you don't preemptively take anything off the table. you don't advance signal your enemy what your intention is. the president asked congress to follow him in the vietnam style slovak response and i said no. either the united states chooses to decisively choose to defeat this with every resource we have or we are going to have answered to the next generation y. we failed to defeat the chicago area and evil of our day. and i also believe the president's decision to train and arm the so-called vetted moderate rebels is a tragic mistake. [applause] because here is the ugly truth.

they will never be vetted him and they certainly are not all moderates. .. a terroris terrorists should noe allowed to reenter the united

states wants to have voluntarily chosen to be a terrorist. that's about like a 100% issue. after we remove their passport, then i believe we should begin the process of removing their american citizenship from them as well. [applause] the rise of the islamic state seem to be shocked president obama. it wasn't to me. it wasn't to those of us who sat on the intelligence committee. i watched the up-tempo of islamic jihad. i knew what was coming. so earlier this summer i asked the fbi for a classified briefing. i asked if there were any minnesotans who are fighting with the islamic state, because many of you know the tragic nexus that minnesota has with terrorism. it was classified information earlier this summer. i couldn't reveal it to anyone, but now everyone knows that our, including the first two of

americans who died fighting what islamic state, both of whom were minnesotans. so what i ask, once they're done fighting with islamic state, what will happen if they don't hold themselves -- blow themselves up or get killed? what will happen if they try to return to the united states? i was floored when the fbi said to me, well, they can come into the united states. they are still u.s. citizens. i said to the fbi, are you kidding me? so that's why i introduced the legislation to prevent them from coming into the united states. it's just commonsense. [applause] because our first priority is national security. every american has the right to feel secure in their own home. every american deserves the right to feel secure in their own community. but for all his leading from behind on the world stage,

president obama is also ignoring a national, major security threat here at home. you know what it is. it is our open southern border. i was there for four days in august, and i will tell you. i was floored. i thought i knew a lot about this issue. i was floored to see a wide open in the midst of all of the heightened terrorism and all the foreign nationals that are streaming across our borders should tell poorest it is. it is the understatement of the year at our border is not secure. when i visited the u.s.-mexico border one i saw was people processing, not border security. you would be shocked to learn that virtually 100% of foreign nationals who want to come into the united states do. they are not stopped. when a foreign national, illegally enters the united states, they are taken to processing facility. i have seen them. to determine whether not the cutest in the country.

that's the once to catch. in order to keep the american people safe we have to secure the border. [applause] build a fence, deport on the spot. don't wait for years to extend them back on the spot. [applause] we have towe have to ks our country. i was at laredo and they told me oo far this year, people from over 140 different countries tried to come in this year, including yemen, sudan, syria, iraq, iran. i could go on. but the legislative battle that we're fighting are only part of this larger effort to revitalize american values. that's the i'm so grateful for the values voter sum summit suo more than move legislation. we have to move hearts. that's why we have to remind our fellow citizens what it is that makes us so exceptional.

we don't apologize for that. we brag about it to the rest of the world. [applause] you see, we've been such a force for good for about the last 100 years, the world was safeguarded by what was known as past britannica. england was the economic and military superpower. but as we all know didn't -- things didn't stay that way. somewhere in the middle of the 1940s we move from what was called tax britannica to pax americana. why? because the mid 1940s the united states of america became the economic superpower of the world. and when that happened we also became the military superpower of the world, and we are a force for good, and brought peace to different regions of the world. i think it's time we wake up. because that mantle is slipping

away. and i will tell you, sometimes it is absolutely despairing to hear -- who served in washington, d.c. at the same time we are told as believers very clearly we are not to despair. we are to look out, whether we feel it or not. we look out. whether we want to or not we look out. whether it doesn't seem like it on the evening news, we look out. that's my charge to you today. we do not curse the darkness. we light a candle. that's what believers do. [applause] and while it's true that i am leaving congress, i want you to know, i am not leaving the fight. [applause] because there is too much at stake to set on the sidelines. none of us can sit it out.

and so what i'm asking you today is to have your voice be heard. we are 39 days away from having our voice be heard. our leaders need to hear from you. that's why it's more important than ever that conservatives take control of the senate away from harry reid in 2014. [applause] and we need to expose hillary clinton's record of failure. and we will defeat her in 2016, of that i have no doubt. [applause] and that's why together we have to do something very important that every generation has had to figure out and do. we have to focus on returning this nation to what made it great. our founding principles, the constitution, the declaration.

and understand what those principles are. because you see, it is never too late to save the country. don't buy into defeatism. it is not too late. i'm encouraged. be encouraged. that's what faith can do. you are like a phoenix that rises out of the ashes. i am there with a smile on my face because i know we serve a god of possible who can make it happen. with people like yourself we cannot lose. so thank you, value voters. god bless you and god bless the united states of america. [applause] ♪ ♪ ♪

>> all right. thank you, congresswoman bachmann your you're one o one-of-a-kind and the liberals are glad of that. our final speaker this morning is a combat decorated u.s. marine, a number one best selling author. in fact, he has this printable available by oliver north called counterfeit lies. he will be doing a book signing right after he finished speaking so you want to be sure to pick up a copy of that. also a successful businessman with three u.s. patents, a syndicated columnist and host of war stories on fox news channel. is also the founder of freedom alliance, a foundation providing support to injured military heroes and college scholarships to the sons and daughters of u.s. military personnel killed in the line of duty. ladies and gentlemen, would you please join me in welcoming colonel oliver north. [applause]

♪ ♪ >> thank you. thank you, gil. i appreciate the opportunity to be with you this afternoon. actually it's still morning. it is afternoon, isn't? my mission is to get you off to lunch close to on time. the photos you see on the screen were taken by chuck, my combat cameraman who by the way the final shot is of the next commandant of the marine corps fighting joe dunford taken last year while we were in iraq. for 13 years it has been my privilege to report on a document the finest military force the world has ever known. during our 57 embeds the shadows of the hindu kush, iraq, africa, the philippine, central america,

the stars of my report, documents and books have been the bravest and best of this generation. and they truly are america's heroes. [applause] i often speak to young people. i can say that at 71. most of them are. foxes get to speak to young people, i say the word euros. i know i've conjured up in the mindset of those -- were there in the oddest the idea of someone who catches a pass in the end zone or sets a new mountain climbing record even someone wearing a spandex suit in a cape. in a comic book, that's their hero. my heroes more flak jackets and combat boots and flight suits, and they could work in some of those difficult and dangerous places on the planet earth. we'll heroes you see are selfless. they put themselves at risk for the benefit of others. and because the mainstream media

won't tell the truth and because i'm the chairman of the nra's veterans and military affairs committee of our board of directors, they put together what you are about to see, a video, of what these generations great american heroes really look like. look at this. ♪ ♪ >> since 9/11, more than 2.5 million young americans have forfeited the comforts of home, have gone into harm's way to protect us. the very first time, think of this, the very first time in history since the american revolution, every single person serving in an american uniform in time of war is a volunteer. hasn't happened in any war since

the one that gave us our liberty. baking because of some terrible events. this footage right here just shows some of what they can do. you can see more if you go to oliver north.com or the other a website, life and duty. you can see what they look like doing the things they do so very, very well. these are truly remarkable young people. they deserved better than what they're getting from this administration. [applause] >> from some of the tens of thousands of miles of footage that we have shot over those 57 embeds, my producers picked out some frames literally, you're going to see why making. it's because of this. even the ones i hinted last week out of walter reed national military medical center who, in grade school when this happened them which are looking at on the

