countries and states with more guns, there are generally not less gun deaths but more gun deaths. like the study in the "new england journal of medicine" that showed that a gun in your house doesn't make you less likely to be killed. it isn't even risk neutral. having a gun in your home actually increases your chance of getting killed by a gun by anywhere from 40% to 170%. or how about the study in the american journal of epidemiology that showed that people living in a house with a gun are 90% more likely to die from a homicide than people who live in a house without a gun. what about the study from the violence policy center that instances of guns being used in self-defense are so rare that on average there are 44 criminal homicides with guns for every time a gun is used for protection in a justifiable homicide. or how about one more from the harvard injury control research center which showed that states in communities with greater gun

availability, gun homicide rates were higher, not lower than communities in states with lower gun availability. it's your decision whether to buy a gun or not. there are certainly instances where it may make sense. and i don't begrudge the individual who makes that decision. but the data tells us only one story. the actual real live experience of living in a nation awash in guns shows that contrary to the gun lobby sloganeering, the opposite of their claim is actually true. the more good guys have guns, the more good guys die from guns. and we have no clear, more horrifying example of this truth than last weekend in dallas, texas. texas is an open carry state, meaning that anyone who can legally buy a semiautomatic weapon can walk around the streets of dallas with that weapon attached to them. reports suggest there were perhaps 30 people openly

carrying ar-15 style weapons at saturday's protest. some were also wearing camouflage, bulletproof vests and gas masks. there were also dozens and dozens of police officers on hand, all of them expertly trained, heavily armed. between the 30 heavily armed civilians and dozens of police officers, there were more good guys with guns in the vicinity of this one very, very bad guy with a gun than nearly any other crime scene in recent memory, and it led to chaos. here's what dallas police chief brown said in the wake of the shooting. "we're' trying as best we can as a law enforcement community to make it work so that citizens can express their second amendment rights. but it's increasingly challenging when people have ar-15's slung over their shoulder and they're in a crowd. we don't know who the good guy

is versus the bad guy when everybody starts shooting. all of those guns in the hands of good hearted civilians and trained police officers, and what killed the sniper? , micah johnson. it wasn't a gun. it was an explosive device attached to the end of a robot on wheels. 11 brave police officers fired their weapons at micah johnson. dozens of armed civilians theoretically had the opportunity to defend themselves and their fellow protesters. but one deranged man, armed with an antique rifle, and 30-round magazines, strategically positioned above his targets, was unharmed by all of those good guys with guns. just lake jared lee hofner was

unharmed by a civilian in the parking lot of a supermarket where he shot congresswoman gabby giffords in the head. just like the armed security guard in the pulse nightclub, couldn't do anything about omar martin as he executed 49 young men and women. and just like nancy lanza who thought the guns in her home would protect her and her son from harm, only for them to be used by her son to murder her in her sleep and then massacre 20 first graders and six of their educators. if you want to buy a gun for self-defense, that's your call, but before making that purchase, understand that the gun lobby is lying to you. if a bad guy has a gun and he wants to kill, there is very little that can be done to stop him once the tragedy is in motion.

the best policy is to stop madmen and killers from getting these dangerous weapons in the first place. do your job, says dallas police chief david brown, to us. we are doing ours. we are putting our lives on the line. the other aspects of government need to step up and help us. when connecticut implemented a law requiring a permit to be issued before a gun is issued, gun homicides dropped by 40%. in states that require background checks for private handgun sales, listen to this, 48% fewer law enforcement officers are shot to death by handguns. and in states with universal background checks, women are 46% less likely to be shot by their

intimate partner than in states without universal checks. this isn't conjecture. good laws save lives. concentrate on passing laws that keep dangerous weapons out of the hands of criminals and killers, and you'll save lives. load up your streets and schools and shopping malls with weapons and just hope that the good guys will eventually outshoot the bad guys and you're going to get people killed. people across this country have figured it out. that's why they support expanded background checks by an astounding ratio of 90% to 10%. there's nothing in this country, there's no public policy that is supported by 90% of americans, but they know that smart firearms laws save lives, and so they support universal background checks by a ratio of 9-1. and it's also why there are fewer and fewer american families that are buying guns. it makes sense for some people, i'm not denying that, but a new cbs news poll shows the gun

ownership is at a near 40-year low with only 36% of americans reporting owning a gun. that's down 17 points from its highest rate in 1994 and down a whopping ten points from just four years ago. but be forewarned, this development will simply propel the gun lobby to be even bolder in spreading its lies about the effects of gun ownership. just two weekends ago, the head of the n.r.a. went on national tv and he told americans that the only way to protect themselves from terrorism is to have a personal defense plan. that means if you didn't parse his words, go out and buy a gun from a gun company, help the industry stem this tide of declining gun ownership, all in the name of collective self-defense. well, it's a lie.

