committed to this issue going back years we served the judiciary committee and you heard earlier from bob goodlatte as the cochair to the caucus to the house and senate on these issues. he's entirely since then on the zephyrs. when we saw the changes that occurred from our relationship on the code is an there are a lot of people who contributed to that. no one, absolutely no one made as much as a difference in the outcome of that negotiation than the vice president of the united states. today the fact as i mentioned a moment ago some 15 screens being built today in china consume a greater and greater quantities of content. the ability now for coproductions without any quotas and of course the reason from 20 to 34 as well as box office receipts in no small measure as a result of the efforts of the vice president and this means

that the leadership of china at the time. we have someone who really does get this, understand and has dedicated a good part of his public life to it. for those reasons we are deeply honored that he is here with us today. i point out to people that both of us plus the senate roughly the same time. one of us got involved in the enterprise is where cost overruns outrageous personal behaviors are precise egos. i in turn went to hollywood. [laughter] would you give a warm welcome to the president of the united states, mike or a friend joe biden. [applause] >> hey, everybody, how are you? [applause] >> well, it is their there've been rumors all those years in prison i said in the senate although his chairman he controlled me. we just have given new life to those rumors because i was

physically a few minutes ago in a room for an hour and a half, a room called the oval office with chance or merkel and president talking about the number of things he finally turned to trade and i had to stand up and say, mr. president, i have to go over and talk about trade with chris dodd and his group. angela merkel looked at me like what is he talking about? [laughter] so there is no question that we've got the right guy with the red influence. look, i'm going escaped introductions because i am supposed to go back and have lunch -- a working lunch with chancellor merkel. but i want you to know that it is not for lack of interest and i wish i could stay longer after a speak. ladies and gentlemen, last summer i was going from india to

japan and i stopped in singapore to me with people they referred to the henry kissinger of the far east. a fellow a lot of enormously kwong you, the wife has had the most foreign policy expert to know. almost every world leader had thought his opinion. i met in -- he was kind enough to meet in a film because he has been spoken a great deal about the great future of india, china, russia and the united states. i sat with him. he is 97 years old now. you somewhat trail, but he still has an incredibly crisp and sharp mind. in the middle of our discussion itinerants in an asset to you, mr. president, what is china doing now?

been meaning to what is thought process going on? i know president she because that's had more time with him than any other leader i believe anything she acknowledges and i was trying to figure out, where is china likely to go? he looked at me. he said china is in the united states, looking for that. blackbox. this is literally what he said, looking forward to. black rocks. i looked at him and i said i beg your pardon. he speaks perfect english. he looked at me and said in looking for the box that contains the secret that allows america to be the only country in the world that is constantly able to renew it both in remake is love, to continue to lead the world. i said to him, presumptuous of me i said mr. president, i notice that not lockbox.

one is an overwhelming constant stream of immigration that not only has nevers teased, that comes in waves, generating from other parts of the world the most adventurous son, the most courageous people in the world. it takes a lot to pick up from what all you know and say i am going to leave, go to a place i don't know, go to a country that may not want me and have the courage to do it. i said there is a second thing and not blackbox. stamped in the dna of every american, naturalize or nativeborn is from the beginning, from the time they are kid, they are taught to not give much reverence to orthodoxy. as a matter of fact, they are encouraged to challenge orthodox tea, even as bad as some of the rate down with an 80% graduation

rate, which is a different issue thanks to a lot of help from some of you. but even in the schools that are tough, you can never hear -- you never hear of a child being chastised in an american school for challenging orthodoxy. because we know the only thing that allows change to occur is to break the mold that went before. and it is a little bit like that famous and at this steve jobs gave when asked if the inferred, what do i have to do to be more like you, mr. jobs? in his response was to words. you won't notice. think different. think different. and i am not sure there's any other country in the world, any other country on earth that promote and teaches and just in this culture has such a man of think different.

don't be afraid. the challenge. challenge the orthodoxy. as a result of that, more than any company in the world, america is hardwired from a hardware through innovation. it is what is enabled to give us the world changing ideas from a cotton gin to microsoft is what made hollywood the world storyteller. it is the reason i remain, and i mean this sincerely. i remain so optimistic about the future. i got here when i see 29-year-old kid in a supposedly are not to miss. i'm the oldest guy in the administration and i'm referred to as the white house up to miss. well, i am. i am. it is in large part because of all of you. because the 21st century -- in the 21st century the nation is found in the creative mind of its people. the notion of creativity and

innovation as a tool for social and economic advancement is not just an american idea. it's universal goal, but not that very many places. i see people as they travel the world about 900,000 miles just since being vice president and weekly or more than nine in the previous years engaged in the foreign policies. i see people everywhere reaching out and every single country, i see them reaching out to see how do they do what we do? weary creativity and innovation are expressed in reworded, although societies where that happens, they thrive. businesses flores. people find kurtz to embrace the kind of reform and change that is needed. this is not hyperbole. freedom and press.

instability may not always take root, but it is the places where he tends to take root. that is good for america. it grows the links of trading partners and friends in there can never be too many of those. so the question is, how do we create a global economic order that favors creativity and innovation? everywhere. that is what i want to talk to you about today. of course, each society is different and some are fundamentally different about that there is a certain common ingredient that make up success. basic liberties, so citizens can think and speak freely and journalists can tell people the truth and even tell people what is not the truth. fair economic competition, a willingness to draw on a societies fault tolerance, including women and immigrants. courts that adjudicate disputes

fairly and there is a recognition that they do. a system for intellectual property is protected because in the absence of that protection, it will not be created. america's experience teaches that fostering innovation is not just about crafting the right economic policy were developing the best educational curriculum. it is about establishing a forcefully protecting a climate in which it can flourish. america has been in the i.t. business for a long, long time. our founders like ben franklin and writers and inventors themselves like thomas jefferson it is no surprise that protection of intellectual property is enshrined in the u.s. can't duchenne and has remain a priority for america ever since. both at home and abroad. around the world.

today, the face of piracy in your industry is changing. it used to be a man not too many are supposed to be in the movie theater with a camcorder, trying to go unnoticed inconspicuously and my camcorder is about the size of a golf bag, recording the movies. that they are going to pirate. the cameras are obviously smaller today, two remarkable extent, this practice continues. but now the face of piracy itself though the computer server in a fire of country comes to an illegal version of a hollywood that he descended around the world with the click of a mouse and rob you, steal from you what is yours. the technologies evolve and so much our loss, including international. to deal in a way that is tough

and smart as well as persistent with those who engage in large-scale selling of illegal, copyrighted, infringing on movies and music, the mega upload website enabling mass theft in the same way was 30 around the books to do offline on the books for offline illegal copying and distribute chin. you know, i said meet with world leaders, i make this point emphatically because one of the things, no matter if i'm in ukraine are wary enough latecomer part of the issue that still is one of the major elements of our foreign policy is the significant change in promotion of trade, rules for the 21st century because the 21st century rules are somewhat obsolete. in taking someone's intellectual

property is theft, plain and simple. that's not only from the individual creator in the company, the fat from the united states gross national product because billions of dollars and tens of thousands of american jobs has profound negative effect on our economy. i also point out to these leaders come until they clamped down on copyright infringement, stealing our business trade secrets, using our intellectual -- using unlicensed software, those nations remains second-rate powers, i'm able to that environment that generates homegrown innovation. because intellectual property is not just for big america, big america corporation, the software at designer in silicon valley for the techie in tanzania, the medical researcher

in poland. the indian filmmaker doesn't want his money selling on this treat for 5 cents 10 minutes after he produces it. that is one of the reasons why the rest of the world has not generated the kind of creativity that all great nations need. ladies and gentlemen, what is that daycare is a lot more than just the value of ideas. it literally as the care of her of the countries involved in this mess. how can a nation saith the law abiding nation when your government interpeak role still the most valuable ideas from our country? they never steal a shipment of 1000 automobiles pouring into a port for sale in the country.

