200 pages of regulatory language that often accompanies these sorts of bills. we think we can have a very straightforward, simple piece of legislation to enshrine the principles in legislation. which allows multi- stakeholders to take over to actually fill in the specifics as to how these principles will be interpreted, in particular industry sectors, as relates to particular elements of the bill of rights. then we would depend on strong enforcement by the federal trade commission of any codes of conduct that a company decides to adopt. all of this could be voluntary. i'm not a regulator. i cannot force anyone to do anything in terms of adopting regulations, which is why the department of commerce is the perfect place to run a process of this type. people will know that what comes out of the process will be what

they come working together, were able to achieve as a consensus. our job is to be the facilitator and convener to make that happen. >> how much space you have an internet players to adequately sell police on privacy issues? >> we have had a lot of interest from industry as well as the consumer groups to purchase a bait and develop the codes. once a company adopts a code, this goes back to the federal trade commission enforcement issue. if they don't follow the code, the federal trade commission can bring enforcement actions. one of the reasons we would like the basic principles enshrined in legislation is for those companies that choose not to participate in that process. we do want to ensure a basic level of protection for all citizens, and that would be done through the enactment of the bill of rights into legislation,

which would then be directly enforced by the federal trade commission. but we can move forward with these codes well before any legislation is enacted by congress. in fact, we do intend to start the process of convening folks that work on codes as quickly as we can. >> the world wide web consortium which creates standards for the web, they are in washington dc this week -- they are recommending a do not track system that would give consumers one quick option and mechanism that would bar them from tracking them across different websites. fcc chairman jon leibowitz has said that "do not track" should not be do not collect data. what are your thoughts on how "do not track" should function? >> my thoughts or i want to be a fear facilitator and convener on outcomes that other people decide. i think that every time the

department of commerce puts its finger on the scale and says this is what has to be the outcome, i think that potentially weakens or damages the process that we want to see happen. i have to really resist the impulse to step in and say, well, here is what the department of commerce thinks the answer should be. that is not our job. our job is to facilitate and convene these other parties and help them reach consensus. and for us to say what we think the outcome needs to be actually could be destructive of that process two larry strickling, we only have a few minutes left. i want to ask you about something that he recently talked with mary bono mack about. that is the u.n. and control of the internet. what are your peers with regard to the u.n.? and where do you agree with mary bono mack? >> this is an issue that has been emerging for some period of time. it is coming to a head over the next year or two due to activities of other nations, as well as some international

conferences that will be coming up here this year and next year. in particular, the international telecommunication union will beholding a conference on international talk mutations. the other being a standards conference, and then they will follow up with a telecommunications policy conference next year. we are concerned in the united states government with the interest of some of these organizations and some individual nations to take what has worked so well to create the internet that we know as this marvelous engine of economic growth and innovation, and put it into the hands of more top-down government control, we find that quite threatening to the success of the internet. in d., thinking back to he r discussion on privacy a few moments ago, that very much

informed argued that we want to take advantage of multi- stakeholder process to settle what the civics will be as opposed to top-down regulation. if you expand that idea to the international community, it is the same tuition. we have result in turn the light on organizations, such as jasmine mentioned, so that these multi- stakeholder organizations have allowed the internet to develop the wait has weight has developed. we want to preserve that. we are quite concerned when we see individual nations suggesting that maybe this ought to be handed over to a group of governments to run. all of a sudden, we lose the flexibility and creativity that has so characterized the development of the internet. we very much want to push back against those notions, where ever they emerge in the international arena over the next couple of years. >> unfortunately, we are out of time. larry strickling.

ntia administrator and jasmin melvin, telecommute patients reporter for reuters. thank you for being on the program. >> thank you. >> mr. clemons, once again, i remind you that you are under oath. why would laura pettit will

number about the conversation? >> once again, a kinkiness remembers -- i would've known it but he would've done. [inaudible] he has come to me to ask about the events of it. on the five-year anniversary of the virginia tech shootings, members of gun violence prevention meant to talk about gun regulations. this is an hour and a half.

>> good afternoon. i am dan gross, and i'm not just president of the brady campaign. but today my brother matthew gross and i are proud to be part of the 32. we want to welcome all of you here today. it is a beautiful day and an exciting day, but it is a somber day. five years ago today, 32 people were killed at virginia tech. in the worst mass shooting in u.s. history. but this is not just a somber day because of the tragic anniversary that it represents. it is a somber day because today, 32 more will be murdered by guns in our nation. yes, another virginia tech will happen today, like it happens everyday. and that is why we are here. to say enough is enough, and

told the people who do their work in that behind us, to put an end to this madness. we are here with the survivors from across our nation to represent the 32 that were lost five years ago at virginia tech and to represent the 32 that were murdered by guns and murdered by guns by her nation everyday. we not be a bad the nra convention, had the gall to complain about all the media attention on the trayvon martin tragedy. we ask what about the tragedies that occur everyday? well, wayne, here they are. thirty-two of them, and they blame you and the politicians who do your bidding every bit as much as the media does. the fact is not just the trayvon

martin tragedy, but most of gun violence could be prevented if congress would take simple action to start arming dangerous people. right now, the sobering reality is that too many people who work in that building, too many people who have been elected to represent all of you and all of us are putting the agenda of the gun lobby and head of the very lives of the people they have been elected to represent. as a result, they are putting the guns in the hands of people like george zimmerman, a man with an arrest record and history of violence. people like the perpetrators of the tragedy he would hear about today. arming dangerous people just to support a lobby that sells guns. that is shameful, it is immoral. it is almost criminal. that is why we are here in dc this week. to demand congress made it clear whose vision they support. the nra is dark paranoid vision of guns just about anywhere? or our vision of an america

where tragedies like ours and the 32 others that will occur today no longer happen. specifically, we are here to demand two things from congress. number one. to tell the senate to reject what we call the george zimmerman armed want to act. legal bill, introduced days after the trayvon martin tragedy, sums up the dark vision of the gun lobby. it would force virtually every state to honor the permit of every other state. in other words, if your state has sensible gun laws, it might prevent someone like george zimmerman, a man with an arrest record and history of violence, from carrying a loaded gun on your street. a george zimmerman in your state can apply for a permit and carry it on your streets. and there's nothing you or the one person can do about it. the second thing that we are here to do today is to introduce and demand to every person in congress that they sign this statement of principle against

arming dangerous people. here's what it says. plain and simple. i believe that these people should not be able to buy, own, or carry a gun anywhere in our nation. convicted felons, convicted domestic abusers, terrorists, and people found to be dangerously mentally ill. that is it. either you are against putting guns in the hands of these people, people directly responsible for thousands of gun deaths each year, or you are in favor are bombing them. plain and simple. any congressperson who does not sign the statement can only be considered to be in favor of arming dangerous people or putting an agenda ahead of the people they have been elected to represent. the gun lobby and the politicians who do their bidding would like you to think that this is a competent at issue. but it is not. either you subscribe to the gun lobby's dark vision of selling more guns with no concern who you sell them to, or what they're going to do it them, or

you subscribe to a vision of an america free from gun tragedies like ours. the 32 here today to represent not only ourselves and our loved ones i'm a butt every american that has had enough of gun violence in our nation. to demand a nation free from the reign of terror that the gun lobby holds over capitol hill. to demand a nation free from gun violence. now, it is my pleasure, to introduce a man who has been a great leader and support a sensible gun laws. a man who has put the agenda of the people he represents ahead of the agenda of the gun lobby. the honorable commerce and jim moran from the eighth district of virginia. [applause] [applause] >> thank you. i want to thank all of you for joining us to mark this solemn occasion. the fifth anniversary of the horrific violence that occurred

on the campus of virginia tech, taking the lives of 32 wholly innocent people and wounding another 17. it is an honor to share this remembrance with a brady campaign and victims alike colin goddard and his family. and also other people you will hear from. they have taken this tragedy and responded by risk fighting for responsible gun laws. in doing so, we tried to show respect to those lives were lost that day. this may give their memories enduring purpose. we are gathered on the anniversary -- the fifth anniversary of the virginia tech shooting. the fact is that we could be observing a remembrance and

anniversary nearly every day of every year of victims of gun violence. in fact, since that day in 2007, 12 more mass shootings of a similar nature have occurred. claiming the lives of 92 people. it didn't stop. it continues. and it will continue, unless we have sensible responsible legislation. just weeks ago, a gunman opened fire at a small religious university near oakland, california, killing seven and wounding three. americans need to ask, where is the outrage? each year, over 100,000 people are shot with a firearm, 20,000 of whom are children. more than 30,000 americans die each year in gun related incidents, including 12,000 were

murdered. it should be shopping to all americans that the gun homicide rate in the united states is 20 times higher than it is in all other comparable, supposedly civilized, industrialized countries. so you have to ask, why are gun crimes in the united states so much more prevalent than in the rest of the world? of course come a good place to start is the fact that we now have nearly as many guns in the united states for every man, woman, and child who lives here. guns permeate our culture. and despite the overwhelming number of guns in the united states and the correspondingly large number of gun related deaths, the nra and other gun groups believe the answer to that gun violence that those

guns generate is even more guns. they want to expand and conceal carry laws. in fact, protections, for those that use their guns irresponsibly. here in congress and in far too many state houses across the country, their site is in fact winning. loosening already porous gun laws and blocking the passage of any sensible gun control measures. in fact, i understand there are as many as 30 states that now have vigilant a loss. comparable to florida's. thanks to the national rifle association and the american legislative exchange council, who works hand-in-hand with them. even though it didn't come from

any grassroots effort on the part of citizens, it came from the top, it came from the nra, working with legislators. with threats of political repercussions if they don't comply and, of course, rewards, clinical and financial rewards when they do. invariably, they have been. there are too many elected officials who are aware of the damage that gun violence that's where society. those who understand that this is an affront to our most basic values. the right to life. the right to the liberty to be able to walk safely on your streets. the right to happiness that has been destroyed by the senseless want of violence and the

happiness of the thousands of loved ones. those who have lost people in their lives in ways that nothing could have been done to stop it. the sadness that throughout our society for these inexplicable losses. now, some believe that the erroneous idea of strengthening of gun laws is the affront to the second amendment. others are afraid of political consequences to do what is the right thing. either way, it is a failure of leadership. but that is the role of the brady campaign and each of you here today. to make your voices heard on this issue and to let the members of congress know what every poll has demonstrated over the last several years.

