had his eye

who belongs to the pant ongoing of human kind. >> translator: the brazilian government and people bow down before the memory of nelson

mandela. [speaking in foreign language] >> translator: i would like to address michelle and family members to president zuma and all south africans our deepest feelings of pain and sorrow. >> translator: long live mandela forever! >> thank you very much, president from brazil. the land that will welcome all of us to the world cup. we now call upon our next speaker, who is the vice president, lee chow of china.

vice president lee chow of china. [inaudible conversations] [speaking in foreign language] >> dear members of the man da la family, president assume la, leaders from around the world, ladies and gentlemen, dear friends. [speaking in foreign language]

>> translator: we have traveled from different parts of the world together here today to mourn the passing of nelson mandela, the founding president of the new south africa. here on behalf of the people's republic of china and in the name of the chinese government and people, i wish to express deep condolences and pay high tribute to this towering figure born on the african constant continent who is bright smile we

remember fondly. [speaking in foreign language] >> translator: mr. mandela was the extraordinary founding four of the new south africa, with decades of strenuous efforts he led the people of south africa to victory in the fight against apartheid, making historic contributions to the first of the rainbow nation and laying the foundation for the long-term growth of his country. [speaking in foreign language]

>> translator: mr. mandela was the pride of the african people. he had strived for the liberation of african nation, championes the dignity of the african people, and moved forward africa's cooperation with the world. he dedicated his entire life to the development and progress of africa. [speaking in foreign language]

>> translator: mr. mandela was an old friend of the chinese people and a household name in china as one of the founding fathers of china-south african relations, he committed himself to china and africa cooperation with great passion. the chinese people will always cherish the memory of his important contribution to china-south african friendship and relations. [speaking in foreign language] >> translator: we are deeply saddened by the loss of such a

great friend. at the same time we are heartened to say that the course mr. mandela has started will be carried forward. the south african people have made great achievements in building their nation as a major emerging country, south africa is playing a constructive rolled on the international stage and upholding the interests of developing countries. [speaking in foreign language]

>> translator: may the deceased rest in peace while the living must move on with their life. the best way to remember and commemorate mr. mandela is to advocate his spirit and carry forward his legacy. we believe that under the leadership of president zuma and the government of south africa, the south african people will continue to make big strides forward along the path of national rejuvenation. china is ready to work with south africa, bring benefits to the two countries and two peoples and make positive contribution to the noble cause of world peace and development. >> finally, i'd to say, the great manf

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ mccain ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [speaking in foreign language]

>> we welcome his excellency, president from niger, his excellency, prime minister from lebanon, his excellency, president from south sudan. prime minister and secretary general of the ruling party, mr. francois from rwanda. his excellency president from chad, his excellency president michael fata from zambia. his excellency, president from ireland. his excellency, president

mohammad mazuki from tunisia. his excellency, president from guyana. his excellency, president from haiti. his excellency, prime minister and her royal highness, the prince, ofspain. honorable prime minister from jamaica. his excellency, president from finland. his excellency, president from

senegal. his excellency president fromm ilawi. -- from -- his excellency from france. his excellency prime minister from -- his excellency, president from ghana. his excellency, president from germany. his excellency, president from serbia. prime minister from ethiopia. his excellency, president from

mexico. his excellency, president of the -- his excellency, president from the european parliament. his excellency, president of the republic o slovenia, his excellency president of switzerland, his excellency, from the republic of korea. at this point we would like to call upon our neighbor, president from --

[inaudible conversations] >> your excellency, comrade zuma, the president of the republic of south africa, the mandela family, your excellency -- south africa, the people of the republic of south africa. today we are here as one family. united by a son of the africaon

soil. an icon of antiapartheid. and a towering giant who gave his life to save humanity. because he was selfless. he sacrificed his life for the dignity of others. because he believed in the world of every human being. and because he believed in one united suggest -- south africa, he chose forgiveness over retribution, reconciliation and peace.

yes, madiba was south africa. he was a reliable comrade in arms for -- for this who served with him in the prison, some of whom are here with us today, madiba is here. he was an inspiration for the people of namibia in our struggle for freedom and independence. madiba. what a simple, fundamental human

right, freedom, peace, and justice. not only for the people of south africa, but for humanity as a whole. the most fitting tribute to nelson mandela is to celebrate his life and work for the fulfillment of the ideals he sacrificed for. our brothers and sisters of south africa, we warmly share the common struggle against apartheid. we say, let us stand together in the second phase of this struggle for economic and social

problems for our people, guided by the principles of democracy, equality, and justice. we wish you -- we thank you for sharing this extraordinary human madiba, what a unique and special gift to the world. whose legacy will never be forgotten, and will live forever. may his soul rest.

i thank you. [applause] >> thank you. we continue with our program, and now it's my honor and my pleasure before we call the president of india, can i just remind the people sitting up there that we will wait until you finish. can we keep silent, please? right up there. [speaking in foreign language]