what the heck is the difference? no, really, what they are stealing can be even much more valuable than the commodities reship. but it goes beyond intellectual property. that is just one of the several issues we have to resolve in terms of what kinds to two a legitimate international trade regime. the world has changed. chris used to always tell me isolate irishmen in the senate after teddy use sourcesafe wired there was quoting irish poet? well, i quote them because they are simply the best poets in the world and yeates had a line as miniature remember. in the poem he wrote easter wrote easter sunday nesting about the first arrives in the 20th century. a line that is more applicable to the worldview of face today than it was to ireland in the 1960s.

he said all is changed, changed utterly. the terrible beauty has been born. all has changed. we are a truly global economy and we have to do what we did at the end of world war ii, our grandfathers did and update the rules of the road for this area of globalization and trade. that is why we have been aggressive imposing major trade agreements. not only to generate growth and prosperity, but to strengthen the global trading system and enhance our foreign policy. the choices the countries make in the next few years will shape the character of the global system for competition for decades to come a lot is at stake for you. allow to set date for america.

the rest of the world is not standing still. president obama and i are not going to sit by and let the outcome of the new system he determined by others. that is where we are currently negotiating to major trade agreements. the first is a transpacific partnership which would connect -- connect us to the economies of in the western hemisphere and in the pacific reason, including japan, malaysia, peru, that is what the president is doing it fanciness strip to asia. the second is the trans-atlantic trade partnership is only washington referred to. together they would use two thirds of the world's economy and open and fair competition.

very competition that generates innovation and intellectual property. and the benefits for america and particularly the middle class would be significant. 44 million americans work for companies that export hundreds of thousands more will be working for it if they didn't still your property. job supported by exports pay as much as 18% higher wages than the national average. and we shouldn't be afraid of this competition. you stand into our dna. the field is even remote lee we will succeed, will succeed. ladies and gentlemen, we've learned a lot over the last 20 years about trade agreement and the truly globalized and innovative economy. things we did before, we are not

willing to do any longer. we are negotiating differently, reflecting what we have learned. we have learned of the agreement do not include labor standards that promotes labor that are inhumane and the countries that engage in it and undercut our businesses at home as well. we learned that if agreement do not include environmental standards it damages the health of the people in the country that is competing with us in a process at a competitive disadvantage because we do protect the environment in the production of our products. resign if an agreement to is that the standards protect intellectual property, other countries often make no effort to protect it. and it hurt this badly and does not provide the environment which they can create their own -- their own intellectual gross. we learn by state owned

enterprises for superman the same terms as private companies from other countries will pick favorites into the detriment of their own small businesses as well as considerably damage american companies. so we make no apologies for insisting on the change standards between nafta and now. fair labor standards, well-defined environmental standards. protections of intellectual property. it amazes me how many people run the country don't realize that is a multibillion-dollar issue. most people have no sense of it. and new disciplines regarding state owned enterprises. the enterprises in the 21st century trade agreement that america will sign if they are included. we are also at really working through the world trade organization and the discourse to promote and enforce the rules that i discussed that are in

place now. it was in that spirit that i sat down with then vice president she los angeles at a luncheon in 2012 when he talked about how you're going to have more fair trade. i said it is really easy. all you have to do is to be found. you think i am being facetious, i am not. literally he said the bureaucrat or a sleep in china now. and i said, mr. vice president commute considerably more power to make up your bureaucrats than i do. and guess what? system if you were there, literally by the end of that lunch we had a handshake. it wasn't massive, but it did grow access for american films. it did impact your bottom line. the point i am racing and making us the proof is things can be done if the will exists and if

we are distinct enough. the next year the number of blocked bester foreign films showing in china is increased by over half an our share of the box office revenues doubled. keep me in mind for chris's assistant later. access for independent films has increased as well. not all that we need, but obviously this is just a start, and implementation of further progress that are going to be essential. it is all tied into the mindset about where we are relative to trade -- international trade agreement. rest assured with your help, we are keeping at it. let me close with this thought. the stakes are a lot more than economic for you and for the

country. the people in your industry understand about as well as anyone here and i'm not just talking about entertainment industry. i'm talking about all of the creative elements of the society. the face that the face of america isn't the diplomat or soldier or president or vice president who shows up another country. it's our businesses. it is our culture. speaking of the movie industry, your movies speak directly to more people by a longshot than every single diplomat and every single elected official in the united dates of america ever occurred. you provide a glimpse for the rest of the world and the culture, the attitudes, the values of the american people not always good.

it is sometimes a rock rendition of who we are. but there is a profound difference when people in nondemocratic countries see the technological animation "avatar," gravity, the fundamental decency of the american people in movies like silver lining playbook. the moral force of films tickling can for the old films like "to kill a mockingbird." like it or not, a lot of the musicians come latecomer writers, business people and students, you are the face of american culture to the rest of the world. that's a pretty awesome responsibility and i'm not here to lecture you about any team. but i am here to say it is the responsibility together to create a global economic order where creativity and innovation can thrive because if we do, we

will leave our children not just is stronger, more prosperous america, but a brighter and better world with a lot better chance to up like a gigantic misunderstanding the resulting conflict. that is more than you ever wanted to hear, but the truth of the matter is you are at the epicenter of whether or not we can achieve the goals we set out to do, which is to lead the world not just by the power, the example of power, but by the power of our examples. thank you also very much. i've got to go to lunch. thank you. [applause] >> thank you, guys. [applause]

>> the senate today confirmed three district court judges and also the president's nominee to recognized.

ms. landrieu: thank you, mr. president. i wanted to speak for a minute i wanted to speak for a minute >> i wanted to speak for a minute about the debate that has gone on the last two days on this floor about two very important issues related to the energy -- a stronger energy policy for america. as i said earlier in the weekend i was proven to be correct, it is unlikely that we would develop an energy policy in the next four days in open debate on the floor of the united states senate and i was right. lots of people came down and talked about things they thought should be in it. many of those things i agree with. but there is a process that goes through and we are working through it. not as quickly as some people would like, but right now on the floor of the united states

senate, there are two really pillars or two really important cornerstone or two really important first at that could be taken in the building of a stronger, more vibrant, more common than, more middle-class family, more job creating energy policy and the one we have right now. and the saddest thing about watching this debate would be speeches that -- what is the word i want to use -- the speeches that parade as if it is a debate, but it is not really come to pretend that it is a debate that it is not really, the speeches that we've heard are not really outlining the

truth to the american public about what is really going on. we have the opportunity the next time the senate gathers earlier next week to have a cloture vote on an energy efficiency bill. that means bring the debate to an end, vote on energy efficiency bill that will create hundreds of thousands of jobs supported by the chamber of commerce, the chemical council of america, api and the sierra club. hundreds of organizations that have come together across the political spectrum, looking here for common sense and for cooperation and they are not finding much of either. now these coalitions have spent an enormous amount of time lobbying members of the house and the senate to pass an efficient the bill led by

senator shaheen and senator portman, two very respected members of this body. one republican with strong conservative credentials. one democrat with strong progressive provincials, the vote demonstrated in their career the ability to work together and find common ground exactly -- exactly what the american public is asking for and you can ask any republican can any democrat, any independent. is a cat you will work together, find a way forward? senator portman and another shaheen did. they brought a bill to the committee. i was in the chair. i can't take credit for this. lisa murkowski is the ranking member. they can take credit for this and they came up with a fantastic bill that creates jobs, that saves a lot of energy. that is our best source of energy is your efficiency. it creates jobs right here in

america. it's the cleanest energy you can produce. so these two terrific senators, and bring us a bill. it is debated in public, in committee and amazingly comes out of committee i think i may go to the team to three. a very important piece of building an energy policy, which let me say even as the chair of this committee now and i hope to remain chair for many years to come, there is an election in between not an aspirational goal, so we shall see. i would like to remain chair, but i can promise you it is not one bill that comes out of the energy committee that builds an energy policy. first of all, they are about tax policy related to all sorts of generation of electricity. not even in my jurisdiction. there's some issues that have to come out of the commerce that is

jurisdiction and authorization over pipelines. their other committees that are going to have to contribute. it is possible in generating electricity in the cleanest place possible in a panic, reliable. the opportunity for more domestic drilling. the people i represent one is so badly and i am not sure why they understand that this can happen, but it's going to take cooperation. it's going to take a little bit and that is so sad. i guess it is just too much to ask for a little cloth variation

