this is an hour. >> hi, good morning. my name is bruce, i i will be the moderator for our discussion today on form policy and the 2016 primaries. i want i want to welcome all of you who have braved the threat of the storm today to make it out here.

also, i am looking for tour conversation about our primaries and what they all mean to us because in a few weeks we'll be in the midst of it all. one one of the real questions i think is whether it will be a rare instance where this is a form policy election or an election that is driven in a large part by foreign policy rather than domestic issues. we have a number of experts with us today. opens, charlie cook editor and publisher of the cook report, a colleague of mine, sam feist was senior vp of cnn who can entertain us with stories about organizing debates. , jim lindsay who is chair of

the council. his long time partner. we'll have an initial period where i lead a conversation but we will have ample time for you to ask your questions and make comments. i will get you out of here at 930 a.m., as promised. i would remind you this is on the record, we'll simulcast of my casting this. this is not a typical cf our event where it is on what we call house rules. let me start off by asking charlie cook, the research survey in december found that national security rather than

the domestic economy was the leading concern of the public, this was in the wake of paris and san bernadino. specifically terrorism was the issue that people were most concerned about it. gallup came out with the survey in january that said concern about terrorism was down a bit. the economy was the number one issue. my leadoff question to you is, do we anticipate, or do do you anticipate that this will be an american election where form policy plays a disproportionate role or will it be domestic issues that drive the election. >> of course the answer is no, i do not think this is going to be a form policy driven election unless something, an event in the 60 days or so leave it up to the election. they have asked us to announce that anybody who is here this morning gets a 25% discount on their cfr dues for next year

because you showed up. americans rarely vote on form policy issues. it has to be a dramatic and immediate event happening leading into the election. i have no doubt, san bernadino certainly did spike it up. i think the mindset, john edwards used to say that we have two countries, the have and have-nots, to me there is a democratic country an independent country country and it republican country. republican attitudes are form policy is an xo stencil threat or country, things are on the edge, were about to go in the abyss. democrats are more like this is an elevated concern. independence, in the middle but a little bit closer to democrats but it depends on who you're talking to, how big of a role it is going to play.

although during the primaries, we just did a poll in new hampshire this week and hillary does best on foreign-policy, yet form policy among democrats is way down. just the opposite on the republican side. foreign-policy is the number one issue for republicans at least in new hampshire and elsewhere as well. donald trump. donald trump does very well in that. in the primaries it certainly, to your point republicans are making form policy an important issue and it is playing out that way which i think is giving donald trump more things to talk about than some of the established republicans have less to say. i think that's giving him an advantage. >> let's pursue this for a minute and it's ironic and we should stay with us for a minute. >> the survey show that there is a real partisan split on foreign-policy issues. republicans are more concerned about china than democrats.

republicans are more concerned about terrorism and the war on terror, don't don't think it's working than democrats. republicans are more supportive of sending troops to the middle east than democrats. a chinese friend of mine spoke recently, his assessment of the republican candidate was they believed in omnidirectional -- the question is omni directional only works if it resonates with the electorate. why do you think that republicans seem to be more afraid and then in response to this more willing to use force than democrats? i think it could be a couple of things happening at the same time. as you head out of 2015 and into 2016, there is a blip in the

stock market. the economy was doing bettr, if you're republican looking for issues that you can use against democrats perhaps form policy may be more effective particularly if over the course of the next 11 or 12 months the economy does recover. unemployment was hitting recent lows as we ended 2015. that is part of it in terms of tactics of the candidate. it also resonates with republicans and trump's message from the beginning is clearly playing on concern fears among base republican voters that have been exacerbated by paris and san bernadino. he is taking advantage of that concern and fear and it is working. >> it is also pointing out that republicans traditionally worry about form policy, defense, national security issues than democrats. so there's a very strong partisan difference between democrats and republicans and

independents are in the middle on which issues are important, and how poor they are. in many ways i agree with charlie's points about this not be no form policy election or likelihood. there are variances of politics in play here. >> the unpredictability is something that who knows what is going to happen in the world in august, september, october, october 2016. as we ended 2015 we are planning a debate that we had in las vegas in the middle of december. as we had started to plan that debate, it was going to be a debate that covered a range of topics, domestic, social issues, foreign policy, terrorism, that debate came about a week and a half after san bernadino, and after the second paris attack.

it became 100% a commander-in-chief debate. that is the only subject we did because that is what the news events dictated. >> it is important to keep in mind that something matters to the voters does not mean it matters to the boat. so you have to look at to the extent that you are talking about topics. i would argue a case of the republican primaries since the republicans are hitting the same base being, obama is week we must be strong, i don't see differentiating among the republican candidates. the other question is will it change turn out. we'll different people come to the ballot box because the form policy. i do not see that is true. the final thing to keep in mind is most people already know who they're going to vote for. they may not know it but they do, all of our social science research indicates that people who tend to vote democrat, and those who vote republican stay voting with the party of their

choice. if you go back to the 60s perhaps 15% of voters in a presidential election from cycle to cycle may switch. now it is is maybe 5% or 7%. so they are open to be moved is a lot smaller. >> i think that's a very good point. if you look at the overall numbers, we have never had more people who self identified as independence. at least in our work and i think cnn is the same thing that if you look at leaners to the republican party and leaders to the democratic party we are not that divided, the middle is not nearly as big. >> the tea parties can that are themselves independents because they don't want to be established with a party but we know they are republicans. >> their people with some deep-seated needs to call themselves independence. so an independent lead is

virtually democratic as a real democrat. but a point jen made a few moments ago, i'm i'm sure chris matthews would not want to say this now but they used to say with predictable overstatement, we have two parties in this country, we have a mommy party and a daddy party. the party. the mommy party is a caring, nurturing party that is concerned about education, daycare, touchy-feely stuff. the daddy party is tough on defense, tough on crime. now obviously it is a gross exaggeration but the thing is there some underlying proof there that there are things in each party that are very real. so it is perfectly natural for republicans to want to rattle

cages a little bit on the republican side or on the defense i. i think the other thing though is there is now a view among conservatives a most republicans that anything that president obama touches or thought about touching is evil, wrong, destructive, dangerous. even if he had not thought about it yet, even if you did they'll be evil too. again. again, it is a populist stick existential threat. i think sometime and i don't wanna -- i think he's been a mediocre president. the thing is i think sometimes in politics if you hate someone so much it really colors your judgment on a lot of things. i think they are totally blinded by their hatred for him, therefore they are not necessarily making a lot of

really objective judgments. >> for hillary clinton is not wholly different than barack obama. >> it's close. but do you think because obama is president and this has been obama's form policy for the last seven years, that to the extent that form policy is an issue in this election, it is really a referendum on obama's handling of form policy. you just backed charlie's point of it's a referendum on obama. we note know in our service for years now people have said they're not tough enough, actually democrats think he is doing a fine job. this question of the need to have a tough president, the perception of a president being being tough, does it appeal to the authoritarian strain among some voters. there is some debate here about

what trump's appeal is, it's more authoritarian is inches what is it say about the voters? >> let me ask a question of these guys. is a question approve, disapprove of obama's obama's job on form policy, it's almost a real question of, how do you think things are going on in the world? if things are not going -- if they feel uneasy about what is going on in the world and its thumbs down. notwithstanding the feelings that republicans have toward him. >> the question of a strong leader matters. it has mattered in many elections, americans tend to like the person they see is the stronger of the two general election candidates. not always, but almost always. i think that is one of the years that this matters. sometimes strong leader is can this person got the u.s. economy and get us out of a ditch if that is what is necessary. the notion of picking the candidate of the two who is the stronger leader is not new and plays out.

>> let's back up for one minute. i want to ask jim we are debating whether or policy will be an issue in this election, when was the last time form policy played a major role in a presidential election, as we think back of the outcome of past elections? >> i think the notion of form policy election it is much comment but it's very seldom cited. we used to go back to the candidates, 1968, humphrey versus nixon but when you look at the policy they were not that far apart. so wasn't necessarily that it separated them, there's plenty other issues going on in the time. george wallace popularity was not tied to the vietnam war. ronald reagan in 1980 but i would remind everyone of

something how the misery index. the economy was not doing well, the interest rates were in double digits. that was an election that clearly turned on form policy. i. i do think you can see in primaries with form policy can matter. go back to 2008 with barack obama and secretary clinton. senator clinton and at the time certainly at the beginning her position on iraq she voted for and was unwilling at that point to apologize or brief view. i think it did give barack obama an opening. was that a form policy issue issue or a question of what democrats viewed as a major mistake that she did not want to walk away from? >> bernie sanders is taken advantage of that same issue.

it's one of the few areas where hillary clinton is out of step with her party. she has acknowledged that it was a mistake, but he has used that issue. >> eight maybe 14 years ago that boat took place. it is still thrown up as a bad judgment. >> is very interesting on the issue that would affect potentially distinguish between clinton and sanders would have been the ppp. very early on in the campaign secretary clinton took it off the table by saying, while i have been in favor of tpp, this one could even meet my standards. >> the iraq war vote could also been a bigger issue for democrats to form policy was a bigger concern among democrats. because it is so low is not the heart of the conversation. >> i think. >> anything but income wealth

then free college tuition pretty sanders doesn't want to talk about it. i think that it's one thing that will keep this from being too elevated on the democratic side. he is pretty much on uncomfortable getting up that. >> on form policy they are not violent disagreement. they agree in large part. they are comfortable with essentially president obama's form policy. there is a lot of reason not to come on say that. i do think the committee, back to your point is that we get to a general election, republicans will clearly try to turn this into a form policy election, make it a form policy election, make it a referendum on president obama's handling of form policy and whoever the democratic candidates will have to deal with the issue and presumably turn it away from a referendum on president obama. and we have seen this play out before the republican candidates

ideas are risky are not well thought out. >> alaska question where you do see economic policy and for policy overlap, that's dealing with china. our survey show that when you ask people about their concerns about china it is the economy, maybe cyber security, it is not military threats by china per se. but people see in that survey that we did that among form policy concerns people see protecting american jobs as a form policy concern. even though it's not they can played it to even especially when it has to do with china. the question is, we've seen a little bit of china bashing in the republican primary, trump, despite the fact that he denies it it is on tape that he called for 45% tariff on imports from china which outdoes dick gephardt in the 80s. for those of you that remember

that. >> right, exactly. but it is reminiscent of a little bit of china bashing that took place between clinton and obama in the primaries. then it disappeared when obama became president. it's also reminiscent of the china bashing in the 80s and democratic primaries especially. do we think has any traction in the election or if it is just noise and will go away. >> i would say there's no traction. we're talking here about is 2016 going to be a form policy election, i actually don't think the conversation right now is about form policy, it's about terrorism. indeed all of the other issue whether were talking about china, russia, climate change or -- candidates are not engaging in them. if you look at the public opinion polls what is the most

important issue facing the country there saying terrorism and not china. not the future of europe, not russian aggression. we have to be careful not to overgeneralize that the public is seized with facts when they are not. if you look at this campaign which is not much different than most campaigns, there very long on criticism. the outside party criticism does a criticize what the income and its job has done. candidates tend not to get into that but it's a benefit because oftentimes they can make promises that come back to haunt them when they succeed and be president. in large part because of these issues do not have really great policy solutions. a classic cases isis, where where there is water pounding the table about who is going to be stronger in dealing with isis but in terms of particular suggestions about what they would do differently, it doesn't look much different than current

policy. in my not be in the same zip code as the current policy but it's in the same area code. >> at least the tonality of the republican criticism is very harsh. especially like ted cruz others. the question is, is there any hint based on experience and past election that people are painting themselves into corners, or is there no corner you can really paint yourself into as a candidate. you can get out of it by just ignoring it once your president. >> i think they're painting themselves in a corner lots of things this year. as i mentioned earlier democratic america, and a pen in america, republican america, for independence on any given issue, do they seem to look more like the way democrats think or that republicans think. more often than any time i can

remember, they're not over as far as democrats are but they are generally closer to where democrats are then where republicans are. that is politically painting yourself into a corner. >> except that if you believe that donald trump success so far is because the people supporting him or scared, they are scared about terrorist attacks in the united states, they're worried they're worried about their jobs, but people taking their jobs, about having their job five or ten years from now, about whether their kids will have a good his life as they have had. his supporters fall into the category of concern about all of those things. he is speaking directly to them and i don't know that he's painting himself into a corner with this group of people, some of whom are in the democratic category.

