string these issues that republicans attempted to at last her that we can only do this for two months. and even in the last couple of weeks they have again said, well, you got to prevent these new clean air regulations, mercury, clean air regulations. we have to stop those if you want us to support a payroll tax cut for 160 million americans. that makes no sense. with respect to ui, we in good faith with together less than a 99 months, he can take you a shin. the look, we are doing everything we can to move this process forward. we take a little reciprocity. just look at the public record. you a lot of a lot of republicans in the house of representatives who are on record opposing a payroll tax cut for 160 million americans. so the attitude and he had taken

us if you want to extend this another 10 tons, you have to somehow pay a price for that. i don't think the american people think we should have to block clean air regulations in order to provide tax cuts for 116 million americans. that's not right. >> this whole debate around the extension of payroll tax deduction and speaker bonners position there is no support for with 72% of americans say that appropriate way to pay for this would be to tax the wealthiest americans is exactly why the disclose that is absolutely necessary now. people believe whether it is true or not, what people believe is the reason that their government will not respond to the overwhelming majority of them is because the the influence of money in politics. and so i am hoping that we can

use -- this is lake exhibit a as to why we've got to disclose and why we need to get corporate money out of politics. >> and may i just sat, not to pile on, but this explains why they are plummeting and virtually every single national poll of house republicans. they are so out of touch and so disconnected there is an intuitive sense that the only thing about the middle-class tax cut that house republicans don't like is the middle class. the first time in the history of republicans that they have become frugal when it comes to tax cuts. they have found one condition after another, one exchange after another tool that this tax cut for the middle class. we need to pass the disclose that, the republicans are disclosing themselves as proactively hostile to the middle-class in this explains why they are where they are in every single national poll. >> in closing i want to save face. if this congress were a reflection of the will of the american people, we would have an extension of the payroll tax

cut for 160 billion americans and that would be paid for by a surcharge. they know what is right. they know we should do this because it's good for the economy as well as the family. they note that it has to be paid for that it should come from a place that does not harm the middle-class. they know we shouldn't create with one hand the tax cut and take away with the other hand say now you're going to pay for in other ways. american people are very wise. they are to be relevant in meeting their needs and representatives of their values and their knowledge are wise. we would pass the payroll tax cut and where it do so with the surcharge if it has to be paid for it all. there is fairness and symmetry in this. we didn't pay for tax cuts for the wealthy, again, why should we pay for the middle-class.

if they have to be paid for, 72% of the american people have the wisdom to know something has intervened between the wisdom of the american people and the decisions that the republicans in congress. that is the conversation we'll be having. and we are here a couple weeks before the deadline, two and a half weeks before the deadline. in january, no one was around. we kept calling for republicans to come back to do the work necessary that we are not pushed around the deadline. we come back that week and we are after then come back just in time for the deadline. so there is no reason why they should go to the table and onto locations of the house of representatives voted to say get this done by february 17. the only conclusion you could draw if the republicans do not

and mr. ben holland do not support a payroll tax cut. we are here to represent the people, to be a reflection of their values and their priority and they wanted paid for by a surcharge. thank you very much for coming back. >> today, the pentagon announced women in the u.s. military can be can tittered for new assignments an opportunity to move them closer to combat. italian prime minister

>> when i first started to book him i thought this must be an american story. this must be that a country that worships the religion of self-reliant individualism. this is the legacy of everson and it turns out we are factored when it comes to living alone. it is much more common in european nations, especially in scandinavia and even more common in japan. the >> on afterwards and going solo, looking at the growing trend of

american adults choosing to live a lot of what that means for the country. saturday night at 10:00 eastern. this economic tv, sunday 3:00, second cousin of former secretary of state, condoleezza rice, connie rice on her work to reduce gang violence and starting a dialogue to gang leaders and police. in a 15:00 on a georgetown university body or more on her one-woman play a book of name revenge of the women's studies professor. the tv every week and on c-span 2. >> the defense department recommended new combat roles for women in the military, which would allow women to serve in more jobs closer to the front lines. women would still be prohibited from serving in country aren't as special operations units. this pentagon briefing is about 30 minutes.

iv on my [inaudible] will not be open to women. [inaudible] fall off the battlefield and these changes will allow them to accomplish even more. as we make this announcement, i would like to say that secretary

pineda believes this is beginning, not the end of the process. this will continue to review positions and requirements and determine what additional positions may be open to women. our goal is to ensure the mission is not what the best qualified and most capable people regardless of agenda. to that end, they do still exist to remove another restrictions and reviewing those to see us more opportunities can be open. we need time, experience and careful review to ensure we do so in a way that maximizes safety and privacy of all service members. as a result of today's announcement caught conservatives with keen for their service to determine how to implement additional changes down the road. we are also taking a stab such as developing gender-neutral standards that will lay the groundwork for other changes in the future.

this remains a priority for secretary pineda and he has directed his services to update them in next month on policy implementation and progress made in developing gender-neutral standards. with that, i'd like to turn it over to the leaders to guide the review. joining us here today is deputy undersecretary of defense for military personal property and major general gary patton's defense director for military personnel problems. they can detail the specific changes and will be happy to answer your questions. general patton, thank you for taking the time to join us here today. >> good afternoon. today the department of defense submitted a report on the women of service review and if retired he will be made online fun this briefing. the department tarnished the military departments to review

last, policies and regulations is required to determine any changes are needed to ensure female members have an equitable opportunity to compete and excel in the u.s. armed forces. but the services had open positions over the years for this report covers preventers opportunity to refill all gender restrictive policies from a broad paranoid perspective with all services peters at the table. the report is anticipated to be delivered to congress in october. however it required additional time to ensure this important issue receive the fullest consideration within the department of defense and military departments and joint chiefs of staff. now provide a brief overview of the report that reflects secretary defends decision removing barriers that prevent servicemembers surmising the highest level up a tent so and responsibility to talents and capabilities. reports findings represent the effort of all the military services and have the highest

concept of civilian and military leaders. the report recommends changes to policy and includes educational congress of our intent to open over 14,000 positions. these positions identified two changes that are reached significant in their own right. implement lessons from over a decade of war are proven exceptionally capable and indispensable to mission accomplishment. then they begin by describing the combat unit assignment prohibition enacted in 1994 by secretary of defense wife, which is provided in this chair. it also referenced in paragraph 1 of the executive summary. this policy expressly prohibits assigning women to direct units below brigade level. the army, marine corps and navy have identified one of the 186 positions at the battalion level which should be open to women.

these positions are an occupation specialties that are currently open to women to include intelligence and communication. but women are prohibited from being assignment because the positions are in direct combat units below the brigade level. the secretary of defense has approved exceptions to this policy, allowing the positions and report contained that requires notification of congress that this change. experience by inviting them well besides relevance of the direct combat assignment prohibition and inform potential future policy changes. the 1994 policy which remains the source today also contains four provisions that allow the secretary of the military department to regret certain positions based on gender. the secretary of the military department may restrictive position to women at the cost of birth and privacy are prohibited

units are positions are required reaming with direct combat units and unit citation on reconnaissance and special operations admission and job-related requirements exclude the vast majority of women servicemembers. the second reason relating to call location shown on the right which drew considerable retention during our reviews. as you can see the chart here, the battle space of operation is linear in nature there are forces can recover its general, support functions such as maintenance. since that time the battle space we have experienced in iraq and afghanistan is different. as depicted on the bottom of the chair. the enemy is knowable in population. counterinsurgency and stability operations mission to combat the

enemy require persons to be distributed across the country at large in our basis. these bases are now locations for forces recover in general combat deferred. as you can see there is no rare area that exists in this space. the commissions are required to be in full proximity between locations. they restrict positions on being located has become irrelevant. as a result, departments determine location provision in the 1994 policy to be eliminated. this change in policy to be communicated in a report. eliminating will now expand current opportunities to women provide a greater pool of qualified members from whom our combatant commanders may draw and reduce operational templates by increasing the number of personal available science and provide commanders greater flexibility in meeting, support mission requirements.

elimination of this provision will result in over 13,000 enemy positions. these positions will purposely closed because they are required to co-locate with direct combat units. the areas the only military surveys identify positions that were slowly due to co-location provision. the department is committed to continue our efforts to open additional position by replacing gender, restrictive policies with neutral physical standards based on task and military members perform in the course of their duties. this is an area of emphasis for us as we move forward beyond the initial step is part of this review. will implement changes come and discuss states upon completion of the statutorily required congressional location to 30 days of continued congress which is expected to occur later this spring. this concludes the overview of the report. general patton and i would be happy to take your questions. thank you.

