in places without necessarily say we are moving the left on the issues. >> i don't think it is a left right issue. it is an issue of love and family and that is one thing for ireland to quote we do really well. when we first started on marriage equality road we talked about rights and protections. emotions resonate with people. restart attack in about love and family and appealing to what we have in our nature to part type our family, love our family. ireland took that and opted a notch in some of the campaigns were sheer brilliance for they had a grandson: his grandmother in coming out to her and her responding in the positive. it is really about love but we are talking about, not left

right. it gets mired when it's really about family, making the country even better because when you have love, when you have strong family and country thrives. >> somebody's going to ask this. i should throw this out there. what he is the case for a southern baptist preacher doesn't want to perform a same-sex marriage. in your idea could hear her should he be sued or say this is not the way -- or is there a gray area in that. how does that work? >> you know, freedom of religion is critical to this country. i think where it gets shady and gray as when it gets out of the church out of the place of worship and gets into business design service for businesses because that gets into a gray area. for one day as the wedding cake

you are denying to serve somebody could be life or death gmt services. it is important. right now there's over 80 anti-lgbt religious freedom bills pending. we want to be really careful about denying services every day. that is business. when you talk about churches within the compliance of your church, you have your religion. >> let's focus on the. i had a discussion with someone today because she didn't know the difference between transvestite and transgender. could you clarify that for us. i gave her what i thought was my definition. hopefully i was correct.

>> i'm so glad people are asking. that is what has been profound is that it started a national dialogue. it's important to have these conversations. someone who is as someone who by definition has been feeling different inside than their body shows. they want to align their bodies with how they feel in their heart and mind and that is what transgender is. it's been a very impactful couple years in the media for the transgender community and a lot of visibility grows out of that. i want to also warned what we've seen it eight burgers at transgender women. when we see visibility, we also see an uptick as reported. so many people are mixed gender.

it is more than one a month. >> there's a lot of nomenclature are brown that. transvestite tends to be someone who addresses in women's clothes, that doesn't necessarily identify as a wonderful time. >> we've mentioned capon jenner several times is jenner there was renée richards who is a professional tennis player. before renée richards and i'm dating myself, there is christine jorgensen talking about the early 1950s. i have two questions.

how specifically can you talk about it with this case to help the community if the first option holds true where they say yes you have to accept it. how would that help the transgender community. d.c. direct assistance, indirect, both companies there? >> any time that we've seen marriage equality come to this day, we see the acceptance rates in that state of the lgbt community go higher. so while we know is that this positive affirming ruling coming

in acceptance will be accelerated by virtue of the ruling coming in for the lgbt community. >> my second question i focus on an article that was published in my company is human resources report, written by genevieve douglass, title of the article, the capon jenner spotlight, helping employees transition in the work place. two things struck me in the article. first, genevieve quoted that there are an estimated 700000 adults in the u.s. work force. 700,000. second thing that struck me was she quoted a consultant and advocate to sad when you transition, you don't transition in a vacuum. everyone in your life

transitions with you whether you like it or not. my question is does there need to be -- does a critical mass -- does the critical mass needed to be reached before the community gets the same level of acceptance as gay transfixing? i'm taking the old commercial about toxic friends they tell two friends, so on and so forth. so if there is a number above which a turning point could occur in the community begins to be accepted by the general public do you think the numbers that need to increase before

that will happen? >> well, i always get a little nervous about numbers because especially when you are self-reported in the community, we were on the southern bus to her this last week i had a young woman. i didn't even know what i was until two years ago. she couldn't see it have a heard of it. it wasn't lining up at their body, but she wasn't aware of what transgender man. even building visibility about what transgender is, increase as the people living in pain right now who are potentially suicide candidates understand who they are, except to the art of that this world happily. i worry about the numbers quite frankly. but i do think as we see people of transition as we hear their

stories, learn about their lives and families we become more open and more accepting to god and it creates a happier, better world for these people. i think we are on the road. and i think laverne cox is a great idea of that. we've worked with her over five years and was on the cover of "time" magazine last year as the tipping point. with caitlyn coming out a high-profile person, the interview with diane sawyer was viewed by more than 20 million households in the united states. for the first time in millions and millions of households on that night they met someone who istransgender amass a miraculous thing for acceptance. >> have you seen any change in

the numbers since caitlyn jenner was on the cover of "vanity fair"? >> we don't have automatic reporting like that. i wish we did, but we are not-for-profit. my professional gases we will see more people who say they know somebody who is transgender and we will see where people identify as transgender because they know who they are. they been struggling quietly in the recesses of the country is now the hot sun they took that name and feelings against who they are. >> let's talk about a bus tour you've done throughout the south. could you talk a little more about the bus to her or people you've met in a negative impression or negative experience you had during the bus tour?