>> i would say more republicans/conservatives. trump to me is more populist. he's closer to the right than the left, generally but it is more populist than anything else. more anger, there's not a lot of ideological cohesion with what donald trump actually believes. >> i think if you're presidential candidate painting yourself into a corner's a good problem to have because that means you have won the election and you can deal the problem down the road. i think 11 of the things that happen when you have conversation that is a lot of table pounding, it's about attitude, if i'm in office these things are going to happen, is that you do not pay yourself in a corner because you have to leave yourself to a certain number of acts. the classification would be clinton's position in nafta back in 1992 and then having to find a way to walk back from that.

that is an example where you can repeat yourself in the corner it to create a whole new room for yourself. >> let me ask a question, were, were venturing into a broader discussion about the election. >> does this mean we can get off the subject now. >> let's talk a little bit, i don't know about your conversation with leaders in the republican party but my conversations is a probable concern they have. most people with trump on this point but we also see it with their concern about crews. is this just noise at this point in their coalesce around whoever the nominee is because that is what you do after the primaries, or is this a potentially fundamental problem for the republicans if either of those

two men become the nominee? >> yesterday was a fascinating day, you saw bob at dole and trent lott come out with a negative endorsement of ted cruise. on the same day the national review last night came out with an issue, a symposium they called it with 30 leading conservatives ranging from within negative endorsement about donald trump so now the real core of establishment republicans and even base conservative leaders are split and said no to trump and no to ted cruz. but each one has different pace. this idea that the establishment is embracing donald trump or reconciling themselves, i would think that that the biggest bunch of garbage. the thing about it is, they see this guy is a stone laser and a

general election if you were to get the nomination. that will be a bad thing. but they personally despise ted cruz. for bob dole, god bless him, cruz led the fight effectively to torpedo the disabilities treat. bob dole felt humiliated by what they did, he went on the senate floor and holds ted cruz personally responsible. this is just personal, now they hate both of them, or they hate cruz and i have no use for donald trump. but they are not embracing anybody, it is just two ticks you off more, trump or or cruz. david people come to different conclusions. the establishment is not going to be embracing donald trump. >> the problem for the establishment, some point they have not rallied around any other candidates, they remain

split, it creates a really complicated. >> i think their fear is that they could not only lose at the white house when they think they had a chance to win it, but they could lose control of at least one house of congress in the process. now charlie you run a piece this week that if you look at all the top people, the republicans can't lose the house unless something momentous happens. donald trump could not even lose republicans their majority in the house, yet where these lines are, that cannot happen speemac, the senate? >> republicans could lose the majority of the senate just having a bad night. they could have just an okay nominee and loose. when you have six republican seats up and out no democratic states up, this is just bad

arithmetic. the way i see this playing out is -- donald trump has basically 35% of the vote. now 35% and a 12 way field, that's a big number. but when 12 goes to eight, goes to six, goes to four, goes to three, goes to two, i don't think to two, i don't think that 35 number expands a whole lot. i can see it coming down to a point where trouble have a third but probably leading a little bit, the cruz has a third may be, and, and establishment guy has a quarter, then there is a fifth that is just up in the air. what they do before at the convention, i don't know. >> that leads to my next question. when do you think we'll have some better sense of who the republican and democratic nominees are?

if you put on your hats here, is that march 1, march 15, do we have to go into april and may? do you go to the convention? >> the democrat side is easier, if bernie sanders has a good day in iowa and a good day new hampshire, south carolina should new be an interesting test. if he has a good day in iowa new hampshire and a bad day in south carolina, that will tell you that the democratic nomination could be wrapped up quickly for hillary. if he has a good day and south carolina than it goes on for a little bit. republican side is more complicated. proportional voting through march eighth, march 15 we begin some of the states, not all of them are winner take all. that process keeps going for a

long time, i think it could easily be may or june. >> let me take the democratic side. what are caucuses about? ideology, passion, energy. so let's give bernie sanders, just for fun give him the iowa caucus, let's give give him all 15 states that have caucuses. let's give him 100% of all the caucus state delegates, then let's give him new hampshire and all of new england, 100% of all the delegates from new england. you know what that gives them? 36% of the delegates you need to win at the convention. after caucuses, new england, and, and college towns, bernie sanders has nothing going on.

there's just not enough soy latte drinking, birkenstock wearing, subaru driving people in the democratic party to nominate bernie sanders. if god is hoping today that hillary clinton is not going to be the democratic nominee for president, my sumption would be that the the section moved, she is prosecuted and democrats will hit the red box, and joe biden's phone numbers inside. this nomination is not going to bernie sanders. >> you just said the same thing i said. >> but i said it better than you said it. >> i said look at south carolina. >> it is now time to have us a better by members here. i would like to turn this over, if you could speak up and identify yourself, make it a question, keep it short and we will try to get it around all of you.

>> there's a sign of pennsylvania about trump coming in 2016, maybe 16, maybe that's a horrible way to come, your comment on painting corners. i wonder how party wins an election when they're against the trend on most major social issues. putting that to the site, my question, what is on immigration what you had not mentioned really. isn't this a periodic tenancy combined with his security element we have not seen be hard. it isn't really a plan. people who care about this care about immigration, sort of form policy but they care about it because their predator jobs and all of that. and trump. and trump fuels to all of that. second is, who are the form policy advisers to donald trump, can you name them? i've asked

people that don't know. the last question is, turnout. i saw a poll that had an incredible flip and it showed that if the people who, if you look at people who are likely caucus goers, sanders is way up. if you you look at people who came to the caucus last time, clinton is up. i really wonder if the turnout numbers on sanders, and these people have not sit through a five hour caucus i have. >> so the new poll that cnn release yesterday, among ugly caucus goers, we trump 37, cruz 36, rubio -- if you actually look at who voted in the 2012 voters, trump 37, cruz 26. if lips cruz nerdy, trump 28.

the eight. the answer to who is going to win iowa caucuses, it's turnout but it is really are there new caucus scores coming out. people have have not caucus before. is there something in the trump technique. same thing same thing on the democratic side in iowa right now among likely caucus course, sanders 51 in clinton 43. if you look at 2008 caucus goers it is flipped. clinton 55, sanders 38. so you are right, we have absolutely no idea who is going to in the iowa caucuses right now because we do not know who's going to turn out. if the weathers bad that will change things. >> having lived in iowa and participate in the caucuses, the ambient air temperature matters

a lot. you have to decide whether you want to get it off your self angle on the minus 15-degree weather, go to the local bus depot, the colder it is the more likely you're going to sit home and watch tv. >> especially older voters. >> even younger voters. >> the most obvious problematic thing looking at who voted in 2008, classified, there's doubly a better indicator of the republican side than the democrat. because sanders wrote is so agent driven, if you're going to automatically exclude everybody that is under 26 years of age, which you would do if you are only people who caucus in 2008, then obviously that changes things. >> what about immigration is an issue. how do you you see a play now? >> just to your question about how can americans support someone who is disagrees with them. among republicans here are the numbers on the top issues.

terrorism is likely into the form policy question, among likely voters form policy 34% and jobs 24 percent, immigration 11 percent. healthcare four percent. healthcare 4%, budget 3%, socialist use, 1%. taxes and education after that. it is just not part of the conversation or campaign. it may be part of election, maybe but it doesn't seem to be registering right now. >> since you dismiss national security is an issue within the general or foreign policy is general, how important is the issue of form policy with national security going to differentiate on the nomination

of the republican candidate? >> i think it matters much more on the republican side. clearly trump has tapped into something that is important that has distinguished him from his candidates. i think it's less about the issues and more about the person. go back to the strong leader measurement that form policy is one of those issues that allows you to establish either your position or rhetoric as a particularly strong leader, ronald reagan did this in 1980 what it it was a necessary form policy election. ronald reagan used his form policy position and talked about his strength of america and that built him up as a leader in a way that transcends form policy. he is those issues. hillary clinton, even though foreign-policy is not a tough issue among democrats, she certainly using that as an

electability factor against bernie sanders, asking the question whether he should be the commander-in-chief. and using the strong leader metric against. leslie because democrats are going to vote on form policy issues but because americans still prefer the stronger leader will have a chance to choose. >> i think it goes to the larger trump phenomenon. to me half of the republican party right now, anger is not the word, they're livid. they're filled with rage. their venting and a lot of them are using trump as a vehicle for this anger. the question is, is this going to continue on to the convention, or at some point with some sizable part of these trump folks start to think, okay okay i'm angry, i'm still angry, but seek a more plausible

vehicle for their anger. when i watch tapes of focus groups of trump supporters, you get -- they want you to know how angry they are and they're not finished with the message. after about 30 minutes of them talking, you start start seeing some hairline fractures the period. you will hear this i love what trump says but i wonder about his temperament. more but i worry about his judgment, or or but i worry about his personality. i think february is going probably going to be the last month that people will be sending that message. when the real stuff starts on march 1, i think you're going to see a substantial part of the say, you know what, i'm having a hard time visualizing donald trump in a situation room with the

director of national intelligence with his finger on the button. i'm not saying all of the trump people are going to bail out on him, but i i think enough that they are going to steer towards an alternative vehicle for their rage. i suspect that that is going to be take cruz. i think you can see cruz, he will, after out on tran iowa he will consolidate huckabee, grandpa will be no more. he looking lately consolidate the conservative but the popular theory that trump has, i think you're going to start seeing a decent number of those people bleeding over when they finished delivering their message and start selecting a president. >> form policy is an much among the republican candidates. for ram paul, he's out of tune with republicans are, lindsey

graham has the most specific and was willing to send troops to syria and his now on the sideline. i think most of the candidates in the republican are still there and they are angry, they're going to do something it's attitude it's not specific policy. why hasn't form policy concerned about terrorism different trade among the republican candidates? just for the reasons that charlie just laid out, with interesting looking at the polls is that when you add republican voters what characteristics are you looking for in a candidate? experience ranks at the bottom. they're not interested in people who have experience. that's.

that's why you look at the governors who are in the race, governors have very strong chances to become the nominee. they've gone by the wayside. no governor walker, governor governor jindal, the governor's we do have in the racer at that act of the pack. >> governor perry was the first one out. >> in the republican party, experience and expertise is now a disqualifying characteristic with half of the republican party. go figure. >> it's so overrated. >> but you asked about the establishment before the question is not with the establishment thinks but doesn't matter for how the election will play out. >> i have a two-part question. first i don't think you know the answer but i'd be very interested based on everything you have read, what your current analysis assessment is, when and what do you think director see

will come out with? secondly, i think it's wonderful discussion a very entertaining. the second question question is, who do you think ultimately will emerge as the so-called establishment candidate? >> answer to the first question, i have absolutely no idea what they may be doing. he keeps his cards very close to the fbi director in that way. >> the polls are suggesting that it if there's coalescing going on seems to be revealed. i think were also looking at polls into states, that's what matters. the the establishment candidate, someone other than rubio or perhaps in their place candidate for the establishment candidate in new hampshire could

find themselves with a little bit of momentum. i think it's hard to tell. where at where the edge of double digits are the establishment candidate particularly in new hampshire is and that's where it matters. rubio seems to have an edge consistently more states than anybody else. i would be surprised if there was a surprise, particularly in in new hampshire. i think the jury is out on that. >> what is the say about the fact that there is a consensus among the commentary that rubio may emerge as the establishment candidate. he he ran as a tea party candidate. when he first ran for the senate, what we have considered him to be the right wing of the republican party. >> is the floaters because of the house, the term limit state he runs as a tea party guide 2010 because i was i was the avenue to the republican nomination. then ever since, he has been an

establishment guy although of the last four or five weeks had starting to throw up more into his rhetoric. he had to do that. i don't think rubio is 18 party guy at all. but to the other question, this this is one of the classic, anybody who talks and doesn't know -- it strikes me that this email thing is a hot potato that the fbi would want to get out of their hands. they will package it all up, handed to public integrity section and say, that is white they pay guys the big money. i personally think the most important primary or caucus for democrats is the one that 1400 new york avenue which is where the public integrity section has their office. lord knows what they're going to do. to me that is only key variable for the democratic nomination, is what do they do.

i have lots of conversations about various people, lots of theories and it almost seems like someone's proximity to classified material thanks the more likely to think that this thing go to a bad place or secretary clinton and people with less. it is clearly not anything like that betrays situation. it is not anything like what happened to sandy berger, this this is more getting into john deutsch territory. >> way in the back. >> thank you, my question is to think the issue policy and u.s. russia relations can -- what role can up play especially may

be in the kennett become more important to the second house if secretary clinton becomes a nominee because she was out there with russia. republicans consider -- so maybe it's in the subject. secondly, to what degree do you think current statements of candidates on the russia might reflect their policy failure to come to the white house. for for example senator rubio multiple location called russian president putin a gangster. and in the last two years if he comes to the white house --