and a little give-and-take. so this energy efficiency bill comes because there are many companies and other pieces and there most certainly have good ideas. most certainly there are good ideas out there on both sides of the aisle. but there is one idea that's very powerful in detail how powerful it is, i'm not going to read my words about it. every spoken it's time to build the keystone pipeline now. it is time to stop studying now. i respect the president's review of the situation. i disagree with the length of time he has taken and with the decision he made last week to continue to daddy. i've said respectfully to him,

mr. president, the time for studying this other good a time for building this out. the process has run its course over five years of the five studies. everyone has come down on the side of building up for jobs but for security and it is better for the environment to transport this product, these oil sands from our best friend by pipeline to indict either rail or truck and everyone in this country knows how dangerous and how crowded the highways and rail are. you do not need to serve on the transportation committee of the united states senate or house to understand that issue. every mother, every father, every 17-year-old drivers license in our state or maybe some states it's 20 understand that. is to drive on highways with big trucks filled with lots of dangerous things. why do we want this were children? why can't we had to the 2.9 million miles of pipeline

and the pipeline with canada. we are not talking about building a pipeline with cuba or venezuela. we are talking about canada, our best ally, our greatest trading partner and our partner in the frontlines of lawyers in the research labs we partner with them. to build a pipeline to safely move oil, they are going to produce one way or another because they needed for their economy and the world needs it. they have the highest environmental standards in the world. highways are crowded, trains are crowded. trains are collating all over the country. every morning a subsection of the country there's another trend that has run off the track with horrible materials being felten wonders in reverse. i think democrats are upset about that. republicans are upset about it. there is one really big idea,

really big amendment to the efficiency bill that i think the republicans would really like and that is to have a vote on the keystone pipeline. as the chair of the committee, i note that is their strong feeling. i am a supporter ofthe keystone pipeline. i think to myself, luscious beef weekend make this work. the republican leadership has been saying for a one info, not a resolution, not a sense of the senate, which we've already had, but a straight up or down vote on a directive to build the pipeline. so i think to myself, this seems to be fair, but will give-and-take. democrats and republicans are happy with efficiency. but the business community is broadly supportive of both.

and so i labor unions. so we have labor unions, the business community and environmental communities strongly favor of efficiency. of course many of the strongest voices are not for keystone and i respectfully disagree with their position. we represent the democracy right here in the desk. i think to myself and my louisiana way, you know, maybe if every site gives a little bit, we could get two really think sun where nothing much is getting done in the energy sector, which is what we need to move our economy forward, to get labor unions working, to get people that are in labor unions working, to create jobs, hundreds of thousands, millions of jobs. everybody's talking about that in their campaign. it really is upsetting to me to

know how many people are running for reelection in this chamber and go home and talk about jobs and turn around and come right here and vote no. talk about jobs at home. vote no in the united states senate. no for efficiency jobs. no for the keystone pipeline. now it is very interesting, so i am going to read that some of the republican leaders have said about keys don't. maybe they've changed their mind and over the weekend maybe some of the press could ask them if they have had a change of heart. senator wicker said on january 25th, 2013, many americans understand the economic importance of moving forward with the keystone pipeline and what that means for job creation and energy security in the united states. it is imperative we continue to press the administration to approve this critical project. next week on monday or tuesday,

my friend come the senator from mississippi is going to have an opportunity to vote to press the president on keystone and to vote for a bill that he is a cosponsor of the energy efficiency bill. again, he is going to have a chance to press the president of the united states to build the keystone pipeline using all the power that he had said the senator from the state of mrs. it be to do that and to vote on th efficiency bill. i hope you will follow his words and his promise. senator chambliss' and senator isakson in a letter to president obama on february 11, 2014 set by any reasonable standard, the keystone pipeline is clearly international interest. keystone will greatly advance our energy security interests by establishing a reliable supply of oil from one of the most

stable trading partners and closest friend and relate to economic growth and help create good jobs, sustainable jobs for u.s. workers. i would like to add meaning to this. they might not want me to, but i would like to have my name. the center saint chambliss, senator isakson and senator landrieu believe this. i couldn't have said it better myself. so i wonder what they are going to do next week when we have the chance to vote on the efficiency bill and on the pipeline. senator cornyn, minority whip on may 7 as it might be better to build this pipeline so we can safely transport oil from canada down to refineries in the tape where it can be converted to gasoline, aviation fuel and the like in the process creating a loud of jobs. may 7, floor statement from senator cornyn at this pipeline connects to refineries in texas. so the senator from texas,

senator cruz, senator cornyn, you're going to vote for an up or down vote in keystone and that on the efficiency bill? you can vote no. you can vote yes. energy efficiency may not be the people in texas. the chambers of commerce from texas may not have the position. i think they are supportive, the list i looked at the national chamber of commerce is important. maybe that is not important to them. but i spend a lot of time in texas. it's a neighboring state. it got a big economy. i do a lot of work for coastal restoration. people tell me even though jobs are plentiful in texas thank goodness i'm not in every community, but in louisiana, we can always use more and building and construction jobs really are local in nature, putting our engineers to work. the engineers were in my office i speak saint senator landrieu, some engineers are busy, but about denmark and we could put a lot of engineers to work on this energy efficiency bill.

so senator cornyn with to actually build the pipeline to press the president to build it, he is going to have a chance to vote up or down on whether he wants to do that in the opportunity is to do it in conjunction with an up or down vote on energy efficiency bill are democrats get a little bit of what they want. republicans get what they want him at the country gets its cooperation and a chance for jobs, which is all they want. really. good jobs. senator inhofe, president obama administration no longer have a valid reason to all the finals edges of the pipeline. approving the keystone pipeline is one thing the president can do today with his pen that will create thousands of jobs. the president said he's not going to do it. the question is will senator inhofe joined with enough about

to pass a bill that prices tend to do a? if we could get the vote on the floor, we might be litigators stephen. i never said we were guaranteed. there is no guarantee, but we are close. 11 democratic cosponsors including myself on a bill with 45 republicans. we are just three or four short. i think that would be defined as pressing. senator byrd says today i joined in january 2012. today i joined 43 other senators in introducing a bill to continue construction on the keystone maxell pipeline comic project will take great steps towards improving energy security as well as create jobs for thousands of american workers despite claims of promoting energy security and created jobs are top priorities.

president obama has rejected the permit earlier this month. senator mcconnell said the keystone pipeline from a good example of something that would create jobs for the american people. i senator mcconnell noted there's quite a few people from kentucky out of work that could travel not to fire. it's better to work at home cannot be with your family and kids. i understand that. lots of time people have to travel distances to work good sometimes people want to travel those distances because the jobs available at homes or minimum wage and if they get out, and they can make handsome sons working tough hours of long hours. people have been doing it for decades. so i know there are people in kentucky that would like jobs. so i am hoping that next week when senator mcconnell has some time to think through this as the minority leader, he can

come to the floor and say, you know what, this isn't such a bad deal after all. senator she handed senator portman have presented a bill supported by the chamber of commerce and the sierra club in so many business organizations that depend on me and senator reid to help them create private-sector jobs in america. this is in a government program. this is creating private sector, high-paying jobs, saving energy. we've been working on it for five years. this is not something senator she handed in an apartment are doing in an election year and i thank her for her great leadership. she started working on this when she was governor before she even got to the senate of the united states. i can remember when president clinton came to our caucus several years ago. gene was one of the first ones to stand up and ask himself

several important and very timely questions and say mr. president, you have given us a way forward here on a piece of energy legislation that i think both republicans and democrats can support. this was years ago. this isn't an election year ploy. this is, you know, a half a decade of work. so my question is to my republican friends, do you want to build the keystone pipeline? or do you want to initiate to talk about? because it seems to me that we can get a vote on the efficiency bill and not keystone type line so we actually are doing what you say you want to do, which is surprised the president. that is all our power is.