the american public supports commonsense laws that protect communities from gun violence. as we pay tribute to the memories of those precious lives that were lost five years ago at virginia tech, let us commit ourselves today to doing all that we can to enact sensible laws that could prevent this tragedy from returning time and again. we owe that. we at least owe that to the lost lives that give us occasion to be here today. thank you all. [applause] [applause] >> thank you, congressman moran. the congressman talked about how it is the role of brady and the folks here to start holding our congress accountable. i would build on that by saying

that it is the role of the american public to start doing that. and not just based on the magnitude of this problem, which you are right, congressman, should be shopping to everyone. but because of a shockingly simple solution that exists. we are here to ask on behalf of the american public very simple questions, like senator vitter. do you think or do you not think that george zimmerman, a man with an arrest record and violence history, should be permitted to carry a loaded, hidden gun on the street of any state in this country? we are here to ask questions like representative, do you think that a convicted felon should be able to walk into any place in our country and by eight gun without any background check? these are the simple questions, and these are the questions around which our leaders are failing us. we are going to put a laser

focus on this and start to hold the people accountable for the decisions that they are making. the decisions that have resulted in many tragedies you ever heard about. the decisions that cost lives every year. it is my honor to introduce colin goddard, who was there at virginia tech that day five years ago, and he will share his story with you. >> good morning. i would like to begin by saying that i spent the first year of my life in somalia. my family moved to bangladesh. then my family moved to jakarta, indonesia, before war began to erupt. my family moved to cairo, egypt, during the attacks on 9/11 and the ensuing wars in afghanistan. all the while, my extended family living here in the states

was petrified for my safety. couldn't wait for me to come back to america, where it was safe to live. finally, once i enrolled at university, at virginia tech in a small southwest virginia town, i get put in the most dangerous situation it of my entire life. here in america. it was that day that started me on this path, but we seem what happened to me happens to other families. it ultimately brought me here today. which is why i want to invite a symbolic group of 32 for the 32 people killed at virginia tech five years ago today, and the 32 americans we lose every single day. some people here were associated with shootings that you have heard about. those that were on the front page of the newspaper. others, shootings you have not heard about. so we want to take the state that everyone acknowledges is the worst mass shooting in our

history, and to acknowledge the greater tragedy that happens every single day that goes unnoticed. further, we are up here because of what i heard said from elected leaders. after the virginia tech shooting, after the shooting in tucson, after the shootings that happen everyday. now is not the time to talk about gun violence. now is not the time that it's not appropriate to talk about solutions. so my question to speaker john weiner, and air cancer and every single member who works up here, is that today, the fifth anniversary of the worst shooting in our countries history, is not the time -- is tomorrow, win32 more americans will be killed from gun fire? which day is the time? which they would it be appropriate for you to talk about this issue? and talk about what we can do? it is beyond time for us, which

is why we are here. to make you talk about this. to bring this in front of you, and demand your support commonsense solutions that the vast majority of your people support. i am honored to be here with the 32 families, and at this point, i turn it over to them. thank you very much. [applause] [applause] i would like to now introduce my brother, matthew, who will say a couple of words about his tragedy. the. >> hello. i was shot at the empire state building from a guy who interest doing under -- he shone in my head. as you can see, i didn't die, but he also killed my guitars and my friend.

what can i say? i would like to challenge everyone to stand up to congress and outlaw guns. just what it says they are. thank you. [applause] [applause] >> now we will hear from the rest of the 32, one by one, in alphabetical order. jeanne bishop. >> this is my younger sister nancy and her husband richard. nancy was 25 years old and three months pregnant when an intruder broke into their home and shot them to death. in cold blood. she was for it pregnant. he tried to poison their own family with poisoning their mouth. i'm trying to ask congress to make sure that guns do not get into the hands of dangerous

people like the ones who killed my family members. thank you. >> pamela bosley. i'm her here to talk about my sn was murdered in chicago. my son, who is murdered on april 4, 2006, while he helped his friend at church. he was safe until someone took his life. he was a son who loved his family, he was in his first year college, and he was a lifelong dreamer that he wanted to play the bass. this ended when a 45 illegal caliber gun and shot my son. the death devastated my family and my youngest son. there is not a day goes by that i do not miss and think about my son.

even though it has been six years, the terrible pain remains the same. no mother should ever have to bury their son, and i demand congress to get the guns out of the hands of the people who are sitting there with them, and bring justice to my son. [applause] [applause] sherialyn byrdsong. >> this is my husband, ricky, who, for 19 years, was a division i basketball coach. his last place of coaching was at northwest university. we met when we were 16 years old, and for 27 years, we experienced the american dream. then, on july 2, 1999, our american dream became the american nightmare. ricky was gunned down in cold

blood while he was jogging with our two youngest children, ages eight and 10 in our quiet neighborhood in illinois. outside of chicago. i lost my husband and best friend. my three children lost a great father. ricky had been a basketball coach at northwestern and had written a book about coaching your kids to be winners in the game of life. after coaching come he committed his life to developing community. he was devoted to his family and faith, and the world in my family lost a great man that day. all because of a dangerous man who never should've had a gun. particular was a neo-nazi with a violent past. he didn't just kill him, he went on a shooting spree that weekend. shooting at 29 people, wounding nine people, and killing two people.

.. while bond conagra's close this loophole? i learned as a child that the love of money is the root of all evil. it is a sane and a shame that

agreed and money drive instead of consciousness and common sense. i am here today to call on congress to act now to pass common sense going laws to keep guns away from dangerous people. [applause] we are going to ask congress should the man who shot ricky be able to buy a gun anywhere in our country legally? david juan carrion. >> and i am here to honor the memory of angela denise dale's the mother of our oldest grandchild who was shot and killed in the first school shooting here in virginia, the appalachian schools law on january 16th, 2002, when three people were gunned down and three people were murdered. unfortunately, in the state of

virginia, and i'm going to be addressing virginia because we have an enormous problem, we continue to live under the shadow of a bipartisan d.c. enrichment. many politicians have fallen prey to the political agenda and fear of the national rifle association, and they have willingly opted to confuse and cover up these tragedies. the governor's review panel report on the shooting at virginia tech is an example of this cover up and i have documentation with me if any of you would like it. the state of a virginia pit for the victim's $100,000 for their dead children and spouses, and they paid for three-quarters of a million dollars to a firm it does business with the state of virginia to write a report that covers it up. that is a conflict of interest by anybody's definition.

the report was written to prevent anyone from being held accountable for his or her actions or inactions. we will come here every day if it will help wake up politicians to their responsibilities to keep guns out of the hands of those who are violent and a danger to themselves and others. we are here to honor not only the people we have lost, but all of the victims of school shootings, those that have been wounded and those that are psychologically scarred by the tragedies. [applause] >> lisa. no, she's not here. sorry. mindy finklestein.

>> good afternoon. almost 14 years ago i was a camp counselor at the north valley jewish community center where naim fallin and mentally ill man who was a member of the nation's tried to kill me. i was 16-years-old at the time, but i was lucky because buford field that day and for the last 13 years i tried to lend my voice to this cause telling members of congress there is no reason he should have had that gun but for 13 years i've been brushed aside no one seems to think the conversation is worth having. but you can't ignore us today. look me in the eye and say there was nothing any of us could do to prevent a convicted felon and criminally insane man to walk into the jewish community center and gun down innocent children. you are wrong. you are dead wrong. this past year my friend brian kaplan was shot and killed and his friend's garage in the same neighborhood where i was shot 13 years ago.

he was 32-years-old, had a two and a half-year-old daughter and his wife was pregnant with twins. the pain i have that my friend was taken away by a gun and assault rifle mind you is too much to handle. i promised myself i cannot and will not let any more of my friends be killed because congress isn't willing to listen to us. i know not to speak because of what happened to me 13 years ago but on his behalf of his children that will grow up without their father. for them, myself, and for all of us here today whose voices are silenced, please help us make sure that no one else has to suffer tragedies like any of us have had to suffer. thank you very much. [applause] >> good afternoon. my name is andrew and you have already heard from my son. i'm looking at my watch. i know what i was doing five years ago today at almost the exact moment. i was on the telephone with a surgeon discussing my son's

injuries trying to keep it together for the rest of my family. nine months after i suffered that injury to our family i went to the virginia general assembly to see what was going to be done to change things in virginia. imagine my surprise when everyone seemed to tell me now is not the time to talk about such a thing. nine months after 32 people were killed in virginia it wasn't the time to talk about it. imagine my discussed when i realized it wasn't time to talk about a bill the would return gun rights to people that had mental illness and said they now recovered from that. why you can't do anything to stop someone who is has mental problems and is having difficulty with his life you can't stop him from getting a gun but we should be concentrating on allowing people who've gotten past that point to get guns again and i've been back every year since and every year it's not the time, it's not

the time to talk about strengthening the gun laws but miraculously it is the time to talk about weakening them and now after this many years i say that enough is enough. we are going to do something about strengthening on laws. thank you. [applause] >> laurie. >> good afternoon. my daughter emily was shot twice in the back of her head five years ago today, and as difficult as this is for me to stand here today i can only think of the pain and the harder and the sadness and just the utter devastation to those 32 families that morning and 32 families everyday because dangerous people continue to have access, easy access wherever they want, whenever they want to weapons. but i am here to challenge and suggest that we can fix this