>> on the other hand trump's praise. how do you think this is going to play out? >> i agree with what jim said earlier about foreign policy issues play in the campaign, if it's not terrorism related directly i do not think there are many americans voting on it. if they are not voting on it i don't think think it's going to be a big issue. putin becomes an interesting foil for candidates for candidates to demonstrate their toughness or how they might interact with a foreign leader. i don't think the issue of russia or the issue of the relations of any country is going to be a significant factor. >> let me ask a hypothetical question. let's say for instance, the in russians would decide to do more with ukraine or in the baltic. in other words demonstrate this hasn't calm down but have gotten

worse. when that even rise to the level of attention other than rhetorical access by candidates or when you become an issue? >> or should it be considered an in-kind contribution to the republican party. [laughter] you want to guarantee any republican when, that's what it would take. >> but it would have to be such a significant move that american felt it was a direct threat to the united states. even what you described, i'm not sure, again terrorism at home, i'm not even sure. >> it will shape what the candidates talk about and they'll be backward looking saying if i were to be present this would've happened because i'm strong and mr. putin would have respected that. and it's like lead to any great policy, i don't think it's gonna move what the public thinks.

i think it does create a problem with secretary clinton because she has identified with the reset. if she is a candidate with a talking point as to why you cannot trust her experience because she didn't do a good job with that. >> based on the number and the tactics, could trump be clinton? >> i love polls and at least the good ones that i tend to live and die by them. they're sometimes when you look at polling and you just wonder how seriously should i take this. for example, and i'll get to your question. for example, were example, were same polling right now that shows bernie sanders running stronger than hillary

clinton against the various republicans, including donald trump. it is a product of clinton's numbers are so bad among independents and that they have heard virtually anything ugly you could ever say about hillary clinton and bernie sanders i think independents are following bernie less than democrats are. my guess is his negatives will go up but are they going to go up to -- i think i have seen paul among independents that hillary clinton's negatives were 59%, it was a big number. are they going to rise that high? i don't know how seriously to take the sweater people know less about one thing not as much about something else, and where

the trump, their attitudes or donald trump may not be quite as developed now as they will be down the road. so the short answer is, i think republicans may do something stupid but they are not going to do something insane. i just don't think they're going there. i really don't. >> at the same time i would like to see a show of hands of anybody in this room, very smart, mostly washingtonians, who believed a year ago that donald trump would be the front runner for the republican nominations. raise your hands. >> i would note to the audience watching that no hands were not. >> let me just follow up. i have talked with two union

leaders, into very prominent unions, when asked about how did their members feel about you, and both cases they center guys love it. so the question is, is, how many trump democrats are there out there for a general election, if in fact it would get that far. >> i guess i would ask is working-class white voters, how many of them are voting democratic now anyway? i think the short answer is not much. >> even union members. if it was a building construction and trained least of all, manufacturing would be in second place, public employees. >> and now just take that limited number and only look at ohio and pennsylvania where there is lot of white union manufacturing and a lot of white

nonunion manufacturing going on. i've absolutely no idea how that can play out but that is the place i'd want to see it. >> wanted to fight the trend that you're putting out about form policy not playing a role. august 14, went to americans were beheaded in iraq, public opinion polls changed a lot but staying engaged in the world. in your december debate they just asked one question after another about terrorism and i wonder what the economy will look like that circumstance. the question is does a sense get about this primary season? can they do something that will make a difference like it did in

august 2014? >> so the question is whether you will get a surprise that upsets it. again it's the way we keep talking about maybe this'll be the election it will happen and it has not. if you go back to august 2014 of the beheading, what it did was change the conversation. i'm not sure necessarily change who the candidates were going to be or an impact on the outcome of the vote. i think we focus on what the public is thinking but there is a bunch of steps between what the public thinks and what voting outcomes are. it's important to keep in mind in this whole conversation. you could have a surprise, i think quite wise in the beginning given where we are right now what trends are right now, inform policy will not be the dominant issue but it could change. >> in august 2014 is when america was introduced isis. maybe a few of us had heard of isis and realize there is a

growing issue out there but america did not know what isis was at that time. it is barely in the newspapers at all something americans were talking about. now, two years later before the election america knows what isis is, the question is at this point what can isis do to really shock america? >> i would imagine if you're a candidate in particular it would benefit and the challenge the democratic nominee would be to state take steps for the summons of the fall to inoculate yourself without happening. the democratic candidate would save my candidate is talking directly where's the economy going to be and could there be an economic october surprise as we saw 2008? another factor that

the candidates cannot campaign but it is an external force that will drive voters. >> i have may not one note during this conversation. the form policy, white will gem. >> that is where i'm going to be getting a proper quote from you. >> i just finished reading moby dick. >> it is sort of -- form policy and election is like the economy of wall street. this time is different. how many times do we hear this time is different. in the end, how often is it really different? in my comment occasionally, but not often. i think if you knew absolutely nothing about anything going on, you're better off betting that history will play out more and this will be different from anything. this election, no thought donald trump coming nobody thought he was coming or stay this high,

that is all absolutely true. i think at the end of the day, will those of us who watch politics very closely, will everything that we have ever learned about politics be proven wrong this year? everything, 100%? >> i'm going to bet against. this will be a different year. we'll have some unusual dynamics. for donald trump to win this thing would require 100% of everything we know, we knew at the beginning to be wrong. >> on that note, we are going to end this and i want to thank all of the members. i i want to thank the folks have been watching through live streaming and we look forward to carrying on this conversation and talking about president trump's form policy in 2017, or bernie

sanders form policy in 2017. thank you very much. [applause]. >> tennis tomorrow for road to the white house with republican presidential candidate town hall. you you can watch live at 10:00 a.m. eastern on c-span. tomorrow night we have more with texas senator, ted cruz. holding. holding a campaign rally in waterloo, iowa. that is live at 8:00 p.m. eastern on c-span. >> ..

>> >> second they do all this other stuff in n then you have the special interest. >> to say this is how we do things. and that challenge as george washington almost had to

resign because of the jay treaty. >> women are going to university. end of the proportions are women dirty even greater prepares and. because it is the acceptable way for marriage. some of the letter that the families would support

>> friends and fellow citizens 41 years ago i first spoke and at that time my father was rather surprised to make it to the governorship at such a young age. know why a surprise i instilled fear. [laughter] with three more years to go. with a surplus campaign funds with a ballot initiative to have fourth term governor's to seek a final sixth term. [applause] if.

[laughter] that is a late joke back then california was dynamic to love your in node this land as you need please every part of the world because of their tolerance and creativity in the sheer openness. to live in a world that is profoundly uncertain. and virtually anywhere. and that battle sometimes comes right here. to be unprovoked and brutal attack but it's it occurs daily and sunday parts of the world.

that is why we have to be prepared in vigilant that is not the case i wish buddies -- but it is. of the truth is collegians and policies set the pace to shape though world that we live in. to solve the problems without making those worse. and yet many ways would be a known. to face those facts to prepare for the unknown as best we can. i will focus today how we pay for the commitments we already have. let's start with the budget. we have experienced than recessions men were expected

accurately predicted to be unable to pinpoint when it will beginner how long it will last. california is budgets are built around a forecast of uninterrupted growth. it actually accelerated but he added the deficits and surpluses through 2016 and is seven times as large schools and health care and social services and other state programs are deeply affected. i'd want to make those mistakes again. and with the next recession even if only every age

intensity would cut revenue by $55 billion over two years. that is why it is imperative to build up the rainy day fund that was just approved by the voters and the temporary surpluses or in other ways that do not walk again future spending. california is a very progressive all the tile income-tax. if we minimize the zigzag of spending cuts and spent that this produces we can build a large reserve. we have seen the disappearance of middle-class jobs taken from the top 1 percent.

but that proportion of income earned by the 1% contrasts sharply with the stagnation and. and pay has risen up at three under 50 times in to be driven by a globalization of cheaper goods and outsourcing. technological change plays the part with a sophisticated software and global communication. it keeps inflation and though to normal amounts of information and also makes for higher pay at the top in the huge number of low-paying service jobs below.

in california has not been passing we have enacted or expanded many programs to counteract when you wait -- raise the minimum wage with the eric income-tax credit with the wage walls and. and also to be paid for six leads. to provide over $2 billion of palance over 65 percent and added hundreds of dollars to foster care and child care programs for:for those children of the undocumented workers. >> most important and this is truly monumental we

embrace the affordable care act. [applause] if the results of now enrolling 1.5 million this is a historic achievement to provide health security to so many who cannot otherwise afford it. another area where we are leading the nation is health services to people in their own homes and in the process give jobs to their providers. over the past two years we have expanded this services program by serving more recipients giving current its recipients more hours of care for the first time overtime pay for those who provide services. [applause]

, although the benefits of our eagerness so are the cost now and into the future. and four years the costs have grown by $23 billion as the state begins to pay for its share of the new enrollees the cost of the general fund will rise. in 2012 it played 15 billion that by 2019 that number will be 25 billion increase of 2/3 to stay home support services in just two years spending will jump by 2 billion and nine-point to billion net 20% increase. as the economy reaches the point to spin downward it is crucial that we plan for these increased costs. to seriously consider and

those to take advantage of the of program this is not a tax increase. california comes out a clear winner. [applause] do i detect a few republicans shaking hands? [laughter] the strong recovery and some of wellpoint and with this budget year that is a 51% increase in overall spending with the local control formula to provide unique challenges and those san

foster care. first is the historic practice that all students encounter similar circumstances. but now in the fourth year and with those nine english-speaking families with lower incomes. as california has led the country for the school districts. but to micromanage teachers from afar to increasing minute than prescriptive state and federal regulations. the success brought the movement with the overly intrusive with local

accountability. and to make other commitments but their retirement liabilities for state and university workers of 220 billion. forever. every year the budget must allocate billions. and to put back on a solid fiscal footing. and to set aside a token amount of $72 billion of future retiree health benefits. these liabilities are so massive we cannot pay them off even in 10 years and little satisfaction chipping away and those that have

been promised. but before we make new commitments and then to be spent saving the public and with future generations of californians with these dead and another long-term obligation is the it deteriorating infrastructure to the levees and the facilities serious deficiencies abound. to use though one time investment to replace aging structures. what we have built over many years to deterioration makes no sense just to pile up but

that's not all the overall state deferred maintenance is staggering. totaling 77 billion with highways and bridges we have no choice but to retaken the a transportation infrastructure to do so with a permanent revenue source is impossible. that means at some point surrender rather them later we have to bite the bullet with a new fees and taxes for this purpose. to one way or another the roads must be fixed. [applause] >> we have a bright side of the contentious policy for the people themselves to secure passage of

proposition one. [applause] that together with the california action is a solid program to deal with the drought ended challenge to use of water wisely. to ensure a vibrant economy. and all the people who live here. there is no magic bullet we charge the offers and recycle and capture storm water, build storage and reliable efficiency and invest in new technology. and all the while to recognize achieving a balance between the conflicting interests but i

pledge to you to work patiently to achieve results to withstand the test of time. [applause] water goes to the heart of what california is. putting fish against farmers to disappoint into stark reality. every creature that tells your that must be understood and respected. despite that immediacy of the drought the overarching threat landing credibly the last year was the hottest on record that there are those in washington who are in denial. they cannot deny that the carbon pollution is causing

serious injury to people of all ages. thankfully the rest of the world has changed to d carbonize the economy. but california will be there leading the way. >> over 100 states have now signed on but to bring the greenhouse gases down a 2 tons per person. with us in a bolt 350 we are on our way. [applause] finally we know that

disasters have been fires and floods and earthquakes will occur in remus prepared to respond that also requires that we maintain a solid reserve. the let's not forget how far we have come in 2011 as a deficit was $27 billion the the unemployment was well%. in now is in surplus. [applause] >> standard and poor's had raised the credit ratings three times. [applause] we have paid down accumulated debt $26 million worth. [applause]

you should applaud there may not be too much coming after this. [laughter] is solid to of set the next economic downturn. [applause] we have increased funding for schools 51%. [applause] but coming under medi-cal 13.5 million a 74% increase. [applause] the first time the earned income tax credit. [applause] we raise the minimum wage at $10 an hour and that is 80 percent higher them of federal minimum. [applause] 2 million new jobs have been created and unemployment has dropped in half. [applause]

of course, the recovery has a lot to do with that. we should applaud what we can. it is clear that california is still the great exception. we do what others only dream of. to find the right path forward but we will find it as we have in the past and we will again encourage and confidence. thank you. [applause] [inaudible conversations]

>> [applause] one with matt. [cheers and applause] [applause]

[applause] [applause]

and and now [applause] [applause] [cheers and applause] [applause]

