level had to be low because the dam was weak. if the dam was as weak as it was two or three years ago, why, the corps of engineers would have had to be releasing a lot more water from center hill lake into the cumberland river, causing more flooding in nashville. our staff, over the weekend, we have been in touch with about the governor's office and mayor dean's office. they are doing a first-rate job. i have had the -- part of my responsibility has been to work with the governor over the last several years on disasters as they occur. such as the tornado in macon county which is near nashville, the tornadoes in jackson county. he, the governor, and the head of the tennessee emergency management agency, they have a first-rate operation there. they have been working hard ever since the rains hit. the federal emergency management agency has a liaison stationed

at the tema, the tennessee emergency management agency office, and they are working well together. what those people are doing is using every available resource in support of state and local efforts to try to rescue people, to make life easier, to get the water plant running again, and to begin to assess what the damage is, which is where the federal government generally can help -- can help. as i mentioned, this is just not nashville that's involved. macon county, williamson county, montgomery county, cheatham county, all the counties right around nashville up to clarksville are -- are involved. my chief of staff from washington has been on site in nashville since last night.

my state field director has been on site since last night as well. they are busy dealing with the local officials. i'm prepared to go whenever it would be helpful, but there is no need for me to go and get in the way if there is nothing for me to do. the best thing for me to do right now, along with senator corker and congressman cooper, is to stay in touch with the governor's office and the mayor's office and be ready to help with the disaster requests when it is made. now, when the governor makes a disaster request, the procedure is that we then go to work to help persuade the president, and i'm sure he will act as promptly as he can to approve that disaster request. there are two or three kinds of help that may be forthcoming. one would be public assistance for debris removal, to replace public buildings that are damaged, water or sewer facilities or infrastructure. for example, one of the major water treatment plants is down, and the mayor has asked

nashvilleians to conserve water. that may be an area where federal support will be available to help. then there is the matter of private assistance, temporary housing may be available. there may be loans available to businesses that are -- that are hurt and other forms of assistance to individuals in households. this is a major event in our city. the opryland hotel, one of the biggest hotels anywhere in america, has had to empty itself and it has 1,500 residents who are staying in a -- in a high school, and it may be several months, we're told, before the opryland hotel is able to function again. we hope not because its tax revenues provide 25% of all the hotel and motel tax revenues for the city, and that would come at a difficult time. so my purpose on the floor today, mr. president, is simply to express my concern to the

residents of the city where we live in nashville, tennessee, and to all others who might be affected in the middle tennessee area, and to let them know that i believe that governor bredesen and the mayor are doing a first-rate job in responding to the immediate requests, that the federal and state management agencies are hard at work, that there is a telephone number that individual tennesseans who have questions can call. it's 615-862-8574. and that after getting themselves and their families in order, the best thing to do is to document your losses so that when the governor makes his request for disaster assistance and the president approves it, that -- that those losses can be proven and that help can come more quickly. the governor will move as

swiftly as he can on this. our experience is that it's better to be complete than quick because we want to make sure that when the request comes in, that it involves everybody, that it involves all the claims, that they are properly documented. that's been our experience before. so that's our report to the people of middle tennessee. i want them to know that i care about it, that i'm on the phone about it, that we have staff members on site, and i believe that the governor and the mayor and the federal and state emergency agencies are doing all they can and we will hope for the best as the cumberland river crests, we hope sooner rather than later. thank you, mr. president. i yield the floor. i notice the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

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mr. durbin: madam president? the presiding officer: the senator from illinois. mr. durbin: i ask unanimous consent that the quorum call be suspended. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. durbin: thank you. madam president, i ask unanimous consent when the senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10:00 a.m., tuesday, may 4. following the prayer and pledge, the journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed expired, the time for the two leaders reserved for their use later in the day, and the senate proceed to a period of morning business for one

hours with senators permited to speak therein for up to ten minutes each with the time equally divided and controlled between the two leaders or their designees, with the majority controlling the first half and the republicans controlling the final half. that following morning business, the senate resume consideration of s. 3217, wall street reform, and that the senate recess from 12:30 until 2:15 p.m. to allow for the weekly caucus luncheons. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. durbin: madam president, if there is no further business to come before the senate, i ask that it adjourn under the previous order. the presiding officer: the senate stands adjourned until

we are covering the three party leaders. wednesday the liberal democrat leader nick clegg how the question and answer session with students at oxford brookes university in oxford, england. [applause] >> [applause] firstly i like to know hands up who is going to vote. north korean style but. in separate isn't going to vote. hands up who has not registered.

that's absolutely fantastic because one of the most exciting things that has happened in this election campaign is that more and more first-time voters, more and more young people who are being turned off for years from the traditional old tire politics of the past are getting engaged, getting registered. you are saying that this is your election as much as anybody else's and i think that's absolutely wonderful. this election is one of those where opportunities for making do something seriously different but we can only do things if you assert your rights to have your say about your country and about your future but the fact that you're going to vote at all a bit is on a full demonstration of something which i don't think can be reversed is that this

election has come to life engage people in excited people and that's exactly, exactly what we needed. of the hemorrhaging of political trust in the very foundations of our democracy in the wake of this. i want to talk a minute about a couple specific ideas that we're putting forth, the liberal democrats putting ford and about how to reshape our future in a way that i think might interest you but i want to say a couple of words about an issue which is being pushed to the forefront of the campaign over the last 24 hours and that is our politician is going to be open with do about the big decisions needed over the next several years to fill this huge black hole in our public. and institutes of fiscal studies has been right and provide us with a great service saying nobody in moscow between on how

bad and how difficult these decisions are going to be in future and to be fair to us the liberal democrats have done a lot further in spelling would cuts are needed but the institute for fiscal studies is right when it says that all politicians except the case of the liberal democrats and will need to do more. but i tell you one thing i will not do. i tell you one thing that to the liberal democrats will not do and not only other parties are doing. it is full you into thinking that you can fill one of the biggest black holes in our public financing in generations through so-called phantom fantasy it efficiency savings. it's an insult to your intelligence that gordon brown to tell you to fulfil its structural deficit the size of which we haven't seen since the second world war through savings

