together an amendment that actually is part of the trade bill that was passed. already, already tire workers in ohio united steelworker union employees in ohio are taking advantage of that because they got a positive determination from their international trade commission, in part because we gave them better tools we improved the law, to be able to more easily show that you have been injured by these unfairly traded imports that are sold below cost or dumped or that are subsidized and that you can get the relief that is needed to avoid losing so many jobs that you go out of business. that's one thing we ought to be doing to expand exports is more trade. another thing we ought to be doing is ensuring that we aren't pulling back on this export financing. again, that doesn't cost the taxpayers anything. at a time when we are underexporting compared to what we should be doing as a country.

our exports per capita in the united states of america, i think we're somewhere between ton ga and ethiopia. other countries depend a lot more on trade than we do. we need to export more. why? it creates good jobs, jobs that pay 13% to 15% more on average better benefits. the last thing you want to do is pull the rug out from under exporters and put american workers at a disadvantage vis-a-vis the rest of the world. the same thing with regard to trade policy generally. let's expand exports by opening up markets for our products through good trade agreements. and let's enforce the laws and increase the enforcement as we did with regard to the amendment i talked about earlier. it makes it easier for those tire workers at cooper tire in ohio and around the country to be able to say you know what, this isn't fair. those chinese tires in this case are coming in at under their cost or are being subsidized and we want our government to stand up for us so that we can compete

and so that we can export more of our product. so i think if we were not to allow this export-import bank to continue, it would be running counter to everything we just did in the trade bill. we want more exports. the final thing i have to say is that again, if you don't allow american companies to compete globally as american workers making products here in america some of these companies are going to go overseas. a lot of them already have production overseas. let's be honest. a lot of these u.s. multinational companies make things all over the world. two, three four continents. they can shift that production overseas and then they take advantage of the export guarantees in that country. that's what some of them told me they're likely to do if we don't have an export guarantee in this country and we don't do anything about the international situation when other countries do it more than we do. that reminds me of another topic we ought to be taking up here on the floor of the united states

senate and that's tax reform because our tax code does the same thing. our tax code says to an american company, you can't compete fairly. you have to compete with one hand tied behind your back and it's the american workers who are hurt by this because our tax rate is so high and because of the way we tax internationally. we make it an advantage to be a foreign company. that's why so many u.s. companies are becoming foreign companies. last year there were twice as many transactions in dollar terms. twice as many as the year before of foreign companies taking over u.s. companies driven largely by our inefficient and out-of-date tax code. so if you combine all these you combine what's going on with trade, you combine what's going on with our tax system, you certainly don't want to put our workers at a further disadvantage by pulling the rug out from under them with regard to this export financing. yes, let's try to get the rest of the world to do the right

thing, but in the meantime let's not shoot ourselves in the foot. on many of these projects overseas there's a de facto requirement that you have to have financing from a government. all these other countries provide it, and so whether you're in africa, asia or some of these other emerging economies, what they say is where's your financing? this is why as i said there are about 1 #00 projects in limbo now. let me tell you about some of the companies in ohio that benefit from this export-import bank, this bank that puts money back into the coffers every year. i've talked to these companies and i've talked to the workers on the line whose jobs are at stake because of what we're going to decide here in this body. one is u.s. bridge. they are in cambridge ohio. they have been manufacturing and building bridges in america and around the world for 81 years. they're quite a success story. they're a global business, depends on the financial guarantees of the export-import

bank. they can't compete in bidding for these projects around the world without it. recently they got a $100 million project to build bridges in west africa but it was immediately put in jeopardy after they got it because congress refused to move on the ex-im bank one way or the other. we allowed it to expire without voting on it. that's one of those projects in limbo. they got 150 employees in a very small county with high unemployment in eastern ohio. if they get this job we talked about to build bridges in west africa they say they can add up to 50 new manufacturing workers with this one contract. that's a big deal for a family-owned company that's been a cornerstone of the eastern part of ohio in the small town of cambridge 10,000 people. ladies and gentlemen that's 50 jobs right there in a small town in an area of ohio that has high unemployment, that are at stake if we don't move on

export-import bank. let me tell you about mcgregor metal working in springfield ohio. they are a distant cousin of mine. they came to springfield from scotland. but the mcgregors run a company that's, again a staple of the community. they're pillars in the community. they've got skilled trade jobs. the workers there get good pay good benefits. however, they're very concerned about what's going on with ex-im bank. more than 60 workers at mcgregor work on projects that depend on ex-im financing. that's about 16% of mcgregor sales. they're not a big company but a really important company to that community, those companies and to their families. people who have stood up on this floor over the last couple of days and said this is not about jobs, this is about jobs, folks. and this is not just about big businesses. yes, it's about them, and that's important too. we want those jobs here as well.

it's also about a lot of small businesses. i recently spoke to some of the workers at mcgregor. they told me there are a lot of manufacturing issues they can't control. their health care costs, which are going up. obamacare has not helped. it's made it worse. in ohio, they're told their costs are going to go up between 10% and 33% next year. that's what the insurance companies told them. the price of steel goes up and down. sometimes it's tough to get the skills to be able to compete and to get these jobs in a place like mcgregor. those are things that are out of their control. but this ex-im thing is something they know we can control, and they're wondering why we're making it even more difficult, less predictable for them by not acting. let me tell you about another small business. it's in hamilton ohio called kavac, employee 50 people, they manufacture cleaning machines used in floors and schools. the modern-day mop and pail.

