the front end. then we have the key 12 system we invest that's fundamentally dysfunctional. the education trust late last year put out a report that said almost 25% of the high school graduates in this country who took the army entrance exam flaunted with questions like two plus x equals four. as we have a system that pushes people program gives them a certificate and in many instances the graduate kent to fourth grade math. that's complete the continuum. look at post secondary education. world war two and had we had an investment strategy in the young man returning from europe it was called the g.i. bill. what do we have right now? we have a debt driven model where for the first time student loan debt is about to hit a trillion dollars exceeding the credit card debt. so look across the spectrum and you see a fundamentally

appalling approach to human capital and investments. how could we fix it? first of all i think the country as a whole this fixated on the short term is some. investment is a medium and long-term issue, but we could change this now. if we had the cultural will to do it. we've got to get off this short-term taxation and have a human capital strategy for the country. why is it a political problem? i think judy, you alluded to it in your opening remarks. 3-year-olds don't vote. they don't make the contributions. they don't make a super pac contributions. so i think there's all sorts of reasons why the congress can't get its priorities right. we need to look at the way that money comes into our political system. it does affect our ability to set priorities and i do think that frankly young people are being shortchanged by the system. >> what are some practical ways around that? i mean, given the budget,

acutely aware of the budget situation at the federal and the state level. how do you make human beings, young human beings more the prior? >> the congress needs help in many ways and what we've tried to do for the economic development but that the state, the national level and the state level was to get businesses engaged in this because business leaders many of them to understand the concept of investment. the other thing that we did is some years ago we went to jim hickman, a nobel laureate in economics at the university of chicago, and we asked him to drill down more deeply and try to quantify the return on invested in young people. you get some of the highest returns on public investments when you invest in young children and what we do as a country, we invest a lot of money in cleaning up problems that shouldn't occur in the first place.

you look at where a lot of the education department budget, which i used to oversee those. perfectly good programs, title i, all of these programs. in the business leader will tell you if you have a problem, fix it up front. so many business leaders need to get engaged in working with our elective advocacy and policy representatives to make this a national priority. other countries do it. >> and some of that is already -- some of that is happening. bob is reminding me that he's put a proposal for word, haven't you? >> well, i suppose specifically that's the state's kuhl at tax on goods sold over the internet so about 12 to $50 billion a year. there's bills pending up there and that need to be passed basically that says out-of-state sellers have to collect the tax.

one option would be to tie it with actual children's trust in individual states. so the congress passes it, picks up the $1,216,000,000,000, its allocated back to each state, goes into an early childhood fund, and i would argue it has to be spent on the education portion because i think that's where the deed is. it's not like states often times do gaming? ut eight to education, is a budget person's nightmare in terms of all of these side effects, but it may be a specific policy option that is doable. >> is something like that practical and workable, and if it is, how long would it take to

get something like that going? >> you didn't mention that the deputy devotee of the office are very much against the texas. i'm a pragmatist on this sort of thing and this important national priorities to ensure it is going to be pretty for many years as a huge and efficiency and equity this created by the fact that prison services brought to the internet by and large are not subject and sales taxes that the king the resources to something like early childhood education where each state has to define what it

is doing in the trust fund and from two years from now as the congress passed it would be up and running. >> the system is up, the software, already you start collecting at a month after they did it. this is a great difficulty of enforcement of that. the problem now is you have to have the nexus to the supreme court says you can't do it. with the last time the court in the 90's asked the congress to fix it. >> so the house to collect for the states. you are saying if i buy something over the internet to in washington from a company in california for --

>> the company in california has to send the talks here and i'm told it's an implementation problem. you can just login to software this already available the does it for you. it's all there. some does anybody know how much money we're talking about in a system like this? >> it would be a dent. olivia? >> there's a total of the children's budget papers that you can find on the web site federal expenditures plus tax programs on kids from something like 440 dillinger and medicaid is about 70 billion certain to 20 billion isn't important amount of money. it's lost in 2012 education but it's important amount.

this has exceeded my expectations practical idea the first few minutes. i want to come back to to the obstacles. one that the congressman kolbe raised. the obstacle we have to seek the data and programs first actually i had a slightly different reaction to that and was the thinking of those who are much more expert than i which is the sense that if bob is right and of course i think he is about the urgency we can't necessarily wait to have the plan to get started on it and part of the solution is to plan parallel as we were just doing what can you do the same time the also wonder what you can do as part of the internal at reform given for example the importance of medicaid for children, the fact that health reform will also be important for them by getting the parents.

there's a higher quality-of-care of illnesses to look for savings across the healthcare system does that also sort of automatically added to what you're doing for children, people have talked about incorporating ideas like paid leave and social security in the states doing it now do differently so i've wondered if the panel have reflections at the same time. sprigg it's important to do them at the same time. there are a number of proposals about how to reform some of the entitlements just the the social security and salon.com and people have looked at it thoughtfully and have proposed ways you can modify it and save money but also toward more on the media groups and i feel that if any of these entitlement programs you can do that by restructuring the program itself as well as putting a cap on some

signatures so you can do well and at the same time. >> to clarify perhaps i overstayed my position i'm not saying that you can't or that you shouldn't do thing for children's programs not at the same time that you are trying to fix entitlement. why the strong yen to say is if you don't fix those entitlement programs ultimately anything you do in terms of increasing children's programs or anything else in the discretionary budget is doomed to failure is the internet programs unless you move the children's programs into entitlements they're going to consume everything in the budget between that and interest on the debt to the trust won't be anything left ought. if you look at medicare or aggregate spending a lot of which is driven by medicare we

have an extremely poorly structured and wasteful system a point to transfer the spend slightly more than half of what we do on a per-capita basis and they get better results. they live longer. i know that there red wine. it's the red wine. but they live longer and you can also look at some of the specifics around how we deliver health care, and we've got a very expensive in efficiency for the service system and so the system can be restructured, and i'm not talking about just saving money for the sake of money. we are wasting money coming and we missed an opportunity i think a couple of years ago to do the type of structural reform that would have enabled us to redirect money and our young people but until we make the

structural reforms in the entitlements we are going to have difficulty as a country other countries do it all the time to read we look at some of the other models. we are no longer the top we are at the bottom. >> one last thought on this point. one of the challenges that i hear when i talk with children of the kids or children's policy officials and the federal government is that people to think children's programs are mostly discretionary. but in fact that isn't true so the children's advocates and children's policymakers administrators, governor some special assistance in the state sometimes don't think about the extraordinary opportunity to meet children's early leads through medicaid or through the nutrition program because somehow it is coming down in a separate trunk. and so, i also think that there are tweaks that we can make and

that is really important. >> that is the question i was calling to ask because when you're talking about the entitlement for systematic carry discretionary it was a wonder entitlement. >> absolutely. sprigg they are a portion of the medicaid -- >> i acknowledge that as some of the earlier and i agree. certainly if we are talking about childrens' i'm assuming we are talking about education on that. >> absolutely. that is huge, absolutely. >> but in terms of, again, i'm going to go back to what is practical. what can be done in the short term, and by that i mean the next few years, to tackle some of these urgent needs that we are talking about, discussing this afternoon that the children have? i not saying that is what anyone is suggesting that if we simply say we've just got to get control of the budget, we've got to do this, then, you know, how

do you work around that? >> i think one of the things that is important is to distinguish between cutting the budget now and getting on the right course for the budget. we have a long term problem that is most serious that is how to deal with the trajectory over the budget over the next 20 years or so. that should be seeing a little bit differently from the short-term problem which is partly the trajectory and partly our economic situation, and so, we shouldn't -- we shouldn't think that spending on children now is going to destroy our situation. i know that bob talked about it more in his essay. looking at the fact that if we do help children our long term

trajectory is not going to look as good because we will not be in the economic situation to afford the things we would like to be able to afford, but we need to make tough choices and that is that congress needs to not only reach agreement on the long term trajectory than look at how to make choices among the different programs that are on the table. if the super committee and the congress can't agree then the end of going through and automatic process. >> it might be worthwhile to take a look at some of the spending that we now undertake as a country that results from the failure to invest up front and one example was prisons we have the largest number of people in the world incarcerated the highest percentage of our population incarcerated.

does anyone think that is not related to to the failure of the front end? and the possibility of investing more and better at front and might actually free up some resources that the national and state level that frankly are a waste to the country come to the state and to the individual human beings who are subject to that system. >> there is no question that that is a symbol. >> it may take a while because of the pipeline but it's fixable now. >> i want to read very quickly, just to indicate some of -- this comes in from a viewer who is the minister to read just reminding us we are talking about the underemphasis on children. this is a different perspective. many people in my community misunderstand entitlement programs like social security

and military retirement. he said he looks at these as the welfare programs, military requirements are the promises made by the government. i've been a social security for more than 45 years and served in the military more than 20 years. the government must keep its promise to my time i would take far less in civilian jobs and exchange of the retirement salary and medical care that is owed to be and how their my government treat this as if they are giving me something to be and he goes on to talk about protecting social security. but this is a genuine view. >> why it's so difficult to estimate i think it is linked to that question. i think they raise the set of questions on what is politically and culturally american belief, and i guess i would say that we haven't quite old and explicit about what are all of obstacles to addressing investors' and

children and it's helpful to do that to think about the solutions but one of thing is many people in fact believe that they have the responsibility of the parents and the failure we are talking about as apparent failure doesn't mean that people think every child should go to private school and there's the k-12 education people understand the public role and to some degree health insurance which is why it's more successful there but i think that there is distrust of the idea that even if there is the need that public investment moves it's not just a word that you are doing more than throwing money at the problem, and in the example that you read understand more what might be a return as they get older and so i actually think that telling the story about the ways in which medicaid get

checkouts and doctors and get to school and nutrition support for families working but are not able to make ends meet but to set the mood to veto -- put food on the table i just think that a part of the issues that the public that is selecting the governors and members of congress helped them understand the role and the long term skepticism about what we are saying even if it plays a priority on children to read stomach and the news plays a role in educating and forming to be the i want to comeback to ray scheppach and get a comment on just sort of pushing a little bit more on the role of the state in all of this. i think for example what i was noting at the beginning of the new information that california

is going to be able to cut the rates of medicaid payments to providers, healthcare providers and many of those recipients are children what can be done from and it's not just happening in california. >> if you look at the actions of the last two years in medicaid, they've cut back optional benefits. they've done more formularies on the drug's side. they have frozen or decreased. there's over 30 states that have done that, but during this crisis period you cut the rate you get the federal savings because you are cutting access, but throughout this program they have tried to protect the education.

they have cut everything else in the higher education to push the tuition and so on, but the truth of the matter medicaid is the pact of government. there are many years on the change of medicaid is larger than the change in the state revenues, and i think that we look back at revenue growth it was quite robust during the 1978 through the 2008 period. the 30-year period the growth of 6.5% per year on average only one year went . over the period of the virtually no growth in revenue for five years. then medicaid has to hit in 2014.