i know it's hard for people to realize this, but her powers are limited. they are limited by the constitution. we are senators. we are not president. we have equal power to the presidency, not more and not less. so while some people i want to run around and convince people in their hometowns they have more power than the president committed to not. they have equal power, so let's exercise it. last press, which is what our job is, pressing the administration. sometimes administration still wants to do a congress has come so congress presses forward. but we don't want to price i don't think. i think they want to talk or have initiate talk about. i would like to have a vote. i would like to clear, separate the wheat from the shaft, clear

the fog. this is not complicated at all. you've heard a lot about amendment, amendment, amendment. there is one amendment that is more important than all the amendment, more than senator vitter's amendment, more than senator barrasso, more than any in the empty but in my view on my side and that is every going to vote to build the keystone pipeline? right now, 70% of the people of united states support building the pipeline. right now the studies have been completed. right now the evidence is in. i know that there were people on the slower that disagreed and i want to be as respectful as i can. no one on the floor debate in this, but if you stick down, but most certainly appreciate talking about it if your posts. i know people feel like the keystone is not the right thing to do, but the evidence is in.

in my view on that we should build it. it is important to secure american domestic production. it is important for america to not rely on outsiders for the particular those that are in our friends for the energy we need to keep our economy growing and strong. it's very disheartening for me to read the headlines every day. i know for my constituents it is too. to see what is going on in the ukraine in to watch europe not be able to be as strong as i know europe wants to be. i know they want to be stronger. but because they depend so much on russia for their gas than they are not energy independent, they have to be careful about what they do to come to the ukraine sayed. anybody can understand them. doesn't take a diplomat to explain what is going on.

does america ever want to be too weak to stand up to russia? i don't think so. does america ever want to be too weak to stand up to china? no. do we ever want to be too weak to stand up to india if we have to? or venezuela? no. build the pipeline. we are party built 2.9 million miles of pipe. i've got nonpartisan miles of pipeline and louisiana. we've been building them a long time and yes sometimes they have not been made correctly and yes, federal agencies and state agencies have failed the people in many instances to make sure that the environment was as protected as they should be. but we know how to build energy infrastructure. and i'll tell you, the people of louisiana would much rather build infrastructure and put uniforms on our sons and daughters and send them halfway around the world so we can get

gasoline in our cars. let me just put it plainly. i lost 44 men in iraq and afghanistan, gone. hundreds of wounded soldiers. when you asked me what the price is, though the keystone pipeline or continue to have wars over oil, i don't know, it is pretty easy for me. so i just want overnight and tomorrow and the weekend i am really not going to let people come down here and kind of get away with talking about these amendment because it is not about amendments. it is not about price s. it is about does the senate want

to press -- press. that's all we can do. we can't make the president do anything unless we can override a veto if he vetoes it. and that has happened before. not often. it's happened. not often. but that is what the cons to duchenne says. so let take it a step at a time. let's press on to build the pipeline in an up or down vote. let's move forward on energy-efficient t-bill that the house has actually amazingly passed a good version out. i mean, think about this. not only has it democratic-controlled senate passing efficiency bill with seven republican cosponsors and at least a dozen more that i know will vote for the bill if allowed to buy their leader, mitch mcconnell would vote for

the bill. but the republican controlled house has already passed an energy efficiency bill. so we would just go to conference with these two bills and work out the details and all of these organizations that have lobbied and spent money and time to try to explain this to us and please come you know, can you all create jobs we need at home would be so happy encourage the democratic process is working, that we are hearing them, listening to them. that would be a really terrific step forward. now, the final thing, you know, that i will say because you will hear some republican leaders say well, senator, that all sounds great except you have to deliver 60 votes from keystone. no, i never said i could deliver 60 votes for keystone. i said i would try to deliver 60 votes. that is all i can do to try.

i've tried my best. we have three democrats last year. we now have 11 and i am not doing this by myself. senator heitkamp has been extraordinarily helpful. senator mccaskill has been wonderful. senator tester has been working. senator donnelly. so many democrats trying to work with our colleagues and yet when we are this close, it's not about amendment. it is about keystone. that is the amendment. keystone. in a separate vote on keystone come a separate vote on energy-efficient t. we can press the president and the house to act and get those two things hopefully to the president's desk. that is the best we can do. know what the president decides to do after that i don't know. he has a response ability. we have a responsibility. he will exercise as he sees fit, but we need to do our job.

so it is time to build the keystone pipeline. i am going to submit to the record that dozens of comments made on my republican friends about how important it is to build the pipeline. they didn't say let's build the pipeline and also passed three other important pieces of legislation. they didn't say let's build the pipeline but we don't really want to build the pipeline until we can get votes on x,y and z. the most important thing we could do by the american public to build the pipeline. a broad range of people supported with respect for nebraska that is not made a final decision. our lot less for nebraska courts for a final decision about where the pipeline is laid. the people of nebraska did not want it laid in one of the water

aquifers in north america. so they moved the line, which is appropriate. and that is being worked out. other than not, we are ready to go. so our hope that the people of kentucky particularly last mitch mcconnell if he is ready to go, to press the president to go the keystone pipeline, which is in the limits of our power and our powers are limited, but we could recognize them to the fullest. i hope next week we will get a straight up vote on the efficiency bill that senator portman and senator sheehy and have worked so hard on that is supported by a broad range of coalition members and i hope the coalition will generate and get its members act debated between

now and tuesday and i hope those in america that want to build this keystone pipeline will also act to beat the funds come in the e-mails contact legislators, particularly the two leaders, both harry reid and mitch mcconnell who are ultimately going to be responsible for whether these votes occurred not. all we can do is do our best. i think i've demonstrated a real after to get this done and thank my colleagues over here who have been extraordinarily helpful and would really hope that we can find common sense, common ground and do a descendent of the united states can do, press or to create jobs for the american people and i yield the floor. >> has rehearsed the nederlander talking about one of the primary sticking point in the energy efficiency bill is a republican effort to include a provision of the keystone xo pipeline from

canada. on monday, we expect a vote in the senate to limit debate on the energy efficiency bill without an agreement with republican senators it is unlikely that democrats will have enough votes to move forward with that energy efficiency measure. >> hundreds of thousands of pieces of space debris are orbiting the earth. in cycles satellite part and spent rocket boosters tomorrow morning here at east into the house subcommittee on space hulk a hearing on the issue.

.. deposits it took and the service of a provided to regular individuals and small businesses. there was a very clear distinction. the bankers wanted the same side as fdr. the population was on the same side as if we are and things became stable for many decades, several decades after that. contrast that's what happened in the wake of the 2008 crisis

which has been a much more expensive crisis for the general economy can't go for the actual unemployment level not the tagline of employment level for what was lost to individuals throughout and relative to the bailouts and subsidies that have been given since and dodd-frank came along and did nothing remotely like dissecting speculation from depositors and traditional banking activities.

>> house veterans affairs committee chairman jeff miller called an emergency meeting today to subpoena documents from the veterans affairs department dealing with va health facilities. whistleblowers from phoenix arizona va said officials kept the secret waiting list of veterans seeking treatment in an effort to hide a backlog of veterans needing medical care. [inaudible conversations] >> good morning everybody. i would like to take care of one item of business this morning. am i hearing a motion for the issuance of a subpoena to the department of veterans affairs to produce e-mails and other written correspondence related to the investigation of the phoenix va medical center. it's unfortunate that we have to come to this decision but we did

not do this without some substantial justification. the last few weeks have been a model of va stonewalling which precipitated the need for this subpoena. first on april 24 our staff was briefed and informed on the existence of an alternate waitlist and how that list was subsequently destroyed. we made follow-up phonecalls to va oc l.a. but then -- beginning on the 28th asking for additional information about the list. however we didn't get a response back on the 28th so we called back on the 29th and got a response on the 29th. so we called again on april 30 and spoke dretke to assistant secretary but still got no response. look, this failure to provide information led to my first letter stating that the

committee would pursue a subpoena if we were not provided the information that this committee had requested. yesterday may 7 i received a response from va that does not, does not fully answer the very simple question that i asked. therefore the time for requests for this matter is over. today we will vote to issue a subpoena. it's a historic vote. this committee has voted once before to issue a subpoena the first time ever in history and we worked with va and actually we did not deliver that subpoena but we ultimately got the information that we were asking for. but i trust the va will have the good sense to not further ignore requests of this committee has made. the subpoena will cover e-mails and written correspondence sent since the ninth of april of 2014 at 8:45 a.m. to or from