with the help of ex-im kavac grew international sales by 60% last year. exporting their commercial cleaning machines all over the world. but as we heard repeatedly, this is another company that said they can't do that in the future if they don't get this financing from ex-im. so what will happen to these companies? well for a lot of these smaller companies, they'll just lose business and they'll lose jobs. they'll lose the jobs they already have and they won't be able to gain the jobs we talked about today. for some of the bigger companies, they'll be okay. they'll move overseas. i'm frankly not worried about the companies. i'm worried about the workers in ohio. american workers who working hard playing by the rules doing all the right things and we're going to pull the rug out from under them. that doesn't make any sense to me. we need to stand up for these american workers.

whether it's with regard to trade, whether it's regard to taxes, as we talked about earlier. washington is letting them down. we're not doing the basic things we ought to be doing to create the environment for success to allow them to be able to compete and to win. today we've got the opportunity to stand with american workers. we've got the opportunity to move forward. yes, with regard to trade knocking down barriers to our exports, making sure there's a more level playing field including that amendment we talked about earlier that allows us now to bring trade cases and get results and help american workers. we've got to be sure that we do reform this tax code because if we don't more american companies and investments are going to go overseas. that's our job. we're letting the american worker down right now. i see senator schumer is here on the floor. senator schumer has been working on this international tax reform issue, and his point is a very simple one. we want the jobs and investment here. we're tired of seeing companies get taken over by foreign

companies and move their jobs to those other countries. we saw recently a pharmaceutical company got bought by a foreign entity. by the way the foreign company had just left america. they had inverted to another country. they then came back and started buying american companies. one-third of the workforce bought by that company is now gone. raleigh, north carolina, to canada. these are things we can do, that are in our control here in this body for us to pass these kinds of bills. and with regard to ex-im to ensure that we are not shooting ourselves in the foot and shooting american workers in the foot by taking away their opportunity to, yes win these bids to win these competitions, to build that bridge in west africa to send those cleaning supplies all over the world, to be able to ensure with regard to mcgregor industries that the parts that they put into those

locomotive engines that get sent to develop countries and developing countries can continue to go. our job here is not to make life harder for these workers and these small companies. it's to make it easier for them to compete and to win so that we can begin to bring back not just more jobs, but better jobs. over the last six years we've seen wages flatten out and on average go down. economists tell me it's about a 6% reduction in real wages. think about that. at a time when health care costs are up in part thanks to obamacare, which makes it harder not easier, to get health care at a reasonable cost. education costs are up. electricity costs are going up in part because of the regulations that the obamacare is putting on the economy in my home state of ohio and around the country. that's called the middle-class squeeze. wages flat and declining expenses going up.

that's what the people i represent are experiencing. let's not make it more difficult for them. let's stand up for american workers. yes, let's tell the obamacare as this legislation does, you're required to put more pressure on the international community other countries to reduce their export subsidies their guarantees their credit agencies. but in the meantime, let's be sure we're standing up for the people we represent and doing the right thing for the american worker. thank you, mr. president. i yield back my time and i note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. is quorum call: quorum call:

a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from hawaii. mr. schatz: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that we vitiate the quorum call. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schatz: i ask unanimous consent to speak for up to ten minutes. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schatz: mr. president the facts are undeniable. climate change is real. it's caused by humans. it's happening now and it is solvable. today i'd like to talk about a noncontroversial way to reduce 10% of the world's carbon pollution, fighting deforestation. of course no single action will solve climate change, but

stopping deforestation is underrated as a solution with a high impact and a low cost. and while we've been on this floor for years in an intense often partisan debate over pipelines and the e.p.a.'s rules on coal-fired power plants, forest conservation is an area where we have always had strong bipartisan support. as forests are cut down, two things happen. first, carbon stored in trees is released. and second, the trees stop absorbing carbon from the atmosphere. each year the world loses forests the size of ohio and that rate is increasing. unless we act an area twice the size of texas will be lost by the year 2030. of course most deforestation is happening in tropical forests in the amazon, the congo river basin and southeast asia. but global demand, including demand from the united states,

for palm oil soy beef and timber products greatly contribute to forest loss in these regions. this is why the united states has to lead in stopping deforestation. there are three things that we can do. first, we've got to fully implement and fund the lacey act. this law prohibits the import of illegally harvested wood products but has only been in place since 2008 and congress hasn't given the usda and other agencies the tools to fully implement. we're god good at catching raw products but we still need more tools to catch illegal wood, which is in processed products such as furniture. full enforcement of the lacey act could keep 27 million metric tons of carbon pollution out of the atmosphere each year. this is equivalent to the emissions from more than 5 million cars every year. the lacey act is also good for

the u.s. timber industry because illegally harvested wood products undercut this industry by $1 billion in 2013 by reducing the competitive advantage of legal timber. number two we've got to support private-sector commitments to stopping deforestation and we've had some recent very good news in this space. driven by consumer demand, 34 corporations recently committed to cutting deforestation from their products in half by 2020 and ending it by 2030. these are big companies -- wal-mart mcdonald's and unilever among many others. these businesses were joined by 35 governments 16 indigenous groups and 45n.g.o.'s. this was the first time that leaders from developed and developing nations have partnered around a time line for ending deforestation. one challenge in meeting these commitments is that we don't