and paper clips. it is a joke, they are treating you like fools. cameron and brown are talking about billions of subtle efficiencies savings, don't believe a word. that is why the rest of the liberal democrats team took the decision to spell-out in our manifesto, if you haven't got it, it will be so stimulating you'll go to sleep, but anyway, if you want to see black and white a list of what we've set out spelling out savings by savings 15 billion pounds in cuts and and reallocate a third of the 5 billion to small states, where tuition for children and decent starting wage for people starting in the

armed services in junior ranks and yes over six years the gradual phasing out of tuition fees altogether, but the rest 10 billion is a serious down payment, the most serious down payment of any party in british politics today to deal with the structural deficit. we've got further to go all of us, a long way to travel as a country and restore the damage that's been done because of the implosion in the financial-services sector, but don't let anyone fool you into thinking that you can have something for nothing. the old parties are doing that and that's the politics of the past. we are not. on the issues i wanted to address more widely, i think that we have got challenges about how to restore trust in politics. that's obvious and challenges of our dealing with the great black

hole in our public finances. but in many ways i think the challenges we've gone on so many other fronts are equally large. we've seen industrial scale decimation of our traditional british liberties of the last 10 years, the likes of which we haven't seen a modern spin and political history. since 1997 they have passed and think it is over 4,000 new laws which remained 4,000 new things, basically the equivalent to making to fangs criminal offense every day parliament has sat since tony blair came to power in 1997. mussina and economy -- we've seen in the economy or a small best interest of financiers and the city of london have acted in their own interest and it held a

gun to the head of the rest of the british economy. racine and economy go up, social mobility and down and education system or despite all the good intentions, on not denigrating the good intentions of labor when they came into power, i didn't vote but i share the enthusiasm to do something different after 18 long years of the conservative government. i agreed with all the declarations, education, education and supported it as liberal democrats, money going into the schools. but despite all the good intentions and all that money so much of those intentions and the money have been wasted on micromanagement bridge has an early release the potential, and the opportunity the education system is supposed to release in every single child.

matter their background and where they're born, the matter with their parents to, no matter how much their parents have a bank account. did you know that a child who is bright but poor will on average be overtaken in the classroom by a child who is less bright and wealthier by the age of seven. after that the gap tends to widen. do you know that where i am an mp, if you are a child born in the poorest neighborhood in sheffield today in 2010 you are most likely to die on average a decade and a half before a child born in the wealthiest neighborhood up the road and that has to change. the gap has widened, not narrowed. so what i say to everybody who wants fairness in britain who, everybody who believes that a liberal who freed progressive society is one where every

individual is treasured and cherished, or every single person is given support they need to live out their dreams, i say to you we need to do something very different. yes, we need to clean up politics and deal of the structural deficit but we need to go further still and that's why our proposals come in to introduce the most radical reform in the tax system in a generation. wanna or you would pay a penny of income tax on the first 10,000 pounds to earn. do you know at the moment that the tax system is so unfair that a multimillionaire from the city of london today will pay a low raider tax on the capital gains and that's in, that on their wages. did you know that despite 13 years of labor the bottom 20 percent of taxpayers in this country pay more in taxes a portion to income than the top

20%? that has to change so we say raise the threshold so you pay no tax on the wrist in thousand tons to earn. yes, it means to be paid for with capital gains income. in the top 10% of earners in this country, twice as much tax subsidy is a real serious a small levy on the value of properties of 2 million pounds more, let's hard wire those into our tax system once and for all. let's use some of the money to .5 billion of that 15 billion pounds in cuts i talked earlier to deliver smaller glasses, less tuition to our schools and that every child gets a fair start in line and they deserve. so those of the values and the policies and the principles, those of the convictions and the motivations that drive the ford and drive the liberal democrats.

i am so excited they would turn up in the first place, but that you are also so keen to make your voice heard in this general election. this general election campaign has transformed from what could have been a boring tired to conventional campaign with a campaign managers of the two old parties, labor and conservative, score ever more mind-numbing points at each other into a true people's campaign, a people's election were you choose and no one knows what the outcome will be unknown second guesses what you want to do. so ask demanding questions of less than a push as hard and then when you go to the ballot box is it will be a small cross but it will be a very big opportunity, a big opportunity to finally do something to read. for a better fare future. thank you very much, indeed,. thank you. [applause]

who wants to ask the first question? you don't have to stand up, just your hand. words so enthusiastic. >> on sunday said to enjoy a matthew he definitely would not support gordon brown if they came behind the conservative party. it seems like he may not be so certain if that's not the case so we can make an informed judgment, will you please tell us whether you will or will not if hens? >> yes, when i send and what i

thought to say clearly time and time again is that it's clear you're not for me, not for any other politician to second-guess what you're doing to try to constantly speculate about this or that possible twist and turn in the outcomes after the general election. or too many possibilities, however having said that i think there whether two outcomes or one can be clear not my reaction, everyone's reaction will be so i've said months ago that i think a party that gets the most votes and the most seats that doesn't have an absolute majority will nonetheless have the moral right in a democracy to seek to govern. and the other circumstances which i pointed out is possible under our party political system is that you could have a party in this case the labour party losing the election coming third in terms of the number of people voting but because of some dusty old convention which has taken root in whitehall for reasons

lost in the mists of time, nonetheless the prime minister gordon brown campaign at number 10 for ever. what i was pointing out of how crazy the system is we've got and secondly i don't think people would wear it and i since haven't changed my tune since i said that so, of course, on the. to be presumptuous of the era gimme ron non to second guess this. i don't thank you should expect me to do that and but i think every party has fewer votes, millions of people have voted for a different part is for change, indeed, seems the incompatible with that action by millions of people taking individual decisions to then have gordon brown continued number 10. how can anyone teefive the river spirit of the party comes loss and still somehow the person to