secretary eric shinseki dr. robert petzel undersecretary for health assistant undersecretary for health for clinical operations and management mr. will gone general counsel or any other representative in the office of general counsel. ms. joan mooney assistant secretary for congressional legislative affairs, dr. ron mauer director of the congressional liaison service and mr. -- congressional offices are. the scope of the subpoena will encompass all e-mails and other written correspondence for these parties discussed the destruction of an alternate waitlist regardless of what name was given and which form in which it was kept. pursuant to rule 11, clause two m-1 beet of the house of representatives in rule three

klaus g of this committee we have a motion before us that is at the desk and i will ask that the clerk will read the motion. >> ranking member michaud authorizations to subpoena to eric shinseki secretary of the u.s. department of veterans affairs for the department of veterans affairs to produce all e-mails and written correspondence sent between april 9 ,-com,-com ma 21:48:45 a.m. and may 8, 2146:00 p.m. which address in whole or in part the destruction or disappearance of an alternate or interim waitlist with regard to carl t. hayden veterans affairs medical center located in phoenix arizona in which secretary shinseki dr. robert petzel undersecretary for health dr. tom lynch undersecretary for health for clinical operations and management mr. will gunn general counsel or any other

representative of the office of general counsel ms. joan mooney assistant secretary for congressional legislative affairs dr. von mauer director of the liaison service the congressional relations officer or michael huff congressional relations officer parties to our reference in such e-mails and written correspondence. >> members you heard the motion. do i hear a second? the motion has been moved improperly seconded. i will open the floor for the ranking member to make a statement and would ask if any other members have a statement that it be very very brief because everybody has a very tight schedule this morning. i understand. the ranking members recognize. >> thank you. >> thank you very much mr. chairman. i think we all can agree that quality safe accessible health care has always a priority of this committee and i believe that has not changed today. we have over the past years

asked the va for information that has not been forthcoming. frustrations remain high among committee members. the chairman sent a letter on may 1, 2014 requesting the answer to two questions, and the response we received yesterday from va was in my view insufficient. the subpoena we will authorize today is limited in scope and it narrowly is constructed in order not to interfere or impede the ongoing ig investigation. at the end of the day we all are waiting for the results of the investigation to be provided to us so that we can be in a position to take action. we need to fix the problems not only in phoenix but across the va system. i was pleased to hear that the veterans health of administration will complete a nationwide access review to

ensure that employees have a full understanding of va policy and that they will conduct a national face-to-face audit at all the clinics and medical centers and i understand ms. kirkpatrick the 90 member of the subcommittee on oversight and investigation recently sent a letter calling for va to undertake a similar action in light of the numerous problems throughout the system. so i want to thank you very much ms. kirkpatrick. with that mr. chairman i yield back the balance of my time. >> thank you for your cooperation. i would ask does any other member have a statement that they would like to make? very well. all those in favor of the motion to issue the subpoena will say aye. all those opposed, no. the motion carries.

i'm now going to sign the subpoena for e-mails and written correspondence and hereby direct his issuance forthwith. this concludes our business meeting for today. this meeting is adjourned. [inaudible conversations] >> and update on the story, the senate veterans affairs committee today announced va secretary eric shinseki will testify next week before the committee. he will answer questions about the alleged secret waiting list at the phoenix arizona va facility in efforts to improve medical care for veterans.

a conversation from this morning's "washington journal" on the common core education standards. >> host: congressman luke messer republican of indiana at our table is morning member the educational work worse committee. thanks for being here. we are talking about charter school programs and reform and there's legislation making his way to the floor. what would this bill do? >> guest: to bipartisan bill that both the ranking member in the chairman of the committee have put together. it's called h.r. 10 which is the washington number but essentially it's the charter school bill. it's designed to help support states in their efforts to expand charter schools. it's also designed to help replicate the best performing charter schools. 2 million families across america are involved in charter schools but 1 million families can't be because they are on waitlist in areas across the

country. that's an injustice in a country that promises everyone should have an opportunity to succeed and so our hope is that through this bill we can help promote the best performing charter schools across the country. it should get a strong vote in the house this week. when it was on the floor two years ago it had broad bipartisan support around 350 votes. thus the wind you expect the votes? >> guest: the debate on the bill will certainly be today and then what happened last time is the bill wasn't hurt in the senate. we are optimistic this time that we can. this is an issue arne duncan president obama and many democratic senators are in support of charter schools. >> host: let's go back. what is a charter school? >> guest: a charter school is a public school but its public school that doesn't have -- that's not bound by all the regulatory albatross that we see

in the typical public school. the ideas that they can be innovative, they can be flexible and still public which means they have to provide access to all students. they have to comply with academic standards but they can go and too challenged communities and provide better opportunities for kids. some charter schools are very successful. some of them are less successful. one difference with charter schools is those schools can be shut down if they don't perform. the problem with the best indication of whether charter schools are making a difference is the fact the europe 1 million families across america who aren't waitlist to get into these schools. as a parent the most important responsibility you have is to make sure your kids have a chance to succeed succeed. >> host: the full name of the legislation the success and opportunity through quality charter schools would expand charter schools. is there a price tag about? >> guest: it's about a

300 million-dollar authorization. >> host: billion? >> guest: yes billion. it's comparable to money spent in prior years. frankly little bit less than has been spent in washington terms probably 25% less but is less than it's been in prior years. the basic idea is we need to provide further opportunities ndowed with unalienable rights, this is not something that should be partisan.

i'm optimistic that we should keep it bipartisan and the vote this week. the real question is, can we get the senate to hear the bill? i think we are optimistic that we can get the senate to hear the bill or some version of a bill that would be similar. host: critics say that charter schools do know better than traditional schools. what is the husk of the critics they charter schools do no better than traditional schools so what's the goal? >> guest: the goal here is to make sure every child has access to a quality educational opportunity and to me the best response to the critics are the 1 million families who are on the waiting list trying to find an opportunity for their child. you know we all recognize we need long-term reforms to our public education system but it's not fair to hold individual kids and families that are trying to build their own life hostage to the long term effects of those reforms. i frankly also believed that competition makes everybody

better so the schools have competitions for students they tend to rally and do better. results have in some ways been mixed but when you go visit the schools as i have. i have visited schools across the country and you see the smiling faces of these kids whose lives are getting better because they have an opportunity to go to a great school, it's hard be. >> host: is it wise to add 300 billion dollars to the system land in washington reports on may 6, 100 million plus in waste and fraud in charter schools. a new report by two groups opposing public education fraud and waste in 15 of the 42 states operate charter schools. >> guest: this is a highly politicized effort and you have a lot of folks who are invested in the status quo. no one would defend their views. the point is this, charter schools are far more accountable

than your traditional public schools. charter schools that are shown to not be delivering for students are otherwise performing -- it close. at least from indiana there aren't many traditional public schools that are close despite their performance. we try to fix that in some ways it also is important to say throughout this debate that i believe most of these decisions should be made at the local -- state and local level. charter schools are authorized by local leaders ended my unit region ball university is the largest in the state of indiana. but what we need to do with the federal level is help create an environment where those criticisms and can be made. >> host: what about those standards? the national education association sent in a letter to house members that the bill should be amended to hold charter schools to the same standards as traditional public schools. specifically charter school should be required to comply with the same open meetings laws

as traditional public schools disclose private donations and comply with conflict of interest guidelines. mary cussler said in the letter additionally charter school should be disclosed research that shows charter schools nationally under rule students with disabilities and english language learners and are more segregated than other public schools by family income ethnicity or race. >> guest: i mean again highly politicized area. i can tell you that the charter schools that i've visited have been very diverse settings. they tend to be and the most economically challenged of the country which obviously technically have a large minority populations because of the demographics across our country. the schools reflect that. i see nothing wrong with that. also i think charter schools ought to get equal funding. charter schools and on most