have a robust standard to verify that they're being met. without this, we are merely taking everyone's word for t it. but the united states can lead in verifying these commitments satellite images have already allowed forest scientists to measure the magnitude. but we still need more accurate real-time monitoring of carbon content in forests and the technologies do exist. finally, we've got to provide ffortsforestedcountries with the support to protect and grow their forests. absorbing carbon with trees is more cost-effective and more energy-efficient than doing so from coal or gas power plants. this is because trees capture carbon using energy from the sun and power plants capture additional energy from a power plant. despite the ability to cap to

you and store carbon, we can't just tell landowners to stop cutting down their trees. they're often in a very dire financial situation. we have to share with them our expertise in sustainable forest mafnght, how to prosper from a forest without cutting it down and moving on to the next stand. the state department, usaid and usda bring sought-after knowledge in this area, from how to fight forest fires to how to combat illegal logging. we also have to provide financial incentives for landowners to protect their forests. the economic benefit of forests is real. they store carbon, filter water keep soil healthyed and healthy and protect against erosion. the value must be recognized in the global economy. red-plus program reducing emissionsemissions from deforestation and forest did degradation provide a mechanism for fngly financially

rewarding countries that reduce deforestation. we have to contribute our fair share to these programs. forests in the united states absorb more carbon than they release. however, the u.s. forest service estimates that the loss of forests through urban growth and wildfires could make our forests a source of carbon pollution as soon as 2030. we've got to ensure that our forests continue to absorb more carbon than they release and work with our allies to protect our forests abroad. mr. president, we have solutions on climate change. stopping deforestation is one of them and it's one of the solutions i'm most excited about because it is an opportunity for bipartisan work. we know what we need to do and we now how toured to do it. thank you mr. president. i yield the floor and suggest the absence of a erm quovment quorum.

the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: ms. murkowski: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator alaska. ms. murkowski: i ask that proceedings your honor the quorum call be dispensed -- under the quorum call be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. ms. murkowski: mr. president we've been discussing the value of having a multiyear transportation bill, a highway bill moving through the senate, something that i too would like to see. but, as with everything we do around here, it's important how we do it, and when you have a

multiyear highway bill, it's important to ask the question, how are we paying for that? well one of the considerations that is in front of this body is to pay for $9 billion of this multiyear highway bill through a sell-off of crude oil from our strategic petroleum reserve the spro or the s.p.r. mr. president, i have come before this floor several times already during this debate to try to convince colleagues that this is exactly the wrong way to address our transportation priorities by selling off a national energy security priority; basically an snerns -- an insurance policy that we have for this country an insurance policy to ensure that at the

time that we might be most vulnerable with our energy supplies, we have reserves, we have a safety net that we can turn to in the event of an emergency brought about by a hurricane or a natural stays -- natural disaster or whether it is a man-made disaster, war or something else that has caused global disruption. mr. president, in short it just -- it boggles my mind that we would be willing -- so willing and almost eager to tap into this strategic asset for such short-term and limited gain. in the absence of supply disruption that justifies releasing oil from the s.p.r.,

selling our strategic reserves only worsens an existing competitive disadvantage for our american oil producers. as you know, mr. president, we have in place an outdated 40 40-year-old-plus ban on our ability to sell our domestic crude oil overseas. we are limited in our ability to export that. i think that that is a wrong and outdated policy and am working with many, including the occupant of the chair to lift this outdated policy. i've introduced legislation to do just that. we'll actually have a bill before the banking committee tomorrow to, again shed some light on the fact that it is so incredibly inconsistent from a policy perspective that we would

be talking about lifting the sanctions on iran, allowing iran to access the broader global market so that they can sell their oil reserves, so that they can take advantage of the resources that will come to them to do who knows what mischief while at the same time prohibiting, further prohibiting in this country our oil producers that opportunity to access the global market. by lifting the sanctions on iran and keeping the oil export ban in place in this country, we are effectively sanctioning our own u.s. oil producers. that's wrong. well again we're working to address that.

but we're in a situation currently, american companies cannot sell oil to the same countries that we let iran sell its own oil to. and now -- now with this proposal in front of us to sell off some 101 million barrels of oil from the spro, we're potentially going to saturate a market that is already oversupplied. think about what that means to those in oklahoma be where the rig count in this country right now is down by half of what it was just last year. we're at a five-year low with that. our market is oversaturated. mr. president, this morning i introduced yet another white paper out of the energy

committee. it's entitled "a turbulent world: in defense of the strategic petroleum reserve." and this white paper outlines some of the history behind the sanspro and why i feel so strongly, and why i will continue to come to this floor to oppose the sale of 101 million barrels of oil from the spro to pay for a portion of this highway bill. let's take a look at the history of when we have had emergency draw-downs. we have had -- drawdowns. we have had exactly three emergency drawdowns ever. the strategic petroleum reserve has been in place since the mid-1970's. we had a drawdown in 1991 with desert storm. we had a drawdown in 2005 with

