thirty years this this country spending money that we did not have on things we did not absolutely need and the bill is due. colorado christian university held a western conservative issue summit. featuring speakers from this country and the knelter lands. watch the forum online at the c-span video library. on c-span2 tonight house speaker john baseballer and senator talk about the economy and tax cuts at the conference in washington. then the mayor of tampa and charlotte, north carolina talk about their preparations for this the summer political conventions. and later, the house oversight hearing on the auto industry bailouts. house speaker john boehner and senator rob portman spoke today to meeting in the constructerrers. both republican discussed the

tax policy. speaker boehner criticized the middle cut tax bill and they plan to vote at end of the month to extent all of the current tax rates. this is 40 minutes. [applause] thank you, greg. i would now like to introduce our first speaker. the honorable rob portman. mr. portman is the junior u.s. senator from ohio. he was elected in 2010 after lunging a campaign focused on conservative values and raining reigning in overzealous spending in washington. he represented the second district in the house for over a decade before serving in cabinet level post in the united states trade represent and directer of the office of management budget. he was one of three senate

republicans amounted appointed too late committee on deficit reduction. born and raised in small business family, senator portman has been fighting for pro-growth, projobs policy, to help get ohio and our nation back on track. please help me in welcoming senator rob portman. [applause] eric thank you. good morning, everybody. >> good morning. >> good to have you in washington, d.c. we need you here. we ned your message. this is a group that understands that hard work and risk taking, and investment is what it's going to take to get the economy back on track. get your businesses back on track, help working class families in ohio where i am from, but also around the

country to get thingings moving again. i appreciate eric's intro. me mentioned the small business background. i grew up it was in a distribution business. we diselt with some construction equipment over the years. and when my dad was about 40 years old, he was a salesman far bigger company. he left his job in the security in a job that had health care and retirement plan, and he started his own business. and that's the story of many you. because i know a bunch of grow my home state of ohio. and i was about five years old at the time. have asked him not do it, it was a big risk. the story mortgage the house, borrowed money, couldn't get money from the bank does that sound familiar? and he borrowed money from my mom's uncle which was a big risk. [laughter] because my mom was the book keeper and five employees, lost money the first two years. and, you know, again, that was

risky with your uncle supporting the effort, but they found the niche as many of you have in your businesses over the years. and by the time my brother took the reigns of the company, there were about 300 employees there. so not huge company, but that 300 families in greater senate any senate any in the area in greater opportunity. it was a prime example of the kind of american dream that we hope every person has the opportunity to achieve. they work hard. take a risk. make the investment. unfortunately, that's the risk today, i believe. that's why i ran for the senate. that's why i continue to work hard and try to change the direction washington is going. i'm worried if we don't change distribution, those opportunities won't be there for my kids and grand kids and yours. and i think we're in a point in our history right now we have to make fundamental decisions, don't we?

it's great you're here because you're here to talk about why free enterprise does work. and how we need to get back to the time on principles made this country the envy of the world. they created not just the best economy on the face of the earth but the greatest middle class in the face of the earth. we become the beacon of hope and opportunity for the rest of the world because of the free enterprise system because of rewarding hard work, because of the kind of businesses that you all created and hope to be able to expand by getting the economy moving again i appreciate the fact you're involved in the critical battle while you're here in d.c. you're going to be talking about about it and you stirm firm and tall. i'm a little biased on this because about three years ago now, when i was first running for the united states senate, election in 2010, this was in 2009, the very first group to endorse me in the entire state of ohio was abc of ohio.

[applause] and i appreciate the fact that some of those folks are here today. i haven't had a chance to find them yet. i know, brian williams is here who is a good buddy of mine and several members of the chapter are here. i appreciate them for the fine work they do throughout our state on behalf of free markets and enterprise and promoting the interest. we now have a republican legislature, republican governor and in ohio we're doing good things. we're beginning to get the stat back on track. we're doing it because it's the right thing to do for the future and the next generation. some of these decisions are tough political plu but they have to be made. ohio is a good model of what washington needs to be doing. balance the budget without raising taxes. it's a big deal. brings back jobs not by raising

taxes but also reducing some taxes and some regulations. focusing on how to attract businesses. we need to do in the country, here in washington, is being played out in ohio and other states around the country. this is unfortunately a difficult time in the economy. some of you saw the jobs numbers on friday, the fact is and i don't have to tell you all this, because you have been experiencing it for a few years now. we're living through the weaningest economic recovery since the great depression. it's really sad. when you look at numbers on friday, we had unemployment numbers come out that showed we only created about 80,000 jobs in the country. that's not enough jobs to account for people coming into the work force. in other words we're losing ground. you add up the last three months together, it's the worst quarter of employment numbers we've had for two years. we also heard bad news last week

about manufacturing and bunch of you are involved in building things on the industrial side and working with manufacturers. manufacturing actually dropped last week, for the first time since the month after the recovery began. so the first anytime three years, we actually saw a dip in manufacturing. and yet the president is out there saying, private sector is fine. he needs to get out more. [laughter] private sector is not fine. he needs to talk to the people in the runnel, he needs to go on the shop floor in ohio. he needs to talk to small business people struggling to make ends. in an economy that is not doing fine. he had a solution to it as as you know, which is we send more money to washington, higher taxes on you, washington takes the cut, and we turn around after borrowing 40 centers some of it from the chinese and

others, borrows 40 centers and take that money and send it bake to the states so the states can hire more government workers. does that sound like a good solution to you? >> no. >> i don't think it makes much sense. but that was his solution. he said the private sector is doing fine. we need more public sector jobs everything will be all right. folks, this is the fundamental difference in philosophy that the voters of america are going it face in the election. is it about growing the private sector and doing the things here in washington not create jobs because government doesn't create jobs but create the environment for the job growth which is what you're talking about today, or are we going create more government jobststs. that's what stimulus is about. remember in that if we put more money into government we're going create nor jobs. he said the unemployment numbers are going to continue to go down to the point that today based on analysis of the president's economic team, we'd be at 5.6%

unemployment. the unemployment number today is 46% higher than what the president promised it would be if we passed his almost trillion dollar stimulus plan. don't you think it's appropriate to hold him accountable for that? yes. >> you know, we need to talk about this. because this is a fundamental difference that affects families in ohio and all over the country. if we don't have the right policy in place we're not going get the economy back on track or put people back to work. we're not going get back to, again, what we talked to at beginning risk taking and free enterprise investment, hard work that is rewarding. that's how we're going to get the economy going again. we all this love country, i believe the president loves this country, i believe he thinks he's doing the right thing. frankly, i don't think he get it is. i don't think he understands how the private chi is doing. the public economy needs to have

more of stimulus, indicates that the lessons have not been learned. we gave him the ball. the american people gave him the ball. at the time when he was inheriting a tough economy, let's be hnest. honest. he fumbled the ball. it's time to give the ball to somebody else. who has a game plan, who has the strategy to be able turn things around and understands because he has the experience and the record and the public policy positions to do it. that's why i'm supporting mitt romney. [applause] some people say, well, this is just atm recovery after the stuff recession. it's not. there's something else going on here. i think it goes again, to the policy put in place that haven't worked in the policy we're not pursuing we need to that you are advocating here in washington today. in 1981, we also had a tough

recession. a lot of you lived through it and remember it. actually, the unemployment numbers in '71 were higher than they were in the most recent recession. so in that respect, it was a deeper recession than the one we're trying to recover from now. let me give you just one statistic that shows the difference, at this point after the 1981 recession, under ronald reagan's leadership with an aggressive projobs agenda, we had gained back 7 million new jobs after the recession. 7 million new jobs. think about that. today in the weakest recovery since the great depression, we are still down 4.9 million jobs. that's pretty big delta, isn't it? remember the jobless recovery of 2001, 2002, 2003 after the recession no jobs were coming

back. we had gained back had 400,000 new jobs as opposed to today where we're almost down 5 million jobs. something is not working. it's time to try something else. and again, i think it goes right to the policy that are making it more difficult to create jobs. some say the president not doing enough to create jobs. i think it's worse than that, what we are doing in washington what the spted a voting what the democrats have passed making it more difficult to create jobs. and -- [applause] we need to follow ronltd's example and we need to enact aggressive pro-growth policies to get us out of this mess. that's not more government spending. it's not what president obama and the democrats have pursued, which is not just government spending more regulations, more taxes, more antibusiness rhetoric, more class warfare, we

saw it yesterday right across the away we the president of the united states telling us that the way to get out of the economic problems we're in is to raise taxes on small business owners. and some of them are in the room. so, look, i think we ought to reform the whole tax code. we shouldn't be debating whether to deal with the current code by allowing it to be extended or not. we should have a president who shows leadership and comes to congress and says, we need to reform the whole tax code. we need to be sure that the economy gets the shot in the arm by taking the code getting rid of the loopholes, a lot of them, and lower the marginal rate not tax cuts, but a revenue neutral approach to tax reform that gives the i economy a shot in the arm. the economist agree the current code is inefficient. it doesn't work. the corporate tax code is mess. it's the highest corporate raid in the industrialized world

now. and we're losing jobs every day. i'm a beer drinking. maybe there are some other beer drinkers in the room. [laughter] and -- some you look groggy this morning. that's why i said that, actually. but guess what the largest u.s. beer company is now? sam adams. who said that? raise your hand. there's a good beer drinker. i love them. they have a brew any in cincinnati. i'm proud of that. they have 1% market share. all the other ones are foreign company. why? our foreign tax partners, the companies we compete with are more competitive thans o tax code is driving jobs versaybs with they can buy our companies at premium because of the tax co. canada lowered the corporate rate from 16.5 to 15%. that's north of here. we're sitting at 35% when you add up the state taxes, closer to 40%.

highest industrialized. when ronald reforming it he took the corporate rate to 34%. bill clinton bumped it up point. he did it saying we need to get the corporate rate down where it's below the average of the companies we compete with. in the two and a half decades, every single one of the developmented countries around the world, every one of them has reformed the corporate tax code and lowered the rate to attract jobs, capital, and invest except us. so president issue leadership is required. never in the history of the country have we done things like tax reform or titlement reform. it has been lacking. we don't have it. this is part of why we need new leadership and new policies. let's talk about the potses jusu are here talking about what needs to be done and i want to

tell you what i think would help. i think it's consistent with what you are all are talking about. first is tax reform as we talked about it. and again, this is not just about the corporate rate, it's about the individual rate and having a tax code up to inteed with the 21st century. makes it for efficient. gets rid of the lot of the complexity. the tax code is nine times longer than the bible and not nearly as interesting. [laughter] second is regulations, people say, well, you know what does it mean? it means that small business people around america incoming you are to look over your shoulder all the time. have to hire more compliance people. and can't do things that want to do making sense business wise. we're about to shut down plants in ohio. announcement have been made for six or seven of them. now with the heat wave we're experiencing right now and the potential for blackouts because

the need for air-conditioning. do we want to lose ten power plants in place like ohio, west virginia, it's all driven by epa. companies are doing it. it's happening. some of the regulations have been put off. but a lot of them haven't. those who have been off until right after the election. watch out. look what the nrlb, they tell the company they can't move from one state to another because one state is right to work and one state is not. does that make any sense to you? does it seem like an american approach to economic policy or does it sound like something you'd find in a country considering itself to be socialist where the government is going to decide where companies can move? and, by the way, also create more jobs in washington state at the same time which were union jobs. this is unbelievable. across the board, this administration has increased regulation it's just true. there is a way to get out of

this, by the way, just as there is an froach tax reform that makes sense. that is to force the government to go through a rigorous cost-benefit analysis. you issue talking about here. i hope you look at the legislation we have bipartisan legislation that does this. use the least burdensome alternative. they don't have do now. unbelievable. and independent agencies you don't have to go through the cost-benefit analysis at all. it's a bigger part of government under the administration. and finally, regulators should be subject to some judicial review just like you are. so they can be held accountable, so things we can nd should do in addition to taking so. regulations as we try to dod in the congress a couple of weeks ago with the utility mac regulations and stop them and force them to come back to congress. many of the regulations, are being put in place because the mrs. has not been successful in getting everything to congress they want. they just use the administrative branch of government which is

what it is becoming. executive branch agencies doing what congress really has i elected represents have a say in. we are accountable. those thing conclusion be done and can be done now with the deficit. here's some interesting data from just recently from the congressional budget office we have unparalleled spending in the country, as you all know. record spending. the average spending over the last fifty years or so since world war ii has been about 20% of our economy. average taxes, revenue has been about 18.3%. the difference has been the deficit. congressional budget office tells us if we continue to have the economy grow as they suspect it will out of the this week recovery, the tax part of it will come back to the historic rates about 18.3% of gdp. the problem is, the spending part. because the spending is not 20% right now.