every area of the country do more with less because they don't get access to some of the other federal dollars for a typical schools have. nobody is saying that every kid in america got to go to a charter school. the vast majority of kids will always be going to our more traditional public school system. this is another option for some families and frankly again a million million families who are in a waiting list are the best evidence yet that we need to expand access to charter schools. hopefully our bill will open up more seats so more families have an opportunity. one last thing, i don't know if you've seen these lotteries but across the country there are several movies in new stories out about the lotteries across the country where families sit and wait with baited breath to see whether their child will get an opportunity to go to one of the schools. that's not right in america. i'm so happy for any of these give the win of the lottery and get a chance to go to the charter school of their choice

but no kid ought to have to sit and wait and watch some bouncing ball to see what's going to happen with the future. we cannot rest of the country until every child in america has an opportunity to walk into a great school. >> host: we are talking with congressman luke messer and the legislation is talking about will get a vote likely today on the house floor. of course you can watch that on c-span. the legislation quality charter schools act will consolidate existing federal school grants and credit enhancement programs. we -- we focuses the new program to promote high-quality charter schools at the state and local level and allows states use federal funds to start new charter schools and expand and replicate existing high-quality charter schools. let's go to shun" 10 georgia republican caller. you are up for sean. >> caller: first of all thanks for taking my call. i'm a former u.s. murray and army ranger officer served a tour in iraq.

my question to you congressman is at what point will congress congress -- investigate the independent --. >> host: shone that is not a topic this morning. we are talking about education if we flared talking about terrorism or something related that you are welcome to call back then. let's go to catherine and independents new york. >> caller: good morning. i agree with you. hello? >> host: we are listening catherine. >> caller: i agree with you charter schools are a lot better for kids today. i have my grandkids in private schools. the unions they fight because they don't want the charter schools to give more education and that's what they fight. it where they going to decide to

put that money? they are paying no tax for the public schools in there so much waste. it goes on at public schools and they can't control what's going on. only the unions control them. >> host: all right catherine. >> guest: catherine expresses the frustration i hear from many parents which is they feel like they pay taxes and they want to make sure those dollars are well spent. i believe i heard in her question she said she was i'm sure a great financial struggle and expense making sure her kids were able to go to a private school. i just believe very simply that every family ought to have the opportunity to send their child to the school of their choice. the dollars dollar so we spent as a society ought to be portable. it's filled cement local control. i support school choice in all its forms but i certainly support the options we are looking at that would expand charter schools. >> host: jeff says one and invest the time to better the public school so?

y. emphasized a charter school movement for a few instead of a fix for all? charter schools are public schools and subject to most the ox is standards that would apply to all of our public school systems. secondly what we do in the interim? i'm all for public school reform. we have kids that are locked in schools for the data shows they are just not succeeding. they don't have the chance of success. some schools across the country of graduation rates of 30% and its 50%. they have performance rates that were very similar. each one of those children has an individual whose future while we wait for reforms. charter schools aren't the answer for everybody but they are part of the answer while we reform our public school system. >> host: democratic caller. >> caller: hello.

good morning to everybody. i just want to say my experience came with children going to charter schools. a lot of times if they don't like the grade that they have they can retake the test and get a better grade. they let that -- makes the school of better by being able to take a second test they get a b as they know beyond the test --. >> host: does that happen congressman? >> guest: that has not been my experience when i visit schools across the country. my experience the folks at go with the hard work and the teachers that teach are going to the most challenge communities and delivering better results with kids that are struggling in public school. >> host: vivian on twitter wants to know who runs the

charter schools. is it the same boards that run the public schools? >> guest: they have typically a government entity. in indiana which i'm most familiar with the mayor's office there is a state government authorized and ball state other universities can do it as well. their government structure tends to be accountable to that authorized board. they tend to be more parentally managed then many of the public schools because ultimately everyone of these parents are there by choice. so the school has to respond to the needs of parents. >> host: how are the teachers held accountable? >> guest: their academic plans for each individual school evaluated by their individual board. one of the benefits of charter schools are that they don't have enormous regulatory infrastructure that the state

and federal government has to their little less regulated at their held far more accountable because the results are measured and if they don't meet their standards they can be closed in as little as a few years. >> host: what happens with the money from the federal government? is their oversight of the money? >> guest: there is through the little department of education and then through the state or local authorizers that the money tends to go through to matter. a lot of the funding would go through the federal government to the state of indiana. for example where i'm from and then back to the charter school. >> host: when you say a charter school is not succeeding they can be shut down is it because the monies taken away? >> guest: that's what happens in and then they lose their authority to operate. again i frankly think any school that is not performing ought to be first tried to improve it with a plan and if he can't deliver we have to close it. and find better opportunities for those kids.

the reality is this. charter schools are far more accountable for their results than your typical public school. >> host: here's here's a plea from a viewer. if schools are run for profits as many charters are the thing that will only rarely happen his actual education. a florida republican caller company when the air. >> caller: i believe mitt romney at a plan to have the money follow the kids to the school of their choice and that could be public or private schools. >> guest: i believe that's right. that's certainly what i support. i think that the tax dollars we spend on educating children ought to be portable to the family. is the ultimate local control. moms and dads are going to look out for their kids better than any government entity otherwise would. so my ultimate goal would be that every child have the opportunity to use those dollars in a way that they that would

fit them best. i think in that system the vast majority of kids would continue to be educated in our traditional public schools. the 19 counties are represented in eastern and southeastern indiana have a lot of rate school systems read many of those parents are very happy with how school system. nothing about a plan that allow the dollars to follow the family would in those schools. the folks that are happy with their current school performance would continue to get to do that in too many places in america families and kids walking to school where they don't have a chance to succeed. i frankly think it's un-american and we had to do something about it. >> host: from alabama i have yet to see a study indicating that charter schools are superior to alternative schools. >> guest: that e-mail indicates that somehow they have to be a lot better. at the end of the day if they are equal in my mind in the family wants to make that choice , why would we take that

choice from them? you are also not going to find a study that shows the traditional public schools do worse were in the charter schools happen to be. what tends to happen i've seen studies that show where there are charter schools the school performance actually improves in that environment of competition. but again the ultimate measure whether charter schools are successful in something parents would like to see in their community is the fact that there are million kids in america sitting on a waiting list to a public school to go to those lotteries and watched these families cheer when they make the school. they cry when they are net able to go to the school. its fields and measure. why would we promote more access to high-quality options options? >> host: barber and twitter says it's been my experience to see charter schools shut down because of some of the same reasons other public schools fail. ron in newark delaware independent caller. hi run. >> caller: hi.

i agree with the representative that charter schools need to be there nowthe parents of those kt have the knowledge or ability, some of them are on drugs, all kinds of problems, that those

kids that are in those families are ever going to get to a charter school. guest: the caller makes an important point. charter schools are a response to communities where parents are concerned about their schools. these are not some sort of special order families. these are families that are representative of their communities. they love their kids. they are seeking an opportunity for them. i do think it is important that we continue to support local schools. the caller highlighted that the vast majority of teachers in america are hard-working. they are trying to deliver for their kids. we would be better served if we empower teachers more, if we giveeachs mo if we empower teachers more if we gave teachers more authority in the classroom. that's one of the benefits of charter schools. when you move away from the sort

of complicated regulatory structure and empower teachers and parents and local school leadership it's amazing the results you can see for kids. >> host: here is usa news report with the headline is indiana by to drop the coming for? >> guest: well you know what has happened in indiana is we have a robust debate on common core. the common core was established originally to be a national school curriculum. the department of education unfortunately use the common core and provided all this anyway verse that it gave to "no child left behind" and it became a debate about a national curriculum. what happened in indiana is we decided as a state that we didn't want to be a part of the national cricket lump and we establish state standards. governor pence has said that the standard should be uncommonly high. the state school board has now reviewed a set of standards and we have established indiana-based standards. many of them look like the