[speaking in foreign language] >> okay. [speaking in foreign language] >> long live the spirit of nelson mandela. long live nelson mandela. long live. we are coming to a close. we can see that the rain is not abating. we are not going to keep everyone here for too long.

because you have been here for quite a while. i ask that you just be patient. we just have three more speakers to speak, and our president is also going to be brief because he knows that you have been here for so long, and we will have the ceremony and the benediction by archbishop desmond tutu and we will be done. so, i ask for your cooperation. let us cooperate. [speaking in foreign language] [speaking in foreign language]

[speaking in foreign language] [speaking in foreign language] [speaking in foreign language] [speaking in foreign language] [speaking in foreign language] >> he was a disciplined leader of our movement, and let us send him off with great discipline. let us demonstrate to ourselves

and all and sundry that we are disciplined. with that, i request let the speakers give their input, and as i said, we have three, president of india, president of cuba, president -- and then we are done. [speaking in foreign language] >> so let us be disciplined. i now call upon the president of india. thank you very much. applause [applause]

[speaking in foreign language] >> distinguished leaders, imminent heads of state, and the world community gathered here. it is a difference that i, on behalf of the government and the people of india, join the south african nation in paying homage -- >> there's a band up there. that band, i know that you are very enthusiastic. i want you to play your music a little later when i call upon

you to play. please put your instruments down. now. [applause] [speaking in foreign language] >> you play wonderful music in a little while. and i know you play good music. please be patient with us. we only have three more speakers, and i know that we are all in celebration mood. we want to celebrate madiba's life, so put the music down, let the president of india continue, please. thank you. >> it is -- on behalf of the government of india and people of india join this south african

nation in paying homage to their beloved madiba. publish former president of south africa. ...

to us nelsonman deli was a tsh [inaudible] -- [inaudible] that inspired all of mankind. he was, and i quote, -- [inaudible] [inaudible] [inaudible]

his life and struggles which presented -- [inaudible] remind us of the principles that of our nation -- [inaudible] [inaudible] nelson man -- mandela -- [inaudible] his -- [inaudible] reminded us in india of the

revolution -- [inaudible] because; therefore, an honor for -- to control -- [inaudible] man to -- mandela -- [inaudible] which means -- india when he visited india in 1990. he received an unprecedented public welcome and was -- [inaudible] in calcutta. in 1995, while visiting india as a first president of africa. mandela visited countries -- [inaudible] that it was -- a homecoming --

[inaudible] ghandi's freedom. he had stated -- [inaudible] in south africa segregation and -- [inaudible] and economic initiative in an independent -- [inaudible] of the same principles that the following --

[inaudible] of free india has -- in our own policy. [inaudible] it is -- [inaudible] in that we in india -- [inaudible] with the people of these great country south africa. which standby you in your -- [inaudible] and we have no doubt that -- [inaudible] [inaudible] the true meaning of forgiveness

and -- [inaudible] and south africa -- [inaudible] thank you, ladies and gentlemen. [cheering and applause] thank you very much, mr. president. we now -- [inaudible] from the island. an island of people who liberated us. who fought for our liberation. the people of cuba. we will now safe speech -- receive a speech from castro, who is now coming to talk to us.

welcome. become speaking in foreign language -- [speaking in foreign language] [inaudible] [speaking in foreign language]

let us sit emotional troibt nelson mandela. the ultimate symbol of dignity and the unwavering -- to revolutionary struggle to freedom and justice. reconciliation. [speaking in spanish]

sorry alongside his struggle. mandela has lead his people in the battle against -- to open the way to south africa and nonracial and united south africa in its quest for happiness, equality, and the

well-being of all of its children. a nation overcoming the consequences of colonialism, slavery, and racial segregation. [speaking in spanish] setting a camp of integrity and perseverance. mandela, later head of the -- reduced inequality, and create opportunities for all. [speaking spanish]

[speaking in spanish] >> mandela has set out an intermountble example to latin america and the caribbeans, which are currently moving toward unity and integration for the benefit of their people. on the basis of respect for diversity and -- [inaudible] that it is only through dialogue and cooperation that discovered can be resolved in a civilized and civilized relationship between those who think differently. [speaking spanish]

[speaking spanish] >> translator: mandela's life teaches us only the concerted effort of all nations will empower humanity to respond to the enormous challenges that today threaten its very existence. [speaking in spanish] [speaking spanish] >> translator: cuba, a country born in the struggle for

independence and for the operation of slavery and whose children have african blood in their veins has have the privilege of fighting and building alongside the african nation. [speaking spanish] [speaking spanish] >> translator: we shall never forget mandela's home imagine to our common struggle when on the occasion of -- to our country on july 26th, 1991, he said, and i quote, the cuban people have a special place in the hearts of the people from africa.