carry on been prime minister. and only in the weird and wacky wonderland world of westminster politics does any of that sound normal. and i don't think it's democratic warfare and shouldn happen. >> [inaudible] in 2003 the liberal democrats for the only major political party who voted against george bush and tony blair invasion of iraq and another invasion as well as a humanitarian catastrophe over half a million iraqis who were killed by british and american forces under thousand first-year and afterwards as well as humanitarian catastrophe there was potentially an illegal war

and you said in an interview last month you believe there's evidence to suggest it was illegal. my question is what a liberal democrat government compensate the iraqi or friends whose lives have been blighted by our actions for what we did. which you pay reparations. >> we don't have any fully fledged are funded plans to pay reparations in the way suggested. 2i agree with your assumption, maybe you are a lawyer but i listened to accomplish lawyers particularly notable spelling out why it's a decision taken. the dutch inquiry into participation and also concluded that it was taken illegally.

one of my many frustrations about the inquiry i've been critical about the way it is set up and the record shows it was because of my campaign that gordon brown agreed to face the inquiry and is precisely the references so huddled by the government and what it can do is have secrecy in conventions of whitehall with just the surface of fundamental issue. it is one of the many reasons why other people who were urging government including the conservative party voted in larger numbers to invade iraq. they voted against the government and they shall so go to the inquiry and explain how they thought was right when millions in britain didn't so i don't think we're at this stage of the obvious reasons to establish this legal issue and

because of that we are not to the point where we will probably consider this preparations. >> i really much appreciate your talk about fairness but i also believe that fairness in britain as also fairness in britain's international affairs. as a man of 45,000 people die every single day -- and since 96 more than 6 million people have died and this is due to illegal exploitation of resources with cellphones, laptops, any type of electronics from the world so my question is what is your party willing to do to implement laws that prevent companies in the u.k. to stop the illegal

exploitation of resources in the condo and also what can the condoleezza people do to work with your party to an illegal exploitation or resources of companies in the uk? >> what is the legal aspect you're referring to? >> illegal exploitation of the blood were going on so basically exploiting the diamond cultivation. >> the first thing we need to do and i guess you are better place than anybody to do this is to alert the world what is going on. this is the first time i came across a deaf we can be as a world particularly what is going on on the other side of the planet when i work for a couple years with politics managing

developing projects in the poorest countries in ages and i saw some level so party and our mission which were shocking eyeopener but didn't seem to register on the public conscience so the first crucial step is exposing was going on, seeking friends in the media to highlight the plight of people were otherwise boisterous and for done and secondly where all consumers and as part of any campaign if their companies are exploiting resources and minerals seeking to sell to us but as you sent and this could be proven to resign early going on the deaths of thousands the that to mobilize consumer activism which is something i

think universities have been leading the way in who time and time again on sunday different campaigns and then to mobilize the government of the day to use its influence, to bring real pressure to bear on these companies and taken to that to the european union which is a political pygmy but a giant single market world big company release up and listen with your opinion stress getting word about what they're up to so those of the three steps that would take. >> where you stand on the inheritance tax? would increase it or keep it the same? >> we would leave the inheritance tax credits. i think one of the many dividing lines over the last couple years and the general election is

about inheritance tax because i think what the political party said about tax reform tells a lot about their views. i explained earlier about our proposal for a very significant tax which where you're listing the taxes and laurie and comes but closing the loopholes of the people who will pay an army and conservatives strikingly their most expensive tax at is an inheritance tax cut reserved for millionaires and the life of me i simply can't understand this claim they're speaking to the nation as a time when people lost their jobs, their homes are repossessed, can't pay their fuel bills and what to spend billions of your money on getting tax breaks to millionaires.

>> [inaudible] >> you are dumbfounded by the response of that reply. [laughter] >> my question is regarding the tuition fees to mentioned earlier. the news page online today usa that they would have to pay tuition fees next year, with many people in less room that is a we wouldn't have to pay tuition fees next year because that would save over 3,000 pounds, how would you do that in the economic climate? >> the answer is, yes,, that's exactly what it would be. i can state clearly the reasons why i hope of this to do but we think tuition fees to discourage people going to university

particularly from modest backgrounds, and i think it is unfair for youth and have even taken the first up in the world to be saddled with 25,000 bet around your neck. by the way the debt will should of to 44,000 conservative party would have their way and raise the taxes was widely reported to be 7,000. the third reason to look at what happened to our economy, it's been below the waterline because of excessive debt. since when was that on all? to move on to become living with an army of people live within their means and don't get overburdened with adult world oe

starting pointebt its wrongs with got to stop it. we used to have an economy where there was much money, before lehman brothers went belly up in the banking system crated is terrible problems, we used to have a way of getting rid of tuition fees. that's why now we have done incremental steps over six years and you're quite right the first would be removing the tuition fees if you're on your first undergraduate degree in you're last year of study. then the next year would move on to regulating partners. how many partners tunes do we have here? spectacular and representatives because as you know it's a very sinister give our students part-time students and they're getting particularly hammered by the present situation and bit by

bit abolished over the years. it would be expensive and amount to in the final year of commitment of 1.7 billion pounds. .. bailing out, a savings of 15 billion pounds with a structural deficit of 67 billion pounds. i think 1.7 billion pounds is an unreasonable amount to give you the freedom to start your life when to graduate three of this terrible debt? >> graduates jobs in several sectors will be 40% and you can expect 70 committee graduates

jobs. what would you plans to say that would be saving the millions in higher education? >> first met on this answer is no economy trades jobs and you can wave a magic wand. the economy creates jobs, companies are able to invest in products and services and one of the biggest problems at the moment it is a tacky issue, it hopes to bring to the layers today is at the moment our economy is a body where the money's not circulating because of the fact we help bailout the city using the money to lend money to households for the thriving british businesses of the confess and deal with cash flow problems, innovate and create new jobs, actually what the banks are doing are taking control as quickly as possible.

