>> and now live to london for british punishes question time. each week the house of commons is in session we bring you prime minister david cameron taking questions from members of the house of commons live wednesday

mornings on c-span2. we invite you for to station via twitter using hashtag pmqs. prior to question time members are finishing up a business. and now live to the floor of the british house of commons. >> if you look at the cash flow, as you know we're working hard in place like somalia to make sure they can still be made by families back to the relatives in somalia. she's quite right to say one of the best thing we do is get competition in the market so people have more choice. >> stewart andrew. >> thank you, mr. speaker. can my right honorable friend and form the house to work our department is doing on behavior change in those areas affected by ebola? does she have an assessment?

>> so-called social mobilization is being key to bearing down on the transmission rate. we now extend credit and -- transmission rate is well under one which is great news. if are going to combat outbreaks happening locally than people understand how to say state -- stay safe will play a major role of britney together a consortium of different organizations to help bring that about. >> order. questions to the prime minister. mr. phil wilson. >> question number one mr. speaker. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i'm sure the whole house will join me in condemning the sickening murders in syria of japanese journalists and the jordanian pilot. i'm sure the thoughts and prayers of all household with their families is very difficult time and we should also think of our own pilots and their families and all those who serve. i can assure the house that we will not stop until the murderous isolate extremists

behind us and the poisonous ideology are eradicated. >> here, here. >> mr. speaker, this morning i had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others, and in addition to my duties in this house, i shall have further such meetings later today. >> phil wilson. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i would like to associate myself with the comments that the prime minister has just made. mr. speaker, a constituent of mine common agency worker told me -- part of his wage is paid in expenses even when he's on holiday. 16-pound a week isn't deducted and he has to pay for those pace with. is this anyway to treat hard-working people? >> well, first of all i would say the umbrella companies can sometimes bring these things about but the broader point is i want to people like that by cutting their taxes and taking them out of income tax altogether.

now mr. speaker, we have taken 3 million of the lowest paid out of income tax altogether or quit our plan that people should be able to earn 12500 pounds before they start paying income tax. that will take another 1 million people out of income tax altogether. >> will the prime minister welcome the increase in students applying to university, especially from the poorest force background? will he confirm both universities and students would lose from the reduction in funding caused by a cut in these? how does a policy that only helps the rich graduates possibly be called progressive? >> my right honorable friend is absolutely right, the coalition to university policy was a long-term policy that has resulted in a record number of students attending universities and also an increase in those from the poorest backgrounds

going to university. it's good for our country good for students and good for universities. and what a contrast with the party opposite who, four years ago told us they were going to get rid of these tuition fees and four years later i've got absolutely nothing to say about it at all. when are they going to make up their mind? >> ed miliband. [shouting] >> mr. speaker, i joined the prime minister in condemning the appalling murders of the jordanian pilot and the japanese hostages by isil. these were sickening and despicable acts and simply reinforce our determination to defeat the evil organization. >> here, here. >> mr. speaker, everyone pays stamp duty on stock market transaction except hedge funds costing hundreds of millions of pounds. why is the prime minister refusing to act on this? >> i have to say mr. speaker,

for 13 years during many of which he was in the treasury they did absolutely nothing about it. but what this government has done is more than any previous government to make sure the individuals and companies pay their taxes properly. i have to say i'm delighted he's raised the economy on the morning -- his shadow chancellor could name one single business leader in back labour. [shouting] >> mr. speaker -- this is prime minister's question and he should try and answer the question. now, i asked him a very specific question. i asked him a very specific question about why hedge funds are not paying stamp duty on stock market transactions. it's costing hundreds of millions of pounds. he is being funded to the tune of 47 million pounds by the hedge fund.

[shouting] everyone knows that's what his refusing to act, but what is his explanation? >> let me just remind him when we came to office foreigners didn't they stamp duty on the properties they bought. foreigners didn't pay capital gains tax on the properties they bought. and because of his attacks rate, see the hedge fund managers were paying lower tax rates than the people who clean their offices. that's what we had to sort out so let me put it to him again. a day after his shadow chancellor was asked on television could he think of one single business leader and you know what he said? do you know what he said mr. speaker? he said, build somebody. [laughter] mr. speaker build somebody is not a person. build somebody if labour's policy. [shouting]

