questions submitted by members of the committee to you. we will try and expedite that an ask our members to get those and as quickly as possible. we would like to get your nomination to the floor by early next week. ..

you know that we've made enormous sacrifice and it would be really shameful for us to lose this conflict because we are not addressing it adequately so we thank you and your family for their service and we look forward to your return some months from now after your confirmation so you can give us your assessment that earlier the better so that you can give your assessment of the situation on the ground. >> icon and her entire way entirely with your summation. i think that we look forward to your report as soon as you get on the ground and get back and thank the chairman for the overwhelming number of west point here today.

>> getting much kinder in my declining years. the hearing is adjourned. [inaudible conversations]

[inaudible conversations]

had a strong sense of what we might call him. the communities are easily marginalized and if there isn't a force strong enough to guarantee the rights to protect those there are none at all. >> than brookings senior fellow eli and looks at the nominating process and how it's changed in

1968 to the present time in her book primary politics. >> there's all sorts of expectations going on. look at the polls and then say a difference of ten points. so what we expect to happen from either direction has a big impact on the candidates and how they are received first by the press and then they convey that. >> princeton professor discusses the state of black america and the way to move forward on race in his book democracy in black. he's interviewed by the president and ceo of the national urban league. it's what democracy is in this country. i understand the practical politics. when they solve the sold the

waldo up at that point reaching across the aisle. but what if it's the case -- again the book isn't about president obama in this instance, it is about the current frame because i want is an economic philosophy that governs this country and has produced disposable people. >> des moines iowa simulcasting with c-span. >> god bless the great state of iowa. >> here in iowa.

i am pleased to do this with wonderful friends in iowa. >> we would have given anything for that. >> people didn't know much about the iowa caucuses. [inaudible] it's hard to say it is the third one i've been to. they are all different. >> it's good to be back in iowa. >> you have to show respect for the voters. >> i want to thank the people of iowa. >> i love you all.

the iowa caucuses are three days away and up 12:30 p.m. p.m. the new jersey governor chris christie holds a town meeting in a

this is almost two hours. [cheering] isn't it good to be in iowa? aren't we glad this is where the season starts? it is a treat to be here. some years back i was invited by the best friend i've got in congress, and two if you all know steve king. [applause] so anyway, we have had some judges who had said in an opinion command this got my attention being a former judge and chief justice they said that there is no biological evidence to support having a preference

over whether it's heterosexual marriage, same-sex marriage so i was asked to legislate and i ran for the opportunity to legislate not from the bench. so, when i knew how this election would sign up it starts here. it was like april or may he really has a good chance. now, we are pro-life. [applause] steve and i are on the judiciary committee together. we had a doctor justify who had over a thousand abortions latest

term and it was just meaningless to him and then one day it hit him like a ton of icann to get out and walk out of the hearing at one point because he was describing what he says gives you nightmares now that he would feel for something that he figured was on a whim and he pulled it off and then would find another one and pull it off and find another and when he had done that four times, he fell for something and would grab it with his clamps and crush it and pull it off. now, my wife and i in june will have been married 38 years but our first blessing from god

decided to try to come eight to ten weeks premature, probably ten weeks and back then, the chances were not really good for us in tyler, texas, so they tried to delay her birth because the doctors said it's amazing the way god works if labor starts early, the development process speeds up so however much longer we can keep her in utero and that increases the chance of making it once she's born. that starts on saturday about tuesday morning katie decided she was coming. when she was born she let out a cry and i said doctor good, right? he said there's no way to know.

having done a lot of work in the medical field and defended a lot of doctors, i knew a lot about fiber rope leash and the blindness and premature if they are exposed to too much oxygen so when i saw them go in her from 20% to 40 to 60 to 80 to 100% i knew she was in trouble or they wouldn't keep doing that. the pediatrician didn't see me sitting there and i was praying for katie. he came rushing through and went straight over. he was going to wait to get the two to get the oxygen directly on to the team from shreveport got there where they had the to. there were three times when the sensor went off and they lost her and he does not come out and they brought her back three

times and anyway, he came back just dripping sweat that he had gotten her incubated. he saw me and he said it's not as easy as it looks and i said it doesn't look easy. thank you for working so diligently on our child. the ambulance got there to take her to the neonatal icu. i was torn. she was having some problems and she said go do anything you can for our child. the pediatrician said -- i said which one do you recommend and he said either is great but they have a better survival rate in shreveport so we went.

i come in and they said you need to come here and they brought me in and had all of them hooked up and he said now, it is very important that you touch her double-faced, rub her arm and talk to her. her eyes are not developed enough that she can see you but she knows your voice. she has been hearing your voice for months. you talk to her and touch her. you can stay for two hours and you have to take great. after i'd been there for a while, and you understand what a premature baby one of the last things to develop are the lungs and that is the biggest problem. they are still undeveloped, the breathing is so intensely shallow they were a regular come

and after i'd been there an hour the doctor came over and said have you looked up at the monitors and i said no and i looked up and he is still fast breathing, still a fast heart rate but they stabilized and sent she is drawing strength from you and life from you. well i can't get up. she had latched on to the end of my index finger with her tiny little hand. she wasn't letting go and she was holding on and if she was drawing strength from me, there was no way that i was leaving. eight hours later they said you've got to take a break. i said i can't believe. they made me leave. they said you've got to take a break.