we can debate who is paying with the truth of the matter is it's great to be more costly for states with don't know how much it's great to be more at these states and i am fearful depending on where that goes, but the big way they are going to save money going forward is to cut the reimbursement rate so the health care reform bill for the primary care freezes at 100% for two years so beyond that the same problem. that raises another issue that goes back to charlie's point a little bit. it's not just children. we've got to convince the public about the investment. that includes infrastructure and so long and we have to start putting those budgets out because it is becoming such an

economy i worry because -- >> putting the budget out, what you mean? >> getting people to focus on the public investment in the definition to risk looking at the research and development to get to the human capital and somehow pulling those together and start beating that the future state of the revenue was going to depend upon our investments here now. that the risk of creating deily dissention here. [laughter] both with ray who wrote to the essay on the view of medicaid and health i would say we are spending too much time talking about medicaid with respect to this issue, medicaid is a big

stink financially for the state's but it is a sink being caused by elderly participants in medicaid, and that if we have the big assumption that of the affordable cataract is implemented and goes forward i would respect most children most of the time, you know, we have health care pretty much taken care of any horrendously and efficiently, and i would agree with charlie that she and i can sit down in the room and to look a whole lot of resources in a more efficient way, but where i think the challenge is what got the next ten years it's really twofold. one is the children are growing and families without the

adequate resources to provide safe environments, and that's going to take a large transformation of the economy to turn that around, and if we do right with respect to education training and everything like this growing up will be more productive workers and we will have, you know, a different kind of income distribution, redistributing, raising the child benefits and social security or welfare payments or the end income-tax credit and things like that come about that's sort of proven to be a struggle the second to be focusing is on the institutions that we have to train our children and charlie mentioned

the way the french would, you know, down a the bottom. other countries are taking their school teachers more than they pay 70 schoolteacher's because they realize this is an investment that builds on itself and if you want the best things to happen early on because it's very hard to get back on the track once you have gone off there are ways we can devote more resources and transform the institutions that we have now with these responsibilities and the state and local response abilities that creates a huge problem because every locality or every school board thinks it is the source of wisdom and believes creationism is without equivalent to the violent series. there's nothing you can do have a higher level. >> it's the american way.

it's been a quitter in washington, so, it's contemplate to spend a lot of time talking about programs, federal and state, and i don't want to create another cabinet department but maybe we need a children bizarre or something like that that can pull all of this together. but there are two parts to this the but don't think have come up yet because they are not federal or state programs and that is the private sector and philanthropy. i think of the bank for the sample who has removed the commitment over ten years to invest in young children. i think they are making a second 250 million-dollar commitment over ten years for a program that their employees helped create. it's called i believe it is called a group of great. so there is an example of one major bank that is investing in young people in the communities where it does business and it should be an inspiration to

others in the corporate sector, and that i would like to -- >> how much money to do say they are putting in? >> two to $50 million over ten years. that's the second time, so if we asked for another ten years. jim gets it. i mean, he is a very serious and sincere about this program, the idea to invest in the young people and their communities can from the employees of the bank who were asked, you know, what would you like to see your bank do in the community and it didn't come top down. it came bottom-up. so i think more involvement in the private sector, not to take the place of government, but to complement it, and then i would point to the film topics sector. i used to work at the united way of america and i believe it is still the case that the united way around the country as 350 programs by which have as a goal getting young people to school,

ready to learn which means in addition to education, nutrition, immunization, etc., and as a part of this combination between business and philanthropy i would make an appeal to those billionaires' who have signed up to divest themselves of a lot of their fortune to play its role in making investments in the capitol of the prior written for the country. i and many of these people are doing wonderful things. bill and melinda gates among others, warren buffett, but also getting others to be part of this. so that's what i meant by having eight children czar in a sense to focus on all of the strands of come together on behalf of our young people. ..

we can do this. and it's not so much a question of the private sector flowing in from the government. it is looking at their resources, public, private comments on-topic and having having a national strategy that kennedy had when he made a commitment in 10 years. recently we made a lot of commitments under president h. depew bush and clinton, we would be first in the world by the

year 2000. now we are 37 for something like that. but the year 2000, one of the calls by the year 2000, all of our young people at a private school ready to learn. ray remembers that. >> i want to get any comments on the panama. meanwhile, what to open up the room for questions. if you have a question, raise your hand. i'll try to get to you. before we do that, it any comments to a charles said? >> via two quick thoughts. the first disconnecting a broader array of sectors is both really important, but also a balancing act. i don't think you want to be confused by what distillates needed will not be provided in dollars by the sectors. whether it's the scale of the state-level attacks as a path that the increase in children from 2000 to 2010, taking place in states that don't have an income tax and not a bunch mess.

so you have to keep the scale in mind. but at the same time, you want the engagement here the second quick comment i was going to make as though charles suggestion of a children's czar and ray's suggestion of an investment project our process we would enable us to have this conversation. part of the challenges bob's way of noting here that thinks important and here is what is not important. you can even get their unless you have some way of pointing way of pointing out that the conversation. >> just one comment on what charles said. the private sector can play a really important role in s. i am involved in something where we are trying to involve private sectors and foreign assistance to children another senator mark bullpens of programs available in industries, businesses,

corporations once they get active and involved can do a lot. it's not a subsidy for the public dollars in education. we have to understand that. what's really important is this a leading-edge, the creative kinds of things and also the leadership of having those corporate executives and people involved in it. they become spokespersons. they become the advocates throughout the lobbying congress for it. all right, we still have a question. tell us your name and organization. i think they are going to bring you a microphone. okay, here we go. >> pete davis, economic consultant. i tutored and i can assure you remedial education is a lot tougher than starting to read to a kid a one or two. in the obesity problem is just

that the chart. but the thing that really disturbs me the most, when i asked the young boys what they want to do, they all say what you go to the nba or the nfl. i try and explain the odd stew them in the chances of getting hurt and maybe they are to have a plan b. they just sit there and credulous. and i may have some of the young ladies. i had one last week on a fifth grader really sharp and not. if you're smart enough to be a doctor. she just looked at me like i was from and. and so, how do we instill the aspirations to help these kids get along? >> so they'll can become hedge fund? >> margaret, derivative facts about these questions? >> i think it's very important that they see how profitable it is in some of it is server models and some of it is your

understanding pathways to have to follow in order to get there. we can be the national comparison. at one time i was working on a youth apprenticeship is school to work transition and i was visiting germany and how they have to establish a way in which people understand the path that you take so that i eighth-grade students and their parents know that if you want to be fed, and this is the path you have to take a given amount unit costs little students there's not a clear path from how you get from here to there. we need to install part of that inner system as well. we need to have people see the possibility and they can see the

resources available to them that will help them along that path. >> i would link back to the discussion for role other than governmental site turkana community, nonprofit because the fact you're having those conversations provides them with an important connection to the broader world and as the united states get older, particularly if people are white and have our reasons are older, in different places and family with kids, look different, don't know many people in young kids. that's disconnection plays out in the politics in children's lives. so approach is to this personal questions. older people who don't live next to the school, you know, peered i think that's a really important role outside of government that contributes. >> yes, sir, in the back.

if you can stand up and tell us your name and organization. >> thank you. my name is john wilson. i'm a consultant that works with community-based organizations that work with children who are living in poverty. in one of the greatest problems that we have around children who are living in poverty is that the problem was not simply limited to issues of education, but it becomes an even broader issue because these children live in very isolated communities so the kinds of resources they need are not available to them, including issues of health care, issues of mental health. and as a consequence, what we see as growing numbers of children involved in the juvenile justice system.

so the research has shown that the number one indicator of adult incarceration is incarceration as a juvenile. so we need to begin to start addressing the issues of how do we invest in children at a much earlier age and also include the entire family, including the parents of these children? because often these issues are intergenerational. >> which broadens the challenges now underway because i think everybody here agrees that parents play a huge role, but sometimes the parents are not there to do the job that we traditionally think parents should do. anybody want to comment? >> well, i think one of the other comments that was sort of implicit in john's comments is

the whole question of safety of neighborhoods and neighborhood influence. so we are really talking about how you make the community a more supportive environment for children. they go beyond education in some ways to the criminal justice system, but in a positive way, not about incarcerating people, but about how we steer them away from opportunities and now we have police think more positively about kids who aren't really doing good things. i will interject an online question that comes from a woman who asked between the federal government and american children, are their parents of single parenthood, absent the data and educational systems that allow social programs to contribute substantial to poverty. number one, promote marriage.

kids need parents committed to each other at the least for financial support. ever to come educate urban youth of the impact of becoming a parent with the job. number three, break a public housing support families can be distributed to many types of neighborhoods. she posts those documents is what do you think about the longer school year six-day week tool session? reischauer, that customer money, doesn't it? >> lets up saturday mail delivery. [laughter] how about wednesday to you. no, i think those comments and john speefour both were very, very thoughtful and they deserve a seat appeared more than night. >> judy, can i comment on not to the first question? part of the investment in young people also entails explaining to her young people but they also have to invest. in other words, the young people

you are chartering look at the basketball players and celebrities and may say that's a quick way to success. most people in this country don't get down like that. most people who are successful get there because hard work, somewhat, serendipity, education. i remember an nga report a couple years ago said the typical fifth-grader at home everyday spent something like three to five minutes a day reading and 109 minutes watching tv. flip those numbers when you get better performance. young people often need to be mentors like i am sure you're doing that they have to invest the time. by the way, richard aaron has written a book on postsecondary education called academically addressed points out when you look at colleges and universities, they are not much better in terms of time on task and our k-12 situation and a lot of money being spent for five hours a week studying.

>> yes, right here into other hands right here. >> hello, i am gloria: and i am also a consultant. we seem to be the ones asking questions today. i've done most of my work with hhs. but one of the concerns i have this none of these problems are really brand-new. they change through the decades of coors. but in the 70s, when moynihan had kind of a children's czar role in the government, what are we going to do now that will be different from what we've done over the past 30 or 40 years? because this all sounds like the conversations we were having in the southern days. and how are we going to make a change? how is it going to be different this time? >> has the conversation really not changed? do agree with?