-- when hurricane katrina hit. and then in libya in 2011 during their civil war. so mr. president this red right here is the 101 million barrels that this legislation seeks to sell off -- 101 million barrels. the total amount of sales from emergency drawdowns ever combined is 58.9 million barrels. mr. president, what we're talking about doing here is in one -- one act to take 101 million barrels an put and put it out there on the market. in all the years in the 40

years that we have had access to reserves in the strategic petroleum reserve we have had three emergency drawdowns; one a hurricane, two in any event of disruption for war -- and together all three of those totaled, just should i of shy of 60 million irrelevance about a. -- 60 million barrels. the and yet this proposal is 101 million barrels. we have exchanged oil out of the spro a total of 12 times. this was in hurricanes isaac katrina, lily, ivan, gustav, and ike. we've created a home heating oil reserve. we've closed some ship channels for accidents. we've imported oil from mexico. all of these exchanges all of those exchanges -- not drawdowns, but all of those totaled only 68.9 million

barrels. again, we're talking about 101 million-barrel sale. we've also done test sales. we've done three test sales. in 1985, in 1990, and then in 2014. we've also closed down a reserve site wakes island. we've sold off some barrels for that. and the total for all of that activity was 15 million barrels for all four sales. and, mr. president i've had people tell me oh, you know, don't overreact here. don't overreact. this is no different than what we did with the two sales in 1996 for federal deficit reduction. so let's look at that chart. 1996 we had a deficit reduction in may -- that's the blue, and

then in october we did further reductions the green. so look at that. both of those sales totaled 23 million barrels. so again back in 1996, total of 23 million, what we're looking at with this legislation, again is a sell-off of 101 million barrels. that's not even a fair comparison. selling 101 million barrels would be the equivalent of 60% of all of the oil that has ever left the spro. a total of 161 million barrels we have effectively taken out moved off out of the spro since it was created in 1975, about

40 years ago. so we've had emergency drawdowns, we've had three of those, we've had the exchanges that i talked about and we've had test sales. and then we had the sales in 1996 with the federal deficit reduction. you take all of that together, everything in the history of the strategic petroleum reserve that we've ever sold off or exchanged, you it brings you to 163 million barrels and now we're talking about 101 million barrels sale, 60%. i think it's important to put this into context because this is a big, fat deal. and yet we're acting like this is just another withdrawal from your a.t.m., just go down, you check the balance i got enough money in there, must be okay.

well mr. president let's talk about the strategic environment that we're operating in right now. there's a nominal drawdown capacity of 4.4 million barrels per day and i mentioned this the last time i was on the floor. the drawdown capacity is subject to some discussion in terms of what we're actually able to pump out. and this is why we do the test sales, to make sure it works as it was designed. the secretary of energy, secretary moniz, has suggested that our distribution rate, our ability to move this once we take it out is significantly less than this nominal drawdown capacity of 4.4 million barrels 4.4 million barrels --

4.4 million barrels due to congestion and changes in midstream infrastructure. and this is one of the reasons why i've been banging the lectern here and senator cantwell my ranking member on the energy committee has also been joining me and saying this is not -- this is not appropriate for us to be doing this. we've got significant maintenance issues within the spro that we need to address. somewhere between $1.5 billion and $2 billion that is -- it's going to take to address some of the shortcomings that we have within the spro, the maintenance and operations aspect of it. there's a study underway as we speak to determine the right size of the strategic petroleum reserve, what we need to do in terms of maintenance. but if we go ahead and we sell off 60% of what we have done

historically throughout the whole lifetime of the spro to fund a highway bill for six years again it just causes you to wonder why are we doing this. again, the strategic environment and the drawdown capacity that we have. we've got -- we've got a pretty volatile world out there. i think we know that. we have unplanned disruptions unplanned production outages if you will in saudi arabia, kuwait nigeria iraq, iran. these are around 2.5 million barrels to 3 million barrels per day. these are pretty tense regimes of the world. i don't think anyone would dispute that. on this next chart what you see is our drawdown rate of 4.4 or

thereabouts is greater than the daily production of iran iraq venezuela nigeria algeria -- nigeria algeria or libya. i don't think anybody would suggest that any of these countries here that are in the blue exude stability or security and then look at the transit choke points. a drawdown rate of 4.4 million barrels per day is bigger in fairness than the capacity of some of the other areas that would be clearly noted as these choke points. you've got the panama canal at the end the turkish or the danish straits babemandab off the coast of yemen. but if something went wrong in

more than one of these critical parts of the supply chain at once we could be overtaken by upheaval in the global oil market without much recourse. our ability to respond would be dramatically dramatically lessened. and 4.4 million barrels per day is less than the oil that transships the suez canal and its accompanying pipeline. it's a fraction of the oil that goes through the straits of mulocca or home use which move about 15 million to 17 million barrels per day. this is my point here. my central point is our strategic petroleum reserve is a tremendous national security asset, and we need it because

the world is just simply more turbulent. and i've been told, well, but look what's happening domestically. we're importing less, we're producing more, and so therefore, we don't really need all of this. we don't need this safety net. you know, we cannot immunize ourselves from global events and just suggest that somehow or other we need it less. you know, it's like you've been going to the doctor and you get a clean bill of health, you come home and say okay, now i don't need -- i don't need life insurance, i don't need health insurance because the doctor just said you're fine. you know what? the world out there right now is not fine and we know that. at a time when spare capacity is low and the global threat environment is heightened,

selling 101 million barrels of america's strategic reserve to pay for legislation that makes almost no contribution to improving our energy security i think is just a foolish error of historic proportions. i would just restate what we would be doing if we move forward with the pay-for as has been outlined, we would be conducting the largest sale in the history of the reserve the largest sale in the history of the strategic petroleum reserve since it was created in 1975, larger than all of the previous emergency drawdowns combined. we're going into hurricane season.