[speaking spanish] [speaking spanish]

>> translator: i remember of this moment his bond of affection with fidel castro, a symbol of relations between africa and cubans. fidel has said, and i quote, nelson mandela will not go down in history for the 27 consecutive years he spent incarcerated. without ever renouncing his ideas. he will go down in history because he was capable of cleaning up his soul from the poison that such an -- punishment would have there. and for his generosity and wisdom, which at the time of victory, allowed him to lead with great talent. he's selfless and heroic,

people, knowing that the new south africa could not be built on hatred and venn -- vengeance. [speaking spanish] >> translator: honor and glory forever to the great nelson mandela and heroic people of south africa. [cheering and applause] [speaking spanish] >> translator: thank you. [cheering and applause] >> thank you, president castro. we thank you for all the reports and the health of the continued -- [inaudible] from the people of cuba during the years of struggle and our

country's continue to be joined at the hip and the area of development in a number of ways and the health of many other areas. we continue to recognize the heads of government that are here. we have his excellence mr. abdul hammed from bangladesh. president -- from kenya is also here. [cheering and applause] his excellent president nicholas from venezuela and also here his excellent sei prime minister from italy is here. [cheering and applause]

his excellency president from pakistan is here. [cheering and applause] his excellency president from australia. his excellency prime minister from norway is here. his excellency president from georgia is here. [cheering and applause] and his excellency acting president from argentina. friends, the president now gives me pleasure to request the president of the republic of south africa. [cheering and applause] to come forward.

[speaking in foreign language] [cheering and applause] [speaking in foreign language] [speaking in foreign language]

[speaking in foreign language] [cheering and applause] [speaking in foreign language] [cheering and applause] [speaking in foreign language]

[speaking in foreign language] [cheering and applause] ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ [cheering and applause] [speaking in foreign language]

[speaking in foreign language] your excellent sei -- [inaudible] the excellency former heads of state in government -- [inaudible] representatives of government. heads of national organization in all regions of the world. your majesty, royal hien escaladed, traditional leaders, religious leaders, the leadership of the amc, and the alliance -- [inaudible] leaders of political organizations abroad. representatives of political

parties activists of the movement. the diplomatic core. imminent persons, friends, of south africa from all over the world. [inaudible] [cheering and applause] [cheering and applause]use] [cheering and applause] [inaudible] [cheering and applause] south africans -- [inaudible] we sin that -- one of a kind.

-- who is the founding president of the -- [inaudible] south africa and also -- [inaudible] the president of the liberation movement and the continent the amc.

everyone has had a mandela moment when world icon touched their life. let us begin -- [inaudible] by thanking all heads of state and government international delegations present here today. we also ebbing tend our deepest gratitude for the messages of condolences that we continue to receive. the mandela family, the south african people, and the african continent as a whole feels

stronger today because we are being supported by millions throughout the world. south africa -- [inaudible] during his time is, of course, for great -- [inaudible]

courageous leaders are able to abandon their concerns for bigger and all -- [inaudible] the extreme come at the huge cost. the freedom fighter who allowed to use the brutality of the opposite state to stand in the way of struggle for the liberation of his people.

being a lawyer, he understood the possible consequences of his actions. but he also knew that no unjust system could last forever. he said that is -- amc -- [inaudible] 19 and i quote, true the struggle will be a bitter one. it will be departed in prison and even shot. the government will terrorize the people and their leaders in an effort to halt the forward march.

[inaudible] it struggle became his life. the -- [inaudible] abandoning "the long walk" to freedom. he became -- he paid dearly for his beliefs and actions through imprisonment

he stated in 189 23eu6, and i quote, -- [inaudible] not because behalf i have done. because what i stood for. because of what i thought, the cause of my conscious, unquote. sentenced to life imprisonment during the trial later in 1974. he never lost his fighting spirit. for 27 years, the south african people spoke about him out of fear. in fact, if they offer state government had its way, they would have been --

[inaudible] from thinking about mandela. a powerful name of nelson mandela left off. he continued to inspire our people every single day from inside -- [inaudible] he demonstrated uniquely. inspite with the enemy. he also negotiated with the release of his his own belief. on the -- [inaudible] 1990 was one of the most remarkable and moving moments in

the world history. the world came to a -- [inaudible] watching this -- walking out to the world he had left behind 27 years before. the emotions and we felt on that day are difficult to express in human language. the downtrodden people who had been dehumanize and made to feel that in the land of -- [inaudible] in their lifetime. south africa needed a leader

like mandela to help us through a difficult decision from app think to free democratic society. -- [inaudible] there are many times that brought our nation back from the brink of catastrophe. in 1993 have found of the occasion when our country faltered in "the long walk" to freedom. to the heart of -- [inaudible]

[inaudible] on the "road to freedom." south africa's first democratic elections were -- [inaudible] because his leadership that he displayed. indeed, there is no one like mandela. he was one of a kind. today an international human rights day we celebrate mandela, the man of peace. today is the 20th anniversary of his being -- awarded the nobel peace prize on the 10th of december, 1993. this freedom fight that the amc

-- [inaudible] of the regime responded to -- [inaudible] to simple demands for the citizenship, human rights and justice. to attain peace. the onset was inevitable. but was a means to an end. but not an end in itself. [inaudible] was also evident in the

continent. people beau -- and democracy today -- [inaudible] [inaudible] an unprecedented number of heads of state and government and imminent person from around the world dissented upon -- [inaudible] to the inauguration as the first president of a free and democratic government. today the whole world is standing still again to pay tribute to this greatest of south africa and africa.