>> limit comment and then if bob wants to. i actually think there have been successes as well as moved in a damaging direction and it's really important to identify successes. bob's comment when it's all taken care, nobody could've said that. we have big increases in young children's health coverage. that's a huge success. from my attack were about to appearance covered will be important to them as well. so as we think about how did that happen, yes, it's not very big. i mean, it is bit compared to what's out there for young children in terms of its reach among rural income kids. i actually think the important accomplishment although there's more to go beyond that and that's actually also an important complement. but i think that makes the problem much more urgent as both the economic disparity and the enormous change in the u.s.

population in terms of the children of latino and african-americans, about half now an asian-american. and that creates a set of different challenges and some of the geography of where kids are in the circumstances of the state financially. >> a separate point that hasn't been talked about. where in the spirit of austerity for all three levels for a fair amount of time looking forward. we have to acknowledge the fact the only way will generate more money and more children is really to become inefficient in the delivery of all government services. somebody indicated prison, so i know at the state level. we went through that period of three strikes and you're out. guess what prisons have become? haircare facilities at $80,000 per person. we probably do everything wrong in prisons.

we probably increase the outputs at half the cost. i think really across the board we preach for some time now, states have had to redesign the delivery because that is the only place you'll generate savings that she could make the investment in. i think we just have to understand not. >> or we can stay with education. we spend more per capita on education and just about any country in the world. and yet, and the results pretty abysmal and have been improved a lot. so it suggests that just are in the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result is foolish. that's the definition of madness. insanity. >> i'm reminded we have less than five minutes left before discussion so i'm going to ask each one of you for you, to pull together what you think of the

most important thing or things that can be done as we move ahead given the budget constraints, given what we've talked about this afternoon to advance the cause of children. i mean, you already are talked about the solution, but tell us -- what would you emphasize? >> i think if i would want to emphasize it would be one of the areas have been talking about and that is get children off on the right start. we don't want to abandon the older children because there's still time to work with them. but if we wanted to think about the best way to get started, we want children not to be behind when they start school. we want children to be healthy with a positive attitude when they come to school so that i may run it is a period

>> charles, what about you quite >> that would like to see a president of the president of the united states who made cannot use capital his or her number one goal on the side of the house. >> straightforward. >> well, talking again as a former member of congress on a budget person, i'd like to see some how convince grandma and grandpa that they can't have all the things in the entitlement program, but they can't have a conscience constant shift of income to the elderly that if we do that, we are really sacrificing our future for our children and grandchildren. i think you can appeal to people on that basis. i think we are going to have to do that if we're going to have resources available, either in entitlement programs are discretionary programs. >> i am very struck by the creativity of this conversation, which confirms for me the sense

that bringing together people have been thinking about children's issues and the budget is useful. of that runoff is giving the content, perhaps i'll highlight the process next step, whether it's investment budgets, continuing conversation, children far, that figuring out the next way to keep this focus going seems to be very important. >> i guess i would move this concept of a total investment budget, state, local and federal government to agree on definitions they are and ask all three levels of government to publish it every year so you've got transparent fee and try to change the culture around assumption. my second point would be to get bob reischauer to write an op-ed

to get my internet pass. last not >> take 30 seconds before i do. i am told you are working on initiative developing a next generation of policy leaders. what do you say to the next generation about how they should be thinking about this? [laughter] >> a public sector is still the most fascinating career i think. the challenges and the partisan nature is much more difficult. you got to analysis and stay up and push it and don't be pushed away so much by the politics. >> that is connected to wetware talking about here. bought reischauer can you get the final word. >> my final word was going to be all of the above that i write an op-ed. so we can solve that.

i think we are going to have to spend more money, but we can't spend any more money until we've restructured the institution and create new institutions to do this and particularly how it focused on younger children. >> as we look specifically to the super committee, which we hope for coming out of bair for children? >> that they don't do too much damage. >> on that uplifting now, please thank our panelists today. charles kolb, olivia golden, robert reischauer, margaret simms and transcendent. [applause]

[inaudible conversations]

>> coming up on c-span 2, we interview congressman john mica about spending cuts in the federal -- [applause] >> thank you so much.

good evening, florida democrats. are you tired of? are you ready to go? we are ready to keep this for barack obama and joe biden. i am so proud to be here tonight in my home state of florida appeared in thank you rod smith for production, leadership, commitment to our party and values. you are doing an incredible job. just look at this turnout tonight. this is the largest turnout we've had a dinner like this in years and that is thanks to rod smith's leadership as organizing scale and we can't thank him enough for committing to make sure we can move forward authority with the democratic party. the thank you so much. let's hear it for rod smith. since becoming dnc chair, i have traveled to 23 states in a little over five months.

but friends, let me tell you, there is no place like home and it is great to be here at home in the sunshine state with friends and supporters and with all of you. tonight is so special. it's truly an honor to a vice president biden here with us. has been a full partner alongside president barack obama helping move our nation's forward pass reform to upper-middle-class and getting our country back on track. vice president biden is no johnny-come-lately in his quest to make this country and the world a better place. throughout his 40 plus years of extraordinary public service, he has been and continues to be a problem solver, decision-maker and tireless fighter for middle-class families in the united states of america. we are so thrilled to have him here tonight. let me share with you how particularly thrilled i have. i was a young girl at the university of florida in 1988.

when i signed up for joe biden for president campaign and the work at the university of florida campus and i'm so proud to be able to be here work and united states of america to make sure that barack obama and joe biden go back to the white house to help move this country the direction we know it needs to go. so vice president biden, on behalf of all of us here this evening, thank you for inspired leadership in public service on behalf of america and all its residents. my hello florida democrats, i am here because we've got important work to do in florida over the next 12 months, don't we? in 2012, first and foremost, we need to send president imam and vice president haydn back to the white house to ensure that we continue to move america forward. we must also make sure to be elect bill nelson to the united states senate. [applause] senator now seen is a proven leader for working families in

florida and for many leaders from everglades perfectionistic consumer perfections and senator nelson has been there for somebody to be there for them and they will be. are you with me, florida democrats? and with the passage of fair to district florida, we need to make sure that we take control back from our state, from rick scott and his cronies by electing democrats and our state legislature and congress have been on the ballot. we can do it and we will do it with your hard work. there is no other option. my fellow 30th, contrast between who they are fighting for his been very clear in recent weeks. republicans in the u.s. senate has voted in unison to buy part or all of the american jobs that come the president's plan to put americans back to work immediately and put our money in the pockets of those already

working. these are ideas that have previously received bipartisan support. i know that seems foreign these days. ideas like tax relief, keeping teachers and police and firefighters on the job in helping to rebuild our bridges and roads. one other thing that should make it easy to pass, the president's plan is fully paid for. fully paid for, unlike what the republicans used to do, which is just spend our economy into oblivion without regard for whether we were paying for what we're fighting for. president obama's plan is bold. some across the spectrum, john mccain have concluded that it would create as many as 1.9 million jobs. so let's take a closer look at what this plan would do for florida's family. for starters, the jobs that cuts taxes, something president obama has done 17 times before for small businesses come to 17

times. we need to shout that from the first half. in addition to middle-class textually confirmed that tax holidays we passed last year. here in florida at the american jobs act would create tens of thousands of jobs rebuilding the state highway and transit system and modernizing schools throughout her stay. president obama jobsite would extend as they were to rebuild lives perhaps as well as give companies tax breaks that they heard the long-term unemployed and veterans. republicans have blocked all of this. they have an alternative plan, but analysts agree the republican plan would do nothing to perform immediate relief for create jobs. in fact according to moody's, it worsens the economic outlook. nothing has exemplified the contrast between republicans more than mitt romney during the last two republican debates. at the new hampshire debate,

romney called an extension of tax cuts to the middle class do little band-aid that he would allow it to expire. do you remember that? these tax cuts need a typical florida family would keep an average of $1430 in their pocket. $1430. does that sound like a little band-aid to you? you see, a multimillionaire like mitt romney doesn't think that money is important for working americans. he is so out of touch that he doesn't understand that $1430 is four months of groceries or seven months of gasoline. so when his own economic approval he would cut taxes for wealthiest americans and corporations, but to nothing for middle-class americans. as if that wasn't enough, romney also said just this month in nevada that allowing foreclosures to run their course by cutting off health for americans facing loss of their homes and allow the inventory of troubled mortgages to produce factor would allow ambassadors

to buy properties in the amount. romney's reckless approach treats the home of hard-working americans that nothing more than monopoly pieces bankers can use to get more wealthy. mitt romney wants to repeal wall street reform and that bankers are you doing again. do you hear that, florida democrats? is that what we want? he wants to provide the wealthiest americans more generous tax breaks, all while telling homeowners struggling to pay their mortgages that they are on their own. to put it simply, this is unacceptable. i'm counting on you, florida democrats still friends and neighbors the truth about wages and harmful behaviors. as the president emphasized this week when he announced the executive actions, his administration is taken to make our economy grow now, we can't wait. we can't wait for republicans in congress to get off the time and keep obstructing efforts to create jobs now. we have a responsibility to the american people to help them get

back to work now and get back on their feet. they simply cannot wait. let me be clear on this point. president obama is fighting to create jobs and grow our economy. he has accomplished so much in his time in office we need to think that from the rooftops. we need to tell every floridian about this president's record of accomplishment, the best record of legislative accomplishment in decades. he prevented the economy from going over the leadership, we added 2.6 million jobs in the private sector over the last 19 months. he signed into law historic health care reform, eliminating insurance abilities to exclude people with preexisting averages and prescription drugs to alter seniors on medicare. pretty important here in florida, wouldn't you say? is that nearly 100,000 troops home from iraq. [applause] thank you -- thank him.

all the servicemen and women will be home for the holidays and the war in iraq will finally end. finally. this is a vote that i was very proud to cast. he's put an end to discriminatory policy known as john ask don't tell. that is on the huckster and a barack obama. he fought hard to ensure that we keep our promise to america's veterans and military spouses and provide for troops not just in the battlefield, but also ask if they return home. and ladies, he's enacted the lilly ledbetter fair pay act to help women get equal pay we deserve and put some feet behind us we can make sure we hold employers who don't bring to the buyer. i'm not saying republicans don't have the jobs agenda.

dishes that there is focuses on one job, barack obama's. democrats care about american jobs. we say in campaign after smear campaign, have a way? facing millions of dollars in secret money is to support false attacks on democrats. president obama has taken the easy road and avoided some of these tax, but that is not what leaders do. he made the decisions that were hard to write. if there is some folks who want to play politics, they'd rather wait until the 2012 election in our millions of americans struggling now to make ends meet. but the president to set the next election is a year away. if you are living week to week, paycheck to paycheck, you don't have the year to wait. we can't wait, can't wait? i say to the republicans here in florida, and washington and on the campaign trail, take on the robot, come to negotiating table and start playing partisan

politics that we can get this done right now and get this economy back on track and do it together. but if you don't, we will do it without you. florida democrats, we did our job in 2008 discharges three-phase were created overnight and they will be solved overnight. president to bum a second term, not does not sound good? sounds good to me. when it to keep the main anaconda error-free american can pay the bills and lets them get ahead. but it's her independence and make bigger sets to fight climate change and global warming. we need to improve our public pools and implementing health care reform. that's the question before today. but we do these things? will we? of course we will. but we need to fight hard all the way to november 6 at 2012.