we don't know what may be coming at us in the middle east. and yet we are proposing to pay for a short-term fix to the highway trust fund with -- with a cashout a buyout, mr. president. of unprecedented proportions. i said last time i was on the floor this is like cashing out your homeowner's insurance to pave your driveway. it's not the right pay-for. and, again i too want to make sure that we do right by our transportation infrastructure. it is important. it is about jobs. it is about the strength of our economy. but we are also obligated to make sure that the decisions

that we take here in this senate in this congress, are there to provide for our security as a nation. and i want to know that if we need these ready resources we haven't moved precipitously to sell them off. and i would just remind my colleagues last time i checked this morning the price of oil is hanging about 50 bucks a barrel. is this really a good time to be selling off at $50 a barrel? so mr. president again i thank you for your attention. i think those of us who have been following this issue with great interest are concerned

and are conflicted because we want to make sure that we do right by our highway systems but we also want to make sure that we do right by our national energy security. and selling off 101 million barrels of strategic petroleum reserve is foolhardy. with that, mr. president, i yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

quorum call:

mr. mcconnell: mr. president? the presiding officer: the majority leader of the senate. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent -- are we in a quorum call? i ask consent that a quorum call be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to executive session for the en bloc consideration of executive calendar number 209 223 225 231 and 233 247 and all nominations on the secretary's

desk in the air force army, marine corps and navy, that the nominations be confirmed the motions to reconsider be made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate, that no further motions be in order, that any statements relating to the nominations be printed in the record, the president be immediately notified of the senate's actions, and the senate resume legislative session. it's executive calendar 219 through 223, 225 through 231 and 233 through 247. the presiding officer: without objection, so ordered. mr. mcconnell: so, mr. president, i ask unanimous consent the committee on finance be discharged from further consideration of h.r. 876 and

the senate proceed to its immediate consideration. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: h.r. 876 an act to amend title 18 of the social security act and so forth. the presiding officer: is there objection to proceeding to the measure? without objection the committee is discharged. the senate will proceed. mr. mcconnell: i further ask the bill be read a third time and passed and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i now ask unanimous consent the senate stand in recess until 9:15. further, that all time during the recess count postcloture. the presiding officer: without objection.

>> >> i take that would provide an opportunity for everyone to comment on what we were seeing. but right now we have people

who raise concerns. but they don't know what is put forward. and that is problematic from my point of view. and not spin time needlessly on things that don't need attention. >> how are you doing? >> good to receive a. the best representative.

[laughter] >> good to see you again. it will be fun. >> isn't that great? it is wonderful. >> this is my wife. >> how are you? >> my girls are with meet my brother and sister-in-law driving their car behind us. they have the winnebago.

[laughter] >> that's exciting. >> there is a picture from 40 years ago. that is my brother. >> i think that was in your book. and then you crash into the pillar. >> good to see you.

would you like to meet my wife? >> hello. it is a pleasure. >> this is wonderful. >> we thought it was great. and here is her husband and. i compete with my staff. we are glad to have you here. >> it is fun to go around the dealerships in the country.

he already claimed about one. >> you could at least run it a little bit. [laughter] >> good to see you. hello. we wanted there. that is good territory. i believe it. >> but he just retired.

>> we're doing all 99 counties. >> we love to have you. >> good morning. hour you? the 8q. what are you writing today? good to see. >> it is a lot more. [laughter] we'll come. you are really close to my neighborhood.

i am going now to a council bluffs and society then marshalltown. we are doing all 99. grass-roots. all of them. >> you have a great crowd here. there is good energy. >> good to meet you, governor. >> good to see you.

hi. pleasure. thanks for being with us. it is a pleasure. this looks good. [laughter] somebody brought me a three week old baby in vegas. i was in now harley-davidson -- charlie -- a harley-davidson gallery. >> hello. can you smile? she is looking around.

>> i have followed governor walker's career as a row the first representatives and i endorse him. after seeing some of the things that he went there as a governor, one thing that he did is when he ran for office he promised to break fiscal reform and got wisconsin back on the right track. he took over the state was 3.$6 million in debt and he turned around to close the gap. they have they really day fund and lower taxes while doing this. he has a great resonate and he is the kind of person we need in the white house, personally. [applause]

so when the governor talked to me a couple of times i have met him twice now, he asked if i would support his campaign and i said i would. after getting to know him say a little bit and to talk to him a couple times i made the right choice. he is a great guy, a leader, and he will be a great president for girl -- a president. and he has very little spare time right now but he is still working to chiapas towns and on the right track. and the principles used in wisconsin i think would be a good model for our nation and i agree. so i want to introduce the 45th governor of wisconsin, says scott walker.