problem. a background check as a matter of moments we have the technology and the means and matter and the determination, and we are going to seize it that our representatives and our legislators hear our voice and understand that we need to do what it takes to do a background check on every firearm purchasers and we need to do what it takes to get the records, the squall fires and those records into the background check system so that joe who passed the check because his record wasn't in the system, can no longer buy a firearm. i suspect that today somewhere in one of your home towns, one of your neighborhoods and your neighbor come your friend, your call week, your child, you're on or and, is being murdered or gunned down by somebody that had easy access to a gun because they didn't undergo a background check. and because they are disqualified whether it is a

felony conviction, mental health conviction, drug abuse or the other six disqualify years the records one of the system. we can fix it, and i am determined to help to do that. thank you. >> lori invited me to come up with her and by may 33rd family member victim of nonviolence my daughter was also shot in the french class and virginia tech april 16th, 2007. unfortunately she did not survive and we have 32 students and faculty members and brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers who are not with us today. several of us spent this past week in virginia tech memorializing of them, their lives and the enormous contributions coming and it hardens as that the survivors are able to move forward in

their lives and hardens us that we are represented on the campus by scholarships, memorial funds and any number of great remembrances but the fact remains shaped by our loved ones and that is true of every single person here and of every single family of the 32 people who every day is you just heard marshall to death in this country this should not happen. and as we've also heard repeatedly today the question is if not us, then who, if not now, then when. the courts have deferred to the contras and the state legislatures to do the right thing, and the proper regulation of public safety to include issues related to gun violence that far too many cases our state legislators, state

executives and the congress have avoided making those hard choices. here in virginia, or i should say right across the river in virginia, our own governor, governor mcdonald, heard our plea not to allow the repeal of the one gun a month law which is common sense legislation that is existed for over almost 20 years in the commonwealth and then allowed the bill to become law. now in our case, this piece of legislation slowed the plans. it didn't stop them, but had they worked as part of a seamless web of common sense gun legislation to include incorporating the background checks for those adjudicated mentally ill, it would have probably succeeded in preventing the shooter from getting the firearms he's used.

i'm proud to say that virginia now leads the nation in inserting mental health records and to the national instant check system, but there is so much further to go. so in the name of mary in the name of rema and everyone whose families are here representing those lives that were snuffed of by gun violence, i plead with our members of congress, do the right thing. don't support legislation that increases the availability of firearms to people who shouldn't have them and do what is in your power to make sure that those firearms don't get into the hands of the people who shouldn't have them. thank you. [applause] >> christine is here. no?

i'm here with my husband. april 11th, 2009, his career ended as a milwaukee police officer when he nearly lost his life in the line of duty from a 9-millimeter firearm at the hands of a nine time colin parolee who had only been out of prison for six months. the firearm was purchased a gas station out of the trunk of a car by his girlfriend. a dispatch call for the subject of the gun resulted in a foot pursuit but quickly turned into a gun battle after the criminal displayed its firearms and began firing less than 7 feet away. after he was shot, he returned fire until he stopped the criminal. he was shot three times coming in only one bullet exited to

read a ninth time fell when poorly with a firearm nearly took his life. vice president biden and attorney general holder awarded him the medal of valor which is the highest honor given to public safety officers for its seven exceptional courage and saving and protecting others whose heroic actions were above and beyond the call of duty. we are here on behalf all law enforcement officers shot or killed in the line of duty, their families and their loved ones to demand that our elected representatives do all they can to keep dangerous people from obtaining guns. to all of those injured officers who were shot in the line of duty, you will never be forgotten. thank you. [applause]

>> let's challenge our leaders to distribute metals of valor for heroism to be heroic themselves and stand up to the gun lobby to reassign this statement of principle, reject in the george zimmerman vigilante act. is christian here? i didn't see him before. okay. caitlin hinckley. >> five years ago my mother and sister went to buy my siblings and myself valentine cards at a mall in salt lake city utah. there were gunned down by a mentally ill 18-year-old who should not have had the guns that purchased. my sweet baby sister who was killed and my mother will for ever suffer from the multiple gunshot wounds she inflicted. when it all happened, it was all over the news. our pain and grieving was

broadcast and everyone in the community was hurting. they felt the pain, the fear and the dramatic loss and wanted to know what was happening because they felt like they were a part of it. everyone can tell you where they were when it happened. but when the time came to move on, they were able to turn off their tv, put on their newspaper and go back to their daily lives knowing that their children were tucked safely in their beds. but our families can't. we live this nightmare every day. we live with the pain and loss of our children, siblings, close friends and family members. we live with the fear that unless our love, dangerous people will get a hold of firearms and innocent people who were with intolerable pain forever wonder who our lost loved ones would be today. for the last five years, i've

constantly wondered who my sister would be today. i wonder what she would look like, what she would be doing and what of her many ambitious goals she would have been able to achieve had her life not ended at 15 at the hands of someone who should never have been able to obtain a weapon that ended her life. she has missed so much that she should have been here for. most recently come her high school graduation and my wedding. i watched as my mother dtv rates before my eyes, knowing there's nothing i can do for her. she will never did better, she will never heal. i live in fear for her and her future and the future of my kids i want to someday have to read it is far too easy for these dangerous fire arms to get into the hands of the wrong people

and gun dealers are not being held accountable, congress is not being held accountable for these weapons that are getting sold. we stand before you today asking you to remember what we can never forget, to say enough is enough and demand a change service doesn't continue to happen. [applause] >> so far as i a understand, john boehner won't meet with us. is there might still? yeah. i ask is it time now to start talking about this issue, is it time to start talking about what we can do to keep guns out of the hands of people responsible for tragedy's we're hearing about.

>> my daughter was one of the three young people murdered march 30th, 2010 on capitol street, there were nine people shot with multiple weapons, i'm not going to dwell too much on the case because we're still on the proceedings right now, but the point is i'm here to support and will be here every time i needed to support because guns in the wrong hands isn't a pretty sight. my daughter was shot in the head with an ak-47, had blown wide open, and it's hard to even talk now because just listening to all the stories knowing what you're going through i definitely can relate to the young lady that just spoke saying her mother is deteriorating, her father died to bladder cancer but he had no fight after she was killed,

couldn't get out of bed for six months and didn't have the will to live any longer. elected officials, politicians and activists, all of us at the human society, we need to be more conscious society and it's very selfish the gun shops and manufacturers to take their attitude but while we were only making guns for whatever the purpose they are claiming to make the guns for it's not my fault that innocent people have been gunned down with the guns the five manufactured and have put into my gun shot to be more responsible. you can't think that manufacturing deadly weapons you have no responsibility there.

you need to stop thinking in that selfish manner that i guess because it hasn't happened to you that you feel like you are oblivious to it and you are so distant from it, but you're not. anyone can get a weapon. as they made a statement while no gun protest that you can get a gun it is easy as purchasing a candy bar that's right. you can buy a gun from craig on the internet, from wal-mart stores, the trunk of a car coming anywhere and for you to have the attitude that i live in a certain neighborhood or -- you're not safe. the bottom line is you're not safe. my only child is now gone. i don't know what it's like to be a grandmother because i will never have any grandchildren. i won't know what it's like to visit my daughter in college because she didn't make it that summer. she was killed that spring. all of her friends have not gone off to college and they're moving along as fast they can.

but, you know, people would take lives of innocent people, they don't realize the effect, the devastation they leave behind. it's not just the victims of lives you've taken and the families whose lives you have forever changed. but you have to think a lot, you know, in my case or a lot of cases the pediatricians. it's hard for all of those relationships that have been established with of those victims and that voice is never going to be filled again, definitely here to go along with the rest of the families to see these senate terse and let them know enough has been enough. i'm not going to sit back and tolerate any more mothers and parents, siblings and young people, middle-aged people being gunned down. this is supposed to be a civilized nation. let's start acting like it. representatives, let's get on

board, let's stop being so quick to make the almighty dollar. you can always -- money is going to be there. you can't replace human lives. i can't by another daughter no more than anyone else can buy another sister or father or whatever relationship he had with a loved one. don't be so selfish. you know, be more respectful. so, we are going to go over there and we are going to get in the faces of these politicians, and we are going to let them know guns in the wrong hands is jury devotee and it makes absolutely no sense. once the cameras leave we are not going away in the office is closed. we come back and keep coming back so it's like we have been doing for years and many years to come and we will keep coming back and help more people because unfortunately until they get it there will have more casualties.

>> william? >> july 2nd, 1984i watch at the age of ten as my mother jacqueline and mitral-year-old brother anthony were shot point-blank in the fees' is right in front of me. he then came to me and put the gun to my head and he had me beg for my life. as i put my hands together and begged him please, don't tell me i will do anything they didn't go anywhere. after i pleaded to god please, don't let them kill me a marshall williams who served 11 and a half year sentence for second-degree murder on the marine base of quantico virginia they stood up and walked around the room. he let me go that day but

without my leader, without my protector, without the person i would have grown up with to leave me in the guide me through this life and the age of 13i wanted to take my own life because it was unbearable but i come from that room. that room at 10-years-old to this hill to let congress know guns in the hands of people like marshall brent williams, guns in the hands of people like george zimmerman do not belong. please, coming from the room to plead with you to beg and demand and sq please, reject the george zimmerman vigilante act and please, the statement of principle. stand with us today and the 32 victims that lost their lives at virginia tech years ago. stand with us today to make a difference in all communities

across america please, stand with us. it is senseless violence and with this kind of legislation it is unspeakable and its deadly. we've got to do something about it and today we plan to do something about it. thank you very much. [applause] >> dena klein. >> good afternoon. my name is dana klein and i'm here today to honor my friend pamela, a very blessed memory who died in the shooting that permanently disabled me after i took a bullet in the arm to try to protect my van 17 weeklong pregnancy on july 28th, 2006 in seattle washington. i feel it is my obligation to not let the world forget pam, per beauty, her grace and

commitment to making our country and our world a safer place. in the same spirit. to the thousands of other people in the country whose lives have been lost and permanently changed due to the harder of gun violence. i'm honored to stand here today among other survivors like me who want to be sure that the decision makers in the nation's capital have faces, names and real people to think about when they consider senseless gun-control legislation like the george zimmerman armed vigilante act. my now five europe son and i call the state of how main home and i look forward to retiring senator olympia snowe who has one last chance at her seat in

the senate to make the right decision and stand behind sensible, honest real conversations about the state of our country, and the state of the abundance of firearms and loss of life that happens every day in our nation. i hope they remember us, the other legislator, senator snowe, senator collins and the other members of our congressional and senatorial the obligations and joined the legacy that pam leaves and all of us hoped to leave that we americans can make and create a safe world for the rest of the members of our nation. thank you very much. [applause] >> mary kay.

