minority to amend, discuss,t debate, slow things down, fine. but the minority should not have the absolute power of the veto and that's what the minority has in the united state senate --day. to so that the issue that senator merkley has been going after. and that is at least if you're going to have a filibuster,sequi there have to be someou consequences. this. as i said, they've brought a breath of fresh air here. and to the average person out there watching, they probably think, well, bring it up for a vote.

well, things aren't quite that simple in the united states senate, as we're about to find out, and so we're going to do whatever we can to bring this to the forefront. but i dare say the way the game is rigged right now, the way -- i wouldn't say -- maybe i strike those words. the game's not -- the way the rules are set up right now requiring a supermajority to change those rules makes it nearly impossible for a majority of the united states senate to act. so again, i thank my colleague, senator merkley and senator udall, for their leadership on this. i look forward to being in league with them to do whatever we can to make this place function a little bit better and a little bit more in accordance with the principles of democracy and majority rule and respecting the rights and the wishes of the voters of this country. so again, i thank my -- my colleague from oregon for his leadership. i see he's standing there and i thank my colleague from utah, senator udall, for yielding to

me. mr. president, i would yield the mr. president, i would yield the at this point. ogon. >> senator, y:merkle >> the cementer from oregon.rtat >> why would certainly like to thank you for the many years that you have pursued reforminge the role of the senate.eing in e initially from the perspective of being in the minority and then maintaining that effort in the majority, and i think it's important to recognize the issue is presenting and bringing forth are to make the senate work make better to the body for both thev minority ande the majority. now if we were turning the clock back several decades, we n wouldn't be here right now carrying on this colloquy.ule instead there would be unanimoue consent to put a rule proposal on the floor of the senate and. we would be debating that proposal. that is the way the senate worko for most of the first two centuries. and

in 1953 senator anderson putn to forth a resolution to adopt new rules at the start of congress.a there is a debate on it. and eventually it was tabled bys ab51. 51an t that's what will said, 51. they could set a it aside. he didn't win this debate but he got it on the floor of the senate and was debated. sameng the same thing in 1957.in did and 1959. in 1961 he did this again. was and in that case it was debated on the floor of the senate and g everyone said let's get the balt out there and hold the debate. o .ventually they referred it toee the rules committee. finally, near the end of thes mo cycle but was moved out of thehe committee back to the floor and he held another d-day on senatoe andersons proposal and the d date resulted in the table. so the resolution was tabled so it didn't pass. the had the debate it isn't ague guarantee you're going to win e debat the debate but it is to engage e

in the deliberation, the tose capture the challenges we e with every country and in this case the challenge is making the er work better.. and this goes on and 1963, so,ef here we had five times in the course of 12 years a rule proposal put on the floor and b debated.ut it was defeated, but it was put on the floor under the framewore that 51 members could adopt rules under the constitution.n the constitutional power you've been speaking to so eloquentlyor for congress to organize for the themselves and the u.s. senate wante to authorize itself. as a wanted to go over a little ve bit of that history to say the very fact that we are not at this moment debating able a r proposal, it is a reflection of. this dysfunction of the senate. the debate on the senate itself

reflects the dysfunction of theu senate. so i want to thank you for years having engaged in so many years of efforts to bring these issueg forward, and the challenge of fixing the senate is engaged by so many names i was familiar with growing up, folks like senator mcgovern and senator and mondale and senator church andlb senator pettersson and they all brought their effort to make mhis body work better and we dir have a major reform in 1975 buta as a chart i put up earlier cont shows the congestion and the paralysis from the abuse of the making yourself heard before your colleagues is now the compromised the ability to our fulfill its constitutional responsibility and we need to fight hard to try to fix theent broken u.s. senate. >> with the senator yield for ae question on that point?

>> i would be delighted to doene so.itut >> the center isio a student of the constitution. we know what it says.and ientiod and i mentioned earlier about the fact when we come in ande take an oath of office to defend the constitution against all tra enemies foreignit and domestic e faith and allegiance to the same that is our oath of office, tabare truth, faith and allegiance to the constitution. is it the senator's view perhap the way the senate is rig constructed right now may in some way, i just throw this outy take away my constitutionall ri right to adequately represent my constituents? permajor if it takes a super majority or, if we can't even change the rules as the senator pointed out, does not this kind of -- a

this does not take away some of the constitutional rights and ongati obligations of the united states senator i ask my friends?mr. mer >> certainly i will tell you tha that senator byrd who stood on cannot be bound by the dead hand of the past you can imagine that in me particularly bizarre role that might have beense passed ba our predecessors the damage to our ability to fulfill our constitutional responsibility would be inappropriate and we would need to change it and then con estitution empowers us to change with the super majority.t so when the point comes as the senate is not functioning in the fashion that it was constitutionally intended, that is a super majority to pass legislation, then we certainlyet have to wrestle with whether wei aref doing our responsibility f we don't fight to make thebe senate work better. to we have an obligation to this chamber and an obligation to our constitution. his

>> i thank the center for his. response on that. fro >> the senator from new mexico.a >> i know, mr. president, the ficer, h presiding officer has also been of this rule reform a effort, and we very much appreciate that. nd was mentioned here about senator byrd, and i think one ok the most interesting storiesut s about senator byrd, senator harkin and senator mur clique 79 when he came to the floor he was talking about, and we have used this quote many times he had a hand of the past cannot be ruled by the dead hand of the past, about? healki was talking about the idd that one senate could just rules published in a set of rules andu bindture a future senate and hee in a situation he talked allwerh

right now putative he said nowbi we are at the beginning ofbligeo congress. by this congress is not obliged to be bound by the dead hand of the past. take rule 42 which is a different number of roles todaye but for example, the second paragraph thereof which aysays onat the rules of the senate c shall continue from congress ton congress until change inhese accordance with these rules. that rule was written in 1959. 1959 by the 86 conference.ot bou the 96th congress is not bound by the dead hand of the 86, he chris.talks the first set, and now he talks about the history here which is, very important. met the first senate, which met iny 1789, approved 19 rules by a vo. majority vote. first senate. those polls have been changed from time to time in thate rul portion of the senate will 32 that i just quoted washe

instituted in 1959, so the in members of the senate who met in 79 and approved the first bodyoe of rules did not for one moment all succeeding senate's would be bound by the senate. the segment of the 86th congress could not pretend to believe all future senate's would be a pound by the rules that it had writter one congress can pass the law providing all future laws have s to be passed by two-thirds vote. any member of this body knows that the next -- any member knows the next congress wouldn't heed that law and would proceedt to change it and vote to repeal by a majority vote. no doubt about it. to ye says i'm not going to argue a the case further today except t, say that it is my belief which has been supported by thesidentf rulings of three vice president,

of both parties and by votes ofe the senate in essence of upholding the power and the seno right of a majority of the senate to change the walls ofbef the senate at the beginning of n new congress and that is theeree essence of where we are today that we are able if we have a majority to move forward with to adopting our rules that are going to function for thish a session of congress and that iso why we are in such a battle tose get those proposals on to the floor. we want to get senate resolution ten. we want to get the talking w filibuster proposal. we want to get the floor so we can have the date, we can have the votes, and our understanding is there is to going to be objections from the other side.r, we as senator harkin said earlieru. we function here by unanimous ag

consent. and they apparently are notat going to give that consent. giv i know that senator harkin, harn jeanging the subject just achanb little bit here but while senator harkin and merkley har mentioned earlier the wholeissuf issue of why we want the senate to function better, but we have pressing national problems and challenges coming in one think onhae of the centers that said i best made a comment that in 1971, this is senator phil part of michigan and it stilles resonates decades later, and iny quote, the apparent inability on the senate to take action on oup domestic ills when the means are so painfully clear that the basic cause of the unrest and disaffection among the citizenry. the imperative of change is the obligatory if institutions likee the senate are to the have theiy capacity to respond well to the complex array of overlapping domestic and international

issues. longef ago, thomas jefferson sae as new discoveries are made and new truth discovered, and manneo and opinion change with change of circumstances, institutions must advance also and keep pacem with the time. institutions must advance also and keep pace with the times. ta are here. her we have rules that were adopted long ago that are not working veral t today. you and i have talked several times about how if you want your government to spend money wisely you want to be efficient, why dt halfway through the fiscal years it makes absolutely no sense. thus the situation we're in now. we bring the agency and, weoingo think that we are going to havet an appropriations bill onhe thea

floor by the way this year wewe didn't have it, last year we didn't have a single appropriations bill on the floor g they think they're going to e get one budget, then when weget. pass the fiscal year last 1,e october 1st we start the fiscalt year, we start in to that, we de have done a couple of continuing resolutions and a continuingthem resolution just gives the month byng month funding, and now the next continuing resolution and doesn't expire until march and l so who would tell any agency, that we are going to give you an budget but we are not quite going to tell you what it is, g and maybe go month to month andw then about halfway through the u year we are going to give you the rest of the budget. that's just not the way to take. care of the people's money ande it's not the way to beake efficient. it's not the way to make sure iy that the people's money is very well spent.t weo so i think it's important that we do that work, the work ofat e

appropriations bills and as the senators on the floor right now, when senator harkin is an appropriate. when you bring an appropriationu bill to the floor and you have all 100 senators take a look at the appropriations bill, take a look at the what's working inha the department and what is and n and how we move down the roadpat with that particular set of policy initiatives and programst that is something that thetion agency pays tremendous attentioe to. l ose amendments put in, the nel arguments made and we are neglecting all of that now. year last year, didn't do a single appropriations bill. my understanding, the house, and i know we were very frustratedrn when i was over in the house, wn passing thee appropriations bilg the senate bill sent to them and we're going to end at the end of

the year giving one of these continuing resolutions for an b. omnibus bill pickett for the tie first time and i don't know how long the house give up during dg appropriations bills comes of year one of our core functions as a legislative body would we call the power of the purse, tremendously important, that power of the purse has been emasculated, it's been worked beyond recognition to the pointk where i think we are got dysfunctional and we've got to get it back. look at our chairman of the judiciary committee has aligned a number of times, and i find it appalling that we do not have in the judicial people in place to do the job for the country.