>> what is given here your description of lack of clearly defined frontlines and attack ticket were? what is the reason for not simply lifting it altogether? >> we've talked about the numbers of positions open by the co-location and we had the exception of policy to the exclusion pc mention in the top point they are that had prevented women from being assigned it the other brigade level. and so, with the exceptions that policy do is allow us the opportunity to place women in specialties if the authority been assigned to, working in the networking at the level below the brigade. it allows us to place women in this position in the marine corps, navy and army.

generally junior officers can't make great officers and officers. as the secretary said, this is the beginning, not the end. we will be able to look at experience is by those women and combine that with collective experiences from the word and be able to inform future policy decisions and changes. >> 18 months ago the military leadership diversity commission came up with this report that recommended eliminating all of the bands and say these restrictions are worth limiting the ability to rise to senior levels in the department. i wonder if after the departments and turn our reviews, did you find that was the case? some of these restrictions are in fact limiting women's ability to be promoted? party just disagree with that? >> we asked ranch hope this review that data and we found that if we look at the promotion

that they are partially open that there is no disadvantage in the promotion rate of women. you look at requirement for general officers and aren. you look at requirement for general officers and army. however, they do very well that we believe this is the right step forward as we open these additional positions to women and that is part of the assessment. >> first of all, to have any sense window, but these gendreau neutral standards. if you could discuss, what would they likely look like? >> we do not have this timeframe. however with the secretaries asked us to do his services will report back in six months and continue have the source to report back on the timeline for developing standards. and gather data based on

physiological standards. another is a lot of material out there already and canada and australia have put this. marines are already stepping out and document standards of the army. >> it could be like buying the same page. >> no, that is different. it is more towards your specialty. currently a standard specialties has standards. if you look at the chart at the fourth reason for women to be restrained date, if you look at the specialty that is predominantly the majority not serving in that specialty, then the service calls that. what happens is fast-forward or the experience of combat have been able to do also equipment has changed. we also find men and women come back with physical energies due to the nature of warfare and the

services have decided that she'd need to look at the standards for men and women and determine what the bystander should be. >> could you give us a sense of when you have enough to permission to at least address the issue of whether women can serve and other combat units? >> we don't have that data. >> any sense? >> with a six-month day, we can provide more information, but at this time we cannot. >> can i just try and get a really clear answer. what is the reason right now that women are not allowed to save any of the tree? what is the reason you have concluded right now? >> actually, if you look at the chart there's a couple reasons. one is direct combat. >> the rationale behind it. i understand the rule is written. what is the rationale behind it right now? >> the current standards for infantry. all men cannot have standards

and if you look at the fourth reason again, if the majority of women cannot serve in that mls, serta secretary may may restrict the mls. >> you can't if you don't open it up. >> that is based on experience with the leadership and experience in combat. i trust the service leadership understands the standards. >> at the least they can serve. is that what you're saying? i don't understand. i don't see the rationale. could you say that again? >> every military occupation has standards. for infantry. there's so much we. but if you doubt -- what about opening not in giving women a chance. it would even be that many women.

but what if you without operating women and have the opportunity to try to serve. you probably can't. is that what you're saying? >> now, we are saying we are open oppositions that are serving and assignments below brigade level 22 battalions, services will assess that perform in, which will look to further open up a specialties. >> can you verify something? >> can i just add to what ms. penrod said. >> we took the question of services on that. marines came in with the number of military occupation specialty is in the army came in with similar requests and so the service secretaries made a request for exception to that policy. they picked positions for women have dirty been served. now, i look at the one next

info. one is a medical and ceo. women have been serving as medical ncos. that has been an open specialty women for quite some time. so now we take a women re: experienced at the nco and officer level and assigning them according to the exception of piracy and experience of those women and others in specialties like that will inform future policy changes and that is the key point the secretary is made if it is the beginning not the end. we will start to with women in specialties they verity experienced. the feminine infantry battalion and the experiences they give us back, assessments, feedback and so forth will help us down in the long-term make decisions that would affect other changes. >> i just want to clarify something on that.

tell me if i am the. a woman who was an intelligence officer or an ag office there could be enticed to rs or as one infantry battalion under the new policy, correct? do not infantry branch officer. >> that's correct. i may just expand on that. the army has identified occupation specialties for officers in the us. the example you gave is perfect. on the opposite side, you take an intelligence officer who's been serving somewhere other and sign has the intelligence officer at the battalion level. women have been doing that. on the nco said it could be an analyst for noncommissioned officer of the intel sanction. they are serving up at the telling of staff level, where they have not been defined in the past, but we are moving women into those positions that authority could train and have

party gained experience in other units. >> you know, and iraq and afghanistan, one with the military would have attachments where women were actually serving every day, just as an attachment rather than under the definition and use some not today. why can't that be enough of a way to measure whether women can serve in combat now? >> some of the exceptions we see here, we probably don't have the full depth and breadth of experiences based on this attachments. the army asked for an exception of policy and a number of specialties along with variants. the noncommissioned officer, logistics supply and those types of things and so forth. and so, the experiences of those women who have been attached in

those units combined with the ones we are going to be assigning here but this exception of policy, their collective experience will be the future decisions we are talking about. >> it seems to me we are winding down in iraq. would those be the best match or extend terms of whether women could serve in combat? what is missing that you haven't been able to gain from the attacks of those who have served alongside in their nms jobs at the brigade level? >> well, what we came here is the assignment of women in those positions. and secondly, in the area addressing the co-location, women have not been serving in a specialties. we have had to take mechanics because that has been excluded to women. and so, this is an instrumental step in taking experiences of detachments, future experiences of women we assigned by

repeating, training and this brand-new open specialties that i mentioned because the elimination of a location all those things combined is very secretary wants us to come back in the service chief report how we implement this and develop standards for midterms that identifies new positions at that point that could be open to women. >> when you talk about gender neutral standards, does that mean essentially this ruled that 50% of females camp has the standard, then the whole intellect is close to females. essentially the reference of females would be removed and your standards that if anyone could meet, he or she would be open to go into that field. >> that is the goal. >> that seems like something intuitive. i guess i don't fully understand why that is the case. >> vehicle back to the policy written in 1994 and services

that data, what mos is open and the decision by the secretaries, if a specialty at this time with the majority of the women could not be a sign of specialty, just remained closed. and i just want to piggyback on which he said. it's exactly what women have endured in the last two years is very primitive in the service relies not only do we need to be like those standards for that reason, but also for the change and training equipment and how we conduct operations. i see that as a very positive step forward. >> this is the beginning, not the end. your reporters are detachments late to congress. we've been at war for 10 years. he served in the military.

are you dragging your feet on us. >> i think to make a change discharge while you're at war is difficult. i would to drawdown in iraq, you have experiences from combat leaders combat. ..

the secretary but is committed to remove barriers. >> my point on that as well through the lens of 45 months in combat and will ask a number of years i think this is the right thing to do. wheat will recognize the expanded role in the military, but what i look at is a former infantry battalion commander. i wish i had the opportunity to bring women in and expand the talent pool so the intel analyst supply office and so forth are now spending the retirement pool where you have all qualified people regardless of gender being able to compete or the

assigned to those that keep positions. >> if women could meet the requirements the general fiscal requirements should they be able to serve the infantry company? >> i think that's something we have to look at. and in the future and the way ahead of the secretary wants us to come back with feedback. >> i have seen women in combat and are very proud of them from the year brave women with male counterparts, and i would like to be said for their contributions and experiences over the last decade of the war and i'm proud of what we are doing here today. it's the right thing to do. >> how many positions will still remain closed after today's change and how many of those are available for the detachment for

the correct distinction? >> i can't break out the attached versus assignment. but in terms of the positions we of the two injured 38,000 -- >> 14,000 of being opened. >> we want to focus on the one store open and the air force is already the 99% positions open. the once excluded are generally in the special ops combat control and so forth. the army with these additions today will have 69% open. those that remain closed will be infantry artilleryman, calgary, special forces and so forth. marines are like the army and the needy will have 88% positions open and those that remain closed are in the special warfare category. we can give you more on that break down after this if you

need any. >> how soon are we going to see some of these assignments to place? you got the six month window here. the end of the 30 days will we see the women immediately going into these rolls? >> the plan to start immediately but will be a part of the normal rotation. they are not going to -- if a man is occupied in the position they are not going to move them out to allow a female to take that position so it will be a part of the normal rotation and that is a part of the data that we will request from the services as they open up these positions. >> the first 30 days doesn't mean on the calendar for now. it's 30 days of the continuous session which we don't project until the spring time leader in the spring so that's the first point. the second point is on the timing you have some positions which will be open immediately come fairly immediately in terms of the normal assignment and

those are the ones for the exception to policy because there's all these women out there in the army and marines and they are in a different place. on the code location we are opening up new specialties to women so there are no women tank mechanics we have to recruit them in the training and then assign them so we are a little bit further down the road in terms of putting women in the position in the specialties that are limited by the echolocation. >> any real information given to make further decisions? >> for sure we blood and from the training base and also those new positions recruited and trained, and for sure we would on those positions be occupied to have the infantry battalion with the exception policy to read a lot of these positions will look for women on the same basis as these units. they will see a woman in a letter or adjacent unit performing as an intel officer and make that move locally.

so i think probably more data on the latter and less at the six month point. >> at one point you talk about the inability in the provisions when it comes to something like special operations and take up the research time and effort to achieve the changes recommended at this time. was that part of the point of the study and thus greg pointed out it's already been significantly delayed. when you look at the six months ahead what exactly are you going to be building into? when do you hope to have some kind of answer on things like special operations in the positions? >> again, over a thousand positions below the brigade level and individuals will have to serve on those assignments and assess how the individuals

perform, and also the process you still have the privacy issues we need to deal with safety, welfare of the individuals comes about will take time and we cannot predict how long and how much data we need before we can make a decision to move forward. however the army will continue to look at the discussion can continue to open up, so you don't have to wait for the six months as they start this process and find they can move forward like we will continue to notify congress because we add new positions requires notification. >> on the privacy issues and conditions like you said -- -- >> we have come a long way. we still have issues on ships as they retrofit or make new ships

you need to change those also and i think the experience from the last ten years to look at how did that play all come to we have privacy concerns, are there issues that we need to address and that is in the information that we will use to help inform the answer. >> this review is mandated by congress. if the congress had not mandated this what would have happened? were you already on the track to do this on your own? you keep talking about a decade of war get the lessons learned, were you in demoted to learn the lessons and proactively to do this or -- >> i believe that the army leadership and army marine corps already looking at we need to change policy based on information learned over the last ten years. again, we are at war. sometimes things take longer than you would like. but there is no doubt in my mind that the senior military

leadership would be telling us we need to change these policies. it all came together at the same time. [inaudible] said they are resistant to opening up more occupations in the study. is that fair? >> no, that's not fair because i think the army continues to look and this is -- the start of this and -- >> [inaudible] >> i see it is very positive because they are already looking forward. i have the 755 that will open about the brigade level and they've already said you may have more and i think that we will continue to see progress as this goes on. those of us that have been over there in iran and afghanistan we have seen women for years out there with infantry troops to replace all a woman with part of a personal security detail and the training tiemann kandahar,

one is doing the search is in baghdad. so to listen to this it's like with a minute what you say to those women who actually been doing this stuff that they have to wait six months, a year or longer? they are already doing it. are you saying we don't have enough data to see if all women can do it? >> they're doing it with these been trained to do and they are in units that have been opened to the women so what we're talking about here is a change where we are now putting women into the battalion of the stuff and so forth so i think what we've built in is the experienced officers in the units we are going to get their feedback and continue to assess other things and the secretary told the services that again to keep going back it's the beginning, not the end, and he said he's committed as are the services and eliminating barriers to the assignment based on gender so that's where we are going with this to the stomach to make one last point, a couple

of you have mentioned the deily in the reports, and yes they have been delayed, but let me make the following clear. the process was rigorous. the sec to be at the senior military leaders wanted this done right and not done quickly. that is an important point to bear in mind. they solicited additional views on these issues and the delay actually resulted in more positions being open to the women than we had submitted this sue thanks everyone.