there is no one like him. he was one of a kind. the world -- [inaudible] he declared, as follows, during the trial in 1954, and i quote, it did not change that policy. end quote. that is promotion of nonracial and reconciliation during his tenure as president of the

republic. [inaudible] speaking at the -- of the new constitution on the since 1996 he had a vision of the -- [inaudible] and i quote, let us give [inaudible] to the injustices of the past. by building a future base unequality and social justice. let us -- [inaudible] our national unity by recognizing with respect and joy the languages cultural and the region of south africa.

for one another view -- create the peaceful conditions which gives peace for the -- [inaudible] and to flourish. above all, let us work together -- to banish homelessness, illiteracy, hunger, and disease. unquote. [inaudible] magnitude of challenges facing south africa in mind. he said about uniting the nation. -- [inaudible] the anger and frustrations of both -- [inaudible] and the oppressed. and reminded humanity that --

[inaudible] he managed both the fear of the minority and the highest expectations and impatience of the majority. he told us, the promises of democracy would not be met overnight. and -- [inaudible] of the few would not be allowed to delay the new one freedom. we all agreed with him. to speak his mind when necessary to do so. how the world may be to

recipients. many -- [inaudible] some of whom are present here. arising power of sports to conquer prejudice former president mandela embrace south africa 1995 world cup ambitions. donning the -- [inaudible] at the time when it was majorrallized by the majority of the population. this would be of his presidency. our 14 -- [inaudible] would brick each time --

[inaudible] he knew reconciliation without transformation and reconstruction would be meaningless. and there is -- [inaudible] the new democratic elected government focus on a historic injustices and created new institutions to facilitate the burden of a democratic society based on the principles of nonracialism and non-- [inaudible] . .

laid the foundation for a better life for all which was the rise of his presidency. he also laid the foundation for our country's now successful fight against one of the greatest of our time. still in office and during his

retirement. the global campaign gave birth to the mandela day, global cause , mobilizing people to spend at least the @booktv minutes helping those in need. in november 2005 the united nations general assembly declared the 18th of july as nelson mandela international bank. each year on the 18th of july in the world comes together to celebrate mandela day, recognizing the selfless

sacrifice. it indeed one-of-a-kind. [inaudible conversations] [speaking in native tongue] [speaking in native tongue] [speaking in native tongue] [speaking in native tongue] [speaking in native tongue] [speaking in native tongue] [speaking in native tongue]

[speaking in native tongue] [speaking in native tongue] [speaking in native tongue] [speaking in native tongue] [speaking in native tongue] [speaking in native tongue] [speaking in native tongue] [speaking in native tongue] [speaking in native tongue] [speaking in native tongue] [speaking in native tongue]

[speaking in native tongue] >> compatriots and friends, we remember that he believed in collective leaders and that he never wanted to be viewed as a messiah or a saint. he emphasized that all his achievements or derived from working with the anc collective from home, in his own words, the men and women who were more capable than he was. that is the south africa that you see today, a reflection of a

much eva and many others like him who sacrificed their lives for a free nation. with that, remain truly grateful to his peers. [speaking in native tongue] >> and countless others who left an indelible mark in history. compatriots and france, today he is no more. he leaves behind a nation that loves him dearly. he lives the continent's that is truly proud to call him an african. he leaves of people of the world

who embrace them as their own icon. most importantly, he leaves behind a deeply entrenched legacy of freedom, human rights, and democracy in our country. in his honor, we commit ourselves to continue building a nation based on the democratic values of human dignity, equality, and freedom. united we will continue working to build a nation free of poverty, hunger, homelessness, and inequality. as the african continent who led

by the african union, we will continue working to foresee its desire to a better africa and a more just, peaceful, and. [indiscernible] world. tomorrow our people will accompany the team of on his last journey to this seat of government where it his body will lie in state for three days i have the honor today to announce that the union where he was inaugurated as president in 1994 and where his body will lie in state will, with effect, come

today because, ben nelson mandela and the theater. [applause] this is a fitting tribute to a man who transformed the union prison from a symbol of racism and repression to one of peace, unity, democracy, and progress. compatriots, comrades, france, we extend yet again our deepest condolences. and the children, the children, the grandchildren, the

great-grandchildren and and the entire extended family. [speaking in native tongue] our father has run a good race. declared in his own words in 1994, he said, and i will, that is something inevitable. when the man has done what is considered to be his duty to is people in this country he can rest in peace. i believe i have made such efforts, and that is, therefore, why i would sleep for eternity.