[applause] thank you. thank you. to be one of the early leaders is the best of the best but as a great job to host us here today at a lot of the colleagues are here we appreciate you joining with us. but to quick things on a serious note in particular i would just ask if we could pause for a moment of prayer. the other day i talk to my colleague from tennessee on the day that we lost on that day alone for marines in that horrible action in tennessee and three individuals was shot and

since then we have lost another so now it is five whose lives were taken important to say proper all of the loved ones and the family members and those were in harm's way. will you please pause and pray for them? thank you. we will start talking about the campaign but earlier today i make up practice to not comment on the positions of other republicans i will let them speak for themselves and i will talk about what i am for a and you can imagine i get asked quite a bit what i feel about this candidate or that candidates position and they can speak for themselves but today one of the candidates made a comment about john mccain.

i will be fundamentally clear. john mccain is an american hero and i will denounce any one who speaks ill of someone who has been a prisoner of war, not just senator mccain anyone else like that we need to stand up to defend that i will make an exception if somebody goes personal against the military of always defend our veterans regardless of politics. [applause] i am glad to be here today. it is nice to be here and a harley-davidson dealers share. last month -- a lot of fun last month me and other veterans voted to use a roast it was of lot of fun with joni earnt they say if i win the job i will not be writing for about eight years but we are crisscrossing the country. we're also doing something

fun today. my wife, my two sons we have day winnebago out front we are crisscrossing the state also line he says are here and my brother and my sister-in-law of we are having fun. i love going out is a the winnebago. just like senator grassley and senator joni earnt and karen reynolds we are doing all 99 counties in the state of iowa we're making a play not just for the caucuses but to win in november of 2016 with a path to republican president goes to a the midwest to do well in iowa and wisconsin ohio pennsylvania and michigan but we think it is

imperative savvier here to do well in the caucus as well as comeback to do it in 2016 we love going through all 99 counties because monday remade the first big announcement now i can officially say back in iowa by m. scott walker i running for president and i am asking for your vote. [applause] i am asking for your vote. of edmonton the few veterans of world war i and world war ii and another vietnam veteran and i am reminded of those two as well that reminds me we are the can do kind of country. but it is not too late.

help is on the way. we can make this country great again and that is what we will do with your help. to do that we need big bold leadership that is new and fresh that gets things done that is what we did across the mississippi a blues state we took on the unions had we won against 100,000 protesters they put up death threats they did a recall and the reelection and we did not back down we got the job done but we can take them on there we can take them on anywhere. we said since i have been governor we also or taxes by $2 billion in one individuals, employers

property taxes in my state are or to day than there were two years ago. and they will be lower in 2016 they and december 2010. since i have been governor rehab done lawsuit reform and regulatory reform we unfunded planned parenthood to pass pro-life legislation we enacted concealed carry so law-abiding citizens can protect themselves and now we have a law that says you have to have final identification to vote in my state. [applause] so if it could work in a blue states like wisconsin and our reaffirm a -- reforms can work there they can work anywhere in

america. whether traveling in iowa or across the country i hear from people that they are tired of politicians what they are against in who they are against but americans want to vote for something or someone. i will spend a couple minutes to tell you what i of four. i am. and safety transferring power out of washington to put into the hands of the hard-working taxpayers that israel a for maya for building a better economy to allow everyone to live their piece of the dream and frore for protecting your children and grandchildren from islamic terrorism. that is true safety. [applause] so let me spend a moment to tell you why i am for real

reform in washington. in our state we have big bold reforms that took power out of the special interest to put it into the hands of the hard-working taxpayer so warm for the the people are doing better. in washington and they seem to thank you measure success , many people are dependent on the government. we should measure success by the opposite. by how many are no longer dependent on the of government. true freedom am prosperity does not come from the government but from empowering people to live their own life to control their own destiny and to work. i grabbed in a small town. before i tell you where i

worked but when i was first born my dad was up beecher that is where i was born but my parents were called to a church in plainfield i love population 41 dash 450. of 451 year later my brother was born in waverly. moms are good at keeping pictures i would pull out the picture. i have it here of my brother and i 40 years ago because our small little town had an american flag but not the iowa state flag so we got out a jar to walk around town to get enough koreans

live in the jar to buy 80 the iowa state flag my mom's still has the picture. now he was much cuter than he is now. [laughter] he is the guy on the left. but that is the great reminder my dad was called to a church in wisconsin when i was in third grade and that is where we grew up with the middle school and high school. but to think about our roots my first job was washing dishes then i moved up to the big time then flipping hamburgers at mcdonald's my friend paul ryan was flipping hamburgers 50 miles stowe the road but he was in

the back because his manager said he did not have the personal skills to work the cash register. [laughter] i wonder what he thinks today. [laughter] but to think about that and my parents for my dad has a small time preacher and my mom as the secretary and bookkeeper. my grandparents for farmers that did not have indoor plumbing and tell my mother went to junior high school. my grandfather was a machinist 42 years at a factory in rockford illinois. we think back over the years we did not inherit fame or fortune but we got the believe if you work hard and play by the rules you can do and be anything you want to. that is the american dream and that is worth fighting for. [applause] let me spend another minute

to tell you why i am for the pro-growth economic plan to help families and individuals earn and save and achieved their american dream. instead of the top down government knows best in washington way to build the economy from the ground up that is fresh and organic than dynamic. start your career to build your own business and live your own life. that is the freedom that is the cornerstone to the american dream we have five simple things to do to help raise wages that is a pro growth plan that begins with an appealing obamacare once and for all. to put decisions back into

the hands of patients and families. i am all for enforcing common sense but let's do a in a way to get rid of the of bureaucratic red tape. the federal government is say burden. that is a heavy blanket we need to lift that up. all above the energy policy. and then to find to get the education and to succeed to help people find careers. not jobs. what somebody else talk about low wages or how we

will lift everyone up with the skills and education they need to be successful in life. [applause] not only to reform education because i trust parents to make the right decision for our children when the matter what zip code or a charter operator a choice or a home school environment every child deserves access to a great education in america. i believe in high standards but that should be set at local level. that is why i don't believe then common core or the

nationwide school. we need to take power out of washington to put the power back to the states and to the schools are is more efficient and definitely more accountable to the american public. [applause] i have a dollar in my pocket. where would you rather spend this? to washington or keep it is in your child's school? we would rather keep it here where we can see what is happening to hold people accountable. we talk about pushing that type of reform. i believe the fifth part of the pro-growth to raise wages is to lower the burden on hard-working taxpayers so you can't keep more of the hard-earned money.