anyway, i took a short break and i went to the back and an officer was very kind but i couldn't wait to get back. having had a child hold onto the end of my finger, clinging on to life because she wanted to live, she is visiting from berlin, she was one of 12 artists picked to live in shanghai for a month, she's incredible. the thought that anybody could pull the limbs from that child or flushed flush the child on a

commode or take apart and see whether we are going to sell them or not, they will be helpful down the way somewhere for research. it is so unconscionable that at times it is just so difficult to understand how people can take the positions they do including a president who as a senator would be totally opposed to the law that says if the abortion fails you have to let the child live. opposed to that kind of legislation i'm telling you i've known ted cruz for a number of years now and everybody talks about how brilliant he is. he is incredible arguing before the supreme court.

an attorney arguing before his wife. [laughter] absolutely incredible. i've had the temptations like a lot of people do want to support the second person in the history of humanity not to need to ask god for forgiveness. i know that is a struggle. but i have settled on an endorsement that isn't moving. it's for the guy that knows who he is. he knows who god is and he knows the creator our founders wrote about and he knows that our rights don't come from government, they come from god and our job is to protect every one of those rights, so it's an

honor to be with you tonight. i'm excited and thrilled. governor rick perry. [applause] >> louis was one of my freshman when i was a scene or he did really well at everything except being punctual. thank you all for coming out and being here died. time. we are at the cusp of history. as all of you know, iowa has in its grasp the opportunity to change the course of history. you all that are going to go to the caucus have the ability, the opportunity, you have the responsibility to change history

and get the country back on track again. [applause] there's only one individual that you will have the opportunity to caucus for that is a consistent conservative who understands that constitution from front to back. there's only one individual that you will have the opportunity to go and caucus for that can go to washington, d.c. standing with that constitution in hand and power out of washington, d.c. back to the states. [applause] for 14 years i've had the extraordinary plug of which --

privilege to represent the texas state of governor and i had an attorney general and the solicitor general that didn't mind suing the federal government when they got out of line and they got out of line way too often. [applause] when there were those that wanted to take the ten commandments off of the grounds of the capitol it was ted cruz standing in front to defend on the capitol grounds. i want a committed conservative, that's consistent conservative. i know one thing about ted cruz. he knows more about that constitution than anybody on that list. second, he will stand up for it every day. he is a powerfully incredibly sharp intellect but he's also a

man i've gotten to know over the course of the last four months. quite frankly just because he was my lawyer didn't mean that i knew that much about him. [laughter] he called me multiple times and said i want to come sit down with you. outside of his family and faith this time is the most precious thing he has so i could talk all about policy, not about the election or philosophy i wanted to know who he was and come back and tell you i know this man. i've had the opportunity to sit down and talk with him and let me tell you here's what i found one of the great gifts he has

this man may be the best listener of anyone i've been involved in. that is a gift. and the other thing i found out in those conversations and phone calls subsequently, ted cruz does what he does not know. you know how important it is in the oval office and the most powerful job in the world to know what you do not know and realize you have to have people around you that you empower to deal with those agencies of government and those countries to deal with military and foreign affairs there are some people who don't know what they don't know. [laughter] that scares me. i don't want somebody that thinks they know everything because that person hasn't been

born yet. that man or woman isn't alive and never will be. i don't want someone who puts the team together. [applause] i will wrap up with three things that are important for my perspective of the characteristics of a leader. in my 35 plus years of public service as a pilot of united to its air force working in texas state government, i've had the opportunity to observe a lot of people and a real leader, a great leader this individual humility a person who understands the work for you people want to be the governor of a state so that they can world of power and have the trappings of that office. he understands it and he will work for you.

he'll tell you what he's going to do that he's going to go give it. second is i want someone who is courageous. i want an individual of courage in that office. when he asked to be our senator from texas he said of me tell you what i want to do. if you have the trust in me to be your senator, i'm going to go to washington and do everything in my power to defund obamacare. i will do everything i can to make sure, i will do everything i can to make sure the economy comes back so that any hard work and able-bodied american that wants to have a job has a job. [applause] he said i'm going to do everything i can to make sure that our military men and women have the support we need and if we are not going to get into the nationbuilding business, we are not going to send our young men

and women into places unless america's interests are. in all conversations [inaudible conversations] he did exactly what he said he would do. he is the consistent conservative in this contest. [applause] the third thing i want a president of the united states in the oval office that is graceful to god almighty and knows that they are there in that place by the grace of god.

his father and alcoholic left his family but by the grace of god, came back convicted and understands the concept of grace. probably gets up every morning and asks god forgiveness at least a couple times before breakfast. some people don't have to do that. most of us do. but by the grace of god he knows he could be in a lot of different places. i want a man of humility. i want an individual with courage and as someone who is graceful to god where they find themselves in life. that is the characteristic of a great leader. if you caucus for ted cruz, you will get that consistent, you

will get a man of god, you will get a powerful individual as the next president of the united states. [applause] [cheering] it's up to you the future of the country is in your hands. there's another man that i've had the great privilege to get to know many times since 2011 who have given a great deal of his life, his will, his treasure to not just this great state but to the country. welcome to the stage, the united states congressman who is making a difference and again a convicted conservative of

extraordinary beliefs. senator -- excuse me i just raised your title, congressman. [laughter] i'm energized now. i'm looking around here and thinking about birds of a feather flock together. i've given you two names of people who came here a long time ago to stand up for our values and i had a flashback from about 1998 when we wrote the defense of marriage act when i was a senator back then in the senate and we wrote it shall only be between one male and one female.