and you know right now the federal courts are looking ateyr fraud on wall street, looking as all sorts of major cases that have to do with financial reform and inside training trading inon well, guess what, if you don't have judges to hear those cases, then all of that justice is say going to be delayed. there is an old saying justice delayed is justice denied. and today, with 94 judicial vacancies and the judicials conference of the united states is weighed in with the united states senate, the united statee house said these are judicial emergencies, vacancies 44 of them to consider emergencies.. they need somebody in there immediately. and yet still, because of this constant filibuster it is a witt filibuster without real debates

but wastes a lot of time at present our ability to put thosd judicial nominations on the floor and to get an up or down s vote. i nae same thing is true i think of the executive branch. sen mentor merkley camano use of the article in "the washington f post," which was at the end of w the first year of the obama at e presidency. he only had 55% of his team in % place of the top people on the agency to run the government.en. and it is not all our fault. setting things up but it's a pretty appalling number when you think to yourself the job of president is to put his people l in place in the agency said the policies can be carried out andh been delayed and slowed down, and i hearken back when i was ai

youngster in washington growing up i was about 12-years-old whed my father became secretary of. the interior, and here you haven only half the people in place it the federal government. interior i remember him tellingl me when id would travel home toi i had my whole team in place. virtually michael team in placep in two weeks.re so hade was ready to carry out h with the president's policy atr. the department of interior, and i remember we had holes, we hadn a variety of things going in the department of interior, we had a very talented woman from thehe mexico who was going to become the solicitor. she moved her young family, hera husband, they came toashington. washington, they had a three month old nobody could never figure out why, but she was finally allowed to become the solicitor of the interior

department. so all these kind of things from the holder to the constant any r filibuster without a real debate have slowed down the government in a significant way and reallyu prevented us from doing the important oversight job that we. need to do. cementer merkley come i know knu that you have other comments the you might like to make and and o supply yield to you at this point.th >> thank you, cementer and it is quite a contrast the you are drawing between an era in which on a two-way period the bulk of the team was in place ready toek do the work, elected, they wereo elected by the u.s. people. the u.s. branch headed by the to president had his secretary, thr secretaries had their teams in place and they were ready to god forward and to make sure that they were working hard on thea t agenda that the lead out during the election cycle. o

as my colleague from ohio said senator harkin, elections havehe consequences. our that is the vision of our republic, that is a vision inree which we elect a president and the president says here is my he agenda and then he puts togethet a team to get done and it is noo in the spirit of ourinly constitution. it is certainly not in the spirit of our space soul to takp after the people have elected a president to try to damage andcp inflect pain and obstruction upon that president did that is essentially saying that you do gmt accept the judgment of the d united states citizens about the electing a president of the united states. well, this process has tohat change. we have to find a way folks can come to this floor.

it isn't that this chamber will approve every single nomination. it is that it will debate andedd have a vote and if there is nous controversy surrounding someone of ththe chamber. there's more than a thousand executive branch positions thatt have to be confirmed under theer statutes. too shod be that, too come should bethere' o changed. there's too many positions thatp are basically set up so thato they come to this chamber, and s so that is certainly a subjecton of conversation. but for those that are under thf law need to come for advice andn consent then we need to exercise that responsibility in a mannern consistent with the advice and e consent but not with attempting to damage the president of thets united states and his team. >> i was looking at a speech by

one of my colleagues from tennessee, lamar alexander, and he notes he titles this a filibuster. to head off. h that quote that he put at the top of his paper when he gave ae speech before the heritagefounds foundation has taken himp directly i will pull out the here. picture here, that quote is taken directly from the film mr. smith goes to washington. in other words, the premise thae my colleagues put in his papere is that there needs to be the p right of the people selected by the citizens to have their voice is heard on the floor of thenat. u.s. senate. talki that is what the filibuster is t about. it is about the people of the united states being able to seee oteir senate terse to actually n

debate. so i want to note that there ist a tremendous amount of for bipartisan support for this notion that senators shouldn't hide from the american people, they shouldn't be engaging in ti secret polls but place a hold oe the piece of legislation to do it publicly and have accountability. there is tremendous support for the notion that when we proceed to vote we want additionalitionl debates we are actually going to be date so we utilize the senate to waive the pros and cons and not that folks say we wantaddite additional debate and go out to dinner, not that senators say we want additional debate and they go out on vacation, but they as. ul should have additional debate oe the floor laying out the pros and cons, arguing the merits, cg considering amendments in aendm. short the talking filibuster. at

so i have a unanimous consent request that i gave notice of half an hour ago. standin we are standing by right nower from the other side to come andt object this unanimous consent ad request.look i am saying this out loud and looking across the ogle saying hour. i think it's time for one of out colleagues who wishes to object to get here on the floor, and ti just as we've been talking aboue make their case invisibly in front of the c citizens of the united states of america whying they wish to object to having ag full debate on the talking filibuster and likely is waitino to offer unanimousus consentolun amendment to have the resolutioe number ten and have it considered before this chamber,y and so i think we pretty well oe laid out the reasons why we think this debate is important

but we can't get to that debate without putting forward a it unanimous consent having itto concurred or being brought tof the objection. fm my colleague from new mexico to wishes to make any more comments and i will present my unanimouse consenagt resolution and allow r colleagues to come and endorse it and object. thank you, mr. president senator our plea, you are waiting to pu, in your asking unanimous consent to put your talking filibuster s proposal which is one that goese have today. learned one of the things i've learned n

the last two years ms the senate is when 41 senators vote for more debate that's basically what is happening is when senators vote for debate, 41 of them then we don't get more debate. a lot of times we are in quoruma calls. a lot of times if we have a lifo quorumve we pull 51 senators ovr to the floor to try to geties through that.il there are a series of dilatory v motions and it's very, veryern difficult in a modern the senate surrounding the floor. in the old days the joost pullout costs and stay through the night so the centers would be able to sleep some place too keep that l kife quorum going. but in a modern senate with a everything going on is a unfair

for one side to have won a senator and the other side too have 51 in order to try to conduct any business and that his decision that we are in today. and that is what the talking filibuster goes to. it goes to deal with that situation. how does it deal with it?f if 41 senators request more debate, if they say to the other 59 senators we want more debate, we very simply say, just as s senator alexander said, and he stewart in the right to talkd your head off from mr. smith goes to washington, then come down and debate. we aren going to have a debate period where nothing else is up brought up but to date, and the job of the chair as our presiding officer knows will be in that period to ask the

question or any other senators on the floor that wish to debate hat , and at that p particular look down and people to make an observation that the chicken inn the public is it moving things forward and is it just a filibuster to waste time. i would no there's a very interesting waste timeime filibuster. one of the old-time senators out of california made the comment about that filibuster wasting ah time and he was asked this is former senate republican whip thomas key goal of california, and he asked the question here on the floor of the senate.he what is the filibuster?ion would my definition must be that this is the definition, my definition sould be that it is a relevant i speechmaking in the senate the

designed solely and simply to ta consume time enough to prevent a vote from being taken on the pending legislation. he's pretty condemning of that f tnd of filibuster but that is a judgment. t we don't wantak to take people's right to debate away.ant we just want to make sure a there's an honest and fair honet debate on the floor and that is what i would compliment you on that you have drafted a proposal to work long and hard on andat what it ends up doing is at the end ofhe the debate when theor senator's call for debate the talk and talk at some point whea the chair asks or any otherh senators on the floor that wish to debate and are silent then ce you roll over into what ispostcd called the post cloture. senator merkley?