over the next year, we are going to have a debate between competing political parties. but more than that, we're going to have a debate between competing priorities. so let me take a moment to tell you as an american. and what what my priorities are. as a mother, i believe a child needs an education more than a million or a tax break. [cheers and applause] as the representative for many required americans the beautiful sunshine state, i believe protect medicare will make separate authorities. as a wife, neighbor and friend i believe our government's messages in a middle class should be, were on your side and not you are on your own. these are my priorities in the president's priorities. their senator nice and courteous and they know they they are your priorities to. they have nothing to do with

what party they belong to and everything to do with who we are as people. every day you hear republicans are during tough times we simply can't afford investment in these priorities. we are here because we know the truth. we can't afford not to. we believe in the case for diversity is america's job to lead the race and today's who say they can afford to be optimistic, to those who say it's our job to settle for second place, we say this: americans don't settle. floridians don't settle. americans don't quit and floridians don't quit. as long as president of bombings in the white house, their government won't quit on that. [cheers and applause] now i don't know about you, but these and by commonsense principles to me, nothing radical here. my fellow democrats over the next year will be up and be

down. there'll be days when we feel that we can't do anything wrong and when we can't do anything right. here's my promise to you. knowing what -- no one will outwork us, no one. i can't keep that promise by myself. i need you to help me keep it. we need to work harder than we've ever worked before now is the time to roll up your sleeves, make phone calls, not from the stores come and dig deeper into pockets than you ever thought you could. make sure that you waste slurry dance on your shoulders and carry them through the streets come and go door-to-door, neighbor to neighbor, talk about the difference we have in america, direction the canova continued on the path racal, and joe biden have taken us come in the pasture prosperity, the path of pace for the middle class and give them a chance to succeed, or we could go back worst of days when corporate america was allowed to write their own

rules, to the days when is the priority of the government to keep the winds of the back of the wealthiest and most fortunate americans. do you want to go back there? well i sure don't. folks, do you remember 2000 on election night? i remember the incredible feeling that i had. it was an historic collection. well, 2008 was historic. we will take florida and america in a new and better direction. florida democrats, when he chewed through the present vice president need you. bill nelson in 292 to help deliver florida in 2012 and keep us blue once again. [cheers and applause] and it won't be democrats that would lead to victory because every american will win. so like i said, 2008, that election night was historic. if you want to make sure we can move forward together on a fair chance in the next show generation and your children

have a fair shot at the american dream. remember 2008 is historic, but let's make 2012 personal. it is personal. on, on, on to victory november november 2012. thank you, florida democrats. [cheers and applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the vice president of the united states, joe biden. ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ >> good evening, democrats. you remember that election is like driving a car. you want to go forward you put indeed. if you want to go backwards, put in an hour. [cheers and applause] i am ready for the main event. everybody said down, enjoy yourself. we have the distinguished guests here. and i just want to thank all of you for the great privilege to have given to greece and me have years of public service. ladies and gentlemen, i am ready for the fight again. [applause] and of course, we've got lots to fight about.

all you have to look as with the state of forward that is trying to do to restrict our ability to vote, register to vote and how our vote counted as intended. do you think the state by cars with what we went through in the 2000 presidential election and what the legislature did after that and making it easier to vote and easier to register to vote and have the vote count and, that instead in america in the year 2011 that we are going the other way. and it's happened not here. florida is the worst and restrict teen voters suppression. i am here because of these two great people.

now, dr. joe biden was going to introduce her husband, but she has laryngitis. [laughter] so let me just tell you about dr. jill biden. she was in delaware today, kicking off her campaign for awareness of women's breast cancer. [cheers and applause] she on the first lady has been at the point of this theater, helping out family is of those deployed to iraq and afghanistan, the boots on the ground. [applause] and must admit this. when joe's mom and dad were living with an, she was held taking care of the vice president's elderly parents at the same time of raising three boys and at the same time,

getting two masters degrees and a phd. [cheers and applause] i would say the vice president and i definitely have something in common. we married above ourselves. all right. since jill cannot introducer has been, all i have to say is one of the best senators to ever come out of the united states senate, one of the true great american peachtree it's, i think arguably the best vice president of the united states, ladies and gentlemen, joe biden, vice president of the united states. [cheers and applause] >> fail, thank you very much. thank you all very, very much. folks, please have a seat.

you have no idea how disappointed i am jill didn't introduce me. it's the only time she's required to say something nice about me. every husband likes to have that said. ladies and gentlemen, i am truly delighted to be here tonight. you all are going to be seeing an awful lot of me because the states i'm going to be considered trading on our pennsylvania, ohio, florida, new hampshire and iowa and i'm going to be here a lot. so i'm looking forward to working with you all. we plan on winning florida. we can't win without florida and we can't win without bill nelson in florida. [cheers and applause] but you can't mention bill without mentioning grace, literally. ladies and gentlemen, they become two of the best friends for jill and me and our career in the senate and now. no one worked harder for us this

last time around then bill and grace. and as old gm of mississippi told me once when i was running for reelection in 1978, he said show, what would old jimmy do for you in delaware? is that mr. chairman, some places you held true story in some places you her. he said well, i'll come to delaware and campaign for you or against you come whatever helps the most. that's what i'll do for bill in any one of the democrats on this ticket. ladies and gentlemen, you know, daddy is doing an amazing job at the way. she is doing an amazing job. [applause] it won't surprise you at laughter for a long time, ever since she thought it was good enough to be president back in those days. i tell you what, she has been not only in 23 states. she's raised money, raised

awareness, raise volunteers and restarts prospects and everyone of those states. so thank you for letting us, debbie wasserman schultz. look, folks, the fact of the matter is that i don't need to remind you of the catastrophe we inherited, that america inherited after eight years of the last administration. when barack and i were sworn in on that bitterly cold day in january, looked out at literally a million people standing on the national mall, you could sense their sense of hope and faith that makes it a shame. it was an incredible sight. but they are something else, something not on the faces of those million people. there is concern, and searching teeth. in some cases, even fear. practically before i lowered my

hand on january the 20th, by that time, at that moment, batman we had already lost 740,000 jobs just that none. that quarter, our economy shrunk to almost an historic low, 6.4% lost in our gdp before barack and i sat down at our desks, we already inherited a bill for $1,000,300,000,000 for that year and a projected deficit of $8 trillion over the next 10. middle-class americans lost $16 trillion in household wealth. it vanished without a trace. as you know better than almost any state here in florida, the equity in people's houses to evaporate before their eyes. the retirement funds as the

market was talked about going below 600 that also elaborated. and with it, all the wealth they had. and with it, their hopes and expectations for how they would and could retire, their ability to send their children to school, their security. that is why i find it absolutely bizarre republicans moralizing about deficits. that's a little like an arsonist, moralizing about fire safety. these guys have zero credibility, zero credibility. [applause] their vision of economic policy and their plan for prosperity late creative financial instruments, credit default swaps, collateralized debt obligation, said prime

mortgages. they gave us the bubble and they called it an economy. ladies and gentlemen, in addition we inherited a foreign policy that was disarrayed. we lost the respect of our allies and the fear of our enemies. we are nearly a decade into two wars, 180,000 americans deployed in harm's way. 150,000 alone in iraq. osama bin laden remains at large and continue to plot new attacks on americans. in short, we were a nation isolated in the world and that the verge literally a depression. america was in trouble and the folks we represent needed help and they didn't understand. my dad who bill and grace that

used to have an expression. joey, i never expect the government to solve my problems, but at least i expect my government to understand my problems. [applause] as the son of a proud man, a proud man who knew he denied a a lunch billowed ascendance coyote to college, the son of a proud man who i believe this family and move to a different city to find work with the hope that he be able to bring his family together later. you know, the longest walk any parent can make is that the short flight of stairs to the child's bedroom to say honey, i'm sorry, that god has to leave her mom has to leave. my dad made that walk in scranton, pennsylvania when i was going into fourth grade. he said joey, there's no jobs here. you're going to have to stay with your grandpa.

you and mom. i've got to move to wilmington with uncle frank and i'll try to come home every weekend. it's only 156 miles, joey. i thought it was a thousand. could've been for orlando. he said but i promise you, when i get a job and get enough money, i'm going to get a nice place and bring you and mom and the kids down to wilmington. it wasn't until i got to the probably in my late 20s that i understood that that proud, graceful man had even a longer walk to me. into my father ambrose medica's pantry to say i need a favor. can you keep gene and the kids? i promise i will make it up. i promise it will be okay.

that's a hard thing for any man or woman to have to say. think how many floridians you know who've had to make that walk. think of how many have lost their homes, lost their jobs and lost their sulfurous that. my dad used to say, joey, a job is about a lot more than a paycheck. it's about your dignity. it is about your restart. you respect in the community. and barack at night, when we ran into late, we knew that it is our job not only to restore the economy, but even more importantly to restore people's dignity and regain their respect.

[applause] these republicans talk about job losses like a statistic. ladies and gentlemen, an awful lot of our friends have been knocked down as a consequence of the failed policies that are being peddled again. iraq and i knew in order to avoid bitterly, not figuratively, another depression , we had to stabilize the financial market, unfreeze credit comic databanks lending again to businesses so they can meet payrolls and gives people a fighting chance to begin to refinance. we knew that if the ado industry collapsed as it was on the verge of doing, not reorganizing, but with wood eating, we knew in spite of what braun and the others said at the time that we would permanently lose a million

jobs related to gain astray. so we told the industry, shape up, reorganize. and if you do, we will help you. not popular. we also knew that we needed to restore wall street to its proper and critically important role of allocating capital to business and industries that could be used most efficiently. we knew we had to get the deficit under control and deal with the single biggest driver of the deficit, health care costs. and ladies and gentlemen, we knew we had to restore protections for workers and unions, yes, unions -- [applause] they built the middle class.

so we sent in the ellerbee. we made them take off their black shirts and put on striped shirts and be referees again as they were supposed to be. and folks, the results are clear. instead of hemorrhaging, 6.5 million jobs in the year before we got our program in place, as debbie pointed out, we create 2,600,000 jobs come in 18 consecutive months of private sector growth. not enough. instead of losing 1 million jobs permanently, we have added in the last year 111 addison on the job. general motors and chrysler are healthy. they are paying off government loans in the american people for the first time in 20 years according to jd powers thinks americans make better cars than foreign cars.