[cheers and applause] [applause] >> [applause] thank you very much. thank you for joining me tonight speaker, the majority leader, senate minority leader, house minority leader, members of the supreme court, members of the court of appeals appeals, with secretary of state johnson, attorney general, congressman in

congresswoman lawrence, ladies and gentlemen, of the legislature and public servants, citizens of michigan, and my family i welcome you here tonight provide to begin to our active military and national reserve guard members. give them a shout out. [applause] when will i do space to share with the respect to

our military last year we had deployed 127 to had to key elements in terms of aircraft they have a close air support unit angelina -- actually deployed to the middle east and also has athatwo refuel aircraft to make sure they could run their missions. we should be so proud our pilots flew three years' worth of flying in six months and in terms of the pilots in the cruz together did incredible work. they have the special mission critical role to have the inspection take

place and did something that had never been achieved in the history of the air force much as the ear gore -- the guard that had an inspection they should 100 percent of the members received 100 percent they were perfect. that shows our spirit and to recognize them i am proud to say we are proud. . . state command sergeant major. if you could rise and give them recognition. [applause]

they returned before christmas. i was happy to say i had the opportunity to attend the returning ceremony. -- about their compliments, i had to share it with you. they showed what they were doing and harms way to keep us safe. in addition, it is important to recognize we have over 400 michigan national guard members serving overseas as i speak today. all of michigan should be glad marine veteran of flint was released from iran, and we will be welcoming him home send -- soon in michigan. [applause] before i begin him in terms of the speech itself, i would like to ask for a moment of silence for all of those h i would like to ask for a moment of silence for all

those who a phone and protection of our communities and defense of our country. [silence] thank you. tonight will be a different state of the state address. there is so much we can discuss about how to make our great state better, stronger, but tonight i will address the crisis in flint 1st. to begin, i would like to address the people of flint. your families face a crisis that you did not create and could not have prevented. want to speak directly, honestly, and sincerely to let you know we are praying for you, working hard for you, and absolutely committed to taking the right steps to effectively solve this crisis. as i have before, i am sorry, and i will fix it. no citizen of this great state should endure this kind of catastrophe.

the government failed you. federal, state, and local leaders by breaking the trustee placed in us. i am sorry most of all that i let you down. you deserve better. you deserve account ability -- accountability. you deserve to know that the buck stops here with me. deserve to know the truth, and i have a responsibility to tell the truth. the truth about what we have done, and what we will do to overcome this challenge. my 2014 i will release and 2015 e-mails regarding flint to you. the citizens. you will have answers to your questions about what we have done and what we are doing to make this right for the families of flint. anyone will be a livery this information for themselves. it is at michigan.gov/snyder. the most important thing we can do right now is to work hard, and work together for the people

of flint. [applause] thank you. thank you. please be seated. i no apologies will not make up for the mistakes that were made. nothing will. i take full responsibility to fix the problem so it will never happen again. let me tell you what has been done so far, and what we will be doing in the coming days, weeks, months, and years to keep our commitment to you. to make flint and even cleaner, safer, stronger city than it was before. that is what you and your families deserve. we are working to do whatever we

must until the crisis is resolved. the people of flint have chosen a new mayor. committed toly work hand-in-hand with mayor weaver so we can rebuild the trust that has been broken. i have already taken steps to bring new leadership to the department of environmental quality. these are individuals that understand the severity of the problem, and will effectively communicate to the people of the state. for those whose mistakes contributed to this disaster, we are fully cooperating with investigations, and we will hold those individuals accountable. let me be perfectly clear to all of state government, in situations like this they must come to my desk immediately. no delays. no excuses. period. [applause]

thank you. we will provide resources to help anyone and everyone that is affected. just as we have provided since we first learned of the crisis. in addition to e-mails, tonight i am releasing the cover has a timeline of the steps we have taken, and the actions underway to solve the crisis. -- me walk you to the facts first, this crisis began in the spring of 2013 when he flint city council voted 7-1 to buy water from the cato you a -- kwa, the former mayor supported the move, and the emergency mayor approves the plan. the department of detroit water and sewer provided notice of termination effectively one year later on april the fifth, 2014, flint began to use water from the flint river as an interim source.

second, soon after the switch from detroit water to flint river water residents complained about the water -- the color, the smell, rashes, and concerns with bacteria. watertely localized boil advisories were issued by flint, each lasting several days beginning august when he 14. third, the department of environmental quality and the and -- federal and viral protection agency began reporting led concerns integrate 2014 -- february 12 14. sadly, both did not address the problem. the epa did not act with sufficient urgency to address concerns with one of their experts about the approach and risk of lead contamination. inmate why 15, led service lines to one resident were removed and replaced due to a high levels

of lead. still, they both failed to systematically identify and solve the problem. four, in july 2015, my office proactively asked about the quality of the water, test results, and blood testing. us that flint was in compliance with the lead and copper rule. they said there was one concern with one house that was corrected, and there was nothing widespread to address. the department of health and human services oso told us the elevated blood lead levels were to be expected because they follow the normal seasonal trends. these conclusions were later shown to be incorrect when the department of health and human services conducted a deeper analysis of the relevant data. may, professor mark edwards from virginia tech, and a doctor sounded an alarm about lead in flint's water.

tragically, based on what deq and the department of health and human services had seen on the ground, the initially ailed to reach the same conclusion. i want to thank the professor, the doctor, and the concerned people of flint for bringing the issue to light. we are actively in -- investigating why the agency's got it so wrong. i believe we have the doctor with us tonight. i would like to recognize her. if you could rise him a please -- rise, please. [applause] dr. hana, i apologize. september 20 8, 2015 -- 28,

2015, i was -- i had a phone call. epidemiologist validated the findings, confirming the lead problem in flint's water supply. at this point, i immediately ordered them to develop and implement a 10 point land that includes the immediate dissolution of water filters, immediate testing of water in schools, expanded water and blood testing for anyone exposed. about 12,000 filters were the stupid. 700 water test. and 2000 blood tests were conducted in the first two months. on october 8 i announced the flint water system would be reconnected with the detroit water system to minimize further dimension -- damage. later that month i announced the independent flints water -- flint water organization to

address the crisis. issuedk force recommendations, and identify critical problems in mid-december, specifically, they pointed to a primary failure of leadership at the deq, and a culture that led to this crisis. the task force was right. i immediately took action, appointing new leadership of the department. ninth, i declared an emergency in flint on generate fifth, to access additional resources and additional support, including the michigan state police, and the michigan national guard. these critical resources were needed to help families get and any risk or of a -- exposure for every resident of flint. presidentialted a recommendation for federal emergency which was granted. for members of the congressional delegation here tonight, this is a challenge we must work together to solve.

i look forward to working with you to bring additional support from the federal government to the people of flint. , more than 37,300 cases of water, more than 53,700 water filters, and more than 7300 water testing kits have been distracted -- distributed. more than 21,300 homes have been visited. this is not enough. i and increasing the support from the michigan national guard starting tomorrow to ensure that every home we need to visit in flint is visited as soon as possible. i am appealing the president's decision not to grant a major disaster declaration. we will continue to deliver water filters. we will not stop working for the people of flint, until everything will person has clean water every day, no matter what. [applause]

thank you. thank you. that is why today i made an official request to the legislature to fund a series of immediate actions to provide everyone in flint clean water act, and care for the children. millionion to the $9 supplemental appropriation for flint made in october 2015, the request today is for $28 million with $22 million from the general fund. it includes additional bottled water, filters, replacement filters for anyone needs these resources. assistance to the city of flint to help with utility related issues. testing and replacing fixtures in schools, day care's, and other high-risk locations.

highment of children with lead levels, including diagnostic testing, nurse visits, and assessments. services will be available for the treatment of potential behavioral health issues such as adhd. for those who have had, or could have had elevated blood lead levels. we will also work with local primary care providers and hospitals to educate the committee about toxic stress, and how to identify develop no delays -- developmental delays. for children and adolescent health centers, and additional support for children's health care access. infrastructure integrity study using outside, independent experts. an important note -- this will not be the last request for flint. additional resources will be needed for water related needs, health-related needs, educational needs, economic the elements needs and more.

if you would like to help flint .com. help for flint if you are a flint resident who needs help getting the water you need, go to helpforflint.com these are the facts of what we have done and what we are doing. as solvingortant short-term needs and improving long-term solutions, we need to make sure this never happens again in any michigan city. [applause] thank you. we began this process by creating the independent flatwater task force, and asking them to report on exactly what happened, what accountability

measures must be in place, and what investments need to be implement it. -- implemented. this month i issued an executive order to make sure leaders had everything they need to clean up this mess. anyone withat lingering health care concerns is quickly, compassionately, and effectively treated. i know there will be long-term consequences, but i want you to know that we will be there with long-term solutions, for as long as it takes to make this right. there can be no excuse. when michiganders turn on the tap they expect and deserve clean, safe, water. it is that simple. it is that straightforward. that is what we will deliver. to the families in flint, it is my responsibility, my commitment to deliver. i give you my commitment that michigan will not let you down. [applause]

in addition to the issues in flint, we have a statewide infrastructure challenge. flint is not alone. michigan is not unique. we have a national problem with the infrastructure. michigan's infrastructure was ranked d by the american society for civil engineers, worse than the national ranking which was a d plus. we need to get this right in michigan for the long-term. we need to invest more and smarter in the infrastructure so we can avoid crisises like this in the future. one illustration of success was roads. this last year we made the largest and interest rotation funding in the last half-century. it will allow us to fill

potholes, rebuild roads, and make bridges safer. i want to thank the speaker and a senate majority leader for all of that leadership in making this happen. thank you. [applause] but more than roads, we have a restingroblem, we have bridges, we drive on the roads, and feel the potholes, and cracked concrete. underground, some types are over 100 years old. some are made of wood mothers led -- others are made of lead. many burst in the winter. out of sight, out of mind, until we have our problems, or the freeway flood because the constant work. lead pipes, aging natural gas infrastructure, wastewater overflows, energy reliability, ports needing emergency dredging, line five underneath the great lakes, even the

sealock, we need better solutions. we can come up with better solutions. one illustration -- we have made progress with respect for iron pipes for natural gas transmission. across michigan we have many miles with the iron pipes for natural gas. this is not a theoretical risk, it is a real risk. i was a couple met the michigan public service commission in 2011 for identifying this problem and starting to take action. they made a commitment required raising rates. we started to replace a number of those old cast-iron pipes to make it safer for people, the environment. we were smart. we began the process when costs were low so we could afford to replace the pipes. we still have many more pipes to go. this is the kind of problem solving we need in the future. here are some actions we can immediately take on the infrastructure. first i want to issue an executive order -- i will issue

an executive order to the michigan department of transportation, that they will confer with local officials and utilities every time we do a new road project. it is the best opportunity quite often to replace the aging infrastructure underneath those roads, when the road is torn up. we can save money, and do the smarter. i ask the legislature to consider looking at the same issue when local government does road projects. how can we partner if the roads are torn up, let's do more while we have the opportunity. when led investigations are made in the state, we do not currently do this, but we should be checking water sources and critical areas. in addition to checking for paint, dust, and other environment factors. we should be ensuring that all schools test for lead in michigan, putting up priority on those in areas where we know they have aging infrastructure, or let problems in the past. we should be increasing led education efforts in schools as well. overall we need a smart, strategic plan for all of us.

it requires an honest assessment of the challenges, opportunities, and costs. that is why i will be recreating the commission for building the 21st century infrastructure. we need experts steeped in credibility, visit -- visionary leaders committed to michigan's future. they will study what michigan needs, develop a plan, for making the right investments and water, sewer, transportation, broadband, and other areas. also discussing how we will pay for the investments. i will have for the report in september of this year. in addition to infrastructure in flint, i now want to talk about detroit and education. great challenges cannot be addressed without hard work, long hours, and true partnership with the communities in need of new hope and a fresh start. selling is not impossible, and certainly not without precedent.

let's look at detroit, when you're after leaving bankruptcy. rebuild,t continues to it should give every city in this great state, a hope and belief that we can deliver new opportunities for everyone. who would've dreamed possible that the idea that just a year after bankruptcy our state's largest city has become a hub or innovation and excitement. there is dynamic economic roads downtown and the town. it is keeping and drawing young people to the state. it is important to note there is much more work that needs to be done, especially in the neighborhoods. but progress is evident everywhere. there are over 59,000 lights that have been turned on. more than 7600 structures demolished since 2014. violent crime is down 18% since 2012. we're showing what detroit can do. as part of that i would ask recognition for the mayor.

