it is your voice, your vote. this is committed 2012 coverage of wisconsin's historic recall election. twelve news at 10 starts now. >> governor scott walker declares victory in the historic recall election. this is a live look from the walker's camp as we wait to hear from the governor did we will bringing his speech live as soon as he takes the stage. >> scott walker becomes the first governor in american history to stay in office after a recall challenge. ..

a brief comment from lieutenant governor fired up the crowd. they spoke energetic, very enthesed about the victory. joining me now is the chairman of the national committee. what did you see here tonight? >> we're thrilled for scott and rebecca, more importantly, we're thrilled for the state of wisconsin. i think it's great for america. that liberty and freedom prevail. people of their word prevail, it's a great night we're excited. we're waiting to hear from the government. what will his message to the people be tonight? >> he's going to talk about government campaign. making promises, keeps promises and the future of wisconsin,

working together, providing good paying jobs, good futures so people can live a great life put their kids in school. have a good retirement. we have to make sure we're not running a government that is upside down. >> governor scott walker showed good courage. they rewarded him. democrats too. your focus has been on the. the, campaign, the romney campaign. what does it mean for romney in wisconsin? >> it means number one, it's going to be competitive. it's an honest assessment by both sides of the aisle. i think president obama disappointed a lot of people in the state. he disappointed a lot of democracies. he thought he would help them. he left them at the alter. for him to come back, i think a lot of democrats are going to look at the president and say thanks a lot within we you weren't there and we'll remember

that. >> in a couple of words what the message. >> liberty and freedom revail across america in wisconsin. >> thank you. we appreciate you taking the time. you hear the crowd anxious to hear from governor scott walker. we'll be hearing him from shortly. reporting live from waukesha. >> all right. somehow or another we'll get to you. >> the live team coverage with the terri campaign rally in dpownt milwaukee. what a contrast in the different atmosphere. >> it's a continued packed house. there continue to be people coming in here. and joining me state senator sensor is. senator, so you're upset that -- there were still people standing standing in waiting to vote. >> absolutely. there were more than 100 people waiting in line to be registered and to vote and, you know, the networkings are calling even

though the state there have been exit polling says 50/50. it's too early to call. >> if walker prevails tonight as the networks are saying he's going to prevail, what does that mean to the democrats? >> well, it means we look at the total in end. i think it's going to be very close. we i think he will win in case we lose, we shown a signal to the republican party that the money can't buy wisconsin. >> what does mean about working together with the republicans. republicans working together with the democrats ? >> once again, i think that -- we're not going to be ruled over. the peoples' voices should be democrats and republicans. i'm still looking forward and working with the republicans because we have taken over the senate by that time. >> governor scott walker said he

wants to help heal wisconsin. how does he do that? how does he reach across to the democrats and feel like he's healing. >> i'm not sure he can initially. i think there was a horrible rhetoric during the campaign. i think some of the democratic senators, and republicans senates democratic people and different republicans need to get together. and then governor scott walker needs to, you know, perhaps extend a hand to the tom himself. once again, i think it's too dwroarl call. >> thank you senator for joining us tonight. no one is ready to concede anything here. we haven't received any official from the barrett camp. they are about to do so. we will let you know when they do. live in milwaukee. >> there might be a conversation going on right now to the effect. now lieutenant governor rebecca also succeeding tonight. he's been he declared the winner

as well. we heard from her within the last fifteen minutes. she had 56% of the vote. up front, mike has been closely watching the numbers tonight. >> we're going to try to break it down connecticut by county for you. we're going begin with the populace county in the state milwaukee county. let's a a take look 23% of the votes. barrett leading a to 45% in milwaukee county. move on to waukesha probably one of the most republican counties in the state. 88% of the votes governor scott walker with more than 70% of the votes that have been tallied. in -- strong republican territory. 70% of the vote. tom berry 28%. remove south of milwaukee county and go to racine.

it has not been counted. governor scott walker 64%. and barrett with 35%. let's take a look at washington county. the numbers are huge. for governor scott walker. three quarters of the precinct are reporting governor scott walker with 67% of the vote tom barrett with 23%. there's one other county we're going to look. it's 77% of the precinctses reporting now in dane county democratic mayor barrett winning 68% to 32% for governor walker. very impressive night for the governor and the effort to stay in office. >> and the game goes on in waukesha. ken has the -- at the waukesha expo people are woshtding when we're going to hear in the governor scott walker. >> actually being joined by another candidate. in the upcoming senate roadways on the republican side. mark newman is with me here.

you're someone who ran against scot walker. >> i am running scott walker. what a great win for the state of wisconsin. you can elect a conservative who is going to balance the budget by cutting spending to office and get him reelected. what a great night it is for governor scott walker and the whole team. >> there was a lot of talk about about the fact it was a burnout election. it -- it came down to getting the base support at the polls. we're seeing what might. record numbers in the election. >> today has been exciting today. every place i went people were electric with energy. i see it carrying over to the president issue and senate win. i'm very optimistic. history has been made here. america has turned a corner here. >> is there a moment now where you see the divide in wisconsin beginning to heal or to close? >> i think so. i think the people accepting the

fact that we cannot spend more money than we have in the government. they want the government balanced. they seen the property taxes come down for the first teem in twelve years. they're happy. it's the big way that's going to sweep the whole country. >> what do you hope to here? >> the same message. bring more jobs, balance our budget without raising tabses and make an environment for the buzzes so we can have more jobs here. >> i appreciate it. thank you. mark newman, again a lot of folks here this evens as excites as they are about the governor scott walker walker. not only to the senate race and the presidential race here in wisconsin. there's a lot of feeling here that the have turnout get out the vote every make sure translated to an equally big turnout in the close race coming up here in november. we're rating to hear from

governor walker. we expect him staking the stage here shortly. we'll check back with you as soon as he does. >> thanks. the gubernatorial race . >> we're hoping to win at least one of the seats to try to get the majority in the senate. it doesn't look like it's happening tonight to. we seeing the u.s. senate race begin. let's go the district 21 which covers are a seen county. the results come in a little slowly out of ray seen county. we have 22% of the precincting reported there. we have 62% for van wan guard and 38% for john. we want take a look at the district 13 here as well. take a look at the numbers. wily. flipped around to the statewide numbers. showing 75% and 55%. and actually, mayor milwaukee

mayor is taking the stage. we want to go live to hear what he has to say. >> i'm honored. -- [inaudible] i'm honored -- [inaudible] [applause] that [applause] congratulate him on the -- [inaudible]

[yelling] [inaudible] [applause] [unintelligible] >> there's nothing i can do about it. -- [unintelligible] [applause] [cheers and applause]

please, price, please, remain engaged in the, remain in the -- [inaudible] for justice in the city and in the state. [cheering and applause] [ [inaudible] that i saw -- and you are as you -- [inaudible] it was honored tonight to have gotten that opportunity to meet so many wonderful. people who care about their families, people who care about their family, people who care about the state. the energy i have seven-day forecast has come from you. it has come from the people of the state. i thank you for that.

[applause] but now we must look to the future. and our challenges are real. we are a state that has been deeply divided. and it is up to all of us, our side, and their side, to listen. to listen to each other, and to try to do what's right for everyone in the state. the state remains divided, and it is my hope that while we have live the base a lively discourse which is healthy in any democracy, those who are victorious tonight, as well as those of us who have not victorious tonight can at the end of the day do what is right for wisconsin's families. that is what our duty is. that is what we must do for the people of the state. [applause]

it's not the end tonight. it's at end to another chapter of the history. there are more chapters to come inspect those channel -- ever -- chapters it is my sincere hope, that all of us, that all of us here will remain engaged and for those who you have been involved in the first time or the twenty i.t. time. i hope you got the same energy as i did. i will continue to fight for the city. ly continue to fight for the people in the city, i will continue to try to do what is right for all of us. thank you very much. let's go get them! have a great evening. thank you! [cheering and applause] mayor tom we're receipt graduating governor scott walker on the vict re. you heard supporters saying don't do it yet. don't do it now. you had tom barrett coming back up to say few more words. with a different tone.

there we go. he flipped the mike. but the things he was actually talking about there, -- the young man who is not so young, i guess. but a young man who elect fied the people in madison with the energy, with the commitment, and the desire -- [cheering and applause] people want to know what the 0 future of the democratic party looks like, they're in good hands it's because the man standing behind me tonight. i want to thank him, his family, and i want to thank mahlon mitchell for being such a strong candidate for the lieutenant governor. let's hear it for mahlon mitchell. mahlon? [applause] >> hey, hey!

ho, ho! thank you mayor, tom barrett. it's been a pleasure. it's been an honor. and it's been a privilege to run with you, sir. thank you. [applause] i want to thank you all for your support, not just during the campaign but from last year. i want to take some time to thank some people that have not had the ability to thank for a long time. that's my family, my wife, my son, carson, my daughter. thank you. [applause] but what seems like a lifetime ago in february of 2011, every day people took to the streets of wisconsin to speak out against the surprise attack on the state and the values. the moment grew into a movement. i like to call a movement because movements end. i like to call it a way of

life. because this is a way of life that we always have to keep. and we cannot let up. [applause] what's the result do not show, is what the election is all about. it's the fight. that we are in, and the fight that end today whether or not we won or lost. it is a fight we have to keep up. we cannot stop. i can tell you right now, i'm not done with the fight. [applause] and i know the man behind me, mayor barrett is not done with the fight. this is not last you hear from us! it's not the last you hear from mahlon or tom. i will continue to fight. i will continue to fight out against injustice in the state. we have to keep going! because we're not fighting just for milwaukee, madison, green

bay, we're fight forget entire state. we cannot let up, we cannot stop. we cannot stop! [applause] now he is trying to divide and conquer us. we cannot let that happen, right? >> right! right? >> right! >> are you ready to fight? >> yes. >> we cannot stop. we sent one message tonight. we send one message tonight. our state continues to be the divided and the only way the only way things will change if we find a way to work together, but we have to do that. [applause] [cheering and applause] i want to tell you now i went stop fighting. ly fight like hell to make sure we are elect president obama in 2012 and keep fighting! [cheering and applause] because this is still not over!