>> - mary case and my daughter was the youngest of the five students slain in the ramp with shooting at northern illinois university on valentine's day of 2008. ryan was only 19 when taken from my husband and me. she was our only child and the light of our lives. as more information became available but surely it problems understanding how someone with such an extensively documented history of mental illness was able to purchase firearms legally. i had assumed there were laws in place for an event in that sort of thing and the interest of public safety. through extensively researching the gun control laws and nics i can to find the good laws we do have to do not go far enough and they are not enforceable given the background check system is missing more than a million records of people who are supposed to be prohibited purchasers to the public assumes all crimes are committed by

hardened criminals who have of delete the illegally obtained firearms and one of that may be true in many cases, there are enough instances such as the massacres at virginia tech and tucson where the gunmen were ought mentally ill and use illegally purchased guns. legislators should be more alarmed the these incidents is continue to happen anywhere and to anyone to act on the problem. the reality though, i go to the website for many candidates and incumbents running for the reelection and see that most of them shy away from taking any position on the issue of common sense gun-control. click on their issues and it's not even listed. i'm here to tell you that gun violence can no longer be viewed as a non-issue as our country. >> who's going to take a stance against this? that's the question we are going to be asking.

tom? >> thank you. i think there are three particular things all of us have in common. when we never expected this would happen to us. number two, we wondered how in the hell did that shooter get that done, and number three, we don't want this to happen to you. my name is, and i'm the father of daniel who was killed at columbine high school on april 20th, 1999. two weeks before that, he asked me at the dinner table innocently did you know there were loopholes in the bill? then he was shot with the gun was purchased at a gun show through one of those loopholes. that motivated me into action. i led the fight in colorado to close that loophole. when the legislature failed to close it, we took it to a vote

of the people and we closed it with a vote of 70% to 40%. [applause] >> the people clearly spoke up and now i am speaking up again. magers i will be releasing it about my experiences, and it's called walking in daniels shoes, named because during the days i was advocating as today i were these shoes. these are this choose my some more that he was wearing on april 20, 1999. i do it to honor him just as these folks are doing what they're doing to honor their children. there is no reason we should have to ask our leaders to pass legislation that's common sense like closing the loophole.

when you can pass it with a vote of 70% of the conservative western state we need our leaders to lead. we shouldn't have to go to the ballot each time. we are asking for the people here, our leaders to listen to what the people are asking for. thank you. [applause] >> bryan miller. she lost her father, i lost my brother and a massacre that occurred just on the other side of the hill in the district building november, 1994 when a man came into washington, d.c. police headquarters which is a place i would say if you intend on me and you would have avoided. but he walked in and went up to

the second floor and opened the door and started firing and when the firing was done, mike was dead, fbi special agent mike miller and two of his colleagues were dead as well, and since that day, our family has been involved in as much as we can in trying to make sure the same thing doesn't happen to other people. mike was killed with a gun that was illegally sold in kentucky and then traffic to washington dc. this sort of thing happens every day in every state and every city and it's something that makes no sense yet this congress protect the gun industry from top to bottom that allows that to happen. dale is in maryland currently and i live in new jersey. both states have strong done laws. meter state allows people to get guns and carry them loaded and

concealed the way the george zimmerman did. why shouldn't the people of our states be able to make that choice rather than s. con. res. trying to make the choice for them? it's unconscionable and it shouldn't happen and we are here to do what we can to make sure it doesn't happen with everybody in this country can help keep that from happening if you pay attention to where your legislator stands on this issue and research and when it comes time there's an election, make your voice is heard and if they voted the wrong way, vote them out. thank you. [applause] islamic in terms of what the american public can do to hold their leaders accountable if they can go online to the site, bradycampaign.org and sign the petition the demands of our elected leaders signed the statement of principle and they can look at their elected leaders do not sign a statement

of principle saying that they don't feel that convicted felons should be able to buy a gun in the country then vote them out of office. annette? >> my life was forever changed may 10th, 2007. my son and only child was murdered when he boarded a bus after leaving julie in high school on the chicago soft side. the bus was loaded to capacity with students and other writers and a teenager boarded the bus and started shooting. he was trying to shoot an opposing gang member but shot five innocent teenagers. my son was fatally wounded. the surviving teenagers are left with horrifying memories of being shot as well as lifelong physical and emotional issues. i'm left without my beloved son and lifetime as missing wonderful memories. let me tell you a little bit about who blair was coming he

was a 16 year old that left his family and was intelligent, handsome and gifted. the type of child that inspired classmates at the high school this teacher's love him and which wished they have more students like him. he wanted to be successful and made plans to succeed. his father and i did our best to instill in him dalia we did our best to protect him but our best efforts cannot shoot him from the bullets he took on the life. he was in the right place at the wrong time and doing all the right things. he was tall but along comes a teenager with an illegal gun sold on the streets of chicago. how can a teenager get his hands on such a dangerous weapon? there has to be a way to keep this from happening to other families. there are countless victims that have suffered the same fate because no one has figured out how to stop illegal guns in our communities. if only there were laws that this that were in order my son would be in vv to be ready to go

to it from college now but i guess i will never get to see that. i but just hope that the legislators would look at all of us here today and understand this can be you. on a firefighter whose debt is a police officer who cannot protect the sheets in chicago. he was raised the right way to reduce something to make a difference. it can't be you, too. believe me. [applause] >> janet richardson. >> good afternoon. my name is janet richardson and i am here because my college student being shot to death right in front of my home that i still left out in an upper-class neighborhood in virginia murder on new year's eve by a high school dropout with an illegally weapon. when we asked what he was going

to get for the stolen weapons charge, we were quietly told that there would be no illegal weapons charge, and because the gun show loophole and because of the ease that we have on getting guns any kid can get a gun they say, the children tell me that the work with. that's what they tell me. he was a high school dropout looking for another way to live. it would have been a senior year my son graduate from college at the art as a freshman just visiting home and that is the first time in the whole time he was gone when i was so glad he wasn't there to see that because we have so many friends and loved ones and i may virginia and i want this to end.

we've got to get some very serious regular laws. we are not taking guns from anybody that needs them or wants them. the people who don't deserve them, the felons, the abusers, that's what we are here to do. that's all. thank you. [applause] >> geraldine rodriguez. >> my son's murder was never charged. 15 years ago in a tampa florida, on december 19th, 1996, a few days after because for the christmas holiday, my 17 year old unarmed passan michael rodriguez was murdered by a man carrying a concealed handgun.

he committed a murder but he was never charged. my son michael approached an unmarked car in the neighborhood and was shot by a domino's pizza delivery driver. his name was clifford jordan. he had begun in his car which he purchased at a pawn shop in tampa. he had the gun in his car against the dominos policy. jordan was also behind the wheel of a running vehicle. he chose to shoot instead of driving off. my son was unarmed. all he wanted was directions.

clifford jordan fleer and killed michael within five seconds after our son approached the car. my son once again was 17, unarmed, sober and had no criminal record. it was the same kind of fear and hate filled tragedy that we see in the trayvon martin murder in florida. if clifford jordan hadn't had a gun, my son couldn't have been killed. the so-called self-defense charge prevailed. 15 years after my 17-year-old son's murder, i continue to try to this travesty of justice.

the tampa police department accepted jordan's story, even though testimony clearly revealed that jordan shot immediately and then placed his own handgun and our dead son's hand to convince bystanders that our son was armed. in the police report, my son was described as a cubin thug from new york. my husband and i were born and raised in tampa florida, but we live in new york city. we endeavor children travel to tampa regularly to visit our relatives.