[speaking in native tongue] [speaking in native tongue] >> thank you very much. >> it is a rare constant in american political life, to look at congress in 1901, less than 2% of members came from working-class backgrounds. got into politics and then eventually wound up in congress. flash forward to the present day. the average member of congress been less than 2 percent of their career doing manual labor jobs, service industry jobs.

and so this is one thing that really has not changed, you know. lots of this brunt -- different aspects of the political prospects, broadcast television, cable news, big money in politics, the decline of unions. while all of this is happening one of the constant stirring that, during the last hundred years are some, working class people are not getting elected to political office. >> does it matter that there is a socioeconomic disparity between most elected officials and mrs. is their present? nicholas card looks at the white collar government, then added 9:00. and in january, in depth with radio talk-show host. he will take your questions for three hours beginning in noon eastern sunday january 5th. all part of book tv weekend on c-span2. and on line for december's book tv, we want to know what your favorite book is.

throughout the month join other readers to discuss the notable books published this year. gutted booktv.org and click on book club to enter the chat room. >> in testimony before the senate foreign relations committee secretary of state john kerry today urged congress not to pass additional sanctions on iraq over its nuclear program here is some of what he said. >> we are asking you to give our negotiators and our experts the time and space to do their jobs. that includes asking you, while we negotiate, that you hold off imposing new sanctions. i am not saying never. i just told you a few minutes ago, if this does not work, we are coming back and asking you for more. i am just saying, not right now. let me be very clear. this is a delicate diplomatic moment.

we have a chance to address peacefully one of the most pressing national security concerns of the world faces today with gigantic implications of the potential of conflict. we are at a crossroads, we are at one of those really in sports in history. one path could lead to an enduring resolution in international community's concerns about the iranian nuclear program. the other path could lead to continued hostility and potentially to conflict. i don't have to tell you that these are high stakes. we have an obligation to give these negotiations and opportunities exceed, and we cannot ask the rest of the -- plus one and our partners around the world to all the parents of the bargain if the united states is not going to uphold its and of the bargain. if we appear to be going off on our own tangent and do whatever we wanted, we will potentially

lose there support for the sanctions themselves because we don't just and force them by ourselves. we need their help, and i don't want to threaten the unity that we currently have with respect to this approach, particularly when it does not cost us a thing to go through this process knowing that we could put sanctions in place additionally in one week and be there with you seeking to do it. >> in of the moments president obama's nominee to lead the internal revenue service testifies on capitol hill. in a half-hour to my hearing on the work being done to finalize a long-term security agreement in afghanistan before the end of the year. and after that, we will react to this memorial service for the late nelson mandela, the former president of south africa. >> several live events to tell you about tomorrow.

health and human services secretary on the house side of the capital to testify about the implementation of the health care law. that is at 10:00 a.m. eastern here on c-span2. you can join in a conversation during the event. on a c-span2 three at 9:00 p.m. eastern the senate finance committee continues its confirmation hearing of the new head of the internal revenue service. also on c-span2 three at 2:00 p.m. eastern the senate judiciary committee will look into the activities of surveillance agencies. witnesses are scheduled to include in as a director general keith alexander and deputy attorney general james cole. and we will continue to take your comments. >> president obama's nominee to lead the internal revenue service said today he would work to restore public trust and the

irs and fully cooperate with congress. testifying before the senate finance committee in a hearing that was later suspended due to a procedural delay by senate republicans. this is a half-hour. >> the famed journalists once wrote, you can develop good judgment as you do the muscles of your body by judicious daily exercise. that is a valuable lesson for anyone, especially one who serves the government. in the wake of charges of the political party it is valuable to those of the irs. with us today the amount president's nominee to be the commissioner. if confirmed they will face many challenges. the irs plays an important role in tax reform, a key to the four will correct, for example.

perhaps most importantly he must win back the american people's trust. that means undoing the damage done by the inspector general's report from the handling of 501c4 applications. the american people were willing to pay their taxes. the understand it is their civic duty. but then there are charges of political bias which makes everyone feel. [indiscernible] this committee is in the midst of a bipartisan investigation of those charges. in the meantime the heiress is to do his job in a fair and even-handed manner. the acting commissioner is deserving of credit for his steady management. and last month the administration proposed clear, new standards for the treatment of tax-exempt social welfare organizations. that was a positive step, but there is more work to be done. we need to install new safeguards to ensure the mistakes don't happen again.

we need to win back the public's trust which will not happen overnight. it will take time. judicious daily exercise of good judgment. i believe he will exercise that judgment. it won't be easy. the irs must be an active partner in tax reform. this committee is hard to work fixing the nation's tax code, and as we develop ideas many the ira's. unless the irs can implement and manage as intended which is why corrective communication between the irs in this committee is so critical. last month my office released three staff discussions. the first was focused on modernizing our international tax system. a second on improving tax administration in making filing safe here, he's your. the third focused on making it neutral for american businesses.

now we are gathering feedback on the proposals from sticklers for the public and for businesses, the work will continue. we will need the irs and but. the irs must also continue to play its part in implementing the affordable care act, helping individuals, families, businesses, pay for health insurance. according to the independent kaiser family foundation 17 million people qualify for assistance. that is supposed to be ready to handle in by all accounts preparations are on track. any history of succeeding in demanding roles. at freddie mac at the helm of the district of columbia financial turnaround in early 2000, as a turnaround artist in the private sector and even as leader of the team that addressed yankee's concerns. he is the right person to take on this challenge.