screen, making because of this. they came because they know what happened that terrible day 13 years ago this month. and they don't want it to ever happen again. and we were promised when this administration came to office in 2009 that they're going to quote in the war responsibly, speed up those slides, guys, because we've got to get through this. can't beat the dogs. don't want to short site them because they are the best thing you got for sniffing out a bomb. the young americans came because they wanted to fight for our country. they wanted to serve our nation. they wanted to make sure that terrorism was wiped clean. they want to make sure they couldn't be exported to this country again, and they were told that this administration was going to quote in the war responsibly. these youngsters became the

protectors of muslim women and children. these frames are not staged. this is real. this is what they do. and those youngsters who you see gather in prayer circles. those youngsters you see huddled up saying a prayer, didn't come because they were told to. i want to see the aclu laughter those youngsters for preying on government time. [applause] they are brighter, better educated, trained and led than any military force in history. they volunteered to protect us from an enemy that is dying to kill as. when you see them gathered together like that, nope, they're not going out on the football field on friday night. they are going into mortal combat against an enemy that intends to die. and they deserve better from a commander-in-chief guard as a

nobel laureate, trotting around the world countdown to foreign leaders and apologizing for america. americans have nothing to which we need to apologize. -- kowtowing. we saw it happen again this week up at the united nations. don't we deserve and don't they have sacrificed so much deserve a commander-in-chief who knows american, the greatest force for good in the world, the world has ever known, doesn't need to apologize for the sacrifices made by them and their families to protect us and offer others the hope of freedom. i think we do. [applause] the members of our armed forces and their families deserve better than being treated like laboratory rats in a radical social engineering experiment. [applause] christians in iraq and syria who

have been killed by the thousands over the course of the last six months are paying the terrible price for the ineptness and incompetence that is run this country into the ground for the last six years. and that's something we need to resonate across america as we look forward to replacing and hiring a new commander-in-chief. [applause] and in 39 days, electing a congress that understands it as well. [applause] >> i maintain that we are all paying a terrible price for america's come if you will, leadership deficit disorder. the utopian rush to total disarmament. we don't need a commander-in-chief or head of state who gets our defenses, draws on the red lines with a pink crayon and then fails to

stand up and keep someone from crossing it. our leader ought to be trusted by our allies and respected or even feared by our adversaries do between now and 2016 when we hire a new commander-in-chief, we need a majority in congress who understand the rule of law and the constitution of the united states. [applause] >> if you allow me i want to make this personal. our children and our now 14 enough grandchildren are threatened by a mountain of debt, unconstrained spending and ever higher taxes and a headlong rush to socialism. our congress must be held accountable for what they are supposed to do to hold an administration accountable, one that offers the protection of our constitution to our enemies but strips those same protections on the american people. we need a congress who will stop this administration from

perpetrating frontal assault on free enterprise, private property, and the civil liberties enshrined in our bill of rights. we need a congress that would use the power of the purse to defend our national sovereignty, our borders, and stop the other team from subordinating the wealth of our nation to a globalist agenda that limits our use of our own energy resources. the obamacare debacle is but the tip of the incompetence and corruption rampant in washington. we the people, the first three words of our constitution, must demand accountability for a string of horrific scandals and coverups, "fast and furious," benghazi, the irs enemies list, government spying on american citizens. some of that began yesterday when eric holder, thank god, decided to get out of town.

[applause] the words we the people is not a political slogan. it's a way of life. commitments are not just what we say. commitments are what we do. the framers who crafted our constitution were counting on we the people to hold government accountable. some say, it's okay to ignore the so-called social issues, like marriage, sanctity of life, or religious freedoms. i say those are the social issues at all. they are deeply moral and spiritual issues, and they should matter in every election and. [applause] >> i just want you to understand. i know this is a nonpartisan organization so let me put it to you this way. in the 1850s, a political

movement began on a great moral issue. it was founded on a great spiritual issues of the day, the abolition of human bondage, slavery in america. if we cease to be a home in that particular political party, for people of faith, and those who believe strongly in moral and spiritual issues, that party will cease to be a political force for good amount of our candidates are and what they stand for. in short, that party has to be a home for those of us who fear god and the wrath that will follow when we reject him. [applause] >> our greatness was built on the shoulders of people who stake their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor on a creator who endowed us with

inalienable rights and responsibilities. they made a commitment. well, let me show you a contemporary definition of commitment your this, whic what you're about to see, is a marine captain by the name of matt lampert. he's on his second combat tour in afghanistan. and to put a on him and we put this in the file because fox didn't necessarily think it was appropriate for young audience. this is a measure of commitment. watch matt lampert. >> this is my second combat. to afghanistan. i just wish american people would understand there's a lot of people here does to believe in what we are doing out here. and are willing to come back again and again to prove that point. [applause]

[applause] we couldn't put it on the air and we couldn't have people that matt lampert's wife, matt is a graduate of the parade school i attended on the banks of the river to give been an enlisted marine and then he went to the naval academy, took his commission in the marines. on a second combat tour and he is married to a marine helicopter pilot. quite a commitment.

i'm asking you to make a commitment here today. i'm not going to ask you to make that kind of commitment like matt did. but i am asking you to make the commitment, when you go back home to inspire our countrymen to reject ideas like unilateral disarmament, which seek peace. to dismiss the concept of spending our way out of debt, or regulating our way to prosperity. i'm asking you to inspire others and we might elect those who know we cannot surrender our sovereignty to ensure security. i urge you to make a commitment today to assert the moral authority of a free people. the next election is just 39 days away. make a commitment now here to elect a congress that will preserve freedom and opportunity in america, will stand up to the liberties granted to us by our creator and protected by our constitution. we owe that much to the young

americans to risk their lives for us in difficult and dangerous places. i started this afternoon talking about heroes. the president that i was blessed to serve told us that we have a rendezvous with destiny. he asked us to commit ourselves to ensure the words of abraham lincoln, that we would ensure government of, by, and for the people that it will not perish from this earth. we often hear that we don't have heroes anymore. let me close with this from that commander-in-chief who called me a hero, though i never sought, thought of myself as one. here he speaks of real heroes and the kind of leadership that we need is reflected in what he's going to say. >> if we look to the answer as

to why for so many years we achieved so much, prosperous as know the people on earth, it was because here in this land we unleashed the energy and individual genius of man toward greater extent than has ever been done before. freedom and the dignity of the individual have been more available, and assured here than in any other place on earth. the price for this freedom at times has been high, but we have never been unwilling to pay that price. those who say that we're in a time when there are no heroes, they just don't know where to look. the sloping hills of arlington national cemetery with its row upon row of simple white markers bearing crosses or stars of david. they add up to only a tiny fraction of the price that has been paid for our freedom. each one of those markers is a

monument to the kind of hero i spoke of earlier. their lives ended in places called delta lloyd, the argonne, omaha beach, salerno, and halfway around the world on wallop now, pork chop hill, the chosin reservoir, and in 100 rice paddies and jungles of a place called vietnam. under one such marker lies a young man, martin, who left his job in a small town barber shop in 1917 to go to friends with the famed rainbow division. they are on the western front, he was killed trying to carry a message between battalions under heavy artillery fire. we are told that on his body was found a diary.

on the fly leaf under the heading my pledge, he had written these words. america must win this war. therefore, i will work, i will save, i will sacrifice, i will endure, i will fight cheerfully and do my utmost as if the issue of the whole struggle depended on me alone. we must realize that no arsenal or no weapon in the arsenals of the world is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women. it is a weapon our adversaries in today's world do not have. it is a weapon that we as americans do have. let that be understood by those who practice terrorism and prey upon their neighbors. as for the enemies of freedom, those who are potential

adversaries, they will be reminded that peace is the highest aspiration of the american people. we will negotiate for it, sacrifice for it. we will not surrender for it, now or ever. we are americans. [applause] ..