>> mr. speaker, mr. speaker, i will tell him what people on this site are doing. we are standing up her hard-working families and businesses while he's a friend of the tax of four years. now, i'm going to keep asking him a question until he answers but it's a very specific question about hedge fund avoiding stamp duty on their sheer transactions. it's costing hundreds of millions of pounds. these bankrolled by the hedge funds. he claims he wants to act on tax avoidance. why won't he act the? >> he's got a good summation for the budget. we can talk to the chance of about it but he says what -- [shouting] he says what they're doing on his side of the house -- let me tell you what he's been doing on his side of the house. totwo former labour health secretaries completely condemn his health policy. all the league university vice

chancellor's condemned condemn his university policy. he can't find one single business leader to back his economic policy. is it any wonder that the chuckle brothers have launched an official complaint and said they don't want to be compared to the two clowns opposite? [laughter] [shouting] >> i'm afraid, i'm afraid i'm going to keep asking the question until he has an answer. right, now let me explain it let me -- [shouting] you can help them, george. you are too far away. [shouting] let me explain to very specifically. let me explain it to them very simply. everybody pays stamp duty on their sheer transactions -- >> i apologize for interrupting. the questions and the answers will be heard. this is a democratic chamber and no one but no one is going to be shouted down.

the point is very simple and very obvious, and i hope everyone can grasp it. ed miliband. [shouting] >> everybody pays stamp duty on their sheer transaction but the hedge fund are protected. we have been calling for action on this. hundreds of millions of pounds. why won't the act of? >> we have acted on stamp duty but we will continue to act on stamp duty. but he sat for 13 years and the treasury and he never did anything about it. now, if he wants to make sure that the acts on tax avoidance and evasion, why doesn't he start with the labour's biggest donor mr. john mills? yes. we all remember this. you gave his donation in shares in order to cut his tax bill. has he paid back the taxes yet? >> i'm really pleased -- i'm

really pleased him i'm really pleased he wants to talk about donors. let's talk about his donors. 7 million -- >> order. the question will be heard. very simple point. i've had to make a second time. i will make it has been times as necessary. the right honorable gentleman will be heard. the right honorable member. >> 7 million pounds living in monaco 3 million pounds for michael hintze, company based in new jersey. and michael spencer who gave him a 4 million pounds and called in the libor scandal. same old tories. now, now let's give them this chance, this chance. i know he doesn't do his homework. i know he doesn't do his homework. this chance. [shouting] the hedge funds are avoiding tax to the tune of hundreds of millions of pounds. will be now promised from the

dispatch box to act for the national health service? >> we had to labour for 13 years no action on stamp duty. foreigners not paying stamp duty, foreigners not paying capital gains tax, no bank levy. and he talks about tax -- and to roosevelt that he raises his money was for years a tax textile living in geneva. that's a we get. but isn't it any wonder he wants to find one particular issue to raise today? because he can talk about minimum wages because this policy is to cut them. he can't talk about energy prices because of policy is to keep them up. he can't talk at universities because this policy is to trash them. he can't name a single business leader who supports labour. no wonder the person who wrote that things can only get better because it no longer applies to labour.

[shouting] >> so basically, mr. speaker basically he has been found out. five chances to answer the question, no answer coming. [shouting] and let's close down that tax loophole so he can have more doctors, more nurses more care workers, more midwives. this isn't a difference. this is a prime minister who won't tackle tax avoidance for the simple reason that too many of his friends will get caught in the net. they are the party of the mayfair hedge funds and monaco tax of voters and under him you always know it is one rule for those of us and another rule for everyone else. >> mr. speaker there's only one person has been found out this week and that is the leader of the labour party. his economic policy collapse. his health policies collapse.

is university policy is collapsed. the most vital election in a generation is coming and people can see the choice. a labour party that is anti-enterprise, antibusiness that is falling apart under scrutiny. and a conservative party turn this country around. that is the choice. [shouting] >> mr. speaker mr. speaker this week this week, mr. speaker, we have seen that fear is spreading across this land amongst senior business people. will my right honorable friend reassure me that he will stay the course of -- >> order. the honorable gentleman's question must be heard. if he wants to continue the last bit of it he can. >> here, here.