>> the media ecosystem is such a different world today than it was ten years ago.

i think things like that have been all the time now. i know that there is certainly many big stories that they've had over the last decade's more and more now we have an editorial staff of 20 people so we are breaking stories right and left. the thing is it is almost become it's almost become commonplace and it's not nearly as a surprise today as it was back then. effective april 1st, 2012 japan will lower its combined corporate rate to 38%. that we the united states with the highest corporate tax rate in the entire industrialized world. this distinction will make it that much more challenging to attract businesses to hire investors at home where we need

jobs. >> someone said the tax law made is like seeing sausage made to the you just don't want to see it. >> it's time for american businesses to put aside the industry specific wish list and work collectively to support a more coherent and equitable tax policy and corporate taxation structure. the prime minister was up the peterson institute of international economics and talks about the problems in europe. his remarks have its austerity deal that can lead to a bailout. this is an hour and 20 minutes.

>> i think it's fair that day simple sets the stage for today's meeting. the future of the world economy depends critically on the outcome of the crisis. the outcome of the crisis depends very heavily on what happens and italy by far the most important country the epicenter of those developments. and the outcome and italy will turn decisively on the success of the government led by the prime minister and overcomes its financial difficulty and in setting the prospects for the sustainable economic growth over the longer run when. i don't want to put too much

pressure on our speaker by putting us that way but he and the devotee else knows government and policy are truly critical to italy from a year of the and the global economic outlook. and i believe it is also fair to say that no one could be in a better position to respond constructively and successfully to those challenges than the prime minister. as european union commissioner for competition policy, we all remember how he displayed the enormous and repeated rounds of courage, to gone jack welch and ge, to gone bill gates and microsoft, he even took on our good friend who hasn't yet

arrived who co-chairs the council on the united states and italy this spoken many times what we partner here and are delighted to work so closely. i think it is also fair to say that as the e.u. commissioner and the period for competition policy he forcefully displayed his economic competition as a response and solution to the underlying economic and particularly great difficulties. and we all know that is what italy as a nation and europe as a region now needs more than anything else. and so again, mario is the ideal leader. in addition to all of his enormous professional accomplishments, she has been a great friend of the peterson institute and think tanks more broadly and a member of the word

directors for six years and is the founding chairman and close friend institute in brussels and is the only person, he may not notice, he's the only person ever to have delivered the two big and you will lectures that we have in the series year the institute. and when he gave the second of those in 2006, his title was the ouster of have an economic future? his response was an unequivocal yes, but he cautioned only if europe did several important things to keep the forward momentum towards integration going and he stressed in particular the need for structural economic reform. now, the prime minister is in the most important position possible to make that happen.

it's there for a truly great honor and privilege and personal joy to host the prime minister and to introduce him to this distinguished audience. super mario. [applause] >> thanks very much. it's really very touching heavy for me to be here with so many friends and trapped by fred's synergisms about the crisis, italy and europe, etc., etc.. i didn't quite realize how tall

and order fred would have been able to put in front of me. i really want to underline how we all involved in the policy of serving more in policy making have been benefiting from the institute work and by and from fred's leadership in this and also in other blot complexes. so i think that there could be no better place for me what to share with a highly qualified audience the reflections on the time of the economic future of italy and europe. as fred mentioned, yes, i

deliver the few words in 2006 on the topic that cleared up as an economic future, and after all, europe did have an economic future but i'd think that many of the questions surrounding europe then are still there today, and of course i feel the response of the deanne mauney temporary and likely enough sharp will lead time will to get a contribution to solution of those problems. the -- everybody has in mind of course the year autozone -- eurozone crisis and i think everybody in this room is aware but not everybody in this country or in italy or in europe

is aware of the fact that this has not been a crisis of the euro. of the euro has continued to display very remarkable stability and it has not incurred in many of the situations in which the currency shows its weakness in terms of domestic purchasing power and in terms of external come in terms of exchange rates. so i think it is a really remarkable that although there has been and partly there still is a banking and financial and fiscal crisis in many states of the year rose zone it has not been affected and this tells a lot about the structure of the institution and the policy of this very jr currency in terms of the global arena.

now, just in the last few hours we understand that substantial progress has been achieved increase in order to overcome the worst moments of the crisis, and i don't want to prejudge anything about what the group and the relevant bodies and we decide on, but let me just step back for a moment, the increase case was of course the most severe and extreme and a limit to the case less than one might have imagined for the eurozone coming in although we can easily point to the fact that much of what was set out from greece as

the program in terms of the budgetary consolidation in terms of structure reforms and so on many have come too late and in in sufficient doses relative to the requirements. i think one day even the case will be seen to be proof of the value of the introducing through a year of the cultural stability that invented in germany and post war germani through the social market economy more than has been through the euro come through the budgetary constraints surrounding the euro, has been spreading throughout europe. certainly a country like italy has benefited enormously in the mid and late nineties from the

pressure to get into the euro that has brought a very important structure reforms at the time already. and the most recent economic and political experience in italy of which for strange reasons i happen to be one of the components today would not have been there if it hadn't been for the continuing pressures exercised by the framework of the policy-making, and if i were a german citizen, i would be proud even looking at the fact that the most successful of all the heavy engineering products in germany and the euro through

the fusion throughout europe has brought the principles of the budgetary discipline of the market economy and to even the most culturally less prone, the least prone part of europe so i think that the transformations that in other times would have required a generation are now being put in place. i hope in a non-reversible way that this remains to be seen in just a couple of years and that is because the strength of the culture of the referenced to the value of stability the euro has allowed us to share.

now of course the economic and the monetary union was a rather daring construction, but a jigsaw where some key pieces were missing when i last was here to deliver the reflections in 2006. as we know, it was both an economic and political project that was meant to complete the european single market. as i think i said on that evening here, the euro is meant to be the cherry on the cake of the single market but many of the problems were coming from the fact that the cherry had been put in that position but the cake wasn't completed their. even in perfect stage of the european real economic integration. now the institutional framework of the economic and the monetary union as being reset to tackle

the flow in its design and the operation that the crisis brought. most crucially, the tools to resolve the crisis have been established within the devotee and financial stability fund starting with the european financial stability fund and the future permanent european stability mechanism. the rule book of the stability growth product has been updated and enriched with sharper rules can i interject here the notion that one of the main problems brought about by the euro crisis has been the resumption of old stereotypes about the inherent and unchangeable character of the different people sometimes construct a lanier basis of the latitude of the country's, and

of course it was the tool originated in forces of the stability in germany and france which broke down its credibility in 2003 when they didn't quite like to submit themselves to the enforcement procedures and italy although not violating itself to go back to that time provided because it was italy in the share of the account but allowed the large member states to break the rules, and after all it took from 2004 to 2012 to rebuild again the credible act. and of course, that was made even more difficult by the

fiscal indiscipline in the meantime intervened particularly in the countries but traveling on the wide open road created by the non-acceptance of the rules by germany in 2006. so, we all have the responsibility to build a better european confederation, and many if not all also have to share in the responsibility of having not always operated in the right direction, so light the european integration can be built all the better of all the more we are all modest in assessing our performance relative to that of the other. the principles of budgetary discipline are now or will shortly enshrined in the nation

constitutions and all member states have considered to be near the balanced budget by 2015. so far, the main focus has been as it had to be on the austerity and the fiscal consolidation. yet, the structure reforms are as important dows the fiscal discipline for the long-term future of europe and the fiscal discipline rules and the commitment to sound public finances can help the european member states overcome the blocking powers of the lobbies and special-interest. these vetoes had the reform in the past and of lead to the national abuse of the imperfections institution of the framework of the economic and monetary union. but the fiscal adjustment is not sufficient definitely and the

interesting current stage of the policy game in europe is precisely on how to put to rest the concentration of mines and policy energies on a fiscal discipline, putting them to rest because it wouldn't have to be observed but because by now it has been really set in a very sophisticated the constitutional framework of that the e.u. and the national level and all the enforcement instruments are there and so the political will to comply with them is their. so this is a very interesting moment for all of us to concentrate on more of the

growth imperatives. of course how can you growth be generated in europe in the context of budgetary discipline i think most of the extra growth will have to come maybe by the coordinated macroeconomic policies that the g8 and the g g20, but as far as the e.u. is concerned, mainly it will have to come from structure reforms or supply-side measures within europe. this means now we have to really work on this to make the cake more similar to the optimum currency area that we see in the

textbooks otherwise euro all the way currency will not have the potential in terms of the economic growth and well-being. but in order to the cake a real cake, we need to have a single market. although we come out -- relative to when we review together, many of you and body in 2006 seems then the single market has been in crisis not in the further development why because the backlash against integration of the integration fatigued that has been observed and many of the country's has put more and more in question the objective, the single, we are seeing concerns in france concerning an