[cheers and applause] and the study, instead of being able to continue to repackage and sell it to unsuspecting investors, wall street bears are not required to be transparent. ladies and gentlemen, i love these guys who talk about capitalism as if they are for and we are against it. the entirety of the capitalist system is based on transparency and sunlight, especially when it comes to wall street is the best disinfectant and the best care. [applause] and ladies and gentlemen, instead of long-term debt increasing as predicted by hundreds of dollars of the next 10 years because of health care costs than 1 trillion in the second decade, we pass health care reform and literally banned the cost curve.

and in the process, provided 30 million americans who didn't have access to health care, health care. folks, as debbie said, in the process the leadership of bill nelson and daddy, we eliminated doughnuts don't tell. we passed the lily led that are at for equal pay, equal work. we cut private banks, saving taxpayers $60 billion in student loans. bad as some of what we did at home. but beyond our borders, as president obama said last year -- last week they should say, the tide of war is receding. instead of having 150,000 combat troops tied down in iraq, when we got a lot to it, president obama sign the iraq, literally, not figuratively as bill will tell you.

and folks, he said it is home. at this christmas, 150,000 americans will be out of iraq and we will end this war in iraq. [cheers and applause] and in the process, left behind a democratic government with a chance of serving those people. and maybe the most important thing president obama did was refocus our eyes and our power on the prize. osama bin laden. instead of being a war that the last administration it bored and led interest, we are now focused in succeeding. we have literally eviscerated al qaeda. osama bin laden is dead. 34 of the top al qaeda leaders

are gone, including number two and including unaware how lucky, the american cleric who is planning these attacks. instead of going it alone in libya, we in the president finally who were strong enough to confront our enemies unwise enough to the bolts and engage our allies. [applause] as a consequence, gaddafi is that, libya is for you not one american soldier lost their life. [cheers and applause] insurer, we have literally restored america's hemorrhage around the world and put our country and economy and a path to recovery. the folks, the only way i can describe it at the next is republican obstructionist. i have served in the senate for

a long time. the bill will tell you i had as many friends in the republican party as the democratic party. they can say without fear of contradiction, no republican has the senate never doubted my word and there was no one i was unable to work with. ladies and gentlemen, this ain't your father's republican party. ..

from new york to work, joseph martin from massachusetts and hamilton fish from new york. so when roosevelt talked about everything he tried to do everything that would stop he would list what he called, and i quote, a beautiful rhythm of opposition. martin what and fisher hall. today i can say until beautiful remains of what boehner kantor and match.

[applause] folks, did have a different theory of the case with what. they actually a search, and my suspect they believe, that the reason banks aren't lending and they are flesh and businesses aren't expanding notwithstanding the fact corporate america has almost 2 trillion lira and assets, capital, they could spend, they think it's because they are not spending and lending they say because of regulations, because of taxes on the wealthy and because of uncertainty of health care reform. so their answer shouldn't surprise you. they think that we should once again to regulate ball straight. put the cowboys back -- mo, literally. you would think that you didn't know better. they have collective amnesia were. what if you didn't know better, you would think i was making this up. they not only think we should actually keep the bush tax cuts designed to expire for the top

1%, but they believe we should increase the tax cuts for the wealthiest. they believe the answer to the deficit is to repeal health care without realizing were acknowledging that would increase when the debt by over $100 billion by 2020 to work, 2021, and another trillion after that. and in the process would eliminate insurance for 40 million people who need it would. boehner, kantor and manage. listen to what they say. literally, this is important. speaker boehner's friend of mine. i personally like him. literally, i get along with him as most of you, my colleagues here can tell you. he said our efforts to relieve the financial industry and hold wall street accountable to of

was, quote, like using a nuclear weapon to kill an ant. i pointed out to him that and took 8 million jobs. [applause] speaker boehner speaking to the economic club of washington, d.c. in a well ordered speech said, and i could, we need to liberate our economy from the shackles the government has placed upon that unwed folks, the last time we liberated the economy, we put the middle class in chains leader cantor guinn come he said we can't respond to major disasters like hurricane irene or floods and fires unless we come across, make sure there are sitting cells where we and guess where the find the savings come health care for the middle class, college affordability, renewable energy guinn and my

friend from the republika leader mitch mcconnell said, quote, the single most important thing we want to achieve is for president obama to be a one-term president when. it's not just boehner, kantor and match, it is ryan, romney and rick. heat they are now singing from the same hymnal as they say in southern delaware. social security, "a ponzi scheme, a monstrous lie to this generation, and of quote. i might be repeating that 6,000 times in florida. [laughter] medicare, quote, the equivalent of getting taken for a riot with, ultra why is that. foreclosure said. we just heard romney, he said, quote, don't try to stop the foreclosure process. let it run its course work and

to the bottom. he wasn't raised in my neighborhood. i'm serious. they just don't know the people i grew up with what. i think they just don't know what the american people are going through. and the guy that you know well, governor scott -- one [booing] from a deep cuts, no to $2.5 billion for high-speed rail. the list goes on and on her. what and when you're governor is doing is exactly what republicans want to do with the entire nation. and that's not hyperbole common not a joke. and in foreign policy they want to stay in iraq. isn't that kind of fascinating?

the so-called foreign policy experts want to stay in iraq. and one of them, the governor of texas seems basically willing he said to send the willing military trucks across the mexican border into the sovereign state of mexico to deal with their problem. folks who, i know this election is not going to be about foreign policy. but let me remind you there is a threshold any man or woman has to cross under the security and foreign policy to the american people to think they are even remotely eligible to be president, and these guys got a long way to go to pass that threshold. [applause] and you know, my father always used to say it never hurts to be

a big man. it doesn't take much. yet every republican candidate for president after what ghadaffi was killed congratulated nato and didn't mention the u.s. commitment of forces. folks, even though this mission could not have been possible without the american aircraft, the american coordination, american intelligence, many folks including the junior senator took the time to congratulate the french and british forces while he criticized the president of the united states of america. this is not your father's republican party. this is a different place, folks. [applause] folks, this next election is not a referendum. it's a choice. and we are going to make that choice clear. when i got elected as a

29-year-old kid to the united states senate, shortly after i was elected in 73, sworn in at 73, my great friend was to become as bill will tell you one of my greatest friends and confidantes, ted kennedy, in front of me as a 31 year old kid to address the massachusetts democratic boston. i will never forget i was in the hotel getting ready and nervous about speaking in front of senator kennedy and the first big major as a senator who putting on my tie and i was watching the television, the evening news, the six or 6:30 news in boston and he was having little trouble and was up for reelection as he walked out of his office they grabbed him and in essence said he's not doing so hot now. what's going on?

i will never forget what he said he put his hand out and he said look, don't compare me to the almighty, compare me to the alternative. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, they have to compare us to the alternative so folks in the face of this republican obstructionism i asked what went to sit down with a republican. we sat down over two and a half years they can't deliver their own parties so we decided we cannot wait. the american people cannot wait the cannot continue to be subjective. what they are doing so what do we do when they introduced a jobs bill almost every independent delegator

acknowledges the 2 million jobs, economic growth by 2% to keep 400,000 teachers, cops, firefighters on the job this year. [applause] as devotee said, it would cut taxes for 94 hours and of american workers as she said its four months of groceries and six months of gas in the neighborhood i was raised in. that matters. [applause] the president and i have reached a conclusion about their obstructionism. we've got to try to go over their heads. we've got to go to the people. we can't wait. the american people can't wait one. we can't wait to address foreclosures comes a the president issued his executive order to give more than a million folks the chance to refinance their homes from 6% to

4%, saving an animal of not $2,000 a year. in my neighborhood that's real money. we can't wait to address the affordability of colleagues to read the president announced his plan to let college graduates have their parents at 10% of their income. that's going to help a lot of people who are being crushed right now by the weight of their student loan debt. we can't wait to innovative new companies and incubate them. that's why we announced today we are speeded the process of getting r&d of into the federal labs into the hands of businesses that can commercialize. we can't wait, and we are not meeting, because of the end of the day it's about dignity and respect. ladies and gentlemen, it's about restoring the middle class. they've been clobbered.

[applause] it's about putting mothers and fathers in the neighborhoods we all grew up in once again in the position of being able to look into a child's eyes and believe what they say when they say honey, if you work hard, if you played by the rules and get a good education, there's nothing, nothing you can't do. they doubt that now. it's simple. it's simple. the test we apply we will measure eight years of our effort in terms of whether or not american moms and dads can turn to their kids and say with certainty honey, it's going to be okay. that's why we are not going to relent. that's why we are not going to relent. that's why we believe the american people are going to return us to office in 2012. [applause]

folks, when i began a speech to talk about the longest log. we are determined to replace that walk with a different kind of journey. a journey that restores a father's dignity by allowing him to send his talented daughter to college knowing she won't have to spend the rest of her life paying for her education. a journey that allows a woman to take a new job where she will be paid the same salary as a man for the same market that will allow her to support her family. [applause] folks, we set america on a different have come a new journey one that our friends are trying to go obstruct that allows us to lead the world in the 21st century as you did in the 20s, where we are once again a nation of generators,

educators and builders. the policies of the blast at a fenestration and the obstruction of this republican congress have knocked a lot of people off their feet. folks, it is long past time we get back up, that we stand up, that we reclaim what every american thought was their birthright. the american dream that if you give them a chance, there's nothing that they are incapable of accomplishing. there is only one thing that we can do to do it together and to make sure that we win because folks, the choice is stark and clear and i am not exaggerating when i see this, and i was accused of bringing up bush. i respect president bush as a man. i thought his policies were

terrible. but ladies and gentlemen, name me one major initiative on taxes, on jobs, on wall street, on foreclosures, on promoting innovation come on infrastructure the republicans offered that is any different at all from what was done d8 years when they controlled the presidency. i cannot find one. so folks, when i got elected in 72 as a kid i was described as an optimist, even an idealist. but i was neither. i was a realistic young man then as i am an old man now. because my optimism then and now isn't based on naivety. it's literally come and think about it, remind yourselves, it is based on my knowledge and your knowledge of the history of

the journey of the american people. the americans know we do not have to accept a situation we cannot bear. we literally have it within ourselves to determine our own fate. we always had. we've done it in the depression. we did after the civil war. we did it. we've done that throughout our life as a nation. so, folks, today i look at all of you and say i am more optimistic today. i am more certain about america's future than i have ever been in my life. we are better positioned as a nation, relative to the world, to capture the 21st century to rely just spent ten days in the far east. president hu jintao and president barack obama asked the newly incoming president and i to get to know each other.