it's at 24% or better. and what happens over the next ten years? it goes up to about 30% and next ten years about 35%. and so on and so on. so the gap here between revenues and spending is pretty clear. now, again, i'm for tax reform. it's going to raise more revenue by growing the economy. but our problem is not that our taxes are too low. our problem is that the spending is too high. [applause] and if you look at it historically, that's what it is. [applause] congressional budget office asked to make estimates of the 75-year budget projection. it's an economic projection they do periodically, and recently they tried to do this and discovered that in their economic fiscal modeling with than couldn't do it because spending gets too high. the cbo could not perceive a

functioning economy under the federal budget conditions that occur under current policies again, the spending goes so high to the point that it just -- it just you couldn't have a functioning economy. you can't raise taxes. you can't shaiz that kind of spending spending with taxes. you can't catch it. that's the situation we're in not historic deficits and debtings that are hurting the economy but telling future generations we're leaving you holding the bag. it's immoral. knot just bad economics it's immoral to do to the gun. so the president is not going lead on the issues. he had an opportunity with the simpson bowls commission. it was the commission he put together in allen simpson and bowels will tell you we're facing the economic country the country has faced. we not dealing with the deficit, and, you know, they had a balance three to one spending versus taxes, you know, there's going to be at end of the day, i

hope, some agreement on this. but it requires leadership. the president rejects proposes of the own commission. symptom democrats say no, again, say this will all be solved if we just raise taxes under our current tax code on those who make over $2 18,000 is the number now, i think. they don't recognize that maybe the 85% of small business pay their taxes as individuals. most of you pay taxes of individual. how many of you sea corporations? how many of you pay your taxes as individuals? look around you. this is how america works. i'm a small business owner. my brother and sister inand i own a hotel and ?rawnt ohio. the recession has been tough. i grew up in a sub chapter s company. this is how america works. i know, it may be good politics, for the president to play the class warfare card but it's bad

economics. and it's bad for the very middle class workers he says he wants to help. folks are founding fours help us follow greece into democracy unfortunately i believe the proposals we're pursuing today are going to help us follow greece into bankruptcy. that's where we are. i thank you for being here today working on regulatory relief, tax reform, health care we didn't get into. but i will tell you one thing about what i'm hearing back in ohio and i'm sure you're going to talk about it here, whether this law has been deemed constitutional or not, whether the penalties of taxed are not and the supreme court deemed it to be a tax. the tax, by the way, that falls disproportionally on middle income americans. the about 75% of the people it hits makes less than $250,000 bucks a year. s is it a tax yet? the supreme court said it was constitutional because it was a

tax. the problem is it's unafortble for the families, again, another promise the president made we're going see a reduction premiums a couple $1,000 what happened? not a couple thousand bucks down but a couple thousand bucks. it's unit's un affordable for businesses, chamber of commerce did a survey of small business owner impediments to job growth 75% said the health care law is impediment to us hiring people. do you agree with that? >> yes. >> that's what i'm hearing. finally, it's unaffordable for the country. we talked about the deficit and debt and the bankruptcy that awaits us if we don't change course. what the congressional budget said they thrown up the hands and said it's unsustainable. this health care law, of course, makes it worse. because it adds a huge, huge cost. president says well, it's deficit neutral. well, if you add up the $500

billion cuts to medicaid, not used to justify seat the problems we have in medicare it's unsustainable program in the current form. but used to create the new entitlement if you add up the $500 billion in tax increases not including the tax increases on the penalty, by the way, 21 different tax increases in there. you could have made an argument it was definite knew tram at one point. people have looked at numbers including the con grexal budget office it's not neutral. we to explain it to the american people. people need to understand this dog don't hunt. i mean, it doesn't work. again, there are better bays, that's what is exciting about all of us. there are better ways to get health care cost under control. we need deal with the frivolous lawsuit that save hundred of millions of year. -- do the kind of thing --

things that are done in legislation. they looked at all these, they looked at dealing with medical malpractice reform. they decided not to deal with them. they looked at providing more competition and transparent sei and giving us more choices and consumers. they decided not do it. you know, there are lofts things you do to get health care cost down. they looked at expanding health savings acts which it a good idea. they made it lessed a van teenage use to get them. they took away it. unbelievable. so there are things that can and should be done which would encourage accountability and prevention and wellness and dealing with the health care issue. again, we need new leadership and policy for that. energy had an exciting opportunity to develop the domestic resources here. it is taking us the other way. blocking keystone pipeline. it times like a no brainer to me. it creates tons of job right

away. wouldn't it be great for the economy? biggest infrastructure project in america. there is hope. there is hope. we can get back on the feet. we have been through a lot in the country. the revolution no one thought we had a chance of winning. we were little guy. they we were the david, they the go lit. the civil war thatter to the country apart. that brought it back together stronger than ever. the great depression seemed like it was never going end. couple world wars, my grandfather and father were world war i and world to war ii veterans and the senate came out of the conflicts, the horrible con flicts again it brought our country together stronger than ever. we can do it again. we're a great country and great people. we have the spirit you're wanting to take a rick. i will tell we lost my cad about a year and a half ago. before he died all this was going on with the health care

bill and stimulus and dodd-frank and the regulations and stuff. i asked him, would do you it again? started off talking about a risk he took when he was 40 years old, and told you that, you know, it was a big risk he almost didn't make it. but he believed in himself and believed in america. and he believed in the fact that he took a risk it would help other people to great opportunity for families in southwest ohio, in our case. he said, rob, what's going on, i don't know. and some of you may be wondering that. what are you going tell your kids when they want to get into your business with you. and join apc and come to washington and promote the policy. are you going say it's a risk worth taking. say there's another job that gives you more secure. maybe a government job. maybe a job in a big business. if that happens, and, you know,

some would say it's already happening. people are losing hope, that's when we are no longer the beacon of hope and opportunity for the rest of the world. i think the alternative is going to happen. i think we'll get back on the feet. i think the american people make a smart decision. they gave the guy the ball and got fumbled and give it to somebody us. apply it to the modern problem we need tax reform. we need health care system. we need to be sure that we're using the energy resources in ways we never have. we need deal with the debt and deficit and creative innovative new ways. we can do all that. because we still are. that shiny city on the hill that ronald talked about. thank you for the role you're playing. good luck in washington. [applause]

>> i would like to introduce the next speaker speaker of the house john boehner. congressman john serves at 61st speaker of the united states house of representatives where he represents the eighth district in ohio. the son of tarch owner, speaker boehner worked his way before college before embarking on a successful career as a small business man. as a member of the gang of seven, the key author of the origin contract with america. chairman of the committee on education and work force and ultimately as a member of the house leadership, his long

fought to reform washington, d.c. today, he is focused on removing deposit barriers to private sector job creation and economic growth cutting government spending, reforming congress, and rebuilding the bonds of trust between the american people and the representatives in washington. please help me in welcoming congressman john boehner. [applause] good morning, everybody. [applause] thank you. i'll begin by thanking all ever you to do for the communities what you do to help the american economy going again. you're not going to hear this in washington most people in

washington never had a real job. and don't really understand that so you to risk your life savings, risk capital, take out loans, to start a business to hire employees to buy commitment and hoping you'll find a customer hoping they'll you'll find some business. most people are in washington don't understand the risk that's involved. and what you do to help grow the american economy. but as one who took the same kind of risk that all of you did, i just want to say thanks for what you do for our country and what you do for the communities in which you operate your businesses. listen, as you know, i came here as a small business guy. i came here to fight for a smaller less costly and more accountable government. but, you know, many in washington just haven't quite seen the light yet. you know, the president and i, we get along fine. we have some different views about how our economy works.

as a products of the free grise system, i'm a big believer in the free enterprise system and in limited government here in washington. president's inticket is to mettle micromanage, manipulate, look at the stimulus bill. what we're seeing with obamacare, ben, is driving up cost of health care and that's makes it harder for small businesses to create jobs. so tomorrow, the house once again is going to vote to repeal all of the obamacare. [applause] some of the media asked why? you already voted over thirty times to defund, repeal, dismantle obamacare and after the supreme court's ruling we announced we were going vote again. of course, the media said why? you know how they are. why. why?

[laughter] it boils down to one simple word. resolve. we are resolved to get rid of a law that will ruin the best health care delivery system the world has ever seen. it'll bankrupt our country it'll make it impossible to grow our economy. that's why we're doing it. [applause] later this month, we'll take another round of bills to the floor to reign in the regulatory nightmare going on in washington, d.c. it's not just obamacare with 159 board commissions and mandates. it's the epa that is driving many businesses out of america, it's the dodd-frank financial services reregulation that another 358 mandates in that bill rules regulations that are coming. so we're going bring another round of bills to the floor in

addition to the over 30 bills sitting in the united states senate. all which would reign in the regulatory nightmare in washington and make it easier for businesses in america to expand the businesses and hire more workers. and then, all this is the plan for the america's job creators. now listen, the president has a different plan. he was started talking about yet, again, for four years, the.has been on this crusade to make those who make $250,000 or more pay higher taxes. he ramped off in 2008 when he ran talked about 2009, talked about 2010, of course, at the end of 2010 he signed a bill that extended all of the current tax rates for two years. so here we are, back at it again. now, let's look at what the president wants to develop by raisings taxes on those who make more than $250,000 half of those people who are going to be taxed

are small business people. who have passed like many of you and i have. i have a sub chapter s corporation. the earnings i made in any business i had to pay personally. while we want to tax the very people we expect to create jobs in this country, makes no economic sense. well, maybe he's going to do it because he'll have some impact on the deficit congressional budget office looked at this and what the impact on the budget deficit is negligentble can't hardly count it. why is the president, once again, out there beating on the ma that, president can't run on the record because his policies economic policies have failed and made things worse. as a result he turned to the politics of decision, that's what this is about. nothing but pure politics. the american people vote with the wallets and this is going to be a referendum in november on

the economic policy. the house will vote at end of the month to extend all of the current tax rates because it will help us give worse need to small business in the country and help create nor jobs here in america which is what the american people want. so we're going to -- you'll see us rise up and do it one more time and send to the snit and hope they'll take some action. listen, we can't raise taxes on the very people we expect create jobs. listen, i'm a small business man at heart. you know that. i don't feel one bit differently than the day i got here about who i am or what i'm here to accomplish. it's about reigning in the size of government here in washington, so we can allow the free enterprise system to grow. allow the free enterprise system to create opportunities they gave every gun of us in this room a chance, a chance at the american dream. listen, i came here because if we don't get government in washington under control, the

future for my kids and your kids, my grand kids, if i ever have any, and your grand kids, not going to be there. because we're going snuff out the opportunities. listen, i was born with a glass half full. i'm an optimist. i've been an optimist i surely would have come to washington. i surely would not have staid this long. you to be an optimist to fight this fight and stand up for america's small business people and do everything we can to preserve those freedoms we're all entitled to and frankly, all accustomed to. god bless you, and god bless our country. [applause]

the house agricultural committee works on the farm bill. it cuts spending on agricultural subsidizes and food assistance by $3.5 billion a year. we'll have live coverage of the session beginning at 10:00 p.m. eastern on c-span.org. >> we have great threats to our existence today as a nation. and i would think in my opinion, quicker than any threat we've ever faced, there has been our civil war, our revolutionary war whether it has been world war ii, whether it's been the depression, and that threat comes to us because we've spent the last thirty years in it country spending money that we did not have on things we did not absolutely need, and the bill is due.

>> colorado christian university healed western conservative issue summit. featuring speakers from this country and the netherlands. watch the forum online at the c-span video library. >> you're watching c-span2 with politics and public affairs weekdays featuring live coverage of the u.s. senate. on weeknights watch key public events and latest non-fiction authors and booktv on the weekends. you can see the past schedules and join in on the conversation on social media sites. >> tampa, florida and charlotte, north carolina are the sites for the republican and democratic party conventions. the mayors of the two cities spoke with "politico." they hosted the event at the museum in washington. it's an hour fifteen minutes.