>> it was a phenomenal bus tour. six states, 10 cities in seven days and we started in nashville at it the first ever country music concert by firming lgbt concert with ty herndon who was sent out country artists. we sold out. we had over 13 artists. we had to stop taking artists on because it would be an all-day affair. we had over 30 press outlets. that was the first of its kind and is expected really really well. we were really thrilled with we went to alabama and then we went on to meet with military families to find out how life is now after the repeal a "don't ask, don't tell" and how we

could help through media bring their stories to light and shine a light on any issues favors will have a period and then we premiere too many documentaries. one of south carolina in charleston and then in colombia and then in georgia, a mini documentary in georgia. they are doing exactly what the job is at glaad, taking the triumph of everyday people who live extraordinary lives and pushing them out to the press of people know more people who are lgbt. we met with faith leaders the most interesting to me because they are at a point except constrained figure out how to bring their congregational blog and some of the most successful people have been a hero to journey with their congregation, having conversations about who are we, what do we stand for and

how do we be inclusive and diverse as a community? i found that really fascinating. the other thing i found fascinating was in the smaller towns a lot of activists are people on the front lines living their everyday life out and proud aren't organized and so a lot of organizing happened in the smaller towns across the sad, which already you can see the lightbulb go off for a lot of community activist or they realized they were talking to each other and there is more power in numbers. it was a fascinating trip. >> we talked about ireland earlier. let's go to the other side of the globe. do you have any statistics on the lgbt community or how they are treated by the lgbt community in asia?

>> well one of the challenges we have globally and i touched on this earlier was our opponents in the state have taken their message, they are anti-lgbt message and they have been exporting that. so we are seeing the criminalization happened across the globe of the community. and a little less than 10 countries, you could be punished by death. so there is a real crisis abroad. i don't have specifics on each country but i can absolutely get those for you. overall what we want to be really mindful of is the challenge that is global and we started recognizing at glaad. we've been working with activists on the ground globally for years. we started to get really involved last year but the olympics in making sure the stories were being told while

the cameras morons to achieve. we've been active in ireland. we are working with nigeria right now and we have quite a few other projects on the horizon. we can't keep up with advocates on the ground globally asking for assistance and help to understand how to work with the media, how to build a relationship with the media. it is a very active space right now with a lot of neat. >> are you going to do anything specific with a 2016 olympics in brazil next year? >> well, we are always looking. i think we are always analyzing who needs our help, how we can help them in the national spotlight is on the country, we will always be there enacted in the issues we have globally for

sure. [inaudible] >> well i think it has been proven that it is something that should be medically covered. i think there is documentation on that. you know when somebody is not matching up or aligning and it's causing stress, it is not good for anybody. having the coverage is critical. >> you have any specific partnerships with companies here in the united states or are you doing a blanket presentation regarding the lgbt community?

>> you said -- with a specific company in the united states are you working with them and trying to get them to generate more acceptance with the lgbt employees they have or are you doing -- is your presentation a general one that will effect quick touch most of the companies here in the united states? >> you know, one thing we found out when we did our exile rating acceptance paul as well but definitely need to pay attention to in the future more so than in the past our allies and a lot of

corporate america can be our allies and within the companies have a number of allies. it is about engaging allies and bringing them onto support as and help us along. glaad as a whole is about accelerating acceptance for the lgbt community. anyway we can do that whether a corporate framework for a private framework we are always trying to do that. like we said earlier corporations understand it's good for their bottom line, good for talent retaining and gaining new talent. it is in their best interest i may understand that now. i find they are very clued in to the community and how powerful acceptance can be. >> are there any specific policies you would like to see corporate america adopt

regarding the lgbt community such as health care. pensions, wages a whole range of issues were corporate america could benefit their lgbt community. are there any specific policies you would like to see corporate america put in place to help the lgbt community in the united states? >> yeah. it is really important especially when it comes to the community to think about health care. it's also important to think about what transitioning as and any services that can help provide to make it easier to help them do it while they are still at work. one thing we didn't touch upon while we are on policy is policy beyond marriage equality you can still get fired in 29 states for

being algae be. you could be evicted from their homes have denied services. we have a lot of work to do on the policy front. marriage equality is just that. it is a benchmark, not a finish line and we met at glaad you cannot legislate acceptance that is why we are so oppressed on accelerating except in because those policies alone, whether in a corporate environment are the countries state of old, the best policy and protection for lgbt community is acceptance because when you have a consensus of acceptance you have a safer country whether it be a work environment warehousing environment or community. >> is there anything congress