please stand up. [applause] thank you for your partnership and helping rebuild a great city. our recent work at detroit gives us a measure of pride, the schools are in a crisis. the detroit schools are in need of a transformational change. are failing ats their central task of preparing our young michiganders for successful rewarding life. put, not all detroit students are getting the education they deserve. this is a large problem. nearly a -- nearly 100 schools in detroit public schools, 60 charter schools in and around the city, 18 educational achievement schools, several

adjacent charter and school districts, yet parents cannot find the quality education they seek. one of the issues is detroit public schools are in debt. by this summer it will be over $515 million in debt. to achieve the needed academic outcomes financial stability and detroit public schools must be achieved. going1100 per student is to debt service, and not to classrooms. problem -- let's solve this problem and help the kids. prompt legislative action is needed to minimize the fiscal impact on both detroit, and the rest of michigan. the time to act is now. and avoid court intervention that could cost all this much more and be more detrimental. i want to thank senator hanson for the legislation and the input of many legislators that

they provided over the last several months. i asking don't move with haste. senator, please rise. [applause] -- i ask that you move with haste. senator, please rise. [applause] the detroit education coalition also recommended a detroit education commission to help students achieve a result in all schools. this is a good idea, but has not drawn much support. we should keep looking at this key element to help detroit's kids. ,he school reform office working with detroit public schools and local leaders will actively address the issues in lieu of the commission. all of us from state and local toicials, education charitable, and civic leaders, parents, too concerned citizens,

need to work together quickly. the challenges are well-known. the alternatives are defined. now is the time to get something done. great schools are critically important for the city of detroit, and the entire state of michigan. let's address this decade-long crisis now. [applause] every michigan child deserves an education that launches them into a successful career path in life. the best careers in the modern economy require training with access to programs that gives them the skills, and experience. necessary to prepare them for college, career, and life. we have made progress. we have made some good reforms. we have added tougher academic standards without federal mandates. we've talked about teacher effectiveness. we are a national leader in funding preschool. we created early literacy

programs in terms of pre-three rating. in terms of stem programs, we are a leader with programs like first and square one. we have done wonderful things with early and middle college programs. we have made a commitment -- i have made a commitment to make sure that we are the nation's leader in career technical locations. these are -- vocations. these are all great priorities. one illustration i would note tonight, hopefully that the program -- i want to recognize the wonderful young student that designed the program cover. from seventhrise, grade in new baltimore anchor bay mills school. -- middle school. [applause]

alina, you're the future of the state. i appreciate your parents bringing you here tonight. i like that thumbs up. but, all of us, whether we are a policy leader, and educator, or community leader, or a parent, or a student, we all have to have some accountability for achieving these outcomes, and to be blunt, we have a 19th century education system in the toy first century. -- twice for century. tury.st cen it is time to ask why. we have cover hints of studies, when on funding, and one on technical education. we have had wonderful task force with actual items. i am proud of the one we did with pre-three reading. that was completed. we have another one coming soon in special education, in terms of recommendation. we also have one on stem coming. more needs to be done.

i want to recognize the partnership of our sick -- state and the state board. brian winston has done a great job. he went through a complicated process with multiple stakeholders and developed an excellent set of goals to make michigan a top 10 state in 10 years. brian, please stand up so we can recognize you. [applause] i want to show partnership with the state superintendent and the state board of education by creating a commission for 21st century education. let us do a bipartisan, multi-stakeholder effort. look at all of these studies and recommendations that investigate what have been the obstacles holding us back from greater success? and let us deliver recommendations to building michigan educational structures.

what is the appropriate structure? what is the appropriate governance? how do we find it? -- fund it? i ask for results by the end of november. let's transition to talking about the economic future of the state. our economy might in good today, but we need to take action to make sure it is good in the future. we should not take it for granted. that is how we had the mess up in the last decade. in terms of the compliments we should be proud from a job creation point of view. since december of 2010 we created over 420,000 private sector jobs. we ranked number six in the nation. that equates to 232 new jobs every single day in the state. [applause] we are number one in the nation

and manufacturing job growth. our unemployment rate has been cut i more than half since december 2010. we are third in the nation for the largest reduction on unemployment in that time. importantly with it though, it is not just about more people working, personal income is increasing again in michigan. we saw a huge loss in the last decade. i am proud to see in 2014 we increased 3.9%, more than doubling the prior year's growth rate of 1.4%. that weis important remember that not everyone has participated in this comeback. we need to take special efforts to make sure the people in places that have not participated join us. we have created programs that do this. we need to continue to wrap them ramp them up, with

respect to the urban places. one program i am proud of -- we have another -- a number of others, that it is community ventures. that was a program we built from soli state resources. the click civility to be done, and get it done. it has been successful. it has employed over 400,000 people by partnering with 110 companies. the retention rate after one year is nearly 70%, 69%. are $11.80n average an hour. if you think about it, what a great start. but what i will tell you is, that is not a final point. that is a point to get people successfully working that have not. then we can apply traditional programs to give them upward mobility. more opportunity for a bright, long-term future. in flint alone, this program has accounted for 618 jobs already.

we need to help other places though. i mentioned urban areas. too often we forget we have rural communities, we have smaller communities that also suffer poverty. we cannot leave them behind either. i am proud to say laster we launched a program called rising tide. the program is based on the premise to go to each one of our 10 regions in the state and identify a challenge community. we have gone to those communities and said, we want to present a team of resources. it is not just about money, but people that can help. we have a collaborative effort between economic development resources, community development resources, and talent development resources all teaming together to go help those communities. join the rest of us. as soon as we get those communities succeeding and we are seeing progress, we will pick new communities to take their place. we will keep going down the list

until we have covered every corner of michigan. that is what we should be doing. in terms of michigan's economic future, if you look at the industries in michigan we have automotive, agriculture, and tourism, i like to say our victory -- our big three. they are all doing well, extraordinarily well in some ways. the one in particular is the automotive industry. we should be so proud. we set u.s. records for car sales in this country over the last 12 months. next year is expected to be even better. michigan has been the beneficiary of that. we are still the heart and soul of the auto industry, make no mistake about that. we should carry a special private that. over 70% of the research and develop and in the u.s. auto industry happens right here in michigan, in addition to building more cars than any other state. [applause]

but i want to share something with you, it has been a tremendous opportunity and privilege for us to help support that industry and the wonderful, hard-working people on the lines building the cars, the supplier base doing the hard work to make the world's best products. youave a threat, i can tell if we did what we did in the past, we could lose the auto industry out of our state, in terms of leadership. why is that? the auto industry is transforming to something new. the world is changing. the auto mobile industry of today in 10-20 years will be called the mobility industry. it will be about how people travel, not just about the vehicle they travel in. -- it is time now to understand we need to look towards the future, not just admiring the past.

this area in particular, we need to make investments. we have started the process. we have made some good investments. the primary being the area of intelligent vehicles. autonomous and connected vehicles, and smart infrastructure, and how it communicates with vehicles. several years ago we created something exciting, in partnership with the university of michigan called the chagrin mobility transformation system -- center. this is a real project you might not realize was taking place in southeast michigan. literally have a testbed of thousands of connected vehicles talking to infrastructure, even today. when i say connected vehicles, do not worry, many of you might confuse that with autonomous vehicles, these still have drivers. you can feel safe on the road. this is part of our future. we need to do more. just this last year we did a partnership and launch something called the m city.

it is a 32 acre campus at the university of michigan for testing autonomous and connected systems, a closed loop with different environments. it is swamped. the auto industry has overwhelmed this place with demand. they were looking for a place to do this kind of work. m city is not good enough. propose to you, and i often working in partnership with the congressional delegation, and i thank them for their efforts is to look to create the american center for mobility at willow run. we have an opportunity to create over a 300 acre campus that would be the world's best place to test intelligent vehicles, whether autonomous or connected. this place is critically important. the industry needs it, but we need to bring in the federal government, and say, this is the place for the standards for safe operation should take place. right here i'm in michigan at miller run -- willow run.

it can be the base for international standards. that is how we can help keep leadership of the auto industry in michigan. by making that future looking investment, and doing the right thing. to make sure that exciting car you saw at the detroit auto show in 10 years -- just think. it will still have wheels, but it is a computer on wheels. we need a place like this to make sure we maintain our leadership for the long-term future. [applause] thank you. ,he last item i talked about

about automotive going to mobility was an opportunity that could become a threat. now i want to talk about something that has been a great opportunity for many years, but we face a major threat. sioux lo sealock -- cks. we hours talk about it, and we are proud of it, but often we do not talk about how important it is to more than 400 ships annually use it. they are crucial to supplying the iron or that makes this deal for all of the vehicles i just talked about. and many appliances. if you look at it, most of the tonnage goes to one specific pollock. bullock -- the other ones cannot accommodate the carriers. it is absolutely critical to the future. one.ssue is, there is an analysis was done, what would happen if that one lock went down?

it would devastate michigan's economy. to be blunt, it could devastate the national economy. think about it -- we would run out of steel. this is the kind of steel that does not come from other places. it is based on the or that comes through the sioux locks. it is interesting if you look at the history, a second thousand foot lock was actually authorized, believe it or not and 1986 by the federal government. congress approved the second lock, they said we allocate the money to build it. this was something we need to work with congress on, on getting up done -- it done. i am proud to say we have partners in the federal government we have been working with to make sure we explain this issue would be public, to leaders in washington, and a commitment to get it done. i would like to recognize two great partners -- up in the gallery. we have captain steve, and lieutenant colonel michael

sellers junior of the united states army of corps of engineers. please rise. [applause] just as i mentioned a commission on infrastructure, a commission on education. when those commissions get their work done, we need to aggregate this to talk about the economy of the future. aam also going to appoint commission on building a 21st century economy. our economy is more productive than it has been in years. we are doing better. the better is not good enough. -- but better is not good enough. we need to continue to improve, delivering a healthy economy that the chicken deserves. one that provides opportunities for every person that wants to work hard, get ahead, and stay

ahead. network of thet first two commissions, but let's also add the confident long-term and economic tools, and creating a culture of continuous innovation. i am proud to say, we have a group that really represents that here tonight. i made a trip to the upper peninsula last year. i visited northern michigan university. they took me to a place, i think it was an old bank branch, not near campus. i walked in, it was about students helping inventors. the inventors were walking in with ideas, the students were talking to those inventors about the ones that could be made into real products. it is happening. marquen market today -- tte today. this should be all throughout michigan. think about this engaging students with inventors. creating new economic opportunities. it is exciting.

i after recognition -- ask that you give recognition. we have students and other leaders from nmu, please rise. [applause] we need to create an environment that supports economic development, and encourages businesses to grow. opportunity needs to be part of our dna and the state. i will for the report by the end of december -- ask for the report by the end of december. the challenges we face in flint, in detroit, and beyond are serious but solvable. the question is can we come together today in a spirit of cooperation to find the

solutions that people deserve, or will we succumb to crisis, and allow politics, and finger-pointing to overcome the ?eal needs of real people we have to solve this challenge. every single citizen depends on us. we need to give them a better am a brighter future. they deserve it. to raise a family, to work hard, to get ahead. the personally committing next three years of my administration to tirelessly work to ensure the families of ,lint can heal from this wound and every michigander enjoys the quality of life they deserve. to do this, i asking return -- ask in return that your prayers include the people of flint. i ask for continuing strong

partnership council and commitment of all of our legislators gathered here. for the commitments of all of our citizens to work together as michiganders with relentless, positive action, and to hold me accountable for results. i thought the office of governor of michigan -- i saw at the office of governor of michigan to reinvent the state. we were broken. we have repaired and reinvented many critical items in the last five years, including issues that many did not think of be solved -- could be solved. the crisis in flint makes it clear to me that more needs to be done. it is truly a humbling expense to see the people you work for, and care for, harmed by the people that work for you. but michiganders do not quit. we do not give up.

instead, we will work with more passion and commitment to truly improve the state for everyone who has chosen to make michigan their home, this is more than a promise, this is my commitment. thank you, and god bless michigan, and our nation. [applause] [applause]

>> the escort officers will escort the first lady, the picked up where president bush left off in his book power wars, inside obama's post 911 presidency. then former senate leaders

on their book crisis peemack, the currentpoint, the current climate in congress and offering recommendations for moving america forward interviewed by jc watts of oklahoma. >> the incredible, insatiable demand for more and more money is one of the issues that has exacerbated this and made it harder for the leaders to bring people together. they are doing all of this that does not allow them to be the legislators they were elected to be, and you have special interest pressures. >> look, this is how we did things. littered with this function and challenges. george washington almost had to resign. we want to look forward and say, here are things we think would make a difference. >> on sunday night examining

the changing world for young women in the middle east. the kind of choices young arab women are making and how they differ from those of their mothers. >> going to university in greater numbers than men, and especially in the gulf countries, the proportions of women are greater. the women will tell you it is a socially acceptable way to delay marriage on the outside the home and away that the families will support. >> watch all weekend every weekend on c-span2, television for serious readers. >> c-span campaign 2016 taking you on the road to the white house this weekend live coverage for the 1st

in the nation presidential townhall with a gop candidates, kentucky senator rand paul, jim gilmore, jeb bush, john kaysix, chris christie, carly fiorini, rick santorum, and marco rubio. saturday at 8:00 p.m. live coverage of a campaign rally with texas senator crews and tv and radio host glenn beck and sunday afternoon live coverage at a rally for gop candidate donald trump. for the complete schedule go to our website, c-span.org. >> the environmental protection agency administrator talked about her agencies clean power plan for existing power plants during a discussion hosted by the us conference of mayors earlier this week.