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do you work in the nhl us? what do do? >> [inaudible] >> i don't know whether you feel this is the case but it's the most astonishing achievement in the health service, is one of the things that actually is the glue that holds the country

together so absolutely want to protect the founding principles of equity and fairness and solidly and equality of access, paid for all which lies at the heart of it but that doesn't mean i want to apologize for what i think has become excessive centralization. we have now got more managers and bureaucrats then possible. we have an inspection regime. governments take one person 491 years to fill not all the requests of data that are constantly asked of conditions and doctors and nurses. the whole is directed from the top and should actually be driven below and as why we want to see a change which would tame and those great virtues and put it back in the hands of the people. that's why i think the primary

care trust should become directly accountable and elected as in sweden and denmark, i think that doctors and nurses should have by john u.s.-style employee owned a model and be able to run hospitals. i think they shouldn't have to bend their day to some administrator just to buy another curtain around a bed, they should have another control of the lord hath so the idea of retaining their duty and an ags but give people patients, nurses and clinicians a say in how it works. i think something is wrong we have it for last year alone they have 5,000 managers but an increase in nurses less than 2% and something is wrong when the maternity ward it is threatened

closure and yet they spend billions on computer systems that don't work. it's not rocket science to save on bureaucrats and computer systems, a u.s. them on a penny for penny a pound for pound to protect the service and maternity wards and the general practice services. the -- i now need to stop. can i thank you very much, indeed, for coming today? thank you very much. [applause] after the event we talk to journalists and a student about nick clegg popularity in comparison about the campaign of barack obama. >> we are covering the campaign in the candidate who has shaken up the campaign, nick clegg, because it's made this the most unpredictable and more than a

generation. plessey also has qualities, his campaign has qualities that remind people here and in the u.s. of barack obama's campaign, it's energizing and bringing people to the political fold and it seems that wldt normally be there, wouldn't be voting. plus just the emergence of liberal democrats as a political force as opposed to a forgotten third-party as the real possibility of changing the british government and politics. it's made us as americans think of ralph nader and ross perot but the difference is he seems to have a moral real chance of being involved in the government is opposed to an interesting phenomenon that comes and goes really. it's partly the nature of the political system and also the tories and labor don't have any current close to 50% report so looks like a pile be divided three ways.

>> early on his best case scenario was boiler and now he looks like powerbroker and will have enough support that one of the other party is at a minimum we need him to govern although now there's a real possibility that maybe he gets more votes than the others as well. he has gone from ignored to interesting to now something real it seems in british politics. you hear a lot of people here say the same thing american voters said in 2008, i'm tired of the parties as usual, american politics as usual and that's what you're hearing here that's led some people who don't like er labor or conservative parties to say i will pick the liberal democrats even if they don't seem to agree with their policies. it's partly there are different and have a candidate now who seems to be different and speaks

differently and holds campaign events and others have in the past. >> thank you all for coming. i thoht hee across as very competent and obviously wasn't making things like cameron does i was very impressed overall. he was very forward and the way he handled questions which i thought was some of the quite difficult especially on the condo. he didn't have an answer straightaway, but he clearly has a lot to think about without one. >> have you heard him speak before? >> only on television, never in person. yes, i've seen him with prime minister'suestions and always from what i gather really good but in person even better and more aggressive. >> have you watched the debates? >> yes and obviously he's come out strong from that. i followed politics quite a lot, it's half of my degree so i follow quetta lot. none of my friends knew who he

was until the first debate but i boys followed him as well. the have their own ideas as well. but nick has a big interest as well compared to gordon brown and david camera comes across as very charismatic and a bit fresh, something new to think about. >> some people compare his message or personality and style to barack obama. do think there's a similarity there? ..

and on top of that i would like to see the house of commons be more democratic, more representation. >> and the funny thing is people here are already comparing him to barack obama. well, i've seen obama speak mistake and he characterizes are fired up ready to go when yes we can. nick clegg seems to be i may make a third point about the, he's no barack obama ought to tell you. he's the one who ran the election and the less popular man. he is kind of refreshing a little bit different.

he's very, very earnest. he doesn't so much giving you a soundbite as a sound all-you-can-eat buffet. his answers, and the good question are talking to students at oxford and one of the universities around oxford today and they were pretty keen audience to hundreds of them turned out in huge numbers. they wanted to love him. what they guy was kind of lecture notes. he did remind me of michael dukakis who reminds to george bush senior years ago and dukakis used to touch the audience as if they were taking notes. particularly with students who were writing it all down. and of course they weren't, which is why george bush told him everything 50 times in case maybe there was some hermit why he won. but he is telling everybody every detail of what he wants and that's great, but it doesn't get the juices flowing. >> so why is he doing so well in the polls? the night because he's

different. it has people i really, really fed up with orton brown. and david cameron from the conservative alternative has been around a long time. his knowledge at tony blair who was immensely popular when he came to power. he's kind of a little bit smooth, she was a public relations man, he's been possibly ruled by one of those guys are not men, you know, the tv series. >> so is there anything at all similar about his team or message to barack obama? anything at all? >> he's young, sure. but i don't think you got anything like that kind of enthusiasm that would make people listen to barack obama won something up for the campaign. he's doing well, but i think he's doing very well because he's not one of the old two. he keeps talking about the old party, the implications of these new young he's young.

heaven knows we need in this country. >> tonight live on c-span the five democratic candidates running for u.s. senate in kentucky. >> earlier today bp ceo tony hayward met with senior obama administration officials to discuss the gulf of mexico oil spill. white house press secretary robert gibbs said the company will be paying for the cleanup. this daily press briefing is about 15 minutes. >> almost got a tardy slip.