could do to benefit the lgbt community or would you rather focus on individual programs to help the lgbt community. he mentioned not having a vote on the issue. do you think there's anything legislatively that can be done specifically on the federal level to help the lgbt community? >> i was mentioning earlier there's about 80 anti-lgbt bills that are pending. there's another 20 better anti-trans. they are called bathroom bills and basically it is legislating what bathroom a person can or can't do when. we have to be -- we have to

progress as a society, as a community so allow our transgender brothers and sisters to be saved and expected an and expected and not put into situations where they are scared and faith. bathroom bills create this environment. those are big ones we have conversations about right now and try to build awareness around. >> focusing on the legislative branch of government, let's say the supreme court decides same-sex marriage has to be recognized. suppose the congress comes back and says okay, we will try to pass a bill to negate the supreme court decision. what happens then? >> well, we hope that doesn't happen, but if it does happen we

will fight like. we have been for over 50 years fighting for this. a lot of people say this happened overnight. it didn't happen overnight. people have been fighting for decades upon decades. we will continue pushing forward because when you have an inclusive community that supports families, that you have a better community. even if congress goes up against it we'll make sure we organize around not and make sure we stop it. >> have you been talking to any presidential candidates regarding or send them papers regarding the lgbt community? >> at glaad we are nonpartisan. so now. the shortest answer yet. >> seeing that there are no more questions, i would like to thank

sarah kate ellis for her excellent presentation. i would also like to thank crystal white and the press club for their assistance and finally i would like to thank the audience today. with that, this proceeding up close. >> thank you. thank you very much. [inaudible conversations]

>> senator in 2016 presidential candidate bernie sanders held a town hall meeting in denver last week at the vermont independent was first elected to the senate in 2006 and is running for president as a democrat. this event was held at the university of denver. [cheers and applause] [cheers and applause]

[cheers and applause] >> thank you. thank you. [cheers and applause] well, let me begin by thanking rabin for that wonderful introduction. let me thank everyone in the age around and the hundreds in the lacrosse field. thank you all very much for being here tonight. [cheers and applause] you know, this is an extraordinary turnout and a thank all of you for being here. a few weeks ago, a few weeks ago we decided we were going to do an event in l.a.

i said we are going to l.a., let's see if we can get a room in denver. [cheers and applause] was see if we can bring a couple hundred people together see if we can find some supporters. after 10 minutes after the e-mail went out, we knew we had to change the venue. [cheers and applause] and here we are tonight. thank you. [cheers and applause] let me begin by telling you what no other candidate for president is going to tell you. and that is that this campaign

is not about me. it's not about hillary clinton. it's not about jeb bush. it is not about any other candidate. this campaign is about you your kids and your parent. [applause] it is about creating a political movement of millions of people who stand up and not leave and proudly proclaimed that this nation and our government belong to all of this and not just a handful of billionaires. [cheers and applause] people throughout our history

have fought and died to defend democracy and democracy means today that we need a political movement of millions of people who combat them vote who educate and organize. democracy is not about the last election in which 63% of the american people and 80% of young people did not vote. that is not democracy. democracy is when people from one end of the country to the other. stand up and say that there is nothing that a great nation cannot accomplish. [cheers and applause]

now is not the time for thinking small. we have been thinking small for too many years. we are the wealthiest country in the history of the world. now is the time to think big and to understand all that we can accomplish for all of our people. [cheers and applause] ..

and while we are here tonight for his delay those problems out on the table and talk about how impact we're going to solve those problems. [cheers and applause] today we live as i mentioned, in the wealthiest nation in the history of the world. the most americans don't feel that and don't know that. and the reason for that is that almost all of the wealth rests in the hands of a tiny number of people. [booing] america now has more income and

wealth inequality been any major country on earth, and the gap between the very, very rich and everyone else is wider today than at any time since the late 1920s. in my view the issue of wealth and income inequality is the great moral issue of our time. it is a great economic issue of our time. it is the great political issue of our time. [cheers and applause] and let me be as clear as i can be. there is something profoundly wrong when the top one-tenth of

1% that it owns almost as much wealth as the bottom 90%. there is something profoundly wrong wind today 99% of all new income created goes to the top 1%. there is something profoundly wrong when we have seen a proliferation of millionaires and billionaires at the same time as millions of americans are working longer hours for lower wages, and we have by far the highest rate of childhood poverty of any major country on earth. [booing] there is something profoundly wrong when one family in

america, the walton family, owns more wealth than the bottom 130 million americans. [booing] this grotesque level of wealth and income inequality is not only immoral is not only bad economics, is not only unsustainable, it is not what the united states of america is supposed to be about. [cheers and applause] and you know what? together we are going to change that. [cheers and applause]

now, it ain't going to be easy. the billionaire class controls much of the economy. they control much of our political life. they control much of the media but what we are doing tonight is sending a message to the billionaire class and that is you can't have it all. [cheers and applause] you, you cannot get huge tax breaks when children in this country go hungry. [cheers and applause] you cannot continue to send our jobs to china when millions of people in this country are desperately looking for work.