we spent four days traveling the country. people felt i went in august i was going to explain america's situation. i didn't explain. i pointed out how we hope they would continue to succeed because stability in that part of the world as important, but i reminded them their economy is one-third as large as ours. theoneste less than 1% of the financial instruments of the united states of america. ladies and gentlemen, it took them 20 years to get -- 30 is to get 20% of the abject poverty. they have no safety net because of the apparent policy of one child to read the chezem one person working for every four that needs to be supported. ladies and gentlemen, remember who we are. we were then and we are now and we are better positioned than any nation in the world to

dominate the 21st the century economically. there is a reason why. in the midst of all of these christmas every nation continues to invest in u.s. treasurys. why? we are the most secure, the most certain and the most people nation in the world. some folks come it's time to stand up! it's time to fight back! it's time to reclaim our heritage, and it's time and we are ready! we are looking for this fight, the future of our country depends on it! so, folks, join us, join us and we will deliver! [applause] thank you all and god bless you, and most of all, may god protect our troops. thank you. [applause] ♪

on credits washington journal where he discussed the federal budget and a transportation spending. this is 45 minutes. >> now on the screen is chairman john mica of the house transportation infrastructure committee. each of the major committee was asked to give their recommendations to the super deficit comedy about where they would cut or what they would like to see done in the areas of jurisdiction. one of the things that in your letter to the committee recommended was no increase in the user fees, why? >> guest: we're opposed to increases in taxes. there are certain user fees that might be suitable. right now with our primary

source of funding and transportation is the gas tax and that is 18.4 cents per gallon. everybody pays that per gallon it comes to the trust fund in washington. we have had problems with cars travel further but that means they are playing less come and even if you increase it would save $5 a gallon which we wouldn't do and no one is using gasoline any more. you are funding a system that collapsed, so we are looking, scrambling right now to find other ways of transportation. our leadership is committed to finding out at least current levels. we have considered, you know, initially looking at just spending within the trust fund trying to live within about 35 billion that comes in and year with a letter really take you down about 25%, and it

didn't have a very good reception even if you could take that money and leverage it and get more for less we are hoping possibly to have the transportation build one of our centerpieces of job creation, and we think the proper investment of money can put people to work quickly and our bridges, roads and others parts of our transportation system need that. >> what user fees would you consider having increased? first of all, what are user fees and which ones would you consider having increased? >> one of my recommendations that i made is looking at some of the tsa charges, and i made a specific recommendation. i helped create some of the legislation, and back then it was anticipated in ten years ago to be a much smaller agency. we had user fees which are $5

maximum on the ticket. it was to 50 each way it to a maximum of $5 the airlines are supposed to pay about a billion dollars a year which was the cost the expanded to conduct that. i recommended the committee to look at adjusting it. the taxpayers picking up 65% of the cost. the fee is paying about 30% of the cost and then the airlines are paying about 5% of the cost. but that is one area now we are up to $8 billion, and of course i'm a strong advocate, too, of right sizing and redirecting the mission of the tsa, but that is one example of the user fee that could be adjusted and some revenue. >> host: about a gas tax is? could you see an increase in gas taxes? >> guest: i think it's off the table. you know, president obama closed

down the transportation bill. mr. oberstar and i, while we disagree on the tax increase in gas taxes, i wasn't for it. he had -- my predecessor had advocated that and many of the country from the industry did but we had a pretty good agreement to do very substantial bill and obama came in and said even he wouldn't support that sets off the table with the president coming and it appears it is off the table with congress, the house and the senate. speaker boehner impleader kantor are working to try to find additional revenue may be from some oil revenue sources' where it can be little more predictable and adjustable so it isn't always diminishing. you know, you drive further and you pay less it doesn't exactly work. it has to be equitable so we're

looking at a rate from this because again, of all of the schemes and things that have come up with, probably nothing between now and the election or next year would put people to work more than a sound transportation bill and we can do that on a bipartisan basis to believe. host kaput german mica, if the deficit reduction committee does not come to an agreement of automatic cuts will go into effect. with that hurt transportation? >> guest: i don't think it will. we operate pretty much from a trust fund. i've got to 18.4 cents coming in, $35 billion a year in that. i have some other revenue. it's not just the 18.4 cents the trucks pay as a higher rate. we work from a trust fund and we are authorizing committees we offer price how that money can be spent. the problem is that the spending levels have been higher, and we actually proposed a whole bunch

of ways where we can get more for less, leveraging our money making some programs that don't work work, and then another important thing is the process. but we did send a lot to the hour recommendations that these are our recommendations to the committee. a lot of them are based on this report, which actually we did when we were in the minority about a year ago and it's an interesting title. the federal government stops sitting on our assets and we take each of the activities that we oversee public buildings, highways, rail and recommend ways we can do better. >> host: here are the republican proposals to the deficit reduction panel from the transportation committee, which is the majority of the house. pos transportation user fees for deficit reduction, oppose 15%

per gallon tax increase, so on needed property. oppose terminating the essential air service program. oppose reducing it for an improvement program, and oppose reinstating the superfund taxes. what is the essential air service program cost per year? >> guest: we are up to around the $200 million a year. it started out as a small program like a lot of the federal programs. it was well intended. there are some areas that do need help. the need air service to read a couple of our states, hawaii and alaska, absolutely essential to them. but it's grown to where we have this recent flare-up with i approved 17 extensions when the democrats were in control of the faa bill. a bill that i helped author in 2003 and expired in 2007.

the had complete control over the place and couldn't pass a bill that we did a 17 peace bill extension when i began the chair about nine months ago i agreed and said we've got to stop this. so i did pick on in the essential air service because it is in a sample of the government program that's gone off and i guess i got a sense of it. one passenger airline ticket, $3,720 per ticket and i stopped in my extension all subsidization of tickets in excess of a thousand dollars. it only affected three states, i believe it was the mexico, montana and nevada that i hit a sort of nerve. they didn't pass by extension. plenty of time to pass it. and i'm told until two weeks later they went to the senate

floor and the past it, but i think that that, you know, it wasn't maybe the best way to do things, but i did the same thing again because we've got to get -- we've got to get some of these programs working. the aviation industry accounts for about seven or 8% of our gdp coming and we haven't passed the bill in for a half years that says the funding, the priorities. so that's what i did. >> host: one more issue before we go to calls. ed rendell, former chair the murder of pennsylvania of philadelphia was on this program talking about something called an infrastructure bank. want to play just a little of what you had to say and get a response. >> if we get infrastructure right its millions of jobs and the infrastructure act is important. number one because it will make decisions on projects on regional or national significance based on the merit

of the old political system of who's got the most powerful congressman or senator and that's important. you've got public confidence backing and. as the president said access private sector dollars. they want to come in and invest in american infrastructure projects whether there is a rate of return and the infrastructure bank would be the vehicle to do it. never to recover the president boxer of capitalizing a 5 billion a year for the next five years and that's important. there has to be federal participation to act as the leverage for bringing those in so it is absolutely needed and necessary and the president should do it quickly. >> host: national infrastructure bank. >> guest: i agree with infrastructure banking we've looked at the proposal, senator kerry and hutchinson offered a proposal in some of the recent

recommendations. we've taken a harder look at it and what i think that we need to do -- first of all the purpose of that is to get projects moving quickly and people working. there's a lot of people hurting in this country. to create a national infrastructure look at the legislation. i went over it with senator kerry this week. even his staff and others said it would probably take a year to set it up. requesters presidential appointments and senate confirmation. then you have to set the staff of with the rules of the game and the cost to run it estimate about $270 million. as we looked at how we could do this better and faster. 33 states already have infrastructure banks and a hearing on the president's proposal and they said give us the money. we have the structure in place. what we don't have as the money.

that's the very first thing with federal programs already give loans and loan guarantees. we have transportation infrastructure financing that's already set up it does have some problems with levels of federal budget should limit to 33% of the cost of the project we can increase that but we have a cap now on the size of the project and also on the minimum capital so we can adjust those. we have in place a loan and loan guarantee program. but minor modifications -- i can get this passed we could get projects going as soon as we pass that bill waiting probably a year and a half with a national infrastructure to come on sort of bended knee in washington and ask new agencies for that money people want jobs now. >> host: john mica is the guest the chair of the house and

, the republican from florida currently serving in his tenth term. john is a democrat in youngstown ohio. you are on c-span, john. >> caller: i've got a question. how did mitch mcconnell get so much power i hear mitch mcconnell wants to be president, so why are the democrats afraid of one senator and the president? i just don't understand. >> host: we will start off with a political question. >> guest: everybody says sometimes they wish they could go back to the insured he's heard that many times. but mitch mcconnell is powerful because of the senate rules. the senate has rules the required basically 60 to proceed for the unanimous consent to move things forward. so when you have less than that he has power and he exercises it

as anyone with the number of votes he has. >> host: next call for john mica comes from riverside, david on the republican line. [inaudible] go ahead, david. >> caller: this is david from riverside. how are you? my question is about the transportation problems we have in california. the budget, let's talk about caltrans budget. $8.5 billion a year to do what? i have no idea they got new vans, new tires on their fans the or-year-old. i am disgraced actually to read i.c.e. caltrans drivers parked on the side of the road doing nothing, trash everywhere. what of a cut the budget of caltrans in california and save billions of dollars. that's all my comment is. thanks, john. >> guest: that's a good point. we don't have a lot of say over

caltrans. they may get some federal grants but it's pretty much come for the operation. i oversee, or our committee does, amtrak and that is one of the targets for vast improvement we could do a lot better their. we've passed some legislation to reform, but you know what we can do if i asked the committee to look at caltrans operations. and if there is federal money involved we can get involved usually operational it's going to come from a state budget and california has plenty of money so they don't have a problem finding the waste and inefficiency. just a joke. just a joke. >> host: clancy brown tweets we're the jobs created by stimulus money to be outsourced by chinese companies? a real slap in the face. >> guest: i don't know about that one. i would love to hear more because i try to monitor the

stimulus dollars. mr. oberstar, my predecessor and i made a pledge to do that in a bipartisan manner. i'm not happy about the way that some of the money has been spent. actually some agencies have done a good job. the faa has done a good job in getting the money out and also responsibly. i don't know of any instances. i would love to hear because we will investigate that and it will be pursued and i make a note of it for our staff to check out. >> host: you are on the house transportation committee and john mica. regarding the actual title that on the screen about the deficits and transportation, i am wondering why is there such an emphasis in this day and age on the development of high-speed rail? obviously high-speed rail is a phenomenon that applies as the

occupied wall street people would say for the 1%. and a lot of the use of high-speed rail is in this day and age it could be much more easily handled simply by teleconferencing, saving a few and saving of large amounts of money. i don't -- i'm not quite sure what the purpose of the president's emphasis on the high-speed rail could catch up with japan -- >> host: we got the point. let's get an answer for mr. mica. >> guest: good question to refine and advocate of high-speed rail. you may find this strange a republican advocate the project has to make sense. you can't build high-speed rail to know where. you can't build systems whether it is a surface highway that people won't use.