army of polish plumbers that apparently were ready to come to france and we've seen in many countries the resistance as towards the cross border takeover and we've seen in many countries a growing economic nationalistic sentiment which for the development and more and more the resisted development. but even the market has been in crisis because many in europe following the financial crisis have been put into question intellectually and politically the notion of whether the market economy was after all to generate employment so not an easy time for a single market

let alone for a global european economic policy which wanted to bet on a stronger single market. but now we are really at the moment we're we have to work in that direction if we want to make growth a reality in europe six years ago in this room the paradox you that there are many countries within this eurozone therefore which live the life of the monetary union shall waiver do not really do very seriously the job as regards to the economic union because in many continental countries large economies are key to the year rose own we find that less compliance with the of rules of

the single market of competition of market openness then we find on the countries like the u.k. for the denmark, sweden, poland i and these are all countries which do not belong to your son but are more complete and more in the intellectually in line with market principles my government is investing a lot and of course making use of the fact of having to been readmitted to the meetings in government of germany and france and to play with them in order to provide to the process. but we'd invest i would say more than either of these in the

relationship with the u.k. with poland that is with countries which although not belonging to the eurozone or not yet belonging to the eurozone can put pressure on us for us to become a bit more of an economically integrated real entity and i think it's a pity not because we propose things but because it's been the prime minister coming on the occasion of the council on the ninth of december where he finally decided that not to stay on board with his agreement. he did not go down the road that we had suggested for britain

namely to ask for the prize to stay on board the treaty which is politically painful to ratify on but please ask for an acceptable price like a stronger commitment on the part of the countries to accept it which should have been in the interest of the u.k. and the other non-euro countries, a big movement forward with the specific deadlines concerning the single market for energy services but please don't ask for the conditions the we could only reject because they would be regressive to the process of integration like exactly what he asked for, namely the rule on any future decisions on the financial regulations which we could not accept and was not

accepted that this is just an observation on the link between the policy cooperation lines that can be established in the different degree of the adherents the to the key elements of this set of countries to the fiscal discipline growth and the single market etc. let me come to a conclusion by saying that if a country wants to be coherent in order to see a complete policy with deadlines which we hope we will get to in order to stimulate growth through more single market among other things the country is to become year and domestically and

not only would have to comply with a budgetary rule and we have to be more insisting on the structure of the reforms domestically so it can have a market which can cope with the challenges of being in a more and more real single market. these are the two lines, the budget to consolidation and the reforms that our government is committed to and italy i kept the objective that my predecessor the prime minister had said an agreement with the ecb and the european commission and that was done last summer in a moment of extreme financial emergency for italy on this i believe can explain the fact that the governments have accepted to balance the budget by 2013 which means a couple of

years before the other member states and we decided to stick with that commitment with some macroeconomists would contend was the optimum koszner and from the political point of view in europe we have presented ourselves first with the demand and put together a package adopted and quickly converted into the wall by the parliament to achieve the balanced budget by 2013 which would imply by the way a 5.5% of gdp comes to the

interest payments which would be the highest in the euro area, and we have introduced by the law something unheard of in the battalion and other member states most of them the history of the structure forms through the structure form of the pension system and growing into a fully contribution based system and with the increase of the retirement age to 67 for men and women by 2017. this was done with only three hours of general strike which means that no, no, no. i say this not to denote the weakness of the labor unions. they are not weak. but want to stress the maturity

of the opinion including the labor unions which accepted a major president sarkozy couldn't believe that we had without people in the streets for weeks done that structure reform and then we proceeded in the months of january to the package again by law in order and this would be the perhaps most difficult we would see and the next few weeks i think we will bring home the conversion into the law by the parliament with minimal changes to the package to introduce much more competition and opening up in the areas ranging from the labor provisions to the topic

that one gentleman that one of the tables has been falling very closely with a high degree of responsible awareness to be concerned about the boundary between the gas generation and the western tradition systems. so all things, and in the direction of more competition and openness which i believe could only be done through a very strange government like the present one which as many of you will note does not enjoy the structured majority of the coalition of parties but enjoy is or has so far enjoyed the support in parliament of parties

which have to speak to each other coming as they do from the highly belligerent past. but they are supporting this effort. but of course they support this effort only if whatever we do, budgetary consolidation or the structure reform is bold enough and costly enough because number one these are the things they couldn't have been putting in place and secondly if the party from the right has to support the reform squeezing out those constituencies they will accept only if we do a pension reform for example only in the area which is more a constituency of

the left that would equal the boldness to do so there is a virtuous mechanism of the distributing in a way that ensures we maximize the number of people who are unhappy. but at the same time, we seem to have, for the time being convinced the public opinion of large that these were necessary things and for reasons which i cannot understand the general thrust of the government policy seems to be supported by a very high percentage of the public opinion which opens up in my view is very optimistic consideration. manly it's not that they resist being governed.

they have a pent-up demand for government. it was the political system that perhaps was a debt of wouldn't normally towards the supply and the government's of the decision making that after all the people were already may be willing to see in the place. the final point, i think that there is a continuing -- i forgot -- i don't want to give anybody the impression that we forget the labor reforms. this is the third big pillar of the budgetary consolidation liberalization and competition and labor reforms we cannot even and do not intend to pursue by the laws there are negotiations going on. they would be concluded by the end of march and they are being

oriented in the direction of reducing something the imf have always recommended reducing the segmentation of the labour market and the uneven treatment between the insiders and the outsiders who cannot get in command also changing the nature of some social protection mechanism so as to reduce between italy countries and having flexed security namely the compatibility between the leader market made more flexible and the modernized system of social protection centered on

the individual worker but not the individual job as well as the case for so many decades. now this, ladies and gentlemen, cannot be -- of course it cannot be an unbiased report that i am submitting to because i'm certainly very, very biased although i as well as my ministers -- we have the foreign minister camano, we should have had the foreign minister but at this time certain of the minister by no means most of us are, but we are putting together

this strange experiment, and we cannot say of course how the final result will be, but we do feel that without the exaggeration of will publicly start the works work with the consideration that we fill the there is a link between the degree in which italy and succeeds in shifting from being a problem to being an element of the solution. and i think that we are and other advanced in in that, but above all the degree to which this experiment would be successful in italy and the degree to which italy will be able to exercise influence on the overall cost of the

policy-making to worsen the growth in europe and we feel that there is a great similarity feeling among the policy perspective between the u.s. and this is additional reason of interest and commitment that are now a part of washington today and i hope that all the white been exceedingly long that there will be some time for us to be able to benefit from your and the other guests remarks and suggestions. thank you very much. [applause]

>> mr. primm minister, thank you enormously for that very encouraging outlook report. we are all strongly supporting you and encouraging the success of what you said and we are very heartened to hear your report. let me ask you to elaborate may be in a couple of areas. you have quite rightly of course expressed the need to go beyond the fiscal austerity to the growth strategy. tell us a little more about your growth strategy both for italy and europe. what is a reasonable expectation for the resumed economic growth and italy? what is the fiscal consolidation takes place, the structural reforms began to take effect what could we look for as a

growth target for italy over the coming media term and can you give any estimate of the extent to which the reforms you are now putting in place might generate the growth, any quantitative estimates or even guesstimates on what kind of payoff. >> and then at the european level in your fascinating interview that was in "the wall street journal" yesterday you talked as you did some today about the need for europe as a whole to adopt structural reform including germany, and elaborate a little but their too what specifics you have in mind, what are the priorities, and what could be the payoff in terms of the resumption of european growth in the next two or three years?

>> yes the prospect for growth in italy, well, first of all growth in italy will be necessary not only for the sake of growth and the reduction of unemployment in themselves, but also in order to make the improved budgetary situation sustainable, and i think it's very interesting that since about one year even the rate agencies are putting much more emphasis on growth as a necessary condition for budgetary sustainability. of course we are not putting in

place the strategy for growth from the demand side but certainly we are not compensating the dtv rating and estimates for real economic growth in italy and elsewhere in 2012 by the additional demand, clearly we are not doing this. but i believe that if the markets see the improvements in the policy of look for italy and the sustainability of the budget they will deliver a benefit to

italy in the form of lower interest rates. they will be plagued by a very high interest rate on the medium and long-term treasury bonds. much about the spread between the ten year treasury bond and the german bond that reached 574 basis points on november 9th, the moment in which the political scenario change tenet italy and since has come down to the 344 of this morning which deserves to remarks. one, the coming down of the short term interest rates has been much more remarkable, much

bigger. and this leads many people to believe that there are some political uncertainties that are giving us the water term interest rates leading to what might have been after the elections in italy. but there i would like to be a bit reassuring and one element that goes in this direction many of you will have seen that is the interview that was given to the financial times last week supporting more open than ever before the current government and committing to the support in the medium term now everything can change the like this provides italy with a perspective of stability and that political sector where people are seeing the source of instability. but at any rate of interest rates are coming down more the

short-term than the longer term. i believe that if this potential explosive gets out of the way, this process of the declining will accelerate and i think we carve out through what we did on the budget a bit of a support for growth so the lower interest rates on the treasury's but also indirectly on the bank loans to the company's. and then there is the supply side. we saw the work done by the oecd on the structure reforms, but they leave a specific word on the sort of liberalization measures that italy has not been introducing. a day and others in the bank of

italy come to the conclusion that this opening up markets could altogether generate the ten, 11% increase in productivity half of which could be there in the first three years alone so also were lifted in the short term. and of course we of the global and european policy stance that becomes more gross generating hence our resource on the european level, and i come here to the second part about the structure reforms beyond italy including germany. well, i think there is a lot to be done in terms of the

structure reforms country by country which is in the response of the of the various governments. ..