[applause] [applause] then you saw what the supreme court did with that. tony in the movie and others others came to the stage to help us and they were on the tour and we went around the state to stand up for the constitutional rights and you can together and found three justices off the bench in 2010, bounced down off the bench. [applause] and we have had a battle after battle since then. when i look around i see people that have the same common belief and so i do need to tell you this. i go to the supreme court to hear oral arguments and i have the privilege sitting on the judiciary committee and when i'm the lawyer on the judiciary committee i think they have the disadvantage. i just argued on right side of i. went over i went over there to hear the oral arguments and

the supreme court was filled with protesters from both sides invited to climb around to claim around and climbed through the hedge to get to the door. it was a big white building on a bright sunny day. my pupils were all shrunken down and i opened up the door and i looked up and all i could see was there was a white shirt and a smile and there was a guard garden and i said i'm congressman steve king to hear oral arguments on the ten commandments before the united states supreme court and here's what i had coming out of the darkness. i am moses and i'm here to meet you. [laughter] he's led me in and up since then but he led me to the chamber where he sat i sat down to listen and i began to realize there was a solicitor general from the state of texas to argue those ten commandments.

he put a case together and now the governor was up front as well. they put the argument together to save our ten commandments and that's when i realized to ted cruz was. defending life, defending guns, defending parental notification for the state of new hampshire the list goes on and on. our values are his values and when i look around and i see ted cruz i see we are in a fight somewhere. i don't want to miss out on any of this, you know so when it someone akin to so when it came to congress we got to know each other pretty early and talked about ideology and philosophy and policy and what our goals were and all matched up. checked all the boxes for me and a little later we went out and sat down and had a stick together and that lasted for five hours because i was sitting

where i could see the rest of the lights were turned off and they left the light on over our table and he had a chair that he couldn't see the rest of the restaurant was sat down and it matched up on everything again time after time. we are trying to save this family from the amnesty bill. [applause] and of all of this that has been pushed out by other candidates in the presidential race i want you to know what simple he sat in that judiciary committee and offered amendment after amendment and designed to kill the senate gang of eight bill. chuck grassley and senator sessions voted with him on those amendments. keep that in mind. [applause] and he will tell you that the immigration policy is a product of the collaboration of jeff

sessions, ted cruz and steve king and he said that the other night and got 11 pages is there and i signed off on every bit of it. he will protect our borders and we will build a wall that works come he will secure the border and restore the most important part, the respect for the rule of law. [applause] if you've wondered about life it's real simple especially to young people only have to ask two questions. is human life sacred and all of its forms and we say universally, yes human life is sacred and all of its forms and you only have to ask one question and in what moment does life begin? the moment of conception. once you get those down you never lose the debate. he's never lost a debate on the life and marriage issue. he's a full spectrum of conservative that memorized the constitution in high school.

[applause] and on the immigration debate i couldn't get one in the house of representatives and he was holding the line so i went to the states like this with a big speaker and i announced a press conference for the day eight hours and invited the house and senate house and senate members, one senate member showed up. you already know who, ted cruz. [applause] i introduced him, he took the stage and spent 45 minutes giving chapter and verse of the things you now know and have heard and can read on his website. but he delivered that in june of 2013. there is no flip-flopping going on. his record is rock solid and it goes back deep and firm and one thing he does if he is endorsing

a piece of legislation or offered a piece of legislation that is his word and his bond and we will build a policy around them but we will not be changing those things he's given his word on. and i've gotten to know heidi. when he walks into a room he doesn't have to wonder how many people in that room are smarter than he is. he has that gift. i do wonder sometimes. he is very humble. they've got two beautiful girls when you watch them interact you know that there is a humanity and faith there and they will bring us in the right direction. some of you were were asked about were asked about events that i posted january 24 of last year when we have a presidential faith and freedom events and i

stepped forward that they and i said to you ibb that the next president of the united states had spoken from that stage publicly the next vice president and part of the cabinet have also but i asked you this. i followed through on my side of this that said every day raise up a prayer to ask god that he would use his influence to raise up a leader that he will but he won't use to restore the soul of america. [applause] i came to that conviction. it wasn't just picking the name off of a menu. it's a measure of the head and the heart all to line up and it lined up for me on november 13, 2015 when it all settled in and i knew it was right.

i believe that it is up to us to sustain him and carry him out of iowa with a resounding victory on monday night so that ted cruz can take the supreme court out and bounce from new hampshire to south carolina and a victory in iowa, new hampshire and south carolina setup perfectly for the super primary that runs across the mobile states on march 1. we can carry ted cruz into the white house and see our values in the oval office of the white house in the united states of america. we can do it if we did it together. let's do that together and bring everyone we know and send iowa to a great victory. [applause] >> thank you very much. [applause]

my list of those that went on the judge i had the chance to introduce him. i came out of northwest iowa with a strong leadership and faith and sometimes they challenged him and they didn't think that was a good idea. we all thought it was a great idea. but he prevailed and he's been fighting on every cause and he gave a speech in ottumwa that rocked the country and might have cracked some glass someplace. i will let him talk to you about that. please welcome my good friend. [applause] >> are you ready to elect a

president for 2017 out of iowa? in 1979 ronald reagan announced his candidacy for the presidency when he announced his candidacy, he said ideally this country conquers and thirst for a spiritual revival. what he was seeing was a country in a dead sprint for the heart of god and he knew the only way to bring the country back would be a spiritual revival. i don't know about you but i know about me in 26 to turn our heart back to god just over a year ago the advisor for benjamin netanyahu when he found