i was somewhat excited when i heard obama was supportive of high-speed rail. however, he took $8 billion put it in to -- it wouldn't be there if it wasn't for him and congress added another 2.5 billion. the problem is one of that happened amtrak, which is our soviet-style operator, the hijacked about 76 of the 78 projects and most of them, about 99% were not high speed. they were slow speed trains to know where the with some of the governors looked at them they couldn't finance them. the sent the money back, wisconsin said the money back, my state sent the money back. you need to build a high-speed rail where it makes sense and has improvement. i advocate the northeast corridor which is the only quarter that amtrak and the government owns. it has all the connections. we have this fixed transit

system, the most dense population but the biggest benefit for the country because 75% of our air traffic delays on out of the new york air space and if i can get people on another mode i can free up some of the aerospace. glioma party. the problem is congress will never give amtrak the 170 billion they asked for and 40 years to build it could i think we could build eight, bring the private sector in as an operator and it could have agreed cash flow, wouldn't be a burden on the taxpayers. that makes sense. building systems to know where, you know, any system to know where and transportation doesn't make sense so that's my take. rezko next call in berkeley springs west virginia. please the we have with your question for john mica. >> caller: i'm all for spending money on infrastructure but the problem i see any time the government gets involved in handling of contracts, the force

the companies to pay according to davis bacon. in the stage, if you can hire two people for $15 an hour instead of one person for $30 an hour and get twice the work done at a lot cheaper rate it looks to me like you could repeal the dever could be enacted until we get back on our feet. >> guest: repealing davis-bacon is almost impossible given the votes in the house and the senate and you know, you do want at some places standards for the wage payments. the gentleman came from florida basically an example where some of the federal standards may not make sense in the smaller or the rural communities and i am the

size i went to the university for the, not mit or harvard graduate but i can do the math and i don't have the vote that takes it 50% plus one to change that but it would be fair and more equitable to give some relief to some communities where that standard doesn't make sense. we still want to have a wage protection. the gentleman points of the problem. >> host: mr. mica, this session of the congress this coming to some kind of a conclusion. the deficit reduction committee is going to take a lot of the oxygen in the legislative session in the next month or two. what kind of legislation to you foresee being able to get past transportation? >> guest: first of all i am committed and the stirred things up a bit on the last -- next to the last extension of faa. i will not sit idly by and not

see us put in place in a four year bill for the f. kelly. the others didn't pass the bill, they did well tiny extensions but left the whole agency in disarray. it left safety programs for the aviation on the floor basically just languishing so i'm going to get an fa adel not one or another and that will add to jobs and employment. i work pretty well with mr. rahall for most virginia and other democrats on the committee and republicans but we've got an obligation to the american people to get back and that is under four and a half years that's crazy then the next one is tackle what i think will be the centerpiece of jobs that's a responsible transportation bill.

here the bill expired two years ago. i inherited it nine months ago. we did an extension to march. we need people working in march and programs that work to get people to work. people lost their homes. i did a column at one of my town halls and the leedy was foreclosed on the same day that i did the call. i just about how everybody in tears. that's got to stop and we've got to get people working in my state construction is double. we are looking it over ten per cent unemployment. i've got one county with 15, 16% unemployment. it's even greater than that and a lot of this construction. and you know, for every billion dollars to properly extend it you can hire between 25 to 35,000 people. think of that.

$30 million in that range it's nearly a million people working. instead of paying people not to work, all these programs to subsidize the programs that don't work or when the money runs out the jobs run out or the short term transportation bill they are doing whittle jobs, sidewalks, a little repaving, nothing wrong, but the job runs out when the money runs out. so we can build this country and infrastructure we've got to make the right investments, picked right like he said with a building high-speed rail in the middle of nowhere for? you build it where it has a success and build projects in a cooperative way which the federal government doesn't build anything. but we have to be a reliable partner and new york next week looking at some projects to the are in the billion dollar range and they take years to read if we pass a two-year bill it's

like closing down those projects because the money isn't there on a dependable basis and we are taking it from folks and sending it back but they can't even depend on us sending it back on a regular basis. >> host: thanks for holding. john, democrat kuran the congressmen like a. >> guest: >> caller: good morning. >> host: go ahead, john. >> caller: i would like to know the republicans, i would like to know why mr. mica and the rest you refer to president obama when you talk about mr. mcconnell use a leader or speaker kantor and you know, you need to give the president some respect and refer to him as president obama, that is my first comment. the other point is why is it that the republicans all voted and lockstep with the republicans to defeat the president's bill? >> guest: no disrespect to the

president obama we often say obama or the obama administration just like we said with bush. no matter who the president is, both parties have to respect him. and then in lockstep, wouldn't exactly say that. i think that there are some differences of opinion on both sides of the aisle. this year and going to be married 40 years, same woman. [laughter] everyday we legislate this agreement but here we have all over, all stripes i think well intended people but differences of opinion. you work it out. it's not as neat as a dictatorship every bit the in lockstep. we have to work it out and sometimes rely on the brink bench of the drives everybody

months, but we can do it and i think we are fortunate because it is a fairly bipartisan committee. but even then you have yours agreements -- disagreements. >> host: why is congress only needing 109 days next year and why is the jobs bill being sent? >> guest: well, i don't set the schedule, but i think the time he spent here should be quality time. the tried to give more time for people to be back in their districts with their constituency. i think that's helpful. it helps the members of congress. you can't go home and not get input from your constituents and i think people have spoken very loudly and their voice resonates to have the most contact with a representative, so that is most of the district court period it

is work on both ends in the job. i don't think that we have showed the president's bill and my committee for silbey infrastructure brank we would do a hearing and we are stuck with democrats and others and we try to see what they propose and if you have a better idea, you try to get the votes i have a certain amount of time to get the transportation but that should be a cornerstone of our side of the audio and everywhere i go democrats and republicans want a transportation bill and we all want the same thing to get projects moving. we have to have the policy in place and work with folks to finish the hearings and as soon as i can get that to the floor and we have this piece of the rest of the money and the time we are trying to get more money that isn't there now. it's very difficult when you

have got the super committee looking for cutting everybody out. it requires a cooperative effort and a somewhat above my the critical to the leadership in "boston globe" both sides of. >> host: mr. mica this article in "the new york times" congressman will run in florida. representative connie mack of florida and former senator has decided to challenge senator bill nelson, a democrat, in the 2012 race. >> host: i think that connie mack will be a formidable candidate and will raise to the top of the pack to readjust by his name and his dad's name recognition, a very well-respected family, a great man in politics. it boosts him to the front of the race pretty quickly. we will have to see how he does

financially but others are not as well known and he has an advantage. >> host: have you endorsed for president? >> guest: no i haven't. >> host: do you plan on it? >> guest: i don't know. i've got a couple of leaders in the party. i heard governor romney theater night and he did a great job. speaker gingrich and he is probably one of the selfish people on issues in the nation. i also have support in the past from governor harry when i ran for the ranking republican which led to my chairmanship of the committee. i don't know fifth cane, michele bachman, she said a few problems in relaunching. who else have we got?

>> host: who are we forgetting? >> guest: johnson -- i think, you know if, we've got good candidates. i would love to listen to them. i've never heard so that the dates but i think that there's a good way to choose. >> host: this picture in "the wall street journal" this morning of one of your colleagues in florida. marco rubio 40 essentially vice president. >> guest: well, you never know who the nominee is going to get. marco has probably one of the best careers for anyone his age. he did a great job in the state legislature. he of course blew everyone away in the senate race, very well respected and if you ever get the chance to hear him speak, he is one of the premier orators of our time. >> host: this suite for you mr. mika.

if republicans have their way would you privatize the assets in the federal government which is rhodes etc? >> guest: many as i could so long as i misgovernment if you own some property and own an office building or rental property would you turn it over to the federal government to manage almost everybody would say no and we've got instances, we oversee our public buildings with that building was empty for decades and it's costing the taxpayers $10 million a year 400,000 square feet and is connected behind it is 50, 60,000 that's been emptied, so a decade and a half in a couple of weeks here we will open bids to

have the private sector take over that and put in hotels, put in a retail space, put a thousand people to work and pay into the federal government and 10 million plus a year. and you can repeat that a thousand times across the country. i mean, the city is full of vacant buildings. so federal trade commission they will pay 250 million to renovate with private funds and i can't get the idiots -- use that phrase, to look at that and consolidating an agency that has a building with two behind us and once a third one and we could save another 200 million that is a half a billion dollars of one deal. the private sector this is the kind of stuff that drives us nuts. jeff from california stepped in. we have a hearing in the empty building in february that was

35 degrees we all of the bureaucrats that we are getting something done and moving. sitting on your assets there's a great piece of the time line people can go in and look at. it's just a few ideas. there are many more and we welcome the ways and will go after it. >> host: this will be available on your website? >> guest: that's the house transportation committee. look it up. if you see other ideas, the best ideas we get are not from a year in washington people telling us what's going on and like the guy on with cal trans got the stimulus dollars to see if those materialize and go after them. >> host: republican of massachusetts, thanks for holding. you are all with congressman john mica. >> guest: i didn't know that there were in the republicans in massachusetts. [laughter] >> caller:, wissman, i think that you are doing a great job, but i wanted to comment on the

stimulus. i don't believe, i am encouraged that your candidate seems to want to have a uniform spending consistently but i don't believe it works because it's really the stimulus spending goes away the jobs went away and it doesn't really create or produce anything that the consumer would by now because i don't know anyone know what want to go out of the bridge next year with their money, so one shot stimulus stuff to me is wasted money as far as addressing the problem. >> guest: you see the latest proposal is this many stimulus. the same thing paying people not to work, since losing decisions.

he did go up some, only $63 billion out of 7874 infrastructure we've gone up i think it's a 60 billion out of the 447 which is 12% for stimulus. the big problem you have the ways that if you do the same thing and it doesn't work, i don't know if you notice, peter, but there is 35% of the money from a two and a half years ago from the 63 billion for infrastructure, 35% is still here in washington and the treasury. they can't even spend it because the process. the process takes seven or eight years to approve a federal project and they just woke up a couple of weeks ago and said well maybe we should speed up some of these projects if we want to get the money of and the approved 14 projects to expedite. so 14,000 projects come all projects should be expedited. they get this for doing the new

road through the wilderness and the environmental issues you want that properly handled. most of this stuff is an existing right of way. most of it when we put on the improvements we are actually improving the mitigation for runoff and for the environment. we propose cutting this time for approving the project in half or less. you could shorten the approval time. if you look we propose here you see all of these can be done consecutively. this is our proposal. here they do it concurrently it takes seven or eight years but that's where shot already come even president obama chuckles when people say shuffle ready because they found that it doesn't work and freeing up the 14 projects as they did a couple of weeks ago for the on type your country is almost a joke. you've got to speed up the process. it's not how much money you

throw at it. but the gentleman is right. we made mistakes on the stimulus, and shame on us if we repeat that again. people want jobs now cannot while you sort through some federal red tape, go through other approvals, march to washington a year and a half from now and set up a new bureaucracy for the infrastructure. let's use a little common sense. >> host: st. louis. robert is a democrat there. robert in st. louis, go ahead. >> caller: hello, c-span. i have a question. you stated that infrastructure money should be sent back to the states. how? >> guest: as much as possible as opposed to creating a new entity it a great cost and weeding and here coming year and a half to even have an application process ready.

>> caller: why would you want the money to be selected to the states when the stimulus money was passed, since the stimulus was passed and that money got to make it to the states the states didn't spend the money as intended like a presidential candidate rick perry. he spent the money to pay down the deficit, so why would that be a great idea? ..