i'll do one quick readout before we do q&a here. the president spoke late this morning with israeli prime minister netanyahu. they discussed how best to work together to achieve comprehensive peace in the middle east, in particular by making full use of sensitive proximity talks between israel and the palestinian and transitioning to direct negotiations as soon as possible. they also discussed regional challenges and the president reaffirmed his unshakable commitment to israel's security. a call to faith just before noon and lasted 20 minutes. yes, ma'am? >> robber, on the oil spill, to question. one is understanding that the oil is beyond cleanup cost of 75 million. so i'm wondering how you will make sure that they do in fact

pay? >> let me check. i would need to check with interior on that, on the 75 million figure. i think they're different permission for different things, but let me take that question and try and find that out. >> i mean, is that your commitment that bp will pay all of this? >> that is our commitment. that specifically one of the things the president spoke with with thad allen about and with paris president and fishermen yesterday is setting up a system in secretary napolitano talked about this, setting up a system for compensation and claims that isn't bogged down. fishermen particularly -- we understand what they catch, they're going to sell what they catch in order to spend money to go back out and do it again.

so obviously we've got to set up a system that is -- that provides for that to happen weekly. >> and just generally, what is your satisfaction level with bp's performance? >> well, again, they're responsible. we have oversight. i did this a couple times i think yesterday. look, there are many different things that we are focused on. first and foremost is caffeine this well. there were tests over the weekend on the application of subsea disbursement, which have both are performed well and they're continuing to test back, which isn't that a spring the disbursement on the surface of the water, it is to release the disbursement near the source of the leek and that had some positive impact during the first round of testing. the relief well began --

drilling began on that last evening, which is a more long-term solution. obviously, bp is working on a structure to possibly put on top of the well and vacuum at the oil to the surface, with the water to deal with that. so that's one aspect of what we're dealing with. secondly, we are dealing with both the pollutants rise to the surface, containing the spread of that oil on the surface of the water and how that affects both the environment that we're dealing with as well as the local economy and i would say all of those names are what we are overseen, they're responsible for that. obviously, they have the unique equipment for dealing with this at a depth of 5000 feet under

the surface of the ocean, but we are going to continue to ensure that they are doing all that you need to do from the perspective of state, local and federal authorities. secretary napolitano, secretary salazar and lisa jackson are meeting this afternoon with bp to get an update from then on their ongoing process and to ensure that they are taking the steps that we feel are necessary to respond to an incident of this magnitude. >> my understanding it's going to be the ceo in the meeting today? >> actually that i think i have is the ceo and the american chair. >> can you tell me, i have two questions. one is following the bp. can you tell me to the president has actually spoken with at bp

and then also any reaction on academic ahmadinejad. >> obviously, they have -- secretary salazar convened a meeting with the ceos of the oil companies last week and we put that list of folks out. secretary salazar was in houston, the bp command center and these individuals will meet with dp later on. i think it's 3:00 today. look, i think the speech that you heard today was predict predictable and that iran failed to speak about the obligation that it won't live up to -- and i think rightly, our delegation and many others left as a series

of wild accusations were made during the speech. >> do you think will have any influence on the movement toward actually getting some sanctions against them? >> well, i think the speech today -- i think those that are involved in the npt conference and are living up to the obligations would've wanted to hear the iranians discuss living up to their obligations. i think them not doing that again shows how further isolated they are from the world and we continue to make progress on sanctions at the multilateral level, even as we look at ways that we can do so within our own

government. [inaudible] >> continued to meet with the u.n. security council and luke progress moving forward on a security council resolution. yes, ma'am. >> two questions. the first one is we have so many different time frames for when this oil will actually be under control. what is the best case and what is the worst-case scenario? i'm hearing from a matter of days to 90 days in the worst case. >> well, i would direct you to bp in terms of what they might say. look, i think a series of processes as you said could take a matter of days. i think -- i forget the exact term of the structure putting on top of the valve would take probably another week. the original wells took 90 days to drill and it could take -- it could take a line to drill a

relief well. >> so it could take up to 90 days, is that the president is comfortable with? >> i'm not sure the president can alter the pace of drilling in the atlantic. look, wherein he -- in the gulf, i'm sorry. we are -- i used the streets yesterday, secretary salazar used this phrase and we're going to do what we have to do, secretary salazar said, our boots on the throat is bp to ensure they're doing all that they, all that is necessary while we do all that is humanly possible to do with the incident. absolutely. >> i wonder if the plane ride back yesterday, did the president share any personal reflections about what he's on the ground and always feeling about all this? the mac well, i think i talked about a little bit of this on the trip home. you get a real -- you get a real sense of the topography, the

geography of what we're dealing with and how the president said that you could see from the air the weapons in that area obviously have undergone lots of change and not for the good over the past many years. the president said you could see that from the air. speaking with the parish president, speaking with a local fisherman, you get a sense of what's at stake, both environmentally and economically. and i think the president reiterated to all of us as he had said, had said over many, many days on that as we must do all that we can and as aggressively as we can to combat this incident. >> router, i just want to

follow-up on that. when you say keep your boot on the throat of bp, that obviously sounds tough, but how do you follow-up on it when it was pointed out the liability cap seems to be $75 million? >> lightens check him out. >> senator menendez introduced a bill today with other senators and wants to expand from $75 million to $10 billion. is a dealer which is that of a system to make sure bp pays more for a cleanup, lost wages, et cetera. what kind of system can be set up retroactively if the law is the law? >> bp is the responsible party, right-click country in? so of local fisherman can fish, but the economic cost bp is going to have to pay. >> i'm talking about setting up the actual system for the filing of those claims with epa and others in order to get them reimbursed as quickly as possible. that's not a retroactive thing. >> they are responsible for cleanup and containment, it

would really force them to pay it. >> absolutely, that's part of the law. the economic images that are incurred are part of the cost of this incident, absolutely. >> two other quick things. prime minister netanyahu called, there've been reports that president abbas may become into the white house in mid-may to get middle east peace talks. where are you whether he's coming? >> i have no announcements on that. >> and on the supreme court, where is the president in his decision-making process? we know he did face-to-face interviews with potential nominees last week. you anticipate more face-to-face meetings this week? to the coast costly decision? where are you? >> close. [laughter] >> close as an? >> i couldn't agree more to your characterization. you know, i was thinking about this as well at the today or tomorrow or i am happy to advise you of when the event is when we