>> try to will my right honorable friend reassured me that he will stay the course with this long-term economic plan? >> a. [shouting] >> we will stay the course because we can now see 1.75 million more people in work. the deficit down by half. the british economy growing faster than any major economy in western europe. and business and enterprise large and small saying we have the right plan and we should stick to that plan. that is what we will do. it's confidence of versus chaos. >> thank you, mr. speaker. they were elected by 15% of the public in the first elections cost 80 million pounds. i won't a prime minister scrap these ridiculous police and crime commissioners and put the money instead into front-line policing that would keep our communities safe? >> she might want to ask why her former colleague alun michael stood for. i think it's bringing

accountability to our police service because everybody knows there is now one person that they have to account to pick in the past people that do how to access their police authorities. they do now. >> thank you, mr. speaker. when my right honorable friend this is your church tomorrow he will be -- the number of businesses that investing and trading jobs bringing unemployment to my constituency down 55%. [shouting] doesn't it show that all parts the northern economic powerhouse thanks to this government economic policy? >> i'm very much looking for to explain how our long-term economic plan will really benefit and continued to benefit

yorkshire and northeast lincolnshire. he's right we have employment up by 114,000 since the election private sector implement is up by almost 200,000 at the shadow chancellor -- believe me, i will be there. i'm afraid to say i have a plan to increase unemployment in that constituency by one. to give them a bit more time turn over the single business -- [inaudible] [laughter] >> thank you very much, mr. speaker. the labour party was in power for 13 years and failed to deliver a single additional power to scotland that was outlined. the conservatives and the lib dems have been in power for five years and like labour they're not proposing the real rule that was promised to does the prime minister and the leader of the labour party now understand why the voters of scotland are sick

of the westminster parties and contrast that will always put scotland first? >> what i say this coalition government has actually taken part in a massive exercise of devolution to the scottish parliament and has already sent out a significant extra increase in power so that will take place whoever is in at the dispatch box after the election to connect to say yes we have at a westminster government here for the last five years. we have an smp government in scotland but as the new labour leader is comments pointed out under the suv, a and d. waiting times in scotland are now worse than they are in england. a&e. up early it's all right to compare scotland and england but, of course, it's all right to compare england and wales. that is interesting, isn't it? is a fascinating political strategy for the scottish labour leader to say that life is always a better under the tories but i agree.

[laughter] >> thank you mr. speaker. given given -- [inaudible] the prime minister claims for the coalition's long-term economic plan why, if allowed to govern alone, does he want to change it to bring in even deeper cuts? >> what i believe we need to do is to make sure that after seven years of economic growth, which is what we will have by 2018, we should start, we should be starting to pay down the deficit by running a surplus and i think that is something that every business, every family in the country will understand. you need to fix the roof when "the sun" is shining. and as far as i can say it is only the conservative party that will offer that at the next election. >> thank you, mr. speaker. will the prime minister -- when the prime minister comes to my

constituents, he said he would support efforts to secure a major international contract. billions of pounds of investment depend upon him keeping his word but delays in want of means that you'll it at risk or can ask the prime minister to do what he said he's going going to do to intervene to mantua can put hundreds of good skilled jobs to this country? >> i understand that ukti the department of energy and climate change and the foreign office have all been providing advice and support to his constituency and have met with them on a number of occasions. we want to promote all projects and can create jobs and benefit relations with international partners. so i will look to see if there's anything that can be done in the white house system that is getting his way this company and i will write to the honorable gentleman. >> thank you, mr. speaker. mr. mohammad bashir constituent was arrested in december. despite numerous occasions he had a different name to them and

they were wanted. they held in the prison cells for three days and they only confirmed they indeed had arrested the wrong person when he was transferred. will my right honorable friend look into this case and perhaps supply some answers to questions which mr. bashir is not getting? >> i understand this does sound a very concerning his but my understanding is west yorkshire police are investing the circumstances serenity arrest at the detention of mr. bashir but i can't get the house specifics of this case because it does involve ongoing legal action. i will discuss it with a home discuss it with the home secretary of the and, of course, one option would be to mr. bush or to make a formal complaint to the independent police complaints commission but let me give you more information about that. >> i know the prime minister has followed closely the reason of people --

[inaudible] given his government commission to produce a strategy report and its being withheld from will he commit now to publishing the full report so we can all see his real plan for the nhs? >> i will look closely at the specific issue the honorable lady ask the action is continuing the safety of patients is our main priority. i know the university hospitals are working hard with the trust people of authority and of the parties involved in a safe and timely transition of services and i think all parties should work together to do that but i have to say it is not helped by the leader of the opposition go to stanford and deliver let scaremongering and trying to frighten local people. he has said, and i quote he has said that he has said that stafford hospital is on the road closure. this is what he means by weaponizing the nhs.