>> again, the buy a december 31st two put on obama's desk if the four year faa's bill that is a big part of our akon every saver's systems and by march 31st i want to have not to year

when obama came to undermine the democrat chairmen only doing 18 months. that was a killer probably cost them the election to have the votes in the house and in the senate i would be the minority leader of the committee to put people to work. and to make up a new drug receive. we have a foundation in place but not the commitment to the funding and a long-term commitment. i will be in new york next week decaying add to the project's. they're not dead in the day are of a week. and that is a lot of what we did in the last two years.

people one long-term governmengovernmen t. we did a long-term commitment. it is their money paid into the trust fund and into washington to get it back out there. again, the state's will take this on with the local governments. >>host: from florida the disclose to my constituents. >> caller: good morning. the last caller the answer you gave is sort of what i am asking a question in a different way. there is a lot of interstate's that need work was just back from a trip. my question has to do with every time we buy a guest we pay federal sales tax on the gas. where does that money go? >> it goes into the trust

fund. i don't raise taxes. another committee does that lead to lease that the funding formula policies so it is returned to the stay we return the types of projects the federal money is eligible for a two sets the priorities and transfer station priorities for the country. interstate is a big one. i am hoping to free up some of the interstate. right now the right to fly on the interstate to have day you why a piss-off we can expend some of that there is another asset but we don't have federal policy to improve public-private partnerships. i favor keep being all interstate rose its toll-free but the rest of

the right of way we could be building lanes with extra capacity when done on the experimental basis. that we could have revenue streams to help support that and to speed up the process. taking sevener eight years to do an improvement on the interstate readjust dealing in paperwork to be able to move forward to make a decision to expand that capacity. >>host: have you seen "the washington post" article of the air-traffic controller who was involved with michelle obama? >> there are some poor

performing and other professions we have to do a better job on training and there is a lot of good air-traffic controllers but i just got back from canada to see their air-traffic control system and in four or five years a changed all of their consoles. we have a lot of paper strips their consoles use what they don't have a single one and canada. we need to move forward. that is the faa's bill for and a half years we're dealing with paper strips if they have automated the whole system. you should see the consoles and working conditions. they have mapped rooms and restrooms exercise

rooms, facilities, the complaisant i get the roof is leaking and mold or another problem that is not the way it should be we must do better for our air traffic controllers. with their working conditions and those good ideas to do a better job is the great part to have the government shackles. >>host: john mike up from the infrastructure committee >> coming have been just about two seconds we have governor dean come of former presidential candidate and former dnc chair been

joining us from vermont for crow heidi street the president is doing? >> amaya the perfect anecdote? [laughter] he has been doing great he has a down 23 words which is what you have to do. pass the bill and we can wait. and members are getting better the being in ohio which is a very important state for us know who can complain? >>host: you said since the job speech but there is some indication that progress is and liberals have then a little dissatisfied with the president. do you agree? >> what i used to say when i was chair we will elect a democratic president and hold their feet to the fire.

we did. we had a lot of battles this is the fourth year regret serious about reelecting a president. this matter referendum on the president but a contest for two people but there will not be a serious pai-hua contest and the republicans are giving to the far end of tradition and liberties say they are against big government but barry bid government with your personal rights to make your own decisions. this is a straight up battle it will be a tough reelection budget we will have some more fights but right now this is the fourth quarter we have to win. >>host: who are your most severe fall of? >> i try not to play that

game. am not good at republican politics but very interesting and never seen in the republic 10 party have five primary like this. it will probably be met from a but i have never seen the grass roots put up such a fight. it is amazing. >> last week you had a column on the electorate schedule. what is the essence of the column? >> the primary schedule is the bit of a farce but always rely on a new hampshire to cause a fuss. we dealt with that very toughly i was disappointed that the republicans do not be as tough. we have two blood day stop to the nonsense to say they

would lose the delegates and we made that stick. the delegates from florida and michigan had nothing to say about the nominee. the republicans backed off. the states do not have us say. we try to work it out and i thought we did four years ago to add nevada and south carolina because our party is very diverse in rewind african-americans, latinos, to have more of a larger role than they would with iowa or new hampshire. we compromise and worked it out then michigan did not pull a fast one we have to have been ordered to be tough as nails to enforce the primary system. of the party has the right to decide how to nominate their president.

>>host: serving as chair of the dnc 2005 through 2009 what about the early returns? >> this is no earlier than last year or four years ago. i thought to moving the primaries back one month is a good idea but republicans could not make that stick. they are back where they were from 2008 and 2004. it is better i think if they did start but that is up to the courage shares. >>host: your on with howard dean. >> caller: good morning. i have not called in a long time. i am a complainer of your bias to the left. [laughter] maybe you can even it out

but both the senate and the last house if they cut all salaries by 10%, it would be a very popular thing to do to save us a lot of money and then to start paying taxes on some of the benefits. a lot of federal workers to do this saves the day is the same thing but its worries all of us. if the state would do that that, it would be a good symbol and not solve the problem but it there are so many but for them to pay money out for nothing going on for years and years with no oversight. >> first i a agree.

not the exact specifics but i would like to see them all on the same social security system i don't know why congress exempts itself to have a different pension and scheme they should have the same health insurance as everybody else them they live in the real world not talking about cutting social security and medicare all the time. your caller is on the right track. and i agree with many of them. >> coming from shreveport louisiana. >> caller: a few things out like to point* out, first of all, everybody pays taxes. pay taxes on your house every time you go to the store and a thing. but the idea that there are

people out there who don't pay taxes is erroneous and i wish it would be cut out because everybody pays taxes. everybody doesn't pay income taxes which is different. >> i agree with the major point* but it is incredibly disingenuous for certain parties to say half of people in america don't pay income tax. that is not true. if you don't work you pay payroll taxes and that is stiff and if you don't work for yourself it is 7% many of pay for medicare and the

idea there is hard-working people that don't pay income taxes is not true. the reason why war above the secretary pays a higher percentage because bebel taxes take a bigger bite out of people's ears, and the income tax. i a agreed that the nonsense half of the people don't pay is a perpetuation of the war >>host: you are on with howard dean. please go as high as. >> caller: thank you very much. the washington paying journal all-star the altar of marathon on and cable tv. governor dean? on this topic of from a long

time u.s. senator akaka has chosen to retire we have a two term governor republican facing off against the former lieutenant governor. >>host: what do you think about the race? did you like her as governor? >> caller: to perret's john mccain, i think she will beat him like a tyco drum. which is the likely democratic your primary winner. because keynes was very lackluster and the house met and 11 approved she can work

it has been totally controlled with one republican in the state legislature. come on. >>host: we got the point*. howard dean? >>guest: i don't know that much. i would be happy to take the other side of the best. >>host: fairfax virginia? >> caller: last year we spent 5.5 trillion for all government spending. if 20% of that is wasted it is $1 trillion. we also have 2.5 jillian ongpin direct cost for regulatory tax system and the excessive legal system cost. it is probably $1 trillion of waste there as well. 2 trillion of waste each year that is more than the accumulated wealth of the

bottom 50 percent of the population. after a year and a half it is more that group within the top richest people in the whole country. >>host: what is your point*? >> caller: we are wasting more in government related cost in 1.5 years they and the accumulated wealth of the bottom 155 million people plus the top 400 richest people. >>host: any response? >>guest: the only response is people think the federal government waste money but there are reasons for every single program and why they never get cut. that is a bipartisan problem. george bush cut taxes but never got around to cutting spending why the deficit is so enormous and the same

thing under democrats. the real problem first of all, i don't know how you got to those numbers, but i would never deny of plywood consider a waste of money at the federal level. but nobody can agree with this race -- waste and what is necessary. i think the joint commission will probably fall on its face and they won't agree with each other but i like the idea of having this approach the keira's day blog to float so then you end up with stuff in the budget you could afford to get rid of. but every dime that this waste that is the problem. >> there is the op-ed in the "l.a. times" to say 1/3 party is likely because of the starbucks and put in

that could hurt the bombing in the reelection effort. >> a serious third party is not likely. if it does is to elect a right winger or someone who is beholden. i am in favor of having a third party but i would like to be a legitimate third-party. many people have proved this the hard way by running some way for president and not doing the work for four years. start a third-party buyer running in congressional races and city races if you want to be successful third-party look at the dreams of europe who ran unsuccessfully than ended up in a german government with a significant impact but the

idea to be a billionaire and run for president you not be elected for:bloomberg has been a terrific mayor barry he cannot win in a national race and he knows it. i hope one day there is a third party but asked to stop -- start from the bottom come not from the top the only way to be successful is that to most people would not want from the presidency. >>host: what do you miss about being chair of the dnc? >> very little progress had a great job other than governor the best job i ever had and the most fun. bayou work for yourself or those 470 people that vote for you, you don't work for the white house. if i were at the dnc now i would work for the right house directly that is not

as much fun. >>host: in the republican leader mitch mcconnell took your name and talked about you on the senate floor and we want to play this and get your response to make it is completely preposterous at a time when 14 million americans are looking for a job in this country, the president to be writing around on the bus saying we should raise taxes. completely preposterous for the president to ride around on a bus to say we should raise taxes on the very folks to create jobs. think about that. 40 million people out of work. to sell identified conservatives for every liberal in the country the president doing his best how word team impersonation. >>host: governor? >> i was deeply complemented. the president will win

because he is fighting like crazy for what he believes him. that is what you have to do to win. the reason end up now the president is not afraid to do that he will win and god bless him for taking my name in vain. >>host: what are you doing these days? been a part-time for a law firm in washington although i do not lobby. i am on the board of a great democracy building group group, thieves democratic and and i go round of world to figure out how to people become more democratic and i am very interested in a charter school run by the american federation of teachers i think a lot of the stuff that we do is a lost cause because we don't do anything with the kids coming into the system and there is another list.

>>host: and the medicine practice? >> that would be malpractice i have not practiced in 20 years that field is so different that i do not practice. >>host: thank you for holding your on the line with howard dean. >> caller: good morning. my wife and i are both registered republicans would never vote straight ticket and always look at the best candidate but looking at the democratic party that has been in power since 2006 and looking at it today we are a lot worse off than we were back then. we have lost money, the last contract with the corporation that i work with starting the first of the year we will lose $4,000 per year for medical. obama was elected in 2008

the first priority is dead of getting people back to work was to get everybody to pay more for their medical. that is the first thing. the other is journalism it swings way 21 side or the other. president obama on the campaign trail says bring them together and then as gives a speech to defeat the republican in the me. people need to pay attention >>host: governor? >>guest: and the premium increase has nothing to do with health care reform that does not go into effect until 2014. i would disagree but that problem is a serious 1/2 although there are good

things would has nothing to do with raising the cost. second, the truth is the republican, and mitch mcconnell who we just heard from is famous for saying we only have one job to make sure it if that is the wave in anesthetic a place to vote. there is when it is polarized they have an obligation to the the that is what people expect of him. >> without getting too partisan i am very supportive than a rookie with a group of people and

pulls out the club and that love it here reelected this few minutes to any of those republicans win it? >> at least two of them. [laughter] >>host: you're on with howard dean. >> caller: i am concerned about a few plant they major they had most of seriousness planned as $0.10 and two sears's though the version -- originally in the plan cuts they're making iran now pay much they

guarantee for them to keep the unemployment rate to rabid 9% when there is over would hundred thousand job creation in the private industry, it seems with the 300,000 government jobs lost, that seems like a net gain for the republicans to keep the unemployment rate. >> of the democrats want to wring from the year budget keep them happy maybe the democrats might considered a constitutional amendment because the improbably support that. >>host: you have very