this is not the last you'll hear from us! this is -- this is still about history. i guarantee when it is said and done in 20122011 be on the right side of justice and history. let's not stop. let's not quit! let's keep fighting. let's keep it up! [applause] >> certainly a lot of passion in the room tonight. going back to what mayor barrett was talking about earlier, mike, it the dividely wisconsin and still keeping the theme as he concedes to governor scott walker. >> i think you saw that in the two different speechers. i think the mayor, it was a tough task tonight for him to come out there. you can tell some of the people in the crowd are not ready to stop fighting. they want to go forward. they weren't happy with the concession speech at this point in the evening. you have folks who feel that way. they feel strongly and passionly

about the issue. and yet, you kind of hear the mayor saying hopefully we can move from the experience and move forward. words of hope and optimism. it was not an easy nights for the mayor. it was the third attempt for the office. all have been u unsuccessful. you saw tom barrett who is the upper 'os he's the mayor of milwaukee. and you saw mahlon who is thinking about the next run for office. you get different speeches from different men in different points of their lives. >> that's not much rest time. during the excruciating time. 17 months of just joyce marched us through that process of, you know, when it's only ban year now that it actually became law. the whole recall process began. now we're here tonight. you have are resounding win for governor scott walker. >> you do. i think it's been for most people who have been in this

little world that we've been nor if the last -- you know, 16/18 months. i think sometimes it's easy for us to lose perspective. if you stand back and look as everything that transpired in the state in little more than a year. it is truly amazing, fundamentally the state has moved in a different political direction people can have that argument. is it good or bad? the voters said they would rather go in that direction than ab different direction. we've had incredible discussions, passion, intense disagreements. we've had record election turnout for governor's race. we've seen a lot. we've been through a lot as a state. it'll be interesting to see where we go from here. will wisconsin be more united? will we fight the battles again? >> about mayor calling it the end of a chapter, really, for wisconsin and now you're opening up the next chapter. >> it is.

and the next chapter, we heard that the u.s. senate race, it was funny, those are four guys who would like to get on tv right now. before we saw earlier at the walker campaign. they had banished from the airways. everything took a backseat to the recall election. >> it is 10:22 we had a victory declared by grouted before the hour. scent kent is at the campaign at the waukesha county expo. they wrappedded up the 0 crowd. i don't know when the man of the hour is going to begin. >> the noise you see first lady and the walker son taking the stage. tonight walker is about to introduce her husband governor scott walker. and the crowd very chit excited. they've been waiting for this moment. many for many months. [applause] >> your voices have been heard!

[applause] >> it's time to celebrate! [applause] it's time to move forward! [applause] since january, volunteers like you have stood with scott, and it made over 4 million contacts statewide to support him! [applause] thank you for the doors you've knocked on. thank you for the cell phones you've -- for the calls you've made. thank you for talking to your friends, and your family, thank you for all of the e-mails you've been reading. yes! all of the e-mails will final -- finally stop! thank you physical cards, the -- thank you for the cards, the letters, the kind are words. it has brought us through the past year. [applause]

thank you! brb [chanting] in support of our family and friends, has just been incredible. math and alex thank you for your love and patience, and -- i'm so proud of you! scott's mom and dad, lou and path, you've been a blessing to us. my dad, scott's brother, and his family, all our family and friends, to all our staff, thank you from the bottom of our hearts! and of course, thank you, thank you all for voting for scott! [applause] scott continues to prove he is a man of his word, who will do everything it takes to keep wisconsin moving forward on the path to prosperity.

he will continue to stand up for the taxpayers of wisconsin. [applause] i'm incredibly proud my husband. in my opinion, he's the best governor wisconsin has ever had! [applause] ladies and gentlemen of the great state of wisconsin, i am so proud to ask you in joining me in giving a historic welcome to my husband, the only governor, the only governor elected twice in one term! [cheering and applause] welcome, governor walker!

♪ sun coming up over new york city ♪ ♪ school bus driver in a traffic jam ♪ ♪ the promise of the promise land ♪ ♪ one kid dreams of being an -- ♪ ♪ [cheering and applause] wow. what a crowd. [applause] first of all, -- first of all, i want to thank god for his abundant blessings.

[applause] next up, i particularly want to thank not all of you, but people all across the state. i want to thank you for your prayers, for the last year and a half the thing that sustained us and my family so much is not just the campaign events, but literally the factory and farms and small businesses just about every day over the past year and a half. i met people at every one of those stops and what sustained us people many times, people i've never i met come off the line or the farm and say we're praying for you and your family. i can't sell you what that means to me. [cheering and applause] and speaking of my family, how about my wife as the first lady of wisconsin?

she's been a rock. she's courageous. so strong. i'm so glad that more than twenty years ago, may 1st 1992, she agreed to the first date with me. it's been heaven ever since. plltz together we're proud to have two sons, i was going to say boys. they're not boys anymore. two sons, matt and alex. they've been through a lot this last year and a half. she's going to graduate on saturday. alex is going to be a senior. they've been spectacular. mrs. walker mentioned the rest of our family. my mom and dad, i know a lat of you at the victory centers have my mom's chocolate cookies. you have to love those! my mom and dad, my brother-in-law, my sister-in-law my nieces, my father-in-law, all

of my family here and so many of our long-time friends. so many who lifted us up over the last year and a half even when times were tough. we say thank you to all of them. [applause] thank you. ] [chanting] >> it's great to see so many kids out here too. it's what it's all about! [applause] i want to thank you our tremendous lieutenant governor rebecca! to rebecca, to her husband, state representative joe, they're two beautiful daughters, thank you to them for standing up with us as well. to for the proud taxpayer of

wisconsin [applause] i want to thank my incredible staff on the campaign and the cabinet and the capitol staff. we thought abouted more than 4 million voter contacts, the staff, the volunteers, supporters we can't thank you all enough. there's a tent last night with the overflow. we couldn't violate the fire code. there are people all across the state on behalf of our family, we say thank you to all of you! [applause] thank you to all of you. everybody at home watching tonight. thank you to the people who trusted in me vote for the governor for the 45th and continue to be the 45*9 governor for the the -- 45th governor for the great state of wisconsin! [cheering and applause] i want to tell you something

though, let me share a quick story. last fall, mrs. walker and i had a chance to go to the governors' association meeting. we had a chance to travel to philadelphia. i went to independents hall. as a kid we grew up in the small town where i loved to study history. we didn't get to go to places like that. it was the first trip to independents hall. i was so touched. i stood in there and looked at desk and looked the chairs. even to as a kid growing up, i looked to the founders as superheres. it dawned on me. these were ordinary people. ordinary people. who did something extraordinary. they didn't just risk their political yearses. they didn't risk their businesses. they literally risked their lives for the freedom we hold so dear today and the men and women here in the country who defend

us every day! [cheering and applause] moments like, we mind why america and why wisconsin are so great! you see, what has made our country unbelievable. what has made the united states of america exceptional. what has has made the united states arguably one of the greatest countries in the history of the world. in times of crisis, either economic or physical be spirit yule in times of crisis what has made america amazing has been the fact that throughout our history throughout the more than 200 years of history there have been men and women of courage who have stood up it's more important to look out for the future of the children and grandchildren than their own political future.

[applause] what has sustained them here wisconsin across our country, has been when the there have been leaders of courage. what sustained them there were good and decent people who stood with them, shoulder to shoulder and arm to arm that's what you have done for wisconsin! and for america! [cheering and applause] tonight we tell wisconsin, we tell our country, and we tell people all across the globe, that voters want leaders who stand up and make the tough decisions -- [applause] but now -- but now it is time to move on and move forward in wisconsin.

[applause] tomorrow -- tomorrow i'll meet with my cabinet in the state's cap top and renew our commitment to help small small business grow jobs in the state. we'll renew our commitment to the quality 77 liar for all of our citizens both vows who voted for me and those who voted for someone else. because tomorrow -- tomorrow is the day after the election. and tomorrow we are now no longer a points to. tomorrow we are one as wisconsin. so together we can -- [applause] a few minutes ago i talked to mayor tom barrett. no, no, no. the election is over. i talked to the mayor, and we had a good talk. and i said i'm committed to working with you to help the

city of milwaukee and help the state of wisconsin. tomorrow the election is over. it's time to move wisconsin forward. [applause] i've learned much over the last year and a half. there's no doubt about it. early in 2011, i rushed in to try to fix things before i talked about it. before years, to many policy z as i see in mad madison and washington and beyond talked about things but never fixed them. i want to tell you, looking ahead, we have -- it's

i was willing to make the tough decisions and the most important reason why i'm committed to work with anyone everyone and everyone in the state. to help move the state forward with the two young men standing on the stage behind me. [applause] i believe and i i believe people all across the state, he amazing numbers of people to turn out to vote. i believe what inspires us in the state is the fact that ultimately we go to work and we work hard every day. those who us who are moms and dads like we are and the grandmas and grandpas like us before us. we go to work and work hard every single day. not just for a paycheck. not to put food on the table.

i got off the phone with governor scott walker and congratulated him on the victory tonight. [booing] we agreed that it is a important for us to work together -- [chanting] and i want to thank all of you for the work that you have done. this has been -- this has been the most amazing experience about -- of our lives. and what we have seen over the last sixty months, we have seen the democracy come alive. to those of you -- to those of you who fought, who obtained signatures, who stood out in the cold, who did what you thought was right, never, ever stop doing what you think is right.