>> if there is something critical to my state, the state of oregon, the talking filibuster -- >> we are going to leave this debate from earlier today and take you live to the senate chamber. in a moment senators will wind up and walk for statuary hall them over to the house chamber where president obama will deliver his state of the union speech at nine eastern. here on c-span2 we will show you the president's speech and bring you tweets in real time. after the speech we will go to statuary hall and get reactions from senators and house members. you are watching c-span2. [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations]

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[inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] who the joint session will come to order. members of the committee on me escort to the president of the united states into the chamber.e the gentleman from virginia, mr. cantor,nt mr. mccarthy, the gentleman from texas,n from mr. hensarling, the gentleman from texas, mr. sessions, then m gentleman from georgia, mr. price, the gentleman from the state of washington,ington,r

ms. mcmorris rogers and theri gentleman from texas. the gentleman from california the gentleman from connecticut, mr. larsen the gentleman from new york, mr. israel, and the gentlewoman from alabama, ms. sewell. the vice president: the president of the senate at the direction of the body appoints the following senators as members of the committee on the part of the senate to escort the president of the united states into the house. the snavert from nevada, mr. reid, the senator from illinois, mr. durbin, the senator from new york, mr. sumer, the senator from washington, ms. murray, the senator from michigan, ms. stab now, the senator from alaska,

enator f early he, the senator from kentucky,ro mr. mcconnell, thece senator from arizona,rizona, mr. mr. kafeel, the senator from tennessee, mr. the alexander, the senator from wyoming, from mr. barrasso, the senator from south dakota, mr. phelan, and the senator from texasal, mr. cornyn. >> the members of the committeet will please exit the chamber through the lobby doors. [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations]

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gonzaga >> mr. speaker, the chief justice and associate justices >> mr. mr. speaker the chief justice in the associate justices of this court,. [applause]

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[applause] [applause]re >> mr. speaker, the president cabinet. [applause]

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[inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] >> mr. speaker, the president of the united states. [applause] [applause]

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[applause] [applause] >> i have a high privilege and distinct honor of venting the president of the united states. [applause] [applause]

>> thank you. thank you so much. thank you so much. thank you very much. thank you. mr. speaker, mr. vice president, members of congress, distinguished guests, and fellow americans. tonight i want to begin by congratulating the men and women of the 112th congress as well as your new speaker, john boehner. [applause] [applause] and as we mark this occasion, we

are also mindful of the empty chair in this chamber, and we pray for the health of our colleague and our friend, gabby giffords. [applause] [applause] it is no secret that those of us here tonight have had our differences over the last two years. the debates have been contentious. we have fought fiercely for our beliefs, and that is a good thing. that is what a robust democracy

demands. that is what helps set us apart as a nation. but there is a reason the tragedy in tucson gave us pause. amid all the noise and passion and rancor in our public debate, tucson reminded us that no matter who we are, or where we come from, each of us is a part of something greater. something more consequential than parties or political preference. we are part of the american family. we believe that in a country where every race and faith and point of view can be found, we are still bound together as one people, and we share common hopes and and a common creed, that the dreams of the little girl in tucson are not so different than those of our own children. that they all deserve a chance to be fulfilled. that too is what sets us apart as a nation.

[applause] now, by itself, this simple recognition won't usher in a new era of cooperation. what comes of this moment is up to us. it comes at this moment will be determined not by whether we can sit together tonight, but whether we can work together tomorrow. [applause] [applause] i believe we can, and i believe we must. that is what the people who sent us here expect of us. with their votes, they have

determined that governing will now be a shared responsibility between parties. new laws will only pass with support from democrats and republicans. we will move forward together or not at all for the challenges we face are bigger than parties. and bigger than politics. at stake right now is not who wins the next election. after all, we just had an election. at stake is whether new jobs and industries take root in this country or somewhere else. it is whether the hard work and industry of our people is rewarded. it is whether we sustained a leadership that has made america not just a place on a map, but the lights to the world. and we are poised for progress. two years after the worst recession most of us have ever known, the stock market has come

roaring back. corporate profits are up. the economy is growing again. but we have never measured progress by these yardsticks alone. we measure progress by the success of our people, but the jobs they can find and the quality of life those jobs offer. the prospects of a small-business owner who dreams of turning a good idea into a thriving enterprise. by the opportunities for a better life that we pass on to our children. that is the project the american people want us to work on. together,. [applause] we did that in december, thanks to the tax cuts we passed. americans paychecks are a little bigger today. every business can write off the full cost of new investments that they make this year, and

the steps taken by democrats and republicans will grow the economy and add to no more than 1 million private sector jobs created last year. but we have to do more. the steps we have taken over the last two years may have broke in the back of this recession, but to win the future, we will need to take our challenges that have been decades in the making. many people watching tonight can probably remember a time when finding a good job meant showing up at a nearby factory or a business downtown. you didn't always need a degree and your competition was pretty much limited to your neighbors. if you worked hard, chances are you would have a job for life. with a decent paycheck and good benefits and the occasional promotion. maybe you would even have the pride of seeing your kids work

at the same company. that world has changed and for many the change has been painful i have seen it in the shuttered windows of a once booming factories and a vacant storefront on once busy main street. i've heard it in the frustrations of americans who have seen their paychecks dwindle or their jobs disappear. proud men and women who feel like the rules have been changed in the middle of the game. they are right. the rules have changed. in a single generation revolutions in technology have transformed the way we live, work and do business. steel mills that once needed one sows and workers can now do the same work with hundred. today just about any company sent set up shop hire workers and sell their products wherever

there is a connection. meanwhile, nations like china and india realized that with some changes of their own they could compete in this new world. so they started educating their children earlier and longer with greater emphasis on math and science. they are investing in research and new technology. just recently, china became the home to the world's largest private solar research facility and the world's fastest computer. so yes, the world has changed. the competition for jobs is real but they shouldn't discourage us. it should challenge us. remember, for all the hits we have taken these last few years, for all the naysayers predicting our decline, america still has the largest most prosperous economy in the world. [applause]

no workers are more productive than ours. no country has more successful companies or more patents and inventors in on-chip and doors. we are the home to the world's best colleges and universities. where more students come to study than anyplace on earth. what's more, we are the first nation to be founded for the sake of an idea. the idea that each of us deserves the chance to shape their own destiny. that is why centuries of pioneers and immigrants have risked everything to come here. that is wired in stone just memorize equations, but answer questions like what you do you think of that idea? what would you change about the world? what you want to be when you grow up? the future is ours to win. but to get there, we can't just stand still.

as robert kennedy told us, the future is not a gift. it is an achievement. sustaining the american dream has never been about standing task. it is required each generation to sacrifice and struggle and meet the demand of a new age. and now it is our turn. we know what it takes to compete for the jobs in industries of our time. we need to out innovate come out educate and help build the rest of the world. [applause] [applause] we have to make america the best place on earth to do business. we need to take responsibility for our deficit and reform our

government. that is how are people will prosper. that is how we will win the future. [applause] and tonight i like to talk about how we get there. the first step in winning the future is encouraging american innovation. none of us can predict with certainty what the next big industry will be or where the new jobs will come from. 30 years ago we couldn't know that something called the internet would lead to an economic revolution. what we can do, what america does better than anyone else is sparked the creativity and imagination of our people. we are the nation to put cars in driveways and computers in offices, nation of edison and the wright brothers, of google and facebook. in america come innovation doesn't just change our lives. it is how we make our living.

[applause] our theory and -- free enterprise system is what drives innovation, but because it is not always profitable for companies to invest in basic research, throughout our history our government has provided cutting-edge scientists and inventors with the support that they need. that is what planted the seeds for the internet. that is what helps make possible things like computer chips and gps. just think of all the good jobs for manufacturing to retail that have come from these breakthroughs. a half a century ago when the soviets beat us into space with the launch of a satellite called sputnik, we had no idea how we would be them to the moon. the science wasn't even there yet. nasa did not exist. but after investing and better research and education, we didn't just surpass the soviets.

we unleashed a wave of innovation that created new industries and millions of new jobs. this is our generation's sputnik moment. two years ago i said that we needed to reach a level of research and development we haven't seen since the height of these space race and in a few weeks i will be sending it budget to congress that helps us meet that goal. we will invest in biomedical research, information technology and especially clean energy technology. [applause] and investment that will strengthen our security, protect our planet and create countless new jobs for our people. already we are seeing the promise of renewable energy. robert and gary allen, brothers who run a small michigan roofing company.

after september 11 they volunteered their best rivers to help repair the pentagon. at half of their factory went unused and recession hit them hard. today with the help of a government loan, that empty space is being used to manufacture solar shingles that are being sold all across the country. in roberts words, we reinvented ourselves. that is what americans have done for over 200 years. we invented ourselves. and the spur on more success stories like the allen brothers we have begun to reinvest their energy policy. we are not just handing out money. we are issuing a challenge. we are telling america scientists and engineers that if they assemble teams of the best minds in their fields and focus on the hardest problems in clean energy, we will fund the apollo projects of our time. and the california institute of technology, they are developing a way to turn sunlight in water

into fuel for our cars. at oak ridge national laboratories, they're using supercomputers to get a lot more power out of her nuclear facilities. with more research and incentives, we can break our dependence on oil with biofuels and become the first country to have a million electric vehicles on the road by 2015. [applause] we need to get behind this innovation. and to help pay for it i'm asking congress to eliminate the billions in taxpayer dollars we currently give to oil companies. [applause] i don't know if you have noticed that they are doing just fine on their own. so, instead of subsidizing yesterday's energy, let's invest in tomorrow's.