out i was from iowa he chose duty is to -- he said two words, choose well meaning all eyes were on iowa right now but don't be mistaken, all of the worlds eyes are on the iowa right now and his words echoed choose well. how do we know if we are choosing while? scripture tells us the suit says choose those among you that are not capable and that fear god. choose those that are trustworthy and that hate dishonesty. ideally this country would be well served if we were according

to those principles for who should be president of the united states. [applause] let me be transparent and cuts to the chase i have a lot of friends in the race as a matter of fact i endorsed mike huckabee in 2008. marco rubio, carly fiorina, ben carson, rand paul. but this race has come down to two individuals, donald trump and ted cruz and we need to choose well. if you want to vote for anybody else i would say that vote goes to donald trump unless you vote for ted cruz. unite the hind ted cruz. [applause] when i read and apply it to the

two different candidates i will be very transparent this is what we get in july of 2015 he said on a stage for the family leader but he's never asked god for forgiveness. he also said he likes veterans who were disparaging every prisoner of war that there is. many of you know my story. we have four boys, she has five that i have four. our son lucas was gifted, he was disabled at birth and it rocked my world when i saw a candidate for the president of the united states openly mocking and insulting people with disabilities. this country must have a higher standard than that. [applause]

just last weekend at the college he said he could go out in the city in new york city and shoot somebody and he wouldn't lose any support and right away i thought of john lennon and the beatles saying we are more popular than jesus. that is a pride and arrogance and a temperament that is a role of the dice roll of the dice to be president of the united states. [applause] and then when you want to know what it's all about he made a run at the presidency going up at the polls by taking on the establishment and he said the establishment is warming up to him because he's all about the art of the deal. he is willing to deal with them. i can till you right now the sanctity of life isn't for the art of the deal.

[applause] isn't for the art of the deal. religious liberty isn't up for the art of the deal. the relationship of a nation of israel isn't up for the art of the deal. [applause] and our very constitution is not up for our part of the deal. [applause] yesterday he took me on because i didn't endorse him. i grew up with eight older brothers and so i know how to fight back when they want to push him around so we want that because the truth is on our side. but i want to tell you right now if you apply right now ted cruz fears god and knows who he

serves. you take a look at the incapable come he's exceptionally capable. he argued in the spring court and he one of the ten commandments and the national sovereignty and the second amendment rights. he's capable, he is one of us come he's trustworthy, he hates dishonesty and i believe he will champion our values. we need to get behind ted cruz. [applause] my dad was part of the world war ii generation and they call that a generation the greatest generation and the reason they were the greatest generation is because they put the cause of the country about themselves and with the greatest generation because they always stood in the gap where the country needed them to lead. i listened to my dad give a speech and he said don't ever

let it be said about the greatest generation that they lived and they died and they were buried. he looked at a high school band and said you need to choose to be a great generation and put the cause of the country about yourself. you need to choose to stand in the gap when your country needs you and right now our country needs us to stand in the gap on february 1. we need to stand and get behind ted cruz and send the world a message for who we are behind. [applause] leaders all over the country are uniting leaders and if we unite on february 1 when you go to the caucus get your friends and neighbors, everybody you can think of, get united and let's

send america a message and would send the world a message in the nation that we chose well. [applause] i am thrilled to stand up here with the congressman, governor richter eight and so many others. doctor james dobson is on the team. there's one of course meant i really like. the one and/or spent is because they have a high standard. he doesn't endorse easily come he's rock solid. you see him on fox news a lot. he's a constitutional worldview

american who loves this country. when we saw what the stakes are and what their race was down to last night he made this endorsement of senator ted cruz and what i want you to do is give a very warm welcome, and iowa welcome and appreciation for the newest endorsement of senator ted cruz. help me welcome tony perkins of the family research council. [applause] thank you. i want to thank bob for his leadership not only in iowa but the nation and i want to thank you. i am here tonight to stand with ted cruz. [applause] let me tell you how bad i want to stand with him.

i flew through chicago. but i thought about it i was flying through the hometown of the current president so that i could stand with the next president. [applause] there's a special place in heaven for people from iowa because you have to listen to all of the politicians. [laughter] i can say that because i am a recovering politician i spent nearly a decade and i got a little nervous earlier when the governor talked about convicted politicians because most of the guys that i knew had to be clear about the number of terms they served by would encourage you to take it easy on these guys. i was out knocking on doors and in louisiana in the summer time it gets really hot.

i got caught in one of those afternoons thundershowers and i was a little biased and i knocked on this lady's door and gave her a card with a picture and platform on the other side and she took the picture and stared at it. she looks back at me and said that picture is flattering. [laughter] so it's a tough business. i'm here in the coalition for life because there's nothing more fundamental than the right to life. [applause] we look at what has happened in this country but stick the last 43 years. friday i stood on the mall in washington, d.c. for the march for life, 43 years ago the supreme court declared that a child has a choice rather than

something to be cared for in the image of its creator. that wasn't something that the congress decided to come it was the chords then we go back to june 26 when the top five judges on the courts declared the new better when they impose on imposed on the nation a definition of marriage. when you look at all the things we care about whether it is right or wrong, i think it's wrong the court decides so many things, but the court is directing this country. the next president will appoint two or three supreme court justices. this issue is being lost by a lot of people. unfortunately the court does decide to call the culture of the country and it's wrong.

it shouldn't be that way if we had strict constitutionalists on the court that wouldn't happen. but what has happened over the years is even the republican presidents can't discern a liberal from a conservative. kennedy, souter and if you notice they never turnout to be a conservative. i spent ten years as a police officer. i can tell police officers. i'm not going to point them out but i can tell the police officers in the audience, i know them. we know each other. ted cruz is a strict constitutionalists. if there's one person in this election for president that i want picking the next two or three supreme court justices, it's ted cruz.