do announce it. i think it would be -- may be duplicated to announce each day when the event is not going to be. >> well, the last week he did. >> yes, i did well last week. >> in a rollout this week? >> no. see, just several weeks worth of duplicated e-mail. >> is a lot of free time come enough free time bahamian public time on the schedule today. >> where you got the impression the president has a lot of free time. what are you guys watching on cbs that i'm not afforded to watch? >> there's a lot on his public schedule. >> give the user in a time to do some interviews with supreme court nominees today? >> i'm not going to get into the interview process that the president has. it's safe to say, chip, there is a lot on the president's plate and a lot that he's doing out of

the watchful eye of the public. >> and does not include the supreme court? >> i anticipate that he is written in the supreme court without getting to the skeptics of his actions might be. >> how actively involved at the end either getting information or whatever else on the 10 situation? >> do know, yesterday in traveling to the goals, john brennan was with us, briefed the president on the helicopter ride from here to andrews on times square. we spent about a minute to my comments are not air force one on the ride down on the goals -- the situation in the gulf. john got information throughout the day and pass that along to the president and has been so again today. >> is there anything you want cranes from the groups overseas that they were responsible for this? does the white house of any reaction to that?

>> we are actively participating in the investigation, making sure that local authorities have all the resources necessary to determine who was responsible. we have not made that determination yet, but that's actively ongoing. >> on the boot on that throat and, it sounds tough. well, it actually sounds hostile. is that an accurate reflection of the relationship between the federal government mvp right now? is it a hostile relationship? to believe you need to keep your boot on the throat in order to get them to act? >> i think that is -- i think the expression largely conveys that while the responsible party of bp, we will do as the oversight authority and managing the cleanup, the spread.

we're going to have to ensure that the responsible parties doing everything that it can and should do. the president heard yesterday from local officials that were concerned about the plans -- the plans that bp had when the oil got closer to different parishes for extra domain and for different activities that could be undertaken. the president understands that frustration and admiral alan met with the parish president in order to move the process with ep forward more quickly. thus the process that has been ongoing throughout this and will continue. >> you think the president feels like he needs to keep his boot on their throw? >> i think the president accurately conveyed in his marks yesterday that we are going do everything humanly possible and ensure that bp is doing everything humanly possible to deal with this as

comprehensively and as quickly as they can. yes, ma'am. >> does the administration feel that bp is to make a job with this cleanup? >> well, again, and refer to you what i said, we are going to every day, evaluate what has to happen and if it's not been done, we'll make sure it is. >> okay, so you're not ready to give an endorsement or -- >> well, we still have an active incident. i think the president will be pleased with her summer oil leaking from the floor of the ocean. the president will be pleased when we've taken sufficient measures to ensure that its spread isn't vast. i will say this, you know, this process is going to, the president said yesterday is

going to take some time. >> to the extent there are any deficiencies in the cleanup process, does the federal government have some responsibility for that? you guys are taken plans to emphasize that you have been involved in day one redirecting it over seeing bps response. >> well, that's the law mandates based on the instance that have been in the last in the late 80's to ensure that companies that caused these type of accidents don't and the taxpayers of this country a bill and walk away. >> will again -- >> that's why you secretary salazar's colorful phraseology to talk about the role that we are playing and the role that chad allen and others are plain in order to ensure that bp does everything it can. >> soaked gulf coast residents

find the response in any way lacking, would it be fair then to hold the federal government responsible as well as bp? >> the president is doing everything we can to respond. as you mentioned, we have been there since the very beginning and responding to the report of, the accurate reports of an explosion. with the coast guard is sustained in the recovery efforts. that began our efforts in this and it won't stop for quite some time. jonathan. >> can you say -- can you say that the taxpayer, the american taxpayer will not pay for the cleanup cost? >> the commitment that the president made yesterday as the responsible party will pay for this and that responsible party is bp. >> regardless of caps or anything, somehow -- >> i will look into the notion of cats. i will look into that. >> end of the review is ongoing, but is there anyway you can point to where, what you're looking at, is this a regulatory

issue for the federal government, where regulators fell down on the job? it is a technological issue? where's this review had it? >> jonathan, i think the president charge to such kateri salazar over the next 30 days is to examine every aspect of what may have gone wrong and contributed to or caused the dent that we are dealing with in the gulf today. and his charges wide-open and i believe that what you find will determine our next steps of the really two offshore oil policy. >> when you say the company is responsible the government has oversight, does that mean the government is ultimately in charge of the cleanup? >> the responsible party of bp. >> abuse in charge of the cleanup operation?

>> the national incident commanders overseeing to ensure that bp does what is necessary. >> and then will the government ultimately hand bpa tab for every dime that, say, the coast guard, the epa and every other agency -- >> yes. >> so there's like a running account on this? >> they will -- we discussed this in a number of beating. last week, that specific actions , these are the actions that we're going to take and this is who will pay for them. >> and finally, one more question. >> and that dictated by the log. from that pollution act of 1990. >> can you elaborate on what kind of claims process you want to establish? >> well, money pitcher in touch with the joint information center down there for more technical analysis. but the president wants some

dang that is not duplicated, that is not overly bureaucratic, one that obviously you've got folks that are losing money because they are unable to do what they do for a living. those are people that can't be out of fashion that your make your living, losing that money is a very big deal. we want to make sure that that money is made up as quickly as possible. >> banks. >> robert, does the president have any plans or does he want to meet with the ceo or president of bp? or is it just a matter of they haven't cut any schedule together yet. back again, i think those that are meeting with them, the ceo of the president today and