through a marroquin nation frame of mind. but i think they are more likely to respond positively if one calls them to fully go when the direction of their invention, social market economy at the feet decent fix these, open up markets and i believe that if germany fully went to the domestic services sector, that will stimulate its own growth as well as through increased exports of services from other states to germany, though whole of european growth. but lastly, there are some policies of the ui model, not domestic structures, the policies at the level, which

have been my view to change in order to reflect the growth orientation now that we are no longer in the continent, but the most virtues in the world in terms of budget. that means in particular, much more source is devoted, and many more resources devoted to the e.u. budget and to cross-border infrastructure. and although i happen to be also i would not buy the argument put forward by my colleagues say okay from the e.u. puts a lot of nice to put the nation. certainly we are not ready to have in the future a greater

e.u. budget, but i think this makes no sense because it is a matter of economies of public goods, some of which can only be provided at the level of the e.u. so it would be important that we apply a difficult change in mentality we are working towards, that important that the whole of the policy stands more growth oriented and this will in the end also generate some demand expansion because europe without which purely supply-side reforms were not in themselves generate growth. >> what they ask you again to elaborate on a couple of the comments you just made about the evolution of europe. you are now prime minister of italy, but for a long time

you're been one of the architects of europe. their many commissions. you've written a report about future of europe, not to mention your tenure implementing europe as a commissioner. as europe works its way through the current craze for, what do you see as the long run outlook for the european union as a whole and for the future prospects of the integration exercise? many of us have observed that europe is that the crises over a five or six decade. some are existential. out of all of those coming europe did mean to come out stronger in the foreword. will that happen this time? >> i think this is happening this time already.

we are moving perhaps without being aware puts some degree of even political european. the crisis has brought about that acceptance by national governments have a much greater coordination at the e.u. love flow of national budgetary policies. since last year, the so-called european semester is in place. this means that each of our governments have to submit to you the european commission and to the european council of ministers. in the first half of before it goes to the nation parliament, a draft budget. this is incredible if you think of it.

this was by the european commission for years and years and for decades. this is almost to the southern sovereign parliament. now it is in place. so this is one aspect. then, the extent dins of a match enhanced economic surveillance on even process for structural reforms in member states. so there is an except tints of more operational instruments of supervision by the e.u. so, in itself, disclosed structure of that 27 or the 17 members of the euro area has moved, has moved considerably

thanks, what should say to the great crisis. and if i looked inside theaters time, i would imagine your area that would have a composition were numerous late in the current one, i don't eat countries coming out at zero. i see some countries coming in the euro in the next few years. i believe that the permanent crisis management system, the esm, which we will put in place to both be there as an ordinary instrument for crisis management. the e.u. is not construct it to manage crisis and it was a

fixation see in this crisis for site to update machinery. i believe that we will see if a shift in the competencies, a shift in the functions or perhaps that is relative to the member states assigned areas moving out. for example, they are a slow process, which in my view will accelerate concerning the very sensitive subject, and so, tax policy will be slightly more centralized. but on the other hand, some policies which i've been ranting drafts for decades were in an incubator are now ready to be delivered in the government's third network system. this is the case of competition policy, which in 2004, which was

largely outsourced of authorities of keeping brussels coordination. so i would imagine any europe, which would be not necessarily more kinder some, but focusing on its core business, the court dismissed the business will evolve over time, but the ability to respond to crisis luckily enough is still tear. the worst-case scenario of course would be to have crisis and not be able to respond to them. the best case scenario would be to have an ability to modernize your structures even without crisis. we are not so virtuous yet. >> i wonder question and then i went to open it. he met with the congressional leadership this morning.

you are going to be in the white house to meet with president obama. what can the united states, the rest of the world more broadly do to help you? and is there any specific role to the international monetary fund and coming back into the picture as it did at the outset of the crisis to help support the presumption of stability? >> this is a moment where the german chance lawyer house for two months very constructively asked me what can we do more for you? and maybe this will also be the question by president obama and

the fact it did come up in the meetings this morning with the congressional leadership. i think italy is not an estate, where it needs financial support . but it needs better governance and wants to contribute to the better government. this has largely to be achieved within europe. for example, we came to a deep common understanding with germany that anything which would be improved, the perceptions by the market that figure is down as well cover and in terms of readiness to should protect the adequate firewalls will actually imply a very small

probability of that structure of financial resources that have to be used because they would be credible enough and the fact that they are the. with the u.s., i think that this could be the topic of my conversations and, i don't know, know -- how given the fact that the u.s. is struggling to have budgetary consolidation as we call it and is oriented towards growth and we are doing exactly the same in a different institution on conflict, how he can develop synergies in order to do this more easily.

as to the imf, well, there is a prominent figure of the imf in this room. i would say that the imf is playing a very key and constructive role. i think the imf is derived when it says concerning crisis management and financial firewalls, we cannot do more vis-à-vis europe unless the europeans believe in themselves enough and two in themselves but they can do in terms of firewalls. i think this is a correct attitude. hurray perhaps would see a room

for improvements also on the path of the ims with pete and having a broader understanding of specific situations in which district adherence to a model might prevent a dogmatic solution of the program. i don't have the greatest details about the agreement reached by prime minister p. demos and as the agreement between him and the three political parties, but it is my understanding that many of us in europe including the member states, which traditionally are on the side portion and

discipline believes that this is the moment to consider if there is a minimum of compliant but the requirements this is a moment to turn the page and extinguish this potential explosion. >> okay. the floors soaked in. we have to stay in an accident that. a couple struggling makes here. please identify yourself and then fire away. we've got a question in the back and one over here. >> jon tester with the "financial times." the program will include a richer whack dave class. and otherwise a richer active rewriting upon contracts. won't this impose a brick for bondholders and therefore a higher price for issuers of bond

such as italy and other deficit countries. they are at risk for issuers aside from greece. who will now have to pay more because of greece's rewriting the contract law. of course it was denied that this would have been. not that it has, how credible is the assertion they are just decrease. in other words, isn't there a cost of the rest of the european issuers? >> two things. one, i think the highest political level has been clearly said that after the meeting between germany and france has

caused a lot of problems and will not become a permanent feature policies. secondly, don't she believe i am returning the question of time it, don't you believe that the risk of countries were you writing contracts was already blasting corp. traded in the market and therefore the interest rates already have been cheating at the answer would be yes. so, i don't expect that this was worse than the position of the treasury in the market. whereas, i do think that once this stage is turned, the benefit will be considerable for every issuer and for them

arcades. [inaudible] >> you responded to fred's question on the future of european integration, you didn't talk about the banking sector issue. we now have the banking supervisor assessing the results of the stress test. and determining what they think is needed. but in terms of getting those outcomes, it is up to the individual state to try to figure out what has to be done. and i wonder looking at the future what you see is needed in terms of greater harmonization of string of the banking structure. >> yes, very important point. and i think many politicians in europe thought our friend was too visionary when he was

invoking a really usable supervisory structure they had events proved that he was visionary, but hey the real estate and affect your pet gradually moved towards that direction in the report and the subsequent policy decisions. but i think you are absolutely right. i shouldn't mention this because the banking sector is illustrative of two things. one, when i was saying earlier there has been this affection for integration, well, the european banking system until three, four to five years ago has been very remarkable process

of cross-border integration, then following the crisis, the wish to see a closer to father and mother has prevailed and the state, the treasury is being disorders of the rescued money has been used banks to retrench to some extent. and so there has been more fragmentation in the european banking system. and that is also -- that is because two elements that the european are not pronounced enough yet. one is that there is still a big room for state aid. which is state aid, not e.u. wide aid. in fact i might, there is this

ambivalent, ambiguous situation, for banking supervision is half the between the real e.u. level and the national level. see thank you for raising that. your will not make a decisive forward look towards being an integrated comerica with the appropriate policy instruments at the e.u. level until this is revealed. >> would have to be sure he gets to the white house on time. he also has to have a bite of lunch. with time only for two quick questions. the two at the head of the? ask your questions one after the other. the prime minister can choose how to respond to the two. >> mr. prime minister -- you

describe germany as being a social market economy. you said that the central government in europe should become bigger. don't choose keywords that your message must be taken the wrong way within the republican candidates? and more seriously, how do you respond to the allegations we hear it and the debate here, that europe is a socialist country and america is moving in that direction? >> outlast the second second question and then respond. >> thank you very much, prime minister. germany has grown quite rapidly, but italy has grown relatively slowly and has quite a large deficit, around 3.5% of gdp.

is this a sign of major, major competitiveness loss of italy vis-à-vis germany and the rest of the world? and how does your plan beyond structural reforms, which take a long time to work actually deal with that problem? >> can i take effect at [laughter] the second question first? yes, the answer is unambiguously yes. and italian entrepreneurs and managers in this room with probably confirm that italy has accumulated sizable worsening of competitiveness. and that explains a large extent by italy lasts for 12 or 15

years and has had an average rate of growth about one half the rate, not of those bricks. a bigger area appeared structure reforms played only in the long term. yes and no because coming out of the estimates i gave earlier, some effects of structure can come up rather quick the end i think the direction of policy has really to look at productivity as you would call it, which means a lot of work has been done in the field of the labor market in order to facilitate the productivity they are and a closer relationship

between the rulers and productivity. but also, a lot has to be done by running the two elements of lack of come at a dizziness, which are outside the firm, like infrastructures, like huge bureaucratic burdens. two, each of these can play out only in the relatively long-term. but i think that international investors to market are watching very closely what each country does or does not in these areas. and i perceive a view of italy and the inclination of business community as a view of the country, which is very, very strong fundamentals in many respects, which compares very

well with those of other countries, particularly in europe. i would not leave them here. but they are prevented from generating extra growth because of these constraints. i believe that once the markets would be convinced that things will change and have started changing, i hope of course they will accelerate this process by moving in, like on treasury bonds. i'm not here to promote them. the deputy finance ministers in new york, working also towards that. but given the current levels of still 5.5% raise on medium to long term treasury bonds in

italy, it is perceived that greece is moving outside of the program area and this policy process and italy will continue until it receives at the polls. many people tell me once he reached his conditions there is a remarkable room of their for k. in an italian treasury bonds. the something similar, not that it could've been to achieving ruling on the benefit for competitiveness policies, if this is a once each on germany? now, it is not. i spoke already too much and share many about germany. sorry. but, the first question brings

us inevitably to germany again. i'm sorry. did i describe -- though, if you're past the model of a economy and if i say that they are the a heavier government in brussels for europe, how would this resonate especially with the republicans in congress and in the u.s.? an eminent journalist, so he is more inclined to share pinning and views than in following sophisticated. but the social market economy contains a market for many other countries in europe before the

full impact of european integration, what europe really brings as a pro-market orientation. most of our domestic liberalizations has been achieved because of europe. so europe has been a powerful set to her for liberalizing your economy. and so, speaking about the social market economy is in the appropriate context that is not underlining a socially stifling effect of european integration on the contrary, equally for the governments of europe, i just

said that some functions we have to go up to brussels that can be developed from brussels to the nation of capitals or indeed the regions. so no i do not have that a government. but it is through the borderline between socialism and pro-market at it to. it's very clean and mobile. i always remember in 2001 the previous day i was permission and the previous day i had left the merger and reject good the french state come name. and so, i was described as part

of the u.s. press and is a new liberal -- dangerous neoliberal in the french press. >> mr. prime minister we could obviously go on all day. we wish you the best of luck. we are with you. we should support you. we hope and pray for your success and will commute to the united states. thank you. [applause] >> after his remarks at the peterson institute, italian prime minister mario monti met with president obama at the white house. they talked about economics, regional security and may your son.