good guys with guns, they generally don't stop bad guys with guns. they didn't in dallas. good laws that keep illegal and dangerous weapons off of our streets, it makes sure that it is only law-abiding, peaceful citizens that are atank weapons. those laws stop bad guys. and when you strip away all of the rhetoric driven by the gun industry profit motivations, that's the truth. i yield the floor. quorum, please. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

mr. thune: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from south dakota. mr. thune: i ask unanimous consent that the quorum call be vitiated. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. thune: and i ask unanimous consent, mr. president, i be able to complete my remarks. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. thune: and i also ask unanimous consent that there are nine committees to meet during today's session of the senate. they have the approval of both the majority and the minority leaders. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. thune: mr. president, over the past four months, the islamic state has carried out two deadly terrorist attacks at airports. taken together, these two attacks, one at brussels airport and one at instan bull's ataturk airplane resulted in more than 500 injuries and 70 deaths. since september 11, the airport security have emphasizeed securing aircraft against hijackings, but these two bombings highlight other airport

security vulnerabilities. as these attacks demonstrate, it's not just planes that are vulnerable. both the brussels and instan bull attacks sought to exploit the largely unprotected areas outside of the principal security checkpoints where the attackers could detonate bombs outside of screening. the large crowds of people who congregate in nonsecured areas of an airport like security checkpoints, check-in counters and baggage claim make appealing targets for terrorists who like nothing better than maximum loss of life with minimum effort. this week the senate will take up the federal aviation administration reauthorization bill which will directly address the vulnerabilities that were exposed by these attacks. the reforms in this legislation will help ensure that attacks like those that happened in brussels and istanbul don't happen at american airports. but while this bill has gained new urgency in the wake of the bombings in istanbul and brussels, the reforms of the bill are not a hasty response to these attacks. instead, they are the product of

months of commerce committee oversight of our nation's transportation safety agencies and extensive commerce committee analysis of airport security vulnerabilities. i'm proud that the bill that we're considering today is the most significant airport security reform bill that congress has considered in a decade. mr. president, as i've already mentioned, one problem with the brussels and istanbul attacks highlighted in great detail is the tempting terrorist target offered by large crowds of people in unsecured areas of airports. the f.a.a. bill addresses that problem in a number of ways. for starters, this bill includes provisions to get more americans enrolled in the t.s.a.'s precheck program. expanding enrollment in precheck will reduce wait times at security which will help reduce the size of crowds waiting in unsecured areas. the bill also directs the t.s.a. to more effectively deploy its personnel during high volume travel times to speed up wait times at checkpoints. it also requires the t.s.a. to

develop and test new security systems that will expedite the movement of passengers through security. another important measure we can take to prevent attacks like those in brussels and istanbul is increasing the security presence in unsecured areas of rports. the f.a.a. bill adds more prevention and response security teams which often include canine units and expands training for local airport security personnel so the airports are better prepared to deter and to respond to bombers or active duty -- or i should say active shooter threats. mr. president, increasing security at our nation's airports and expediting security checks will go a long way toward preventing terrorist attacks, but threats at u.s. airports are not only threats facing u.s. airline passengers. americans travel internationally on a regular basis, and on their return flights, they depend on the quality of airport security in other countries. part of protecting the traveling public is making sure that americans traveling to other

countries are safe when they return to the united states. to increase security for americans traveling abroad, the f.a.a. bill that will pass this week authorizes the t.s.a. to donate unneeded screening equipment to foreign airports with direct flights to the united states. it will also strengthen cooping between u.s. security officials and security officials in other countries and authorize the t.s.a. to support training for foreign airport security personnel. it also requires the t.s.a. to conduct assessments of security at foreign airports and a foreign cargo security programs. mr. president, another aspect of airport security that has received less attention but that is equally important is the need to make sure that individuals who work behind the scenes at airports don't pose a threat. in october of 2015, terrorists killed 224 people when they brought down russian metro jet flight 9268 shortly after it departed sharm el-sheikh airport in egypt.