[applause] i want to ask you to talk to your friends to do everything you can to caucus on monday night for the sanctity of human life knowing that the next president is going to be putting those justices on the court and i'm going to tell you what i know a liberal will not be able to masquerade as a conservative in front of ted cruz. he will smoke them out, believe me. [applause] this has been the warm-up act. you are here to see not only my

friend, someone that i've spent time with, prayed with, but you are here to see the next next president of the united states of america please welcome ted cruz. [applause] [applause] [cheering]

god bless the great state of iowa. 119 hours. that's how long we've got. all the noise and smoke and fire works, the circus, it has been kind of a circus. 119 hours from now the iowa caucuses begin and what we are seeing here today is historic. we are seeing here today is conservatives coming together and uniting. all across the state of iowa, all across the country this is something so many of us have dreamed about and have prayed for over and over again washington has worked to divide

us, to put us against each other to have us fighting tooth and nail. you look at the patriots we have here today, steve king and tony perkins. what an incredible array of principled constitutionalist fighters who stand with the american people. [applause] you look at people like jack zimmermann a brave wounded warrior standing and fighting to save the country today.

[applause] why is this happening, why are conservatives coming together like never before? because the threats to the country have never been greater. tomorrow, we have a debate. [applause] although one of the candidates has chosen not to attend. [applause] apparently mr. trump considers

megan kelly ferry, very scary. and you know he is a fragile soul. [laughter] she might ask a mean question and who knows what could happen. i mean, his hair could stand on end. [applause] i've got to say it is an amazing statement for a presidential candidate to say i'm not willing to show up for the debate. ..

>> on monday we will complete a full grasp having gone to all 99 counties in the state of iowa. [applause] stand in front of the men and women of ottawa and asking for your support, looking you in the eyes in answering the hard questions. that's what any candidate who hopes to win the state of iowa owes the men and women of the state. this is a job interview.

i want you to imagine you put up an ad in the help wanted pages, looking for a new employee to administer the government and turn the ship of state around to imagine someone called and said i'd like that job, but i ain't showing up for the interview. what would you say? [shouting] >> you're fired. [applause] so if donald finds me been so terribly frightening -- finds megyn kelly so frightening, i suggest an alternative. he and i are the leading candidates in this state right now so how about the two of in a one on one debate mano a mano? [cheers and applause]

>> and i'm going to propose a venue western iowa text saturday night sioux city. we already have it reserved. [applause] 8:00 saturday night, a two-hour, one on one debate. and now, if the gentle donald cannot handle megyn kelly, how about forum moderator instead mark levin? [applause] or if he doesn't like mark levine, how about sean hannity? [applause] entity does like sean hannity, how about rush limbaugh? [applause] and if gentle donald is

frightened by mark and sean and rush, then we will have no moderator whatsoever. [applause] a town hall of iowans. i don't tell you what, donald, you can invite have the people to control have the tickets. we will invite have to people that have the tickets in each of us will alternate taking questions from the men and women of iowa. [applause] because at the end of the day, it's not really that donald is afraid of megyn. it's not that he is afraid of mark or shot a rush. it's not that he is afraid of me. he is afraid of you. [applause]

he doesn't want to answer questions from the men and women of i'm about how his record doesn't match what he is selling. [applause] i believe any candidate to have a chance at winning iowa you have to demonstrate the humility to stand in front of the people of this state. and i believe for any president to have the right temperament to be an effective president, not an imperial dictator like we've seen for the last seven years, yet to demonstrate the humility to understand you work for the american people, and not the other way around. [applause] so we have a venue. we have a time. all we are missing --

[laughter] -- is a candidate. and i have to say, in 119 hours, everyone in this room is going to have an incredibly important decision to make. and you know, all of us are so unbelievably frustrated. because we keep winning elections and then losing. we were told if only we had a republican house of representatives then things would be different. then we were told, if only we had a republican senate, if harry reid is a problem, then things would be different. well with a republican majority in both houses for over a year now. how has that worked out? look, the american people feel a profound sense of betrayal. of candidates who say one thing

and do another. and we cannot get burned again. the stakes are too high. if we mess it up again, if we listen to the campaign rhetoric again and get fooled again, we can't get burned again. so let me suggest a test that the men and women of iowa may wish to apply come to distinguish who you can trust from me you can't. and it is the test that the scriptures tell us. you shall know them by their fruits. my advice to everyone here is don't listen to a word that any of the candidates say. don't listen to what i say. don't listen to what donald says. really, don't listen to what donald says. [laughter] don't listen to any of the candidates say.

instead, say simply, show me. show me your record. show me when you have walked the walk. i had an old boxer buddies decide if to say if i'm ever accused of being a christian, i'd like for there to be enough evidence to convict me. the same is true of being a conservative. if you are really a conservative, you shouldn't have to tell anybody. because you will have been in the foxhole. you will bear the stripes from standing and fighting for your bounteous. [applause] -- for your values. if tony perkins woke up tomorrow and decided he wanted to run for office as an establishment moderate, he couldn't do it.