[cheers and applause] on you cannot hide your profits in the cayman islands and in other tax havens while there are massive unmet needs in every corner of this country. [cheers and applause] willthe unconscionable greed of the billionaire class is destroying this nation, and it has got to end. [cheers and applause] [chanting] bernie! bernie! bernie!

>> and what we say to these extraordinarily wealthy and powerful people is you cannot take advantage of all of the benefits of america if you refuse to accept your responsibilities as americans. [cheers and applause] but when we talk about our economy, we are not just talking about the grotesque level of income and wealth inequality. what we are also talking about is the tragic reality that over the last 40 years, not 60 years, not tenured, but over the last 40 years great middle class of america, once the envy of the world, has been disappearing.

and i want you to appreciate this because we don't talk about it quite often enough. all of you are aware that in recent years we've seen an explosion of technology. and all of you are aware that almost every worker in america is now far more productive than workers were 10 or 20 years ago. and yet despite the increase in technology and the increase in productivity the fact of the matter is, is that millions of people are working longer hours for lower wages and median family income today is almost $5000 less than it was in 1999. that is the reality and that's the reality we've got to put on

the table, and we've got to discuss that and we have got to turn that around. [cheers and applause] i can tell you that in my state of vermont and i doubt that it -- that's right. [applause] i doubt that it is is a different in colorado or anyplace else we have people who are not we have people who are not working one job, they are working two jobs, three jobs tried to kabul together and income and some health care. that is not what the american economy should be about. [applause] now, when we talk about the economy and when you ask people what's on the moscow to talk

about jobs and unemployment so let me just to you this. when you read in the papers once a month that real unemployment that official unemployment in america, is my .4%, don't believe it. because the way the government -- i .4%. -- determines unemployment rate is kind of complicated. if you throw in the fact that we have billions of people who are working part-time when they want to work full-time, and when you add to that the millions of people who have given up looking for work, real and employment today is close to 11%. and let me tell you something else which is not discussed at all. what other fun things about running for president this you can talk about the issues that other people don't talk about. [cheers and applause]

a report just came out a few weeks ago from the economic policy institute which is an actual think tank in washington. and what they said should scare every single american. and that is that youth unemployment in this country has reached crisis proportions. if you include those people who have given up looking for work people working part-time, young people working part-time when they want to work full-time, if you are looking at high school graduates from age 17 to 20, the unemployment rate for white and hispanic young people is over 30%, and for young african-american kids 17 to 20 that number is 51%.

[booing] now, maybe just maybe, we should start investing in jobs and education rather than incarceration and in jail for. [cheers and applause] and when we talk about the economy we are also not just talking about income and wealth inequality. we are not just talking about unemployment. we are talking about wages, and what we are talking about is that millions and millions of people in vermont, in colorado all across this country are working out totally inadequate

wages. [applause] i was in des moines, iowa, a week ago talking to some people and they were at a farmers market, and what they were doing, there was a church related organization. they were collecting food that was not sold at the farmers market and donating it to an emergency food shelter. and what they said is in des moines, and i expect it is true all over this country 90% of the people who went to those emergency food shelters for people who are working, and working full-time. one would think that if somebody worked full-time, you would earn enough to be able to feed your family. [cheers and applause]

and let me state as clearly as i can, that the current federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour is a starvation wage and must be raged -- must be raised to a living wage. [applause] city of los angeles a couple of weeks you'll get exactly the right thing. they raise the minimum wage, they raise the minimum wage of record of a couple of years to $15 an hour and that's a we should be doing nationally. [applause] and when we talk about work and when we talk about wages, we've

got to end the disgrace of women making 78 cents on the dollar compared to men. [cheers and applause] we need pay equity for women workers in this country, equal pay for equal work applause. [applause] a couple of weeks ago i announced a series of proposals that were a lot of fun to talk about, and i'll tell you why. as you know many republicans talk about family values. all, they just love family. and they just love children. they just can't get enough of families and children.