many experts believe that the terrorists responsible had help from an airport worker. ensuring that airport workers are trustworthy is essential to keeping passengers safe. however, at times, the security badges that permit individuals to work behind the scenes at airports have been issued to individuals who have no business holding them. right now in the united states, individuals with convictions for crimes including embezzlement, sabotage, racketeering, immigration violations and assault with a deadly weapon have all obtain security badges granting them access to restricted sections of an airport. and while most criminals are not terrorists, there are too many criminals who, for the right price, would happily expand their criminal activity even if it involved assisting terrorists. in fact, in march of this year, an airline ramp agent was arrested in a florida airport with $282,400 in cash that he allegedly intended to hand off to an unknown individual.

news reports indicated that he was aware the money was connected to illegal activity but knew little else. in other words, mr. president, he could easily have been transporting money for terrorists without being any the wiser. the f.a.a. bill we pass tightens vetting with and expands the list of criminal convictions that could disqualify someone from holding a security badges. this bill also provide for an increase in random searches of behind-the-scenes airport workers who are not always subject to security screening the way that passengers are. president, i'm very proud of everything this f.a.a. bill achieves in terms of security. this is the most comprehensive airport security package in a decade, and it will help make us make real progress toward keeping airline passengers saf safer. and that's not all. in addition to its robust security package, this bill puts in place a number of other important measures.

among them consumer protections. for example, this legislation will require airlines to refund baggage fees for lost or unreasonably delayed baggage so passengers won't have to spend a ton of time tracking down a refund when the airline doesn't deliver. it will also make sure that airlines have policies that will help families traveling with children sit together on flights. it also takes steps to improve air travel for individuals with disabilities. and it ensures that americans in rural areas will continue to have access to reliable air service. the bill also takes measures to support the general aviation community. it streamlines the requirements for the third class medical certificate for noncommercial pilots so that private pilots don't face unnecessary bureaucracy when obtaining their medical qualification. and to reduce the risk of accidents for low altitude flyers like agricultural applicators, the bill requires highly visible markings on small towers that could pose a hazard

to pilots. on the aviation safety front, this bill updates current law to reflect the rapid advances in technology that we've seen over the last few years, most notably drones. this bill includes provisions to deploy technology that will work to keep drones out of the path of airliners which is particularly important given reports of near-miss collisions by airline pilots. it will also deter drone operators from interfering with emergency response efforts like wildfire suppression. and in addition to fostering drone safety, this bill authorizes expanded research opportunities and operations that will further the integration of drones into our nation's air space. mr. president, since we took control of the senate in january of 2015, republicans have focused on passing legislation to address the challenges facing the american people in our country. i'm proud that with this bill we found a way to make our increasingly dangerous world a little safer for americans. i'm grateful for my colleagues

who contributed to this bill, particularly my democrat counterpart on the commerce committee senator nelson. senator ayotte also led numerous subcommittee hearings in the aviation subcommittee to get the bill on a path of success. and both of us appreciate the contributions of senator cantwell, our aviation subcommittee ranking member. this bill is an example of what can happen when democrats and republicans work together to get things done for the american people. mr. president, i look forward to sending our legislation to the president for his signature later this week. mr. president, i also want to speak just a moment if i can today about a bill that hopefully will pass the senate later today as well. in just a few weeks, our olympic athletes will head to rio de janeiro, brazil. the following month paraolympics

athletes will compete. they represent what is best about our country. they embody the timeless values of hard work, dedication, and sportsmanship. our olympic and paraolympic athletes and their families have made innumerable sacrifices over the many years of training it takes to become a world class competitor. training is not cheap. and the vast majority of our amateur athletes put it all on the line without the help of sponsors or endorsement deals to subsidize their expenses. many of these athletes have spent virtually their entire lives training for this moment, and i have absolutely no doubt that these brave young men and women will represent our nation with great honor and distinction. america's olympic and paraolympic medal winners will be greeted with enthusiasm and appreciation upon their return. local communities across america will find ways to honor their returning hometown heroes.