a clean energy breakthrough will only translate into clean energy jobs as businesses know they will be a market for what they are selling. so tonight i challenge you to join me in sending a new goal. by 2035 time 80% of america's electricity will come from clean energy sources. [applause] some folks want wind and solar. others want nuclear, clean coal and natural gas. to meet this goal, we will need them all. and i urge democrats and republicans to work together to make it happen. [applause] maintaining our leadership in research and technology is crucial to america's success, but if we want to win the

future, if we want innovation to produce jobs in america, and not overseas, and we also have to win the race to educate our kids. think about it. over the next 10 years nearly half of all new jobs will require education to go beyond a high school education. and get as many of the -- as many as a quarter of our students aren't even finishing high school. the quality of our math and science education lags behind many other nations. america has fallen to ninth in the proportion of young people with a college degree. and so the question is whether all of us as citizens and as parents are willing to do what is necessary to give every child a chance to succeed. that responsibility begins not in our classrooms but in our homes and communities. it is family that first instills the love of learning in a child.

only parents can make sure that tv is turned off and homework gets done. we need to teach our kids that it is not just the winner of the super bowl who deserves to be celebrated, but the winner of the science fair. [applause] [applause] we need to teach them that success is not a function of fame or pr or -- but hardware can discipline. our schools share this responsibility. when a child walks into a classroom it should be a place of high expectation and high-performance. too many schools don't meet this task.

that is why instead of just pouring money into a system that is not working, we launched a competition called race to the top. all 50 states we said if you show us the most innovative plans to improve teacher quality and student achievement, we will show you the money. race to the top is the most meaningful reform of our public schools in a generation. for less than 1% of what we spend on education each year, it has led over 40 states to raise their standards for teaching and learning. and the standards were developed by the way not by washington, but by republican and democratic governors throughout the country. and race to the top should be the approach we follow this year as we replace no child left behind with a law that is more flexible and focused on what is best for our kids. [applause]

you see, we know what is possible from our children. when reform isn't just a top down mandate, but the work of local teachers and principals, school boards and communities. take a school like bruce randolph in denver. three years ago it was rated one of the worst schools in coloradf between two rival gangs. but last may, 97% of the seniors received their diplomas. most will be the first in their families to go to college. and after the first year of the school transformation, the principle matthew made it possible wiped away tears when a student said, thank you ms. waters for showing that we are smart and we can make it. [applause] that is what good schools can do, and we want good schools all across the country.

let's also remember that after parents the biggest impact on child success comes from the man or woman at the front of the classroom. in south korea teachers are known as nation builders. here in america, it is time we created the people who educate our children with the same level of respect. [applause] [applause] we want to reward good teachers and stop making excuses for bad ones. [applause] and over the next 10 years, with so many baby boomers retiring from our classrooms we want to prepare 100,000 new teachers in the fields of science and knowledge and engineering and

math. [applause] in fact every young person listening tonight who is contemplating their career choice, if you want to make a difference in the life of our nation, if you want to make a difference in the life of a child, become a teacher. your country needs you. [applause] [applause] of course the education doesn't end with a high school diploma. to compete, higher education must be within the reach of every american. [applause] that is why we offended the unwarranted taxpayer subsidies that went to banks and use the

savings to make college affordable for millions of students. [applause] and this year i ask congress to go further and make permanent our tuition tax credit worth $10,000 for four years of college. [applause] because people need to be able to train for new jobs and careers in today's fast changing economy. we are also revitalizing america's community colleges. last month i saw the promise of the schools at forsyth tech in north carolina. many of the students there used to work in the surrounding factories that have since left town. one mother of two, a woman named kathy proctor, had worked in the furniture industry since she was 18 years old. and she told me she is earning her degree in biotechnology now. at 55 years old.

not just because the furniture jobs are gone, but because she wants to inspire her children to pursue their dreams to match. as kathy said, i hope it tells them to never give up. and if we take these steps, if we raise expectations for every child and give them the best possible chance for an education from the day they are born until the last job they take, we will reach the goal that i set two years ago. by the end of the decade, america will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world. [applause] one last point about education. today there are hundreds of thousands of students excelling

in our schools who are not american citizens. some of the children of undocumented workers who have nothing to do with the actions of their parents. they grew up as americans and pledge allegiance to our flag, yet they live every day with the threat of deportation. others come here from abroad to study in our colleges and universities, but as soon as they obtain an advanced degree, we send them back home to compete against us. it makes no sense. now i strongly believe that we should take on once and for all, the issue of illegal immigration and i'm prepared to work with republicans and democrats to protect our borders, enforce our laws and address the millions of undocumented workers who are not living in the shadows. [applause]

[applause] i know that debate will be difficult. i know it will take time, but tonight let's agree to make that effort and let's stop expelling talented responsible young people who could be staffing a research labs or starting a new business, who could be further enriching this nation. [applause] the third step in winning the future is rebuilding america. to attract new business to our shores we need the fastest most reliable ways to move people, goods and information from high-speed rail to high-speed internet. [applause] our infrastructure used to be the best, but our lead has slipped. south korean homes now have

greater internet access than we do. countries in europe and russia invest more in their roads and railways then we do. china is building faster train to new airports. meanwhile, when our own engineers rated our nation's infrastructure, they gave us a d we have to do better. america is a nation that built the transcontinental railroad, run electricity to rural communities come constructed the interstate highway system. the jobs created by these projects didn't come from laying down tracker pavement. they came from businesses that opened near towns new train stations or the new offramp. so over the last two years we have begun rebuilding for the 21st century, a project that is meant thousands of good jobs for the hard-hit construction industry. and tonight i'm proposing that we redouble those efforts. [applause]

we will put more americans to work repairing crumbling roads and bridges. we will make sure that it is fully paid for, attract private investment and picked projects based on what is best for the economy, not politicians. within 25 years our goal is to give 80% of americans access to high-speed rail. [applause] this could allow you to go places and have the time it takes to travel by car. for some trips it will be faster than flying. without the pat-downs. [laughter] [applause] as we speak, rethink california in and the midwest are underway. within the next five years, people make it possible for businesses to deploy the next

generation of high-speed wireless coverage to 90% of all americans. this is isn't just about -- this isn't about faster internet or fewer dropped calls. it is about connecting every part of america to the digital age. it is about rural community in iowa or alabama where farmers and small-business owners will be able to sell their products all over the world. it is about a firefighter who can download the design of a burning building onto a handheld device. a student who can take classes with a digital textbook or a patient who can have face-to-face video chats with her doctor. all these investments in innovation, education and infrastructure will make america a better place to do business and create jobs. but to help our companies compete, we also have to knock down barriers thater stand in te way of their success. for example, over the years, a

parade of lobbyist have rigged t the tax code to benefit particular companies andul. industries. those were the accountants and lawyers who work the system can end up paying no taxes at all.e but all the rest are hit with one of the highest corporate tax rates in the wit world. it makes no sense and it has to change. [applause]s so tonight i'm asking democrats and republicans to simplify the system. loopholes.the level the playing field and use the savings to lower the corporate tax rates for the first time in 25 years withoutou adding to our deficit. [applause] this can be done.

to help businesses sell more products abroad, we set a goalin of doubling our exportg s by 20. because the more we export, the more jobs we create here at home. already our exports are up., recently we signed agreements with india and china that will support more than 250,000 jobs here in the united states. and last month we finalized a trade agreement with south korek that will support at least 70,000 american jobs. this agreement has unprecedented support from business and labor. democrats and republicans, and ask this congress to pass it as soon as possible. [applause] now before i took office i made it clear that we would enforce our trade agreements and that i would only sign deals that keep

faith with american workers and promote american jobs. that is what we did with korea and that is what i had to do as we pursue agreements with panama and colombia and continue our asia-pacific and global trade talks. [applause] to reduce barriers to growth and investment, i have ordered a review of government regulations when we find rules that put an unnecessary burden ones businesses, we will fix them. [applause]ot but i will not hesitate to create or enforce commonsense safeguards that protect the american people. [applause] that is what we have done in this country for more than aa century. that is why our food is safe to be f. and our water is safe to drink and our air is safe to breathe.

it is why we have speed limits and child labor laws. it is why last year we put int place consumer protections against hidden fees and penalties by credit card companies. and new rules to prevent another financial crisis. [applause]th and it is why we passed reform that finally prevents the healta insurance industry from exploiting patients. [applause] now i have heard rumors that a few of you still have concerns laws.our new health care so let me be the first to say, that anything can be improved. if you have ideas about how to

improve this law by making care better or more affordable, i am eager to work with you. we can start right now by correcting a flaw in thegi legislation that is placed iny o unnecessary bookkeeping burden on small businesses. [applause] [applause] what i'm not willing to do, what i'm not willing to do is go back to the days when insurance companies could deny someone coverage because of a preexisting condition. [applause] i'm not willing to tell james a howard of brain cancer patient from texas that his treatment might not be covered.ea

i'm not willing to tell jim houser, smal l businessmen from oregon that he has to go back to paying $5000 more to cover his employees. as we speak, this laws make in prescription drugs cheaper foron seniors and giving uninsured students a chance to stay on the parents coverage. [applause] so i say to the chamber tonight, instead of re-fighting the battles from the last two years let's fix what needs fixing ande let's move forward. [applause] now the final critical steps in winning the future is to make sure we aren't very done under a mountain of debt. we are living with a legacy ofen

deficit spending that began almost a decade ago. and in the wake of the financial crisis, some of that was necessary to keep creditfl flowing, save jobs and put money in people's pockets. but now that the worst of the recession is o over, we have to confront the fact that our government spends more than itgo takesve in.stai that is not sustainable. every day, families sacrifice toluca within their they deserve a government thaten does the same. [applause] so tonight, i am proposing that starting this year, we freeze annual domestic spending for the next five years.