if bob had a plot so they decided he was going to run as an establishment moderate, if steve king suddenly woke up and said, this amnesty thing looks pretty good, they couldn't do it. why? because they have walked the walk. because they bear the stripes. because they walk is witness to the testimony, not their words other action and leadership and sacrifice. i'm going to suggest to you seven battles that we ought to just everyone at the candidates on. seven battles that were, as reagan said, times for choosing. the first is life. this is a rally for life. we have today announced our national coalition over 17,000 pro-life activists all over the country standing together with this campaign. [applause]

the right to life is fundamental. without life or is a liberty. without life there is the pursuit of happiness. and every human life is a precious gift of god and should be protected from the moment of conception until the moment of natural death. [applause] now, every candidate in the republican primary will tell you they are pro-life. that's what you say in a republican primary, regardless of the facts. equation we ought to ask is, don't tell me you are pro-life, show me, when have you stood up and fought to defend the right to life? before i was innocent i was a solicitor general of texas, the chief lawyer for the state in front of the u.s. supreme court. we lead a coalition of states before the supreme court

defending the federal ban on partial-birth abortion, and we won 5-4. [applause] we let another coalition of states before the supreme court defending new hampshire's law on parental notification, and we won unanimously. [applause] and texas, where the state legislature passed a bill be funding planned parenthood, a local district court struck down that law. i personally argued the case in the court of appeals, and we won unanimously reinstating the law and defending to defund planned parenthood. [applause]

if you care about the right to life, there is a clear difference among the candidates. donald trump, today, support taxpayer funding for planned parenthood. as president on my first day in office i intend to instruct the u.s. department of justice to open an investigation into planned parenthood and to prosecute any and all criminal violations. [applause] if the right to life matters to you, there is a clear and meaningful difference among the candidates. let's talk about the second ballot, the second have for choosing, and that is marriage and religious liberty. in june of last year we saw a shameful decision from the united states supreme court,

five unelected judges arrogantly purported to tear down the marriage laws of all 50 states. wind that decision came down that was a time for choosing. it was a line in the sand where every candidate couldn't decide on which side of the line do they stand. several of the leading republican candidates, including both donald trump and marco rubio, said publicly this decision is settled, it's the law of the land, we should accept it, surrender and move on. look, those are word for word the talking points of barack obama. there is something profoundly wrong when republican presidential candidates are reading barack obama's talking points on marriage. my view is fundamentally different. that decision is fundamentally illegitimate.

it was lawless. it was judicial activism. it was inconsistent with the constitution, and it will not stand. [applause] is marriage matters to you, and let me point out, the u.s. supreme court didn't invent marriage. marriage preceded the u.s. supreme court, preceded the united states of america for millennia, marriage has been ordained by god, as the union of one man and one woman. [applause] and we have seen connected to this battle on marriage the battle over religious liberty. many folks here attended the rally we hope for religious liberty several months ago listening to heroes who stood calm and stood for the faith and

were persecuted by government. for me, religious liberty has been a lifelong passion. i've spent the last two decades fighting for religious liberty, defended in texas the 10 commandments monument on the state capitol grounds going into the u.s. supreme court and winning 5-4. [applause] defending the words, one nation under god, and the pledge of allegiance, go into the supreme court and women unanimously. [applause] -- whinny unanimously. and defending over 3 million veterans nationwide, defending the mojave desert cross. going to the u.s. supreme court and winning 5-4.

[applause] now, if marriage and religious liberty matter to you, what would you say, have you walked the walk? when have you ever defended marriage. when have you ever defended religious liberty? when have you stood up and put action to what you claim to believe? and i'll tell you, if we nominate and elect a president who spent the first six years of his life supporting partial-birth abortion, we should not be surprised when we see the supreme court justices that the president put on the supreme court. [applause]

as radical an activist as this current supreme court is, we are one justice away from a five justice left wing majority which would tear down the fundamental liberties of this country. if we don't want to get burned again, as we have been over and over and over again, then we can't listen to the campaign rhetoric. we have to ask if we want a president who will defend life, you will defend marriage, who will defend religious liberty, we have to ask, have you walked the walk into you bear the stripes? a third example, a third time for choosing was the battle over guns. in the spring of 2013 we remember the tragic shooting in newtown, connecticut, where president obama could have brought us all together. he could have brought democrats and republicans together and said, let's go after violent

criminals. let's come down on them like a ton of bricks. instead he did what he has done so many times. he tried to divide us and he said instead let's go after the constitutional right to keep and bear arms of law abiding citizens. now let me tell you, the second a minute is not about hunting. -- second amendment. [applause] it's not about skeet shooting or target shooting. those are wonderful things but that's not why the second commitment is in the bill of rights. the second amendment is in the bill of rights because if anyone comes into your home and seek to harm your family and harm her children, we have a god-given right to protect our family and protect our children. [applause]

now, harry reid and chuck schumer and the democrats launched an assault on the second amendment in the spring of 2013. millions rose up against it. and i was proud to stand in lead that fight. [applause] and when it came time for a vote on the senate floor, everyone of barack obama's proposals to undermine the second amendment right to keep and bear arms was voted down on the senate floor. [applause] now, in a republican primary every republican candidate will say they support the second amendment, a less you are clinically insane. that's the right answer in a republican primary.

the question to ask of individuals standing on the stage is in the spring of 2013 when the assault was on when obama was targeting the second amendment, where were you? where were you? did you stand up and defend the second amendment, or were you nowhere to be found? before the battle -- the fourth battle, the battle over obamacare. obamacare is the single biggest chunk of in this country millions have lost their jobs can force it to part-time work, have lost health insurance, lost their doctors, have seen their premiums sky rocket. in the fall of 2013 millions of americans rose up against the train wreck, against the disaster that was obamacare. i was proud to stand in lead that fight for 21 hours standing on the senate floor.