unfortunately one of the ways that the federal government will welcome home our olympic and paraolympic champions is by greeting them with a new tax bill. that's right. the internal revenue service considers these medals to be income, and will tax the value of any gold, silver or bronze medal awarded in competition as well as any incentive award our athletes receive from the u.s. olympic committee. i believe this tax penalty on our olympic heroes is wrong, and that's why earlier this year i introduced senate bill 2650, the united states appreciation for olympians and paraolympians act. this legislation introduced with senators schumer, gardner, gillibrand and isakson would ensure that america rewards the sacrifice and hard work of team u.s.a. by exempting from federal tax the medals and cash prizes they win at the olympics and paraolympics. i'm pleased that my legislation will pass the senate later today sending a strong signal to our

olympic and paraolympic athletes as they depart for the 2016 games, that their nation stands behind them. i urge the house of representatives to take up and pass this legislation before the house adjourns for the august recess. america's olympic and paraolympic athletes deserve not only our admiration and respect but also a tax system that acknowledges the many years of training and sacrifice that they've endured. because training for the olympics is not considered a business enterprise, our athletes cannot deduct the substantial costs that they incur over the years as they prepare to represent america on the world stage. most countries not only compensate their olympic and paraolympic athletes but also subsidize their training expenses with taxpayer dollars. our athletes make considerable financial sacrifices to train for the olympics and paraolympics, and as amateurs receive no compensation for their training. the very least that we can do is to ensure they don't receive a

tax penalty when they successfully represent our nation at the highest level of athletic competition. simply put, when it comes to our victorious olympic and paraolympic athletes, we should celebrate their achievements rather than tax their success. i'd also like to take this opportunity to extend my congratulations and best wish toz one of team u.s.a.'s shining stars and that's south dakota's own page mcpherson. page grew up in south dakota graduating from black hills classical christian academy in 2009. she will be competing in tie tae quon do at the real games and striving for her second medal in a row after claiming a bronze medal at the london olympic games in 2012. i know that page will represent america and south dakota with great distinction next month as will all of our olympic and paraolympic competitors. mr. president, i want to thank the original cosponsors of my legislation who i mentioned earlier as well as finance

committee chairman hatch and senator sullivan an. i look forward to enacting the will eggs into law this year and i wish all of our olympians and paraolympians the very best of luck in leo. mr. president, i yield the floor. the presiding officer: the the presiding officer: the >> it could be a vote on opioid prevention conference report, short-term faa funding. they also vote to do with defense spending and the zika virus funding by the end of the week before that yearning for the summer. earlier today bernie sanders endorsed hillary clinton for president. the two appeared in new hampshire.

>> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome senator bernie sanders and hillary clinton. [cheers and applause] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [cheers and applause] >> bill mckibben, jim dean,

governor hassan, senator shaheen, thank you very much for your kind remarks. and let me begin by thanking the 13 million americans who voted for me during the democratic primaries. [cheers and applause] >> and thank you, new hampshire, for giving us our first great victory. [cheers and applause] >> and a very special thanks to the people of the state of vermont who support for so man years as a mayor, as a congressman, as a senator, as a presidential candidate has sustained me and jane and our entire family of vermont, thank you.

[applause] let me also thank the hundreds of thousands of volunteers throughout this country in every state in the union who worked so hard on our campaign, in the millions of contributors who showed the world that we could run a successful national campaign based on small individual contributions [cheers and applause] >> 2.5 million. [cheers and applause] together, we have begun a political revolution to transform america, and that revolution continues. [cheers and applause]

together we will continue to fight for a government which represents all of us, and not just the 1%. [cheers and applause] a government based on the principle of economic, social, racial, and environmental justice. [cheers and applause] i am proud of the campaign we ran here in new hampshire, and across the country. our campaign won the primaries and caucuses in 22 states, and when the roll call at the democratic national convention is announced, it will show that

we won almost 1900 delegates. [cheers and applause] far more than almost anyone thought we could win. but it is not enough to win the nomination. secretary clinton goes into the convention with 389 more pledged delegates than we have, and a lot more superdelegates. [cheers and applause] secretary clinton has won the democratic nominating process. [cheers and applause]

and i congratulate her for that. [cheers and applause] she will be the democratic nominee for president. [cheers and applause] and i intend to do everything i can to make certain she will be the next president of the united states. [cheers and applause] i have come here today not to talk about the past, but to focus on the future. [cheers and applause]

that future will be shaped more by what happens on november 8 in voting booths across our nation than by any other event in the world. [cheers and applause] i have come here to make it as clear as possible as to why i am endorsing hillary clinton. [cheers and applause] and why she must become our next president. [cheers and applause] during the last year i've had