[applause] now this would reduce the deficit by more than 400 alien dollars over the next decade and willn bring discretionary spending to the lowest share of ourlo economy since dwight eisenhower was president. this freeze will require painful cuts. already we have frozen thelari salaries of hard-working federal employees for the next twone years. i propose cuts to things i care deeply about like community action programs. the secretary of defense hasse h also agreed to cut tens of billions of dollars in spendings that he and the generals believe our military can do without. m [applause] w i recognize that some in this chamber have already proposed deeper cuts and i'm willing toln eliminate whatever we can honestly afford to do without.or but let's make sure that we are not doing it on the backs of our most vulnerable citizens. [applause]

and let's make sure that what we are cutting is really excess weight. cutting the deficit by cuttingtg our vestments of innovation in education is like lightning and overloaded airplane by removing its engine. it may make you feel like you were flying high at first but it won't take long before you feel the impact. most of the cuts and savings i propose only address annual domestic spending. which represents a little more than 12% of our budget. to make further progress, we have to stop pretending that cutting this kind of spending alone will be enough. it won't. [applause]is the bipartisan fiscal commissioo i created last year made this

crystal-clear. i don't agree with all of their proposals. but they made important progresn is that the only way to tackle our deficit is to cut excessive spending wherever we find it.ev in domestic spending, defense spending, health caresp spending and spending through tax breaks and loopholes. [applause] this means further reducing health careur costs, including programs like medicare andnd medicaid which is the single biggest contributor to our long-term deficit.si the health insurance law we passed last yearhe will slow thg rising costs which is part of the reason that nonpartisan economists have said that repealing the health care lawua would add a quarter of a trillion dollars to our deficit. still am willing to look at other ideas to bring down costsn including one that republicans suggested last year, medical malpractice reform to reign in frivolous lawsuits.

[applause] to put us on solid ground, we should also find a bipartisan solution to strengthen social security for future generations. [applause] we must do it without putting at risk current retirees. the most vulnerable or people with disabilities.hing without slashing benefits fornei future generations and without subjecting americans guaranteed retirement income at the whims of the stock market. the [applause] and if we truly care about oursc deficit, we simply can't afford a permanent extension of the tax cuts for the wealthiest 2% of americans. c

[applause] before we take money away from our schools, scholarships away from our students, we should ask millionaires to give up their taxr breaks.e it is not a matter of punishing their success.'s it is not promoting american success. [applause]est thin in fact the best thing we could do on taxes for all americans is to simplify the individual tax code. [applause] this will be a tough job, butofb members of both parties have expressed an interest in doing this and i am prepared to join them. [applause] so now is the time to act.

now is the time for both sides and both houses of congress, democrats and republicans, to forge a principled compromise again -- to get the job done. if we make the hard choices now to reign in our deficit, we can make the investments we need to win theen future. let me take this one step further. we shouldn't just give ourur people a government that is more affordable. we should give them a government that is more confident and more efficient.nt. [applause]ut we can't win the future with a the government of the past. we live and do business in the informationin age. but the last major reorganization of the government happened in the age of black-and-white tv. there are 12 different ages that deal with exports. there are at least five different agencies that deal with housing policy.

then there is my favorite example, the interior department is in charge of salmon while they are in freshwater, but the commerce department handles them with bear in saltwater. i hear it gets even more confiscated once they arey' smoked. [laughter] [applause] now, we have made great strides over the last few years and using technology in getting rid of waste. veterans can now download theird electronic medical records with a click of the mouse. we are selling acres of federal office space that hasn't been used in years and we will cutof through red tape to get rid of more. but we need to think bigger.. in the coming months my administration will develop a proposal tont merge, consolidate and we organize the federal government in aro way that best

serves the goal of a more competitive america.fede i will submit their proposal to congress for a vote and we will push to get it past. [applause] in the coming year we will also work to rebuild peoples faith in the institution of government.cs because you deserve to know exactly how and where your tax dollars are being spent, you will be able to go to a web site and get that information for thf very first time in history. because you deserve to know when your elected officials are meeting with lobbyists, i asked congress to do with the white house has already done, put that information on line. and because the american people deserve to know that special interests aren't padding -- both congress should know this is a bill comes to myow desk with

earmarks inside, i will veto it. i will veto it. [applause] the 21st century government that is open and confident, government that lives within its means and an economy that is driven by new skills and new ideas. our success and is new and changing world where require reform, responsibility and innovation.ill it will also require us to approach that world with a new level of engagement in our foreign affairs. a just justice jobs and businesses can now raise across corridors so can no threats and newreats challenges.

no single wall separates east and west. no oneas rifle superpower is aligned against them. and so we must defeat the determined enemies wherever they are and build coalitions that cut across lines of region, race and religion. america's moral example must always shine for all who yearndm for freedom and justice and dignity. and because we have begun thiswk work, tonight we can say that american leadership has been renewed and america's standing has been restored.re look to iraq where nearly 100,000 of our brave men andnd women have left with their heads held high. [applause] [applause]

american combat troll, violence is down and a new government has beendo formed. this year are civilians will forge iaa lasting partnership wh the iraqi people while they finish the job of bringing her troops out of iraq. america's commitment has been kept and the iraq war is coming to an end. [applause] of course as we speak, al qaedai and their affiliates continue to plan attacks against us. thanks to our intelligence and law enforcement professionals, we are disrupting plots in securing our cities and skies. and as extremist try to inspire acts of violence within our borders, we are responding with the strength of our communitiese

with respect for the rule of law and with the conviction that american muslims are a part of our american family. [applause] [applause] we have also taken the fight to al qaeda and their allies abroad in afghanistan are troops havean taken taliban strongholds and trained afghan security forces.i our purpose is clear. by preventing the taliban from reestablishing a stranglehold over the afgha deny al qaeda a safe haven that serves as a launching pad for 9/11. thanks to our heroic troops ando civilians, fewer afghans are under the control of thehe insurgents. there will be tough fightingah

ahead and the afghan government will need to deliver better .reernance but we are strengthening the capacity of the afghan people and building an enduring partnership with them. this year we will work with w nearly 50 countries to begin a transition to an afghan lead and this july we will begin to bring our troops home. [applause] in pakistan, al qaeda'sre leadership is under more pressure than at any point sinc 2001. their leaders and operatives are being removed from the battlefield. their safe havens are shrinking and we have sent a message from the afghan borders to the arabian peninsula to all parts of the globe, we will not relent, we will not waiver and we will defeat you. [applause]

[applause] american leadership can also bet seen in the efforts to secure the worst weaponecs before.e because republicans and democrats improve the new s.t.a.r.t. treaty, far fewer nuclear weapons and launchers will be deployed.will because we rallied the world, nuclear materials are being locked down on every continent so they never fall into the hands oft terrorists. [applause] because of a diplomatic effort to insist that iran meet its obligations, the iranian government now faces tougher sanctions, tighter sanctions than ever before. and on the korean peninsula, we stand with their ally, south korea and insists north koreanss keep its commitment to abandon nuclear weapons.ts

[applause] this is just a part of how we are shaping the world that favors peace and prosperity.wi with our european allies we have revitalized nato and increased our cooperation on everything from counterterrorism to missile defense.er we have reset our relationship with russia, strengthened asian alliance, build new partnerships with nations like india.this this march i will travel to brazil, chile and el salvador to forge new alliances across the americas. around the globe, we arend standing with those who take responsibility, helping farmers grow more food, supporting doctors who care for the sick and combating the corruption that can rock a society and brought people of opportunity. recent events have shown us that what sets us apart must not just

be our power.er it must also be the purpose behind it. in south sudan, with our assistance, the people were finally able to vote for independence after years of war. [applause] thousands lined up before dawn.e people danced in the streets. one man who lost four of his brothers at war summed up the scene around him. w this was a battlefield for most of my life he said.w now we want to be free. [applause] and we saw that same desire to be free in tunisia where people proved more powerful than then h rid of the dictator. and tonight let us be clear, the united states of america stands with the people of tunisia and supports the democratic aspirations of all people.