[applause] >> now, in a republican primary everyone is going to say they oppose obamacare. the question to ask once again is where were you? when the fight was being fought, where were you? actually i said anyone would say they oppose obamacare, but there's actually one candidate on the stage come are actually technically speaking out not on that stage, who doesn't say that. listen, donald trump's position on health care is that he would support bernie sanders style socialized medicine were everyone, with the government and he doesn't think obamacare goes for in a pretty wants to expand it. so we have hillary care, and

obamacare and trump care is socialized medicine for every american. the government in charge of you and your doctor, and washington deciding do you get that surgery? did you get that medication lacks all you have to do is get approval from the government that is not in charge of medicine in this country. now listen, donald is entitled to have that view. you might even call that a view a new york value. [applause] you know, as donald might observe, both he and bernie sanders are native new yorkers, but if you care about obamacare there is a clear difference in opinion. if donald trump is elected president he intends to expand obama to put the government in charge of moreover, health care. if i' i am elected president, we will repeal every word of

obamacare. [applause] the fifth battle, the fifth time for choosing is a battle over the washington cartel, the cronyism that is bankrupting our kids and grandkids. let me say any candidate who, like donald, supported barack obama's t.a.r.p. bailout of the big wall street banks can any candidate who, like donald, supported barack obama's stimulus plan and said the only problem was it was a big enough and it should have been even bigger, any candidate who supports the washington cronyism, we know to an absolute fact if that candidate became president he would not stand up to the washington cartel and in

the cronyism. [applause] every candidate on the debate stage says they will stand up to washington. that's a great. a natural follow-up question is when have you ever stood up to washington? win have you taken on not just democrats but leaders in our own party? and when you do so you get attacked by the democrats, you get attacked by the media, you get attacked by a whole lot of republicans. there is a reason why steve king and i both need food tasters and the members dining room. [applause]

but i'll play this. every candidate has never once stood up to the washington cartel, stood up to the cronyism, nobody in history has ever grown a backbone after getting to 1600 pennsylvania avenue. [applause] the sixth battle, the sixth time for choosing was the battle over amnesty. in 2013 barack obama and chuck schumer and harry reid proposed a massive amnesty plan. it would not it's a good the border. it would not have kept this country safe and would have granted amnesty to 12 million people here illegally. and they got the support of establishment republicans in washington. the rubio-schumer amnesty bill passed the u.s. senate with a big margin. and it was headed to the house

and it was going to pass house republican leadership john boehner intended to take up the amnesty bill and pass it with the votes of all the democrats. it was going to be republican leadership plus all the democrats overruling about 200 house republicans. you want to know just how close it was to passing, ask steve king, just how close republican leadership was to jamming this through with all of the democrats. now, that once again was a time for choosing. the our candidates in the republican race for president who talk about immigration an awful lot. the only question we should ask as voter is in 2013 when the fight was being waged, where were you?

i can tell you it was about to pass and then a handful of leaders, including jeff sessions and including and especially iowa's own the relentless steve king stood in lead the fight to defeat it. [applause] and i was proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with jeff sessions and louie gohmert and steve king, and together millions of americans rose up and said, no, protect the rule of law. know, protect our borders. know, we don't want amnesty. if that had passed in 2013, and would've gone to present obama's desk duty would've signed it into law and that apple would have been lost. anyone who claims today as a

presidential candidate they care about amnesty and securing the border, the one question to ask is where were they in 2013 when the battle was being fought. the seventh and final time for choosing is the battle over iran and radical islamist terrorists. the single greatest national security threat facing this country is the threat of a nuclear iran. and any candidate who believes we should keep in place this iranian nuclear deal, which is if iran complies, maybe as donald trump has suggested, go and negotiate and get a little bit better deal, anyone who believes that fundamentally does not understand the nature of the ayatollah khamenei. if i'm elected president, the first in office i intend to rip to shreds as catastrophic

iranian nuclear deal. [applause] and the most important determination the people of iowa are making politically on monday is which candidate is best prepared to be commander in chief, who has the experience, who has the knowledge, who has the temperament, was the clarity of vision and strength of result identifier enemy, islamic radical terrorism and to do everything necessary to utterly and completely defeat isis. [applause] those are seven battles, sometimes for choosing. that you can assess not what we say, because talk is cheap, but

assess of every candidate what is your record on those seven. and let me say to the men and women here, you know, every four years iowa is beset by politicians that descend upon this state. it's like a quadrennial infestation of locusts. at this point we have seen millions in attack ads, tv ads, radio ads. we've seen mailer aftermath after military by the way the mailers make really good candling in your fireplace. they just light up quick. and here's what washington wants. washington wants to divide us. because there are more conservatives in iowa nationally than the our members of the

washington cartel. [applause] and 119 hours this is our time. this is the time for the men and women in this room at all across this state. and if you agree with me that the stakes have never been higher, that we are at the edge of a cliff staring down that if we keep going this direction, four or eight more years we risk losing the greatest country in the history of the world. that i want to ask each of you to do three things. number one, join us. commit to not to show up monday night to stand for us, to speak for us and caucus for us to stand together. [applause] number two, bring others.