common core standards that we had across the country and that is cause some controversy locally. >> host: what are some a common core standards? >> guest: essential in every grade the ideas to try to establish what are the basic skills that you need to be a functioning fifth-grader. for example i can tell you one of my daughters is in the fifth grade so i have a fighting chance to answer that one. the question is about whether you can answer -- analyze a basic graph and then explain what the answers to the questions are based on the graph. thus the fifth grade standard. in earlier grades they ought to be able to push basic reading. in the high school years it might be algebra for basic standards in history or government. i will tell you in indiana i'm really not that concerned by the fact that our standards look a lot like the national standards. what i believe that to happen and was the right process as our local leaders ought to decide

what they think the standard should be. that process has been complied with and so that's the way.org. >> host: we will go next to don and st. joseph missouri, democratic caller. good morning don. you are on the air. don, go ahead with your question or comment for congressman luke messer. >> caller: yes i don't believe charter schools should be funded by public money. it does nothing for the inner-city children and it shows that only the rich can get into them. i don't understand why there is a million on the waiting list anyway. >> host: let's take that point. >> guest: let's start with the last one. there's a million waiting list because families are locked in communities where they don't feel good about their local public school. the demographdemograph ics of charter schools are frankly the complete offices of what you describe. they are not the richest it is. there are frankly those families that otherwise can't move. we already have school choice across this country if you can afford. if you can afford to send your

kid to public school or to a private school or if you can afford to move if you're unhappy with your local schools. the people who don't have it are folks that are locked in a zip code because they have bad public schools in their area and they can afford to move or otherwise pay for those options. again i think the vast majority of kids in america are going to continue to be educated through our traditional public school system. that's in large part because the vast majority of kids in our country are reasonably well served by that school system. the parents are happy there. the question is what he going to do for those low-income families who can afford to go somewhere else and who are locked in a failing school? i think it's un-american to tell them hey tough. take it on the chin. that's the only opportunity you are going to get and for those families we have to do better than that in america. the charter school bill is an example of the kinds of reforms

that will do that and frankly i'm excited about the fact that the bill has bipartisan support. i think the bipartisan support is a reflection of an knowledge meant that for too many families in america they are not well served with their local public school. >> host: will go next to bill and indianapolis, democratic call. >> caller: good morning greta. thank you so much for c-span and good morning mr. michaud. i know quite a bit about education here in indianapolis. i have raised four children and three grandchildren. they all go to ips. we are completely satisfied. my eldest daughter had 10 years of spanish from the minute she started kindergarten half-day and spanish have today in english. these teachers don't have near the classroom supplies that are necessary. they spend a lot of their money which they go to college for a

long time to become a teacher. for them not to even be making a living wage by the time they pay their student loans and take care of these poor children who 30% are homeless. how can you compare those children to those children that have two homes, they have a teacher and they have two parents. how can they compare with ideas is done and i know mr. bennett he got voted out and i heard he had his celebration party schedule that the blue crest steakhouse breakout that they had -- that night. we get rid of him. >> host: bill that stick to education arguments here. >> guest: first it sounds like he is very happy with the opportunities for hicks kids and grandkids in the ips school system. a lot of hard-working teachers in that a school system. a lot of great principals and the new superintendent is very

dynamic and i'm excited about many of their reforms. again what he described as really the way school choice out of work. for those parents who are very happy in their existing public school they ought to have the option to go to that public school. i would never want to take that option from you. the question is for those parents who aren't happy who feel like they were school isn't delivering for them what should their options be particularly if they can't afford to pay for a neighboring private school or to just move. i believe the best way to handle this issue in the country is to promote local control but to give families the ultimate local control to take their tax dollars and spend them where they see fit. charter schools are one of those options. >> host: here's an e-mail from one of our viewers who ask how do teachers salaries compare and public schools and charter schools in the same committee? >> guest: traditionally charter schools are paid a little less than traditional

public school system. the caller before mentioned low wages for teachers. i think every teacher ought to have a living wage. frankly there are am sure areas the country where teachers aren't paid that. indiana has made a lot of progress over the last several decades in what they pay teachers. it's not perfect but a reasonable wage. charter schoolteachers tend to be paid a little less but frankly many of them are excited to be at the school so they are willing to make a little less to be there. >> host: shreveport louisiana, richard independent. >> caller: good morning. i have a comment and a question. basically are the parents and the school board still involved with a lot of what's going on with the charter schools and i comment is basically this is america. it feels like are we teaching our students and really showing

them how life works? in high school we took a half a semester to -- and banking. why don't schools teach more about the financial market is part of education? >> host: all right richard. >> guest: there were several comments in a questionnaire. first i do think that have a financial curriculum for students. i don't think it should be federally mandated that the basic understanding of how check what works and what credit cards are ought to be part of what we do with kids across america. you know as we talked about a little bit earlier the government structure for charter schools tends to be structured this way. there's a charter school authorizer which tends to be a local government entity or university or some credible institution of that light. the school is then run locally and the parental involvement of charter schools exceeds the

parental involvement of most of the typical public schools. >> host: dell is next in warwick new york. democratic caller. >> caller: good morning. i'm sitting here with a smile on my face because republicans tried to privatize social security and medicare and you know how that worked out and they are the tightest prisons and we see how that's working out and now they are doing it with the schools. i went to public school and it was the best way to be educated. what you are trying to do and i'm looking you straight in the eye, you are trying to kill the unions. you can't stand the teachers are united. these corporations are funding private schools. why don't you have them put the money into the public? for all those resources into public schools. but no, the republicans don't want to do that. they want everything in their pocket. as pocket. it's an issue on privatize prison you will get back to --.

>> host: let's focus on education and your answer to trying to get rid of the unions. >> guest: the clearest evidence of the demand for charter schools is the million families across america who are waiting to go to those schools. charter schools are public schools so this is not when you talk about a charter school bill on the floor this is public money going to public schools that just aren't burdened by all the excessive regulation of the more traditional public school. again the real response to your question is are the results of the current public school system system -- if resources alone would solve the problem we would have solved this multiple times over already. the truth is as spending on public schools across the country is spiked in the last 30 years, performance has

flatlander declined into many communities. i try as i think just to think about every individual face of those young children who are going to a school where they don't have an opportunity. the vast majority of public schools are doing a good job and we support them but we need to do more to help those families that are locked into schools are failing. >> host: what are the regulations of traditional schools have a charter schools don't? >> guest: a lot of it is excessive reporting requirements. many of them are locked in facilities that are antiquated and don't work in the modern -- in a world where i grew up with school libraries that are needed now. and the burdens and expenses of those. in many charter schools today can use a computer and have access to those. >> host: why not just get rid

of those regulations than? >> guest: one, i'm for that. many people say -- it's not there because the traditional public school is burdened by relations and charter schools have regulatory leave. i'm all for lowering the rate of tory relief for all schools. we only need to regulate and the kids out to be safe and schools. kids ought to have access to reasonable quicktime and measurable results. the ultimate measure of whether or school is successfusuccessfu l or not is whether they are graduating kids were kids are performing at grade level. the question is what do you think is going to make -- you know it's a timeworn phrase but we have all heard the phrase the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result tree is in these communities you have been locked for decades in a cycle where the community is declining and kids aren't getting the opportunity they deserve. charter schools and i believe

other public school choice is a way to try to break that cycle. it's not the answer for everybody but it's the answer for some and the best indication of the people waiting unless. >> host: concord new hampshire independent caller, catherine. >> caller: good morning. it's important to note that a classroom that has children who want to be there and want to learn and are supported by their families in all ways is a very different classroom from the classes and public school where the kids have to be there and their families for whatever reason are not as supportive as the parents in the charter schools. representatives messer had said earlier on the program parentally managed excuse me charge schools and ultimately they are thereby parental choice. this is so important, the parents.