[applause] that's what makes it such a great country. [applause] to those of you who care about this city, which i love. to those of you who care about the state, which i love. please, please, please, remain engaged, remain in vow because we will continue to fight for justice and fairness in this city and this state. [applause] and as i've traveled the state, the last several months, i was amazed. i was cinchly amazed at the energy, the excitement, that i saw in people throughout this. and you, if you had been with me would feel as honored as i do to have gotten that opportunity to meet so many wonderful people.

people who care about their families, people who care about their communities, people who care about the future of the state. the energy that i have received the last two and a half months has come from you. it has come from the people of this state. and i thank you for that. [applause] but now we must look to the future. and our challenges are real. we are a state that has been deeply divided. and it is up to all of us. our side and their side to listen. to listen to each other. and to try to do what's right for everyone in the state. the state remains divided, and it is my hope while we are lively debates, a lively discourse which is healthy in any democracy, those who are

victorious tonight as well as those who have not victorious tonight can at the end of the day do what is right for wisconsin's families. that is what our duty is. that is what we must do for the people of this state. [applause] so this is not an end tonight. this is an end of another chapter of wisconsin's history. but there are more chapters to come. and in those chapters, it is my sincere hope that all of us here, that all of us here will remain engaged, and for those who have been involved first time or the twenty i.t. time. i hope you got the same energy. i will continue to fight for the city, the people in the city, and continue to fry to do what is right for all of us. thank you very much. let's go get them glssments have a great evening. thank you.

[applause] now we hear from the winner of the wisconsin recall context. republican governor scott walker. this is the first time the u.s. governor has successfully fended off a recall. ♪ ♪ school bus driver in a traffic jam ♪ ♪ of the promise land ♪ one kid dreams of being ♪ wow. what a crowd.

[cheering and applause] first of all, first of all, i want to thank god for his abundant grace. [applause] next i particularly want to thank not all of you but people across the stealth. i want to thank you for your prayers, for the last year and a half the thing that sustained my family and i so much is not just a campaign events, but literally in factory and farms and small businesses just about every day over the past year and a half. i met people at every one of those stops and what sustained us is people many sometime times people come off the farm, or the line and say governor we're praying for you and your family. i can't tell you what that means to me. [applause] and speaking of my family, how about keeping mrs.walker as the

first lady of wisconsin? [applause] mrs. walker has been a rock. she's courageous, so strong, i'm so glad more than twenty years ago on may 1st, 1992, she agreed to have the first date with me. it's been heaven ever since. [applause] together we're proud to have two sons, i was going to say boys, they're not boys anymore. two sons matt and alex. they've been through a lot this last year and a half. i wouldn't be more proud of them. math is going to graduate on saturday. alex is going to be a sr. [applause] they've been spectacular. mrs. walker mentioned the rest of our family. my mom and dad, i know of you at the victory centers had my mom's

chocolate chip cookies. you have to love them. my mom and dad, my brother, my sister-in-law, my two beautiful nieces, my father-in-law, to all of my family here and so of our friends. so many who liftedded us up over the last year and a half even when times were tough. we say thank you for all of them . [applause] [chanting] thank you. [chanting: thank you scott] >> it's great to see so many kids out here too. it's what it's all about. freedom. i want to thank our tremendous lieutenant governor rebecca. to rebecca, her husband, state

representative, they're beautiful daughters, thank you to them for standing up with us for the proud taxpayers of wisconsin. [applause] and i want to thank my incredible staff both on the campaign and the cabinet and the capitol staff. to the tremendous volunteers from all across the state, mrs. walker talked about more than 4 million voter contacts. staff, the volunteers, the supporters, we cannot thank you enough. thank you to all of you. there's a tent out with the overflow. we couldn't violate the fire code here. there are people all over the area and the across the state on behalf of our family, we say thank you to all of you. [applause] and thanks to all of you and everybody at home watching tonight. thanks to all of people who yet again, trusted in my vote your to the governor and continue to be the 45th governor of the

great state of wisconsin. [applause]

be the military or spirit yule in times of crisis what made america amazing. has been the fact that throughout our history throughout the more than 200 years of our history, there has been men and women of courage who stood up and decided it was more important to look out for the future of their children,

and their grandchildren than their own political future. [cheering and applause] and what has sustained them? what sustained them here in wisconsin across our country has been when there have into leaders of courage what has sustained them there were good and decent people who stood with them shoulder shoulder, and arm to arm that's what you have done for wisconsin, and for america! [applause] tonight -- to be the we tell -- tonight we tell wisconsin, we tell our country, and we tell people all across the globe that voters really do want leaders who stand up and make the tough decisions! [applause]

but now -- but now it is time to move on and move forward in wisconsin. [applause] tomorrow i'll meet with my cabinet the state's capitol. and we'll renew our commitment to help the small businesses, grow jobs in the state. [applause] we'll renew our commitment to help grow the quality of life for all of our citizens, both those who voted for me and those who voted for someone else. because tomorrow -- tomorrow is the day after the election. and tomorrow we are now no long aeroopponents tomorrow we are one as wisconsinuates. together we can move wisconsin forward. a few minutes ago, i talked to

>> we work hard every day. those of us who work hard to come up we do every single day. not just for a paycheck, not just or putting food on the table. we go to work everyday and we work hard for the same reason that you work hard. people all across the state work hard. we work hard because we want our children to inherit a better life and a better home and community and thanks to your votes today, it a better state than the one we inherited. we are going to move the wisconsin forward. thank you, god bless you, and god bless the great state of wisconsin. [music playing]

[music playing] >> on "washington journal" tomorrow morning, we will be joined by nick mulvaney of south carolina. a member of the budget and joint economic committee's. he will talk about the economy and congressional budget office's annual report. we will also talk about the economy and jobs senator richard blumenthal, a democrat from connecticut. he is a member of the health education labor and pensions committee. we will focus on how the internet is used and controlled with michael joseph gross, a contributing editor for vanity fair. he will speak about how countries around the world are regulated on the internet. and he will speak about international telecommunications regulations. "washington journal" is live every day at 7:00 a.m. eastern.

>> finally, on a personal note, michelle and i are grateful to the entire bush family for their guidance and their example during our own transition. george, i will always remember the gathering he posted for all the living former presidents before i took office. your kind words of encouragement , plus you also left me let me a really good tv sports package. [laughter] [laughter] i use it. [laughter] [applause] >> last week's portraits of george and laura bush were unveiled at the white house. it was their first visit since leaving the white house. >> dolly madison famously saved this portrait of the first george w. bush. [laughter] [applause] now, michele -- [laughter] [applause] dash if anything happens --

there is your man. [laughter] [applause] >> watch the entire event online at the c-span video library. >> procedural vote failedms. mi: 52 to 47. here's part of the debate on thg senate o floor. >> i come to the court today to urge my colleagues to affirmatively and unabashedly vote on the pair paycheck fairness act. this is a long march but the women of the united states of america have been walking for wanting for a long time. in 1963, presidentyn lyndonionee

johnson wanted to create a great society. he envisioned a civil rights ace to right the wrongs of the paste one would people pay. work. the equal pay act, which would ensure that women would get equal pay for equal work. the el pay act as his first action because he felt it would be one of the easier ones to pass and to implement. little demo that the corporate -- little did he know that the corporate wrath that was going to be against women in the past would come to that legislation. but a democratically controlled senate moved that bill and began the long march for civil rights. but guess what happened in the ensuing 49 years? on june 10, president johnson signed that bill in 1963. 49 years later women still make

less than men. women in the united states of america make only 77 cents for what men doing the same job make. this is unfair and it's un-american. remember where we have come. everybody likes to say to us, oh, you've come a long way, but wye don't -- we don't think we've come a long way. we've only gained 18 cents in 49 years. in 1963 we made 59 cents for every dollar that men make. now it's 77 cents. so what does that mean? it means every five years we make an advancement of one penny. oh, no. no more. we're just not going to take it any more. when i go out and talk to my constituents, they say to me they're mad as hell. they don't want to take it any

more. if they go to school, they get the job, they do the job, they want to be paid for the job. and we agree with them. we don't only twaopbt do -- want to do it with words. we want to do it with deeds and we want to pass the paycheck fairness act that would ensure to do this. women fight every day for equal pay. when they do, they're sidelined, redlined or even pink slipped. right now in the marketplace it is legal to fire a woman if she asks about her pay, whether she goes to the personnel director or she asks the person next to her at the water cooler. often women are harassed or intimidated for just being asked to say what do you make for the work you do. so we're ready to fight for women to get equal pay, and the best way to do it is to do it right here on the senate floor. people say to me, well, hey, senator barb, you led the fight

on lilly ledbetter. didn't that solve all the problems? it solved a big problem. we made a down payment to keep the courthouse door open for women who are discriminated against, but it did not close the loopholes that were in the original civil rights act. what lilly ledbetter did was change the statute of limitations to file a lawsuit from the date of each discriminatory paycheck. now we need to pass paycheck fairness to close the loopholes that allow discrimination to happen in the very first place. what does this bill do? it's actually very simple. if you listen to the right-wing pundits, you would think that this was complicated, that it was going to rend asunder the american economy and so on. this is fundamental fairness. first of all, what does it do? number one, no longer will employers be able to retaliate against workers for sharing information about wages.