michael was born and raised in princeton new jersey. after our son's funeral, we visited karen of the state attorney's office to request a reopening of the investigation. we wanted the truth to come out for many reasons. the haste in which a self-defense excuse has been accepted by the tampa police, the lights and inconsistencies in jordan's testimony and the evidence that has been brought forth. karen is what lee denied our plea. clifford jordan was never charged. even the domino pizza corporation who claims to have regulation prohibiting its

drivers from carrying firearms washed its hands of the killing saying they couldn't control the actions of their franchises. this seems to indicate to us that they do not enforce or take their own rules regarding firearms seriously. for 15 years, the pain of losing our son to a senseless murder has not been resolved. from a legal standpoint, we've done all we can to seek justice in this terrible tragedy. my heartfelt sympathy goes out to the family of trayvon martin. i respect their courage, like my son michael, trayvon martin was an innocent victim of ethnic

profiling, the lack to dangerous mind said that foster's easy and available guns, and the law that has become a license to kill. to our administration and the legislature, i say never again. [applause] >> thank you for being here today. my sister was an 18-year-old freshman, straight a student, a member of the contemporary dance ensembles and active in many clubs and college activities. like all of those killed on april 16th, she was so full of promise and had such a bright future. does she sound like she fits the profile of someone who would be murdered by an illegal gun? the truth is there is no

standard profile. gun violence affects all americans from all walks of life in fact 32 americans are murdered every day with guns. over the past five years, i have been working to prevent gun violence. i've had the opportunity to travel across america from city to city and from town to town meeting with victims come survivors, law enforcement mayors, legislators, doctors, sportsmen, even nra members about gun violence and our broken background check system in particular. in pennsylvania and that a family whose 18 month-old son was killed while sitting in a car seat as his dad filled up the tank at a gas station. i spoke with a mother in chicago whose honor student didn't come home from school because he showed a friend able but on a city bus. i met americans from all walks of life, mothers, brothers, sisters and aunts and uncles. there is no one is immune to gun violence in america. i think a girl from minneapolis

who lost her childhood friend to gun violence said it best when she said it's not about good kids, it's not about bad kids, it's not about race or class, this is a problem gun violence is and in urban issue, it is a nationwide issue. after being told, i went to see gistel easy it is to buy a gun without a background check. i bought him guns and under an hour, no questions asked, no id shown. it was as easy as going to a convenience store and buying a bag of chips or a candy bar and we are allowing anyone to do that. felons, domestic users, those at adjudicated mentally ill and even potential terrorists. i have seen overwhelming support from everyday citizens to enact reasonable measures and enforce existing laws that will help prevent gun violence. to fix the national data base

and require the background checks, their simple steps but their steps that will help save lives. seven out of ten members, nearly eight out of ten gun owners and nearly nine out of ten americans support this. i am doing this so that others will not have to go through the same pain, loss and suffering that my family and so many others have experienced. 32 families go through what we have gone through and still go through every day. when i was an ideal city, i was able to meet an administrator who was there during the shootings in 1991 nearly 20 years ago. she shared a cold with me describing the gun violence and it was as if the tragedy had just occurred. she said it's like dropping in the enormous meteor into a lake. it creates waves that travel for a long time and changes the shape of the shore. eventually the service of the water is smooth again but underneath, everything is

changed forever and the people that were swamped by the waves are never the same. for the past five years many of us affect on april 16th, and gun violence across this country have worked tirelessly to prevent it from occurring to others. we have and lowered the halls of congress only to be shut out and ignored as to 32 more americans are murdered with guns every day and the shootings have become normal. i have been saddened and shocked to see an apathetic congress sit idly by even as gun violence struck one of their own in tucson. today we are calling on our congressional members to join us. a voice of moderation asking for the enforcement of existing laws debt respect second amendment rights and help keep us safe from the violence. please join us now on the fifth

anniversary of april 16th to help us put an end to the tragic toll that gun violence is causing the country. please sign the statement of principle. thank you. [applause] >> for the folks haven't spoken yet, unfortunately i think we are going to need to keep it a little short just because we have some very important meetings to get to. but we do want everybody to be able to share their stories. kim? >> i pronounced right? >> no. [laughter] this is my son patrick. every day i wear this necklace that as a fingerprint on that. july 24th, 2010, my 23 year old son patrick was shot point-blank in the left eye with a 22 caliber pistol. at 6:58 p.m. on the 24th, patrick was declared brain dead. the person that murdered my son

was convicted child sex offender who should never have had a gun. he had already shown that he had no regard for the law that he already violated and was sent back to prison. i've never been a proponent of guns, however people's rights to own it willfully the hand gun of law in course. prior to the murder i wasn't aware of the various ways a convicted felon could get a gun. now unfortunately i more knowledgeable and have a strong desire to close the loopholes so another mom doesn't have to bury her only son. one the third of me died that day. july 24th, 2010. [applause] >> thank you, kim. ghosh? >> -- josh?

>> a neo-nazi armed with a weapon walked into the north of chellie jewish community center in the suburb of los angeles. i was only a few feet away from him when he unleashed a barrage of 70 rounds, shooting me and for other people and terrorizing dozens of small children. i was only 6-years-old. i got hit twice, one bullet breaking my leg and the other nearly missing my spine. many people remember the images from that day of ennis and preschoolers being walked across the street armed swat officers. a short time later, the gun man that shot me traveled to california and shot a fellow american mailman. the gunman was a hate filled white supremacist who was intent on killing jews. he had a history of mental illness and violent behavior yet he had an arsenal of weapons and ammunition in his possession and weapons to or purchased without a background check.

so many lives were altered that day because of our inadequate regulations. a comprehensive background check system could have prevented a dangerous person like him from obtaining illegal and dangerous weapons to almost 300 people were killed or injured by guns every single day. that is more than 1 million people in the ten plus years since i got shot. nothing has been done about this issue and i'm here to call on the nation's leaders to help us move toward safe communities. thank you. [applause] >> carolyn? >> my name is carolyn. five years ago, my family's life was shattered. a teenager walked into a salt lake city gunshot and purchase a gun and walked out. it's a gun he should have never owned. he was too young to buy this

done about the pawn shop sold it to him any way. he used it to open fire on a crowded salt lake city mall. he shot me three times with a pistol grip shotgun and killed five people including my young vibrant 15-year-old daughter. it's been five years come in yet for me every day is filled with the pain that lenders from that moment to read i suffered dillinger of chronic severe pain and sickness from the permanent lead poisoning from the lead pellets the were in my kidneys, lungs, and stomach. before i was shot i was a cyclist and i wrote 20 to 50 miles a day weather permitting. i rode bikes with my daughter as a healthy activity. we hiked, biked, climbed rocks and ran regularly. i was a fantastic cooked for all the teenagers the borat powerhouse. we were a very close family, physically active and will result laughing together.

now i struggle every day just to get out of bed from the lead poisoning and sickness. i don't cook anymore because the maza. i think about my bike every day but i really have enough energy to actually write. my kids have all moved away from dealing with the confusion and the heart ache of what happened that day. kirsten as our glue, the beebee of the family everyone loved and not only just our family but everybody she met. she was sunshine, salinas and happiness that she had a laugh that enveloped you. there's not a day that goes by that she is and with me or that i don't think about her constantly. she has missed so many milestones of her own and of our family but the gun shop that sold that gun, they're still in business and got to keep the profit from the gun. is this life worth a few dollars

of profit that a gun shop sold? excuse me to reply are the gun lobby is so weak that people can so easily obtain guns? i am here today because i don't want another mom to lose a child to gunfire like i lost my daughter to read and hear today because nobody should have to suffer the emotional daily physical pain and memories of five years ago today that left shrapnel in my body. i'm here to call on congress to pass common sense done laws to keep the guns away from dangerous people. [applause] >> sergeant? >> thank you. mine and as avon and you'll remember me because i still serve and protect the community of the bear county service in san antonio texas.

my husband was the sergeant who was shot and killed in an ambush style shooting while stopped at a red light responding to a non-emergency call on may 28, 2011, and i want you to remember the date. a car pulled up next to his patrol car and on the passenger side immediately opened fire with no warning. my husband was struck numerous multiple times with an assault rifle to read his patrol car rolled through the intersection and was stopped by crash barriers. he was dead instantly, he died at the scene in his patrol car. my husband was a u.s. marine corps gulf veteran and served with the office over 24 years. my husband and i have always been service oriented whether it was our country and our

community. just like those of you that hold office and seek here at capitol hill, you were hoping to serve your communities and country. service is our common bond. the threads and the functions that i've made this country and its citizens what we are today. you, ariana week, the people here are here today to request that you served the citizen in the country in the community by not allowing the convicted felons convicted domestic users, known or suspected terrorists and people found to be dangerously or mentally ill to buy, and are carried a gun anywhere in our great nation. through the country and its citizens a great service, help us who are in law enforcement keep these streets safe. there was an act that actually

do not allow assault rifles to be purchased by the public. it was only good for ten years. ..

>> on july 25, 1994, my sister was in her home and asleep. around 345 in the morning come a , a young man by the name of timothy frank, he was 19 years old. he walked up onto her porch. he made just enough noise for her to get up and go to the story. when she was headed toward the door, he opened fire. she never opened the door. she took two bullets and died on the other side. i am honored to be here today with the 32. we are going to congress. we are going to demand that they change this law. those of you at home, if you go on to brady campaign.org, see what you can do to help us.

the people in congress -- this doesn't happen to them. they don't feel what we feel. that is why they are not willing to change the law. thank you. [applause] [applause] >> is there anyone that we missed? yes, say something. >> my name is suzanne burge. i'm from santa monica, california. i'm here in the memory of my brother. he was 18, i was 15, and he was murdered. no family should experience this. the 32 people, none of us should be here today. this is unacceptable. [applause] [applause] >> i just want to make it clear, and then we will take a few moments of questions. we do have to run to a meeting. yes, there are going to be 32 people here that are going to be taking their voice to congress. they will speak on behalf of the love ones they lost. but it is not just 32 people who

are going to be represented in congress that day. it is not just going to be the victims. it is going to be the voice of the american people. the brady organization is the citizens lobby. we are the voice of the american public on the gun don imus issue. it is not just us, activists or victims standing up to say enough is enough, it is the american public that needs to end is going to start holding our leaders accountable for the decisions they make that are costing lives. they put a gun in george zimmerman's hands. they put the guns in the hands of people who resulted in these tragedies today, and we are going to hold them accountable for it. [applause] [applause] any questions? >> what you think relative to what has happened, you have waged a battle, that's for sure. but now you have trayvon martin. do you think that will change things? in view of all the difficulties we met anyone wants to answer? >> we are very hopeful that the tragedy of trayvon martin is

different. it is not just an example of the american public temporarily being concerned about a tragedy of gun violence that has happened before. but the trayvon martin tragedy points directly to the culpability of the gun lobby and the legislator individuals that do their bidding by putting guns in the hands of dangerous people. we blame george zimmerman for shooting trayvon martin. but we blame the gun lobby and the florida politicians who do their bidding for putting the gun in his hands that he was carrying that night. an armed man with a violent past and an arrest record. legally carrying a loaded, hidden gun that he used to take his life. we tend to take this tragedy and hang around the neck of the politicians that have passed these laws for the gun lobby and advocating these laws across the country. demonstrating their culpability in creating the tragedy. george zimmerman -- you know,

there was this advertising campaign that the lobby did several years ago. i am the nra, they had tom selleck and nolan ryan, trying to pay that as the agenda of the gun lobby. george zimmerman is the nra. he is the creation of the nra. he is the creation of the politicians who have done their bidding, and we need to take all this outrage that is focused around the trayvon martin tragedy, and hold our leaders accountable. yet, i do believe this one is different. >> anything else? what's that? [inaudible] >> do we want everyone to send me some? i guess what we will do now is we are going to -- all the 32 that are here -- we are going to start by signing this statement of principle against arming dangerous people. again, to remind you, this is a

very simple statement we are going to be asking our elected officials to sign. do you or do you not believe that these people listed on this list should be able to buy a loaded, -- should be able to buy a gun, carry a gun, own a gun anywhere in our country. thank you. i guess everyone can start signing. [applause] [applause] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations]