it is an absolutely disgraceful tactic. she knows it's not true. he knows it's not true but he doesn't have the gumption to say so. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i know the prime minister shares the gratitude expressed on all sides of the house for the sacrifices made by our health care professionals and armed forces, including my constituent lieutenant mark weiss, for risking their lives to help people of sierra leone combat the scourge of ebola. does my right honorable friend agree with me that a way should be found to recognize their bravery? >> i think the honorable lady is absolutely right and ensure everyone would like me to put on my record praise for the incredibly brave people who worked in very difficult conditions including many of them over christmas. these of course are doctors and nurses from our images but also people from our armed forces

civil service and ngos. they other people and they're helping to save thousands of lives in africa protecting the uk from the potentially disastrous consequences of the disease spreading but in recognition of the bravery of those from the uk i intend to recommend to her majesty, the queen a new metal to pay tribute to their effort. details will be out in due course. they should be in place by the some and i think it's the right thing to say these people are incredibly brave and we go them an immense debt of gratitude. >> here, here. >> thank you, mr. speaker. today's budget from the institute for fiscal studies but these shows median wages were 5% lower flat you than you were in 2008. will the prime minister now admit families across the country are indeed facing a cost of living a crisis of? >> what the green budget today shows, and they think we should take this as an important reference, is the labour would lead to an extra 170 billion pounds of borrowing.

that is the official figure and yesterday and another of his interventions the shadow chancellor who was busy yesterday he said these words on radio, trying to debt would be higher. the cat is out of the bag. it is official, labour would borrow, tax, spend more, but all the things that would put us back into the mess we got out of. >> thank you, mr. speaker. in recent weeks dover has suffered gridlock due to problems at the border in the channel tunnel. will the prime minister support finding a long-term solution to this problem national strategic priority considering using lower levy funds to help pay for it to? >> my upper friend is right to raise this question adding up how hard he works for people in dover and across the area. i'm thinking that with my right honorable friend the rose minister, the member for south holland about this. and as a result we've ordered an urgent review to look at the contingency arrangements in the

event of severe disruption at euro time as the channel port taking account of the recent congestion but it's important we learn the lessons from this incident and if this report comes up with the suggestion that obviously would look at them very, very carefully. >> mr. speaker in 2010 the prime minister said if we fail deliver on his promises, both houses should kick them out. [inaudible] >> mr. speaker he has broken his contract with the british people. if he's a man of his word he should take that loss and go. [shouting] >> i can tell the commitments by me. i said we would turn the british economy around we have to turn the economy urban. around. i said we'd get the country back to work. 1.75 million more jobs.

i said we'd get the deficit down down by a half. i said we protect the nhs and we have protected the nhs. i said i'd look after britain's pensions. we kept our promise. i can tell him what the competition will be at the next election. competence and a long-term plan on this site, chaos on the other side of. [shouting] [inaudible] >> desperate measures opened up the chinese market and kept it open. mr. speaker, with the prime minister come and visit the facility see the the northern powerhouse and actions effect of a long-term economic plan with exports at its heart of? >> my friend is right to highlight this. one of the most important important

manufacturing sectors in britain entity largest manufacturing sectors is the food sector. it's competitive. we need to do more to promote exports. the chinese market represents an enormous opportunity. a number of important trade missions have already been carried out but we are also pushing within europe for a free trade agreement with china. i think other countries including new zealand have shown the masses about the benefit that can bring to your country and britain will always be at the forefront of are doing for these trade agreements. [shouting] [laughter] >> could be prime minister know of anyone who owns our works are uk registered company that uses a luxembourg -- [shouting] in order to avoid paying their fair share of tax in the uk speak as with well, i want to see

more and more companies headquartered here in the united kingdom, and that's exactly under this government what is happening. we inherited a situation where company after company was leaving our shores because we've now got competitive tax rates and databases from the government, more and more businesses are coming here including in his constituency. >> greg mulholland. >> thank you, mr. speaker. last week a six year old for my constituency with a 10 euro from london came to see the prime minister to deliver personal letters to him about the nhs england failure to come up with a process to allow the nhs -- the drug they need. they are still dragging their heels. are the prime minister buenos taken an interest in the police intervened to come up with a solution to all these children can get the drugs that they need to? >> i will remember meeting the on will gentlemen and also the