>> guest: yeah i agree and part of what this is about is empowering parents and again it's important to say this ought to be handled locally. it ought not to be a federally driven enterprise. the federal role is to help provide incentives and funding that can encourage the promotion and duplication of great schools. there is no substitute for parents who are engaged and want to help their child succeed. what charters do -- charter schools do is help those parents in communities where they might not otherwise see a way out or see an opportunity. and we ought not stop there. part of what the charter school movement should be about and i think where we are trying to make more of promoting the successful schools and using

those best practices in a more traditional public school. the last thing i want to say is to remind the audience that charter schools are public schools, different than private schools across the country. >> host: scott next and upper marlboro. a democrat. hi scott. >> caller: hi. thanks for having this conversation. i've been watching charter schools for a long time. they were first things. they started out as schools for the neediest kids and they have really become magnet schools where they get the choice kids and leave the regular public schools to deal with the toughest kids. if the charter schools actually worked miracles with the toughest kids i would say okay let's do private management. that makes sense but i think the charter schools need reform themselves and the member used the term robust in the conversation about common core. i think he needs to allow robust

thinking about charter schools. >> guest: well i mean the statistics and i appreciate the sincerity of your question. the statistics though there are out differently. charter schools are in communities across the country in the most challenge communities, the most challenge demographically in the most challenge demographically and the most challenge by academic performance. they take the same kids, admittedly the same kids with engage parents who decided to try to give their child an opportunity and charter school and they deliver much different results at least at the best performing schools. i'm not going to tell you every charter school in america succeeds or they don't succeed. those charter schools should be close in-app enclosed but for families that can't move and for families that can't afford to pay for private education elsewhere they deserve a chance too. charter schools are a way to do that and again i know i keep going back to this but the best

indication of that demand is the fact that a million kids across the country are trying to find a way into a charter school. that's an injustice in a country that promises that everyone should have an opportunity to succeed and we have to do something about it. >> host: we are talking with congress and luke messer republican in indiana sitting on the education workforce committee and the republican freshman class president. we have 10 minutes left on the topic of charter schools. the house going to vote on legislation that you are backing bipartisan legislation. who else on the democratic side is supporting the bill? >> guest: george? >> guest: george miller is the ranking member and someone who is by no means a right-wing privatizers education. george has been a long-time traditional public schools partner with john klein who is the chairman and somebody who who is in my mind a very innovative and great thinking leader on education reform as well. we talked about a little earlier and this is an issue that is not

broken down along party lines. arne duncan is supportive of charter schools. president obama has historically been supportive of charter schools in many democratic senators are as well. is it the response to the demand they see in their communities. public schools as several other colors have described their many families millions of families across america who are sending their kids to a traditional public school and happy with that performance. we ought to make sure that those success stories continue. but for kids that aren't happy and for parents that are unhappy they ought to have options to and h.r. 10 is a way to try to promote more opportunities. >> host: the debate begins on the legislation h.r. 10 in the legislation h.r. tanenhaus today in a vote expected as well. tune into c-span if you're interested. we will go to jeffrey and olympia fields illinois. independent caller. hi jeffrey.

>> caller: good morning and thank you representatives messer i just wondered if you could share some thoughts on diane ravitch's research that actually shows charter schools actually perform worse than traditional public schools read in fact not only her research that the research from stanford university says only 17% of charter schools outperform public education. so i wanted to comment on that and the other thing i would like for you to comment on is when the students are in a local community, when students are removed from traditional public schools and put into charter schools and the public funding goes to charter schools and the boards to not function like a traditional public education. they are not subject to the freedom of information act. they are not subject to the same actions in terms of the school board, the school code and so that essentially erodes democracy in our country and i

would like to speak about how charter schools would continue to promote democracy in that vein. thank you and i will take my comments off-line. >> guest: thanks. there's a lot in the caller's question there. first to the study. there are a host of studies on charter schools. some show results that are better in some show results that are the same. some show results that are a little bit worse. it depends on what their assumptions are. it depends on who the study or wasn't frankly at one point what they're trying to prove when they make this study. the ultimate study that matters to me again are these parents who are on the wait list and the fact that people want to see these opportunities for their kids. and beyond that we know as a society that we have kids in america that are going to schools where they don't have a chance to succeed. it's not right. we know that. we have to do something about it. charter schools are not the silver bullet. they are not the end-all be-all

answer to our education challenges in america. but they are part of the answer. now to the caller's question about governance. as we talk talk about is rigged to restructure for charter schools that is different from traditional public schools but charter schools are by definition management parents because every parent is there by choice. if they don't like the school that can lead. they can go to the next option. for parents and communities where they can afford to move and their only option is the local public school they don't have that choice. i think that's un-american and we have to do something about it. >> host: another topic the house today expected to vote on a bill that would set up a select committee to look into what happened in benghazi on september 11, 2012. how we be voting? >> guest: i will support the select committee. four americans have died. the administration has not been

forthcoming with the facts. we have seen the e-mails even with the year plus into this, e-mails they keep showing there was a cover-up on what the motivations were for the attack. this ought not to be political and i don't say that naïvely. i understand there's a big political debate here and frankly this ought to be resolved quickly if the administration would be forthcoming with all the facts. >> host: their part in 13 investigations numerous hearings. some reports putting the cost of these investigations already have $40 million. is it worth continuing having another investigation that will cost taxpayers more millions of dollars? >> guest: i think the american people deserve the truth. i frankly signed on to a joint select committee bill year ago. i thought it was the right approach rates and the cost to have talked about have been compounded by the fact do we had a broad array of committees that have looked into it. i think each of those committee chairmen have tried to get to the bottom of it when you have a

demonstration that has been clear it's not interested in producing facts of the mac and people. it's interested in painting a political story having all these different hearings frankly has made it easier for them to do that. we need to get all this information under one umbrella, hopefully get through this quickly. again there's no reason that they should take a year. it ought to take weeks and months and my hope is although i'm already hearing signals that the democrats may not participate this ought not be partisan at all. we just want to know about the truth that happened is for megan to die. >> host: we will go to dorothy and lisa missouri democratic caller. hi dorothy. >> caller: yes, congressman i would like to say this about charter schools. there is nothing wrong with charter schools. they are all good. there are good things going on in charter schools but i am aware and i think we should

teach our children to read between the lines. i'm aware you are trying to deviate from the fact that there should be and i'm sure you were one of the people -- people in c-span land need to be aware of what's going on. benghazi and everything else is a waste of money -- >> guest: with all due respect to the caller while i'm a start we aware of the busing debate was not an issue by the time i came up as a state legislator or a member of congress. i'm evolve in the education debate for one reason is i think it's in america ought to have a chance to succeed. i think it's a terrible injustice that we want kids into school where they don't have a chance and i think we ought to quit defending the status quo and stand up for the kids in america to make sure they have an opportunity for it i don't think we have a silver bullet yet. charter schools certainly are

part of that in private school choice to to be part of it but the vast majority of kids are going to have to be educated and should be educated through our existing public school system. let's just make sure to kid in america has a chance to succeed. >> host: at me go back to benghazi. political is a story about the comments made by trey gowdy south carolina republican who will lead the select committee saying republicans should not fund raised off the backs of former americans creating a new standard by which the standard can be a -- do you agree? >> guest: i have a lot of respect for trey gowdy. this is about getting to the facts. it's not about fund-raising and is not about politics but the fact that every american deserves the right to know what happened to those for young people. it's frank a. about more than that. this administration can cover this up and they are unwilling to divulge the facts here what else are they doing throughout government?

what trey said makes a lot of sense to me. >> host: jay in riverdale maryland independent caller. >> caller: thanks for taking my call. i have a comment and a question. my comment is c-span is one of the few avenues the public has to speak to a congressman. i wish you would all go back to the open forums instead of specifically one topic like today. there are a lot of hills debated on the floor and the public may have questions of a congressman or congresswoman. i wish he would go back to that to allow an open form of questions for the congressperson that comes on. my question is congressman would you be free to allow the teachers in the charter schools to be unionized and my other question is and please sir i know the president -- but please

just give me a yes or no response on that as well as would you be open to, yes or no would you be open to having hearings on weapons of mass destruction in iraq -- [inaudible] >> guest: there are a lot of different questions there. a lot of information has come out of that i'm certainly glad to ponder that question for there to contractor office. i don't have enough details to respond directly. .. i think everybody ought to have a right to work. unions should have an opportunity to go in and explain how they add value. host:

>> the house voted today to do a benghazi attack. this piece shows representative trey goudy will chair the committee and house speaker john boehner will announce the other panel members on friday. speaker boehner came to the field to talk about the role of the benghazi committee: >> my