the extraordinary opportunity, an extraordinary opportunity to speak to more than 1.4 million americans at rallies in almost every state in our country. i was also able to meet with many thousands of other people at smaller gatherings. and the profound lesson that i learned is that this campaign is not really about hillary clinton or donald trump or bernie sanders, or any other candidate who sought the presidency. this campaign is about the needs of the american people, and addresses -- [cheers and applause] and addressing the very serious

crises that we face. and there is no doubt in my mind that as we head into november, hillary clinton is far and away the best candidate to do that. [cheers and applause] it is very easy to forget, and republicans want us to forget, where we were seven and a half years ago when president obama came into office. [cheers and applause] as a result of the greed, recklessness, and illegal behavior on wall street, our economy was in the worst economic downturn since the great depression.

some 800,000 people a month were losing their jobs. we were running up a record-breaking deficit, and the world's financial system was on the verge of collapse. we have come a long way in the last seven and a half years, and i thank president obama. [cheers and applause] i thank president obama and vice president biden for their leadership in pulling us out of that terrible recession. [cheers and applause] but i think we can all agree that much, much more needs to be done. [applause] too many americans are still

being left out, left behind, and ignored. in the richest country in the history of the world, there is too much poverty. there is too much despair. [applause] this election is about a single mother i saw in nevada who, with tears in her eyes, told me that she was scared to death of the future because she and her daughter were not making it on the $10.45 an hour she was earning. this election is about that woman, and the millions of other workers in this country who are falling further and further behind as they try to survive on totally inadequate wages. [applause] hillary clinton understands that

we must fix an economy in america that is rigged and that sends almost all of the new wealth and income to the top 1%. [applause] hillary clinton understands that if someone in america works 40 hours a week, that person should not be living in poverty. [cheers and applause] she believes, we all believe, that we must raise the minimum wage to a living wage. [cheers and applause] and further, she wants to create millions of new jobs by rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure. [cheers and applause]

our roads, our bridges, our water systems, our wastewater plants. but her opponent, donald trump, well, he has a very different view. he believes that states should have the right to lower the minimum wage, or even abolish the concept of the minimum wage. [booing] if donald trump is elected, we will see no increase in the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, a starvation wage. this election is about which candidate will nominate supreme court justices who are -- [cheers and applause]

who will nominate supreme court justices who are prepared to overturn the disastrous citizens united decision. [cheers and applause] a decision which is allowing billionaires to buy elections, and is undermining our democracy. [applause] this election is about who will appoint new justices on the supreme court who will defend a woman's right to choose. [cheers and applause] who will defend the rights of the lgbt community. [cheers and applause] who will defend workers rights,

the needs of minorities and immigrants, and the government's ability to protect our environment. [cheers and applause] if anyone out there thinks that this election is not important, take a moment to think about the supreme court justices that donald trump will nominate, and what that means to civil liberties, equal rights, and the future of our country. [applause] this campaign is about moving the united states toward universal health care. [cheers and applause] and reducing the number of people in our country who are

uninsured or underinsured. [applause] hillary clinton wants to see that all americans have the right to choose a public option in their health care exchange. [applause] which will lower the costs of health care for millions. she also believes that anyone 55 years or older should be able to opt in to medicare. [applause] and she wants to see millions more americans gain access to primary health care, dental care, mental health counseling, and low-cost prescription drugs. [cheers and applause]

through a major and dramatic expansion of community health centers throughout this country. [cheers and applause] hillary is committed to seeing thousands of young doctors, nurses, psychologists, dentists, and other medical professionals practice in underserved areas as we follow through. [cheers and applause] of president obama's idea of tripling funding for the national health service corps. [cheers and applause] in new hampshire, in vermont, and across this country, we have a major epidemic of opiate and heroin addiction. people are dying every day from

overdoses. hillary clinton understands that if we are serious about addressing this crisis, we need major changes in the way we deliver mental health treatment throughout this country. [cheers and applause] and that is what expanding community health centers will do, and that is what getting medical personnel into the areas we need them most will do. and what is donald trump's position on health care? well, no surprise there. same ol' same ol' republican contempt for working families. he wants to abolish the affordable care act, throw -- [booing] throw 20 million people off of the health insurance they

currently have, and cut medicaid for low income americans. [booing] the last thing we need today in american is a president who doesn't care about whether millions of americans will lose access to the health care coverage they desperately need. [applause] we need more people with access to quality health care, not fewer. [cheers and applause] hillary clinton also understands that millions of our seniors, disabled veterans, and others, are struggling with the outrageously high cost of prescription drugs. she and i are in agreement that medicare must negotiate drug prices with the pharmaceutical industry.