young boy who came with ducharme muscular dystrophy centric i've looked at this. the consultation is underway and will finish at the end of april. the nhs make a decision as good as possible whether or not to actually fund. i've discussed this and what do everything we can to help. >> thank you mr. speaker. mr. speaker in 2010 the government withdrew 8 million pounds from my constituency. [inaudible] the curriculum is being approached and dedicated and is more -- stomach what do i tell my constituents -- [inaudible] all the evidence is that schools that have converted into academy status have seen their standards improve at a faster rate than

maintain -- isn't it interesting, mr. speaker, that the party that started to promote academy has given up on that good reform as was the other reforms they've given up on? we put extra money in for school places. we are seeing improvements in school standards and we said any schools that are either inadequate or require improvement will need to be taken over by an academy if they don't have a proper plan or improvement. that is something i think all parents who want to see the chosen succeed at school will welcome. >> thank you, mr. speaker. my right honorable friend -- combating anti-semitism and this government is generous in supporting security measures at stake faith school for cover there are 120 community buildings now at risk of terrorist attacks, the type we saw in paris. but will my right honorable friend commit to looking at counterterrorism funds to help maintain city

measures of these community buildings? >> i think my honorable friend makes a very important point that i've met with a jewish leadership council and discussed this issue in the light of the paris attacks because he knows the school security grant which we introduced has made a little 2.3 million pounds of funding in the current you to protect security at jewish schools and it will be maintained next year big education secretary is also going to meet with the community security trust is easily can do more than a jewish independent schools. and mighty when you do everything we can to help this community feel safe and secure in our country. i would hate it for british jews to feel they didn't have a home in british safe secure, a vital part of our community. >> it is now two years since meningitis b. vaccine was licensed across the eu. to achieve its effect of been able to prevent over 80% of meningitis b.

it needs to be on the routine immunization schedule for the nhs to the prime minister founded hopeful in the house in november. can he give us some indication as to when it will be a conclusion to negotiations between the government? >> i'm afraid i can't give an update any further. the discussions are still under way. as he knows this would be a vital step forward because of the horrors of this disease but he also knows the art huge cost issues in making sure if we were to make sure this was made of able to so there are discussions with the drug company are final ongoing but if i can give an update in a letter i will do so. >> thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, the whole -- behind a transponder project to create a new university specializing in engineering and technology and in particular the adequate technology defense secretary sectors. this is only possible because of the governments universities a policy and its decision to lift the cap on student numbers.

we'll the prime minister look hard with the chancellor the potential to award some public capital funding to support the enormously worthwhile project of? >> i think my honorable friend is right that and capping university numbers removes the cap on aspiration and we want to the country were able to have the choice of an apprenticeship or university place. he is right that some areas of our country including -- have been underserved by university provisions and that's a we've got the extra 200 million of able in the higher education funding council for england to support stem capital investment but i know he is discussing this with the chancellor to see whether we could make available some of this funding for the scheme that he talks about but i would say mr. speaker, how important it is we maintain a long-term plan for funding our universities. young people in britain want to note that we have the best universities in europe and they will continue to be that way and that's what the university vice chancellor subset of this week about how our plans are

working and our cost of an plans are completely un-working and un-costed is so important. >> last night the prime minister was on television and he said he would crack down on firms to move abroad to avoid paying their tax. so my question is this, when the government launched a taxpayer -- loan guarantee scheme in 2012, why did the prime minister decide to allow companies based offshore in offshore tax havens to apply to this form state of? >> the national loan guarantees scheme was run by the banks and it was the banks that shows what companies to fund. let me say this. we have been more than any previous government to make sure that companies pay their taxes. but we inherited a situation under labour where foreigners were not paying stamp duty where companies were leaving britain where we were giving knighthood to bankers that it failed britain.

all of that has changed. >> thank you, mr. speaker. this week is the anniversary of -- ripped up the railroad line in my constituents but i think the prime minister and network rail. can he confirm his ongoing commitment to the southwest rail and a future funding for it? >> first of all that me join my honorable friend in paying tribute to the orange army that did such a fantastic job in getting that line a contract in such a short period of time. as she knows we've also committed a further 30 million towards resilience and protection this year but more importantly we are working with the southwest peninsula braille task force to bring together all the strategic and local task for -- transport schemes.