[applause] we must never forget that the things we have struggled for and fought for, live in the hearts of people everywhere.us and we must always remember that the americans who have worn the greatest word in the struggle are the men and women who serve our country. [applause] [applause]

[applause] tonight let us speak with one voice and reaffirming better nation is united in support of our troops and their families. let us serve them as well as they have served us, by giving them the equipment they need, by providing them with the care and benefits that they have earned and by enlisting our veterans in the great task of holding our own nation. our troops come from every corner of this country. they are black, white, latino, asian, native american. they are christian and hindu, jewish and muslim, and yes we know that some of them are.

starting this year, no american will be forbidden from serving the country they love because of who they love. [applause] and with that change, i call on all our college campuses to open their doors to our military recruiters and rotc. it is time to leave behind the divisive battles of the past. it is time to move forward as one nation. [applause] we should have no illusion about the work ahead of us. reforming our schools, changing the way we use energy, reducing

our deficit. none of this will be easy. all of it will take time. and it will be harder because we will argue about everything. the cost, the details, the letter of every law. of course some countries don't have this problem. if the central government wants a row road they build the railroad. no matter how many homes get bulldozed. if they don't want a bad story in the newspaper, it doesn't get written. and yet, as contentious and frustrating and messy as our democracy can sometimes be, i know there isn't a person here who would trade places with any other nation on earth. [applause]

[applause] we may have differences in policy, but we all believe in the rights enshrined in our constitution. we may have different opinions, but we believe in the same promise that says this is a place where you can make it if you try. we may have different backgrounds, but we believe in the same dreams that say this is a country where anything is possible, no matter who you are, no matter where you come from. that dream is why i can stand here before you tonight. that dream is why a working-class kid from scranton

can sit behind me. [applause] that dream is why someone who began by sweeping the floors of his father cincinnati bar can reside as speaker of the house and the greatest nation on earth. [applause] [applause] that dream, that american dream, is what drove the allen allen brooke is to reinvent their roofing company for a new era. it is what drove the students at four sites had to learn a new skill and work towards the future. and that dream is the story of a small business owner named

brandon fisher. brandon started a company in berlin pennsylvania that specialized in a new kind of drilling technology. and one day last summer, he saw the news that halfway across the world, 33 men were trapped in the chilean mines. and no one knew how did -- random thoughts his company could help so he designed a rescue that would become too known as planned b. employees worked around-the-clock to manufacture the necessary drilling equipment. and brandon left for chile. along with others he began drilling a 2000-foot hole into the ground. working three or four hour days days -- three or four days in at a time without any sleep. 37 days later, planned b succeeded and the miners were

rescued. [applause] but because he didn't want all the attention, branded wasn't there when the miners emerged. he had already gone back home. that to work on his next project. and later one of his employees said that the rescue, we proved that center rock is a little company, but we do big things. [applause] we do big things from the earliest days of our founding. america has been the story of ordinary people who dare to dream. that is how we win the future. we are a nation that says i might not have a lot of money but i have this great idea for a new company. i might not come from a family

of college graduates, but i will be the first to get my degree. i might not know those people in trouble, but i think i can help them and i need to try. i am not sure how we will reach that better place beyond the horizon, but i know we will get there. i know we will. we do big things. [applause] the idea of america endures. our destiny remains our choice, and tonight, more than two centuries later, it is because of our people that our future is hopeful, our journey goes forward and the state of our union is strong. thank you, god bless you and may god bless the united states of america. [applause]

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>> the joint session is now resolved. the house will come to order. for what purpose does the majority leader rise quite >> mr. speaker, i moved the message of the president cferred to the committee of the whole of the white house and thm state state of the union andhoue ordered credit.io >> objections then word. >> gentleman from virginia. >> mr. speaker, i move the house be now adjourned.e >> those in favor say aye ko. the eyes have it. the house stands adjourned until 10:00 a.m. tomorrow. >> in a minute will move from the house chamber to statutory

hauberk members go immediately after the seat of the union to talk with reporters and we'll get reaction from members on some of the things the president made during his speech. president obama calling for a change in corporate taxes that would eliminate some loopholes in exchange for lower tax rate heard he also said the iraq war comes to an end and the judgment of u.s. forces in afghanistan will begin in july and also that the nation is facing a new sputnik moment. we will hear what members thought about the president had to say coming up here on c-span 2. [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations]

[inaudible conversations] >> and we are here on c-span 2 and we are talking two different numbers of congress throughout the night to get their reaction to this speech. we're kicking off with somebody who is a freshman member of congress, but a 30 pin to a state of. this is congressman frederick richmond, democrat of louisiana, a freshman. first of all, congressman, what with delight to be a member of congress listening to the president? >> i remember last june as a guest of the majority with common james clyburn and the first lady's but. this president is very good at reminding you of the purpose of why we're here. and he gives you that energy to wake up tomorrow and say you know what, let's come together.

it's more importantly put american people first holds that they taught us november 2nd. but then person a party politics. >> some things the president called for, free son domestic spending for five years, tax increase in the richest americans coming up earmarks, no social security cut and time to do with illegal immigration. >> well, you think is right about those and he also talks about reorganizing government and making sure we don't have the duplications in those things. i can tell you from being in new orleans in the metropolitan area and katrina to weave a bunch of duplications of service and requirements that just don't make sense anymore in this new technology age with what we have. so i'm looking forward to that. i'm looking forward to delving into seeing if we can't simplify the tax code and make sure we don't have those loopholes and try to bring taxes on everyone but the assumption everyone is going to be in a fair share. >> do you have your committee

assignments yet click >> , mom homeland security, small business and the ranking member under small business. and i'm an assistant grip. >> well, congratulations and welcome to washington as a member of congress. he brought a special guest at it this evening. >> i brought my mother with me. she's a big fan of the president and she is my number one fan. >> so, what did you think of the speech? we on the floor or at the mccallie click >> i was up in the galley and it was an awesome experience. actually was overwhelming, but i'm very happy to be here. i thought the speech was wonderful. i like the cooperative tone of it and i think he has some great ideas and will be okay. >> do you think will be spending a little bit of time in washington and from new orleans? i hope so. >> nice to meet you. congressman come in tonight for a match for your time. i appreciate it.

another democrat is now joining us. congressman welch, democrat of vermont. first of all, congressman, what do you think of the ribbons everyone is wearing? >> they are in honor of the folks in tucson, especially our colleague, gabby giffords. sitting with the first lady were some of the heroes from tucson and of course the president referred to that at the outset of the speech. and actually, they really gripped everybody would happen in tucson. i think the president put in the context of all of the senate together. with enormous challenges. we've got to create jobs, bring down the deficit. and people how to sound very much in mind and sitting around, some people thought that was a gimmick. if you notice there was less competition and i thought my listening on the part of the members. let's hope that those low for the future.

>> you've been to several days and your career here in washington and you kind of alluded to this. with a more subdued than the previous year? >> you know, it was. i think part of the reason i was more subdued is because republicans and democrats were sprinkled through out the chamber. in the past there's been a bit of a competition. one side stands and chairs and the other sits and vice versa. this time your people from both sides getting together, sometimes they didn't. but there is much more focus on listening. so i think that's also obviously all of us having in mind what happened in tucson. you know, gabby giffords, one of the reason she is the most popular member of the congress as she has the wonderful ability to be extremely direct in telling what she got them where we should go. but as she did it with a smile, she was inviting you to take your of view and you knew they should listen to what you had to say and take into account. the president was inviting us to do that. the president was inviting us to do that. and the issues are tough. i mean, we have to create jobs in this country and we have to

bring down the debt to say. and we can do them simultaneously. in fact, we must. the president is emphasizing infrastructure investment, clean energy opportunities to create jobs and a sustainable budget hit the right mode to get us going to work. >> khadija said next year? >> i sent it to republicans. charlie dent and steve austria from ohio. so we were all together and had a good time. >> are they friends of yours in general? >> charlie has been a friend i've known from his travels to afghanistan. steve came in a term ago. it was very nice sitting with them. on the appropriations committee when the president said he could veto in earmarks. so i didn't ask him what he thought about it. >> to the clap click >> i did. >> congressman welch, democrat of vermont, good to see you. >> we're located here in statuary hall, which served at the house chamber up until 1835 when the new house chamber was

built. you can see here the scrum of media and members of congress here in statuary hall, all putting in their 2 cents about the president's speech. we are pleased to be joined now by abe perennial cast on this date sheila jackson me. i've got to start coming you were there in brief the president. what did you have to do to get the premium seat click >> it's very good for america to see this happening in iraq. this is a democratic process. when i sit on the aisle seat coming to what i'm doing? and speaking to my constituents. they are way way in houston texas and it's a great opportunity to let them know what we do here and how important it is to just get a moment with some of the secretaries in the cabinet to have calmed down and you emphasizing texas issues and from houston issues.