>> [applause] thank you. good morning, thank you for being an early morning crowd. really appreciate it. i'm mike, the chief white house correspondent and this is the preconvention edition of the play book breakfast. we're excited to have today the mayors of both host cities, mayor buckhorn of tampa, mayor foxx of charlotte, republicans will go first in 48 days. is the republican convention. and at each of the convention, "politico" will be hosting "politico" hub the little koa launch will be doing live shows daily and three events we have a play book breakfast every day at both conventions. hoping to see some of you all there. we'll have a lunchtime policy

discussions, and in the evening, it's a lot. we'll have soft drinks or lots of them and lots to talk about. and we hope that look forward to seeing you there. before the mayors come on stage we have a pregame with reed. he nab in the romney and obama bubbles for those you he's twitter@reid epstein. we hope you're following along at hashtag play book breakfast. he came from news day before that. he was in milwaukee. great things happened to him. he's also worked interned at "the wall street journal." and he worked at hometown peoria, illinois, went to emery and colombia school of journalism. you'll be reading all cycle. thank you for coming. reid epstein, thank you for

coming. [applause] >> thank you so much for coming out. have a seat. the hot seat, you were our first romney bus reporter in the cycle. you just been out with president obama. how are the bubbles different? >> you know, mike, the romney organization sort of as whole, doesn't mind sort of hiding what they think about reporters. they're aggressive. sort of personally pushing back to people both on the bus, on the phone, at events, where as the obama campaign bends over backwards of having the offer raff being nice. >> they feel the same way. >> of course they feel the same way about us. but i found that, you know, for me, i at end of the day, no matter how sort of the romney folks sort of treated you, you know, you could talk to them. and you could get them to sort of go off the talking points. that the campaign was pushing.

where the obama folks to be me seem more discipline in the sort of in the traveling bunl, anyway, the folks who were in the road show, they sort of have, you know, a specific set of six to eight sentences no matter what the question is, that's what the answer is going to be. >> i didn't warn you i was going to ask you. what do the bubbles think of the. what do the two corps think about the company? >> you know, it's a little bit different. i'm not sure i've been in the obama bubble long enough to have a sort of formed answer to that question. i would tell you that, you know, the romney bubble as far as the reporters have been together for going on a year now, and sort of any time you're in such close proximity for people for that long it's almost like summer camp, at end of the session, sort of you know what is going to irritate every other person there. and you know things they do that are going to irritate you and so

you have all these different sort of personality disputes and long simpling issues sort of often stupid, you know, personality issues about, you know, where people sit on the bus or what things someone says. and, you know, the -- part because the obama campaign is not on the road every day for a year in the way the romney campaign has been. you don't seem to have that dynamic takes place. >> what irritates you? >> what irritates me? [laughter] are these microphones on, mike? you know, i think to me i want to get information. i want to know what's going on. and so, i would much rare have people be not nice to me and be able to center something for a story. and to have information that other people don't have than to be sort of treated and have food

be better and not still not have anything. >> there's an odd paradox in the way we have more information than ever right because. when the -- i started on the campaign trail, the basic fixings for a campaign story were what the guy says, what the policy paraphernalias papers they hand you on the bus and the reaction of people in the crowd. now everyone the room gets all that have. we can watch the events live and see the reaction on twitter. they post the policy papers what do you do? >> what you do is, what i figure my job is when i'm on the road is to come back with something this that's you can't get by watching the events on tv. because obama effects were all on tv. romney's events are almost all extremed on the internet somewhere. and so, my job is to add something for our stories that,

you know, somebody sitting in rosland in the office can't get. whether it's color, whether it's talking with the advisers who are milling about in the back of the events. whether it's pushing forward what the candidate is trying to accomplish or message they're trying to push or, you know, what advertisements they're going to run next. things that you can get because, you know, these people and because you're there because you see them in the bars, that aren't getting by watching the exact same events, you know, 1,000 miles away. >> right. >> take us behind the scenes a little bit. you mentioned advisers milling about. that really is amazingly valuable to have like in the past campaign karl rove will drop into a center. tell us about that. >> inerm the campaign, in october or november in when was a lot of was in iowa. folkings in iowa, there's one hotel in iowa everyone stays

at. the marriott i was watching -- there was one of the big faith and family events had been that saturday from the early afternoon. and i filed and i gone to the bar at the hotel to gate late dinner, and that was essentially was the only one in the bar, and gingrich comes and sits down next to me. >> it was a bar stool? i'm trying to picture it? >> at end of the bar, wisconsin was undefeated. they lost to michigan state. i watched the fourth quarter with newt gingrich, he came -- he did the same thing i did. he went to the event, he finished up kissing rear, and he came to the bar to have a drink at the end of the night and the only other person there was a reporter we chatted and both went to the same college. we talked about that and the race. more than anything else we

talked about the football game that was on. and so you see that happening sort of both more often early in the campaigns when you had there is sort of less everything. there's less minders, less, you know, media, and so it's a much more intimate session. you get to know both the candidates and the staff better. now it feels -- now if you're covering it, you know, both -- you're not going get anywhere close to the candidates at this stage. >> even the advisers, you know, the president's advisers are staying in a different hotel than most of the press. if you're at the pool you won't see them. romney's people, you will see eric having a drink late in the mingle with them and get information out of them that you certainly wouldn't get if you're not on the road. >> reid epstein. you had fantastic coverage.

he's on the way to the doctor to gate checkup. good luck. have a great fall. thank you. >> thank you very much. [applause] thank you for reid epstein. we like to thank the bank of america for the continued partnership in the playbook breakfast. they are important for the issues that matter most in washington and we appreciate bank of america's part here is nip in this amazing year which is about to get more amazing in the year ahead. thank you and live stream land for being out there. we love to have you join our conversation, hashtag playbook breakfast for both of the mayors will be getting your questions that way. so we look forward to that. i want to thank rich gold who helped the event. he knows everyone. we appreciate that. the first guest is 48 days until

republican convention in tampa. mayor bob buckhorn is with us. mr. mayor, come on out. [applause] >> thank you so much for joining us. >> thanks. >> mayor is actually from here falls church, the jaguars. >> class of '76. everyone is counting how would i am. 35 soon to be 54. >> you have family? >> i brother is a photojournalist on the white house detail for cnn n. if you see somebody who likes like me with less hair. that's him. >> that's my younger brother. >> and dad was upi. >> the hay day. i was telling mike, i used to remember as a kid we had one car growing up. we took him to work and came back and picked him up. we parked on the 14th street and he'd be sitting there typing away a cigarette and a bottle of

whiskey as the old time reporter used to be. >> we're all about invade your city. >> you are. i can't wait. >> mother of the bride? >> what do you hope that we'll remember about tampa. >> i think for most people coming to tampa, it's an -- market. some have never been to tampa before. it's a mid sized american city hosting an international event that other other than the olympics will be the most watched television event in the world this year. tampa is a place that what i hope, people walk away with saying wow. this is a city i didn't know about. this is city i would like to potentially visit again. a city i'd like to invest in. it's a really neat place. the convention itself will be in the tampa bay "times" foryum and rich was telling me you could throw a baseball out there and hit the river and eventually go to the gulf of mexico. will there be a beachy feel? >> i think so.

late august in tampa everything feels beachy. >> sweety. >> certainly the temperature is a little warm. yeah, i don't think some of our friends will be coming down to offer alternative opinions realize how hot its in tampa, florida at the time. there'll be a dynamic. many of the delegations spending time at beach. many of the hotel will be at the beach. many people will use the opportunity to visit and stay at breach and bring their families. i think you're going to get the flair of dynamic ethnically diverse community. it'll have a florida feel. you want to talk about. i am a democrat hosting a republican convention. >> indeed. i hope they let me in. i said it from day one, i don't care what goes on inside the building. for me? is an economic development opportunity and for the city it's an economic opportunity. i don't look at it political event. it's a chance to showcase tampa

for the entire world. i'm a democrat. i intend to be the best host that the republicans ever had. my job is to replace -- as the favorite democrat. >> why do they say that. >> the former mayor whoches chairman of the dnc was transactional. philly got it. and mayor did everything he could to make sure that the experience for the republicans was a good one. my theory is the same thing 7 i don't care about what the politics are. i may disagree with some of it. my job is to be the host and my job is to broad a safe environment my job is showcase tampa, florida for the entire world. >> alternative opinions are expecting dispon straiters and you had a team go to chicago to watch what a big demonstration is like. >> we did. we've been training this for a year and a half. it i think the republican organizers and some of whom have ten or twelve of the events they

told us tampa is well prepassioned and any city they've ever been in. we're expecting demonstrations. i think the dynamic in the country, and the motions around this election the motions around the economy will end itself to very -- compressions of alternative use. we're going prepared for that. we've set up and try to accommodate everybody. everyone's first amendment rights. while expecting that people are going to behave. but we're training for those who choose not to. and if they choose not to, and they lab small minority. we will deal with them respectfully. we will extract them from the environment and happy to house them at the jail. we are hoping they won't. but we will be prepared if they do. [laughter] >> are you worried? >> i worry about a lot of things as mayor. i worry about hurricanes, i think we are as well positioned in the well trained as anybody

could be for this event. we will deal with with it. we will deal with it well. there will be incidents i'm sure. we expect that. we're going do it in a way if ma form and a fashion that will make tampa people proud. >> no. how real is the hurricane threat? >> well, we calculated it. actually. we haven't had a direct hit in ninety years. >> thanks, mike. i appreciate that. we're okay. i think we calculated it at less than 1%. that's the good thing in living in florida. you train for hurricanes every year. we're ready in the event it happens. the decision to evacuate or not is mine. we think we're going to be fine. it will be hot. we understand it. it's a tropical environment. we understand it. we are ready and deal with hurricanes on daily basis on terms in of the preparation. i think we're okay. >> both of the mayors that we're talking about with today have

been called new urbanist. try to get people to live in the city now. in florida, people live in cities they live on golf courses. >> or golf carts. >> what have you done to get people dismowbt. >> it has seen more growth in the last year than the last ten years. >> you have the river walk. >> we e ask the obama administration came through with a -- which will allow us to finish the river walk. it's on the water front. we haven't take advantage of the water front. you're seeing huge explosion in young professionals moving downtown. i think that phenomena is occurring around the country. but specifically in tampa. and, i mean, i think tampa is leading the way out of recession in florida. it's being driive by young professionals who enjoy the urban environment. we triple the level of attendance in the downtown parks in the last year because we drive so much activity down there. once people expose to the water

front, they walk away like the a lot of delegations will walk away from tampa saying wow, i never knew the city existed. it's a cool place. >> we know what drives employment in charlotte downtown bank of america. other financial services. what do the young professionals in tampa do? >> well, it's diverse economy. part of is technology driven. part of it is back office wall street operations. >> who is the largest employer? >> it depends. in downtown tampa it's probably one of the banks. we're still regional headquarter for a lot of banking institutions. but we have a big technology sector. we have university south florida. which drives a lot of technology. incubation with the cancer center. we have taming pa general hospital. we built a facility center applied for medical learning simulation. that will do robotics and simulation unparallel air cross the world. as a matter of fact that will drive about 30,000 hotels for

visiting surgeons. it's an emerge southern city. it's city that is trying to change the economic dna. trying to get away from . >> from realest state and tourism to a more technology-value add economy. i look at recession and i've only been the mayor for last year and a half. for me coming out of the recession and repositioning tampa to change the dna to make it a place where we can attract the best and brightest and keep the best. is my mission. i have a 6-year-old and 11-year-old just like mayor foxx. both girls. if i want to them to come home some day and not go to austin texas or san diego or some the other technology centers. i have to create an environment that allows them to come home. i have to get in the game. i'm passionate about this. >> now picture for us, the hall

-- the media will be in the convention center what's nearby. tell us what it's like to be there as delegate. >> you will be on the water. convention center an the tampa bay times forum is on the river front. the two major hotels that will host dell -- dell dell gracious. you have 7,000 residence live as well as some of the delegates staying at west inn in there. ..

>> tampa is really spread out, much more so than other places. that is the nature of florida. a lot of people want to save the beaches because they want to bring their families and make a vacation out of it. almost from orlando to sarasota, delegations will be housed. sumac how far is orlando? >> it is probably 90 miles, sarasota is about the same. >> they will be coming downtown everyday?

>> yes, most of the delegates, they are not in downtown tampa, will be at the beaches in dallas county, which is about a two-hour bus ride. >> one of the surprising catches has been trying to get the federal funding that you needed for security -- i understand you spend 50 or 60 hours on a? >> i did. we spent a good bit of time, me and mayor foxx. we free up the $30 million that has been given, both charlotte and tim about the $2 million for security. we cannot have could not have hosted this event without that security money. it is only security money. to give you an example, i will be able to higher from all over the state of florida, 3000 more law enforcement personnel.

troopers, debbie's, police officers, in addition to the national guard. twenty-five to $30 million of that will go to the law enforcement personnel. the remaining goes to equipment. that $50 million will go, and it is not a christmas list for the city. it is a serious, nereus use of money for security related purposes to keep the nominee safe and keep the convention goers say it, but it's a big chunk of money. both charlotte and tampa had to do so. in regards to earmarks, thankfully the congress came through and we are spending that money as we speak. >> how is fund-raising going? >> it seems to be going pretty well. i am not as involved in it as mayor foxx is. they have committed to raise the money necessary. they estimate that they will

raise upwards of 10 upwards of $50 million. you think about a direct capital infusion. you have $50 million of the host committee will spend on the party come in, and then you have another $50 million of estimated delegate spending. in short-term capital infusion for that five-day period, you're looking at $175 million. if you have the multiplier on coming you are looking at 250 to $300 million in the local economy that creates jobs and opportunities and small minority businesses have an opportunity. it is a good thing for both of us could. >> you clearly think it is worth it. there are some local skeptics. >> asked me in september. [laughter] >> i do. in spite of all the challenges and sleepless nights and all the preparations, i think when this is said and done, the world will have a different view of tampa, florida. the world will no tampa, florida for the first time.

we will be dancing on the international stage what we have never done so before and anytime we get in front of anybody as a city, inevitably we come away. and there will be criticisms and we understand that. inevitably we come away with folks impressed with what we have to offer. >> the convention for the use to actually figure out who the nominee is, horsetrading for who will get the nomination. the conventions now don't have a much drama. it is possible the governor romney will name his running mate sooner come which will take away from it. it is a -- should these conventions be modernized in some way? >> and the less -- the less -- some have said that they are archaic, the nominee has been decided in some cases. we know who the nominee will be. the vp pick on the democratic side, we know who it will be.