again, secretary salazar has been in touch with folks that bp throughout this. >> ahmadinejad night, the executive committee dinner, while the president be sounding out any members of the executive committee and a new program or new advance of the speech tomorrow? back well look, i think the president -- there's obviously a lot on the senate's docket right now in terms of financial right now. i think the president will reiterate his support and ask business for their support for financial regulations, discussed the effort of the administration is currently undertaking to rebuild the economy and to put in place an environment for continued hiring. were hopeful and optimistic at the end of the week will have another positive month of job

growth. >> will there be a readout? >> i will check. i don't know what we're going to do on that yet. >> one last thing coming to mention financial reform. there's a package of amendment being proposed for the financial reform pending in the senate. one calls for attacks on excessive bonuses on firms that that individual is it the government. does the president support that? >> i'd have to have those guys take a look at the amendment. >> has bp been truthful with the administration? >> kenya -- >> and all of its either representing what it's doing, what it's capable of doing, it's understanding at any point into medication with bp, this administration believe it's gone woefully errant information? >> i would have to smb at department of the interior if they felt otherwise. major, our focus has been throughout this process to plan for the very worst. and to ensure that i respond

flowed from what could be the very worst. so, that's what i've govern our actions since the night of the explosion, when the coast guard came to the assistance of those that have been hurt in those that were missing. >> will the reason i ask is the metaphor indicates or suggests to those who might care for the first time that was found when awry with the relationship in the administration of the federal government needs to be much more forceful to force an intractable partner to do something they otherwise wouldn't do. ..

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explosion i think that happened roughly 10:30 that night to assist in the fire that was ongoing and to ensure that all that could be done was being done to get folks that were injured off and so look for those that were missing. pretty quickly after that it's pretty clear that there is for whatever reason. the response i had to go back and look at my notes i think there were some 70 vessels in the water there were scores of planes and air and dealing with defense. even at that point of designating it of national significance this is the response that has been ongoing

since the report of that explosion so many days ago. >> how would you characterize to happen in times square? was that an act of terrorism? >> dtca >> i think that anybody that has the times square i would say that that was intended to terrorize, absolutely. i would say that whoever did that would be categorized as a terrorist, yes. we don't know who's responsible and that is what we are looking at now. >> in the speech of the u.n. today, does it in any way lead the administration to say okay, the door is now closed? i mean, you were not going to come to your -- to live up to obligations is this formulation from this podium and elsewhere -- does it do anything to narrow the ability of the sat restoration to wonder aloud if iran is going to do anything different? >> i think it is likely -- i would say this. the offer is still there. the likelihood that they will take that offer and walk through

the door seems -- they seem, and i think through their words and their actions on willing to live up to their obligations. that's why we've got a dual track approach going to ensure that if they feel too little to those obligations that we take this next steps. >> last question. does the president have any reaction to immigration -- >> no, no, no -- >> -- the immigration protests all over the country this weekend? >> what i think the president for quite some time dating back to this membership in the senate, is somebody who's pushed for comprehensive immigration reform. i think regardless of what is side of the political argument you're on i don't think there's any doubt that what has happened in arizona leads you to understand that this town has to act on something that's comprehensive, lest we have an immigration policy throop -- by 50 states. the timing will depend, i think quite frankly, major, on a willingness from individuals in both parties to step up and meet

those obligations. >> how intensively as the president on a trend agreed debt crisis and what does he think the long delay in the europeans getting together to actually do something about this says about their cohesion? >> let me point you to the treasury for the response to the latter. the president has gotten of dates throughout this process on a number of occasions. the time has been taken in the president's economic briefings that happened most days to go through -- that go through what is at stake. >> does he worry that it will have an effect on the u.s. recovery? >> we certainly talked about the notion that -- look, we are happy with the steps that greece says they are going to take and happy with the response. obviously anything -- we are greatly concerned about anything throughout the world that could cause a disruption in the continuing recovery of the global economy. that's something that the in the

ec, ca and the treasury have looked out throughout this process. >> to questions. sprick its early in the week, but i'm ready. >> thank you very much. in view of the president franklin roosevelt's 998 press conferences, why has president obama help moly single white house press conference since last july? >> let me ask you this, can i ask you just one question? >> you can ask me as many as you wish. >> excellent. i'm just going to ask one. when the president took eight questions from the members of the white house press corps at the nuclear security summit at the washington convention center, what would you call that? >> that was not a press conference. >> what would you call it? >> it was a select few. >> select few what? >> a select few reporters. it was not a white house press conference. that was my question.

>> well, can i ask another question? one different leedy think the president would have done at the summit in taking the eight questions from members of the white house press corps that might have been demoted -- my hat trick your definition of a press conference? >> would be a wonderful thing if he had allowed all the reporters -- just it would be wonderful if you would allow these front row to questions and then go all the way back to the back and then come back and let them start again. that would be fair. [laughter] [applause] thank you very much. >> do orie have the occupant of the front row today and i hope that you will -- >> no, it's not the front row, it's the second row. >> pardon me. i hope that you will take the opportunity to speak with each of these members individually. now, i hope you didn't watch my second question. >> no, i try not to dodge. >> i'm trying to figure out -- the president answered questions from the white house press corps. i will admit --

>> but only eight selected. >> okay, so how many on the selected would have checked your box as to being the white house press conference? >> i think that if he wanted a press conference, he would have invited all of us, not just a select few, which he does so often. >> i don't -- were you at the event? did you apply for credentials to come to the evin? >> i would be delighted if i thought there was any chance. [laughter] >> no, no, but i asked you did you apply for credentials to come to the eve and? >> no i did not. >> so you were offered the opportunity but declined to do so? i don't know if you saw the hole that you were in -- it is a whole lot bigger than where we are. it's a whole lot bigger than the east room. there were a whole lot of people there. again, can you give me a number? is a number think that you think -- if it wasn't eight maybe it was like nine? >> no, there's 47 here today. >> so 47 -- >> sitting, and eight more