remember what i said earlier. if you ask someone what you get paid, you can get fired. for years, lilly ledbetter and those she represents were humiliated and harassed for just asking questions. no longer will women be able to seek only back pay when they are discriminated against. they will also be able to seek punitive damages. no longer will employers be able to use almost any reason to justify paying a woman less. the guys do harder jobs. the guys do dangerous jobs. oh, they have a better education. we're talking about equal pay for equal work that requires the same education. no longer will women be on their own because we're going to be able to include various education and training. as i said, in 1963 we made 59 cents. women now make 77 cents. that's not progress.

the consequences to this are severe. what does this mean? well, let's take the college graduate, the woman who's had the benefit and privilege of an education. it starts the minute she tosses her hat in the air, when she goes for that job, say in information technology or even in some of the innovation economy fields. she will be making less. at the rate they're going, by the time she retires, there will be a $435,000 income pay gap. now, this is serious because it not only affects your income as you go through your life, but it affects your social security. it affects your pension. it affects absolutely, absolutely everything. the negative impact multiplies. it's like compound interest in reverse. it's compound disinterest.

it's compounded unfairness. so these are real grievances. that's why the paycheck fairness would be able to do this. now, when we look at the life of being a woman, we women know that it often -- being a woman often means that we pay more. we certainly pay more for health insurance than men with the same coverage for the exact same age or health status. what does that mean? it intervenes we estimate that women pay thousands -- it means that we estimate that women pay thousands of dollars more in medical insurance over their lifetime. we're often on the hook for child care. there are a variety of things that we could elaborate on. i believe that people should be judged in the workplace for skills and kpep tense. and -- competence. and once you get the job and you show you can do the job, be paid to do that job. for my colleagues who argue the

20 cents per hour doesn't matter, let me give you some numbers. that means $4,000 less per year for a working family. $434,000 a year over a lifetime. this means we get paid 23% less than a man making -- doing the same work who has the same education. you know what, mr. president? you're a smart guy. you know when we go to get a mortgage, we don't get a 23% discount. when we go to buy food, we don't get a 23% discount. when we go to pay our utility bills, they don't say you're paid less; we're going to give you a discount. no. we get charged the same and often more for what we do, but we're paid less. well, we're not going to accept being paid less. we're paying attention to this problem, and we've listened to the voices of the people. this isn't just senator barb

sounding off on her women's agenda. my women's rights agenda is about the economic power of women, if they have a chance in this great country to be able to move ahead. when i listen to a constituent in silver spring with years of teaching experience, even in public employment she was paid less. we listened to a trauma certain who e-mailed me from florida; highly educated. she filed suit because she found out her male surgeon doing the exact same surgery was paid $25,000 more than she was. another woman e-mailed me from virginia. she claimed she was told by her supervisor that hiring a woman would be simply a liability you're going to get pregnant. you're going to miss work. we don't know if we want you here. then she said to you, we don't need to pay you that. you don't head up a household. why should you get the money for

some guy who does head up a household? we face old prejudices but we're in a new economy and a new world. more and more women are in the workplace. and when we come, we want to be treated with with respect and wt to have equal pay for equal work. mr. president, i note my colleague is here, from washington. the presiding officer: the senator from washington. mrs. murray: i want to give a heartfelt thank you to senator mikulski. there is no denying shaos a strong and -- denying she is a strong and steadfast leader on this issue. i come to the floor with her and many others to strongly support the paycheck fairness act and ask republicans to join with us to pass this critical bill. over the past few months many of us have stood together to fight back against partisan attacks on

policies that impact women across america. mr. president, we have not started these fights, but we were not going to stand by and watch as others tried to roll back the clock. but every time we stood up to defend women, our friends on the other side of the aisle would jump right up and say we were creating -- quote -- "distractions or manufactured issues." they said we should be focused on the economy, as if we were the ones changing the subject and making the partisan attacks. well, mr. president, we are not going to stop standing up for women and families. and to those of our colleagues who claim to be so concerned about the economy and the middle class, now is your chance to prove to your constituents that you really mean what you say. because the paycheck fairness act is not just about women. and it is not just about fairness. it is about the economy. when women are not paid what they deserve, middle-class families and our communities pay the price.

in 1963 the equal pay act marked one of the first steps towards narrowing the gap between men and women. and in 2009, the senate took another step by passing the lilly ledbetter fair pay act to reverse the supreme court's ledbetter vs. goodyear case which had made it almost impossible for our workers who suffered from discrimination to seek justice. and love we have made progress since we passed the equal pay act almost 50 years ago, pay skreuplgts has not gone -- skreuplgts has not gone away. women in washington still earn 70 cents on the dollar, a pay gap that averages 11,834 in lost earnings each year. that is 179 tanks of of gasoline. to most women cross america that is not a manufactured issue. it is very real.

and, mr. president, this comes at a time when more and more families rely on women's wages to put food on the table or stay in their homes or build a nest egg for their retirement or pay for their children's education. the importance of women in the workplace has never been as critical as today and this has become even more evident in this tough economy. mr. president, the fact is that women are now participating in the work force at higher rates than ever before in history, according to the bureau of labor statistics. so it would seem most appropriate for this senate to move our country once again towards eliminating pay discrimination and unfairness in the workplace. the paycheck fairness act that we are going to have a vote on today tackles pay discrimination head on, and it shouldn't be a partisan issue or only a women's issue. it's good for women, it's good for families, and it levels the playing field for businesses in america who are doing the right

thing and paying their workers fairly. mr. president, the paycheck fairness act is good for business, too. it recognizes employers for excellence in their pay practices and it strengthens the federal outreach and assistance to all businesses to help them improve equal pay practices. it is time to address this issue and finally close the wage gap for our working women and their families. you know, i was very proud to stand with senator mikulski and other members of congress and the president as he signed the lilly ledbetter fair pay act of 2009 to give women who are victims of pay discrimination the tools they need to seek justice. but our work is far from complete. we are still not yet at the point where our daughters can expect to earn the same amount over their lifetime as our sons. that has to change. and now we need to pass the paycheck fairness act as quickly as possible to keep our nation

moving in the right direction. again, i want to thank senator mikulski for her tremendous leadership and steadfastness on this and her hard work to make this a reality for every working woman in this country. thank you, mr. president, and i yield the floor. ms. mikulski: mr. president, there will be others, democratic senators speaking during this time and i want to thank senator murray because she has been a real champion on this. she's been a champion on making sure that women are treated with respect, and this workplace and in the united states military. she has been a particular champion for ensuring that women this the mill -- in the military and women in the v.a. system get treated with fairness. we have a long way to go. i mean this is 2012 and you'd

think at times it was 1812. but, you know, in 1812 we in baltimore fought another revolution and we'll fight in 2012 so we thank her for her advocacy and look forward to having her vote this afternoon. mr. president, this isn't only a women's issue where the women's rights groups are pounding the table. we have the support and endorsement of the american bar association. i have here a letter which i ask unanimous consent to enter into the record in which the a.b.a. absolutely endorses this legislation. the a.b.a., which we know is a prestigious, distinguished representation. american bar, says that when we pass the equal pay for equal work act, it was landmark, but quoting again from their letter, in the 50 years since its passage has become out of date and ineffective, wage discrimination remains a persistent, widespread and

person initialous problem. in commenting on this bill, the a.b.a. says it would abate the key provisions of the equal pay act without altering the basic scheme of the historic statute or imposing successful novel burdens on employers. remember this isn't senator mikulski again. this is a.b.a. saying it will not impose excessive or novel burdens on employers, and indeed, most of the proposed changes are borrowed from other civil rights statutes that proved more effective in eradicating workplace discrimination. this goes to what the a.b.a. says. now, mr. president, i'd like to yield six minutes to the distinguished gentlelady from new hampshire be, the governor, a senator, a real advocate who has had to not only be a leader in passing of legislation but in implementing it and we welcome her insights

and her advocacy. the presiding officer: norm new hampshire. mrs. shaheen: i'm pleased to join our colleague and leader on so many issues that affect women and families, senator mikulski. i am here today to join her and our other colleagues who will be coming to the floor to talk about something that's a real matter of fundamental importance for our country. workers should have equal access to every opportunity that will help them put food on the table, extend their children to school, and save for retirement. unfortunately, here we are in 2012 and still millions of american women lose nearly a quarter of their potential earnings to pay discrimination. almost 50 years after the landmark equal pay act banned wage discrimination based on gender, women in our country

continue to be paid just over over 3/4 of what their male counterparts receive for performing the exact same work. every day that this wage gap exists is a further injustice to current workers like my daughters, and to future members of the work force like my granddaughters and so many other granddaughters of members of this body. pay discrimination doesn't just hurt employees. it endangers the families that depend on these women. one in three working moms is her family's only source of income. with the money that mother loses to pay discrimination every year, she could be paying housing and utility costs on her home, or she could be feeding her family with money to spare. you know, back in the early 1980's i chaired a task force for new hampshire's commission on the status of women. looking at women and employment. and what we found was discrimination in a whole range