sheshe also talked about the flint, michigan water crisis. >> thank you. it is great to see some of the leaders whose communities i have been to. it is a wonderful opportunity to share our experiences and talk about what is going on and what the future will look like. i will spend the bulk of my time talking about climate issues. and i think there has been a lovely marriage in the work about how we of been reaching out to massive communities and building on their successes.

my main messages thank you and let's see how we can do more together. before we start, i want to say a few words about the ongoing concerns people are reading about and there working on because the entire federal government is responding to what is essentially a serious public health crisis. health and human services is leading that coordinated effort. epa, fema, hard, and other agencies are involved. the 1st priority is to make sure the water is safe. that is all of our number one priority. the ability of epa to oversee the management was impacted by failures and

resistance at the state and local levels to work with us and what we know to be what is usually standard operating practice of acting in a forthright, transparent, and proactive manner. we are seeing it in the conversations i have had, and interest in making sure we move as expeditiously as possible with the governor statements to move the issue. but epa is conducting a comprehensive audit. we are taking a hard look at what the epa might have done differently so that we can prevent a situation like this from ever happening again. we have to recognize our cities are facing difficult resource challenges. but we want to make sure in the face of those challenges we maintain our ability to provide core infrastructure services, have the ability

and resources to maintain what people have come to recognize as a core, essential need. to maintain in a way that does not place communities at risk. we will work together, but we need to do this. we have a history of working together, and i want to make sure you can come to us with concerns because we all have to work together. it was a pleasure to talk to the mayor. we will address this issue as quickly as we possibly can. let me return to the issue at hand because one of the reasons i am here is to thank you because i do not know if you have been reading about this. the most important thing to know is that the conference has been remarkable in their commitment to the issue of climate change.

they had a presence that made a difference. what you have said is made remarkable difference because we would not be where we are today if it weren't for the innovation and investment and drive and energy that has happened with mayors. it is the local level your building on. as states have touted their success and the us touts its leadership, when we went to paris it was because you have been looking at ways of decreasing energy by looking at energy efficiency, what do i local resources, renewable resources and how you grow jobs and keep the community safe and instead of wasting money you invest in teachers and police. this is what it is all about, so i am excited to be here to say thank you.

holy are trying to do because we did so much outreach, learn the lessons you have learned and how we can marion effort that is about driving carbon pollution down with an effort to provide you continued resources to manage fiscally in a more productive way. there are ways in which you have married this before, and we will use the clean power plan is a platform to continue those great efforts and investments. let me stop and say a few things. it may not be apparent to all of you at the local level. first of all, it really refax a tremendous amount of coverage. as a result there were lots of changes, but one thing did not change my complete flexibility for the states to develop their own plan. we have provided ourselves

an opportunity to look at how to develop a model at the request of the states and local communities that reflects that flexibility is clearly as possible. this is an opportunity to say if you wanted cooperative federalism you got it. the ability for the states to do what they need to do is entirely there. today i am here to tell you that this is the time for mayors to get engaged. you can make this work. i will tell you, conversations have been with epa in the states incredibly productive. if you have not been engaged step back, stop reading headlines and talking to folks at the state level and your own folks about how much there is positive momentum moving forward.

and i am not talking about environmental constituents that the utilities themselves saying this is so flexible we can make this work, and there is a transition. the more we run toward it the more we will capture jobs. i would love to be able to continue to work with you. every time we have an issue janet is setting up a webinar, going to a state, local community. we will not stop. we're doubling down so that as states are looking for the most creative ways that will maintain reliability, we provide them resources and help and technical assistance to be able to get it done in a way that they can meet their obligations and continue to drive our shared economy moving forward. that is what this is all about. we can stop they're.

i can provide you more information if you want, but now is the time for engagement. the states are going out and doing stakeholder meetings. we have weeks with our 15 because states really want to know how to do this, but no one is sitting on the sidelines. if you are hearing that we are getting sued, just think to yourself, there is nothing new in this. below that there is a level of engagement that is positive and interactive and that i think indicates everyone's willingness to take advantage of climate action as a way to keep cost down and continue to grow our clean energy economy. let me stop there, and we will continue. [applause] >> thank you very much.

of course, your comments on the tragedy in flint, michigan. every player in the run since positive thoughts. now the opportunity for mayors to ask questions. the last them to raise their hand. i will take the chair's prerogative and asked the 1st. he mentioned the headlines that you are dealing with the sometimes provide misinformation. ..

>> >> questions not speeches we have a limited amount of time. >> we are here to help when glad you said that. because we deal with this every day.

how can we directly work with epa the states are not willing to work with us? we are in a region five and susan is amazing. and then to stop a major redevelopment in its tracks. the. >> that is a great question and we had good conversations. everybody should know each regional office has a person identified as a liaison on the clean power plant. and to be backed from headquarters at the regional offices and the beauty of

the power plant with all of the stakeholders with the ability to crack the plan that makes sense for them and because it pushes and follows a long and almost parallel to the work the states doing is all the work to develop these resources and coming to energy efficiency we already have a working relationship with cities and towns on these issues through energy conservation. contact your regional contact or me.

and we want to hear your ideas to save america is interested so let's make sure everyone is included in the conversation. >> were you involved with the negotiations and it was announced last week and if you did thank you but utilities agreed to eliminate coal by 2035? >> no. there are many great things about the epa's administrator. we don't provide direction on what energy sources folks want to use.

and then to be a significant part of the system. that the coal that is generated but i stick to it. >> i was wondering if you could speak to coal to travel by open rail. >> there are many ongoing discussions at the federal level about safety issues in general. with a lot of investment that has been discussed of

how we address that issue relative to a number of facilities that many of you know, that are proposed to transport coal along the western seaboard. the role is to provide opportunities for a complete disclosure and to be in those discussions and there is a lot of different arguments on many sides i cannot tell you what directions they will be headed they are not for the epa to resolve but to make sure that environmental impact. >> serving with the affordability coalition and.

white is the final resolution? but what is the status of the affordability resolution ? >> minder standing is the affordability resolution was finalized to change with those conversations. that doesn't mean that conversation stops. but nothing is final in my book. parts of this is related to the struggles that many cities are going and. and as you move forward to keep the city is running all recognize there is the infrastructure necessary that conversation has not stopped and should never be stopped because the epa does

recognize to meet for your constituency but as flint told us we have to have on this dialogues to put the citizenry at risk. >> one of the things i worked on with the restoration is we need to build the marshlands that to protect from raising sea levels. and with a lot of dirt. >> and one of the sources for that is the material to

clear out the harbors and channels. right now the of conversation, the rules are all based on cost-benefit. and trying to figure out things to put into the equation in the entry of no real environmental benefit. that is not the way it should be it should be a very important component so anything you could do to help us figure out. >> i will take that back to the of leadership but the irony is i spent five years

in connecticut. i don't know if it is worth sending it to you but there are sun hear from the great lakes area. and then to put those materials in lake erie that is getting warmer is shallower that are contributing to the blooms and toxins and then as a federal government to have conversations that connect the dots because you need to think illicitly about solutions but not confined by any one of lot to be

developed in change i know the army corps is looking at this site of more than happy to talking and see if there is an opportunity so i want you to know i got to ask my adviser what about that task force on church? and that is invested to keep her in his place so that is common to talk about. >> so many cities our represented here have very ambitious sustainability plans and the resiliency and

the administration in justin done to the ambitious plan and they were well represented at the same time and we are headed for cheap oil across the globe. what your thoughts on cheap oil with a very ambitious climate change chances it ability - - sustainability

>> but the congress the way it is set up will not pass anything it will be up to cities across the united states to have commitments under that agreement. any follow-up questions? in the audience?

>> we have climate action activist for the of carbon tax to fund the what is the policy of a carbon tax? >> that is another lovely part of my job. [laughter] i work with my own. but then the that climate action plan that hasn't changed. em look at what day gave them to do that the epa is just responsible for looking at our tools. that if congress was to create another flexible tool that folks think is advisable to pursue then. added. but we just don't see that happening.

that went to confine any state from any resolution to address climate change. and we are here to help. i would not take a thing of the table but it's epa itself is not in the business of creating those types of taxes or fees as a year in the business to follow the clean air act that is what a represents. >> everything we wanted to know but were afraid to ask. [applause] >> that is only half of the agenda. thank you again for being here now we have individual said representatives who will talk about what they're

doing to help states across the country and the important role that mayors need to play in the process. so nextel will bring up to the podium speaking before is a deputy administrator now he is serving as president for said net for climate energy solutions. and his role and responsibility is to help states adopt the of climate plan with universities and others that is an independent nonpartisan organization n the conference has been discussing how we can work together as it relates to

the clean power plant to have a more formal relationship in the u.s. conference of mayors. with the adviser and the friend first we hear from brendan who is the regional director from north america and supports the city's with the climate action to the implementation and serves as chief of policy for the district department of washington d.c.. hit each will speak about 57 minutes then we will take questions. for the of closer we have our friend from the city heat of st. louis who will talk about an awesome program with the leadership.

>> what a pleasure i will speak as fast as i can. i was living in brooklyn for a while. so thank you for your leadership but that since recorded that is also a 22,014 the hottest year before that and i know it is hard to believe this to be another hot year going on outside that if these temperatures are global temperatures we know the

climate is changing in to see the effects of it. whether summer heat, cold heat, cold, disproportionate precipitation as he heard from these san francisco bay from rising sea levels. in the ocean gets hotter and experience so that service will expand because it is warmer to take up more space which is the scientific way to say there is rising sea levels. chino was terrific to lay out how they should keep an eye and to emphasize that some more. and 300 mayors were there at the summit.

it was a lot inspiring and we have a relationship with many negotiators to push them forward natalie from the business community. this leadership is demonstrated worldwide with climate mitigation programs programs, adaptation, livabi lity, sustainability, econom ic competitiveness driven by the work bears are doing. that to leverage that leadership beyond the city itself it is important that we want to start to follow-up how can mayors also influence the states or

participate in how the united states meets global commitments? that is the big emphasis in paris. so what affects that clean power plant things like energy efficiency, renewable energy building renewable energy. land-use reviews to see how we can accommodate key point water and energy. with one of the largest energy uses in the state pumping water. if you have a family of four with 100 gallons that is 1 ton of water. think of delivering a ton of

everything. think of the energy to do it. but we do this now with our drinking water plants. there is a lot of opportunities that the states don't have to adapt on the ground. but the clean-air program is part of the incentive program for energy efficiency and renewable energy and targeted to low-income communities. mostly that happens in cities. and with the tax or the cap-n-trade all that will have revenue moving around so to give you a quick example why this is important, energy efficiency and renewable energy and i

looked at the gap united states has to meet the goals for the paris agreements with the reduction from 2005 to the equivalent of 700 metric tarrant -- metric tons if they can't accelerate that energy efficiency in just 15 years duet by 2025. that is 210 million metric tons. and how to get that to be there is something we don't have a good handle on. we don't want to reinvent the wheel.

end if that is approved by the state they need to play in their revenue decision. and to have much advantages of any income incentives. and they were center stage. the white house report came down to to show how there was no mention of city is the policy gaps if you have the combined energy it can be harnessed in to be important.

we have been around almost 20 years. to have a strong and trust relationships to have ted power co's to have that trust relationship with the mayor's so we have started to use the relationship to talk about the things it does mention in what we want to do is be more up front with the conference of mayors. we think that has a tremendous opportunity as a well-respected institution to play a pivotal role for the city's employment for the clean power plants and the united states globally.