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>> tomorrow, the senate judiciary subcommittee looks at immigration laws passed in arizona and alabama. and whether these laws lead to racial profiling. you can watch live coverage of this hearing beginning at 10:00 a.m. eastern time on c-span three and c-span.org. >> your watching c-span two. on weeknights, watched key public policy events. every weekend, the latest nonfiction authors and books on booktv. you can see past programs and our schedules at her website. and you can join in the conversation on social media sites. >> earlier today, the senate

debated a plan to tax millionaires at 30%, known as the buffett rule. democratic majority leader harry reid and republican minority leader mitch mcconnell opened the debate. they talk about fairness in thei system. senators spent most of the afternoon on the measure, and we will show that debate now to getting with senator reid and senator mcconnell.isions of thtx >> is that millions of americans file income tax return, stakes home the highest share of the income since the early 20's, the roaring 20's. while their bank accounts have firestone, their tax bills have become smaller. the wealthiest americans pay the lowest tax rate in more than five decades, the rich pay less than they have for more than 50 years. this unfair system has turned the gap between the richest few into a gulf, not a gap. they've seen their incomes

stroct scroct by almost 300%. for the rest of americans they haven'tth kept pace with the price of a modest home, college or a secure retirement. times are tough for many middle-class he families but millionaires and billionaires aren't sharing the painor the sacrifices, not one bit. last year there were 7,000 millionaires who didn't pay a single penny in federal income taxes. 7,000 millionaires didn't pay a single penny in taxes. instead, ordinary americans footed the bill and, mr. president, that's not fair. in recent years saw americans earning north of $110 million a year paid a lower tax rate than millions of middle-class families. mr. president, that's also not fair. that's how someone like our frequent warren buffett ends up paying a lower tax rate than his secretary which also is not fair. when the richest few are making more than ever before, they can afford to shoulder their fair

share of the burden to make this country prosper. and they shouldn't be allowed to hide behind tax loopholes that rig the system in their favor. the paying a fair share tax act known as the buffett rule would restore fairness to a system that has favored the interests of the wealthy far too long. this legislation would ensure americans whoer more than a million dollars a year may by the way, at least 30% of their income in taxes. the bill would hold harmless nearly every small business in america, in fact, more than 99% of small businesses would be held harmless. it would maintain the deduction for charitable giving and it would be a small but important step toward restoring fiscal responsibility as our nation makes difficult choice bess where to spend and what to cut. three quarters of americans believe millionaires and billionaires should scrbt crbt more. two-thirds of millionaires say it's time to even the playing field. yet everyone, all republicans

except those within the beltway, believe that's not the case. republicans in congress would rather end medicare as we know it, set forth in the so-called infamous ryan budget, they would rather slash education funding as set forth in that same infamous budget, than ask the richest of the rich to contribute even a penny to make education more meaningful and to continue maintaining medicare as we know it. as the senate democrats work to make our democrats fair for all americans republicans in the house continue to pursue a budget that would hand more tax breaks to the wealthiest few. the so-called ryan budget. at its heart this debate and the buffett rule is about priorities, setting priorities. americans can build a world-class education system that will allow our children and grandchildren to compete in the

industries of tomorrow. and we can ensure seniors who worked hard all their lives look forward to a secure retirement and quality, affordable health care. or we can keep protecting tax breaks for the riches of the rich. we can't do both. we must make smart choices. president frankly -- franklin roosevelt said in our personal decisions were individualists but in seeking progress as taition a nation we all go up or all go down as one people, close quote. so i hope my republican colleagues will join democrats this evening as we choose a path toward economic fairness, that alho the presiding officer: the republican leader. mr. mcconnell: mr. president, there's one thing every american can agree on right now, it's that we've got serious challenges in this country. and the time isn't on our side. action needs to be taken soon.

just to cite a few things, everybody is holding their breath waiting for the federal debt to catch up with us. it's not a question of if. it's a question of when. many young people are basically giving up on the american dream. seniors and those approaching retirement are concerned about the safety and sustainability of entitlements. working americans and those who employ them are frustrated by the growth and the reach of government. and nearly 14 million americans who can't find work are wondering how it got so hard to land a good-paying job in what is supposed to be the most prosperous economy on earth. now, all these people know we're in rough shape. they live it every day. and frankly, a lot of them have given up hope that lawmakers here in washington are interested in doing anything, anything at all that would help. but the truth is there is some

good news to report out of washington. and that's the growing bipartisan consensus not only about the existence of these problems but also about the proper solution. just about everybody agrees that comprehensive tax reform would help turn this economy around, strengthen entitlements, spur innovation and economic growth, and create jobs. the problem is we've got a president who seems more interested in pitting people against he'll he each other than he is actually doing what it takes to face these challenges head on and to solve them in a bipartisan manner. and if anybody had any doubt about that, the president's relentless focus on this so-called buffett tax over the past few weeks should have dispelled it. this entire debate has been very illuminating for a lot of folks. it's revealed a lot about this

president. by wasting so much time on this political gimmick, that even democrats admit won't solve our larger problems, it's shown the president is actually more interested in misleading people than he is in leading. now, i know that it may sound a little strong to some, but just step back and think about what's going on here. we've got a $15 million trldz debt -- $15 trillion debt, some call it the most predictable crisis in history. we have the largest tax increase in the history of the country looming that will hit every single american in less than nine no, sir from today. -- nine months from today. are president obama looked at the options, sat down with his political advisories -- visors and said let's go with peel-tested tax increase on investment and job creation that won't fix anything and won't pass anyway instead of actually doing something about the debt

and the deficit. aim saim thing on gas prices. the president looked at $4 a gallon gasoline and said let's go with a poll-tested tax on energy manufacturers which would increase the price at the pump instead of actually doing something to solve the problem. isn't this precisely the kind of thing president obama campaigned against in the first place? politics as usual. but that's all we get. the worse our problems get, the less serious he becomes. the more people coalesce around a bipartisan solution, the more he focuses on something that's completely irrelevant or that has absolutely no chance of passing. we're in a crisis here. and sadly, it's all politics all the time. somewhere along the way, this president seems to have

forgotten why he elected. for him, it's not about jobs or the economy. it's about his idea of fairness, about imposing it on others. and if we lose more jobs in the process, oh, well, so be it. just take the buffett tax. any time the president proposed anything in the past, he told us how many jobs it would create. whether it was the f.a.a. bill, the highway bill, the stimulus, you name it. apparently those days are over. nobody is even claiming this thing creates jobs. it's all about the president's idea of fairness now. well, i think americans are tired of the blame game. they want their president to solve problems, not point fingers. they think their president should spend his time working out a solution between the two

parties instead of running around the country trying to distract people from his own inhe ability to get the job done instead of running around lecturing everybody on fairness. now, president is using two arguments in favor of the buffett tax. first, he says it's a matter of fairness. and second, he thinks the government would do a better job of investing the money than the people he hopes to take it from. first, it's a matter of fairness, and second, he assumes the government would do a better job of using that money than the people he's taking it from. on the first point, i think most people have heard enough about the president's notion of fairness to know it doesn't match up with theirs. to most people, what's fair about america is that they can earn their success, earn their success, and expect to be

rewarded for it. nobody ever crossed an ocean or a desert to come here for the government health care. people come here because they think that everybody here has a shot at something more than that. it's a point my colleague, the junior senator from wyoming, hits home pretty well this morning in an op-ed he wrote for "investors business daily." it's nield buffett tax divides americans but solves smog nog and by like to ask consent that that appear in the record at this point. the presiding of -- the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: here is some of what he wrote. this is senator barrasso. "people think it's fair that children and grandchildren will be saddled with debt because of its reckless spending. washington spends 42 cents out

of every dollar it spends. the president thinks that's fair. he thinks it's fair to pile debt on top of households over the last three years. the president thinks that's fair. he thinks it's fair to use college students as props for his campaign-style rallies without explaining how his bad policies will leave them in debt. he thinks it's fair to force hardworking taxpayers to subsidize a wealthy person's purchase of a hybrid luxury car because it fits his idea for american energy. he thinks it's fair to hand out hundreds of millions of tax dollars to politically connected solar energy companies that then go bankrupt. he thinks it's fair to tell thousands of workers they won't have jobs because he blocked the keystone x.l. pipeline to solidify the support of a few far left environmentalists. and apparently president obama thinks it's fair that three years of his policies have left

us with more people on food stamps, more people in poverty, lower home values, higher gas prices, and higher unemployment. senator barrasso then explained what he thinks americans actually think fairness consists of: equality of opportunity. freedom for everybody to pursue their dreams without government blocking the way. for the president, fairness is about taking from some and giving to others. it's about taking from taxpayers and giving it to solar companies. it's about taking from the private economy and giving it to government workers so they can blow it on $823,000 awards dinner for themselves. it's anything but fair.