of areas, including, of course, pay discrimination. but the conclusion of that report was that that kind of discrimination against women doesn't just hurt women who are affected. it hurts their families, their children, their husbands, and has a ripple effect throughout our economy. as governor, i signed a law to prohibit gender-based pay discrimination in new hampshire. and to require equal pay for equal work. and the year before that law was signed, women in new hampshire made 69% of their male colleagues' wages. today they make 78%. when president kennedy signed the equal pay act into law in 1963, women made less than 60 cents for each dollar earned by men. today, we make 77 cents. so we made some progress, but clearly we skill still have a long way to go and a lot of work

to do. i recently heard from a woman named marie in new boston, new hampshire about her experience with pay discrimination. and she wrote i worked for many years in a male-dominated company where the fresh out of college boys were paid substantially more than i was for the same position. she continued to recount that she actually trained these same men to do their jobs, and yet she still wasn't paid at the same rate. since the equal pay act was enacted in 1963, the gender gap impacting wages has only narrowed by an average of half a sent per year -- cent per year. so at this rate it's going to take another 45 years for that gap to close entirely. the paycheck fairness act would make commonsense updates to this law by requiring pay differences to be based on legitimate

business reasons. it would also protect women whose employers tried to shirk their responsibilities by prohibiting employees from discussing their salaries. and finally, this important legislation would create a program to strengthen women and girls' negotiation skills so they can seek the pay they deserve directly. it is long past time for us to pass the paycheck fairness act. i urge all of our colleagues to support this legislation. it is bipartisan, it is good for women and their families, and it is good for the country. thank you very much, mr. president. i yield the floor. ms. mikulski: i thank the gentlelady from new hampshire and now i lieu would like to yield the floor for seven minutes to our colleague from california, senator boxer,

who -- she and i served in the house, we served in the senate and we've been fighting this for a long time. and i think you'll find her words welcome and insightful. her passion and her devotion to women is legendary. i yield seven minutes to senator boxer. mrs. boxer: thank you so much, senator mikulski, not only for yielding to me but for your extraordinary leadership here in the united states senate on so many issues of fairness and justice, for women, for families, or children, for our seniors. it's really a legendary record that you have amassed and this is just one more example. i also want to thank president obama for his leadership in calling attention to this important legislation, the paycheck fairness act. if you were to stop someone on the street in the simplest terms say do you think it's right to pay people different for the

same job, do you think that's right? they have the same experience, the same education, same qualifications, people would say no, that's not right. but yet that is what has been happening to america's women. even though we have since the 1960's a very important law in place that's supposed to guarantee fair pay to everyone, including women. but women earn 77 septs for every dollar earned by a man -- cents for every dollar end by a man and when you drill down to the numbers you find out in a vast number of cases they're doing the same work as a man making less and, of course, lilly ledbetter made a very important point about this and became quite famous with a supreme court case where she had been doing the same thing as her male counterparts working in a tire factory, being a manager,

being skilled, being strong, and yet underpaid. and when she discovered it, trying to seek justice was unable to do so. and the senate stepped up to the plate and with democrats moving forward we passed the lilly ledbetter law which does take care of the statute of limitations that allows you to take as long as you have to to get to court to make your case. with lilly it was too late and she never was able to recover what she deserved. so now what senator mikulski has done, the paycheck fairness act, is to say we're going to go the next step. we're going to make sure, we're going to make sure that women have justice in the workplace, that women have rights and why is this important to families? not just to women, but to families.

it is because over a lifetime of discrimination that so many women face, it's not like here where you're a senator, you're a senator, you're a senator, women, man, out there, it's different. and when you're discriminated against over a lifetime and are only getting 77 cents and some, by the way, only making 56 cents or 62 cents on the dollar, the average wage loss over a working lifetime is over $400,000. if you take a look at what our families could do with $400,000, educate a child, make sure that people get the best of medical care, make sure the family has

enough so they can all take a break together and have a decent vacation or buy a better car. this is an issue, mr. president, that not only involves women, but our families and our economy. because guess what? if that $400,000 during a lifetime was with the family rather than the corporate c.e.o. who's making millions, you would see the economy stimulated because middle-class families spend those dollars. they don't hoard those dollars. so, i'm going to close this by giving awe couple of real-life -- giving you a couple of real-life examples. how much time do i have remaining? the presiding officer: 2 1/2 minutes. mrs. boxer: a woman from california had an identical

advanced degree as her husband, and they both landed exact jobs but in different parts of the company, different work sites. the husband was offered $5,000 more in starting salary, and they were shocked. the same resume, the same qualifications. then there was the health care worker in long island who discovered she had been earning $10 an hour less than her male colleagues. when she brought it up to her superiors, she was reprimanded for even asking about the rationale behind the wage gap. senator mikulski's bill says you can't be reprimanded or punished because you're trying to find out if you're being paid fairly. that's why we have to pass this law. and anyone voting against it is taking a stand against women, is taking a stand against fairness, is taking a stand against justice, is taking a stand against our families. then there was a female employee for a major corporation in florida who was told when she

was hired that to disclose your salary to other workers was grounds for dismissal. since then, she realized her male counterparts made more than she did, but she didn't have any written proof. another female employee at that company was told because her husband picked her up from work in a nice car that she didn't need to get a salary increase. one woman retired after 15 years as an award-winning c.e.o. of a public agency. her male replacement who had little experience was hired at a higher salary. after having a child, a california wedlock was fired from her job at a nonprofit. her replacement, a man with less experience, was given 30% more in starting salary. mr. president, we have example after example after example. how the republican side of the aisle could filibuster this bill

is beyond my imagination. i don't know what they're thinking. they'll give an excuse. they'll come up with some excuse. they'll say it will hurt jobs. it will hurt this and that. it's all made up. it's all made up. in this great nation, when we move toward equality, we all prosper together. so i thank you for this time so much. i urge an aye vote. i thank senator mikulski for this moment to the absence of a quorum. i'm sorry. i yield back. a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from nevada. mr. heller: i rise today in support of equal pay for equal work. the importance of women in the workplace is clear to every american. we all have women in the family who are part of the workforce. for two decades my mother worked hard in the school taf --

cafeteria. my wife a substitute teacher. my oldest daughter was fortunate to get a job after graduating from college a few years ago. my oldest daughter got a summer job in a local feed lot. 60% of my senate staff are female. america is a land of opportunity and americans are equally united against discrimination in any form. if my mother, my wife or my daughters experienced workplace discrimination based on their gender, i would be the first to come to their defense and ensure any inequities were addressed. congress passed the equal pay act in 1963 to ensure every individual received equal pay for equal work regardless of gender. it is a strict liability statute that requires evidence of intent to discriminate.

if there is evidence of intentional discrimination, appropriate remedies, including punitive and compensatory damages, are available under the civil rights act. let me be clear. pay skreuplgts based upon -- pay discrimination based upon gender is unacceptable. despite the political rhetoric around here, everyone agrees on this fact. the question is: will the paycheck fairness act actually address workplace inequality? and the simple answer is no. unfortunately, the only winners under this legislation would be trial lawyers, giving them a windfall, exposing employers to unemployed punitive damages. this legislation opens the door to frivolous lawsuits which already cost our economy billions of dollars every year. legitimate cases that could be addressed under the current system would be lost in a flood of lawsuits initiate bid lawyers

hoping to win a few large judgments. these lawsuits, if successful, could transfer billions of dollars from employers to trial lawyers. in an economy already marked by uncertainty, this legislation would surely mean lost jobs, limitations on benefits, and pay cuts. these changes would mean much harder times ahead for nevada's unemployed and underemployed so many of whom are women. instead of holding votes designed for press releases, let's resolve our nation's problems. congress can strengthen the equal pay act without handing trial lawyers a blank check. the "wall street journal" today referred to this legislation as a trial lawyer doosey just in

time for the 2012 election acts, and goes on to say the bill ought to be called the trial lawyers paycheck act, since it's a recipe for class action boons. the law automatically lists women as plaintiffs in class actions when lawyers sue employers, thereby requiring female employees to opt out of litigation with which they don't agree. businesses would be treated as guilty until they're shown to be innocent. you cannot be projobs and antibusiness. this is just another example of democrats' war on free enterprise while americans suffer with joblessness and underemployment. in fact, under this president there are 766,000 more women unemployed today than when he took office. i truly wish today's discussion was about leveling the playing

field, ensuring pay equality and improving the economy. but years' old legislation mired in politics won't get us any closer to either ending gender discrimination in the workplace or ensuring that all women who want to have a job. this proposal couldn't pass when democrats controlled both chambers of congress, yet here we are today voting on the same measure again and again, and those who are actually victims of workplace discrimination are only getting lip service from washington. like many of my colleagues, i worry about this proposal that will only increase litigation and do little to actually address the problems of pay inequality. advancements in pay parity have been made, but more needs to be done. congress would better serve the hardworking women of our nation if we focused on solutions that have actually worked. to this end, i have introduced

the end pay discrimination through information act. this legislation would protect employees who are trying to determine whether or not they're experiencing pay discrimination. no one in this body should be so naive to say pay discrimination has been arad qait indicated. what we need to do is ensure employees can find the information they need to determine whether or not they have a legitimate claim against their employer. the end pay discrimination through information act provides anti-retaliation and whistle-blower protection both sides should be able to agree upon. my legislation is an a solution within the existing framework of our legal system that does not provide a handout to trial lawyers as the underlying bill would do. my bill also recognizes the role of women in america's work force, and the fact that an increasing number of u.s. households depend on the income

of working women. my legislation states -- quote -- "that equal pay for equal work is a principle and practice that should be observed by all employers"-- unquote. every day working women are going above and beyond, balancing their responsibilities at home and work. to provide for their families. the least we can do is ensure that employers that intentionally -- intentionally discriminate on the basis of sex be held bill is combil for their wrongdoing. i believe my bill is a reasonable, bipartisan step in the right direction. instead of bringing up legislation that has failed in the past and will in the future, this congress needs to give our nation the economic certainty needed to create good-paying jobs so hard-working women across this country will be able to provide for their families and achieve the career successes that they deserve. thank you, mr. president. thank you, mr. president.