but when they talk about family values, you all know what they're talking about, but they are saying to every woman in this country, you cannot control and have destiny over your own body. what they are saying to women and this is quite incredible, hard to imagine that women cannot buy the contraceptives they want. [booing] and what they're saying to our gay brothers and sisters is you cannot get married. [booing] well, i have and i think you have a very different vision of what family values should be about. [cheers and applause]

let me tell you what i think family values mean. it means that the united states must in our international embarrassment of being the only major country on earth, the only one, which does not guarantee workers paid medical and family leave. [applause] which does not guarantee paid sick time or paid vacation time. [applause] now, let me tell you about a family value as deep and as strong as one can imagine. today in america a working-class or low income women gives birth

to a baby. and that mom and the father want the opportunity to get to know their newborn baby. that is pre-natural and that is what a family is all about. but if that working-class woman does not have enough money, she will have to go back to work in four days, five days one weeks time. and that is why we need family and medical leave which would say to that mom and dad, you have one month to spend with your baby, paid for. [applause] this is not a radical socialistic idea. this is an idea that exists in

virtually every major country on earth. let me tell you about another radical idea. are you ready? i don't know about you but i go around the country and end up eating at a lot of restaurants and i do not want somebody preparing the food who has the flu or sick. i want to see workers in this country be guaranteed paid sick leave. [cheers and applause] let me tell you something else that nobody talks about. and that is with the collapse of the american middle class what has happened is that our people men and women are being forced to work incredibly long hours. i hope some of you know that our people in this country, the wealthiest country on earth, end

up working far more hours than do the people of any major industrialized country. the american people are working 137 hours the year more than the japanese, who worked very hard. we work to hundred 60 more hours than the british and welcome for the french, we work almost 500 years -- five hours to you more than our friends in france. now, why do i say that? is that an important issue? it is an important issue. do you know what it is? because our people are working incredibly long hours. here's the story. i was in a grocery store outside of the grocery store in burlington, vermont, a few years ago. all right. and a woman came up to me and she said, you know, i just want

to mention something to you. my husband and i have one kid. we would like to have more children but i'm working three jobs. is working two jobs and we don't believe that we can be the kind of parent that we want to be. and that story is being told all across our country. people are exhausted. some of you may remember and read in your history books that 100 years ago in the early 1900s workers demonstrated all over this country, and they held up banners and held up signs and posters, and they said 100 years ago we are not beasts of burden, we are human beings. we want leisure time. we want to spend time with our kids. we want more education. we want the 40 hour workweek.

[applause] brothers and sisters, 100 years have come and gone. we have seen an explosion in technology and a huge increase in worker productivity. we are not today even close to a 40 hour work week. today, 85% of working men and 66% of working women work more than 40 hours a week. in my view at the very least what we've got to do as a family value is to guarantee those workers at least two weeks a year of paid vacation. [cheers and applause]

now imagine that radical idea that workers should have a couple of weeks where parents can spend some quality time with their kids. and again, all over the industrialized world men don't have to weeks. in fact, they usually have a lot more of that than paid vacation. let me talk when pollsters go out and they pulled the american people and basic what is uppermost on your mind what are you doing about the most? the answer is almost always a four letter word, jobs. and people understand that because as i mentioned earlier, not only israel unemployment close to 11% youth employment off the chart people are scared to death 50 55 years of age your words about walking into job in fighting that your job has disappeared and the young person has taken a. if you are young you are desperately trying to find a career ladder, but you can't

find your first job in my view, the time is now to recognize that we do have a job crisis in america, that we need a major federal jobs program. [applause] several months ago i have introduced to the senate and we will implement from the white house, a jobs program which rebuild our crumbling roads bridges, water systems wastewater plants. [cheers and applause] this is the united states of america. our roads and bridges and water systems and levees and dams should not be crumbling. our rail system should not be

behind europe, japan and china. [cheers and applause] and if we invest a trillion dollars in rebuilding the infrastructure, we become more productive, more efficient, safer, and we can create up to 13 million decent paying jobs. [applause] and here's another issue that we've got to deal with as a nation. it's not a sexy issue but it is enormously important. and that is to understand that the trade policies that we've had in this country for decades have been a grotesque failure for the american worker. [cheers and applause]

as a member of the house and now as a senator, i voted against nafta, against cafta -- [applause] against permanent normal trade relations with china. why? because i understood as i believe the vast majority of americans understood that the function of these trade agreements was to allow corporate america to shut down in america, outsource our jobs to low-wage countries and bring their products back in here. in my view in my view, if corporate america wants us to buy their products the time is long overdue for them to start manufacturing those products here in the united states of america. [cheers and applause]

and that is why i have helped lead the opposition in the senate to this disastrous trans-pacific partnership. [cheers and applause] i want to say a word about the tpp. not widely known. you go on for a long time. this is what i want to say. it is not just that the tpp and fast-track would force american workers to compete against people in vietnam who make 56 cents an hour minimum wage. it's beyond that. i will tell you a story which demonstrate what these trade agreement are all about. involving integral part of the trade agreement is called an investor state resolution of process. okay? what is that about?