as for the president's second argument? well, you tell me. what about the way government spends the money it gets from taxpayers makes anybody think they would do a better job with the money they hope to get from this tax? does anybody seriously think the government would do a better job spending this money than the people from whom they would extract this additional tax? it's completely ludicrous. i mean, until washington can show that it's a better steward of taxpayer dollars or that it knows how to invest in a winner, it shouldn't expect people to hand over another penny. here's my point. we've got serious problems to address and the president is not behaving seriously. there's a need and a growing desire on both sides of the aisle to do something. the president needs to step up and provide the serious leadership he promised the american people.

and our folks, the people in this country, all 306 million of them, have a right to expect something better. mr. whitehouse: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from rhode island. mr. whitehouse: thank you very much, mr. president. on a late spring day 27 years ago, president ronald reagan addressed a group of high school students in atlanta, georgia. many of the students in that audience that day were about to join the work force, and president reagan spoke about the strange, to use his word, tax system that would soon claim a portion of their paychecks. in his speech, president reagan pledged, "we're going to close the unproductive tax loopholes

that have allowed some of the truly wealthy to avoid paying their fair share." he went on to note that under the country's complex tax rules, it was possible for millionaires to pay nothing while a bus driver pays 10% of his salary. president reagan called this inequity, with millionaires paying higher tax rates -- lower tax rates than bus drivers -- to use his word -- crazy. and he said, "it's time we stopped it." one year later, president reagan signed into law bipartisan tax reform that closed many of the loopholes and ensured that the highest-earning americans paid a fair share. the 1986 tax reform deal set the tax rate on investment income, overwhelmingly earned by those at the very top of the income ladder, at the same rate as regular wage income.

unfortunately, in the years that followed, lobbyists have been all over congress and congress has restored many of the loopholes that president reagan cut, and it has repeatedly reduced the tax rates on investment income. the capital gains tax rate has gone from 28% in the bipartisan reagan tax reform to 15% today. once again, those at the very top of the income spectrum have opportunities to cut their tax bills that are not available to regular middle-class families. let's look at where we are today , a quarter century after the last major overhaul of our tax system. this is a building that has a story to tell. this is the helmsley building on park avenue in new york city. this building is large enough that it has its own zip code.

so we know from public i.r.s. information gathered by zip code that the very wealthy and successful individuals and corporations that call this building their home, with an average adjusted gross income of $1.2 million each, paid on average a 14.7% total federal tax rate in the last available year that we have information for. a 14.7% total federal tax rate is less than the rate that the average new york city janitor, the average new york city doorman, or the average new york city security guard pays. the system is upside-down. and it's not just in the helmsley building. each year the internal revenue service publishes a report detailing the taxes paid by the highest earning 400 americans.

last may the i.r.s. published the most recent data on the top 400 taxpayers for the year 2008. let's look how they did in that year. they had average income of $270 million each. that's not bad. in fact, that's wonderful. that's part of what makes america great. but here's the crazy part, to quote president reagan. on average, these 400 extremely high-earning americans -- $270 million in one year -- actually paid an average federal tax rate of just 18.2%. on adjusted gross income. we've spent a fair amount of time in the senate debating whether the top income tax rate should be 35% or something else like 39.6%, as it was in the clinton boom years, but the ultra rich get around this top rate through a variety of tax

gimmicks. we looked at what level of income a single filer would have to make to start paying 18.2% or more in federal taxes. it is $39,350. if you look at the department of labor's wage levels, that's about what a truck driver on average earns in rhode island, $40,200 is what an average truck driver, according to the bureau of labor statistics, in rhode island, more than the $39,350, which means that they're probably paying actually a higher tax rate as a single truck driver in providence, rhode island, than a billionaire who just made $270 million in the last year. that's just not fair. that's not right. that's not the progressive tax system we've always had. i recently heard from one such truck driver in rhode island, mike noons. mike noons is a member of

teamsters local 251 and he joined me for a round-table discussion on tax issues in cranston, rhode island. mike said, "i've been a middle-class worker here in rhode island since i was in my early 20's. my wife and i pay our taxes and it's frustrating to hear that multimillionaires are getting special treatment to pay a lower rate." well, mike's right and i hear the same thing as i travel around rhode island of the i know that my colleagues hear the same thing as they meet with their constituents across the country. they all agree with president reagan, that a tax system that allows many of the highest income among us to pay less than a truck driver must be fixed. the problem goes beyond the top 400 income earners in the country. the congressional research service confirms that roughly one-quarter of million-dollar-plus earners -- about 94,500 taxpayers -- pay a lower effective tax rate than over 10 million moderate-income

taxpayers. reuters recently reported this: "taxpayers earning more than $1 million a year pay an average u.s. income tax rate of nearly 19%." and the story goes on, "about 65% of taxpayers who earn more than $1 million face a lower tax rate than the median tax rate for moderate-income earners making $100,000 or less a year." let me say that again. "about 65% of taxpayers who earn more than $1 million face a lower tax rate than the median tax rate for moderate-income earners making $100,000 or less a year." our tax system is supposed to be progressive. the more you earn, the higher the rate you pay. that's not class warfare. that's tax policy. and it's been that way for decades, if not generations.

we undermine that principle when we allow the highest-income americans to pay a lower tax rate than the package truck driver delivering packages to their door pays. it's no wonder that so many of the rhode islanders with whom i've spoken have lost confidence that our tax system gives them a straight deal. with the top 1% of americans earning 23% of our nation's income -- the top 1% of americans earning 23% of our nation's income -- and controlling 34%, more than a third, of our nation's wealth, it would be difficult to argue that our system is too progressive. let's look at this other graphic of all of our nation's wealth, the top 5% of americans own over 60% of it. of all of our nation's wealth, the top 5% own more than 60% of all the wealth in the country. the top 1% control over a third

of it. and the 400 families at the very top -- the 400 i talked about earlier -- own almost 3% of all america's wealth just among those 400 families. these are proportions we have not seen since the roaring 1920's, and they're getting steadily worse. now, we're not going to overhaul the nation's tax laws this evening, but in a few hours, we will have a chance to advance legislation to restore some fairness into our tax system. this long overdue bill, "the paying a fair share act of 2012," would implement the so-called buffett rule, after warren buffett, who's famously la meant that he pays a lower tax rate than his secretary does. to correct this glaring tax inequity, this bill would ensure that those at the very top pay at least the tax rates faced by middle-class families. i want to thank senators akaka, begich, leahy, harkin, blumenthal, sanders, schumer, reed of rhode island,

rockefeller, franken, boxer, durbin and levin for cosponsor this measure, and i would ask unanimous consent to add senator lautenberg as an additional cosponsor. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. whitehouse: the structure of the bill is pretty simple. if your total income, capital gains included, is over $2 million, you calculate your taxes under the regular system. and if your effective rate turns out to be greater than 30%, you pay that rate. if, on the other hand, your effective tax rate is below 30% 30% -- like the 11% tax rate warren buffett paid in 2010 -- then you'd pay the fair share tax of 30% instead. taxpayers earning less than $1 million -- which is more than 99.8% of americans -- would not be affected by the bill at all. for taxpayers earning between $1 million and $2 million, the fair share tax gets gradually phased in so that ultimately when you earn over $2 million, you're subject to the full 30% minimum rate.

the one exception the bill makes to the 30% minimum is maintain the provision for charity giving. taxpayers are permitted to subtract the same amount of contributions allowed under the regular income tax from their tashingable income. the reason for this one exception should be self-est dent. charity benefits others and taxpayers should be encouraged to give. some say that given our fragile economic recovery, now is the wrong time to raise taxes on anyone. while middle-class families continue to struggle through the recovery, it seems the boom times have already returned for those at the very top. according to a recent analysis by university of california at berkly economist eye manuel sies, 93% of the income growth in 2010 went to the top 1% of income earners, 93% of the income growth went to the top 1% of income earners.

even more astounding, 37% of the income growth went to the few thousand taxpayers in the top 0.01%. with so much income growth at the very top and with looming budget deficits, it is hard to argue that people with seven, or eight, or even nine-figure incomes can't afford to pay a reasonable tax rate. and just to be clear, it's been said on this floor that this is a tax on investment investmentt this is a tax on job creation. that is wrong. this is a tax on one thing -- income. republicans have criticized the amount of revenue that would be generated by the bill. the ranking republican on the senate finance committee called the $47 billion that the joingts committee on taxation has estimated a meager sum. well, in rhode island we don't consider $47 billion to be a

meager sum. it's enough money, for instance to permanently keep subsidized student loan interest rates from jumping from the current 3.4% to 6.8% in july, which they will do unless we act. if we could use this bill to overset the cost of keeping student loan interest rates low, then there are millions of students out there who would call that benefit something other than meager. we could use the $48 billion on badly needed infrastructure projects and create 611,000 jobs nationwide. in rhode island, we have 11% unemployment and a long backlog of transportation infrastructure projects. at the top of that list is the via duct bridge on interstate 95 through providence. this critical link on the northeast corridor running up through rhode island has wooden boards inserted between the

i-beams underneath to prevent the concrete on the roadway from falling in on the traffic below and also where the being a tram rails are there are wooden planks to keep it from falling on the trains below. i don't think repair of this bridge and others would be meager at $47 billion worth, particularly if we phut it into an infrastructure bank and renched it for even more jobs. it's wort worth noting that this legislation would generate far more revenue than the $47 billion that the republicans complain of if the republicans were to succeed in extending the very high bush tax cuts. if the bush tax cuts for people continue, the revenue from the bill jumps from $47 billion to