i know we can do it because to move million dollars worth of tax relief. people give the greenfly i focus on that tax relief but it is that simple. for years we love to shop at the place called kohls. i have said is so many times it is a funny segment on jimmy phelan. then i go to iraq that says it was $29.99 now is $19.99 then we pull out the inserts that has the scratch off with an extra red discount or if i go home first to get the mailer we get 15 or 20% or if we are really lucky 30% off. i know who shops at kohls. then we give them the coupons then she sweeps

interfirst to pulls out the kohls cash and that they paid me to buy the shirts. that is what it feels like. how did they make money? volume. they can charge a higher price if you people could afford it or broaden the base and increase the volume of profit. that is the taxpayer money. we'll be campbell over the rates to broaden the base to increase the value of those who participate in the economy. back then we would call it the laugher curve today i call it the kohls curve you can figure out how to spend your money better than the federal government. [applause]

but to prosper not only with a pro growth plan but to live in a safe and stable world the commander in chief has a sacred duty to defend the american people and in my lifetime the best president with national security and foreign policy was the governor from california. we stood up for our allies and stood up to the enemies without a policy we stood for straw on american values and that led to with the most peaceful times en a commit - - and that is headed to read disaster.

so yemen is a success story and iran is a place we can do business with? iran? david and i used to tie ribbons in front of our tree in the late '70s around the 444 days that iran house 52 americans hostage they have not changed much since then it is not a country we should be doing business with. as your president i will terminate the bad deal with iran and the sanctions and convince the allies to do the same. [applause] the bond top of all that we had a president earlier this year. for a president to proclaim

was climate change the greatest threat was climate change. i respectfully disagree it is a radical islamic terrorism we need to do something about it. [applause] we cast hour by lifting a the political restrictions on the military personnel so they can assist the allies to reclaim their territory taken by isis i would rather take the fight to them rather than them bringing the fight to us. [applause] we need to a knowledge that israel is an ally of the united states to start treating them like an ally. [applause] raid to stop the aggression

of russia into sovereign nations as putin believes the old principle that if you stop and under obama and clinton year after year he has pushing now we need a foreign policy that is in front of our enemies. [applause] . .

we need to give them the ability to protect themselves more than ever and when they return we need to give them the timely and quality health care they deserve. [applause] but the best way to honor them the best way to honor them is by fighting to win. there we will be times this is important because our goal should be peace. our goal should be piece through strength but they're we will be times when america must fight. and if we must americans fight to win. the rest of the world must no that there is no greater friend and worse enemy than the united states of america.

[applause] and so they're are some pretty big challenges was next president will domestically financially economically, and where we stand as a worlda world but i'm an optimist. i love america. all of the american spirit the american people. i believe you love america or you would not be here. i no we can turn things around. we just need the right leadership to make that happen. when you look at the field you will have a tremendous responsibility that once but twice in the caucuses and begin next november. you will have to look at that field. there is a difference in the selection. there are two groups out they're fighters and

winners. fighters, many of whom have been fighting the good fight day after day week after week, month after month, but they have not one there are winners people who have been elected and reelected but they have not consistently fought the good fight's over and over for the issues of the day. ii submit there is only one candidate in the republican field, one candidate at all who is consistently fighting and winning not just free elections and four years and a bluea blue state that has not gone republican for president since 1984 someone who has won the commonsense fights that america is craving across this country. if you want someone who we will fight and win for you and america ii am your candidate. i ask you to caucus for me support us and i ask for your report come november. you no what, people ask me all the time why am running.

i have two simple reasons. right over they're. those are my two boys. the reason we decided to run for governor in the 1st place even though we no would be tough. i am thankful that is the reason i ran because when we had the death threats the hundred thousand protesters, face the recall, the number one target in america and the reelection, if it had just been about title or position, it would not have been worth it. i knew that i wanted themi wanted them to grow up in a state greater than the one i grew up in. we stood firm and did what we said we were going to do. today in america i am worried about the path we are headed on. the reason i am running is because of matt and alex my nieces your children and

grandchildren and all those others yet to be born because i know just like you no that we want our children and grandchildren to inherit aa better america than the one we inherited from our parents and grandparents. it is not too late. cannot be too late. we will not only when the selection the take this country down the right path. thank you for coming out here. may god bless you may god bless our military and may god continue to bless the united states of america. [applause] [applause] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations]

>> thank you. thank you for your service. [inaudible conversations] >> good to see you. >> make our way all the way around. >> thank you. i appreciate that. >> we're looking forward to that. >> my family and wisconsin really enjoys you. [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] >> he is a sweetheart. >> he really is. >> yeah. [inaudible conversations]

[inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] >> keep coming back. i.

[inaudible conversations] 's. [inaudible conversations] >> how old are you? seven? that is pretty cool. >> thank you. thank you. [inaudible conversations] >> you had a question?