barring unforeseen circumstances. i would imagine that governor romney would get things going into the convention. i think this energizes the activists. the folks that come to the democratic of convention of the true believers. they will knock on doors and post the yard signs and raise the small dollars to get energized. they get energized for the election. it serves a purpose, absolutely. it is the purpose -- is it worth a hundred million dollars in federal tax money? that's a good question. >> one of their three days were today's -- would be worth a few? does it have to be 40s? >> i think it's worth it to us. >> a shorter convention would so we went there? >> sure, certainly for my city. from new york to chicago or other cities, i don't know, but

it is our coming out party. whatever platform you choose to access it and get your information from, we will tell the story of tampa sumac how is this different from the super bowl? >> everyone comes to have fun. [laughter] we really can be super bowls in our sleep. we have gotten so adept at that. we estimated 15,000 of the press. >> okay, i misspoke. >> lucky us. plus the delegates, which i will estimate of 6000. plus protesters, which are of an undetermined number. it is potentially a combustible mix. but, you know, we expected and are ready for, we know who they are. we know what their tactics are. and for the most part, it is

going to be a good event and the is something we are excited about rumack you gave occupy the heisman, right? >> it did not endear me to them. he hung a bed sheet across the street for me. i live in a place that would not be occupy family. >> what you mean by that? >> there are not a lot of democrats where i lived. >> a gated community? >> no, it's daviess island, he hung this bed sheet, i am usually gone when it's dark and come home and start come and i saw the picture in the newspaper. [laughter] i would not let them occupy anything.

most of the mayors around the country that did found themselves having to extract them later on at great political cost and with great drama. >> what intel are you getting about what the big protests are likely to be? >> and 99.9% of the people that will come to tampa to offer an alternative you are good, law-abiding americans. the less than 1% that will come that have been defined as anarchists, we are there to cause mayhem. and to cause damage. what we saw in minneapolis-st. paul that we saw in chicago, what we saw here, is a group of people with no, you know, ideology, just intent on destroying whatever the system is. we anticipated they will be

here. some of the folks he sought the united nations event in chicago will be in tampa. you know, we have been monitoring their activities and we study their tactics. we will be ready for them. you can assume that they will be there. >> that could be meaning broken windows? >> we hope not, but possibly they choose to go down that path. >> tell us about a stakeouts. >> it is a stakeouts that any of you have ever been here. it has the largest wine collection of anyone restaurant we think in america. >> 180 page wine list? >> yes, folks used to seal it. they literally have attained to the table. if you're lucky enough to get a reservation at berns stakeouts come it is well worth it. and i would definitely do it if i were you.

i would go down to ybor city, which is her old historic district were some of the old cigar factories are. it is very much like the latin quarter in tampa and enjoy yourself. but the stakeouts steak house is well worth it. >> i have also heard that politicos picking up the tab for all that. >> for you, sure. >> no, that's all right. then i'd have to read about it. [laughter] >> we have some great restaurants. what you will find about tampa is the -- do you know what a [inaudible] is? >> if you laid out -- it's a spanish dish. >> if you laid out paella, you'd say none of it works. when you put it in the pitch, biz, and makes a spectacular meal. that is what tampa is. we her hispanic and latino and italian and cuban.

we are a metaphor for america. the petri dish for america. it is a very different place than most southern cities. we speak three languages, spanish, italian, english. in some cases, we have words that don't exist anywhere else because of all these intermarried and coexisting cultures. >> what's an example of one of those words? >> the spelling of seven in spanish is september, but in ybor city, it was [inaudible] some of the street signs say it differently. that's what they call it. it is so ingrained that it is on some of our street times that sum would be saying that's how we say it. it is an exciting place. for those of you coming, you will really enjoy it. >> i would love to bring you all of your conversation. a question for the mayor, sir?

if you don't want in your name. >> if you don't mind saying your name. >> the one presenters have always been a big presence at the conventions hosting fundraisers and so forth. even that the billionaires are now spending as much as the figures on a single contribution, have you seen any spending in upsurge in regards to the fatcats? >> not a huge upsurge, and bear in mind, what i have seen is some of our corporate partners who also have made contributions to the convention. doing significant legacy projects that will stay behind after the convention. for example, humana is building

a large playground in one of our inner-city neighborhoods. at&t, who has made a big contribution to the convention is upgrading all of the infrastructure in downtown tampa. you are seeing a lot of things like that take place where there would be significant residual positive impact for our community, along with the donations that they made to the convention center. i would not say that it has been out of line with previous spending on other conventions. >> yes, sir? >> excuse me, sir. use the microphone. >> yes, i am the founder of the prey at the pump movement. we are happy that gas prices have come down. i guess we are going to have to get back out there again because the prices are going back up. i wanted to ask you, what do you think that we can do to alleviate the racial tensions

would seem to be getting into this political campaign? what advice would you give to the democrats and the republicans as we neared what is probably one of the most divisive and racially charged political presidential campaigns in our history. and i want to say that i love politico. >> thank you, we love you too. >> you maybe asking a question that is above my pay grade. i would tell you -- waste in america is a serious problem. i think it is one of the most serious problems we face in this country. i think president obama's election four years ago was historical. i think it was a positive thing for america. i think it set a tone and said, for many people, and ideal for what america could be and should be. i think interjecting race into a presidential campaign is an

abomination. i think for most of us, democrat or republican, interjecting race into a situation like this is no place, it is no call for it, it is un-american. we are better because we are different. we should celebrate the diversity and of strength. any presidential candidate that does that, the drives from the lowest common denominator based on those needs, to me, they are qualified to be president of the united states. >> hello, i am actually one of your constituents. >> oh, i love you? you are still registered in tampa? >> yes, i am. how do you plan on addressing the transportation issue for locals, especially with people being bussed in from orlando and st. petersburg. how do you address that? there is r.d. gridlock in tampa that how you address the

disruption to business outside of the tourism industry that will occur in downtown tampa? >> we will be coming from north of us, we will have to devise and dedicate lanes on interstate just to move those delegations back and forth. the businesses downtown, we will be open for business, but it will not be business as usual. if you look at other conventions , there have been occurrences and i have been through enough to know that some of the downtown businesses suffer because everyone thinks there's going to be challenges parking downtown, having to go the protest, so the regular people don't come. we will have a lot of office workers that will telecommute or will choose to take vacations. there will be some impact, but i think the larger scheme of things, if you look at the positive impact in this event on the area and on tampa, we far

outweigh the challenges that some of our residents will face, and we have been prepping them for that and prepping them for the transportation issues that we have been telling them that this will not be your normal week in tampa. we need them to be understanding. you think about the 7000 residents that lived on harbor island, which is directly across from where the convention will be held across the channel. the ingress and egress will be very challenging. i told him don't come out on your her balcony. you are going to find a red laser dot on your forehead. it looks over the form -- forum. the secret service may be there. there are challenges that we but we are excited to take them off. >> tell us a secret about how to get around, get a cab, get reservations. >> called mike allen. [laughter]

i can get your parking tickets or anything like that stuff. we are just an open, friendly, etc. >> the florida aquarium which is on the outside of what would be the perimeter, there is a great place to go visit. we have three brand-new museums and if you bringing your family downtown we have a beautiful children's museum on the water. there's a lot of things in downtown tampa that i think the convention guests will enjoy. >> between now and the convention, do you have a birthday? >> yes, i do, july 29. i will be 54 years old. >> yes, thank you, mike. [laughter] >> i will probably do a prep.

>> in preparation for the rnc. >> so what happens in the month and a half? >> they will take over, and understand our convention center will house the media, the 15,000 journalists will be there, and that tampa bay -- they in essence will take over that area for the next month. in terms of upgrading the infrastructure and getting it ready for all of the traveling journalist journalists in the press corps, we will spend the next month preparing this environment, the secret service always we will control the environment. the perimeter will be outside of this, you know, the closer you get come the more security will be enhanced, but it is a lot of work in the biggest list and i can speak for mayor foxx, as is the biggest ricks untracked risk we have taken. what about president obama's chances of winning florida again? >> it will be a tight race.

i would say he would win 52 to 48. in florida it is a landslide. [laughter] he was gone a week ago and i had a chance to spend time with them. as he sharpened his rhetoric and makes the case, i think florida, and bear in mind, hillsborough county is the ultimate swing county. it is one of the few counties in the country that voted for clinton in 1996 and i actually ran for president campaign in 1996, voted for bush twice and came back and voted for president obama in 2008. it is the ultimate swing county. as florida goes, so does the nation. this convention will be in the ground zero of politics. >> you have been there for a little more than a year. you're your nap. when you were running, there is

a profile that says bob buckhorn acknowledges that he is seen as too ambitious and too slick. [laughter] you guys wouldn't say that, would you? >> what are the chances? said the convention goes well, you will be back as a cumbersome and. >> none. those of you who don't know my history, it took a long time to do this job and it's the only job i ever wanted. i was lucky to come back and win, and i will tell you that i love going to work everyday. my only regret, and i tell people that being a big city mayors mayor is the toughest job in the country come , i got the job of a lifetime. i get up everyday i'm excited to go to to work.

>> i will take that as a maybe. mr. mayor, good luck and thank you for great conversation and i look forward to seeing you. >> thank you very much. [applause] [applause] >> thank you to bank of america for making this possible. now we have a surprise before mayor foxx comes on. a lot of you know beth wester. playbook is big on breakfast. beth wester has a birthday in two days. we are going to celebrate by wishing beth wester a happy birthday. we are going to celebrate with cupcakes. we love you, congratulations.

[applause] [applause] [applause] >> please take a cupcake, a sprinkles cupcake, and we will bring on mayor foxx. mr. mayor? >> thank you so much for coming in. we appreciate it. thank you, sir. >> absolutely. >> you have worked in washington, you were on the house judiciary committee staff. you have seen washington from two different ways. what is it like to come back and ask washington for things? >> it is much easier on the conscience to be coming back after things. they have a real world impact on the local community. in washington sometimes you get stuck in a bubble in the work on things for a long time and you don't actually see what happens on the ground. as mayor, to what happens on the ground and it feels a lot better coming back. >> you are a democratic rising star.

charlotte is a rising city. they have survived strong financial services, we going to learn about charlotte that we don't learn otherwise? >> that's a good question. we are going to learn about a city that really has a real heart to it. it is much different than i think a lot of parts of the country are. i will give you a couple of examples. >> my grandmother turned 95 a couple weeks ago. >> wow, you have great genes. >> thank you. >> would you like a cupcake? [talking over each other] [talking over each other] >> this is for your grandma. i appreciate that. >> i will eat it after the interview. >> my grandmother can remember talking to her grandmother who was sold on auction block in north carolina in the 1860s.

the next generation went to its great, then college, then the next generation, five generations later -- this family that had been sold on the auction block five generations ago, now represents the largest city in north carolina. there is a american story building that. >> i grew up on the website of charlotte. >> it is a largely african-american part of the community. >> did you have a single mom? >> yes, i went to the public high school and underwent a desegregation order that underwent busing. when many were struggling with the effects of busing, picture had kids come from boston to charlotte to learn how immigration worker.