>> order. [laughter] >> here on c-span the we will now leave the british house of commons as members move onto other business. you have been watching prime minister's question time aired live wednesdays at 70 in eastern when parliament is in session. the reminder you can see this week session in sunday nights at nine eastern and pacific on c-span. for more information go to c-span.org, click on the series to get every program we've erred for the british house of commons since october 1989. we invite your comments about prime minister's questions via twitter using the hashtag pmqs pmqs. >> up next house majority leader nancy pelosi talks about jobs and the economy. we will hear from wisconsin governor scott walker.

yesterday the senate blocked a homeland security funding bill largely over the issue of immigration. leader mcconnell could bring up the bill again today. the senate is back at 9:30 a.m. eastern. live senate coverage here on c-span2. >> c-span2 providing live coverage of the u.s. senate floor proceedings, and key public >> c-span2 providing live coverage of the u.s. senate floor proceedings, and key public policy events. and every weekend booktv, now for 15 years the only television network devoted to nonfiction books and authors to c-span2 created by the cable tv industry and brought to as a public service by your local cable or satellite provider. watch us in hd like us on facebook and follow was on twitter. >> next, house minority leader nancy pelosi talks about jobs, the economy and about the need to vaccinate all children. her remarks at the brookings institution are in our 10

minutes. >> -- our one hour 10 minutes. >> welcome everyone here today. this is a very exciting day. i'm e.j. dionne, senior fellow at brookings, and as you know, brookings likes to be in the middle of the great debates in our country and this is going to be a year i think the really fundamental debates about the future, about what happens to growth and isn't shared? you might have to get around to argument about what should our government spend money on an outward going to pay for it? we have had crises rather than having real arguments about that the last few years. and it's a real honor for me to introduce -- stomach join us today, she has proudly represented california's 12th district for the past 27 years. i will continue with the

introduction i just want to say a couple of things. first of all, please silence your cell phones. tweet up a storm if you want but silence your cell phones. it's hashtag pelosi at brookings. and also we'll be circulating hard with were to ask your you questions and going to try to ask as many of them as i can of the leader. i want to thank the folks at brookings have worked for hard up with this together as well as speaker pelosi's staff. so nancy pelosi has proudly represented california's 12th district for 27 years. she has led the house democrats for over a decade, the first woman in american history to service speaker -- [inaudible]

>> affordable care act the american recovery and reinvestment act and quite a lot of of the legislation as well. as you hear from her remarks the router legislative -- an advocate of clean energy government transparency and accountability -- [inaudible] it is such a pleasure to welcome nancy pelosi to brookings. thank you so much for joining us today. [applause] [inaudible] which i'm happy to free-form here but time will confine ourselves. morning everyone. thank you all for being here. it's an honor it's really an honor to be here with members and honored guests of brookings

institution. thank you e.j., for your kind words of introduction for your leadership in so many ways, congratulations as a senior fellow at brookings that the chair named. for almost 100 years brookings has been the first name -- [inaudible] you can't hear? it? for over 100 years, brookings has been the first word in forward-looking public policy. this institution and your president strobe talbott and your fellows have been a strong and steady intellectual resource to public private and nonprofit policymakers across the country. together, we can reach for a greater possibility for all americans in our discussion and america where every working family has opportunity, prosperity and security. beginning this year, this new

year and a new congress can we have both an opportunity and a responsibility to reflect on our progress toward that america and refocused and renew our efforts for it. reflecting on our progress, six years ago in january president obama stood on the steps of the capitol and he took the oath of office and issued a call for swift bold action now not only to great new jobs but to lay foundation for growth. one week and one day later house democrats passed the american reinvestment and recovery act one of the biggest public investments in our nation's history. the recovery act saved or created 3.5-4 million new jobs rebuilding our infrastructure read investing in energy innovation reducing taxes for working families, turning the tide of the worst economic recession since the great depression.