[applause] ♪ [applause] >> i don't know if i can compose myself to finish these announcements after watching that. the only thing between you and lunch is me and these announcements, which makes me as popular as a help -- leper. we'll go through these quickly. no unauthorized taping is allowed. participate in our straw poll. hosting a reception in the congressional room this evening between 5:30 and 7:00. governor bobby jindal, rick santorum, a professor who

unseated eric cantor, a form redskins star, clint didier, steve king and others. the cost is $100 per person. you can get your ticket upstairses at the registration desk. you most have a ticket to attend. all college and high school students, there's going to be -- you'll be meeting at 5:30 to 7:00 for free pizza and to discuss policy and mix and ming with the pros in the empire room downstairs. talk about hot topics such as religious freedom, world view, entertainment, drugs and guns, life, marriage, and more, with whenam brothers, and other organizations, and did i mention, free pizza. just show your student name tag for admission. lieutenant general william gwynn and oliver north will be doing a book signing immediately.

this afternoon, senator rick sapper to rum and kelly shackleford will be doing a book signing in the diplomat foyer, and kelly, our first speaking this afternoon, at 1:00, is going to be dog a press conference -- be doing a press conference at their booth in the -- where all of our exhibitions are, and he'll be talking about this book, this report, called "undeniable: the survey of hostility to religion in america." these are all free and for you. take them home. incidents are up 25%, about 1600 incidents recorded of religious hostility in america. be sure pick up one of these, and if you can join them at 1:00 in their booth at the exhibition hall, that would be great. several book signings tomorrow. these are listed in your program book. it's very important you understand that you cannot buy the book where the book-signing is being held. you have to pick up your book in advance. there's plenty of opportunities

for that. there's a massive book table. and then get in line and get them signed. at the regency hall. tonight at 9:30-ish, right here in the ballroom, after our activities here, there's going to be a worship concert with jessa and jordan anderson, very passionate about sharing the gospel. we'll also be showing the movie "unfair: exposing the irs" at 9:30 in the empire room on the lower level. the schmidt is hosting a jobs fair tomorrow with 20 of the leading conservative organizations in the anyway including heritage foundation, leadership institute, live action, concerned women for america, from 11:30 to 1:30 in the -- also lighted to have pro family organizations from all

over the nation. we had to overflow into the other side in bird cage walk just outside the ballroom. police support these and exhibi. and learn about your state's family policy council at booth 72. participate in the conversation with twitter. enter your comments using our hash tag, vvs14. if you purchase tickets to the sponsor meals, the reception or the gala, please remember the ticket is your admittance. lost and found items well be turned into the hotel security or economic our sales conference office adjacent to where you're registered first to see if anything has been turned in if if you require extra final for seating this afternoon -- extra time for seating we'll open the doors early. there is an area up front for guests will wheelchairs or

scooters, and the contact for the vvf event staff. please, remember to take all of your materials with you after each session. we will reconvene at 2:00 sharp. we have good at tremendous lineup you're going to enjoy. all bags are subject to search, name badges are required for admittance, and no unauthorized reporting or taping. enjoy your lurch. -- enjoy your lunch. ♪ >> and we'll have more from the family research council's values voter summit at 2:00 eastern time. former senator rick santorum, then former alaska governor sarah palin and louisiana governor bobby jindal. also at 2:00, an oregon governor's debate between

democratic incumbent and republican state representative dennis richardson. that will be live on c-span at 2:00. also on c-span, discussion from the comal black caucus' 44th 44th annual legislative conference on police brutality and minorities, live at 3:00 eastern. as part of the legislative conference the congressional black caucus hosted a discussion on this year's mid-term elections, voter i.d. laws and justice department voting rights rules. >> good morning. it is an honor to be here with this distinguished panel, with the leadership of the foundation. it is an honor and a pleasure to be here with each and every one of you. we're about to hear a wonderful, wonderful presentation and exchange of ideas about something so very fundamental, the right to vote.

so i will be brief. dr. king said, one of the most significant steps we can take is the short walk to the voting booth. and that is what we all have to do in the election. a few weeks ago we had the privilege of bestowing the congressional gold medal on reverend martin luther king, jr. and coretta scott king. it was remarkable because it was so overdue and also because at the very same time, we were appealing to our colleagues to pass the bipartisan voting rights act to correct the shelby decision. that still hasn't happened. we must make it happen. but in order to make that happen, we all must vote. as i said it's a privilege to be here, to accept the invitation of the congressional black caucus foundation. another privilege i had more

than a year ago was to stand on the steps with the congressional black caucus, the very distinguished chair, congresswoman marsha and members of the cbc on the steps of the supreme court. we were there, calling upon the court to make the right decision. that very day, we were meeting in the house of representatives to dedicate the statue of rosa park. it just seemed so strange, we're dedicating a statue to rosa park, people turn out in a bipartisan way to salute her, and yet we have to appeal to the court to do the right thing, and when they don't, they come and sing the praises of martin luther king, but don't pass the voting rights act. so we have important work to do, and we have important people doing it. the distinguished chair of the foundation has been working for children, for children, for children, for cities, for the

more than people. he is d for the american people. marsha fudge, very strong leader and fighter for opportunities for all in our country, and taking the lead on fighting for food stamps and the rest, in a very, very tough battle, but who better than she to lead on that score and so many others. our assistant leader, mr. clyburn, a champion on the voting rights act, he, long with con con -- john conyer working hard to get that passed. our chairman being one of them, mr. cummings works very hard to make sure to set the record straight as some in congress would constantly be on the attack of president barack obama. benny thompson, our chair -- ranking member. hopefully soon to be chair of the homeland security committee

to keep america state. maxine waters, chair, financial services, looking out for consumers and our financial system so that it is fair to everyone. eddie bernice johnson, all the talk we heard about science and technology and math, she is a chair of the science and technology committee. the congressional black caucus has provided such tremendous leadership to our country. we will have a new member, bobby scott will be the chairman of the education -- i say chairman optimistically but he will be the top democrat on the education and labor committee, following up on his important work for young people and workers in our country. so, this caucus is making a valuable contribution to our country. even some who are not chairs of the caucus or committees, emanuel cleaver, and congresswoman clay, were there

in ferguson, and have made us all so proud as they represented us in a way that was appropriate and respectful of the very serious nature of what happened there, and they, along with john lewis, whom you'll be hearing from, the conscious of the congress they call the black caucus, he certainly is very much a part of that. so much needs to be done. ferguson. say the word. conjures up so much that needs to be done. voting rights act. freeing people to -- that have the right to vote, with respect, for who they are. so, i thank jeff johnson for their leadership, valerie long, so many people making today possible. it's an honor for me to be here to salute the members of the