-- integration work. this is one of the stories america needs to be told. >> what is the appeal going to be about the convention? >> i was thinking about bringing some sand and volleyball nets. no, charlotte has a relaxed for feel. it is actually a city with the restaurants have improved dramatically over the last 10 years it has gotten a lot better over the last 20 to 25 years, with new arts and cultural facilities and great performance and entertainment -- we have lots of outdoor activities, we have the national whitewater

center which is a man-made man-made rabbit facility where you continue or do things other. we are not all button-down we like to have fun too. >> what should we eat their? >> well, barbecue is something that you should try. >> absolutely. >> you have to decide, and this is a serious issue. you can go with the vinegar-based, tomato-based, or mustard based. actually, for people who have interest coming you should try all three. >> there must be a correct answer. >> look, i'm telling you, i have been in north carolina all of my life and i'm probably telling you -- if you could only have one, which one would be? >> it would be the one they pick. [laughter] >> there is going to be a number of unique things about this

convention. one of them is that venues are divided and one is that the president will give his acceptance speech. >> you know, we are excited about the opportunity to display the city in multiple ways and also to invite as many people to the convention as possible. we were delighted when the decision was made back in january or february to use a large stadium, because what that means for us. so we were able to use enlargement and 74,000 people -- >> our goal is to make this convention the most open and accessible convention in history. to involve as many people as we possibly can.

and adding that kind of capacity allows us to that. >> one of the advantages of being in the stadium is understanding that people from around the country, a few people with no connections will be selected? >> there will be lots of people to come ns will be selected? >> there will be lots of people to come and whether their delegates or folks that have been involved in the campaign -- involved in this capacity -- we just want as many people to be part of this as we can. >> we we shorten the convention that three days to four days. our goal is to compress as much as the official activity as possible we are going to involve

traditional activities like speeches and the roll call of states and so forth. >> you have been doing a little bit with one arm tied behind your back. one item is no corporation conjuration per the rules haven't changed. the reality is that the decision was made early on. not to accept corporate lobbyists or pacs money to support this convention. we are under contractual requirement to observe that protocol. we've been moving through that process. you know, the interesting thing is that we have gotten an amazing response from people. we have 40 times more donors to

this convention than denver has already. the opportunity to involve so many people in the process of bringing this convention together, not only from the standpoint of funding, but expanding opportunity for people to be engaged, excited, historic and were looking forward to it. >> is exciting but it's also real pain in the of much more difficult decisions. you think this is a feasible way to raise money in the future for conventions? >> i think so. it's a different model and it's a malis says everyday people can play a role in supporting activity like this and that matters. conventions really do matter. conventions do matter, but i do believe that convention still have a purpose. one of the main purposes is casting the narratives that become part of the conversation as you turn the corner.

i think my spring so far is that people are interested, very engaged and willing to support it. >> unions have been unhappy about the toys that north that north carolina has been housed at a dinner organized? >> we are moving from four days to three. what would've been the fourth day labor day, which is monday. we have had an overwhelmingly positive response to plans on monday, which will be actually create an uptown, downtown charlotte,. >> people who have been following the convention, this is monday, which would usually be the first day. the labor day parade usually draws a couple dozen people.

a response to labor has been incredibly positive. we have never had a convention to never had a convention that takes a day until rates working people and that's what we're going to be doing. >> mr. mayor, there is a fantastic display in "fortune" magazine about the charlotte bank crisis. preparing to host the democratic convention, it looks a ahead. nascar teams, 27. there's a lot of play burgers but don't know. >> well, you know, nascar actually grew out of moonshine and people who developed it. i like dudedukes of hazard for people who understand it. it actually began to become a sport. the first nascar raise was in

charlotte. charlotte -- there's a lot more to charlotte and wearing suits than sitting at a table with a white tablecloth. >> 55 days until game day, what has to happen between now and then? >> we are locking in on transportation security logistics. we are still working to train our volunteers and like mayor buckhorn mentioned, we are actually stepping up our police department with folks from all over the country. we have a 1600 member police force today. we will double the size of the police force by the time the convention was around. there's a lot of activity associated with that, but at this point, i feel very good about where we are. >> is the history that they are

is more demonstration -- as we go on, we are checking that kind of activity. i think that if chicago is an indication, there will be a lot of runoff and speculation going on to both conventions. >> i think at least in chicago, chicago is an indication, we may see a little less than what people expect going into it. you know, we will be ready for whatever they are. >> how worried are you about actual damage? >> well, you know, you are always worried about making sure you do everything you can to

make this a safe environment, not only for people who are attending the convention in residence, but even the demonstrators themselves. our security protocol -- they are all aligned around trying to make sure that they strike the right balance between protecting first amendment rights and making sure everyone is safe. >> mayor anthony foxx, one thing you are known for his bringing more people downtown. the you are trying to make charlotte or transit family. tell us about that. >> charlotte is actually a student of what's happened in a lot of southeastern cities. where you are starting to see migration from other places around the country. population growth even during the recession. one of the challenges that happens in an auto dependent area is that you start to get this effect. about 20 years ago, charlotte really became aggressive and trying to adopt transportation strategies and they also had other strategies attached.

light rail is a part of that. we have a 9-mile light rail that runs to the south. we hope to extend the later this year. we are aligning residential development alongside the lines by rezoning the property so that that piece of business can be dealt with and developers can do what they do best, which is to put up units. we have seen $1.4 billion of investment along the south corridor line, which exist today. we are going to try to do everything it and then we can do advanced transit strategies. when you build it, people, and they want to live near it. that is partly we try to reverse the effects of sprawl. >> you are the proud papa of this coming to town. you have used it to -- what would you like to do anyway -- what have you done in preparation for the convention? >> i have lost 15 pounds. [laughter] and i'm trying to lose a little bit more to be a living example

on the first lady's initiative of childhood obesity, it is one of the legacies that we are working with. we are already engaging organizations in the charlotte community to help us make a real dent in that issue. we can talk about what they have done at the convention. we are also working on engaging youth in the convention, more than has been done in the past. i made a promise to engage 1000 youth in this convention in a meaningful way. so that those will be 1000 kids who can say for the rest of their lives that life that they had an opportunity to be engaged in helping stage of this historic event. >> we have everything from internships, we dedicate convention recently, we actually staged many conventions and they got a chance to media interviews just like this and speeches. >> do they get cupcakes? >> no. they did not. you are a high-class man.

[laughter] >> we have done that. economic inclusion is another legacy of this convention. charlotte, for the first time is a majority and minority city. yet the economics of the city hasn't correlated is rapidly as the demographic changes. we have implemented ahead of the curve effort to involve minority women who own businesses and other diverse businesses in this convention. convention is the first of either party to actually have a stated minority and women participation, which is incredible. it is a third, at a minimum, given to those diverse businesses. >> women are together a third? >> just. >> folks with disabilities and lgb key businesses as well. >> finally, i'm going to talk about my legacy.

finally, we are also working hard on this issue with sustainability. charlotte is the first city in the country to take its central business district and aspire to reducing your carbon footprint of this central business district. we are going to reduce by 20% over the next five years. we are doing it not for the public sector but due to private sector by proving the business model of what those reductions mean in terms of cost. those types of things we have to look at two. >> i'm looking forward to bringing you into the conversation into second. but first come the one thing that everyone will remember from breakfast today is how did you lose 15 pounds? >> oh, man, it's been a challenge because people give me cupcakes. that is the biggest thing that i have been working on. just trying to avoid stuff like

that. i'm eating a lot more vegetables and less me. need maybe two or three days a week of me. carbs are big source of this. >> stay with her red? >> yes, bread, flour, sugar, that kind of stuff they're kind of like that. >> mr. mayor, thank you for everything you are doing to get the city ready. we heard from mayor buckhorn about the asset is bringing into tampa. the 400 buses, for example. can you give us examples of what you're doing and charlotte in order to help the city. are you bringing in taxicabs from other cities? or other employees from other areas. >> good question.

>> some of those buses will be local and some come from other places. we actually went and got this from the general assembly to allow us to use cars from other states to come in and be part of helping us with that piece the logistics. >> mayor foxx, you spoke eloquently about your downtown and the light rail, your predecessor, a republican who did the same, mayor buckhorn express the idea that showing

off campus urban renaissance, might actually get a bunch of republicans excited about the city. nevertheless, this whole thing still is viewed largely as a partisan issue is the transportation bill outcome showed. i'm wondering whether you think or how might you and mayor buckhorn use your cities in highlighting your cities and urban renaissance of this stuff for the events to actually make those issues may be even less partisan. is that possible? >> one of the folks i most admire on transportation issues is ray lahood, who is a republican. he talks a lot about the way these infrastructure investments pay off her country. they pay off indirect jobs in

terms of getting construction workers and engineers and architects and others employed. from a child's perspective. but then when you look at the ability of cities to manage congestion and air quality, but also to create more mobility choices for people -- it's really important. charlotte is growing by 30,000 new people every single year, net. >> two thirds of the people from elsewhere? >> from elsewhere. two is that because of financial services when i. >> our largest is the carolinas health care system. health care is becoming an increasingly large part of our system. from the standpoint of this question, i will tell you that our challenge, as the city is integrating thousands of new

people every year. without raising our air quality and adding to commute times and congestion and transit infrastructure, which is so critical for going place like charlotte. >> mr. mayor, tell us about the official pen of the dnc convention? >> it shows lots of people raising their hands in support of president obama which is what happened in north carolina this year. >> what are the chances of president obama repeating this? >> i feel very good about it. you are alone? >> no, not. [laughter] [talking over each other] >> a president obama wins north carolina it will be because of what? >> for several reasons. people get that the president walked into a bus stop.

they know that we were losing 750,000 jobs on a monthly basis before he took office. and that to have -- have a country go from not the 28 months of private-sector job growth in a row is a pretty huge a congressman. i think people are really going to get that he's trying to build the country. >> you think it will have helped, the convention? it's been being used as an organizing tool. >> absolutely. north carolina has never hosted a convention. never. the last one in the carolinas was in 1860. there's a lot of pent up energy for this type of activity. trust me, and there's a lot of energy on the ground and i think the president is going to be just fine.

>> i am from the charlotte observer. how are you? on fundraising there has been reports that hasn't raised the goal, which is about 10 million well below the goals -- i wanted to know, the host committee said that fundraising is on track. but hasn't given any specifics. in the spirit of open and accessible convention, can you tell us how close and how much have you actually raise? >> i can reassert and reaffirm we are right on track. and i feel very good we cannot take money from corporations, super pacs and lobbyist -- my

friend and colleague, mayor buckhorn, this is the way these things have gone in the past. we are building a different type of thing, and i think it's working, and i think we are going have a great convention. >> can you say a percentage, i mean, the 37 million-dollar goal? what was told was 10 million can we say it was closer to 50% or 70%? >> i can tell you that we are right on track. there is a track there and we are right on it. >> in the back? >> my name is caroline and we have seen three north carolina democrats -- congressional candidates say they won't be attending the convention in north carolina, one of which is nine bucks from the bank of america stadium. can you talk about the interpol

bashed into policy politics. and also the convention and the party? >> my guess is if you look back at convention on both sides -- their candidates for office on both sides, largely what you'll find is that those folks aren't attending because they are out working in the fields to get reelected or to get elected in the first place. and i don't begrudge anyone for that. we are going to have a great convention for those who come, it's going to be exciting and they are going to be plenty of people seeking elected office angry democrats from around the country are who are going to be part of this convention. it is not concerned. >> mr. mayor, do you think this convention will be the model -- do think it makes the most sense when max. >> i think it's going to be the model. i think that -- you know, 2000

it was such an aberration in the sense that there was so much intrigue about the nomination process, all the way up to the end. but even there come by the time the convention came around, you knew the candidate was going to be. you know, i think conventions are going to become increasingly more about storytelling and the narratives that both parties want to cast on major issues confronting the country. i think that is a very valuable part of conventions. and to the extent that they are not having floor fights over who the nominee is. i don't think that is all the reason to have a convention. part of the reason to do so is to tell your story. and we do that in courtrooms everydayness country as part of our process, and it's that's a great part of our democratic process. >> you decided not to run for governor this year. you are one of the best rising

young democrats in the country. you are 41 years old, you are now you're slimmer self. now there are less of you, what you see as the next step? >> i have more than i can say, as we say in north carolina with what i have on the play. we have two months until this convention and we have some major projects that i want to see get done, and i have two young children, 6-year-old and an 8-year-old. they have never known you to be anything other than an elected official come in over the last week, i actually took time over july 4 to actually sit down and have dinner at home for a little while, you know, the call of home is always there. who knows. >> were they going to do during the convention? >> one way or one girl? >> one boy and one girl and they're going to be with us during the convention and we're going to try to put them down relatively close to their bed times, we want to have a good experience with this convention.

my daughter, you know, she really wants to meet president obama's daughters. >> i guess that could be arranged. the last question, you mentioned, where should we go to eat? what is the steakhouse of charlotte? >> for those of you that are not worried about, you know, your weight, we have lots of really good places as mayor of the city -- i just cannot tell you one, but i can tell you where to go. the main strip, go down to the south park area, we have some in the city, but i'm not going to pick one because i will get in trouble. >> what i can also tell you is that we have some great restaurants are opening in charlotte. that and that is where i have spent know -- a little bit more of my time.