as violence season -- filing season approaches the ira's be a leader in place. before this year the longest any nominee for is commissioner had waited before confirmation was 100 days. nominated 132 days ago. with your knowledge, experience, and expertise i imagine you are highly sought after by many employers in the private sector and instead yet chosen to continue a career in public service. for that we thank you for accepting the nomination to this position. the irs commissioner may not be the most glamorous job, but it is certainly one of great importance. again, the acting commissioner poem deserves credit for taking on a very tough job. i believe he has performed very well.

to the irs needs a new commissioner. i hope we can approve this nomination quickly and ticket to the full senate for a vote. it is time we get this done. >> thank you, mr. chairman. today we are here to discuss the future of the internal revenue service in your testimony from president obama is nominee to head the agency. i don't think that i have to tell you that if you were confirmed, and i expect you to be, you will have a difficult job ahead of you. the irs is one of the most powerful agencies and our government. consequently it is both feared and loathed by millions of americans. that being the case, and it is vital that the ira's maintain credibility. the american people should be able to trust that the irs will enforce our nation's tax laws without bias or prejudice. any hint of impropriety on the

part of the irs or its leaders damages its credibility. unfortunately over last two years, the credibility of the irs has been eroded through actions taken by the irs itself that the agency heads in large part lost the trust of the american people. as proof one needs to look no further than the ira's political targeting scandal currently under the investigation of this committee. when the scandal was revealed, president obama's said, i have no patients with it. i will not tolerate it, and we will make sure that we find out exactly what happened on this. senate majority leader harry reid expressed similar views on the set for stating, i have full confidence in the ability of senator baucus and the finance committee to get to the bottom of this matter and to recommend appropriate action. i share above president obama's desire to find out exactly what happened and leader reed's view of the finance committee investigation abilities.

if there is one thing we should all be able to agree on it is that the irs should enforce the tax laws as written by congress without consideration of political views. that being the case, i hope all of the proceeding with this nomination to the finance committee's bipartisan investigation has concluded. the confirmation of an irs commissioner should not and must not be a partisan issue. like i said, with an agency this powerful, the should have the confidence of members of both parties. i had hoped that the next image there would begin his time with the benefit of the findings of our investigation so that he would be in a better position to fix the problems that we have uncovered and to move the agency forward with strong bipartisan support. the chairman has chosen to go a different direction which is, of course to his right. my hope is that this will not impede our efforts. also, would like to personally pay tribute.

at think he took over a very tough situation and has handled himself with great skill and dignity and integrity in my opinion. he has worked closely with us in trying to get to the bottom of some of these problems. i hope that today you will commit to continuing the cooperation the committee has enjoyed thus far and that you encourage others to do the same. as far as i am concerned, the top priority for the next virus commissioner should be to restore the agency's damaged credibility. with the american people and their trust with the actions taken by the ira's the apparent impartial, toward that end is essential that we continue to receive full and open cooperation. there are many other issues that next leader of the virus will have to address. the irs significant role in implementation of obamacare.

if what we have seen thus far is any indication, this will be a difficult proposition both in terms of operation and enforcement. last week the treasury inspector general for tax administration issued a report that found that the irs has an inadequate system in place for preventing fraudulent affordable care act premium subsidy payments from occurring and that the people's personal information would be at risk. insurers and others have raised questions about the income verification for the premium subsidies. i have also raised a concern a number of occasions. similar tax subsidy programs including the earned income tax credit at improper payment right to size 25% and we expect the same for the obamacare premium subsidies. these are just a few of the many potential issues the iras will be facing as implementation continues. on top of that, there are proposed regulations addressing the critical activities of

tax-exempt organizations. these proposals have been controversial for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the widespread doubt as to whether the irs is able to perform its duties in an independent, non-partisan fashion. no, i of to get a sense of your views on these and other issues during the course of today's hearing. let us said, the irs is an agency rife with problems, most of which are the matt least in my opinion, and the opinion of many people self-inflicted. if confirmed by hope we can be working jointly with congress and members of both parties to fix these problems. i believe he will make a great irs commissioner. i intend to support you. thank you. >> thank you.