by marsha fudge and khaka pata with the foundation. and how about the fellows we met and the fact some of the fellowships were named for donald payne, for donald payne, that beautiful, lovely man, and for congressman stokes, chairman stokes, distinguished leader, and so the tradition goes on about education, which is key to the fulfillment of the young people, which is also necessary for -- to keep america number one. i just leave you with one thought. one way we hope to turn out a big vote in all communities, and the vote in the congressional black caucus leadership community, is so important, is what jeff said. about jobs, keeping -- jump-start the middle class. good-paying jobs here in america, and investing in education, to keep america number one and that means we

have to invest heavily in historical black colleges and reduce the cost of loans. [applause] >> and very important part of it to the community is whenr women succeed, america succeeds. that's how we think we're going to turn out a big vote. thank you for the honor of having a chance to say a few words. good luck in your deliberations. we're all counting on you, and i know the success of this conference will be the success of our country. thank you all very much. [applause] >> thank you, congresswoman. and she said it right. the panel that we're getting ready to go into is going to cover ambitiously three key areas. one is the state of the african-american vote, moving into 2014. the necessity to look at both voting and law enforcement reform as it relates to policy.

and then also, where we are going and how the black vote affects us socioeconomically. that's a lot of cover in a short amount of time, but we have a brilliant panel that's going to do that. i'm going to be introducing folks that are in thed/ audienc. we got to do shout-outs. congresswoman beatty said i'm no stranger to the congressional black caucus, and i think it's important, it's not just been for me about supporting the jobs or getting on the road to support different members in certain parts of the country. it's that before anybody knew me, when i was a senior in high school, in cleveland, ohio, it there was a woman who was a county prosecutor named stephanie tubbs jones. and she came into my high school government class, and blew me away.

and i said to myself, i need work for her. and i asked my teacher if i could walk her to her ca car as she was leaving the classroom, and i said to her, you're going hire me, and anybody that knows her, knows that look, like, what are you talking sunset i don't know you. she said, are you a lawyer? i said, no. she said, i only hire lawyers. come back to me after you go to law school. i said, well, lawyers have files, right? she said, yes. i said, you got a file room? where those files are? she said, yes. i said you need somebody to get files for lawyers. in that file room. and she said, you're funny. come see me on monday. and she hired me in the file room of the county prosecutor's office in cleveland, ohio, and that set up a trajectory for me

felt it was necessary -- we talk about honoring those that have come before, and congress woman stephanie tubbs jones was one of the most powerful black women that we have seen in the halls of congress and on days like today i just remember her so much and want to lift her up. so it's my honor and privilege to introduce those that will lead news our discussion today. police -- please held your applausen in the end. wade henderson. a tireless civil rights leader and advocate, member of the bar in the district of columbia and the united states supremeb cou. elaine jones, was first female president. director of the naacp legal if he was fine. a civil right lawyer elected to me american bar association board of governors in 1989. the first african-american to do so. in december of 2000, president clinton presented her with the

eleanor roosevelt human rights award. representative john lewis. elected to congressin' 1986, and represented the fifth congressional district of georgia. a civil rights leader was freedom rider, spoke at the 1963 march on washington in 2011, and also received the presidential medal of freedom. barbara arnwine is president and executive direct directyear of the lawyers committee, a graduate of duke university law school. champions ray, just itses. she specializes in the areas of housing and lending-community development, employment, voting rights, education, and environmental justice. representative javier baserra is the chairman of the house democratic caucus, former deputy attorney general with the california depth ofity and was elected to the u.s. house of representatives in 1992. he is a member of the congressional  hispanic caucus, also a member of the executive

committee of the congressional asian pacific american caucus. and last but certainly not least, is a leader who i met while i was working in that file room in cleveland, ohio. [laughter] >> she was staff at that time but she is an unbelievable public servant from my home state, representing the 11th 11th congressional district, in such an unbelievable way. she chairs the congressional black caucus and is continuing on every single level to be an unbelievable freedom fighter, even as she is a powerful legislator, ladies and gentlemen, representative marcia fudge. [applause]

>> now, i have to ask an unbelievable favor. as we are addressing these three major themes of the state of the black vote, of the necessity to look at reform of voting and law enforcement policy, recent legislation in particular, and civil rights -- and supreme court cases have had on voting rights and voting rights for african-americans.

what have the last two years in particular done for the -- to the african-american electorate and, more importantly, if there is one thing that all of us need to be doing, moving into november, what is that one thing? >> more than anything else, the decision of the united states supreme court, local, state officials, all across america, not just in the southern states, made a deliberate effort to take us back to another period. and we must stand up and fight and push, by going to the polls and vote like we never voted before. i said in the past the vote is almost sacred. it controls everything we do. everything. and as a minority, whether we be black, latino, asian american,

native american, we must understand that 50 years ago, this year, three young men that i knew, gave their lives trying to make it possible for all of our citizens to become participant inside the democratic process. but we got to vote. we want to respond to ferguson? we got to@0 vote. it is powerful. got to do and it we must do it. if not we're going to go backwards. >> even as we begin the fight, and many in this room and around the country have consistently been engaged in ensuring we're registered and ensuring that folks are educated, and making sure that there's robust gotv, but congresswoman funnel, there is a debate happening in our community as we're looking at what happened with the supreme court decision. do we continue to fight for federal voter laws or do we more focus on state laws that we're

losing in many cases all over the country? is it a both and proposition, or as we move forward into a new space and time, is it an either/or proposition due to lack of resources, limited resources, and the fact that we continue to get beat up on the state level, even when we have some federal protections. >> let me say two things. first off, let me thank you as well as to say to this audience that he is a little mott test. when -- modest. when he came to work the prosecutor's office he was a world class track throw it. so he was not only bright. he was doing the right things, the things we want our young people to do, so i thank you for still being who you are. as it relates to -- it's not an either/or. when we were kids we would say i can walk and chew bubblegum at the same time. and we can. if we don't we make a huge mistake. the reason we are in the shape we're in partially is because of

redistricting, and we did that because we lost the state houses. if we had not lost the state houses we may be ina. a much bt are position than we are today. i think the thing that people need to understand is what is at stake in this election. i mean, we all know why we need to vote. let me just say these few things. if we don't vote, believe it or not, they're going to file articles of impeachment against our president. if we don't vote, the street in front of your house is not going to get fixed. if we don't vote, we're going to have hungry children across the country because they're going to keep cutting snacks. we have to understand that this election is about us, not about the people who are running. its about the policies that we need to be supporting. if you don't vote, i just say your selfish and sorry, so tell the people to good out here and vote. [applause]na