>> thank you all for coming out so early this morning. thank you to our politico colleagues. all of you in the lifestream land and think of her great conversation and we look forward to seeing you on your shirt. [applause] [applause] [applause] >> i will take your pocket. >> i will take your cupcake. [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] >> up next on c-span 2, a house oversight committee hearing on the auto industry bailouts. how speaker john boehner and senator rob portman talk about the economy and tax cuts at a conference in washington. the mayors of tampa in charlotte north carolina talk about their

preparations for this summer's political conventions. >> on "washington journal" tomorrow morning, we will look at the tax provisions the portal correct with donald of the urban tax policy center and joseph henchman. we will be joined by peter moore, editor of men's health magazine to talk about the story on surveillance across the u.s. including cities are the most watched. "washington journal" is live on c-span everyday at 7:00 a.m. eastern. this weekend on booktv, growing up in the shadows and secrets of the by rocky area. looking at the effects of the environment and the people. and peter collier on the life of jean kirkpatrick. >> he was governor with a

magnolia accent. you know? >> and she's saw the dominoes start to fall. she was in opposition to what she saw as carter is him. and particularly, it is crucial in this respect in 1979. she saw the fall in nicaragua, a couple of laughs reading experiences for her and people like her. >> the political woman behind the reagan cold war doctrine sunday night at 9:00 p.m., and at 10:00 p.m., berean sniper unlicensed leaving the military. hotels, hospitals and jails. part of book tv this weekend on c-span 2. ron bloom an in-house service

oversight hearing. ohio representative mike turner requested extra time to question mr. ron bloom, arguing that he was not being cooperative. two other former automotive task force members, matthew feldman and harry wilson also testified. this is just under three hours. >> the hearing will come to order. the hearing is entitled administration's auto bailouts and the delphi pension decisions. we have a distinguished tenable for us, but it is always of the order of the subcommittee by reading the oversight and government reform committee's mission statement. the oversight committee mission statement, we exist secured two

fundamental principles. first americans have a right to know that the money washington takes from them is well spent. second, americans deserve an efficient, effective government that works for them. our duty on oversight and government reform is to protect these rights. our solemn responsibility is to hold government accountable to taxpayers because taxpayers have a right to know what they get from their government. we will work tirelessly in partnership with watchdogs to deliver the facts to the american people and bring genuine reform to the federal bureaucracy. ..

toxic assets of of the books of large banks and financial institutions. while today's intention is not into real litigate in t.a.r.p. or the bailout, it is important now to discuss their consequences, and indeed there are consequences. when the government orchestrates a bailout is clear that there will be both winners and losers. while some of my colleagues will spend a great deal of time talking about bailout winners, it is unlikely that you'll hear them spend much time talking about the bailout losers. although their losses were significant, we are not here to discuss bondholders who took a hair cut and although we allowed. we are here today to focus on the non-demonize retirees

disappear while some of their co-workers were made whole. those co-workers whose pensions were left intact were members of the united auto workers union, and there are clear winners of the bailout. a recent study of one of today's witnesses george mason university law professor calculated that the united auto workers received approximately $26 billion from taxpayers via the although bailouts that they would not have received had they not been treated according to standard bankruptcy principles. when the pension benefit guaranty corporation terminated the pensions of all retirees, general motors agreed to top off or make whole their obligations to unionized workers.

at the same time the non-unionized workers took cuts in their pensions. despite the fact that the promise to the union could have been thrown out by bankruptcy like so many of the other non-unionized commitments were, the union agreement was kept in place. that was a decision made by the government. the special inspector general for the troubled assets relief program has been seeking answers to questions about the irregularities of the pension decisions. ms. marrero is a witness here today as the special one specter general for t.a.r.p.. we are here today because for over a year, three of the key figures involved in the gm and chrysler bailout with the special inspector general. i'm grateful the show today and i am willing to and interested in hearing the testimony and the

reasons for not meeting with the special inspector general. may 9th the special inspector general notified the committee that three former obama administration officials before us today, mr. bloom, mr. feldman and mr. wilson had been on a cooperative with the special inspector general's audit. these three individuals come from diverse backgrounds and possess different expertise that together represent leading figures from president obama's although task force. all three of these individuals make pivotal decisions which are projected to cost taxpayers $23 billion have left many retirees with drastically reduced pensions while preserving full pensions for the unionized retirees. these are the consequences of the bailout. so, with that, i would recognize the ranking member mr. quigley of illinois for five minutes, and following that, i will

recognize mr. turner from ohio for five minutes for an opening statement if the gentleman would like five additional minutes, we would be willing to grant that. >> thank you mr. schramm. i appreciate that. i'm sure it won't be necessary in today's case. i want to thank the chair manful holding the hearing. no one understands or appreciates the importance of strong oversight and the government more than members of this committee. congress carried the office of specialist in the journal for the troubled assets relief program and members of congress asked citicorp to performance dhaka of that the audit has been stalled because they haven't been able to interview three of the witnesses here today. ron bloom, routt feldman and peery wilson who are members of the debt mr. shinzo task force. the democratic spoke with all three of the individuals and discovered they are willing to be interviewed by sigtarp.

i'm glad that sigtarp will be able to complete its audit. the audit should complement the work already completed on the pension issue. they published its findings on the pension in december of 2011. the gao concluded that, quote, treasury deferred to the business judgment and that the treasury did not explicitly approve or disapprove of gm providing the top up, end of quote. further conclusions supported by the evidence gathered by the gao. today i am looking forward to hearing an update on the progress of the product and would be eager to reach its final report upon complete end to the completion. the conclusion that should be drawn from the auto task force action is the help save more american jobs. as president, recently said, i was betting on the american worker, and i was betting on

american industry. in three years later the american auto industry is coming rolling back. think you mr. chairman. >> thank you. i yield back. >> i thank the ranking member, and i do want to in the ranking members opening statement he suggested we received in an e-mail 546 yesterday from the minority staff you have a commitment from the free although bailout task force members today that will meet with sigtarp and fulfill their request. it's been long standing with them. and i thank the ranking member for getting those commitments. and i thank the staff for getting those commitments, because it has been almost -- it has been well over a year in the

work of sigtarp to submit themselves for the positions. with that of would like to enter into the record the time line of the requests from sigtarp beginning may 5th of 2011 in going through may 16th 2012. including an e-mail we received last night at 9:40 p.m. from sigtarp explaining that the three witnesses in question had no communications of any sort, indicating that they will make themselves available for your question interviews in conjunction with our audits. so, i do appreciate without objection those two documents will be entered into the record, and again, this is bipartisan work and i appreciate the willingness of mr. quigley of

you and the minority staff and counsel to get those commitments and so, we are hopeful the transition is served from that and i know the gentleman has been very active on those issues of transparency and government. thank you. with that i will recognize mr. turner of bohon eop he has been a leader on the subject matter of this hearing for five minutes for the purposes of an opening statement. >> thank you mr. jeneane. i would like to speak to you and churn and isi and chairman jordan for the work that has been done on this issue. and for holding this important hearing today. today's hearing continues our efforts to uncover why the treasury department, the auto task force and the pension benefit guaranty corporation chose to terminate the hard earned pensions of delphi salary of retirees in the course of its multibillion-dollar taxpayer funded bailout of general motors. contrary to the vice president said recently, on one of his campaign stops of the retirees are doing fine they are not doing fine. thousands of retirees lost their

pensions many of which are in my community 50 to know how you as a result of the administration decisions during the although bailout. appearing on cnn this sunday the chief of staff proclaimed the administration is the most transparent ever but not on this issue and we are going to find out why today. understandably i have concerns about how the administration including the three members of the task force we have before us have continued to stonewall provided silence on these issues and repeated failure to disclose information that are critical to the issues that have affected almost 20,000 people across the country and that was done with taxpayer dollars. this is not a venture that was undertaken with your own money. it was undertaken with taxpayers' money coming into the open is that this administration promised needs to be enforced. in part we are here today because three former auto task members refused to meet with, speak to or testify before the special inspector general for the t.a.r.p. program.

it is my hope that we will shed light upon who in the administration made the decision to cut the hard earned retirement benefits of the retirees and perhaps the administration policy of denying access to the information hiding behind the backroom deals stops. i want to thank christi primero and sigtarp for being here today and for your honesty in your letter. you wrote a letter that said that sigtarp believes the auto task force played a role in these individuals dillinger to speak on this issue poses a significant obstacle to the ability to complete this audit and then you acknowledge that you didn't have an ability to subpoena these gentlemen to make them testify. you also acknowledged in the testimony that you commence this as a result of several members of congress and putting myself asking you to take the audit to get questions answered about how this process went forward. mr. bloom, mr. feldman, on the happy train of silence and

refusing to answer questions in today. you have been summoned before congress because of your refusal to answer sigtarp questions because they didn't have the ability to compel you. you are here today because you know we do. you didn't come because he wanted to share information with congress, you were brought here because of your refusal to share the information that the american public is entitled to hear as a result of taxpayers' dollars the were used in the although bailout of general motors and thousands of people that lost their pensions. there is an accountability. now, you are going to take an oath when you testified today. this is not a political proceeding. this is a legal proceeding. you will be testifying. you will not be given speeches. it's called testifying before congress. and in that, i want you to rise to the level of understanding of that obligation is. the means that if you don't speak truthfully in front of us, obviously you can be subject to

perjury, disbarment. other types of consequences because congress takes people appearing before us seriously. now, we are hearing and we are looking forward to hearing from you that you are now willing to cooperate, and i want you to also be aware that during the process of supposedly cooperating with sigtarp we have the ability to continue to of course it and to bring you deposition's under oath to bring you back before congress again. if the information that you provide is not complete and is and throw, and you will continue to have your happy train of silence that here with congress where the american people require the answers because you served in a public position with public dollars and public obligations and today we are going to have public questions. thank you mr. chairman. >> hi thank the gentleman from ohio. members will have seven days to submit opening statements for the record. and we will now recognize our panel of witnesses today.

the honorable christie's romero is the inspector general for the troubled assets relief program, the united states department of treasury. mr. ron bloom, mr. matthew feldman, and mr. harry wilson are all former members of the automotive task force at the united states department of treasury. yet the government accountability office, thank you for door service. mr. todd zywicki is a professor of law at george mason university school foley and seniors -- scholar. as you all know, this committee swears in witnesses for their testimony, so if you'd please rise and raise your right hand he will be sworn in before your testimony. raise your right hand. if you solemnly swear or affirm the testimony you're about to

give will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but trees? >> thank you. let the record reflect that the witness's answer in the affirmative. you all are well practiced and testified before congress as you well know we have the light system here. green means as we know from traffic traffic schools if you have tickets or repeated traffic schools agreement means go coming yellow meen triet and red means stop. you have five minutes to summarize your testimony in order to allow discussion and questions afterwards we will begin with trustee for five minutes. a ranking members of the committee i'm very honored to be before you today coming and i very much want to thank you for holding this hearing. sigtarp was protected to the creed to protect those that do the could taxpayers and as an important part of sigtarp mission is to bring transparency

to the decisions that were made by the government in the wake of the financial crisis. by examining the path we can take advantage of the lessons learned that we can better protect the taxpayers in the future. in addition, taxpayers have an absolute right to know the decisions that went into how via t.a.r.p. dollars were spent. the government provided approximately $80 billion in funds in the although bailout. and they've brought transparency to the decisions made by treasury and the auto task force in the bailout. we seek to bring greater transparency to the gm positions to provide funds to pop-up the pension of certain hourly workers who were at the delphi corporation employed by gm and who were represented by one of three unions. we are conducting an audit review of the treasury will in the decision and with the auto task force pressured gm to provide additional funding for the pensions. we have closely coordinated with the gao that conducted a similar but not duplicative reviews.

these experienced significant delay by the refusal to be interviewed by the three former treasury officials who served on the of the team. mr. bloom, mr. wilson and mr. feldman. the former head of the team only agreed to be interviewed this may. these individuals were heavily involved in the assistance to gm structuring and had knowledge about pension issues. the first requested from treasury interviews of the former treasury officials in may, 2011. much later the tool list the individuals wouldn't meet with sigtarp while other members what we. we contacted the individuals quickly while reviewing the documents and have their witnesses. we ask the treasury to speak to the former treasury officials about the importance of cooperating with sigtarp. when it became clear that the and vegetables would not agree to be interviewed be informed this committee. the lack of cooperation by these former treasury officials had significantly protected sigtarp's review. we were forced to look elsewhere for the information.

while we continue to request their cooperation we reviewed more than 100,000 pages of documents but the documents didn't complete the picture. we often find in the audits a lack of detailed and complete documentation of the decision making completed to t.a.r.p.. many discussions and decisions are made in the telephone calls. interviews of government officials are essentials to gain a complete picture. documents such as the e-mails simply do not tell the whole story. we interviewed others with information. we interviewed 43 current and former officials from gm, delphi, the unions, the although team and which represent certain salaried workers whose pensions did not talk up to date information from the witnesses and documents led them to determine that mr. wilson, mr. feldman and mr. bloom with the government officials involved in five decision and the discussions. sigtarp doesn't have the ability to compel witness testimony. there is no valid reason for the former treasury officials to refuse to be interviewed. treasury suggested sigtarp's

interviews arnesen three because giglio already determined the land because mr. wilson and mr. feldman were opposed. gm and [inaudible] figures. geode not conduct interviews of the will or whether there was any pressure by the audit team featuring to sigtarp. also, we read the deposition and still find it necessary to conduct the interviews. the refusal by the treasury's to speak to sigtarp supposes a significant obstacle to complete the audit and to the taxpayers getting a full understanding of the discussions and considerations in the decisions. our need to speak with them is significant. that is but the fact that there is no hardship for these individuals to come talk with us. other important and very busy government officials have been interviewed by sigtarp including secretary geithner and former german beer. also it is important it sets a dangerous precedent if the former treasury officials that were on the t.a.r.p. programs are allowed to eat eight the oversight and refuse to be interviewed.