this is what it's about, tell you what it's about. tiny country of uruguay a few years ago had a president who is an oncologist, knew a lot about cancer. what this guy tried to do and they do is work on very strong antitobacco legislation, trying to keep the kids in this country from smoking. i think that's a good thing, okay? given the facts that smoking causes a huge need of diseases, i applaud people who do that. philip morris, on the other hand, disagree. what philip morris did is the result of trade language which is included in the tpp, is went to an international tribunal and sent to the tribunal, what uruguay is doing is in violation of our trade agreement because they are harming our future

profits. [booing] that's right. so philip morse said look, we can make a lot of money but addicting children to nicotine and killing them over the years, and you're taking away our ability to hook kids on cigarettes. and what does the trade agreement, we will see if that resolves its outcome is now before the tribunal. australia is in the same boat but that tells you everything you need to know about these trade agreements. the bottom line very clearly is what is good for future profits is what trade agreement about, not the health, not our environment, not the well being of the people and that's what we've got to defeat soundly this tpp. [applause]

now, let me be as blunt as i can be in telling you if i have it be dashed if i haven't been blunt already, and that is something i think many of you already know. and that is as a result of the disastrous supreme court decision in a citizens united case -- [booing] make that loud so that supreme court hears you. [booing] by 5-4 decision the supreme court rented one of the worst decisions in the history of our country. what they said that the wealthiest people in this country, okay, guys you already own much of america. we will now give you the opportunity to own the united states government. and people like the koch

brothers, sheldon adelson -- [booing] they said hey that's great. that's a great. what we always wanted to do, to own our government. and what citizens united allowed is these people who spend billions of dollars to buy candidates who will make the rich richer and everybody else poorer. and this issue of campaign finance reform is so important, it is important because it impacts every other issue of concern. if we have a congress or governor or state legislatures that are owned by the billionaire class, we are not going to address the problems

facing working families. i have so far made one promise in his campaign one clear promise, and that is i will have a litmus test for my nominees to the supreme court. [applause] and that litmus test is that anybody i nominate will make it clear to this country that they are going to rehearing citizens united and vote to overturn that disastrous decision. [cheers and applause] i want to see a vibrant american

democracy where we are not looking at 63% of the people not voting. we are looking at 90% of the people voting. [applause] i want to see a democracy, i want to see a democracy when anybody, regardless of his or her views, who wants to run for office can run for office without being beholden to big money interest. [cheers and applause] and that is what after we overturn your constitutional amendment of citizens united we move to public funding of elections. [cheers and applause] brothers and sisters american

democracy and people did not fight and die for american democracy to allow a situation arise with the koch brothers alone, second wealthiest come in america, extremely right wing family, his family will spend more money on this election cycle than either the democratic party or the republican party. [booing] brothers and sisters, if you step back and you look at a situation like that what you are not looking at community looking at a democracy if you are looking at and oligarchic form of government come and we've got to stop that. [cheers and applause] and being at the university, i

now want to touch on another issue of just enormous consequence. in a highly competitive global economy, which is what we are in, we need the best educated workforce in the world. [applause] and what that means, what that means is that we've got to encourage all of our people and not just young people, middle-aged people, old people to get all the education they can regardless of income of their family. [cheers and applause] now, think about, think about where we are right now in the absurd situation that currently exists. right now in america in a highly

competitive global economy hundreds of thousands of bright, young, qualified people who want to go to college or get a higher education are unable to do so not because they lack the ability but because they lack the money. now, that is grossly unfair in terms of just taking away the ladder for those young people can make it into the middle class, but it is even worse than that when we look at our nation as a whole. what kind of insanity is it that we say to these people we don't want you to become scientists or engineers or doctors or nurses because you just don't have the money. and that is why i have introduced legislation and will fight for that legislation as

president that will make every public college and university in america tuition free. [cheers and applause] [chanting] bernie! bernie! >> let me tell you what that means. it's not only not only that it's going to make life easier for kids in high school who know they can go to college. it will permeate all levels of education. kids right now i'm sure in denver at in burlington, vermont, or in the sixth grade they have gotten the message. their family doesn't have a lot of money. they ain't going to make it to the middle class. they would not go to college.