standing. >> right, so 47 and eight is 55. so the president would have taken -- of the president took 55 questions, would that have -- >> john kennedy took 20 -- no, 38 questions in his first press conference. you remember that, don't you? >> so it's not 55, it's not eight, its not 55, its 38? [laughter] >> can i go to my second question? >> no, i'm just trying to get an answer to my second question. [laughter] i suddenly have found this to be wildly amusing. ury enormously amusing man. it and inexplicably i'm finding this to be equally amazing. i'm trying -- just help me out. because we've now was published the 55 is probably a lot, right? 38 as you said kennedy took -- saw that could be an early entrant for the number of questions in which it is possible for the even to be designated as a press conference. eight years on your measure to be too small. are you comfortable with

somewhere between eight and 38? or do you -- is there a more specific number -- >> 90 reporters usually come -- >> circling de -- dee dee the -- apparently 55 seems to be quite in the middle. [inaudible conversations] >> can i ask my second question? >> okay, well the transcript please -- you can just put this in parentheses -- holum, hold on, hold on. this is my press conference. can you just put in parentheses that it appears as lester didn't answer my second question. but we had like 90, 55, 38 or eight to them all -- i will just for a point of personal privilege, it is unclear as if lester's definition of the president ever having participated in a white house news conference would have been the case because i don't believe that -- i don't believe the president has ever taken 38 questions at one event. i'm sorry, lester. the second question?

>> the last one. what is the president's reaction to how mexico treats illegal aliens from central america as detailed by syndicated columnist michelle malkin? >> i'm not aware of the president -- >> i mean, they are very tough in enforcing that border. >> i will take a look at that. >> on the times square incident, is this like the incident on christmas day in that it was a missed opportunity -- it was a near miss? remember how angry the president was on screening for the flight that came into chicago on christmas day? custis -- >> detroit -- >> does this incident represent in times square on saturday night represent an incident where they just looked out in a terrorist incident in have been? >> i think the president and the mayor have both mentioned that as you heard for many years of the people see suspicious activity to quickly alert the authorities. the president -- bill handed me a note that the president spoke with doing jackson to come and and thank him for his vigilance

in alerting authorities. and for those authorities acting quickly to prevent anything from becoming -- anything from happening as a result of what was placed in that car. >> the police were apparently now questioned the original owner of this car. and it appears that it was sold without any paper work in connecticut i think last month. does that kind of information reach the president? >> yes. yes. >> anything more you can tell about the -- [laughter] know. that was some of the updates that john provides the president. >> robert, you have pointed to the meeting the president had in the oval office, on today that the rig sank, and there were a lot of people there -- napolitano, cells are, the fema

boss, admiral fallin. how unusual is that kind of meeting? can you give us some context of how high on the radar screen that something gets when you have that many folks? >> well, look obviously that was -- obviously, leaving aside sort of where we've gone from the 22nd, obviously a rig of that size, an explosion, 11 people dead, the sinking into the gulf is something of great importance. and the best way -- i think the president would believe, and i think many people would believe -- the best way to get those most up-to-date information as to what everybody is doing in a real time is to do something like that. look, the president's involvement though -- later today, the president is going to speak with the governors of tennessee and california about the flooding -- i'm sorry,

tennessee and kentucky -- about the flooding that's going on there. and i think our fema director is headed to that region later today. so whether it is a large meeting or it could be just a discussion with each of the governors to get what's going on on the ground i think that provides the president and the team with a lot of information. yesterday was a good -- we got to command center in venice, you have representatives from -- you had the governor, the lieutenant governor, the parish president, the coast guard, the epa, all getting input into what was going on, what they wanted to see happen differently, along with senior staff members from a kid at the white house that can work out any kinks in the command chain. yes, ma'am. >> robert, there are reports today that the chairman of the fcc is leaning towards abandoning his push for the rules that would ensure what some call net neutrality, something that would obviously

be a big blow to public interest groups, as well as many supporters of the president. what's the white house reaction? >> let me get an update on a wire to become aware that is without going off on what may or may not happen. >> why was new jersey canceled? >> we discussed -- >> [inaudible] [laughter] >> we discussed -- i don't think that is what george mant. but we discussed travel for the next few days; on friday, that moving three -- obviously where he goes there's a lot of assets that need to be moved. those assets were moved in order to support our trip to the gulf. and we look forward to going back, but it won't be on wednesday. >> sheila bair has been urging lawmakers to scrap this plan for the derivatives regulation, saying it will destabilize banks

and also try to risks to other parts of the financial sector. what is the white house reaction? >> i saw the article. i have not talked with folks in the administration. obviously, what was contained in the president's original -- in the original plan was to insure that derivatives were -- these are activities that were moved out of the dark and on to regulated exchanges. we continue to believe that this was a strong route to go to ensure that what is happening is regulated. i have not spoken specifically as to what sheila bair had to say. >> can you describe the chain of command on a minute to minute or day-by-day basis in terms of the cleanup and trying to stanch the flow with the oil leak? in other words, does admiral alan tell bp okay, you've got x number of submersibles; we wanted them down there during this, that, or the other thing?

spp endeavors to create this cofferdam, is the united states to give giving advice on the advice of the cofferdam, resources or facilities to build the cofferdam? >> on the cofferdam let me get some information from the joint information center. look, obviously this is a response that touches on a lot of different departments, right? the department of interior -- minerals management has a curfew over drilling; the dhs over incidents, when the pollutants hit the land and it becomes epa. obviously, thad allen as a result of the declaration is the national incident commander and -- >> right, but i'm talking about the federal government. all those entities together, regardless of their distinctions and what they're junctions are -- jurisdictions are, who is calling the shots in terms of the deployment of the resources and the technology of -- the

government doesn't have submersibles, bp has the submersibles. so does anyone -- or any one of those agencies dictate when the submersible goes down when does that go there? >> those submersibles by bp have been in the water, the robotics -- look, they are doing what they can do safely at the site in order to try to fix the paulson to get as accurate picture as they can as what is happening under water. you have some i think some pretty specific diagrams and explanations of where the breaches are which is governing the engineering has the instrumentation to put on top of the leak, so but