>> what is the texas issue today? >> the texas issue is about jobs, nasa, particularly education. we are suffering great budget cuts in taxes. right now our legislature is in session even tonight, discussing budget cuts, but also discussing legislation that impacts immigration. that's a lot of issues. >> what did the issues bring up? would you support that? >> let me say this, i think the details of what we all need, but certainly were committed to working towards a balanced budget if that's possible, but is well to look at how we can hope that the deficit. i sat next to pete olson, republican from texas. i think we can work together, but it's about priorities and i'm concerned about the principles. i'm certainly concerned about medicare, medicaid, social security. those are all going to be part of the roadmap. how do we get from a-z? i think the president laid out a very good roadmap for us.

there'll be some agreement and there'll be some disagreement. >> converse woman, thank you for spending time at this. >> i think the president for calling young people to be teachers. >> thank you. take care. from texas to georgia, david scott congressman serving a term? >> yeah, that term. >> joining us to tell us what he thought about the president. >> it was great. it was ran on time. i was especially pleased the way he emphasized jobs and education. the greatest challenge we have faced right now is making sure that the united states stays strong in terms of commitment to the world as far as the ub goodness of our workforce, competitiveness of our work for us. any emphasize those rings. that's very important. because only that way can we move with the boldness and the

confidence to make sure we sustain our position of leadership in the world. jobs, education, competitiveness and innovation. >> do you agree with the president called for freeze a freeze on domestic spending? >> i do, but i think we have to look at each thing very, very strategically. but basically, generally, i'm in agreement with that. but i also think we have to make sure we look at everything. i'm very concerned that we do not interfere with the basic operations of the american people, social security, medicare and medicaid. those are the things that sustain us. there's all kinds of other areas where we need to cut. >> congressman scott, democrat of georgia. as we continue juran statutory hall, just outside the house chamber, we've been talking with several members, democrats so far. what makes this all tonight as we continue to talk with other people.

this is judy chu, who is a freshman and a half hours south or in a half. one and a half terms, correct? democrat of california. this is your first date of the union? >> my second state of the union. >> did it feel different than my share? >> it's all quite different. there was an emphasis on stability. and i was actually surprised at the tone and the response was very, very good and there was a feeling of moving together towards a future. >> who did you say with? >> i sat with roscoe bartlett >> republican of american. is he a friend of yours from outside of -- is he a friend of yours or somebody you're just getting to know? >> we actually got to know each other over this course of time, make the last year and half. we like to appear to both liked what. >> how was that experience as opposed to sitting with the democratic caucus? the mac it was actually great. he was so warm and friendly.

we got to know each other even better. in fact we sat together with former speaker nancy pelosi. >> now, what did the president say that she disagreed with? >> well, i wanted to know more about the cuts, the five-year spending freeze. i wanted to truly make sure our most vulnerable are not hurt. >> judy chu, democrat from california, thank you for joining us here on c-span in statutory hall. good luck to you as we continue to talk with members of congress. we have another freshman joining a come a freshman from senate side. she spent quite a bit of time on this site, on the house side, but now is a freshman senator. first of all, congressman curt, who did you sit with them what

to do the mixup? >> i sat with illinois senator, dick durbin, my counterpart. and i thought it was very good to sit as patriots, not as partisans. >> no senator, you come from the state of the president and of the majority whip. >> and at the president senate seats. >> is that going to benefit you? >> is certainly does. the job is looking forward, rather than behind. my job is for the people of illinois as defined by the most recent election. >> now, when did you stand up and applaud the president? >> i took notes. these are the pros. these are the cons. so to emphasize the positive, simplifying the tax cut is good, repealing part of health care come in the president supported the 1090 nines ruled, his only veto threat was against earmarks. >> takeuchi standing up?

>> and i particularly took to heart opening universe at the end of doughnuts don't tell. >> were you surprised the president said that? >> i was and i was very happy about it. on the negative side i come in 12 separate spending proposals and i'm wondering how you do that because i think the issue over the whole speech is a trillion dollars deficit. >> senator, what are your seats now? >> might have requested for the appropriations committee, but it's still up to republican and democratic leaders. >> senator mark kirk, thank you for your time. watch your step. we've got all sorts of lines here at statutory hall. now joining us is another freshman. nice to meet you, sir. >> software. >> sophomore, i apologize. [inaudible] 's >> b. schnoz new york. >> so what kocher about the president's speech tonight? >> the challenges he plays to

invest in jobs is the number one priority, to also enter with a passionate resolve of global race on clean energy and innovation. i thought the challenge was significant to invest in research, r&d and the buildup of our economy through the workforce also. i thought the challenge to celebrate science fairs as much as we celebrate super bowls is a great challenge. let's establish our priorities. let's invest in education, higher education, research money and growing innovation economy. that is a sustainable outcome, one of my reach in the capital region of new york is deeply invested in. for the third fastest growing region for science and tech jobs in the country. this is a hand in glove fits and it acknowledges we have to inspire our young, resolved with passion the efforts to enter into the global race on innovation. >> what is the unemployment rate

in your district? >> it depends. there's a lesser rate in the 7% to 8% area in the eastern and an higher into the western end, where the older mill towns are located. we have a public sector economy that at this point has been good, but now even state governments across the country threatened with job cuts because of the economy. >> in 112 has been a lot of bipartisanship. have you seen that? >> i think tonight there was an effort to act by partisanly tonight reserved the name steve, when after the sweep of the house of representatives chamber. >> deceit by the secret service. >> made sure we could put a block of a together, for republicans and for democrats, so the sense of urgency there is critical. we understand, the president highlighted that the contest is not between democrats and republicans. the contest is america and

competitor nations across this globe, looking to land jobs in industry. and we do it by investing in our children, investing in education, basic research and r&d. it provides for lucrative dividends when we invest in that manner. and i like his reshuffling priorities of this country so that within the carvings we can do to cut into inefficiencies, those savings can be relayed over to the perfect investment that will bring us into a competitive, robust state of affairs as we enter the global race on innovation and clean energy. >> we've been tackling congressman tonko, democrat of new york. >> i look forward to that on the scientist had balaji committee. watch your step, sir. >> from new york to missouri. good to see you, congressman carnahan. i know your member of of the transportation committee. the president talked about high-speed rail.

do you support it? >> absolutely. where in the midwest corridor with my >> from chicago to st. louis, st. louis to kansas city. it is huge for our region and really the majority is to hear the president talking about serious emphasize on science and innovation. for cities like st. louis that is such a great infrastructure for science and science education and also being a transportation for the country. it's the kind of thing i think you get bipartisan support, but also make -- give us a big jolt as we continue to grow the economy. >> was the biggest problem facing st. louis in your view right now? >> we've been hit hard with manufacturing jobs. we've lost manufacturing, but we've made up for some of that with having strong health care and research that dirt and also transportation. so again, a lot of the things the president mentioned tonight will hit home for folks in

missouri. >> congressman carnahan, good to see you. >> i feel more like a tour guide sometimes -- [inaudible] -- following the president's address. senator, good to see you. and you've been around washington quite a long time. you know this city pretty well. what does today feel like? >> tonight felt like a night filled with hope, but still leaving questions about how you get there. it's getting there half the fun? it doesn't look like because the president laid down some strict rules for us to achieve the goals he wants us to achieve. when you say were limits in increases, when neil veto earmarks. these are important things. we talk about the value of

education that we have to do a lot of work to get people there. i was a beneficiary of the g.i. bill. i served in the army and it changed my life. everything was given free because of my military service. how do we do it now? i think it was a good speech. it was intended to be an inspirational speech and did achieve some hope. i even saw a couple republicans smile now and then. >> would be to sit with? 's >> i sat with bernie sanders. >> i don't know whether he qualifies as bipartisan, but we do share a progressive agenda he and i. >> senator, you've been around in washington a long time. were some of your republican friends you can work with? >> there are people that sit over there that i respect

greatly. take lugar is one of those people. his knowledge of foreign affairs and nuclear proliferation. dick shelby is a pal of mine because we worked together on transportation for a long time. and there are other people there who i sit on the committee split. i consider a friend to be james inhofe and we differ on environmental policy. so it's a mix of things, but i think i was a good lesson on at least have to be patient with one another. >> finally, sir, there's reports in the last years or so? 's >> it was terrific. i do best year when good guys. i'm in perfect health and i used the word loosely. perfect health despite the fact that i am the oldest member of the united states senate. and i think that for having that

title, we are doing very well and i look forward to years ahead of me. >> frank lautenberg i'm a senior from new jersey, thanks very much. >> thank you, sir. >> in the continue talking with members of congress, following the president thursday that the union address, which lasted a little bit over an hour. we're now joined by freshman member from florida, congressman daniel webster. that's a well-known name. >> my district of central florida, orange county -- >> or did you replace? 's >> alan grayson. >> so, first state of the union address. >> well, i was awed by the crowd and electricity that was there. it certainly was a speech that i had not heard the other two times i heard a speech by our president. i think there was some different times or consolatory, realizing