why should they study hard? why should they do their homework? but when we make it clear to every kid in this country that if, in fact, you work hard in school, you will be able to get a higher education that will transform this nation. [cheers and applause] now, some people may think this is a radical idea. it is not a radical idea. it is the most common sense ideas that we can think of. and let me to you this. right now countries like germany, countries all over scandinavia, even countries like chile, they understand that their future rests in investing in their young people. we should do the same thing. [cheers and applause]

but when we talk when we talk about higher education, higher education financing, we also have to understand that there are millions of young and middle-aged and as a middle-aged people who are today being crushed by arendt is student debt -- horrendous student debt. a young man i know, not so young anymore, graduated law school deeply in debt. today he is still paying that debt off at 9% interest rate. [booing] now, what sense does it make that you can go out and refinance your home today at 2% 3%, you can buy a new car at 0% and 1%.

but because you committed the crime of wanting to get an education, you are stuck for the rest of your life eight 9%? [applause] so part of that legislation will allow people who have student debt to refinance their student debt at lower interest rates. and what it also will do is end the absurdity of the federal government making billions in profit off of the interest rate paid by low-income and working-class families. [applause] and when we do that we can substantially cut by more than half interest rates for people who have debt today.

[applause] now, my critics have said, you know bernie can it's an expensive proposition you're proposing, and they are right. this legislation would cost about $70 billion a year and that's a lot of money. you know how we are going to pay for it? we are going to pay for by a tax on wall street speculation. [cheers and applause] as the result of the fraud the recklessness of wall street, this country was plunged into the worst economic recession since the great depression. millions of people lost their jobs. they lost their life savings and they lost their homes.

a time right now is not only to pass a speculation tax on wall street, the time right now is to break up the major financial institutions in this country. [cheers and applause] if a bank is too big to fail that bank is too big to exist. [cheers and applause] i suppose that means i won't get much money for my campaign from wall street. [laughter] [applause]

but we will survive without their money. let me touch now on an issue which i think addresses our responsibilities as human beings as parents and i've got four kids and seven beautiful grandchildren, and that is that we have a moral responsibility to make sure that the planet that would lead to our kids and grandchildren is habitable. [applause] the debate is over. maybe with the exception of fox television, but other than that -- [laughter] other than that, the scientists have almost unanimously told us

that climate change is real it is caused by human activity and the emissions of carbon, it is already causing devastating problems here in our country and around the world. and this is what they have also told us. they have said that while the problems are very serious right now, they will only get much, much worse if we don't seize a short window of opportunity to transform our energy system away from fossil fuels and into energy efficiency and sustainable energy. [cheers and applause] and what the scientific community tells us and this is really, speak to our

responsibilities as custodians of this planet, what they say is that if we continue business as usual, if we do not transform our energy system, that by the end of the century the planet earth will be between five and 10 degrees fahrenheit warmer. and what that will mean is more and more drought, more flooding more extreme weather disturbances, more acidification of the ocean, more rising sea levels. it will also be a huge national security issue for the entire world, because when people do not have land to grow food on if they do not have water for agriculture or to drink, there will be migrations of people, there would international conflicts. there will be more and more war. the point is, and the pope, pope francis made this point just

beautifully -- [cheers and applause] and what a hero what a hero for this entire planet. pope francis has been. [applause] that we have one of the important religious leaders on earth speaking out in a way that nobody in congress would ever speak out about what money and inequality is doing to people all over the world, and now speaking out on climate change. god bless pope francis. [cheers and applause] when i was in college way back when, a few years ago -- [laughter]

-- the issue that motivated young people all across this country was civil rights and at that point we had folks giving up their lives fighting in the south to desegregate the south, to fight for voting rights for african-americans, and some of those heroes got killed trying to do what they did. in my view today one of the great issues facing our younger generation is to stand up and demand that america leads the world in transforming our energy system. [applause] and when we do that, by the way, when we weatherized our homes that are leaking energy, when we have a transportation system that is energy efficient, when we have a strong rail system

when we move aggressively to solar, wind, geothermal, we create millions of jobs as well. [cheers and applause] let me say a word about another issue that we've got to finally deal with. the united states, shamefully is the only major nation on earth that does not guarantee health care to all of our people as a right to. [cheers and applause] my state state of vermont borders on candidate. all people in canada have helped as right.

germany, scandinavia austria every european country has healthcare for all of their people as a right. today in america despite the modest gains of the affordable care act, we have 35 million people without health insurance. we had even more who are underinsured with large deductibles and copayments. what we have got to do, in my view is passé medicare for all single-payer program. [cheers and applause] -- pass a medicare. [chanting] bernie! bernie! it makes no sense, no sense, 35 million people uninsured or underinsured

underinsured. our health care outcomes are not particularly good. we have a higher infant mortality rate than many other countries. we have a lower life expectancy in many other countries and yet we end up paying almost twice as much per capita for health care. and that is why we've got to get the private insurance companies out of health care. [cheers and applause] now, i am the ranking member, which means leader of the opposition in the senate, on the budget committee. and i want to say a word about the republican budget that passed last month, and i'm going to tell you this because the media forgot to talk about it. [laughter] and it's important that we talk about it for the following reasons.