and to have a meeting with states and cities so we are looking forward to that. and together last airlines a little bit of business. [applause] >> thanks for having me. he is already a dancing my slides to keep me on time. as the administrator as the innovators for greenhouse

gases or all of these different indicators with the global network of cities and we are focused on the fact we will not solve the world's problems about taking serious action around climate into the engines. but between 80 to 83 cities to drive home the point looking out large numbers of people with us gdp and looking at one-quarter of the gdp across the conference of mayors of the critical impact that you

will understand the impact that the mayors can have. in bin climate and action in response to national disaster and climate change cities are acting first. and looking at those current demographics that have said that to be three-quarters by 2015 so that puts you in the position to be the solution you cannot solve climate is rotation and energy you just will not fix it for the planet. with the conference of mayors many we have seen walking downhauls are truly

national global leaders on this issue. so we say the battle by cities and states very clearly but when it comes down to it it has to be implemented buy you with the transportation approach as he decided to implement solutions globally are nationally at the street to street level. what we find is the best way to get anything done is nearer to mayor. a set policy and direction and then the turnaround to work with other organizations like the

national league of cities and others. so what you look at any types of these tools to transform the market with trusted allies and better communications the best answer has tackled the problem to offer so working together is in collaboration at the core of our efforts with the epa and department said energy menem was can solve these problems together and so a number of the solutions refocus very strongly on to bring mayor's together to provide leadership and learn from

each other we had a reception in the other night has anybody signed on? for those of you that aren't to sign onto the compact is a glass bowl and leadership effort and provides collective leadership to demonstrate locally and with that global leadership to help build the community to provide support to each other. and what they cannot do individually and that is true in the united states to have ambitious goals coming out of paris we can do much more together collaborative lead and individually.

and to recognize the efforts with apples to apples to be transparent to look for technical assistance to get there. it was started one year ago with organizations of other global entities so this was the focus of what had been in paris and know if anyone in the room is in this picture over 700 local governments were represented that is an unprecedented and by bloomberg and his special role as the envoy for a climate city's progress this point there over 120 in the

united states year very lucky to have support from the white house in this effort president obama actually put out a charge to have 100 cities before paris but since then we have grown at 122. and this is the process of planning for a mitigation for climate change and then you get compliant with greenhouse gas inventories and made a plan how you bring these solutions to local community and it is doable in their those of her already compliant so it is important to sign-on this is beneficial and doable not an empty pledge. >> but with those specific

best practices the ideas you have heard today there is all sorts of policies and oil prices going down but on the ground this is unjust climate at large but as transportation and congestion health and welfare of citizens so one of our efforts across the globe that the businesses use their collective power to say we want a cleaner bus with the specifications what can the market deliver? in the last years has driven the price down by 15 percent with cities participating so that declaration started in latin america but i would

love to talk with folks here who are interested in signing on. another is the highlights that we give awards each year in the comment already brought up was the ability to have purchasing power is the untapped resources so cities like d.c. getting awards but the southwest as hundreds of megawatts within communities and businesses follow there is some great opportunities there to move renewable and clean technology so within space the economy there is $17 trillion out there to be saved in the coming years

and though less money you send out or export on fossil fuels very few communities to have dumped all of their money at of the community and it is big money the more that you retain stays local so there are a few opportunities one captures the of value in particular and to translate that to local services that our lower carbon and you know, these of access to capital and solutions and governance so we're working with birders in the conference of mayors that brings business

together to deliver solutions to the people executing policy at the city level. how do you know, ? these are hard questions the next is of mocking the of many in that it all comes in on to the money bet will hold a number of factors in our case we have a tool called the finance facility to wring money for technical assistance to unlock private capital. i will not go into that now but happy to do that later but we need a lot more money and that there is investment today if you're looking for an investment for your portfolio, there are clean

investments out there that will be the future. thank you very much. [applause] >> just one or two questions we are short on time. >> what about the availability of cheaper oil? is that the help for a hindrance with cities working with the climate change plan? >> there is no question it complicates the scenario which is hard especially with some cities, may only be 20% but then that means that the majority so those

selections didn't affected. but it gets harder on the transportation side but. >> said here where there is a real opportunity for marriage to be put in place that each year the automobiles sold have to be more fuel efficient so they would be 54 miles to the gallon and there is a lot written about more suvs because the price of oil is lower but it is blind to the type of cars that they buy they all still have to meet those goals as an average if they sell more big ones then they have to sell more little ones the big killer is vehicle miles traveled so the knicks of cars is problematic but the industry

has to do with that to comply so you'll keep getting better cars showing up. but you can compensate for the fact that some people may drive more. who has pest control and/or transit alternatives six cetera? cities. you have the ability to make enough impact on vehicle miles traveled to the metropolitan transit authorities so there is a real opportunity between the transportation systems management i wouldn't throw out a hopeless situation with cheap oil but it is a challenge. >> phoenix, arizona has been severed bin traditionally the past the largest

transportation in investment in the country to triple the of light rail. so we try to follow that. he will be ever closer but first there are many talented staff people working through the conference of mayors. >> tom i know you were watching give her a raise. please. [laughter] now we have a great success story showing leadership to preserve the of monarchs butterfly. >> i appreciate your leadership on this committee and. i will be very brief as the year running out of time that this is something i will talk about that indeed

is the residence on a citywide basis and beyond. it helps the environment and connects people with nature and a fun project we call that milkweeds for monarchs. it is a project that addresses the issue of the tremendous drop of the monarch butterfly population it has dropped 90 percent over 20 years. beautiful pieces of nature if you noticed bob has on a butterfly tie. and there really does impact our community is in a big way and there is an easy way to deal with it to plant milkweed. 90% drop is attributed largely to a reduction of

habitat and misuse of chemicals. so we're getting people engaged. we have planted community gardens and government places like schools and fire departments and city hall and parks and we challenge the rest of the community that their homes all over the sydney to even go on line and register their are butterflies all over the city and it has a big impact and is working. already in the second year noticing a lot more in our city and people are enjoying that the studies have shown by connecting people with

nature and improving the green space and accessibility has social economic and environmental positive impacts and lowers stress and anxiety and reduces blood pressure from improves overall happiness in with children reduces symptoms of the bhc resulting in higher academic achievement and impact on increasing property values with more green space and for neighborhoods this is the reason why we do it to learn more about it we have a flash drive we have passed out. to our sustainability director this was the brainchild of hers and brought this idea to me and if you look at the board this is the cycle of the monarch butterfly this is my

butterfly garden at my home. you can see a person and i have of video of the monarch coming out of the chrysalis on my cell phone. we just wanted to leave this with you and if you have questions we will be available after the meeting. thank you. [applause] >> the great local success story. no a big ground for all of our outstanding speakers. [applause] thank you for participating we will see you next time. [inaudible conversations]

[inaudible conversations]

>> the incredible and insatiable demand is one of the issues of has been

exacerbated making a hard for the leaders to bring people together they are doing all of this other stuff that doesn't allow them to be the legislators they were elected to be then the special-interest. >> we allow them to say this is how we do things but here is the history littered with dysfunction and challenges george washington almost had to resign. we want to look forward to say here are things we think would make a difference. >> women are going to university all over the region. especially in the gulf

countries those proportions of women are even greater. and the women will tell you it is acceptable to delay marriage or to be outside the home with families to support. >> good morning we will call

to order. this morning we have a hearing on the status of innovative technologies in the automotive industry. good news the don't have to drive a lot here but there were a lot of people on the road yesterday making advances with automated technology and how we will handle the us know. retried deliberately with where we're starting with our bipartisan energy bill to take that up that the first of next week on the senate floor but also here because the washington auto show kicks off tomorrow and raw there is no substitute we do have the ceo of the manufacturers here to share his thoughts.

auto sales hit an all-time high in 2015 the of the interior was spurred by low gas prices and they are projected to remain low throughout the year. vehicle sales are boosted by the tremendous innovation during now and that is of a story that deserves more attention. recede dozens of alternative fuel models like tesla to thus fuel cell powered to the ford that can run on compressed natural gas and propane. we have seen exciting developments to self driving cars to offer their own benefits. today is an opportunity to learn more about innovation

as relates to alternative fuels and trap the part of the research activities and the committee's jurisdiction and. plan helps us to understand the challenges to be overcome and a chance to recognize it is facing heavy regulations as fuel efficiency and while those regulations are not in our jurisdiction it does have an impact on fuel consumption and it is worth monitoring another goal is to examine to support innovation working as intended to help the auto industry innovate and that brings us to the work of the doe with the

technology office at the national lab. instead of taking one favorite technology with our federal limited research dollars of the better path is to support research and a wider range of winners and let the consumers determine which is best i think we're on a good track and to work together with the bill that has provisions from any automotive industry including a modified version by senator peters and alexander to provide the department of energy with the authority and clear direction for the research mission. we work hard to make sure that the vehicle innovation policy is bipartisan we're

looking forward to what the witnesses have to offer. we have a vote scheduled this morning and the panel needs to leave by 1130 so we will be expeditious. >> thanks for holding this hearing this is the way to talk about the new technologies when interested to hear about the changes in the transportation sector. that has sold a record number of vehicles last year but there is no lot of work to be done. transportation is responsible for 30% of greenhouse gas emissions we have reduced the use of oil the need to sharpen our focus on the transportation sector this is why we have a longstanding relationship to

deploy a next generation and research as we work with light duty automobiles to conduct research to improve fuel efficiency standards and to have a great transformation in the aerospace industry. the bipartisan legislation was passed last year by members of the of the committee to reauthorize the technology office and directs a new focus your looking forward to explore the of ways this will help make additional loans of transportation the effective. so consumers are looking to

merger vehicles but then to be less to vote this is the first time it has all dropped and the oil market had can be volatile i'll and there will be a correction we have heard. so the biggest deaths he could take is to help reduce admissions of their promising new technologies today with the advanced. the pacific northwest laboratories have partnered for decades for researchers have focused on aluminum to

make lighter vehicles but to go back with you they are but including the cadillac and in addition the labs are working on game changing technology to use of fuel from plant matter. this is important to diversify a the source of fuel to hedge for the future but improving efficiency is brought about by focusing on the network in each year three billions of gallons is the runaway because of congestion and businesses pay the price of added cost suez the export economy

continues to grow we have to get them to market that is why the super truck issue is important and my colleague and to achieve more fuel but to save up to $1,200 per year in crisis and reduce emissions 48% and then to drive down the cost of electric car batteries but the average battery pack was more than $1,000 per kilowatt now it is less than $300. this means vehicles can travel further with better performance that we need to ensure we are focusing on the next generation and technologies their curly

only 900 fast starting stations that is compared to almost 170,000 across united states of america and i look forward to hearing from a the witnesses today how we can continue to answer that part of this equation and of course, selfie driving cars are important aspect for future automobiles and what the witnesses might have to say but the secretary and others made a point to continue the discussion of the efforts the like those of our pioneering us for doing our job here and.

>> now we will turn to the panel. . .

thank you for the opportunity to testify today. if we look at the world today are national imperative is clear, we must win the clean energy race. when we do that, we will capture a multi- trillion dollar global energy market and the job, the energy security, and, and the opportunities that will be created along the way. as principal beatty secretary at

the -- i help manage abrupt portfolio solutions comprised of high impact research, development, and demonstration activities to deliver on our mission. through renewable power, energy energy efficiency and our focus today, sustainable transportation. as we heard earlier transportation accounts for more than 70% of u.s. petroleum use. about one fifth of household expenditures and nearly one third of u.s. energy-related carbon emissions. it also accounts for other things that are harming our children and grandparents. we focus on two key solutions. first, use less energy to you move people and freight. second, fueling vehicles with alternative fuels with lower greenhouse gas emissions. to our work at the national renewable energy lab and other

lab partners, private private-sector partners and other key stakeholders, we help deliver significant results through technologies that are on the market today. in fact, each dollar dollar we invested in heavy-duty vehicle combustion technology has delivered about $70 and net benefit for taxpayers. seventy to one ratio. our super truck program has shown to cut fuel by one third to one half and some of the aerodynamic entire technologies from that program are already making their way to the market. the batteries from the bolt then spark, all tap into industry licensed technology developed at argonne national labs. eer e research has increased durability while cutting costs in half cents 2006.

thanks in part to research a memory electrode assembly technology, two companies today are selling or leasing fuel-cell vehicles with another one to enter the market this year and others to follow. while we are proud of how far we have come, there's more to do. as president obama and other world leaders affirmed at the launch of the mission and innovation initiative in november, solving our energy and climate will involve innovation of new technologies. while we continue to lead the world in innovation and entrepreneurship, we are are under invested in clean energy. in fact, compared to the size of our economy, we have best about one third as much in clean energy research and development as competitors like china and japan.