there's a republican house, a divided senate and a democrat president. i think he wants to work with us. >> did you ever seen it during the speech and applied? >> i.t. i set up for the military. i stood up for merit pay. i stood up for the idea of getting rid of some of the regulations on business, for cutting spending. there's quite a few things i stood up for her. >> you serve on the rules committee? you've had quite an active week two? >> not hardly. but again, these are hidden at the heart of some things done at the heart of last congress and i think we might have some other issues. >> there was quite the debate today about the budget committee. what is your view about? >> point is this, there's got to

be a starting place. somewhere for going do -- the president talked about cuts in getting rid of a waste and so lovely. and so we established the starting point. that's the only budget, ron backed the only budget for nondiscretionary ending or less. it wasn't the end all. they just said okay, have somebody that can go below that of areas, then great. but somehow, someway we've got to turn off the spending. >> congressman if you had, just give us a brief biography of yourself prior to your congress. >> well, served in the florida legislature from 1,982,008. i was in the florida house of representatives are 18 years. i was the first republican speaker in 122 years. i was term limited out power to the senate and serve the last three years there as majority leader and then i was termed it again. i ran for congress three years later. >> you probably know your new

senator, marco rubio. >> i served with marco rubio and the congressional delegation and i know a lot of the members of the congress from in the legislature where they also served in the legislature in their states. >> congressman daniel webster, the republican freshman from florida. we appreciate your time. you're on c-span. and now joining us is another freshman representative, scott tipton, republican of colorado. i'll come to washington. i'll come to washington. >> thank you very much. >> would you think about the president's speech? 's >> is great to be here in person. i like the tip of the hat to small business, but i think fundamentally what it got down to it, the president is still looking at government and solutions being the driving engine. i'm a private-sector person. this is what we need to get moving in this what we need to t moving in this country toerson. this is what we need to get moving in this country to get our people back to work and get this economy moving.

[inaudible] -- as i put a negative connotation on a? 's >> it was nice to be able to hear it and it goes far beyond saying we need to work to private-sector and small business. we're talking about raising taxes once again on businesses that are llp and kucinich says. that's going to be impacted by his call to raise taxes once again. so the words didn't always match the moves many of us on a talk getting the economy. >> now, what committee have you been assigned to? >> i'm a natural's >> where the fifth-largest congressional district in the united states based on geography. the entire western colorado and we take in southeastern colorado as well. >> that includes grand junction?

>> grand junction and >> take care. from colorado, back down from florida, and the republicans, one of 87 new freshman republican. congressman colonel allen west. what's the better title for you? 's >> i spent 22 years of the kernel, so that will stick with me for quite sometime. >> it's truly an honor and i can't think of anything. >> well, one of the issues he talked about was opening up all college campuses on rotc. >> i think it's a sad thing because all those college campuses should be open to rtc regardless. and the fact that lifting "don't

ask, don't tell" should not be a condition for us to make sure that all the university students have the access to go and serve their country they wish to do so. >> you are serving armed services? >> and serving armed services committee. >> what is your first issue this time? when you look at what is happening in iraq and especially not afghanistan, the rules of engagement, catch and release program, i want to make sure we get away from nationbuilding and occupational psi warfare and get back to denying enemy sanctuaries and strike operations. and i think we have to be careful about setting timelines up there that are just based on conditions base because you start telegraphing attentions to the enemy, this is a very patient enemy were up against. >> what about the president's plan on guantánamo? 's >> i think wonton möbius airfreight purpose. they brought these to the united states sure that i think there's a reason i would thought that

facility and why we have these military tribunals. i don't want to see what happened with mr. gillani happen with anyone else for you was acquitted on over 200 some odd charges for the deaths of 200 some odd people in those embassies. >> congressman allen west, bring you from florida. appreciate your time this evening at statutory hall. as we continue talking with members of the congress following the president's state of the union speech here on c-span 2, where a statutory harbored outside the house chamber -- the new house chamber opened in 1835. you can see all the members of congress and the media still chatting on the getting reaction. and now joining us is another freshman member, one of the 87 the republicans, james langford, republican of oklahoma. congressman, tellis bacher district. >> it's a great district. it's oklahoma city, edmonton on the area around it and seminole

county and shawnee area. it was called pottawattamie county. >> what we are doing prior to being elected congress? 's >> director of a christian youth camp. >> now, if you take governor ballard? >> i did. i'm one of the 35 but it never run for political office before. there wasn't a tea party supporting oklahoma. there is a passion about ideas, but not individual candidates. >> what made you decide to run and congress? >> this is a long journey and for both of us to be able to type filtering through as well be started in the fourth 2008, really struggling through whether we need to get involved in this process greatly felt compelled to build a jump in the process and say we've got to be part of it. it's no different than a lot of people i met for the first time in their life they believe in the issues, but they've never been engaged in issues like they are now. i'm one of those that have always been very passionate about issues and ideas, but

never engaged like this until now. >> tell us about your experience inside the house chamber, who sat with. the mac is that with the oklahoma delegation. as i've oklahomans together for both republicans and democrats and so i sat with them this evening. it was a great experience on that. it's not in a mother who's the president. >> did you at any point stand up and cheer for the president >> sure. you want to be respectful when it comes in, be respectful when refinish, but there's ideas about tax reform. the something republicans attacked about a long time, additional tax reform. to stand up and sure enough for soldiers what's going on the field will cheer for that, cheer for the educators and be able to understand. that's a terrific thing to do. >> congressman, thank you for your time this evening. appreciate it. >> you back. i am transportation and on budget committee. i'm also on oversight government reform.

>> subcommittee chair already, freshman year? >> we've got a lot to do. >> budget committee will be taken on some presidents are postals as we got to do with us in the coming days is in the cbo scores we start taking it on. i was a little surprised. i expected some budget-cutting ideas and the president and we didn't get that. we've basically got to keep the status quo, just freeze it at the 2010 model, which surprises me. that's really not an option. we want $.4 trillion with the debt every year now and to say we're going to freeze it at that level and hope it gets a help us catch up at all. >> does it it help return to busy or level? >> is to suppress going backwards. he says keep it at the 2010 model which is 25% higher than it was in 2008. i just don't agree we continue on the same track and say this is going to solve the problem with the keep by 25%. representatives were ready to go. we've got to start working our

way backwards and say we have to spend less get for actually going to start writing down the deficit. his proposal is $400 billion over the next 10 years when in reality were $1.4 trillion every year and that. and so we've got to solve that. >> thank you for your time. >> are very welcome. >> and we get the opportunity to talk with another freshman congressman. welcome to washington. fill anything out. did i get it right? >> yeah, throws everybody off. >> introduce yourself. q-quebec well, i'm in a freshman from michigan, replacing peter hoekstra with an 18 year congressman. ran for government in michigan and was not able to win that primary. i actually served as peter's district director in that capacity for six years and was also a state legislator in michigan for six years, term limited out. in two years ago was when that

happened. the small business owner. i am a gravel company and i have had it firmly planted in the business trip, but also when the public policy world. >> bluest nightlight for you? >> one, love your channel, love c-span and always a faithful watcher of any of the state of the union addresses. it's very different been in the chamber. i think the seating arrangements frankly sort of cut down on the theatrics of what you normally see. i'll see it next to the democrat than republican on my other site and another democrat on the side of him. i actually sat with brad sherman from sherman oaks out of california. and then it was donna edwards from maryland. and next to me was also jeff landry, freshman from louisiana. so it was a good experience. as we were going to the speech, sort of comparing notes, that was interesting.

[inaudible] >> we were in baltimore. very positive. i think you're seeing a lot of sort of pen tablets go get them coming out of the freshman class. and that is i think setting a tone in a piece in many ways. leadership has been wonderful to work with. they're trying to make sure that everybody's realistic and what expectations are. i think that's going to be our biggest challenges we sent benchmarks of progress. we're not going to build a solve this whole thing in one fell swoop. it's going to be a long painful process. we've got to live within our means. we've got to make sure that where not just expect the miracles as for doing this as the wheel on the ship of state was turned in november. it's going to take a little time to move it around. >> phil huizenga, new freshman from michigan. >> thank you. >> talking with us in statuary

hall. [inaudible conversations] >> as we continue to talk following the state of the union address by the president here in statuary hall outside the house chamber, coming up next, another new member, steve sutherland, republican of florida. congressman, to start by telling us about your district. >> welcome our district is the largest congressional district in florida. we have 16 counties, two time zones, about four and half hours. [inaudible] >> we are in the panhandle. our district encompasses a coastal counties on the gulf of mexico and 12 rural counties in total. it's a lot of farming, and a lot of rural communities. it's a great place. >> into ctg take? >> congressman allen boyd

democrat. >> you as a democrat? >> per district is not elected since 1882. so i'm honored to be here, representing the people. >> were redoing prior? >> on the small business owner. a funeral business. my grandfather started our funeral business 56 years ago when i nonbusiness other vendors of my family, sister and brother-in-law. >> when she get the idea to run for congress? >> last year, 2000 night i fulfilled my responsibilities above the boards i sat on committed gubernatorial claimant said completed. i got back about in our business. and i then started seeing a downturn in the economy and all small businesses around this country, including our own were struggling. and he wasn't willing to work hard work to be honest. that's a formula that's always been