from the oval office, and this is about 10 minutes. >> well, hello, everybody. i want to welcome the prime minister monti to the white house for his first visit. had the opportunity to congratulate him after he took on the extraordinary responsibility he has except today. i want to begin by saying that it nice to be able to return the hospitality of the time people. every time i've been to rome, the warmth that has been extended not just in me, but to my family has been extraordinary. and obviously we have a deep and special connection with the italian people. the italian-american community in the united states has not much has an impact as any group within our country. i personally cannot claim tiant

ancestry, although my name ends in about, so sometimes they try to pretend. you know, the prime minister came in at a very difficult time in italian politics and the italian economy. and i just want to say how much we appreciate the strong start that he has embarked on a very effective measures he is promoting inside of italy. your party scene because of his stewardship and his six year hands and his knowledge of economics that not only has he boosted confidence within italy about either form, but it's also been able to generate a confidence throughout europe and in the marketplace that italy has a plan, that takes seriously

fiscal responsibilities, but also emphasizes the need for structural reform. and so, one of the topics of our conversation obviously was my continuing encouragement, the final riccardi done by the prime minister and express their interest in doing whatever we can do to help stabilize the situation in the year of sound, including something we both agree on, which is explorer a stronger european firewall that will allow for a more stable path for repayment of debt, but also promotion of a growth strategy within europe, which is obviously important not only to europe, but the entire world economy back in the united states of america. in addition to other versions that he has economically, prime

minister is the leader of one of our most important allies and it comes to security issues. so i emphasized to him how much we appreciate the sacrifices and outstanding work made by italian forces in afghanistan and we have reaffirmed their commitment to the list and schedule, we transition to full ascii and made by the end of 2014. i emphasized the fact that we could not have been successful in that libya campaign without the extraordinary contributions of our italian partners and we both expressed our interest in working with the transitional government dare, to create a stable pathway towards democracy and economic prosperity.

we discussed the extraordinary after his could've been taken in kosovo to maintain the peace bearing tuccillo with ongoing tensions and we discussed a wide range of diplomatic concerns, including the situation in syria, where we have a great interest in ending the outrageous bloodshed we have seen in the transition from the current government that has been assaulting his people. we also discussed how we can encourage a peaceful and affect the transition i'll swear in the middle east that we discussed with the situation therein and i thanked italy for its his participation in the strong sanctions regime. we have supposed that that we would work as hard as we can to find a diplomatic resolution to

that very difficult situation. so overall, you know, i think the relationship between italy and the united states has never been stronger. i personally have great confidence in the prime minister's leadership and his ability to navigate italy through this difficult time in stabilize the economic situation there and put it on a footing so it can grow and prosper in the turn. i know given the extraordinary talents and gifts at the people, that with the structural reforms, there is no reason why the future for italy should not be extraordinarily bright. so mr. prime minister, welcome. we thank you for your friendship and wish you the very best in the months to come. thank you so much. >> mr. president, thank you so much for having me today at the

white house, and to create privilege and have the first meeting with you after a telephone conversation into your directly from your vision about world affairs and in particular for economic cooperation and common challenges the u.s. and european union and within italy has to tackle. the meeting with the president has been ranging through a number of topics as the president just mentioned. we of course devoted particular attention to the effort going on in italy and i do wish to burn it onto the president for his general supportive work, which in itself are encouragement of

my government to persist longer and i'm glad to say the line towards budgetary consolidation and structure reforms however things may be in the short term aims to be widely understood by the italian public opinion and i think this is a good basis for also the future of the country and we will be there after the prime minister's relation of the current government. with president obama, we went through the interactions that existed between the effort by any particular member state and neobaroque governance of the european union. i found the interest and ailsa saves thorough knowledge of these intricate mechanisms of us in the europeans and we agreed

on this for europe to consolidate budgetary position, to cope with financial tensions and in particular you heard the president mentioned they pulled themselves with firewalls and also the imperative that they chose which can only come particularly in europe, structure of transformation even more for activities and enhanced the m. night they the u.s. is a very good case in point providing examples on the benefit of well functioning market. and of course the u.s. is a living example of what a single markets can provide in terms of growth. in this explains why in europe

later he is insisting on finding more in the audience, the other member states on the fact that europe's programs should rely heavily on an enhanced effort for the single market. i will not go through the various points concerning the strategic agenda in the area of security that the u.s. and italy shared. i confirmed the willingness of italy to play its role within the alliance, which is the digit alliance, which is first of all an alliance of values that we defend and i promise to president obama, renewed

intention to provide not only the necessary resources of women and men for atheist has, but also the knowledge and expertise that italy may have as it regards particularly to some countries in the middle eastern region due to geographic and historical links. so we are the president and i personally am very encouraged by these exchange of views so with difficult to identify points where there isn't agreement, but he it was given to identified points first and foremost where we have common views that we need to step joint actions or

wishes to become reality and finally, if i may conclude that they sent in for an italian president. [speaking in native tongue] [speaking in native tongue]

thank you so much, mr. president. >> i apologize, but i forgot my translation for the long speech. but if anyone is a translation, we've got the translator right here. thank you so much, mr. president. [inaudible conversations] >> thank you, everybody. >> thank you, guys. come on, guys, thank you. >> debate continues in washington over a health and human services department provision that will require employers, including religious

ones should pay for contraceptives for health insurance plans. the obama administration is attempting to reach a compromise with the u.s. conference of catholic bishops and other groups for the first control rule. up next, we'll hear from a group of pro-choice catholic students. and then, house speaker john honor and democratic house leader nancy pelosi talked to reporters. tomorrow morning, conservative political conference continues. the leader from presidential candidate, rick santorum and mitt romney

>> in fewer than 60 days, april 2012, japan will load combined corporate rate to 30%. that with the united states with the highest corporate tax to the entire industrialized world. this dubious distinction will make it more challenging to attract businesses to her mr. at home jobs. >> busying taxon made his sightseeing sausage made. you just don't want to see it. >> and work collectively to support a coherent and equitable tax policy and corporate taxation structure. >> house ways and means took a corporate tax policy for publicly traded companies and how to encourage investment job growth by lowering tax rates and eliminating special tax rates. follow the discussion online at the c-span video library archives and searchable at

c-span.org/video library. the >> students from catholic university, georgetown and american university of maryland lieutenant governor, kathleen kennedy townsend weighed in on the contraception issue. they spoke about their support for the federal health care policy and nuclear church affiliated employers to cover birth control. the news conference posted by the great catholic students from his house is 45 minutes. >> good morning, everyone. thank you for coming to catholic students for women's health at my name is megan spent the night here representing catholics for choice. so, we are going to have a great list of speakers for you from

local catholic universities as well as as well as other local non-catholic universe is followed by a brief question-and-answer period. we were delighted in august of 2011 when the institute of medicine recommended a full package of women's health care services to be covered with a code base under the affordable care. this represented a step forward for women and families of cat makes non-catholics. similarly, we were excited when the department of health and human services nearly -- backlash and opposition from the bishop conservative cat lake and politicians the usual suspects to oppose any ruling that includes contraception. we did not expect a backlash from liberal punditry to do the same. all of this is especially concerning to us however. in light of the fact that regulations on birth control coverage already represent a

severe compromise by excluding church employees, the janitors, housekeepers, cooks, ninth and sunday school teachers on this important coverage. it's also especially concerning to us because the voices of those who will benefit such as those standing behind me today and who do support birth control coverage of us have been drowned out. we know from holes in socialist and that is the 90% of catholic women who are active have used some form of birth-control ban by the vatican. we also got a 65% of cat have indicated they support birth control coverage under a government run private health plans. the bishops in their opposition to this coverage or reject dean our catholic faith by going individual conscience is that those who have decided that birth control is best for them by rejecting our catholic commitment to social justice and to the poor folks who will

benefit from this coverage and rejecting our catholic commitment to religious freedom by attempting beliefs of those who may so differently from non-and it during our faith and commitment to the idea that religious freedom has two sides, both freedom for religion and freedom of religion. we note though that the 90% of catholic women who have used birth control to support this coverage and we know that millions of americans stand to benefit, including not only the 700,000 employees of catholic health institutions, but many students at catholic universe is, both catholics themselves in non-catholic. i'm going to not read the list of speakers as they will appear in order. they will then sit down and we will have them, then present to you. so, callie otte will present