[cheers and applause] and that we must expand the use of generic medicine. drug companies should not be making billions in profits while one out of five americans are unable to afford the medicines they need. [cheers and applause] the greed of the drug companies must end. ..

[cheers and applause] and that there are corporations in this country and make billions of dollars a year in profit, yet because of the loopholes that the lobby is created in a given year, they do not pay a nickel in federal taxes good that is wrong. while hillary clinton supports making our tax code fairer and more progressive, and donald trump wants to get hundreds of billions of dollars in tax breaks for the very wealthiest people in their country.

[booing] his reckless economic policies will not only exacerbate income inequality, they will increase our national debt by trillions of dollars. this election is about the thousands of young people i have met throughout this country who have left college deeply in debt and many others who cannot afford to go to college and the need in this country to have the best educated workforce in a highly competitive global economy. [cheers and applause] hillary clinton believes that we must substantially lower student debt and make public college and

university free for working members of this country. [cheers and applause] this is a major initiative that will revolutionize higher education in this country and improve the lives of so many of our people. think of what it will mean. think of this. when every child in this country, regardless of the outcome of his or her family knows that if they study hard, if they take school seriously, yes they will fail to get a college education and leave school without dead. [cheers and dead. -- debt. [cheers and applause] this election is about climate change. the greatest environmental challenge facing our planet and

the need to leave this world in a way that is healthy and habitable for our children and future generations. [cheers and applause] hillary clinton is listening to the scientist who tell us that if we do not act boldly in the very near future, there will be more drought, more floods, more and certification of the oceans, more rising the level spirit she understands that we must work with countries around the world in transforming our energy system away from fossil fuel and into energy efficiency and sustainable energy. [cheers and applause]

and that when they do that, we can create a whole lot of good paying jobs. well, donald trump, less smoke republicans -- like most republicans is choosing to reject science. has been no presidential candidate should ever do. he believes that climate change is a hoax. in fact, he wants to expand the use of fossil fuel. that would be a disaster for our country and for the entire planet. this election is about the leadership we need to pass comprehensive immigration reform and repair a broken criminal

justice system. [applause] it is about making sure that young people in this country are in good schools are good jobs, not in jail cells. [applause] secretary clinton understands that we do not need to have more people in jail than any other country on earth at an expense of $80 billion a year. [cheers and applause] in these stressful times for our country, the election must be bringing our people together, not dividing us.

[cheers and applause] while donald trump is busy and lilting mexican than most loans and women and african-american confederates, hillary clinton commanders and that our diversity is one of our greatest strengths. [cheers and applause] yes, we've become stronger were black, white, latino, asian-american, native american, all of us stand together. yes, we become stronger when men and women young and old, and straight, native oregon immigrant fight to rid this country of all forms of bigotry.

[cheers and applause] it is no secret that hillary clinton and i disagree on a number of issues. that is what this campaign has been about. that is what democracy is about. but i am happy to tell you that as the democratic platform committee that ended sunday night in orlando, there was a significant coming together between the two campaigns and we produce -- [cheers and applause] we produced by far the most progressive platform and the history of the democratic party. [cheers and applause]

our job now is to see the platform implemented by a democratically controlled senate , a democratically controlled house [cheers and applause] and a hillary clinton presidency. [cheers and applause] and i intend to be in every corner of this country to make certain that happens.

[cheers and applause] i have known hillary clinton for 25 years. we were a bit younger then. i remember her as a great first lady who broke precedent in terms of the role that the first lady was supposed to play. [cheers and applause] as she helped lead the fight to universal health care. i served with her in the u.s. senate and know her as a fierce advocate for the rights of our children. [cheers and applause] and i know her and all of you know her as one of the most intelligent people that we have

ever met. [cheers and applause] hillary clinton will make an outstanding president and i am proud to stand with her today. thank you all very much. [cheers and applause] >> hello, new hampshire. [cheers and applause] it is so great -- it is so great to be here with so many friends, old and new. thank you.