such a president -- president could impact all of our ongoing and future audits. most of the government officials who worked on t.a.r.p. have since left government service. i want to thank the committee for supporting sigtarp and im available to answer any questions that you may have. >> thank you is romero and for your service to the government. mr. bloom, you are recognized for five minutes. >> mr. chairman and members of the committee, good morning. and here today you will request in my capacity the former treasury official the treasury department in february of 2011 the government service in september 2011. i am therefore not in the position to discuss events since february, 2011 or anything concerning possible future actions. during the purpose of my government service i testified regarding the treasury's automotive investments in june trend to the content, 2,001 the judiciary administrative

subcommittee on july 21st, 20009 the congressional oversight panel on july 27, 20092010 in the house subcommittee on the regulatory affairs, stimulus oversight and government spending on june 22nd, 2011. in addition, i participated in the numerous meetings and discussions to help prepare and deliver the responses to countless increase of sigtarp, gao, congressional oversight panel and individual elected officials and staff from both the house of representatives and the senate. anderson and the committee has taken an interest in the issues regarding the pension of certain formal employees of the corporation. as you may know, i was named as a defendant in the lawsuit in federal court regarding that issue. september 2nd, 2011, was dismissed from the case as well as treasury and the president on a task force. when president obama took office, the american automobile industry was on the verge of

collapse. in the year prior the industry lost over for injured thousand jobs in the 2008 cannes to a close both gm and chrysler were running out of cash and faced the imminent prospect of an uncontrolled liquidations. the collapse of the auto industry poses substantial risk to financial market stability in the economy as a whole. therefore the previous administration provided $24.8 billion to the auto industry. after studying the restructuring plan submitted by gm and chrysler president obama decided that he would not commit any additional taxpayers' resources to the company's who helped the fundamental change in accountability. he rejected the initial plan and demanded that they developed more ambitious strategies to reduce cost and increase efficiency. however president obama also recognized failing to stand behind these companies would have far reaching consequences. gm and chrysler were supported by a vast network of although suppliers which employed three times as many workers and dependent on the auto maker's

business survived. and on controlled liquidation of a major auto maker would have had a cascading effect throughout the supply chain causing failures and job losses on a much larger scale. because ford and other companies dependent on the same suppliers, the failure of the suppliers could have caused those companies to fail as well. at risk with thousands of auto dealers across the country as well as small businesses and communities with concentration of all the workers. was this interdependence that led some experts to the time estimate that at least 1 million jobs could have been lost if gm and chrysler went under. widely respected economist marc sandy stated that 2.5 million jobs were at risk. these are grave risks of the time that the economy is leaving 750,000 jobs per month. markets were still not functioning properly bank lending contracted substantially and there was no chance of securing private lending on the scale sufficient to save gm and chrysler. to avoid uncontrolled liquidation the president decided to give gm and chrysler

a chance to show that they could take the tough and painful steps to become viable companies. working with the stakeholders in the president's task force, both gm and chrysler underwent fair and open bankruptcy speed the process required deep and painful sacrifices from all stakeholders including workers, retirees, the dealers, creditors and the countless communities that rely on the vibrant american auto industry. the steps the president took avoided a catastrophic collapse of the entire auto industry and kept hundreds of thousands of americans working. today the american automobile industry is in a comeback. in 2011 gm, chrysler and ford increased the u.s. market share for the second year in a row. exports of motor vehicles in 2011 increased by 21% over 2010. the increase in market share experts as translated into more american jobs. the industry has had over 233,000 jobs the fastest pace of job growth in the auto industry

since 1977. 1997. in addition, since 2009, gm and chrysler announced over $11.5 billion. in a better world countries to intervene in gm and chrysler would not have had to be made. but amidst the worst economic crisis and a generation to the administration's decision to avoid devastating liquidations and provided the american of the industry the new lease on life and real chances to succeed and prepare to do my best to answer your questions. >> mr. feldman, you are recognized for five minutes. >> thank you. >> mr. chairman and members on the wrist and i've been requested to appear before you today to discuss my role of the treasury department audit team of which i joined in 2009, march of 2009 as the chief legal lead advisor and which i served until august of 2009. the treasury department recruited me to join the although team. from my career as an attorney in private practice, where specialized in reorganizing and restructuring large businesses, not unlike the american

automobile manufacturers that were insignificant financial distress at that time in 2009. i believe that the work of the although team contributed to a successful effort to avert disastrous consequences to both of the american automobile industry and the american economy as a whole. i am fiercely proud of my service, and i am prepared today to assist the committee in reaching a complete understanding of the although teams work during what was a difficult time and an unprecedented challenge for all involved. all the wood is wonderful to see the dramatic recovery of the automobile manufacturers and the thousands of american trouser received as a result of the work, i am mindful of the restructuring that the ogle team worked on required many americans to make great personal sacrifices. as the result of the delphi corporation bankruptcy for example, the pension benefit guaranty corporation were forced to terminate the pension plans, which means that the work were delphi retirees that were less than the full pension benefits. delphi had underfunded its hourly pension plan and later

its salaried pension plan. prior to filing for the protection the situation that ultimately threaten the general motors future success as it exited from its own bankruptcy. because general motors viewed well motivated work force at its largest supplier as critical to ensuring an uninterrupted supply chain, general motors made the commercially reasonable necessary decision to honor certain top agreements entered into in 1999 with the united autoworkers and certain other unions when delphi was first spun off of general motors. sadly, many of the and peace didn't have the agreements with general motors and some of those employees will face a shortfall in their pension payments as it assumes responsibility for their plans. the audit team agreed on during the top of the agreement was a prudent business decision and we believe doing so would protect general motors and the american tax payers collective investment in the company. we supported general motors business decision and i remain convinced today that was the best course of action available

at that time. while i'm pleased general motors and other american automobile manufacturers have become successful profitable contributors to the economy, i recognize the restructuring process composed painful but necessary sacrifices on many of the stakeholders to read as a bankruptcy practitioners and a restructuring specialist, i have seen similar circumstances all too often. it is without a doubt one of the most difficult aspects of my job and i will be the deepest sympathy for everyone affected. i received a request from the office of the specialist victor for troubled assets relief programs that i participated in an interview. i attempted to determine what further information sigtarp deily required to complete its audit because my memory concern specific details was better in july 2009 when i gave a lengthy deposition in connection with delphi chaudry 11 proceeding concerning my role in the auto team. it was my hope the transcript of

the deposition along with the extensive documentary record sigtarp has undoubtably assembled would be sufficient to meet sigtarp needs. after several requests to provide a list of six topics on which a desired further information but it appears they contacted the subcommittee. at any event i am here to be prepared to answer any questions the subcommittee has concerning my role in the audit team. >> chairman mchenry, ranking members of the subcommittee to for the opportunity to testify today in the government's effort in 2000 - to u.s. automotive industry as typically regarding the investment in general motors. the testimony to the islamic as it is a former treasury official, which i left in early august 2009, so that is the limit of my direct knowledge. first, brief background on myself less than the vast

majority of my career in the private sector working some of the best financial firms in the country that focus on fixing troubled businesses. as late 2008 financial crisis deepened in the bush and a bomb administration began to intervene in t.a.r.p. i felt it was critical treasury officials at restructuring skills that i had to the taxpayers, so i am a lifelong republican my desire to serve the country and joined the team in early march of 2009 and focus primarily on general motors. after general motors exited bankruptcy, i wrapped up my work in the treasury. i continued my terminal work within the private sector and the public sector since then. for example and 20 tonight is the republican nominee for the state comptroller. i ran on the pot for not seeking the states were in government and the lost in a very close race with nearly 2.1 million votes, was the top republican vote in new york in 2010. shortly after that, i had my firm which is focused on vexing problem companies. let me turn to the auto rescue.

in the 2008, early 2009, gm and chrysler were on the verge of collapse due to years of mismanagement in the financial crisis to an unfortunate become the capitol market obliterating any possibility of the private financing. the lack of private financing and the substantial interdependency of the american automotive industry meant the following. bonn, absent tens of billions of dollars gm chrysler which liquidate, number two, the liquidation would have meant a failure of many of the suppliers and number three, the white script failure of supplies would have threatened ford which is why they never opposed the work. it's only because of this unique confluence of defense cuts once in a lifetime storm that threatened to destroy the central american industry that i have a staunch fiscal conservative king to accept that the only alternative the least bad option was emergency financial support cut a path initiated by the bush administration. the obama administration decision to pursue this in a commercial manner as to find men that we would seek the best outcome of the minimum potential cost of the taxpayer. results that would speak to

themselves the had the most profitable year ever in 2011 even though the auto sales haven't fully recovered a pre-christmas level its current market share and now it is a balance sheet the human cost of these restructurings were significant and that is the sad part of any restructuring but absent all the teams work the human costs and the cost to the american taxpayer would have been far, far greater while they were involved in the major changes needed to meet the company profitable we were very careful to never get involved in the specific decisions of the plant closures and the like we agree with gm on the broad strokes which is to create a world class auto business and key components of that, and they would meet the detailed decisions that need to be made to implement those strokes. this approach applies to the same sad story of delphi. when delphi came to the audit team's detention, delphi was leading $150 million in cash for months. gm was supporting delphi because delphi was the sole supplier for

critical gm parts, as a delphi liquidation would have shut down all of general motors. this was an unsustainable proposition. but for gm and for the american taxpayer. to resolve delphi's long bankruptcy agreed to various measures including providing capital and honoring the agreements they made in 1999. other commitments, including the pensions for the salary employees or other unionized employees not covered by the agreements were not accorded additional consideration. the rest of the work treasury provided a general in but not specific decisions to the matters as was recognized in the gao finding in september of 2011. in closing the restructuring was a difficult one filled with pintle trees is to minimize the human and financial cost while maximizing the public of the company's long-term success. the human cost of the gm rescue dirty come significant and tragic. those that suffered the loss of any kind have my deepest sympathies but as great as those costs were the pale in comparison to the costs.

as a fiscal conservative i wish our work hadn't been necessary. as american citizens i wish more companies operated with better management of the tragic situations wouldn't happen as frequently as they do but and it's the worst financial crisis in the past 75 years the actions of the bush and obama administration avoided the devastating liquidation and provided the american auto industry a second chance. one last point on testifying, i would disagree with the characterization of my particular willingness to testify. as i believe it is sigtarp now knows i've committed to both of the majority staff last thursday to minorities that on sunday and through the treasury to the sigtarp officials themselves to testify the effort to do so. with that, i look forward to your questions to the islamic we certainly appreciate the willingness that has been just over a year in the making. but we are grateful for it nonetheless. and as well as the other members of the task force. even if it is helped the 11th hour, and we are grateful, as i said, for the ranking member and for his good work in the

minority staff good work on securing those commitments the day before this important hearing. we are simply just trying -- and finton for submitting that for the record. that's going to be one of my questions if we can submit for the record whether or not the three members of the task force represented today will submit themselves for that interview with sigtarp. the outline that i have extensive requests from sigtarp to use the gentleman, mr. bloom, mr. feldman and mr. wilson is extensive, and so, pardon me for not releasing you of the burden of testifying before congress. when we get that commitment at 5:46 the day before the 10 a.m. hearing, but i think you're going to continue with this. and we expect some questions on that as i'm sure you do. mr. wilson, mr. feldman, think you for your willingness to testify on this issue, and mr. bloom, we will direct

questions to you to see if you will you willing to submit some testimony for that. from the government accountability office, you are recognized for five minutes. >> thank you come german comer and kimber quickly and members of the subcommittee. i appreciate you having me here to speak about the termination of the termination plan. in my comments today i will discuss two issues. first the key event leading to the termination of delphi's pension plans and number two, the role of the department of treasury. first, the termination of delphi's pension plans and the provision of the retirement benefit supplement also called pop ups to some delphi employees but not others, they did from the complex series of events involving delphi, gm, various unions, treasury, pbgc that stretch back to 1999. in that year, gm spun off delphi as an independent company. at that time, gm had reached to

collectively bargain the hourly employees meaning that if something went wrong with the pension plans for these employees after delphi become a separate company, gm would insure the employees receive the promised benefits. no such agreement was negotiated for salaried employees. when these agreements were negotiated, delphi's pension plan for hourly workers wasn't fully funded. in contrast, the plan for the salary workers was fully funded. delphi filed for bankruptcy in 2005, and as part of its initial reorganization plan made public in 2007, the company planned to maintain its pension plans. but by this time, both salaried and union pension plans were underfunded. as a part of the exit from bankruptcy, gm agreed to take on some liability from the hourly pension plan and the two phases. however, by the time gm declared bankruptcy in june, 2009 and only to get on the first phase of the plan's liabilities. gm did agree with the uaw

however as a part of its restructuring that gm would onerous the previous negotiation pop-up. salary employees and delphi employees who belong to other unions were not included in this agreement. employees of the other unions, along with the speed of sound of the employees protested the of consol report to maintain its supply chain, gm agreed to pop-up the pensions of the two other unions as the consent was needed to resolve the bankruptcy. however, they didn't agree to do so for the salary workers and this is where the situation stands today. i would now like to discuss the treasury role in these events. treasury stands from the position of the primary lender to gm and its bankruptcy. as the primary lender gm played a significant role in helping gm resolve the bankruptcy in terms of gm's's interest. however come out with regard to the decisions about the pension plans, court filings and statements from gm and treasury officials suggest the treasury deferred to the gm business judgment. nevertheless, according to the