i want to ask everyone if you to commit to pick up the phone and call your mom. it's a good idea to call your mom anyway. call your sister or your son or your next-door neighbor or your college roommate and say, this election matters. it matters to me. it matters to my future, to my family come to my children and grandchildren. i want to ask everyone here to vote for me 10 times. now look, we are not democrats. i'm not suggesting voter fraud. but if everyone here gets nine other people to come up monday night and caucus for us, you will have voted 10 times. [applause]

let me say to some of the younger folks who are here, if you're not yet old enough to vote, if you get 10 people to come out monday night, you can vote 10 times before you turn 18. [applause] this race is not going to be one on television. it's not going to be one from a tv studio in manhattan or d.c. it is going to be one friend to friend, neighbor to neighbor, iowa in two i went to each and every one of you reaching out in 119 hours. you have the potential to change the direction not only of the kind of america, but of the entire world. let me give you an amazing statistic. do you know that if you define as a reaganite someone who supported ronald reagan in the

primary in 1980, do you know that the republican party has never once nominated a reaganite for president since 1984? every single nominee of the last 40 years opposed ronald reagan in the 1980 primary. i'm 45 years old. i've never once had the opportunity in a general election to vote for a principled reaganite constitutional persevered for peace -- the people of iowa on monday night can change that for this entire country. [applause] and the last thing i would ask each of you to do is pray. commit to pray each and every day from now until election day

to lift this country up in prayer, to spend just one minute a day saying father god, please continue this awakening, continue the spirit of revival, awaken the body of christ, that we might pull back from this abyss. we are here tonight standing on the promises of second chronicle for-17. it by people which are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, and i will hear their prayer from heaven and forgive their sins, and i will heal their land. [applause]

one final bit of history that our friends in the mainstream media will never tell you. in january, 1981, when ronald reagan took the oath of office, his left hand was resting on second chronicles 7:14. the very real and manifestation from the promise of the work of god. we have seen these challenges before. we have faced the abyss come at the american people came together and we rose up and

pulled this country back. we have done it before, and if we stand united, we can do it again. thank you. [applause] ♪ ♪ ♪ [inaudible conversations] >> when are you coming to missouri? >> i'm not sure.

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>> do you guys want to get a picture? >> yes, please. >> sir, get off the chair. get down. >> thank you very much. god bless you. >> what is your name? >> tiffany. >> thank you for being here. thank you very much. thank you. thank you for coming out.

[inaudible] >> is why we're winning. it's having a huge impact. >> my dad is a korean war vet. >> well thank you for his service. >> we are praying for you. >> thank you. god bless you. do you want to get a picture? >> i have one question. who's going to win the super bowl? >> i've focused on the iowa caucuses. as far as i'm concerned the iowa

caucuses are the super bowl of politics. >> thank you very much. how are you doing? >> fine. [inaudible] >> hey, what's your name? thank you for being here. >> thank you. >> thank you very much. [inaudible]

>> thank you very much and thank you for being here. my view on the question of medical marijuana is that if an individual state decides was to allow, that's permissible. if they decide they don't want to allow, that's permissible to me. mind it is that you should protect the rights of citizens. how are you doing? [inaudible] >> that was fun, too. that was a good day.

[inaudible conversations] >> removing the barrier, that's what's preventing the epa. if the oil companies act -- [inaudible]

>> thank you for your hard work. thank you very much. [inaudible conversations]

[inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] >> thank you very, very much. >> i want to shake the senator's hand. >> thank you both for being here.

[inaudible conversations] >> a [inaudible conversations] >> thank you very much. how are you doing? good to see you.

thank you both for being here. god bless you. >> this is my granddaughter. >> thank you for being here. do you want to hop in with us? >> thank you very much. thank you. >> how are you doing? welcome. did you see. thank you, guys for being here.

that's pretty good. thank you very much. >> house democrats are holding their legislative retreat this week in baltimore. they heard yesterday from president obama and vice president biden. today trevor know host of "the daily show," congressman joe crowley, vice chairman of house democratic conference weeding out this photo of the talk show host speaking to democratic congressman. the iowa caucuses just three days away, and today at 1230 eastern, chris christie was a town hall meeting at a brew pub in a, iowa. you can see a light on c-span2

at 1:45 p.m. eastern former florida governor jeb bush meets with voters in carol iowa live on c-span. then at 3 p.m. today dr. ben carson has a town hall meeting at the university of iowa in iowa city. you be joined there by senator chuck grassley. you can see that live on c-span2. >> the weekend prior to the caucuses, there will be a frenzy of activity across iowa. there so many candidates on the republican side in three viable candidates on the democratic side and they will have each of them three to six if it's a day. we will be looking for those events that really give you a sense of what it's like to campaign for the caucuses. keep in mind what is key is organization. you need to make sure those people who support you get to the caucuses. so it will be interesting to see how the candidates are trying to close the deal, seller message and convince those people who

might still be on defense to go for candidate a or candidate be. be. what josie is an essential wall-to-wall coverage on c-span as these candidates make their final pitches. >> live coverage of the presidential candidates in iowa. >> again chris christie, the governor of new jersey and republican presidential candidate with a town hall meeting in iowa that is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. eastern here on c-span2. iowa state senator. he is also a supporter of the trump campaign. morning. guest: good morning pedro. it's an honor to be on your program. host: walk us how you became to supporter of donald trump?