thank you so much. i have to say it is such a great privilege to be here with senator sam errors, and being here the new hampshire i can't help but reflect how much more enjoyable this election is going to be now that we are on the same side. [cheers and applause] because you know what, we are stronger together. [cheers and applause] and i want to give a special thanks to someone who has been a senator sanders every step of the way, not just throughout this campaign, but over the years. his wonderful wife, jane sanders. [cheers and applause]

and also, i've had the pleasure of meeting his son, libby sanders. thank you. [cheers and applause] i also appreciate greatly having the opportunity for all of us to hear from the speakers before hand. governor maggie hasan, the next governor from the state of new hampshire. senator jeanne shaheen who is stirring a tremendous job for you. [cheers and applause] and we are delighted to have heard from and have with us bill mckibben and jim dean. [cheers and applause] over these last few weeks,

bernie and i have worked on plans to put college within reach for more people and to ensure that everyone in america has access to quality affordable health care. and now with your help, we are joining forces to defeat donald trump, win in november and gas together, build a future we can all believe in. [cheers and applause] just as bernie said over the years i've gotten to know him as a colleague and a friend. his reputation for her passionate advocacy hasn't always made him the most popular person in washington. begin a while, that is generally a sign you are doing something

right. [applause] throughout this campaign, senator sanders has brought people off the sidelines and into the political process. he has energized and inspired a generation of young people who cares deeply about our country and our building a movement that is bigger than one candidate for one campaign. thank you. thank you, bernie for your endorsement. more than not, [cheers and applause] thank you for your lifetime of fighting injustice. i am proud to be fighting alongside you because my friends, this is a time for all

of us to stand together. these have been difficult days for america. yes, they do. take a non-systemic racism that plagues our country and rebuild main the bonds of trust and respect between law enforcement and the communities they serve will require contributions to all of us. we have to begin by starting to listen to each other. more than that, we then have to come together to do something that will help us fix these problems and heal these wounds. we have to reform the broken criminal justice system, take back our democracy from the wealthy special interests and make our economy work for everyone, not just those at the top.

[applause] and you know what, we have to do all these things at the same time. that is why throughout this campaign we have been calling for eliminating racial profiling and disparities in the come and name the era of mass incarceration, dismantling the prison pipeline, providing more employment opportunities for formerly incarcerated people. in addition to that, i am proposing two new steps that gives law enforcement the support they need while also stopping the tragedy. the tragedy of black men and women and black children being killed in police incidents. [applause]

first, let's bring law enforcement and the community swear to protect and serve together to develop national guidelines on the use of force by police officers. and second, once provide better training on implicit bias. that remains a problem even in our best police departments, but also remains a problem across society. i am asking for all of us to really search are hard than mine to make sure we don't have those implicit biases. let's learn from police departments like dallas that has made strong progress and apply

their lessons nationwide because everyone in every community benefits when there is race back for the law and when everyone is respected by the law. [applause] remember when gunfire broke out in dallas, the peaceful protesters and the crowds that gathered to support them ran to safety while the police officers who just minutes before had been talking with them taking pictures with and protecting the protesters, the police officers went the other way. they ran into the gunfire. [applause]

that is the kind of courage and dedication are police and first responders show every single day. so yes, let's take a real meaningful action to end the epidemic of gun violence in america. [applause] from sandy hook to orlando to dallas and so many other places, these tragedies tear at our souls and so do the incidents that don't even dominate the headlines. just this past sunday, a young man, said rich, who worked for the democratic national committee to expand voting rights were shot and killed in his neighborhood in washington.

he was just 27 years old. surely we can agree that weapons of war has no place on the streets of america. [cheers and applause] are police and first responders should never have to face a "mad men," a racist, a person filled with hatred with an assault weapon. we owe it to every officer who puts his or her life on the line to protect us. let's protect them. we can't stop there. this is part of a broader challenge across our country. inequality is too high, wages are too low and it is just too hard to get ahead for too many

americans. [cheers and applause] we need an economy that works for everyone, not just those at the top, not just the millionaires and billionaires, but everybody. to do that, we need to go big and we need to go bold. this isn't a time for half measures. [cheers and applause] so we are sending five ambitious goals for starters. in my first 100 days as president, we will make the biggest investment in new, good paying jobs since world war ii. [cheers and applause] more jobs here in new hampshire and across our country, especially in places that have