first, followed by kathleen kennedy townsend, lieutenant governor of maryland. eric arad case, keeley monro, florida university alumnus. tanisha humphrey, georgetown university, sandra at georgetown university law chair students for reproductive justice comitatus act for american university students for choice. thank you. >> good morning. my name is tally auto and i'm at the catholic university of america still is president of the cabot students for choice, a

group unrecognized by my university. we are here today speaking out for the millions of students across the country who applied the obama administration's regulation and demand our right to exercise their individual religious freedom by using personal -- by making personal medical decisions without interference by religious authority. we will not back down because we believe that the religious freedom of individual catholics stood meant, no matter what their faith and the need for comprehensive women's health care must take priority to the catholic bishops. as a student who does not private catholicism, i chose to enroll at catholic university because it provides a world-class education, a top-notch tackle the in a city full of opportunities. catholic university prides itself on welcoming students of

all faith and not we are asking for it is for this value to be upheld in the health care, the university provides for students and staff. we are not here to ask the catholic bishop to support a woman's decision to use contraceptives. we are only asking the catholic bishop to have women exercise their individual religious freedom and make their own decisions in regard to the reproductive health. during the visit to my university health center, i had from the doctor of my decision not to remain obstinate. i was told i need to start taking care of my body and protect myself. so i asked, how am i supposed to protect myself when my university doesn't allow comments or other contraceptives? and what catholic bishop do you propose those students who have

severe medical conditions, which can be helped through the use of oral contraceptives to do? have you ever felt the pain of ovarian faith or cramps so painful you need prescription painkillers to get through the day? no bishop, you have not felt this pain. yet, you make decisions for millions of women with such conditions. the university certainly expects all student to the virtuous lives. however, we all know abstinence proves unrealistic for many college students. the university has acknowledged the activity intercampus. however, its attempt to confront these uncomfortable facts of life three mandating storms has been less than 100% effect is and it is time for the bishops to consider the health and safety of the university communities and provide the same access to contraceptives without

co-pay has been deemed necessary for a woman by the institute of medicine. catholic bishop, i suggest you think about what it would be like to spend a day in the shoes of a 20-year-old woman before abusing your authority by demanding they comply with your values. i as well as thousands of student catholic universities across the country support the obama administration's regulations regarding birth control coverage as well as the entire package of women's preventative care coverage. will not compromise. we will not back down. religiously affiliated organizations have the obligation to do what is right by providing women with unfettered access to health care and we refuse to remain unheard. thank you. hot black

>> well said. this is really the students stay. i'm kathleen kennedy townsend from almost 11 children. i know coming from a time when contraceptive is not easily available. i have four daughters, too attended catholic universities and i want to say clearly that catholic women of this generation no but any contraceptive coverage. they need it because they are women of conscience. they make decisions wisely and they can make decisions about what is in the best interest of themselves, their families and their health. the bishops don't seem to realize 90% of catholic women use this. 98%. that means the bishops have not been able to convince the women they are brave. the bishops should not use the

power of the government to do what they can't do themselves. the fact is this is a moral question and a question that women can have the opportunity and right to decide for themselves. this is that this whole argument is about. it is also about politics. they always require catholic institutions cover this. 28 states. so i had this time, and this phone it in the season we have heard this problem. i think it is incumbent on politicians who are out there supporting them in that women are people of conscience are still here. men can be people of conscience, to if they are willing to listen to the needs of women. thank you very much.

[applause] >> my name is eric arad case, ac unit kept a university of america. i was born into a catholic family. i was baptized catholic analyst my life i attended catholic schools. as much as catholicism has been an influential entity of my life, i must say women have also been an influential entity as well. [laughter] not only my mother, tammy the structure joysticks that i have got my very first foothold in steppingstones were for women of my city, i may state enemy country. my first internship in san francisco city hall after congress with matt and nancy pelosi. i then turned for them all and they are forever grateful and i am forever grateful that i stand here today defending women's health programs on campuses and all over the united states.

let us explore how contraception's for contraceptive is perceived among catholics. we toss the number, 90% of catholic women who are abused country set is. this is an overwhelming majority that the catholic church chooses to ignore and this large block of believers cannot be silent anymore. religious leaders are stipulating to radical measures upon a minority that heavily relies on these medications. ..

should stand up for the quality especially when it comes to the independent decision making of an individual male or female. men should rise with women and fight against injustice is that shackle the progress of society. equal access to health care for women is not a religious issue. birth control thus far more the mekouar catholic church receives and helps millions of women around the world every day. religious powerhouses are hijacking our first amendment and manipulate the american

population to perpetuate the facade that the church is the victim to progress. the real victims are the 98% of catholics who have to hide the contraception use and be shunned from an important entity. in their lives they should be more accepting than judgmental. this is not a war on religion. yet the church has repeatedly denounced the progress of women. the 98% of catholics along with all other contraceptive users and defenders of equality must stand up against the irrationality that it increasingly is becoming the status quo. president obama has done a good deal to protect women's health programs and we are forever grateful what he and supporters of the progress everywhere are doing to keep health care accessible to all. we will continue our efforts to support health care for the

women on campuses everywhere. thank you. [applause] >> good morning. i am speaking today both as a university alum and as a reproductive advocate, and i am here as my fellow speakers and are to say that where a woman goes to school she shouldn't determine her access to contraception. we are perfectly capable of making the decision ourselves and the law we should support us on that. i remember as and eager 18-year-old ready to for jordan to the adult world on my own thinking there was no bigger decision than deciding where i would go to college because it would help shape who would become. in part because of the catholic

teachings and tradition i loved as a child and because i connected to the traditions of quality education and public service. they promised to nurture my individual that the -- nurture mauney individual the end to confront in justice, and in one way i am a dedicated to the cause of social justice and i still deeply respect the education i received and the lasting values the instilled in me, but they also let me down, not just as a cheesy personal want ad but i would single 18-year-old female slight the controller for my own body looking for affordable contraceptions and finding contraceptions was about as easy as finding a good man for a want

ad. [laughter] my girlfriends and i figured out how to protect ourselves and how to stay healthy but it wasn't on their account. by denying us access to contraception, they didn't support us as they had promised to do. they put obstacles in the way of us reaching our potential and fulfilling our promise to them. challenging social injustice. this is idea of social justice that exists for me and many catholics seems to be lost in the current battle over contraceptive access. social justice is a value that requires us to recognize the needs of others and helps them to fulfill those needs so they can little fi and productive lives. the u.s. catholic bishop claimed the same values when they say that the decisions violate the catholic religious beliefs but their decision doesn't include women. they say that it violates their

religious conscience but whose conscience really matters when it comes to birth control decisions? and my fellow speakers have said most women use contraception at some point in their life including 98% of catholic women and judging by the fact that only 10% of u.s. catholics believe that church leaders have the final say about contraception might think we can all agree a woman's own conscience matters the most in matters relating to her health and life. the affordable care act is about fulfilling the need many women face, helping us to access quality affordable health care and contraceptive access plays an important role in doing that because it will make women healthier and families more economically secure. the u.s. catholic bishops want to move us away from the affordable care act aims to do by limiting access to contraception to certain women

based on who they work for or where they go to school. this is simply wrong and an injustice to all women. i am here to stand with the president and their decision to stand up with me and the needs of today's students. thank you. [applause] >> hello. i'm a senior majoring in sociology of georgetown university. i'm the outreach coordinator a pro-choice organization that is affiliated with georgetown university deutsch to our stance on abortion, birth control, the vaccine, condoms and most other areas of reproductive health. this is the only place to get condoms for free or any tall on the campus. i had a lot of reservations about going to catholic

university, but i chose georgetown because of their belief and pluralism and founding principle. to nurture the whole person. i was assured the points of view that differed from those considered to be the catholic norm would be respected and even nurtured in my four years at georgetown and for the most part, they have been. the georgetown community accepts me as a person of color, as a bisexual, as a person from a low-income background. we're i feel georgetown failed in their mission is to respect me as a woman. universities have a responsibility to ensure the health and well-being of their student population that it currently at georgetown that is primarily women. the majority of students at georgetown are women and for the women, their partners and families birth control isn't just a matter of convenience, it

is a basic necessity for every woman who wishes to prevent pregnancy as long as catholic universities continue to deny access to the reproductive health services they are also ignoring a fundamental part of the women's health. i have heard horror stories of friends who are unable to use their student health insurance plan to access contraceptives and have been forced to pay out of pocket for these expenses. when not covered by insurance, birth control can be as high as $50 a month or higher, and expense by fellow students and by are simply not able to afford. by ignoring women's health and putting women aside and leaving them to gamble with the availability of the necessary preventative services, catholic universities are failing in their responsibilities to this when the bishops asked me what i expected when i went to the catholic university, it's not this.

like to many universities, there's an environment, a stigma and shame. no woman should have to be exposed to that for making the responsible decisions to access birth control. if you have a conflict with birth control, catholic bishops, you can choose not to use it. it angers me that georgetown is trying to take that decision away from young women. they are violating our consciousness. finally, i am so happy to be standing among these brave men and women. i am so glad that catholics are standing and saying that catholicism is not anonymous with opposing birth control. we know that catholic women use contraceptives. those working or studying at georgetown should have the same right to contraceptives as our peers working or studying at george washington university. i'm happy with the obama administration's decision to stand with and respect women.

i hope the students and the religiously affiliated colleges and universities wouldn't continue to be denied their basic rights of contraceptives because it doesn't cover the services. it is and my place to the gulf conflict church what to believe but as a student i must speak against what i believe when it comes to a decision there will directly impact my peers and body, college students trust their university and it is their job to nurture and support us so that we can grow into the best people we can be and as we grow and to those people it is their job to trust us as well. denying service is no way to support your students. women should be allowed access to birth control and universities should be facilitating that, not restricting it. that is not pluralism. that is not respecting me as a whole person. i am not nor will i be ashamed of my decision to access birth control.