>> we are working on cutting federal spending and growing the economy. we are working on these jobs, it would be a good place to start.

honestly, we believe in the energy policy, which includes approving the keystone pipeline, which would help the situation dramatically as well. we are ready to go to work, but unfortunately, two summers, after the recovery summer, we still have chronic high unemployment, now 40 months, over 8%. we have an anemic, sluggish economy, which shows no signs of improving anytime soon.ñ >> the vice president and the secretary of education are meeting with a number of college presidents right now about the cost of college.ñó÷ó what they are failing to address is the significant costs of health insurance for a number of these students, as a result in consequence of the president's health care law. many colleges are facing the choice between sharply increasing the cost of insurance that students get through those colleges, or dropping the insurance altogether. now, remember, it was the president who said, if you like what you have, you can keep it.

but for hundreds of thousands of college students, that is not the case. college students as they want to go back to school next year, they are seen a policy that they may have had in the past, it is now going to go to $2000 or $2500 per student per year. the reason is because of the mandates. the level of insurance that they will have to buy under the president's health care law. many of these policies that students have purchased in the past through the colleges were set up as robust policies that actually would apply to college students and the means that they would have for health care during the school year. that is not good enough according to the president's health care law. they have to buy very expensive, government approved insurance. now, you remember that unions faced this problem two years ago. what the secretary did was give them waivers so they didn't have to live under the mandate of the president's health care law. colleges for the students are

not allowed to apply for the same waivers that were given to millions of people who get theig health insurance through union' plans.'/'''''' >> in recent years, more than'' 50,000 mexican citizens have been killed in their country as/ a result of the drug cartel''/ violence and unfortunately, attributed to buy a botched operation on fast/ and furious' attorney general eric holder'/ continues to deny that he knew' about.'//' today, earlier' today, darrell' issa has revealed that in fact,' there were wiretap applications from which indicated a high degree of knowledge of the top levels of the justice departmen' of exactly the tactics used in/ this operation, which the//'' resulted in the death of brian' 'erry, a u.s. longform cement' agent./'''' perhaps other americans as well. it is' past time for the attory general to have the gall to'''

complain.'/'/' next week, he appears before th' senate judiciary committee and/ has another opportunity to come/ clean and tell what he knows and when he knew it, rather than/' continue to mislead the united' states congress and its charging are responsible these for oversight. >> [inaudible question] [inaudible question] it sounds like you setting up for negotiations. what a -- what are your reactions to that? >> the joint select committee did not succeed because with every problem, with every solution, there was one mantra

for the democrats. out of frustration, frankly, we propose -- we finally propose doing exactly that. senator toomey led the effort. all of the republicans agreed. we put $250 million. only the people in the top two tax brackets would pay these 250 million -- excuse me, $250 billion. it still wasn't enough. our question is, what is not? when you say put revenues on the table, we put revenues on the table before it to no effect. the democrats will agree with us that we cannot afford the kind of devastating, and that is leon panetta's words, devastating across-the-board cuts to defense, then we ask them to join us in an effort to find a

way to avoid sequestration. senator graham asked leon panetta, would that be like shooting ourselves in the foot? and he said no, it would be like shooting ourselves in the head. [laughter] >> [inaudible question] [inaudible question] in regards to republicans voting against this bill, [inaudible] anyone of you? >> well, we are to address that issue before. this issue is about rewarding lawyers for filing lawsuits. we think it is the wrong way to go about dealing with this issue. you know, it is an open secret that the plaintiff's bar has been an active supporter of democrats all along. their view is that america suffers from not enough litigation. i will give you an example.

back when president bush was still president, the democrats have taken over the congress. one of the things they liked to do was to insert into all of the appropriation bills new opportunities to file lawsuits. i remember going into my counterpart, senator reid's office, insane if you want president bush to sign all these bills, -- they strip them out, and ultimately, they signed the bill. we don't think america suffers from a lack of litigation. we have a jobless problem and a debt problem and we have a deficit problem. we have a lot of problems. not enough lawsuits is not one of them. >> [inaudible question] [inaudible question] >> we don't think america has any problems related to that. >> [inaudible question]

[inaudible question] is it possible that not just th bush tax cuts, but theñ sequestration will have to be delayed? >> there are all kinds of hypotheticals you could engage in. if you chose to about what may happen in the next few months, but the biggest problem confronting the country, obviously, is joblessness, lack of growth in the private sector, i think every single one of the republican -- member members of the republican congress are convinced that we will never be able to get out of this. the only thing we can do is lift out of the slow growth that we have been in for 40 some months. how'd he do that? i tell you what you don't do. you don't raise taxes. we need to end this overregulation -- this job

killing overregulation that the administration is engaged in. you don't understand it unless you talk to people in business and ask why they are not growing and expanding. overregulation is a problem, not just in financial services and health care, but in every agency of the federal government. administrators and regulators on steroids, trying to tell everyone how to do their job in the private sector. if you're making a profit, they say, you must be up to no good. you are doing one of two things, either mistreating your employers unshed employees, or your employer, or both. that is the pervasive view all across america. it is why everyone has frozen up and is not growing and expanding. this is an anti-business administration. business, after all, is what hires people.

you can't do this and be in support of more jobs. i think this administration is acting completely against the interest of private sector growth. until we have someone new or they have an epiphany, we will have some degree of pessimism. i think we need to change to no more government spending and debt, a whole new approach inñ america, making us the most business from the country in the world. >> [inaudible question] [inaudible question] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] >> investor warren buffett said he does not expect another recession in the united states unless the economy worsens.

after that, the senate finance committee looks at the effectiveness of federal antipoverty programs. tomorrow, the senate banking committee will hold a hearing of the dodd-frank regulatory law. we will hear from the head of the consumer financial protection bureau,. live coverage at 10:00 a.m. eastern on c-span 3. on thursday, federal reserve chairman ben bernanke will talk about the u.s. economic outlook. he will testify at the joint economic committee. that is also on c-span 3. live at 10:00 a.m. eastern. >> next, the berkshire hathaway chairman and ceo warren buffett talks about the u.s. economy and the challenges facing the global economic recovery. he spoke with the president of the economic club of washington, david rubenstein.

[inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [applause] [applause] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] >> thank you very much, warren, for coming this evening and honoring us. i don't think you need much of an introduction. but i will just say that i think it is fair to say that you are the most respected investor in the world. [applause] [applause] [applause] [applause] you are the most respected businessmen in the world. not just because you have made a great deal of money, but because you have done it with enormous integrity and humility and, as people will see tonight, with an enormous sense of humor. in addition to being a

businessperson that everybody would aspire to be, he has recently become with bill gates, the largest letterpress lanter best in the world. [applause] [applause] [applause] [applause] >> he is committed to give 99% of that away, and he is in the process of doing so. thank you on behalf of the country and everybody else for being a philanthropist. [applause] [applause] [applause] [applause] >> your background is pretty well-known, but some people may not know that you actually spent much of your formative years in washington dc, your father was elected to the congress. you moved here, you went to a junior high school, got a lot of

c's and d's, as i understand. he went to woodrow wilson high school in finished 16th in your class. >> we might say 17, i might add. >> you are working, delivering papers in the morning and evening. my question to begin is many people who grew up in washington love living here and they want to stay here. they hope to be the head of a lobbying firm or congressional staff someday. you have any regrets the might of been able to make something of yourself had you stayed here? >> well, i am still young, david. i may come back. [laughter] [laughter] >> the first time i had been to the junior high, and that the principal. [applause] [applause] >> you told me earlier today that he lived in spring valley. >> yes, i lived there.

he met today with a camera crew, you knocked on the door of the person who is living there. whether that person say? >> well, we had a good time. the house is to have shone. she was very much a wonderful woman. she was a wonderful woman. >> when you were going up in washington, you were already a businessperson? >> well, i thought so. >> you are making money and you filed your first tax return at 14 years old? >> yes, it was for the year that i was 13 and i filed it when i was 14. >> did you think the tax rates were too high then? or not? >> it hurt more in those days. [laughter] [laughter] i did deduct my watch as a business expense and my bicycle. i never used my bicycle or my

watch for pleasure. [laughter] [laughter] another look i never looked at it unless i was delivering papers. >> after you graduated from woodrow wilson, he went to the university of pennsylvania for a year and a half, then you transferred back to the university of nebraska. why did you leave that great business school? >> well, my father taught me into going to college in the first place. then he talked me into going back to nebraska, he said i could drop out if i wanted. that way i got out of college in three years. but i plan to live in nebraska. >> when you graduated at the university of nebraska, you apply to harvard business school and were rejected. >> that is true. >> has harbored ever announced that they have regretted the decision? [laughter] [laughter] >> i understand the development officer is kind of unhappy. [laughter] [laughter]

[applause] [applause] you met the professor you would idolize, ben graham. mickey only taught one semester, one class. he came up from wall street to teach the class. that is the reason i went to columbia. it was inspirational just to be around him. it made a real difference in my life. ..