>> congresswoman -- we can walk and chew gum at the same time, but with we are -- even those inside the political bubble are looking around, i hear conversations every day about the need to secure the seats in the house and potentially move some seats forward. i hear about securing the senate and ensuring that democrats stay on the front end there for those playing party politics. don't hear the same level of fervor and enthusiasm about down-ballot candidates that are drastically going to affect quality of life in states all over the country. as we talk about walking and chewing gum at the same time, how can we ensure we're doing the kind of work that leads people to the polls, that pushes forward the kind of representatives we want in the house and senate but not at the cost of poorly educating folks on the down ballot seats, many who still have the opportunity to win in certainástates. >> jeff, let me begin by saying,

thank you for being here and allowing me to be if a all these great loaded. to the point i their marcia hit it right on the money there, and i think congressman lewis gave us the proper perspective. we find after 2008 and 2012, when the black vote set historic numbers, that runs went on the-l -- republicans went on the offense and said we have to stop this. they've been playing offense for the last four years and going after that vote. not by trying to persuade you not to vote. by not making it possible for you to vote. and so what we got stop is playing defense. we're fighting the supreme court decision. we're fighting to change laws that at state and federal levels, and we should take the offense itch don't think you're going to take the offense only if you concentrate at the federal or local level. marcia said, you have to do both, and the response here is,

we have to teach our young folk that voting is a right, but it's not just a right. it's a right of passage. if you don't vote, it's like -- you want to learn how to drive? it's a rite of passage. you want to be a leader who is leading this country? show me you know the importance of voting. so, it's got to be a conviction that is a right -- rite of passage for our young folks. we have to teach them. doesn't make any difference if it's a city council seat or congressional seat or for the president of the united states. our young folks have t[í understand the value of voting for that little town hall city council person, or for the president of the united states. when we do that, it makes no difference how these antivoters want to push us. we will be on the offense, and we will win. >> thank you, congressman.

barbara, i'm concerned because i hear congressman and i agree but as someone who has worked at the naacp, people for the american way, other organizations at the national level, and even worked on the pop culture side to engage young voters, i hear the language of voting being important. and i hear it specifically during targeted periods. but if we're talking about offense, in many cases the enemy that many of us are fighting never takes a day off. when do we move beyond this notion that fighting for the vote starts and ends somewhere around the time campaigning starts, and that whether it's our churches, our civic organizations, and our leadership, begin to have messages and movement that don't turn on and off. that we engage funders so funders aren't only funding during periods of time.

how do we create a movement that is larger, more comprehensive and more 360 than, frankly, we have seen in several decades. >> thank you. for that question. >> i figured you'd like that. >> because, listen, everyone. voting has to be 365 days a year. it cannot only be about showing up for an election -- that's key, because that's how you manifest it. if you don't give a gift on christmas, well, you know what happens. so the most important thing for people right now is for -- we know, jeff, that for every one of us who knows that november 4th is election day, that four other people have no idea, note/ a clue. not a clue. our duty is to create the

massive microphone to get the word out to every person know. my mother is 83 years old. she will be on the phone calling

national action network scum of the national coalition for black civic participation, we have put out toolkit that every black community can use. we have a new one that just came out of civic and agent this week and another one with faith based communities and another one for you to focus. but what i want to make sure of is that what those kids do is that they talk about not only registering to vote what's going on in the local communities, but they also talk about this issue about making sure that people stay engaged because the problem is the reason why so many people don't want to go is they get disgusted with putting people in office. they get angry when they see

that they are not at the school board level making sure that their children have the best education. they get upset when the mayor isn't holding the police force accountable. we have to make sure that people are held accountable and that we are engaged in this process all the time. >> i think you make a great point. thank you very much and if you could build on that my concern is again we throw out the word accountability all the time and so why aren't we holding mayors and school members accountable and state legislators accountable but in the cities that have 2,000 churches, very few of those members attended the city council meeting. in places where we have activist organizations and a lot of times they don't show up at the state legislature. >> i am honored to be here and to be part of this conversation.

very important. voting really is the language of democracy. if you don't vote, you don't count. the truth is partisanship and particularly a corrosive and toxic kind of partisanship has subverted the right to vote and democracy as we know it. i want to give a brief history lesson of why this issue is important. when a president elected was elected in 2008 he shattered every record about the voter turnout and participation. in north carolina you had a huge turnout of african americans and in virginia and indiana it was mind blowing. but in the 2008 election, robert

draper and author that created the book don't ask us what we do, the u.s. house of representatives documented a dinner that took place in washington where paul ryan, kevin mccarthy, the current width of the house of representatives, newt gingrich and others came together to talk about not just how to regain power but how to subvert president obama's legislative agenda that was on the night of his inaugural ball. in september of 2009 and obscure congressman from south carolina by the name of joe wilson who was attending a joint session of the house and senate yelled out during the presidential address you lie. it was an attack on the presidency and i'm president obama. he was awarded a nine-point victory and a war chest of untold proportions generated by what he did.

in march of 2010, the tea party activists came to town and spent state on the congressman emanuel cleaver had raised racial but that's a john lewis and other members and argued that this was a free exercise of their right to express their views. i mention all of this for the following reason. this is a concerted effort to subvert the presidents agenda. it began on the night of the first election. the failure of the part of the voters to respond in 2010 as we responded in 2008 cost us everything. we lost control of the state houses and control of our ability to set the state's agenda and we are still paying the price. >> i would love if we could put up the slide that shows some of the black voter turnout and the

variances between 2010 and 2012 and those will come up. but a lot of times, quickly, we talk about the electorate and with the electorate didn't do, but a lot of times i didn't see resources, i didn't see infrastructure, i didn't see organization. and in large part, pushing to ensure that the turnout was going to be at the same level. >> resources or advocacy in the community of organizing the electorate are scarce. they've not been devoted by the national party structure as they should be. as a comic, on now. be real. we know that your vote is always soft at election time. but there is no infrastructure on the part of the national party to support organizing in the community. i'm not here in a partisan role. i am not here for one party or the other. i am saying how interests should determine how we cast our vote.

and in the event that we don't vote, we are ultimately harmed. so here's the connection. when you look at the states that have failed to provide medicaid assistance under the generous provisions of the obamacare bill, states gets three years of federal support. it's an inducement to have states joined the medicare debate. most of the people that are affected by medicaid are poor people. like people, white people, latinos. the states that are denying them are largely in the south. but the truth is we can't get health care and we desperately need it in our vote will determine whether that is carried out. >> let me do this and i would like you to come in and for you to deal with how because i'm serious about how because i think everything that wade brought up was poignant. but i'm interested for those of us in cincinnati or indianapolis

or pittsburgh or oakland, wherever they may be compelled we begin to see 365 days engagement in the voter process that creates a culture of civic and age meant not just an activity of voting? can i say something to that? >> yes ma'am. >> we need to be half as good as our forefathers. we need to be half as good. i'm telling you when black men first got the right to vote in 1870 in 1870, those brothers, five years out of slavery with

the turned over shoes and callers wrapped themselves around the pole for 25 years they didn't miss a vote and they elected 24 black man to the congress by themselves because they didn't need to be educated on the democracy. they didn't need that. they understood that. they elected 24 black people to congress. the power that be has always understood the strength of the black vote. in our hands, we have the seeds of our own liberation. and we do not use it.

you talk about what can we do, what the organization, we voted for barack obama in 2008. we got out of there because what we do, we vote for people. we don't vote for issues. with barack obama we had the issue and the person combined so that we could come out. we removed the african-american president, state level, federal level it's all connected. we can't see anything. we don't educate ourselves. so what is going on in our community? it's an abomination. it's no wonder that we got any on the police force. [applause] we have been fighting for the

right to vote and ever since we got it its nothing new. it's a always been under attack. in the supreme the supreme court we decided they were going to review the case. three days after obama was elected in 2012. three days. the foundations don't fund it, okay. the people don't organize it. is our individual duty to self educate? .-full-stop it is our duty to organize and educate others and its local. it begins at home.