64 days later on the same date in the house and the senate, quite remarkable, a democratic congress followed up by passing the president's budget come a plan for growth and opportunity based on the three pillars. investments in health care in education and innovation, and in energy. our aims were clear -- [inaudible] can't say it enough. reduce the deficit, invest in a stronger future or every american family. be leaving that health care must be a right for all americans not just a privilege for a few, we passed the affordable care act. even if there were no other reason to pass the affordable care act if every american were happy with his or her own health insurance and health care we

still would've had to pass the bill because the cost of health care in america was unsustainable. unsustainable to individuals to families, the businesses large and small, the governments of local and -- [inaudible] importantly, its document by the council of economic advisers the affordable care act is helping to drive down health care costs growth to historic lows. today the affordable care act has delivered a newfound health security to 16 million americans and extended the life of the medicare trust fund by 30 years. [inaudible] maybe this is so i can get a drink of water in between.

is it on? usually now i revert to my mothers find voice to project across the room. recognizing that education has been the indispensable latter to achieve the american dream, the democratic caucus acted to strengthen early childhood education, deepen our commitment to global students, and dramatically expand access to a formal college education. we passed the g.i. bill for the 21st century for our veterans and their families as part of the largest increase in veterans funding in our history, making historic investments in education. health care and economic opportunities. in terms of american innovation we substantially bolstered our investments, fueling a sick research and driving forward innovative energy technologies. i'll expand on the in a moment.

may be more than a moment. knowing that our reliance on foreign fossil fuels was unhealthy for our economy our national security, and the air our children breathe, democrats acted to make america energy independent. by increasing domestic energy production, and we increased energy efficiency, and more than doubled clean energy production. solar power is up by 10 fold and wind this up by threefold. in terms of when america is number one in the world. this progress is critically important as we address the climate crisis. knowing that the only way for the economy to fully recover we must recognize that the middle-class was are the real job creators in america. in a consumer economy when

workers have the wages and confidence to spend, they generate demand and it in turns create jobs. it's about bigger paychecks. there is an important connection. this is important connection about america's economy. the success of the middle-class is the most important engine of economic growth and of meaningful deficit reduction. this understanding is consistent with middle-class economics which the president articulated in his state of the union address last month. and the budget he released yesterday. democrats commitment to middle-class economic stand in sharp contrast to the republicans relentless trickle-down agenda, the agenda that drove our economy into a ditch. republicans economic agenda included massive unpaid tax cuts

to the rich to unpaid foreign wars and the doctrine of no regulation, no supervision of wall street. it is this radical agenda that led to the meltdown and shattered our economy. how bad was it? on the night of thursday september 18 2008 the secretary of the treasury came to the capitol for an emergency meeting with congressional leaders to inform us of the severity of the melt down. when asked the chairman at the time ben bernanke what he thought of with the treasury secretary was telling us he told the leaders, if we do not act immediately we will not have an economy by monday. this is thursday evening. that's what we were september 18, 2008. in order to stop the meltdown of america's financial institution it was necessary for us to pass

the troubled assets released program part supported largely by democrats, and later we enacted historic wall street reforms with dodd-frank regulation. far from creating growth republican priority drove in economic catastrophe that destroyed jobs destroyed the jobs, the savings and the security of millions of america's working families. republicans want to take us back to the same failed policies of trickle-down laissez-faire including repealing dodd-frank. and their obsession with trickle-down economics and republicans fail to see the connection between the purchasing power of the middle-class and the success of america's economy. six years after the deepest

recession since the great depression, the fruits of democratic efforts on the economy are clear. 11.2 million new private-sector jobs created in 58 months, the longest uninterrupted stretch of private sector growth in our history. we provided a lifeline to say the auto industry and more than a million jobs. unemployment rate down from around 10% the 5.6%. deficit cut by two-thirds from $1.4 trillion to 483 billion this year. stock market is gone from under 7000, to over 17,000. manufacturing exports are rising the we've wheezing readings were school, high school graduation rates go up more young people attending college than ever. 16 million previously uninsured

americans now have affordable dependable health care, and again we extended the life of the medicare trust fund by 13 years to name a few accomplishments. however, even with all of this progress, working families are still being squeezed. the reason our economy has not had a full recovery is because of stagnant wages. it bears repeating that a consumer economy in a consumer economy, the middle-class are the job creators. we must expand the purchasing power of families ensure that working men and women enjoyed the bounty of the unprecedented productivity. vigor paychecks, better infrastructure, more manufacturing in the united states. we must focus like a let's -- laser. once again there is a need for