>> you move back quote to nebraska but then ultimately change his mind? >> yes. >> what did you aspired to do? a wealthy person? buying stocks or company is? >> i'd love to analyze securities.

i would turn the pages of moody's. we had moody's and standard and poor's four sources of the creation. there was 8,000 pages. i would go through page by page is. >> sounds exciting. [laughter] >> it sounds strange. i actually went to the amazon anybody else goes for the old playboys by a blend for the moody's. [laughter] >> you were a attracted to geico and you came down and knocked on the door? started to talk to them? >> it was a lucky day progressed the columbia university the library

government employees insurance company i said how can i learn more about this? so on and saturday it came down to washington and people in washington don't work on saturday. ivory added to good janitor. he said there was somebody on the sixth floor in teaching my life and a big way and gave me an

education. >> you like it so much you bought the whole company? [laughter] >> when you start your investment partnership if somebody put to $10,000 in and stayed with you when you liquidated it would be worth $500 million? while? they're very grateful to you. [laughter] >> they were but taint on the 25 year-old. actually they were mostly relatives. >> your investment partnership one was

berkshire hathaway that was not one of your best investments? >> it was dumb. [laughter] i used to call it graham's approach is like walking down the street to find the blood with one puff left. it was discussing berkshire hathaway with that kind of a company. >> you have sold that company many years ago. >> i don't change the names. >> you picked stocks and then companies. how did you learn to buy and operate these companies?

>> i always look at buying stocks. if i own the stock it was basically the same approach. they crossover. >> how many different companies today? >> 75 about 270,000 employees. idea manage that? how many people in your office? >> i tell them they can hire all the people they want. 24. we only have so many people.

>> i am like to read a lot. in basically as 50 people said you letters? >> >> we have a couple co.'s. [laughter] do have a computer? >> not in my office the other people have them. >> you are not a famous technology person due to the internet? >> by the the internet. it has affected my life almost as much as bill gates.

sometimes we say at the side from email who is on the computer more? because i play bridge a couple of hours per night. >> are you a champion? >> not even close. i just have a good time. >> do people the zero day play with you? >> i would put my age 103. they would say that is not bad. [laughter] my name is tebow. >> how did you meet bill gates? >> july 5th, the 1991. on the bay bridge island she called me and said i the

seattle by what to two by a second place. she wanted to show it to me. so then she called the bill gates to say where buffett is coming down. what do i have in common? he is holt plus. -- helpless. says of a negotiated and we hit it off and still talk a hours later sphere medicaid

never convince two? >> they tried to get me to use the computer. >> whether dae could play bridge but i don't understand. >> i thought he said the most beautiful woman working? >> he did. [laughter] as you got to know him better did he influence your views on investments solar philanthropy? >> we have a group of 50 people getting together starting 1968. but those meetings we would talk about various subjects and philanthropy was important. so maybe in 1983 we had a

meeting i brought along the gospel of 12 so the thinking involved. >> ad you ever regretted not giving away money earlier? >> my wife like that. both agreed to give away everything after we had everything. surplus wealth has no use to me. she would have liked the idea to give away more of an earlier i felt i would be a better compounding machine than most places. [laughter] i told her i pile it up and you unpile it. [laughter] >> your father was a conservative republican congressman and.

you were a liberal the rat? >> i was conservative. >> but then you moved to the left. >> i am not day card-carrying democrats. i support some republicans. >> you have become famous and washington for the beaufort rule which says tax rates should be the same as their secretaries? >> aggregate of payroll. i could not get of disease named after me so i go after the tax. >> [laughter] halves anybody said you should compensate your secretary said she could pay the lower rate? >> she has been suggesting that. [laughter]

if you take the aggregate payroll action between 106 we have 15.$5 trillion of debt and 1 trillion per year. what would you do if you could wave a want to fix the deficit problem? >> if you ask if there pretty here how much the federal to permit should be raising a newly over the next 10 years answers come somewhere between 18 point* 54 19.five ascii how much

the government should be spending it comes to a 200 point* gdp and that deficit will not grow. i've could take the plan to get to the 19% of revenue it could be simpson bowles nobody's going to agree 100% of reduced state we should raise it and spend 21. cutting expenditures and raising taxes. the democrats don't want to talk about expenditures and republicans don't want to talk about increasing revenues. >> capital-gains?

>> i am in favor of that. looking at 2.4 zero or 2.5 trillion. i have operated under all kinds of tax rates. the country has grown. it works. the somebody has to step up. the their the expenditure or the revenue side. if everybody designed a plan i could step up but the economy is thought to grow? any chance of a recession? most of that spills over it

the economy grows 2% each generation lives 20% better than before and in this century they are living three times as well. it has been dramatic. i was born 1930. is six times the real gdp per capita. >> are you worried about the euro? day think europe will allow that to go way? >> that is the big question. lincoln said a house divided cannot stand. their path id and half out.

that house will fall but that does not mean that house-- past due. >> have you increasingly been investing for e merge j markets? >> i am comfortable anyplace i understand the business. we will buy a business in any of the 40 countries but most when i hear about to to, we are on the raiders' screen. >> so if somebody sent you a letter and you bought the company at 4 billion? >> 80% of it. >> he told me he had a

wonderful plan. i don't go to buy a while. [laughter] he said you have never seen a plant like this. i said i love your business. either of you. i will give you $4 billion. but i will not do anything crazy to cross oceans. [laughter] then it is everything fact he said. i set of five would have seen this i would have paid you more money. [laughter] >> what about tied at? >> it is in 2002 i was reading the report and i put $500 million into the government -- but the

government owns most of it and it was the whole company selling for 35 billion. >> you bought it relatively cheaply. >> open the cans of. [laughter] >> as a young boy you were addicted to pepsi? how did you switch? >> i'd like to say that i grew up. but pepsi was 12 ounces for nickel and coke was six and 1/2 ounces foreign nicole. [laughter] >> return desmans which was the single best of your

investments? >> the one i most emotionally attached to this guy go. it goes back to one day in january. what he did retainage my life. he did not have to do that. he spent four hours educating me. it has been day gwen ifill assn. it has a special meeting -- meeting. spec your worst investment? >> i have made a lot of terrible deals. the current one i bought a company, i did it.

we don't have power points, i just do it. we bought a company called dexter shoes and paid $400 million. that went at $0. but we paid in stock but that is worth three year $4 billion when berkshire goes down i feel better about bad deal. [laughter] >> what about deals? you famously past:until? >> we baht them when they were private at to greenough college. it went from 8 million of about 1 billion in 12 years. in the end i don't worry

about things i don't understand. i'm not a genius but i am smart in spots. there is a lot to that. your circle of competence. your perimeter. there are companies weekend in elias. >> maybe the one that brought you the most trouble is salomon? is that the experience that you had? >> i was the ceo nine months and four days. >> when you have the managers do they call you everyday? >> if they have to call me me, they are in trouble.

be by businesses with the managers come with them. most managers is once per year and another one is almost every day. maybe the highest frequency is one time per week. they always call me. >> with an investment dealer asked them i heard you bite of railroad and don't tell the board? >> i told of a few of them. that was the exception. [laughter] part of the reason we can make deals is because we can act fast. they know we have the money and we closed october 620008 negative 6.5 billion dollar investment. they knew we had that.

is a real vintage to pull the trigger. if we have to go through lots of presentations, every deal works on the power play to. it is show would tell. >> it recently came out to insider trading with your investment in goldman sachs come at you said the deal and told the investment banker and then said mattel call for a couple of hours. >> i knew what i would do. if they did or did not do it. that is fine. i don't have enough time to

spend the rest of my life negotiating. i tell them what i will do. >> famously people wonder who is your successor? do you want to give insight? [laughter] >> i've left the directors of weedy board and i will keep in contact. i don't want to disappoint you but you are not on the short list. [laughter] >> could i be on a long list? [laughter] we are in perfect shape we have successors better better than i am. >> you suspect it would be around. >> it is built to be forever. of special culture we would

reject anybody who tamper with the culture it would stay special. >> with all you have achieved to have the admiration of everybody in the world what motivates you or your aspirations? >> i have the time of my life. everyday i do what of want to do with people i've of. it doesn't get any better than that. i tell the students there are 48 universities take the job you would take if you didn't needed job. >> you give away 910 percent appear wealth. three children, seven grandchildren common night to -- nine great-grandchildren?