everybody. the community meeting, this is like the school board that says black people should be known as the most politically active vote in this nation. when they look at us they have to automatically know. >> thank you so much. [applause] what i need you to do next time, i need to hear more passion. you're not passionate enough. we need a little more energy. [laughter] >> i loved it. >> congresswomen, i know you have to transition but i have a sticky question. i know that normally you can deal with sticky questions. wade brought up something that i

think is important and that is that often times even democrats treats the african-american amenities like baseball fans who only watch the world series they just show up in october. and so how do we begin because i think that he laid dealt with the fact that there are internal issues that we need to deal with if we are going to mobilize, but there also is support issues from those that we support and so how do we n. gage the democratic party in a more effective way of supporting candidates that we can see have a chance of winning but don't get broad support, and this unbelievable infrastructure. they are always brought into meetings to give free advice.

when they finally realized that 45% of the vote of the democratic party is minority than they pay attention. when they realize they need to hold the senate and in indiana they devoted its 30% of the vote in louisiana. 30% of the people in louisiana are black people. in georgia, almost the same. north carolina, almost the same. it's not just can't. separate the democratic party. once we realize that we can make a difference. we are players in this game.

we are getting ready to spend $60 million on the ground in seven states. guess who's going to get some of that money now. the dnc supported our freedom sunday effort. we talk about getting out the vote and i think it's just important that you have to make people do what's right sometimes. we expect them to do what's right. we expected them to take care of us because we were worth something with some value but sometimes you have to make them do it and now we are making them do it because if they don't don't then they lose. i'm going to tell you what my life isn't going to change a lot personally but what will change is my neighbors or when they can't keep a roof over their head so we are seeing democratic

party, all three houses of the democratic party you better pay attention to us because if you don't, everybody loses. if we win, everybody wins and if we lose, everybody loses. >> thank you. and at this time we are going to shift gears a little bit and i want to talk about what is unable to people's minds. many of you have seen in the last 24 hours but people were in the streets and ferguson and others conversations right now about protesters blocking the st. louis cardinals game as they go into the playoffs, but there is also right now a video that was released of john crawford shooting in ohio in a wal-mart where it was said that he was the police stated that he was a gunwielding individual but it was sold in wal-mart that he was getting ready to buy.

we had heard that the video and there was no warning. the police didn't identify themselves as that he was shot behind the first time and killed in many cases with abb because a second shot and so ferguson is an example of what is happening in the cities all over the country that either no one catches on video or it doesn't bubble to the surface. if you could chime in first and actually if i could pause for a second, if you could chime in for a second because clearly the policy issues as it relates to the militarization of local police, there are policies that relate to what the rules for excessive force are but more importantly with the communities are conserved with is how do we create the policy that hold the police accountable in the substantive ways versus superficial ways we don't continue to see people that shoot someone and tomorrow they are back on the street.

>> i think it is important that we become organized all across america with the ability and the capacity to speak up and not wait until there's an incident. there is an incident. during the 60s we didn't have a website. we didn't know anything about the internet. we have our own machines and we are by the nonviolent revolution of values and ideas. i think that many of our communities are too quiet. we need to make some noise. organize. organize different campaigns to you to do, but that was my next question to you because i get

concerned when i hear the older sometimes talk about the lack of engagement of young people but there isn't that there isn't a real historical analysis of the fact that your generation got trained. -- travel from washington, d.c. to new orleans. >> you want using a sophisticated multimillion dollar institute so i'm interested in knowing for those that are working with young people are college students are that are interested in moving them to address the vote or to address issues of police brutality. what are some ways that we can actually do the training that helps springboard consistent leadership not just passionate leadership. >> i think that we need to

recruit people. is. he is the most powerful in the society. and we failed to use it and we are going to go backward. >> congressman and then i will come back to you, he elaine talked about something that was critical and that is in so many cases.

i don't just mean those that are showing matriculation for the undergraduate institutions and talking about those that are on the block. we see the folks going into the city council and school board and even the mayor's races. >> one of the things when you hear -- i try to find a good person of minority background but they are not out there or they don't come to me. i'm the chairman of the democratic caucus. the majority of my stuff on the democratic caucus.

i completely disagree on the notion that we post debate coverage based on the person. when ferguson occurred i think that people said that's me. when the civil rights movement got strong they said that's me. when you have success we saw the civil rights act passed and then we got the voting rights act passed. we got what we were looking for and we got to the place and sat and didn't teach the next generation the john lewis of the world to be ready for the next time. if ferguson is just one example i think what we have to do is it's hard to teach an old dog new tricks and a soap we've got to start with them young because

it is tough to change bad habits. and we have to teach our young folks never to have that bad habit and i would say one other thing. if we don't put some of our own money, our own skin and again on the voter edge, not just depend on whether the parties are going to do it for us we will never fully get there because the parties will only do it every year that there's an election we need to do that every year that child's life so that when they get to the 18 it is like getting a drivers license. >> lets me let me build on what javier just said. when you listen to mr. lewis and we hear the passion and we talk about our history i think what happens is we get comfortable with what they speak to some of the younger folks in the office audience because with mr. lewis said is they were trained.

they were trained because they felt the conviction and it affected them. so, my message to you is whether you are on the more mature end of this audience when you get that corner corporate office, you remember that there's somebody that needs to be and when you get there with all of your credentials, you have to remember that there is someone in your contemporary and what i am saying is that the corporate office or the highest with the highest level they don't think people loan so that we emulate when our young folks come along they emulate what our leaders know and love the environment are giving because we like all the attention on us. when everybody was marching it was never about him. it's about the cause. when 22 black women, 101 years

ago had the courage to convince a president of the united states to let them be the only women of color to march in the women's suffrage march it wasn't about them, it was about the cause. so i agree on the people, but it's always about the cause. succumbing you're in here for free, you will attend things late in the evening for free so everything that you have for free you then write a check back to the cause. whether it is to the naacp, whether it is to the caucus that you prefer, but there are no free rides. mr. lewis and all of his contemporaries didn't ask anybody for the dying. they didn't ask anybody to get them a bus ticket to get on the bus. could you imagine today send

with this group and walk for a week so we have to go all the school and at last, that's why we are doing this panel because we stand on the shoulders of someone. you stand on the shoulders of someone. it's time for us to get a shoulders of our young folks can stand on. thank you. [applause] >> if you ask somebody to walk with you for a week if i remember so much of what made the bus boycott soberly and with her it would start with one day and i think what we are seeing in ferguson that i am pleased out as we are seeing young and old people on the ground like that are not waiting for anybody to come back and that are not waiting for a national leader to come and end for somebody to sell them how to do it and there is continuity that we are starting to see but what are the issues if you well will on the policy side as it relates to the

police brutality that helped turn the needle if it is the civilian review board when they are going to the polls they know what to look for. >> thank you so much. first of all i want everyone to know that there is a unified statement put out by at least 15 civil rights organizations on the ferguson reforms and police reforms nationwide. if this is into the letter that we are so annoyed and there's a disgusted and we are angry this is a letter that says federal government, state government, local government, we won't be