any university disrespects women and health care centers by denying access to birth control are the ones that should be ashamed of themselves. to those that are trying to take the access to contraceptives, know that we will not stand down. we will demand contraceptives and women's health services. [applause] >> good morning. on may 3rd year student and also a member of georgetown law students for reproductive justice, or lsrj. georgetown lsrj is here today because we are so thankful to the obama administration for faithfully implementing the nonpartisan medical recommendation of the institute of medicine to read this regulation meets the critical need for the young and

vulnerable women on the campuses of some of the nation's largest and more prestigious universities. campuses where female students should not be discriminated against to read at georgetown the students struggle with a lot of contraceptive coverage because its financial, emotional and medical burden. without insurance coverage of contraception can cost as much as $3,000 during law school to read that as an entire summer salary for a law student. for students who can't afford it, they are forced to go about contraceptive. the risk pregnancy, and to be frank, abortion that could be easily avoided. other women who spend hours sitting in a free medical clinics missing class, trying to figure out how you're going to get accessible and affordable both control. every so often new female students e-mail the lsrj or find is in the hallway and whispered questions to us as if we are dealers who know how to fight illicit drugs. they are panicked and they are stressed because they don't know how to get birth control and as

a first-year law student they don't sleep alone try to figure out something like this. let alone spend the time on a bus travelling to the clinic that might not even have the birth control prescription that you need on the day that you go. >> thank you very much. in the worst cases women who needed this medication for other medical reasons have suffered dire consequences. one example is a friend of mine, one example among many. she has polis sestak overby center man has to take a prescription birth control to stop them from growing on her ovaries. her prescription is technically covered by the university entrance because it's not intended to prevent pregnancy but when you let my university administrators and your

employers decide and dictate which medical needs are appropriate and accessible and which don't instead of women and their doctors, then religious zealotry, and it is sultry when 98% of catholic women don't even follow the rule, that takes precedence over health. it's common and when i say, 1965 present cases. forced to dance to be interrogated by the university medical staff about why they need these prescriptions and whether or not they are lying about the symptoms would you want your employer to ask you questions like that? for my friend and 20% of women in her situation, she never got the insurance company to cover that prescription and to fight the good despite verification, after a few months she just couldn't afford it anymore. she was denied repeatedly on the assumption that she really wanted the birth control to prevent pregnancy. she is gay side of thinking she was more concerned about the overuse syndrome than accidental

pregnancy. after months of paying out of pocket she couldn't afford it anymore and she had to stop taking. i learned all of this when i walked out of a test and received a message from my friend that in the middle of her final exam period she had been in the emergency room all night in excruciating pain of. without her taking her birth control and massive cyst had developed on her ovary. she had to have surgery and had to have that overeat removed. last night i got another message from her. she has an appointment next week because the doctors are concerned that the removal of her over the advanced her body into early menopause. as she put it, if it has i have no chance of having babies, none at all. she has a better chance of the health complications that come with having menopause at an early age to increased risk of cancer, heart disease and osteoporosis. in "the new york times" -- these

situations are rare. thank god except they are not. resurvey women on our campus. nearly 40 per cent of them had a significant financial burdens as the result of the lack of birth control coverage. another student told us she new birth control wasn't covered, and neither was emergency contraception. and she assumed that is how georgetown in germans treat all of the sexual health needs when she was raped she didn't go to the doctor even to be examined or to be tested for sexually transmitted infections because she figured georgetown insurance wouldn't cover something like that. this is a message that not requiring the contraceptions and spirit of this policy says women's reproductive health care is a necessity, isn't a priority. as one student put it this policy communicates female students at our school doesn't understand our needs and doesn't respect our choices. these are not male students

experience and not the burdens the male students must shoulder. in the media lately, conservative catholic organizations have been asking what did we expect when we enrolled at a catholic school? we can only answer that we expected women to be treated equally, to have their medical needs met, to not ever was cool create burdens that interfered with our academic success. we expected that when we told our university the problem this policy created for the student body they would help us. we expected that when a 94% of the students oppose the policy the university would respect our choices regarding student insurance that we pay for entirely as students totally on subsidized by the university. we did not expect the university would continue to refuse the female students this critical medical care and we did not expect women would be told in the national media that if they wanted comprehensive insurance that met our needs, not just

those of male students and they should have done elsewhere even if that meant a sacrifice to education and we didn't expect to hear claims of religious sanctity when georgetown provides subsidized health insurance to its faculty and designed it by only its students and we didn't expect to be told that this is an affront to religious liberty when 77% of the catholic law schools already provide contraception coverage to their students. we didn't expect the voices of conservative, wealthy male donors and the catholic hierarchy would be more important to our universities than our voices, the voices of students a nina. that isn't what any of us expected that that's what we got. now what we expect is that the law of the country will protect vulnerable students. we expect that the obama administration will stand firm on their decision to care for female students at catholic schools. it's the only morally right

thing to do, and we are confident that they are not going to let us down. [applause] >> i'm 19-years-old and a junior at american university. i'm very lucky and privilege to be able to attend a university and especially one that respects me enough to trust i can make decisions for myself and for my future. i'm here with fellow students attending the catholic university's. fellow students who deserve the respect and trust i received. students who have the right to make responsible an educated decision about their bodies. students who came to college so that they could grow independently and become successful adults. students who deserve access to affordable birth control. it is well known that birth control saves lives around the

globe. it has been practiced for thousands of years. yet, in 2012 we have to fight the young women to access contraceptives. i'm elated to be able to stand here today with other young people in favor of the basic human rights it scares me because of the prevalence of the unplanned pregnancies high rates of the sexually transmitted infections and the growing number of young people who contract it hiv or are living with aids. the fault that people my age are forbidden contraceptives terrifies me. i went to high school in chicago, and when i saw several friends and peers experience unplanned pregnancies and discover they were hiv-positive girls taking pregnancy tests and between glasses coming up with a backup plans in case a friend gets kicked out by her parents taking them to local clinics to get tested for hiv, waiting for the results and holding a

friend's hand as she tells her parents she's pregnant. i've seen it all but i do not judge any one of my friends or peers who had this experience, and neither should you, not one. we shouldn't blame them for listening to trusted adults. we should blame the adults in their lives to shame them for having sex who lied to them about the effectiveness of condoms and birth control and use their positions of power and authority to tell them dog wouldn't love them if they use contraceptives. we should place the blame upon those who do not trust my friends, me or any of us to make positive educated decisions. we are the generation during the first wave of aids related debt in the early 90's. we are the information and a message to protect ourselves to

save our generation yet we are told we are acting immorally that we are irresponsible, that you're committing a sin that we should keep our legs closed. i believe it is immoral to let another generation be lost to hiv. it's immoral to lie to young people love other options regarding sexual health. it's immoral to deny the life-saving measures to young people. it is immoral to infringe upon the rights of another person. while we are living in the reality of hiv we need to acknowledge that sex is not a death sentence is a natural part of being human, and chances are most people are going to have sex at some point in their lives. thus access to birth control is a matter of health and human rights. we need to acknowledge these basic facts. women deserve to make decisions for themselves. without anyone else, catholic bishops are not restricting access to family planning tools. i've often heard that the use or

the future of the country. but how can you trust us with the future of the united states of america to cannot trust us to make responsible decisions for our own bodies i am 19-years-old and i believe that every single person in this room, in this city and the country deserves access to birth control. birth control without judgment, without a co-payment, and without secrecy. we deserve more than being another generation lost to hiv and aids and deserve the option to planned unplanned pendente. we deserve choices, we deserve a future. thank you. [applause] >> thank you to all of our speakers and i now going to invite all of them up for a brief question and answer period

>> are there any questions? >> is the issue that catholic university doesn't allow doctors to prescribe or that they don't pay for? >> catholic university's -- >> use the microphone, please. catholic university doesn't allow it or prescribing. we can't have condoms on campus. you're penalized for that. we can't get birth control of our health centers. and what we are asking for is to be able to get these things and not have to pay for them because that's just ridiculous to assume

are there other limitations you do have to pay for under your health insurance or are they covered? >> others are covered. >> free of charge? >> yes. >> i have to go to a health center and i received from the health center penicillin, antibiotics from the doctor and these medications are available and accessible at no cost at all for the students but things like contraceptions and birth control are absolutely not prescribed cannot give in and not covered. >> one thought to that. if bishop's -- they shouldn't have to pay for the medicine that they find objectionable to the religious conscience and i for a lot of you talk about accessing the issues to the

contraceptives. but do you think they should have to pay for them in the end or would you be satisfied if your school for example provided access to these even if you did have to pay for them? >> i am paying $50,000 a year to go to college. i think i should be able to give birth control with about $50,000. >> and also with the religious, like i said the religious liberty complex, i find it very troublesome that they are traveling a minority through the freedom and through to negate a freedom with another freedom is very hypocritical that the church is using right now and must be stopped with rationality and with the minority standing and saying no to the estimate of

the obama administration appears to be considering some sort of compromise on this but they might have the interest leaders concerned and appear to include things like having contraception as a separate. what sort of compromise might be acceptable to you and which ones might not? >> i will say that from our perspective any compromise on this issue would represent an extreme step back for all of the folks standing behind me today as well as other students and at the completion of the university's keefer institutions and on catholic institutions. as i mentioned earlier this decision already represents a compromise in the fact it contains any refusal clause whatsoever to allow certain institutions to opt out but i will invite some of our other speakers to seal the question as well. >> i would also like to speak

partially to the previous question in terms of the catholic bishops not wanting to pay for something that they find objectionable. they have a student body at the university, student body that they have accepted at least in some part responsibility for. and they should also be able to recognize how important contraceptives or to the health of the student body. and so to say that you find a certain part of health needs objectionable and therefore don't want to be responsible for them that's a huge cutout and one that i don't feel should be allowed. >> any further questions? >> beyond the groups you have purchased peaden can you tell me with the general feeling is on the campuses that you belong to whether it is the controversy or whether it's how big of an issue