and very impressed with how frequently he has called giving as updates on what he is doing before items make it to press. a terrific acting commissioner, and thank you for praising him. joining us today, nominated to be the commissioner. thank you for coming. i ask you at this time to introduce your family. >> thank you. i am delighted that my wife immediately behind me, my daughter of planning on coming before the closed schools. at home with her two young children. i am also joined by my son and his wife live in los angeles. is an lawsuit are now part of our extended families in annapolis. they call the regretted that they could not join us, but there's gun -- sun and his

fiancee are with us along with a longtime friend of mine who started out when i started my career in government service working on the commission staff a long time ago came today to join us with his friend. that is my support staff. i tell them they cannot use their noisemakers until later. >> wonderful. what do you all stand. all of you. thank you for joining us. [applause] okay. go ahead. it is time for you to tell us why you want this job. >> thank you. chairman baucus, ranking member hatch, members of the committee. i am honored to appear before you as the nominee to be the next commissioner of the internal revenue service. with your permission i will summarize my prepared statement and submit the full statement for the record. this past may when i was asked whether i was willing to serve as the next commissioner, i

agree because i believe the successful operation of the internal revenue service is vital to this country. the activities of the irs touched virtually every american the agency collects over to a half trillion dollars per year, or 90 percent of the revenues collected by the government. this is a challenging time for the agency. of course as already mentioned on top of that all on the management problems that have shaken public trust in the agency. a longstanding commitment to public service and most of my career has been spent helping large organizations in both public and private sectors respond to significant financial and management challenges. if confirmed by look for deleting the irs as commissioner and to working with this committee to deal with the range of challenges. in our meetings as part of this confirmation process many of you asked what my plan for the agency is if confirmed as commissioner. while i still have a lot to

learn and thousands of employees yet to meet and listen to, it is clear that the responsibility of the commissioner is to make sure that the agency fairly, efficiently, and effectively collect taxes owed by every business and individual, the agency provides taxpayer services in the form of easily understandable information and prompt answers to questions to make it as simple as possible for people and firms to pay their taxes and that the agency creates a working environment that allows employees to reach their full potential and generates an enthusiastic and energetic, and high performing work force. in every area of the irs taxpayers need to be confident that they will be treated fairly , no matter what their background or affiliations. the public trust is the irs most important and valuable asset. there are immediate challenges in each of these areas, to protect government revenues the to siesta continued to increase its efforts to combat refund fraud.

taxpayer services need to be improved, particularly in the areas of tax-exempt organization buys and operations. there are several ongoing investigations into the valleys encountered by many seeking to establish themselves as 501c for social welfare organizations, and i look forward, if confirmed, to working with this committee as it concludes its investigation of that mattered. senator hatch has asked, and i am more than delighted to commit, if confirmed as commissioner, we will continue to get work at acting commissioner has done in this area and cooperate fully with the committee and its members as it seeks to bring this investigation to a close providing you of the intimation that you need. the irs is to continue its successful implementation of the affordable care act to its responsibilities at the front end of the process have been effectively implemented takes too long planning in this mood i t implementation. in the commission needs to

address employee morale. my experience is the people in an organization you know most about what is going on other front-line employees. the next commissioner needs to make sure those employees understand that they are seen as part of the solution, not part of the problem. fortunate to have an experienced work force committed to the mission of the agency. we need to provide them with the systems and turning to support them in their work. we have to listen not just to employers, but others will most likely to know about the challenges the agency faces everyday government manages best friend in the the inspector general and the government accountability office. they don't create the problems. they just up you know about them before they. in addition, the irs benefits from the implementation and perspective generated by the office of taxpayer advocate and those above our office. another important source of affirmation is congressional inquiries. in individual complaint or

question may be simply anecdotal . a series of them from various areas as a source for valuable information that needs to be pursued. to make all this happen and to protect your revenues coming into the government we need to solve the funding problem facing the irs. this is a view shared today by the irs oversight board, the taxpayer advocate, and most recently the treasury chirrup to buy treasury inspector general for texas ministration and the internal revenue service advisory council. as the inspector general report earlier this fall noted the government has a billion dollars in cuts on an annual basis and lost $8 billion in compliance revenues. even with all the challenges the irs faces or in fact because of them i am excited about the opportunity to work with the employees of the agency as the irs moves forward into the future. the irs has a long and honored tradition of service to this country and is filled with a great number of public servants to take pride in their work to

help the irs achieve its mission with integrity and fairness to all. i appreciate the time each of you has been with me individually sharing your interests and concerns. if confirmed a look for to working with you and your staffs to help make the irs the most effective, well-run, and admired agency in government. thank you. >> thank you. standard questions that are asked of all nominees. is there anything that you are aware of that might present a conflict of interest? >> there is not. >> do you know of any reason, personal or otherwise that would in any way prevent you from philly and honorably discharged there's possibilities of the office to which you have been nominated? >> no. >> to the you agree with our reservation to respond to any reasonable summons to appear and testify before any duly committee of congress? >> i do. >> you agreed to provide a prompt response in writing? >> yes.