swift, bold action to reignite the middle-class engine of our prosperity. in order to succeed we must have a healthy respect for another connection, the connection between the public and private sectors. private enterprise is the heart of the economy generating wealth and jobs. however, in order for the private sector to succeed, the public sector must act to secure the conditions in which the private sector can continue to flourish. when the public sector is doing its job investing in strong education, building infrastructure, maintaining the court, ensuring public safety, et cetera it performs tasks that the private sector cannot perform itself. public sector accomplishments, however that leave the private sector in better shape better conditions must happen. congress must grasp again the

importance of ambitious goals built into a budget for the future which is the budget which should be a statement of our values what is important to us should be how we allocate our resources. this is the third connection i want to highlight, the undeniable connection between the investments we make today and the success of our country tomorrow. today believe we must make big bold commitments in four areas. research and innovation back to back education, infrastructure and investments in working families through the tax code. innovation is the integrator of our economy. research creates jobs launches and tiny industries and gives us the miraculous power to cure. however, according to the american academy of arts and sciences the report they just put out within the past couple of weeks, the united states has dropped to 10th place, 10th

place in national r&d investment as a percentage of gdp. 10th place, the united states of america. as the report makes clear and less basic research becomes a higher government priority than it has been in recent decades, the attentional for fundamental scientific breakthroughs and future technological advances will be severely constrained. the report calls for our increasing our nation's total research investment to at least 3.3% of gdp. we must meet that need to reduce the deficit of innovation. the president and congress must work together to establish a sustainable growth rate in federal basic research. in terms of education we know that to achieve equality of opportunity, we must have equality of education.

we will always have an opportunity gap so long as we have an education gap. today it is clear that one of the most important ways to address the education gap education inequality from early childhood all the way to lifetime learning is with the power of technology, especially broadband. broadband access has more benefits than just enhanced computer skills. it opens the door to a whole new host of new teaching applications and tools enriching the students and supporting teachers but as recent as 2012 only 37% of our nation's schools have enough broadband for digital learning, placing 40 million kids on the wrong side of the digital divide. totally unacceptable. enough to meet the needs to reduce the deficits of

opportunity, ensuring that every child in every zip code has the high-speed broadband they need to learn, to explore and to thrive. we must act to close the opportunity gap in education, because we cannot afford to let anyone behind. and by the way nothing returned more money to the treasury that investments in education. in terms of infrastructure the american society of civil engineers rated american d+. d+. after years of disrepair and underinvestment we have according to the american society of civil engineers, $3.6 trillion deficit in america's infrastructure. what we know is that no maintenance is the most expensive maintenance.

modern infrastructure is essential for our country. it's the most commerce, moving products to from market, improves the cost of life by moving people to and from work, and school more quickly. it is good for the quality of our air and our water. it works to connect all of our communities to the promised of the internet with broadband. we must meet the need to reduce the deficit in infrastructure and do so in an updated and green way. over the years we have proven that policies that leverage private sector capital and expertise with government oversight our successful ways to create a better, more sustainable communities. we should learn from these examples and expand opportunities for public-private partnerships. we should be putting people to work building roads, bridges mass transit, water systems

broadband, achieve a bigger paychecks and better infrastructure, and this is a strong priority in the president's budget. in order to fund these investment we must that would create jobs and reduce the deficit, we must use the tax code and eliminate special interest tax expenditures that increase the deficit. they are spending tax expenditures, these loopholes. as we close special interest loopholes we can reduce the corporate rate and produce more revenue. we can have tax reform that ensures that all americans pay their ayrshire. the economic security of america's working families must be our priority. part of these reforms must include making permanent improving the earned income tax credit and the child tax credit. policies are set to expire in 2017 your initiatives with bipartisan support that

strengthened the budget of working families, and we did this with president bush in his stimulus package. this has bipartisan support. if these policies are allowed to expire, these reforms, nearly 60 million americans, including 8 million children, will be pushed into or pushed deeper into poverty. we must also in that regard strengthened the childcare development tax credit which is in the president's budget. to further help the families the ranking member of the budget committee chris van hollen has proposed several put several bold proposals on the table. these proposals include sco employee paycheck fairness act a sabres bonus to support retirement, repealing the penalty, instituting 8.1% investment transaction fee and

restore respect for hard work in the tax code. they are being reviewed by our members to with the taxi form for the middle class, we can put more money into the pockets of working families and again at night the engine of middle-class consumers demand that drives growth and opportunity for everyone. ..