>> i am levying some of it to them. i don't write a will very often but when i do i give it to my children first. they read it. they are the executors'. i want to them to understand and to agree. we talked out now. every five or six years they read it. sometimes there is some days they understand i have one son that likes the farm and a daughter that likes house. it is a percentage and in the end i think they feel very lucky. >> the average person who does not have your skills, d

recommend mutual funds or the stock market? >> playing the stock market is not a word that i would choose but for them to put a some something every month in the index fund. they're not in the position to make judgments on stocks. they will get to a good results in. take the 20th century is started at 66 and ending at 11,000. how does anybody get to a bad result? but people think a jump in at the wrong time. it average person just consistently buy equities that are the most attractive

choice around after 20 or 30 years they will do well. >> you don't subscribe to the theory you can beat the stock market? >> i would still be delivering papers. [laughter] i don't think there's any question search of people who we got a weight stocks can make intelligent decisions i don't think somebody who is listening to a tv channel or a salesperson is the key. >> you committed to give away the bulk of your money to a foundation set up by

other people. why not a foundation that you would control? >> originally i thought my wife would outlive me and she would give away. but you set up a foundation there run by other people they will be run by other people i have your risk confidence to have a similar judgment they would have a first-class job but the gates foundation puts up their money to work full time don't charge me anything.

it has worked out perfectly. >> what was bill gates reaction when you said i would give you $50 billion. i don't remember. but i think he was surprised some amenities suggest to put your name? >> my name i don't want my name on it. >> as you go forward by their things you would like to accomplish with social problems is to err nicole to

keep making money? >> i want berkshire hathaway to become more of what it already is. anything that would work positive for them to be a day position i will do that as long as i can. that it will be used by a intelligent people those who did not get the lucky's dross finreg when do you realize you were better in picking stocks? >> it sounds obnoxious but i went through a period with

woodrow wilson, i was working out and the teachers' cause some trouble but in those-- teachers put to their money in at&t. when i was feeling obnoxious but you could not love anything like dae but investments of five as soon as we got back year i wanted to read everything. >> >> won the we did not mention you bought geico but you made a famous investment to "the washington post."

what attracted you? >> with "the washington post" company 4.8 million shares but phoenix to the nixon challenge the stock cascaded down. we have $100 million if you would ask any reporter with the constituent businesses they would say four or 500 million. it is almost day classic investment. anybody who was selling their stock they would say three or four times.

>> >> maybe 29 years. >> you are an optimist. >> we have not lost the secret sauce. >> born in 1930. i was born on a saturday. there is no connection but if i had seen that my dad would lose his job and he worked in a bank if he had no money to pay his mortgage. that would have been within a year. don't even come out. look what has happened since that time? new it touche terrible depression we are not

smarter than the people of 1930 but we have a system that works. >> any regress? >> not really. >> today your very close to the president of the united states. if the ask you to serve would you do that? >> that will not have been. 81 to ask me something i awad to help. >> but today is berkshire hathaway of by? >> that is true of other businesses. >> on behalf of everybody here thank-you for the explanations and thank you for coming this evening.

on behalf of everybody for what you have done in the, your philanthropy, your competence with the washington economic club and everybody here. i will give you some gaps. >> you may make the short list eventually. [laughter] [applause] this is a woodrow wilson high school jacket we add made up for you. [applause] and we have a copy of the original map of the district of columbia as a gift from

the club. and as a personal gift the copy of the declaration of independence. when we talked about this appearance you wrap the archives. i quarter due and reduce said you would not agreed to this but i thank you for honoring your commitment and it is inscribed and says or buffett are rare modern man with the essential traits of our founding fathers great wisdom courage and leadership and also great wealth. >> thank you very much. [applause] >> please join the after dinner reception for third

don't forget to take your complementary champagne glass. have a safe evening. [inaudible conversations]

>> robert kennedy one said as long as there is plenty plenty, poverty is evil. nearly 50 million are in poverty including 16 million children. 31% of working families. more than 10 million people. is 18 it is designed to give those of fighting chance. temporary assistance is on a bedrock. it gives access to job

training and education and helps fight the evil of property. today to look at the new challenges facing americans. the reform law of the pope there was a open ended. but the reform we gave the system direction. it now focuses by jobs but it teaches people to fish. and now to fund trout care, a transportation, and in 2005 to change the way they have bridges a patient's some programs. those did not focus on people finding jobs. instead some reduced caseloads. we saw this come to play during the great recession.

they did not respond but other safety net programs responded to have access to medical care. some states cut caseloads the people were not rising out of poverty. of europe and 2 million it is far less than previous years. we one to two see the recipients decrease and the right reason because people are finding work. it is not because people fall through the? , and do need to learn the lessons. but when there are millions of people looking for work garble is to kraft a system regardless of economic climate.

we have an opportunity to strengthen the big keep the core principles in mind. midstate smallest have a strong safety nets and not just the sake of having one. they are the greatest national resource. we cannot leave anybody behind. inventor's cannot invent if they are homeless. remember the nation is only a as great as the least among us. let us move forward to fight the evil of poverty. >> they give for your support with the effect of children and families. poverty remains a critical challenge, the 2010 poverty rate was the highest in the

past 17 years. the current economic recession is acute for children. boat out one at a five children, that is up from one added six. it is sad incredibly complicated issue within the federal system there will be a robust discussion as it relates to poverty. one thing we can agree on is poverty is bad for children and did is a risk factor for maltreatment. it is that correlation and bet potential for child neglect and i will focus on today.

poverty is the single best predictor of treatment. incomes below 15,020 times more likely to be abused neglected than those with $30,000 or more. be clear. property does not cause neglect and being for this not mean you are a neglectful parent. it adds stress to families and their detrimental. parents living with deep property are tired, frustrated, frightened leading to short tempers directed toward their children. merry eight -- many parents have substance abuse or mental illness and unwilling to give support and subpar housing exposes children to risks. those designed to address

poverty do not work well together although they serve the same family is. as the temporary assistance, of block grant to end dependence on benefits and work probably to promote child well-being. the focus has shifted from the bills to prepare them from work to a finding stream based on in the composition one can argue tanf is a welfare to work program replaced as a child welfare program. the authorization for the tanf program expired 2010. the above the demonstration has failed to propose a comprehensive reauthorization.

if the committee decides to reauthorize tanf next year members need to decide to be calibrate to welfare to work instead of a knowledge chain much of the cash assistance is directed to the low income children that they are largely unaccounted for and they do not coordinate spending and services without child welfare agencies. and as i believe the tanf plot grant has to be a part of that conversation. i look forward to hearing from our witnesses. >> thank you senator. today we hear from three witnesses.

dr. lane from the depressed the of michigan, kay brown director with that united states government gao. 84 taking the time for something that is very important. we a period you to be candid and forthcoming with your five minutes of statements your prepared remarks are already included. please begin. >> chairmen balk is ranking member hatch it is a privilege to testify before or the committee. of course, i have one issue her minute. >> i will talk about the

major causes of poverty i included a figure in testimony that has two big surprises. we have made no progress and poverty since 1975 although we spend more money. and the poverty rate among the elderly is the highest the or for children in our society. we need to buckle down and concentrate on children. between the states and federal government we have means tested programs for crow it has increased every year. the adr we're not spending enough money, we could spend it for the some programs

might be unsuccessful but spending $13,000 per person. critics mention health care but that is what congress decided so unless you change that but the nation made a great commitment to helping the quarter and increases every year. first week have the work rates with a long-term decline with young males and black males not to confuse this rehab pay real problem for reasons that i don't think are clear. married women have a joy and the workforce but never

married mothers have had a spectacular increase even though likelihood they have a job is greater than before but we still need to boost the work rates. these are astounding. with united states on average is from 30 years ago. is hard to make progress because we always have 10%. it is a real problem to help people get out of poverty. family composition is the biggest cause of poverty

their base their three-year four times the rate and the most disadvantaged and never married 42% of all american children are born outside of marriage. family composition it is a big issue to say both up the preschool level and post secondary needs a lot of work. let me talk about some strategies. i think personal responsibility is key. did you have a substantial component and no matter what you do we still have the big problem with property with

decisions to get married before they have children. so it is not hard to understand. give them money. we did that with the elderly in the '70s. that strategy is not work for americans but the second strategy is to drifting possible to force people to work. i would say this is the high a bipartisan solution. medicaid, child care, at least 40 pieces of legislation from the early '80s to make the system of

means tested benefits the two other strategies to of this size work and maintain the child tax credits. >> and to focus on preschool it is not very controversial for congress to be involved in preschool and our child care is of average quality and finally lots of strategies have reduced teen pregnancy and we have strategy's there. riven number of programs and comprehensive family planning and mass

advertising campaigns progress if we spent more money we would reduce the nightmare told birthrates burma pinkett mr. chairman. >> that was very good. >> also want to thank the chairmen and ranking member and the members to invite me here and also to be on this panel. i work on families and poverty is not a contest i will highlight six fema's. [laughter] to illustrate with examples but number one, welfare using populations very. they found five subgroups

that left and did not return who continued with tanf without barely of break. welfare support and income leave families struggling. they cannot sustain and they can experience in the cascading effect when it triggers life changing events. one woman came at a public housing into her apartment still dependent on subsidize child care but when her two year-old bit another child he was asked to leave and the subsidy lapsed when she could not find child care within 10 days. she could not worker delay and lost her job and eligibility for subsidy and

could not pay hurt rent and eight weeks later from the biding episode she could not work or have a place. also remaining stable but disconnected households earning come have increased. single poverty households are said to be disconnected at any time. one that a burglar who live never to be on welfare her hours were reduced and she was injured on the job. her employer contested the application and she could not apply tanf made her job search almost impossible. she cutback 1e being it was

four months before she received unemployment benefits. where families living in a stream property leave them with extensive debt. that as the beginning of 2011 households with 2.8 million children were surviving and $2 cash per person on any given month. number five. the jobs available for most skills leave them vulnerable and steadying low-wage work with hospitality successful applicants have availability. i can work any time. i might be assigned 25