>> thank you. at last it was added fairly recently because we have had problems. thank you very much. i just want to start out by asking, i apologize. there is a vote going on now. we have a few minutes left. we will recess regrettably we have to -- we might after recess for up to a half-hour. there are two votes. we will take those two votes and come back as quickly as possible the committee will stand in recess for one half-hour. >> if you could very briefly say a few words. >> freddie mac or d.c. our

yankee's. what lessons did you learned you can bring to this job? >> well, as i said in my opening comments, the first thing you need to do, especially running a very large organization is to create a system more information flows freely, both from the front line workers up to the people at the top of the organization, but, again, across silos that inevitably get creative organization because you need to know as quickly as you can what is actually going on with the organization. you also need to involve people within the organization as well as externally in discussions about what the problems are and what the solutions are because my experience has always been her group of people dressing a problem will always, but the better solution than any single member of that group, no matter how smart they think they are or how smart they might actually be it is important to get as many different perspectives on a possible solution as you can.

also, the more people you involved in the decisionmaking process easier it is to execute the decision. to the extent they were involved in this and the reasoning behind it and we're gonna make it happen. so when an organization as large you need to have consisted messaging and you need to ensure that people are participating. and i have found that it energizes people if you spend your life simply being told what to do and no one ever asks you what your view ways you have one response. if you are regularly asked that only what you think the problems and potential solutions are, you are much more enthusiastic about job participation in the day-to-day operations of the organization. >> do you ever see the sunday new york times business section, corner office page, lessons that

ceos and other managers have learned. by chance have you ever bless that any of those? >> i have not had the opportunity. >> i urge you. thank you very much for that answer. >> let me just ask you this one question. as you know, the chairman and i have been conducting a joint bipartisan investigation. if confirmed, will you ensure that we will "-- you will cooperate by continuing to produce all documents we deem relevant and making any irs employees we want that interview available for interviews. >> senator, as you and i have talked personally i am delighted to make that commitment. as both of you said, he has done an excellent job mandela for to continuing his working relationship. >> i would like to talk for a

moment about the scandal. in my opinion the greatest single challenge is its need to recover the trust of the american people. it is not possible to overstate the amount of damage the virus has done to its reputation by selectively targeting politically conservative tax-exempt social welfare groups for arrested during the last elections. staying focused on cleaning up the mess caused by a scandal and waiting until this committee completes its bipartisan investigation, last month the irs proposed social welfare groups. the political activity rules for tax-exempt 501c4 organizations also applied to up 501c5 marines and 501c6 trade organizations. now the treasury inspector general said in a report issued

last may, all three groups may engage in limited political it campaign activities as long as it is not the primary activity of reorganization. i know that the irs asked for comments from the public on whether to apply the new regulations to unions but the regulations drafted only apply to 501c4. strong evidence that the irs intends to hammer social welfare groups and in the end the unions will slide by. will you commit to this committee that if confirmed you will ensure that any political activity regulation will apply equally? >> it is an important question. the irs and treasuries have issued for comment and suggestion draft regulations. i think it is important for us to get active participation in that kind because there are a wide range of organizations, and one of the specific questions,

the regulation s for people to comment on just this issue. that is what the definition of acceptable and unacceptable political activity ought to be and to which organizations should apply, the other organizations are not. it also asks for comment on the amount of activity that can be allowed before you run the risk of losing your exemption. overall my sense is that while we need and i hope will come out of that coming time in the final regulations is clarity for our organizations making applications above what the permissible level of political activity is and what the definition of that political activity is because the clarity is important that only when people make their applications but greater clarity is needed when they review those applications, and then people running the organizations in the future need to know what the rules are so that they can be comfortable that they are operating within the men are not exceeding whether the limitations are. part of the problem in the past

and the definition of what is allowable for political like to be has not been clear, nor has it been clear what the amount that is acceptable of that activity before you run the risk of losing your exemption. i think the question you raise is an important and i will commit that i will actively participate in the review of the comments that command and try to make sure, as we said earlier, that people view the irs and its regulations and the applications as fair, you are not discriminated against because of either your background confused or affiliations. >> thank you. i think we are going to have to wrap it up for the day. >> thank you. i regret that because of the votes we are unable to have a complete hearing at this point. second, on the other side of the aisle, they have objected, as is there right to offer this committee to me two hours after

the senate convened. at two hours expires at noon today. irritable to have the hearing after into it. we will reconvene at the earliest possible time given the complexities and the special rules of the senate's. and i again, regret. we will resume the hearing and an appropriate time. i cannot resume the hearing at this next up because the republican party has said, which is there right, that the senate hearings cannot continue to hours after the senate in this in session. recess. but back. >> the finance committee hearing for iras commissioner recessed after senate republicans invoke to rule to limit how long a committee can meet. the news came after a vote on

the senate floor reaffirming recent changes to the filibuster rule. the finance committee will continue the confirmation hearing on wednesday. that house subcommittee held a hearing tuesday looking at the state of online gaming in a bill to regulate internet poker. witnesses to testify about the pros and cons of expanding online gaming included the president and ceo of the american gaming association. >> thank you, congressman, madam ranking member. it is an honor for me. this is my first time testified before congress. a unique opportunity did testify between two hometown congressman and the senior vice president

for loss vegas and score cover it. the largest by market cap. three simple points we would like congress to restore the wire act and implore congress to shut down the legal gaming says they're out there today. a lot of people say it can't begun. congress did it by shutting down 1200 online pharmacies. it can be done. it needs to be done. the thought of every single one of these becoming a casino should concern everyone of you. an opportunity to spend three or $4 billion, creating tens of thousands of jobs and not a casino center can tell the. can you de 2000, 100? you have to figure out how you