burying our children every single three days. we need to understand that this is not a moment as the reverend reverend says, but it is about a movement that this is the work of our generation. this is the work that we have to get done. so, i want you to know that you can become -- you can get copies of the statement. some of them are outside this hall. also at the booth 230 in the exhibit hall and i want you to sign up. i want you to go to lawyerscommittee.org to become a signatory but also to all of the questions that you have been asking, the beauty of the moment

that we sit in, let's not miss where we are in this moment and where we are going in the future i want to give a shout out to all of the brothers and sisters that created, hands up to shoot.org. let's talk about it. i want to give a shout out to all of my brothers and sisters from dream defenders, black youth it matters. i want to give a shout out because those brothers and sisters have done it with no time. they figured out how to get from new york to ferguson. they've got no buses and figured out how to get from florida. they've done it and i want to be very clear but then we have to use a generation that is with all of the others that are using

their talent, darlene and charlie's carothers and philip agnew and all of these others who are standing up because they understand that this is not just an issue about black men. it's an issue about black boys and women's and girls. two days after the shooting of michael brown, police shot and killed in phoenix, arizona, michelle who was 50-years-old, mentally disabled, had a hammer in her hand and they decided to shoot her 20 times. the community was so disgusted that 300 people marched with her casket and they took it to the city hall and put it in the middle of the tide in the lobby. let's be very clear everywhere in the country people are rising

and we are standing up and saying no more killing of our people, but we need these systematic institutional reforms. we need to dig deep and fight to make sure that the change happens and that i'm not sitting here on the pedal next year. we can stop this by getting their racial guidance passed, by getting the funding taken away from the departments of history and that are engaging in police brutality. we can change it by make in all these places where there are cameras for the true story gets out and by having -- cams on police cars and by forcing people to teach statistics on who's being shot and killed and by making simple changes going who to impact is employed and by having the community civil review boards that are powerful

and can subpoena and punch and have the ability to have community policing instead of broken windows that makes racial profiling legal. these are the things we have to do. listen, i stand here because you know that my family was invaded by a sports team. came into my home at 5:00 at night, you think ferguson has military gear? they came in with night goggles. i kept saying turn on the lights but they wanted to play with their night guards. they held up the armed guards for three hours. while they executed a search warrant but they couldn't produce. these are the realities. we need to be very clear about the moment that we are in. i don't want us to ever forget.

we created those organizations we can create the organizations that you're talking about some of that we need to have a 365 days a preview of what's going on politically at our local, state and federal level that we can hold people accountable. we've got the technology, we've got the means, we just have to do the work and i know in this audience the seed you talked about, they are right here and they are going to take what they learned today and change it into a new america. thank you. >> what i want to do is ask one more question that i hate when we have three minutes left and then we open the floor and only two people gets to ask questions. so there is a microphone in the middle here that will be available for those that want to ask questions korea we will get to as many as we can which is

why i want to open as quickly as possible. but if he would begin to line up in the center aisle following this question and this is for both wade and e. lane we wanted to talk about the socioeconomic impact of the voting on african-americans. and so, i would like for you to talk about some of the small ways that we are impacted because there are so many. but could you also talk about something that the representative becerra talked about just how do we financially impact the voting process and what we can do to play the more sophisticated game on fund-raising and donating the kind of candidate we want and the fund-raising role in the parties if they so choose to play the role in that space. >> voting obviously matters and here here's a good example. eric holder, who is now the attorney general of the united states who might be in office were it not for barack obama.

we would reduce the disparities between crack and powder cocaine, took off three years of drug sentences for many that use the effort with drugs. if it were not for eric holder, we wouldn't have an an attorney general are giving the people that were convicted of felonies should be entitled to vote. if it were not for eric holder, we went we wouldn't have become preemptive effort to reduce the sentencing disparities based on mandatory minimums that have been generated. so they matter. when eric holder is challenged by the house of representatives that's something that we should be concerned about and when people talk about the potential to impeach president obama because he's carried the policies that are in the best interest of the country can understand that is an attack it's an attack on his record and

the programs that he is pursuing so when we don't have a jobs program that responds to the higher level of unemployment in the african-american community because of structured jobs program was seen as being in the interest of his political opponents that a consequence we have to deal with when we are challenged about the resources in the tv coverage and medicaid are clear. there are school costs for public education that are affected by the elections so there are a number of both major and micro- issues affect about the outcome of elections. so i'm looking to use what we have. ferguson has given us a moment that will help generate a movement and yes i'm delighted that the groups like color change and others are in the effort. but i'm now looking for a hash tag that says hands up go vote

because -- >> hands up, go vote. there is a connection between what you do and the consequences that we are feeling on the ground. so, when the president supports providing body cameras for police officers as a way of helping to protect all of us by getting film of what happened, that is a positive. or maybe sponsor before writing from the department of justice that determines how race can be used in the purposes that is something that only he is capable of organizing and doing. and so i'm saying yes we do have to educate ourselves that i want to go back to something the congresswoman's. there is a judge in this country who's now a 92-year-old retired judge out of michigan. he told me once he walked across

the floors you've never scrubbed. walk through doors you've never opened. you have an obligation to do that for those that come behind you. that's why at 92 he is raising hell and encouraging people to do what is necessary. so, yes you did walk across the floors you've never scrubbed and walk through doors you've never opened and the key is using the cover that we already have in our hands to determine the outcome of change. >> my question was how do we -- a round of applause is all right. >> how do we begin to play a more sophisticated financial gain in the electoral politics? >> i just go back to the principle that all politics are local. it's not national because coming from our organization and our community level, we can go

national. that's easy enough to do and we are organized to do that. in our community they used to be called community crusade's. what this committee did was in terms of the police department who are the officials from the department of public safety, what role does the governor play , what role does the public policy people and when the local election comes we can have a direct connection between the person who is running into the

composition of the police department and with their cover is. in other words, it is an ongoing education process about what goes on. to keep informed locally. then you come together and you can even collect your money locally. while we like what so and so is saying about this so we are going to get the $500 to this campaign. it's where your power lies. so, that's how we do it and it also builds awareness. we are engaged episodically. one of my colleagues said its 365 days a year knowing the

power. we don't know our power. knowing the cover of the vote. if somebody tells you they are registered, get with them. go with them, let's check your registration to make sure the address is right. it's all in the details. when they show up they don't have a problem when it is time to vote. that's the power. we need the local organization, we need the research group and the folks to think about the money into the community meetings. you don't have to have them every week that there ought to be a community meeting about what's going on here at home. >> thank you so much. i want to make sure we get to as many questions as we can so there are three rules as a few that have been with me when i moderated before know those

rules. first ask a question. the second rule, ask a question. the third rule we have confirmation on this? we have a breaking announcement congresswoman pelosi needs to make that is important. [applause] >> thank you. this has been spectacular and i want to thank congresswoman joyce beatty for her leadership in putting all of this together and bishop a senior member of congress and a champion for veterans for putting this together. thank you stanford again, and i also want to acknowledge that while we are here this week the president has been at the un and i was proud to make the official appointments to be appointed to be the house democrats representative at the united nations general assembly.