$162 billion over a ten-year budget who are rye xiong. -- horizon. the buffett rule can ensure that those at the top pay a fair share no matter what loopholes, no matter what special treatments congress adds to the tax code in the future. finally, the senate republican leader has described the bill as yet another proposal from the white house that won't create a single job or lower the price at the pump by a penny. the minority leader is right that the aim is mott to lower the unemployment rarity or the price of gasoline. however, phut the $47 billion in revenue into infrastructure, you could create 611,000 infrastructure jobs and a lot of good infrastructure as well. and if you put the $47 billion into liheap, you could help

millions of americans pay their energy bills. but let me add an additional point. the republicans are claiming that this bill, which is a tax fairness bill, not a job-creating bill, will not create a single expwrob. of course if you spent the revenue, it would, but that's a separate discussion. at the same time that they're making that point, the republicans in washington are sitting on our highway bill, which creates three million jobs, and they won't call it up on the house side because they don't want to rely on democrat votes. three million jobs are waiting action in the house on the bipartisan senate highway bill that had 75 senators supporting it, and they won't call it up -- the republicans won't call it up because they don't want to use democrat votes? what kind of washington insider logic is is that? the people across this country

who will go to work on those roads and bridges don't think that makes any sense. and for the republicans now to be talking about jobs on this bill while they have a three million jobs bill that they are blockading in the house, the word "jobs" should turn to ashes in their mouths. there are plenty of things that this narrow fairness bill won't do. it will not bring world peace. it won't save endangered whales from extinction. it won't cure the common cold. it will do none of those things. it will restore the confidence of middle-class americans in our tax system by ashiewr assuring t those at the very top of our income spectrum aren't paying lower rates than regular families do. in addition to restoring fairness to the tax code, the bill will generate considerable revenue to cut the deficit or

invest in job creation and critical programs. i happen to think that tax fairness and tens of billions of dollars in revenue or in deficit reduction are reasons enough to pass the bill. and if the republican leader would like to work with us on attacking other issues, i'm wide thoap that. but today's vote is about tax fairness. it is about undoing a gimmick in the tax code that allows people earning over a quarter billion of dollars a year to pay lower tax rates than truck drivers. this has become a partisan issue, which is really surprising, because the principles of a progressive system of code has always been a basic american tax policy principle, and the arguments we're making today about paying a fair share were made exactly by ronald reagan. but things have changed, and so there is this squabble. even business owners support this bill. a recent poll conducted by the

american sustainable business council, the main street alliance and the small business majority found that 58% of business owners said that those making over $1 million a year aren't paying their fair share of taxes. and 50% supported increasing taxes for tows at the top. these business owners knows that it's simply fair for the most fortunate and successful americans to pay a larger share of their income in taxes than less successful families do. that's what a progressive tax system is supposed to do. that's what it has always done. vadly, over the past few -- sadly, over the past few decades, the effective tax rates have plummeted. this chart shows the effective federal income tax rate for the top 400 income earners since 1992. as you can see, there has been a dramatic drop from 1995 to 2008. these rates are for federal

income tax. thank you add in the small amount of payroll taxes paid by those at the very top, which is a separate discussion, but they fall 100% on the income of middle-income families but only on a small portion of the superhigh income families, the tax rate for 2508 goes up to 18.1% counting in the withholding. that is the effective federal tax rate of those truck driver in providence. the trengdz in falling tax rates for those making seven figures in income or more who is eroded the confidence of ordinary americans who do pay their fair share. this is another quote from president reagan's 1985 speech on tax fairness. president reagan, the man whom so many conservative republicans revere, said, quote, "what we're trying to move against is institutionalized unfairness.

we want to see that everyone pays their fair share. and no one gets a free ride. our reasons -- its good for society when we all know that no one is manipulating the system to their advantage because they're rich and powerful." that is president reagan in 1985. today his party is defending that manipulation. in the 27 years since that speech, the american playing field has been skewed ever more toward the rich and powerful u from bankruptcy reform that favors big corporations over people to the citizens united decision which has allowed corporations and billionaires to spend unlimited cash to influence american elections. to this lower tax rate for ultra high income earners. the american people have simply not been getting a street deal from washington. many are calling the vote we will have on the buffett rule

today a test vote because it is on a procedural motion and the pundits don't expect it to pass. i agree. this is a test vote, but it's a test of a different sort. this is a test of washington, d.c., to do something that is simple, to do something that is right, and to do something that is fair for the middle class. if we proceed to and pass this bill, it will show the american people that congress is capable of 1257bd standing by their sidt exong is exaivel being by their side, that congress is capable of saying "no" to a powerful and well-funded special interest. if we fail, it will indicate exactly had a president reagan feared: that the rich and powerful are able to manipulate the system to their advantage and we in congress will do nothing about it. one of the things that america stands for in this world is that

we are fair with each other. we get a straight deal and we give each other a straight deal. that is one of the ways in which america stands as an example in the rest of the world. there are plenty of countries whose internal, political, and economic systems amount to a racket, a racket that is rigged for the benefit of the rich and powerful and against farmers and workers and small businesses and ordinary families. some of those countries are so bad we call them clep to crass sis. but that has never been america. that is not the america of the founding. tses not the america of ronald reagan. it is not the america that shiengs its light into the four corners of the world as an example to the rest of the wor world. that is not the america that we are here to serve.

we must be vigilant in protecting the ideals that make this country what it is. i urge my colleagues, democrats and republicans alike, to heed president reagan's words and to support this legislation which will ensure that a favored segment of the highest-earning americans once again do something as simple as pay their fair share in taxes. let us show the american people that our nation really does stand apart as an exemplar of fairness and of equal opportunity and of equal responsibility under the law enforcement i thank the chair. irsee colleagues on the floorks and i yield the floor.

a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from ohio. mr. portman: mr. president, we stand here on tax day and we also stand here in the middle of the weakest economic recovery since the great depression. a time when economists across the spectrum agree there is an urgent need for us to take our tax code and make it more efficient, to reform our tax code to help grow our economy and add jobs. and instead of an administration or leadership in this body proposing serious tax reforms that will actually get people back to work, we're spending this week debating a political proposal that no one can credibly argue will create a single job. except maybe some tax accountants because it adds more complexity to an already way too complex tax code. unfortunately, this has become

tax gimmick week here in washington. it's particularly disappointing because as a nation, we are stuck in an historically weak recovery, with high unemployment, record long-term unemployment, and anemic economic growth. this recovery rate is different, sadly. we're still millions of jobs down from where we are at the start of the recession, which was about four years ago. interesting to compare it to recoveries. in 2001, the so-called jobless recovery at this point in the recovery, about four years after the recession, the nation had not only brought back all the jobs that were lost in the recession, but we had added hundreds of thousands of new jobs. even in 1981, considered the deepest recession in modern history before the most recent one, at this time, four years after the recession, we had added six million new jobs to the economy.

unfortunately, today as we stand here, we're still down 5.5 million jobs. so instead of adding six million jobs as we had during the reagan administration, after the 1981 deep recession, today as we stand here, we are still trying to find how to add back the jobs we lost in the recession, 5.5 million jobs, 5.5 million families across this country who continue to look for hope and opportunity. so in the midst of this weak recovery, the weakest since the great depression, i think it's reasonable to expect that the president of the united states and the united states congress would focus on real solutions to create jobs. in particular, real solutions to reform our inefficient, complex and outdated tax code, because there is a consensus out there we need to do that. to make the tax code more projobs, to encourage work and savings and investment requires

broad-based reform, and everybody knows it. and the president's own commission called the simpson-bowles commission recommended it. most recently the president's own jobs council recommended it. mr. president, we need a proposal taken up by this united states senate that's driven by good economics. and instead what we're getting this week is one that's driven by campaign rhetoric. my colleagues on this side of the aisle will soon bring to the floor president obama's proposed new tax targeting investment income. the buffet tax i imposes a minim tax on anyone earning above $1 million. this new tax will bring in less than .5% -- less than .5% of the

individual income tax that are paid. by the way, this will be enough to pay one week's interest on our $15 trillion national debt. that's it. it's certainly not about deficit reduction at a time of $1 trillion deficits. the president also says this new tax on investments on american businesses is necessary to, as he said, invest in the things that would help the economy grow. this apparently means this will result in more government spending. private enterprises that actually create jobs are not one of those things that will be making the investments. instead it will be investments through government spending. i just think the buffett rule is bad economics, i think it's bad fiscal policy, and i think it's a distraction from the broader bipartisan effort underway to achieve fundamental tax reform that is necessary to unleash a true economic recovery. the proposal is built, by the way, on this notion that i heard from my colleague a moment ago that the tax code is not

progressive. we can argue about what progressive means, but here are some statistics. according to the tax policy center, the top 1% of wage earners in this country, income earners, pay a 28% federal tax rate. by contrast, americans with incomes between $60,000 and $100,000 pay a 19% tax rate. another way to look at this is that the top 1% of taxpayers now pay 39% of all federal income taxes. the top 10% now pay 86% of all federal income taxes. and those below the 50% mark now pay 1% of federal income taxes. is that progressive or not? i would say that it is progressive. so to my colleagues who are saying the income tax is not progressive, i don't think

that's the concern here. i think the concern is we have an income tax code that has too many preferences, deductions, credits, exemptions. by the way, mostly taken advantage of by wealthier taxpayers. we ought to reform the tax code. but because the tax code is already so progressive as we talked about, this proposal from the president works primarily by increasing the tax a lot of wealthy people pay on investment income. primarily investment income, what's known as long-term capital gains. capital gains have historically been taxed in this country at a lower rate for individuals, and they're taxed at a lower rate for good reason. capital gains are the return on longer-term investments and enterprises that create jobs, and that's something we've always wanted to encourage in this country. a lower tax on capital gains drives job training investment, and according to the nonpartisan congressional committee on taxation, it increases wages ovhe