as we try to reverse this trend, we'll continue our electric and heavy-duty vehicle work. work. we'll also invest in other important areas like the co-op of new fields and engines, fuel efficiency. through cross cutting our efforts to develop advanced high-strength material to reduce costs and improve performance and enhance manufacturing processes for automotive use such as the ongoing work mentioned before at the pacific northwest national labs as well as composite work there and it oak ridge national lab and across the country. modernization is also important to fully integrate plug-in electric vehicles and fuel cells into the national grid in a safe, secure, reliable, and cost-effective manner. including critical cyber security work at laboratories. a

research and transportation mobility is also critical in order to identify untapped, system-level savings through connected and automated vehicles, like those at the ann arbor connective vehicle test program. with programs like these, and support from you, and the technology you'll hear about, the department of energy will continue to drive innovation within the auto industry and into the vehicles on show room floors and highways across the united states. i look for to working with congress and with this committee to further advance transportation technologies, to create new jobs and industries while saving consumers and businesses money and helping to address our nation's energy and climate challenges. thank you very much. >> thank you. >> thank you chairman and members of the committee. i appreciate the chance to be here today on behalf of 12 oem, the d3, and, and nine others from europe and japan.

our guys and others are investing massively on r&d, $109 billion last year. those on 60 percent, that's roughly four times our economic way. we are prospering with sales and investing back into r&d and that is paying dividends. as i got up this morning i looked at the weather and realized i had to travel 20 miles and tried to figure out the best way to go. i took a path that was different than any other i had ever taken for the last 20 years of commuting in fairfax. so nava directed me to washington in a fashion that was quicker, so i save time and it was more productive, is cleaner and more fuel-efficient. that was something i was a metaphor for today, technology is bringing about a convergence of the social objectives. we want mobility to be cleaner,

safer, and more efficient. that is exactly what we're doing here today. i thought i would go through some slides rather than read a statement. if i can i will do it fairly quickly and asked that you be patient as i tried to get through. the title is what type of and in general your next vehicle be. we do extensive extensive pulling, about 5000 samples of consumers per month. 167 folks only ask him what kind of vehicle there next one will be. you can see in may of 2012, roughly 20% wanted to go into a highbred roughly 60% said they wanted a gas engine, if you look at the line over the last three and half years, you see the hybrid number falling. then he see the gas number rising. that's counterintuitive to the world offering more models and showrooms. what is going on is we have made

progress that is so profound that when a consumer goes into a showroom, they discover their new cars getting roughly 25% more fuel efficiency than their old car on the success of the commission engine is making it harder to justify the delta to go electric. that's a challenge for us. going electric is a worthy goal but there is a market challenge there. the next line speaks to the number of cars for sale. in 2008, there were roughly 21 or 22 models, that is now up close to 80. that is a combination of to 80. that is a combination of electric, hybrid, and plug-ins. the next slide shows the number of models that are getting 30 and 40 miles per gallon. it is a seven times increase in the number of models.

the models are in the showrooms, the opportunity to buy the more fuel-efficient vehicle is there. on the conventional thigh, that is making the choice. then you look at the sale for powertrains and you can see there's been a dip. 2015 was a slowdown, part of that with gas prices, part of that was the success of conventional engine. the next slide shows retail markets of market prices and it looks like synchronized swimming which you have between gas prices and the sale of hybrids. a similar pattern with the sale of cars and trucks which is the next lie. i'm moving quickly because i'm out of time. i want want to spend a second on safety. the slide titled the 2014 vehicle fatalities showed we watched and we are looking to

drive at number down. 97% of those had nothing to do with the vehicle it was human air. that's why technology is so important. it can mitigate human air. the next lie puts the fatality into contacts, that is a 65 year trend line, the | is the absolute number and you can see in 2013 it is roughly where we were in 1949, the vehicles miles per hour is higher in the number of drivers is higher. that's a result of less junk driving, safety belts and others. the next chapter will come from the technology we're talking about today. i would make that point that i started with in terms of the

nava. all of these technologies are not about safety in green, it's, it's about maximizing all of the social objectives. when you avoid a crash, it is very green and it is very safe and productive. so whether it is advanced try versus or folia thomas vehicle, it has a profound magical application for the economy in life. we appreciate the focus on innovation today. we focus on the convergence of these. i would like to make one last point. this last slide shows the dilemma that we have. it shows a 25 year pattern, the blue line is year over year change in household income. this salmon colored line that

rises is the price of the auto which in part has been driven up by compliance responsibility. the yellow line is interest rights. so in effect what we have done is we have financed the ability to comply more vehicles based on compliance by lowering interest rates and with longer terms. as interest rates begin to rise we have to be mindful of this equation. it produces a challenge that may have job implications in terms of manufacturing and also in terms of turning over the fleet to vehicles that are more fuel-efficient. with that, i say i say thank you. >> thank you. very interesting. >> good morning. i'm genevieve, president of the elective drive association and i'm pleased to be here today to speak to you about the advances made made in electric drive. the

elective drive transportation association is a cross industry industry trade association, our members include the entire elective drive team that is developing manufacturing and -- today electric drive is performing in light-duty cars, trucks, buses and mobile equipment, offering clean, high performing attorney tips to oil. innovations threat the industry is providing consumers with more options with enhanced performance and reduce costs. it is accelerating changes in mobility overall by connecting the power, transportation and communication sector. since commercial scale and late 2010, this segment has grown from two vehicles until -- their plan for rollout in the next year. they include offerings across a range of price points and vehicle categories. with all electric electric ranges from

11-280 miles. total sales surpassed 400,000 in 2014 and sales are expected to triple by 2024. the diversity. the diversity of electric drive market is set to go further which can offer approximately 300 miles in range and repealing and three-five minutes. automakers have showcased a large array of electric vehicles including a midprice battery electric vehicle with a 200-mile range, a luxury plug-in hybrid, a battery electric microbus and a plug-in hybrid minivan. this is a sampling of the offerings and the diversity of the customer needs they are designed to meet. behind the vehicles are innovations and investments that are enhancing performance. a notable example is the

reduction in the cost of lithium-ion batteries. as well as the reduction in autumn motive fuel-cell costs. in part from the private sector collaboration department of energy which has brought down the cost since 2008. innovation and. innovation and electric drive extends beyond vehicles, collaboration are occurring across the industry to drive down costs and build out infrastructure. utilities are creating new business models was muttered demand management to serve the mobile load and maximize the benefit to their customer. vehicle battery and energy companies are partnering to scale and diversify. use of new imposed automotive batteries gives energy and consumers greater control of the energy choices enhances stability, and is forced

distributed energy. at the same time, charging, charging facilities expanded greatly. there are reportedly 12000 charging stations in the united states with 30,000 charging outlets. these do not include private, residential and workplace charging options available. as quickly, business models are emerging, vehicle and phone -based applications are making it easier for drivers to evaluate charge options and increase their electric miles travel. hydrogen infrastructure is emergent, in california nearly 70 stations are scheduled to open. public-private collaborations are moving forward to expand that number. electric drive transportation is also reinforcing the autonomy in vehicles. while that can tune you him of the technologies being built today it is not exclusive. electric drives -- i will wrap

this up, to summarize i will say that we are making great straights but we are still an emerging market and we are pushing to deliver enhanced performance that would reduce costs. public-private partnerships from technology to infrastructure buildout are critical. we very much appreciate the committee's recognition of that important work in 2012. again, thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today, i look for to your question. >> thank you. >> chairman and members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to speak. i'm chris, director of transportation. prior i worked at ford motor company for 16 years.

innovation has been an important part of the automotive industry but today the rate of change is faster than ever. technologies on the horizon that promise future that don't cars that don't crash and don't damage the environment. the department of energy in the national labs are working on technology to help make the future a reality. today i will talk to you about the ways the national labs are helping to meet these goals. autonomy did vehicles are over the news, they're presented in the context of safety and convenience but they will have a big impact on environmental emissions. one example of research in this area is the connected traveler project.

it's a funded project with a goal to develop algorithms to understand traveler's preference so that taylor recommendations and incentives can be provided by the individual traveler using real-time data to make better transportation decision. from this and other projects and is clear big data and cyber security are going to be increasingly important in the automotive industry. national labs have significant expertise and capabilities in these area. labs are also doing lots of work to accelerate the development of electrified vehicles. were using expertise in the batteries, high-performance computing to shorten design time and improve the performance of automotive batteries. one example of this is a project to develop new computer aided engineering tools which the automotive industry can use to shorten design time for battery development. wideband gap semi conductive materials will make the

electronic device is smaller, more efficient and able to operate at higher temperatures. for electric vehicles it means we'll have more efficient vehicles and more efficient charging stations. power america sponsored by the doe is a partnership bringing together industry, university and national labs took accelerate these devices. electric vehicles are becoming part of the expanding internet of everything. we are examining these interactions between building energy systems, utility group, renewable energy systems and electric vehicles. we have world-class facilities including the energy system facility and the vehicle integration system to study these interactions. fuel-cell electric vehicles are now commercially available. this is made possible by more

than a decade of innovation, supported by fuel-cell technology office, resulting in a 50% this is fantastic. there are still significant challenges to be met including the cost-effective generation of renewable hydrogen and the development of a hydrogen infrastructure. we are a world leader in hydrogen production, where partners in h2 first, a partnership that is working with industry partners to find innovative solutions to hydrogen infrastructure problems. the internal combustion engine is going to continue to be in the central part of the transportation system. groundbreaking research over the past ten years has identified new combustion engine strategies that particularly, when optimized to run on renewable fuels will offer significantly higher efficiency. the doe has launched an initiative to work on this

authorization of biofuels and engines. replacing heavy steel components with wider metals, plastics or composites can reduce the mass by 20%. the institute for advanced composite manufacturing and innovation supported by doe is working to develop new, low-cost, high, high speed efficient manufacturing and recycling process technologies for advanced composites. in conclusion, there is a wide range research underway that will achieve many benefits for the nation's transportation system,'s transportation system, including improving energy efficiency, reducing environmental impact and driving u.s. competitive this. thank you. i will be be happy to address any questions. >> thank you. >> thank you chairman and

members of the committee. innovation is. >> higher spending is increased by 5%. interestingly our consumer customers want to buy cars from car manufacturers who bring new technologies to market. we see today five areas of spending and patent fighting for car manufacturers and suppliers today. it includes certification, connectivity, safety, and then they are offshore by regulation and also by advancement. if i look at there's mainly three years, one is commission

engines and one is electric vehicles, the next one is fuel cells. we see many improvements and right now with all the low friction advanced cooling and others we have bringing you efficiency and provement by 35% to 50% reduction in fuel efficiency. roughly at a cost of $2000 or $2500 per car. this is why we see today a landscape and it will continue for the future where it naturally these technologies would present the vast majority of the market. meanwhile, the market for hybrid and better electric vehicles is being challenged. right now this market has been growing for ten years and peaked in 2013 at three at 3.8% of the u.s. market.

and that it declined to 2.9% last year. the challenge is only 6% of the u.s. drivers are ready to pay more for a greener and more efficient car. and what they would spend on average is $4600. that creates an unstable market for hybrids is well below the sales. this means support from the leader in form of incentives will have to remain, and then support for charging will be needed for this markets in the next few years. he agreed that about 20% of reduction would help gain six - 8% fuel efficiency on each car at a cost of two-$5 per -- materials are aluminum, magnesium, and steel, there is

the availability for these materials, it is true for steel and maybe for the cost of carbon cyber, the other thing is now they all agree that we are peaking the right material for each different part of the car needs to happen, and bonding technologies will be a main source of technology. connectivity includes two areas, one would i would say is not happening with vehicle to vehicle infrastructure which will require a minimum adoption, both in terms of safety and traffic regulation. there will be needed for further regulation of this market to happen naturally. i see safety features today that are available with existing technology that have the potential to reduce 30% of

accidents on the roads and the number of fatalities. the benefits with about 250,000,000,000 dollars per year to the u.s. economy. the challenges those features cost about twice more than customers are naturally willing to pay and therefore purchases low, and only growing at a few%. whereas with more support we could decrease in a sustainable market. were there for more support to increase the penetration and more regulation another step has two reduced by 90% and therefore to reduce congestion and improve fluidity of traffic. furthermore, we think that in an urban environment we could replace with a share of

automated cars we could replace 900,000 private cars and new york by which reduces the number of cars on the road, improves traffic and has significant impact. therefore that the major challenge now to get to this as soon as possible. overall this technology deserves the attention of the legislator, there is an important balancing act to think about where just end,. >> thank you. we appreciate their testimony from each of you. it is always interesting to hear where the exciting developments are. i mentioned in my opening that i'm in that group of lawmakers

that is really reluctant for us and the government to be picking winners and losers, whether it is relating to a type of automobile or energy sources, mr. muscat just let me right into this, by acknowledging that some of the incentives and supports that we currently have are going to need to be around for a while longer. with looking at the charts you provided it is clear that what has happened with the lower price of gasoline at the pump it has influence consumers decision as to whether or not they're going with electric or hybrid. could you speak to this issue of where we try to pick a winner and loser and emerging