[applause] aren't they all wonderful? and i disassociate myself with the comments that were made about the excellence of the great attorney general eric holder. i want to say that the congressional black caucus is instrumental in almost every one of the initiatives whether it is crack cocaine as the congresswoman marcia knows that the leadership of the caucus makes so much of what you talk about here possible. so i didn't want that to go. when you talk about medicaid and the rest with charlie wrangle and other members of the committee consisted of may be a strong part. i want to salute to caucus. and we talked about your dad earlier donald payne and donna

edwards who has joined us earlier. but the attorney general will resign today and he's served our country very well but the message is that the attorney general will be submitting his resignation to the president so but i salute him. [applause] >> thank you so much leader pelosi. that is a shock. it's almost like we need to have another panel for attorney general holder but i want to make sure that we honor those in line. i set the first two rules which were ask a question and the third rule is ask a question. you have 30 seconds to ask the question at which time

[inaudible] if you can direct it to one member of the panel, that would be helpful otherwise we will direct one member of the panel to answer it so we can get to as many questions as possible. yes, sir. if you can allow her to hold the microphone because it is statistically proven that you talk 30% longer when it is in your hand. [laughter] >> prior to the march on washington, there was a collision of civil rights and social justice organizations, the naacp, the urban league, rainbow push. how do we inculcate that it wasn't just a bright cut it as a responsibility to ourselves, a responsibly to the ones we live in the community with and the responsibility to the world.

>> i got the question. yes, sir. so how do we organize the coalitions, some of which already exist. barbara, if you wouldn't mind talking about some of those coalitions that already exist but i think the question is how do we get young people indoctrinated in that and you also know some of the younger people doing that as well. >> that reality is that the coalition around ferguson that we put together, i did that for my -- from my sick bed. i was at home with a back problem. i was soon to be out of the country with wade and others to argue before the un about our voting rights and other rights of the criminal justice issues. when i saw what government to mike brown and assaulted her blowing up and i started getting calls, i knew we couldn't just

do nothing. and as a result i called tonya who is here in the audience, you're our brilliant public policy director who was able to help me come to be in as many civil rights organizations as we could get on the phone and we talked. we had all the experts and that's how we came up with a unified statement. we need a collision. if you are talking about movement you can't just do it with one organization. movement requires everybody. that's why i'm here seeking and soliciting your individual organizational signature on that statement caused the coalition building. what i love about all these young people involved and handsets don't shoot the ferguson battle, the police

reform battle it's that they also are collapsing and i love the way that they've been able to figure it out but this group will take the lead on having a arch on this weekend, this saturday and the next group to the next one and if they come and support each other that's what we have to do so within our bones that we have to make it happen. organizational credit is a problem? there are so many problems you have to overcome when you deal with coalition but i will tell you that they can be overcome. i fight for it every day and i push people forward and we get it done. we had to meet with the white house and the department of homeland security. we've done all this work through the coalition so i want to tell you that we get it, the younger

people get it and the final word i just want to say is that there's never been a successful movement in america. it takes the elders, the young young and the in between. we need to do something in the methodology they are not interested in so you show me a city and i will show you young people that care. a lot of times people tell them how to do it. they've already got coalitions of their own and so sometimes it's about creating the bridge. many of you know in the last 48 hours his folks are suing him.

i don't like it was a real opportunity for him to say okay let me talk to you about this copyright infringement let's have a conversation because kendrick using that line is the honor but it's a positive song and message. it's from the approach too often we've got all the people that don't want to build a bridge and elders that we can't find to help build it. i was also at florida a&m university where he stayed we stayed in the capital for 41 days.

what are some of the things that you can do as young people to continue the attention from the national figures because we are still going to the hearings into being briefed and being briefed on policy issues and we are still registering for people to vote vote but what happens is because the cameras are no longer around or cnn is no longer on the tracks how do we continue to engage with those prominent figures that showed up? the naacp that showed up when all of the cameras were around. >> how do we continue to garner that support it's no longer just the movement at the time. >> let me just give you one example.

the students on violates coordinating committee in 1962 to start building and building movement. and so when doctor king came to selma in january, 1965, it brought more press attention but they young people, the students we created a collision. the march on washington was the coalition. it was a philip randolph said he was there at the meeting at table. so when people call you to be quiet, speak up. speak out. >> it's a way to get in the way and make some noise. >> i have to get to the next question.

i'm representing a 650,000 people who live in the nations capital but have no say-so over these life and death issues we have no representation, no vote in the house, no vote in the senate although we pay the highest federal taxes in the country, we do everything that a citizen needs to do. my question is how can the black caucus reach out to the other members of the house and the senate to get them onboard with the legislation to become the

51st state? [applause] >> thank you so much. >> it's a great question. thanks for asking it. i would only say this. dc deserves the vote. we struggle to bring democracy to baghdad. we bring it to afghanistan, and we deny it right here at home on the potomac and it's really outrageous when you think about that. but it is going to be up to dc residents of south. we get in the way and make this an issue that people are forced to address because it is democracy, plain and simple.

>> when we vote for all of those people that they have to deal with across the congress, i need if they know they have a group voting -- [inaudible] >> thank you so much. [laughter] >> i'm going to leave that answer right there and i will come back to you on the next one. yes sir. >> my name is arnold king and i'm from prince george county maryland. my question is what can we do to get more african-americans to get involved? in other words what can we do to get people in the neighborhood to get involved. >> i want to make sure that we didn't answer. it's about how to to redo this grass-roots and get people engaged at the local level by adjusting the city politics but i'm sure across-the-board.

anyone that wants to take that? people are moved by stories, by what our folks have done. 1966, looked twice committed and have to be black. they went on the radio and told people i will pay the tax, you just come on and vote. and last night they came and fire bombed his house firebombed his house and he got his eight kids out and he died three days later of smoke inhalation and on his tombstone right now, if you don't vote, you don't count. he is one of many that gave their lives. we need to go in and see. i'm not talking about the

1870s. i'm talking about the 1970s and the 1960s. michael brown is playing in his grave now because we didn't do what we have to do. people don't have medicaid because -- thank you so much and thank you for your question. yes sir. >> i come from central america and i just want to make a statement to you, thank you all for this. i am honored to be here among all of these phenomenal legacy owners of the african-american struggle. in central america, we actually imitate what the african-americans have done for about -- actually, every african-american descendent around the world looks to you

and your parents. so it was said that we don't really know the power that we have in our hands through the vote. it is such a true statement. and i commit that my influence will be to get out and vote and not only register but actually get involved in every one of those. >> i gave you room. [laughter] >> i'm like i have to give him a minute, but you can't have to. [laughter] the point was great, and i appreciate that because it does say how many people are watching us and with all of the resources we have at our disposal, we have an unbelievable opportunity to be an example to those who often have less than we do to show what can happen so thank you very much for that comment.

yes sir. >> my name is general parker from pre illinois. i am an activist and i have a case strongly for education. three years ago i ran for a school board and my election would have made the black majority on the board. two days before the election of election, the state's attorneys have my name removed from the ballot and i found out that it was done in legally. i found out that my voting rights were violated and the people that chose to vote for me to sign the petitions. i found out that you are going to speak at the celebration in january, and i know 50 years ago -- >> i need the question please, just honor the people behind you -- >> to fight against us like that

kosovo would do i go back and tell people who support me that you are condoning what the very people who violated the rights are doing to them? >> i don't quite understand the question. >> you were chosen to speak at the king day celebration in january and next year tax >> i'm not so sure that i will be speaking in peoria and other places and there are the invitations from all around and i am sure that we will be speaking there. but run again. don't give up. ..