record, and the treasury officials, treasury agreed with gm's is as the company couldn't afford the potential cost of sponsoring the delphi and early planas self upon emerging from bankruptcy. the treasury also agreed with the rationale not to assume the delphi plan since it had been fully funded when gm transferred it in 1999. as for the pop-up, treasury officials said that while treasury did not explicitly approve or disapprove of gm's agreement to honor previously negotiated pop-up agreements with some unions, it agreed with the conclusion that they had solid commercial reasons to enter into such agreements. in particular, treasury stated that it's a must ensure that new gm only assume the liabilities of old gm that were commercially necessary and that due to the new dependency on the uaw work force and the work force of other unions, treasury officials felt they had solid commercial reasons to agree to the pop-up for the retirees. also, treasury stated that it

was never obligated to provide the pop-up to the saudi or other retirees. in conclusion mr. chairman, when the company's the bankrupt and leave the plants with large unfunded liabilities, some participants will not get the full benefits promised to them by their net player. it is unfortunately is not unusual. what makes this case more unusual is the series of events that unfolded over the last decade that led us here today. and the number of players including delphi, pbgc, the union, gm and treasury and the role they play. mr. chairman, mr. rankin member and members of the subcommittee, this completes my purse statement. i would be happy to answer any questions you may have at the appropriate time. my colleague is also available to answer any specific questions regarding pbgc. >> thank you and thank you for the testimony. professor zywicki, you are recognized as a mature man mchenry, ranking members of the subcommittee is my pleasure to testify on the matters related

to the obama administration task force and the refusal for the former automotive task force members to cooperate in efforts to understand the tax court's controversial decision to pop-up the delphi corporation's pension plan for the employees or members of the united auto workers union. general motors' decision to guarantee the obligation of a complete separate company, delphi, was completely unjustified under the current established principles of bankruptcy law and it increased the cost of the taxpayer bailout of the automotive industry by more than a billion dollars with no reciprocal benefits to general motors. i commend this committee for seeking answers to the cynics point peter but the amount of the automotive task force and sigtarp's christi romero for seeking answers to these unanswered questions. altogether, the government on a $80 billion of t.a.r.p. funds into the bailout of general motors and chrysler, and related entities with come as chairman mchenry suggested, not a shred of statutory basis for

allocating funds in that manner. according to the united states department of treasury, it is estimated that a current share prices, the lost to the american tax payers will be about $23 billion from this investment and in the automotive bailouts. that would be one thing if to lose billions of dollars a was necessary to facilitate the bankruptcy reorganization of the companies. but according to a recent paper by james, the entire loss of taxpayers from the automotive bailout attributable to the unjustified provincial treatment of the uaw in bankruptcy to the tune of $26.5 billion. to give you the sense of the size of the losses that is larger than nassau's annual budget and larger than the entire foreign-aid budget and that is larger than the annual budget of the state of missouri. it would be much more accurate to refer to this as a uaw bailout, rather than an

automotive bailout. we have heard a lot of talk about shared sacrifice today. but i think that stephen ratner, the obama administration former car mazar said it best when he said we should have asked uaw to do more. we didn't ask any member to take a cut in their pay. james a. by document three different ways in which the uaw was given preferential treatment here there resulted in the massive loss to the taxpayers. first, uaw were given for better treatment as unsecured creditors than any other either to general motors or chrysler bankruptcy cases. second, the uaw employees were given preferential treatment as employees. usually in the bankruptcy cases when confronted with a above market uncompetitive wage, the bankruptcy is used to reduce them to the competitive levels. what's going on right now as we see in the airline bankruptcy for instance in which bankruptcy has been used to bring airline

bankruptcy into the competitive rates. and general motors, uaw did make the wage concessions, but on behalf of the future hires, not on behalf of the current employees as stephen ratner admitted. very few other concessions were made. for the week of general motors and particular still remained above that of any foreigner transplants and any other state. third brings us to the issue of today. the $1 billion given by general motors to top off the pensions of certain delphi in your employees, the union workers and the uaw union members, but not other hourly employed workers. how can this be? delphi was spun off in 1999 a full ten years before the general motors bankruptcy. they were completely separate companies. there was no continuing of the legal obligation for general

motors to pay for the retirement of the employees of the completely separate company. instead, all we have heard as far as i can tell a far fetched rationalization we needed to squandered a billion dollars for some theoretical related. it's hard to see any explanation other than the political clout. but i would like to know is any rational investor would spend a billion dollars of their own money to pay for a five retirement of the employees in a completely separate company, or whether they were willing to do with our money, the money of taxpayers. and perhaps it was necessary to have a targeted intervention in order to deal with the frozen credit markets of the time. that could be firms like this reorganized all the time, and i take any claims like that with a grain of salt. by and large this is a smokescreen for what you're talking about today. the question is today with or not it was worth throwing away $26.5 billion worth of taxpayers' dollars to preserve

the benefits and the wages and everything else of the uaw. was it worth it to go through bankruptcy and goes reprocess in which the indiana teachers' and police fighters lost some of their secure bonds in order to enrich the uaw. i look forward to questions. >> thank you for the testimony. we have the two current federal folks that are in federal service on this panel. i want to thank you for the current service to the government. i want to thank the previous numbers that were in government service for your service to the government and to the people. public service should be just that. there's also consequences for the decisions we make given the public trust, and that is the in conjunction with that thought that is what this hearing is about. i would ask unanimous consent that our colleague from ohio, mr. johnson, be allowed to

participate in today's hearing. >> without objection, that is ordered. >> and i will recognize myself for five minutes. for more than a year, sigtarp has been trying to secure interviews to complete their work on this subject matter of the delphi pension decisions. and i want to ask mr. bloom, why were you not willing to cooperate? >> i was very involved in personal matters of the time. it's been a long time in government service and i didn't believe i had anything that i could contribute. but as i said it is important to the committee i am prepared to sit with them now. >> mr. feldman, same question. why did you not -- why were you not willing to cooperate? >> in 2009 - to post to these issues i felt at that time that

i had answered and had given all the information available. i also frankly have left public life and have enacted or busy private life and my response was i think you have everything i can give you. having said that, if an interview would be helpful and as i said to the staffers, i am prepared to cooperate. >> to that matter coming your attorney was contacted. sigtarp was in new york and was willing to meet with you in august to september of last year mr. wilson comes in question why were you not willing to cooperate? >> mr. chairman i will give you the same answers which was like a feeling of the deposition i sat for ten or 12 hours of testimony in the summer of 2009 at the gm bankruptcy testified on anything under the sun as you

can imagine and that long period of time i had the experience of being interviewed for the book on these activities and in the summer of 2010 frankly i could barely recalled a lot of the facts from the year before. this was a year later i said i don't remember a lot of what we went through to read to refresh my memory it would take a couple of days to do that and i'm extremely busy. i don't know how much i can add and that is the exact response -- >> i hear you. not too busy to complete with mr. ratner. i would be happy to yield to my colleague. >> i respect your servers but let me just say that the percentage of the american public that thinks that we do the right thing or will do the right thing is in single digits. dhaka cost of the problems we face here in the public

perception of us and the public perception of corruption is the loss of the ability to lead. the public characterized this trust. you have to appreciate this lost year for whatever the personal reasons whether you are in public service or not really doesn't matter. it is the perception of how things are done. it is the ability to have transparency to appreciate how you made the decisions and if your answers with all due respect were i don't remember, i get that. or you get the best answers you possibly can. but when you do, when you put things off in this manner come you don't help us and you don't help the decisions you make. frankly, i think we made the right decision. we are going to discuss that later about the bailout because i thought the industry mattered. i think the chairman is correct.

this was a mistake coming and i appreciate your willingness to testify now to testify here and to cooperate in the interview. but it's hard to add anything to what ms. romero except for the fact that it isn't that you have done anything wrong. it's that the american public has a right to know how the decisions were made when so much money was being spent even if they agree with the decision. i mean no disrespect to the compliment with the chairman was trying to say. i think the ranking member, and so the question i have for mr. bloom is are you willing to submit yourself to an interview with sigtarp within the next let's say two months? >> yes. >> mr. feldman? >> yes. >> mr. willson? >> yes. i offered one this afternoon. i haven't gotten a response yet, but i would be happy to do that.

>> excellent. ms. romero, the next time the you don't have people willing to sit down with you for an interview, let me know. we will be happy to have a hearing. >> i can't say how grateful i am to the committee. to the chairman, to the ranking member of the full committee. to ranking member quickly, this is all we wanted. we are also -- we don't have any conclusions. i can't characterize the role of the gentleman without giving them an opportunity to speak to that role and this is all we have wanted and it goes on to three witnesses in this audit as i talked about in my opening statement. it will be a very dangerous precedent if the former treasury officials or other officials that work on t.a.r.p. matters than lead refuse to be interviewed that goes off. thank you very much. >> thank you for your

willingness to submit yourself for this. mr. ratner who testified about this, this matter, the interview took approximately two hours with sigtarp. i know you have busy lives. but -- i also know this is a very important matter in your life in both your public service and now in your private sector experience. you know, this is something major for the nation. and i think we need an accurate portrayal what actually happened and why you made the decisions that you made. books have been written about this. they are going to be generation but talk about this excessive amount of government intervention. whether it is justified or unjustified. and the results of the bailout. and i also will submit for the record that currently the gm stock price today is under $21. the ipo is $33 for the

government to break even, for the tax payer to break-even that number had to be $53. so, with that we have had 16 billion in direct losses to the taxpayer based on the bailout of just gm. now, i just want to submit that for the record. i do have other questions, but in the interest of other men first time, we will now recognize mr. -- i'm sorry, mr. quigley for five minutes. afterwards we will recognize mr. ross. mr. quigley. >> thank you mr. reimputed high-yield to mr. cummings. >> thank you. i'm going to try to associate myself with your words and those of mr. quigley and ms. romero. with regard to the necessity and the importance of witnesses cooperating in in these

investigations. and i want to thank the witnesses for being here and for their service and to the country. the former members of the auto task force were part of the obama administration's successful rescue of the american automotive industry. in december, 2008 and an analysis by the economic policy institute projected that the bankruptcy of the u.s. automakers and the collapse of the domestic auto assembly industry could eliminate up to 3.3 million u.s. jobs within the next year and that is a quote. the collapse of general motors alone would lead to an estimated loss of 900,000 jobs. that calamity was averted by the actions of you, our former members of the government, and on the obama administration task force. and you deserve our thanks, and we do appreciate what you've done. today's hearing is not focused on these successes, with why

these three individuals have not yet been interviewed by the special the inspector general for the troubled asset relief program, which is conducting the review of the auto task force's work. and i'm very pleased to know that you all are willing to submit yourself to being interviewed. i recognize that you all are private citizens now and are under no obligation to speak with the inspector general, but we support the inspector general's office and want them to complete their work. as i a understood it, this was the principal reason we were holding today's hearing. however, in preparing for the hearing my staff contacted each of these former officials and all three of them said with a said today, that they are now willing to be interviewed. the chairman has apparently decided to go forward with today's hearing. and that's right. but as the result, we do not have the and benefit of the inspector general's final report, which i actually look forward to.

i think this could have been handled with a less phone call not a hearing but that isn't likely to make. if you were going to proceed, and i know you are, i would ask then you do so in an even-handed basis. there's another issue almost exactly like this one in which an inspector general has comes conducted an interview and has been refused. i would note unlike the present case where there is substantial evidence of the serious abuses as well as on ethical and potentially illegal contact in that case. on the two occasions i've written to the germanize of the findings by the inspector general of the national labor relations board that a former board member receiving pre-decision inside information from another board member. the inspector general warned that mr. schomburg received copies of the draft decisions and other the lubber to information on the pending board actions come and get the inspector general was never able to conduct an interview with

mr. schomburg who was a former employee. it seems to me that the only difference with that case that involved the republicans. mr. schomburg served as a senior advisor and co-chair of the labor policy group to presidential candidate mitt romney when he was engaged in these activities. as i stated from the outset, i strongly support our inspectors general, and i believe our committee should help them when they cannot attain access to information. so, mr. tryon, i would like to ask you now will you support my request for the hearing with mr. schaumburg, who obtained his testimony when he joined me in requesting that the committee call him before us like you called these three gentlemen before us today. and will you commit to conducting operations on the committee on an even-handed basis? >> well, mr. cummings, i want to thank the ranking member. in the beginning of the hearing, i went through a significant

amount of the timeline. i would be happy to look capital that you presented this morning. i recognize that i was not on that exchange. i'm not familiar with the subject matter that you're bringing up, but you know, i trust that the the gentleman has the deep and abiding interest in the government transparency. he's been diligent in a tough but fair ranking member in my dealings with the gentleman having served on his subcommittee in my first term in congress. and i think you for bringing this subject matter of and i would be happy to look at this issue. >> i have another 20 seconds please. >> i would ask unanimous consent that by previous letters on this topic would be entered into the record. we have been asking -- for this since march and i see no difference between these cases other than the gentleman here today at all the great to be interviewed by the inspector general mr. schaumburg and he has not. i want to thank you.

>> fi thank the ranking member for bringing the subject matter drop. ms. romero, to that and have you contacted the committee about the subject matter and this witness? >> towns regards to these three -- >> it's a different ig. sorry, just informed of that. >> well, thank you. mr. cummings. and certainly we will follow-up with you on that. you have my commitment on that. and with that, we will now proceed to mr. ross of florida for five minutes. ..