i am perhaps the most progressive member of the united states senate. [cheers and applause] and so, you know, it shouldn't be surprising that i disagreements with all republicans on almost every issue. [laughter] not surprising. but here's what, this is what the republican budget did. and the reason i raise that figure is i don't mind as the most progressive member of the senate being opposed to the billionaire class and a lot of their friends. i accept their hatred with joy. [cheers and applause] because if they hate me and what i stand for, then i know i am

doing something right. [cheers and applause] but this is what i do not accept with joy and that is to many working-class, middle-class people continue to vote against their own best interests. [applause] now, i want to say to the republicans in colorado. i want them to tell me whether they think this budget of the republicans makes sense and here it is. 35 million people without any health insurance, with republican budget did was throw an additional 27 million people off of health insurance. [booing] and when i asked, as i do, my republican colleagues when you

throw 27 million people off of health insurance, how many of them will die? how many of them will become much sicker than they would have been if they had insurance? there is no response. so i say to my republican friends are, working people in colorado, you tell me if it is a good idea that millions of men, women and children are thrown off of health insurance. [booing] we talked about tonight the fact that working class, middle class families are finding it harder and harder to pay for a college education for their kids. what the republican budget did over a 10 year period was cut pell grants by $90 billion. [booing]

and i say the republicans are in colorado and across this country, families that are struggling to send their kids to college, whether they think it makes sense to make massive cuts to the most important federal aid program for college students. the republican party in their budget at a time when millions of families are struggling to feed their kids make massive cuts in nutrition programs. [booing] do my republican friends here in colorado think that kids should go hungry in america? i don't think they do. i really don't think that they do. and furthermore we've had a number of republican candidates for president who want to cut social security, cut medicare.

[booing] so what our job is to get the word out to our republican friends to stop voting for the billionaire class, start voting for themselves. [cheers and applause] all of us are aware that in this country we have made progress in a number of areas in terms of becoming less discriminatory. in terms of civil rights, in terms of women's rights come in terms of gay rights. but all of us know that a lot more must be done. [applause] it is not acceptable, it is not acceptable that young african-americans are walking down the street in as said in

america and are being brutalized by police. that has got to in. [cheers and applause] -- in end. >> i was a mayor for eight years and we work very closely with the police department. police officers have an enormously difficult job, and most of them do their job honestly and as well as they can. [applause] that's right. it's a very tough job. but when a police officer or any other public official, commits a crime that crime must be punished. [cheers and applause] all right let me you have all

been very patient as i've rambled on. so let me conclude let me conclude by saying this. i want you to think big, not small. i want you to understand that it is not utopian thinking to say that every man, woman and child in this country should have health care. it is not utopian thinking to say that working families should have quality affordable childcare for it is not utopian thinking to say that college education should be available to all. [cheers and applause] we can do these things and more. we can create the greatest nation that anyone has ever seen. [cheers and applause] if we stand together.

if we do not let people divide us by race, i whether we were bored and america are born in mexico, whether we are gay or whether we are straight. [cheers and applause] so i look forward to working with you all in creating the political revolution that this country needs. thank you all. thank you all very much. [cheers and applause] [chanting] bernie! bernie! ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> we will have more live from to the white house country this week. bobby jindal is expected to announce he is officially

entering the 2016 presidential race. he would be the 13th republican candidate to do so. live coverage starts wednesday at 5 p.m. eastern on c-span3. >> the senate is about to capital income working today on tpa, fast-track trade which a party measure passed by the house last week. the senate expected to vote on tpa at 11 a.m. eastern time an article here from the hill reporting president obama has been scrambling for votes as democratic support has trickled in for his trade agenda. despite strong pressure from unions led by the afl-cio which is lobbying democrats to oppose fast-track the commission would help the president negotiate the largest trade deal in history with 11 other countries along the pacific rim by limiting the input from congress. that measure. likely new today on the

procedural vote at least 11 democrats 55 senate republicans vote against the trade package last month do so again. songsters to watch day, maria cantwell and heidi heitkamp of north dakota. they say they're still reviewing their options. ben cardin merrin says he wants fast-track to remain bundled with assistance for workers. live now to the floor of the senat in senate. the chaplain: let us pray. oh god, you are from everlasting to everlasting. keep us under your watchful eyes that we may dwell in your eternal presence. lord into your care we entrust our lawmakers. help them to feel the companionship of your