>> you are the 10th candidate. what about the people that are already hear? >> part of the reason i do the things i do. we can start dealing with that afterward. then i think the next congressman, it has to be in that order. [inaudible conversations] >> part of it will be depending. sure. >> i we willi will check it out. >> thank you. >> do you mind if i get a picture? >> no problem. that's fine. >> thank you. >> no, we love it. thank you.

[inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] >> that picture used to go across. that's great. right in the backyard there. 218 would be on the other side there. will be back sunday. were going to go over. i love that. >> very familiar. >> moved and 77, but my parents stayed in contact with a number of the face. >> can we get a picture? >> sure.

>> the spring. >> we put -- and i do that. someone who understands. someone who understands the proper role. for years we have had it. >> thank you. >> high. >> thank you so much for coming. can i get a picture? >> yeah. >> we will do anything to get you elected. >> we need it. [laughter] >> it messes me up.

they must my bracket up. in the conference. >> thank you so much. >> i remember. yeah. you might like it. >> that's it. >> right onto 18. >> yeah. some are good, some are bad. >> in milwaukee. >> thank you. thank you. >> sure. yeah. good deal.

>> thank you. thank you for the support. >> your sweet. thank you. book tv. >> thank you. >> absolutely. that's what it's all about. >> thank you for your service. >> what branch? air force.

book tv. [inaudible conversations] ♪ >> i'll see you later. [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] >> coming back. >> appreciate you. >> i grew up in a really small town. >> i no that. very similar. >> exactly. right out they're. >> exactly. >> thank you very much. >> good to meet you.

>> great. thank you. thank you. good to see you. thank you. were going to work hard for it. >> it works out. >> good to see you. good to see you guys. >> i come out every october. take part in our state. >> thank you. >> appreciate it. >> level the playing field. but the market drive. give market access to people this lose folks overseas. >> thank you. >> wanted to be a honey badger. >> i no.

>> that was my daughter. >> that's awesome. i still here from one of the guys and wisconsin has a radio show. last talking about the honey badger stuff. >> it has to be good. i. >> my god. >> what are your thoughts on reducing corporate taxes? >> that's part of it. today i didn't. i include that. make it competitive again. it will bring more jobs back from overseas. it's a popular message. >> right. is it that you would have so many.

>> thank you. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> a really level you have done. it has been great. >> okay. >> am in transition. >> absolutely. thank you. >> thank you. thank you. >> good to see you. thank you. i. thank you. working hard. >> sure. yeah. >> can i photo bomb?

>> yeah. >> thank you for your support. we appreciate it. >> very nice. >> that's good. >> zero. it is. >> we didn't have to worry. >> a little different over they're. >> hang in there. >> good to see you.

>> governor walker i met you in the senate. >> senate. >> outside. >> we were in the chamber. >> on the back. that's right. we were going through. >> were going to support. welcome you to the county. were going to have a great time. >> he was our league year for today. >> and really young guys your. >> thanks for coming out. >> thank you. >> the writing. [inaudible conversations]

's. >> look. >> ready, one, two, three. >> joined by some today? >> i get points. >> you no what i got? french fries. >> thank you. as. >> my catchphrase. as.

>> don't be afraid. >> not at all. >> zero, no. >> we are anti- washington. everything that embodies washington. we get things done. that much support. >> look anywhere in the world where she has played a role. more today than it was. >> what your family would go through. thank you. >> thanks. >> a lot of people outraged. finally get in. it's. >> get it done.

[inaudible conversations] >> that's the kind of thing. years ago. >> why do they do that? what kind of people. >> so good to be out.

>> i like it. the husband and wife the film. [inaudible conversations] >> sure. yeah. [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations]

>> a lot easier. >> is nice to meet you. >> thank you. very proud of what you've done. >> thank you. >> is why we're here today. >> is one of those. >> exactly. many, many times. >> always a lot of talk. >> will be they're. >> thank you. >> thank you again. >> by now. thank you. >> sure. sure. >> there we go.

>> a big shot here. >> there you go. ..

>> start it up. i don't care. awesome. >> you have to do that right? >> the c-span's city tour visits cities across the country. this weekend we are joined by comcast to learn about the history of agusta, georgia -- augusta -- >> we were sitting here in the

augus augus augusta museum of history. a decision was made to do a permanent display to honor jimmy dias. i went through over 9,000 medal recipients and he is the only person ever to have earned both awards. he would almost for sure say he did not deserve it and might point out someone who was more of a hero. he was very humble. when i interviewed people that knew him, i said tell me about the carnegie award and they didn't know anything about it. most recipients say i didn't

deserve this. it a piece of humility many have. >> we visited the home of president wilson as well. >> president wilson moved to augusta at just a year old and moved to this house when he was three. president wilson's very first memory was in november of 1860 before he was four years old. he was standing on the front gate out in front of the house and two men came by in a hurry with very excited tone of voice saying linoln was just elected president and there is going to be a war. -- lincoln -- young tommy ran inside asking what was war. we think it is remarkable his first memory was about another president, lincoln and another

war, the civil war. and wilson had it to lead the country through world war one. >> see the programs saturday at noon eastern on c-span2's book tv and sunday afternoon at 2:00 on american history tv on c-span-3. the senate is back at 9:15 eastern and continue to debate on the highway transportation bill. at 10:10 they are expected to vote to reauthorize the import/export bank. we bring you a conversation on the highway transportation fund with bud right. up next we will talk to fcc commissioner michael o'rielly. c-span created by america's cable companies 35 years ago