been left out in left behind in communities of color, and coal countries, andean countries, every where for a person deserves the same shot at the american dream as anybody else in our country. [cheers and applause] and when i say good paying jobs, i mean it. as bernie said, donald trump thinks wages are too high. he actually stood on a debate stage and said so. he does want to get rid of the federal minimum wage altogether. well, both senator sanders and i believe anyone who is willing to work hard should be able to find a job that pays well enough to support a family and bernie is right. $7.25 an hour is a starvation wage. [cheers and applause]

so sorry, donald, if you are watching and. [cheers and applause] we are not cutting the minimum wage. we are raising the minimum wage. [cheers and applause] and we are going to create millions of good jobs by making america the clean energy superpower of the 21st century. as bernie reminds us so powerfully, we owe it to future generations to work together to combat climate change and we are going to do it. we've got the intelligence.

we've got to innovation. we are going to roll up our sales and demonstrate to the world what america is made of. we are going to have that clean energy economy and we are going to make it work for everybody. [cheers and applause] and make no mistake. we will defend american jobs and american workers by saying no to the right to work in eyes and bargain collectively. [cheers and applause] and we are going to say no to a tax on working families and no too bad trade deals and unfair trade says, including the transpacific partnership. [cheers and applause]

sacking, we are going to make college debt-free far out and help millions of people struggling with existing student that save thousands of dollars. here in new hampshire, you know students are carrying one of the highest debt loads in the country. i have heard from young people who can't start a business, move out of their parents held or even get married because of all the student that holding them back. so with your help, we are going to make it so future students won't have to borrow a time to attend public colleges or universities. [cheers and applause] things to the new proposal, senator sanders and i worked on together, for families making less than $125,000 a year, we will eliminate tuition at those schools altogether.

[cheers and applause] and we will do more to help students cover all the costs of getting an education, including books, supplies and living expenses. because in the words of a student i met here in new hampshire, paying for college shouldn't be the hardest thing about going to college. [applause] third, we are going to rewrite the rules and crack down on companies that ship jobs and profits overseas. [cheers and applause] but reward the companies that share profit with their employees instead. and we will defend and strength in the tough reform president obama put in place on the

financial industry, not that donald trump tear them up because we do need to make sure wall street can never make main street again. number four, we are going to make sure wall street corporations and the super rich pay fair share of taxes. when people say they gave ms. ray, the best evidence is our tax code. it is riddled with gams, loopholes and special breaks. it is wrong that some millionaires to pay lower tax rate than their secretaries then we are going to stop it. compare with senator sanders and i have had to do with donald trump's plan. his plan would make our current system even worse.

independent analysts say he would have $30 trillion to the national debt in order to give a massive gift to the wealthiest american, wall street money managers and our largest corporations. after all, what i'll should we expect from someone who calls himself the king of that. -- debt. we have been pointing out the problem with his tax plan for a month. and i think donald is starting to feel the pressure. in fact, even as we speak, he is apparently bringing in the biggest names in trickle-down supply-side economics to help them figure out what to do. now these are the same in visors who brought us 30 years of a disastrous republican philosophy that gave the huge breaks to those at the top. you don't have to be a psychic

to know what is going to happen next. they are going to come back with another plan but maybe some bells and whistles that try to disguise the fact that they are still slashing taxes for the wealthy, large corporations and donald trump himself. and they will try to use voodoo economics. to tell us all the ways they will actually help the economy. they are not fooling anybody, at least i hope they are not. just like his current plan which he calls inspiring tremendous and amazing. you know, he uses a lot of adjectives to avoid telling you any specifics. [cheers and applause] here is what we know for sure, whatever he comes up with next

is going to give huge tax cuts to the corporations than the rich at the expense of the middle class. now, there is that old saying, you have heard it, we used to hear it a lot in arkansas. you can put lipstick on a, but it is still a. and i've got to tell you, the first time that the republicans pulled voodoo economics, they fooled us. shame on them. but if they come back with the same argument and people fall for it, shame on us. i will promise you this. senator sanders and i will spare no effort to make sure the people of america have no doubt once again trump and his cronies are trying to pull the wool over our eyes and come back with the same failed policies that hurt

us before. we are not going to let them get away with this again. [cheers and applause] finally, our fifth goal is to step up and respond to the way american families actually live and work in the 21st century. our families and workplaces have changed come have changed, so isn't it time for our policies to change, too? let's expand social security to match today's reality, not privatize it. [cheers and applause] let's join the rest of the developed world and offered paid family leave. [cheers and applause] and finally, let's guarantee

equal pay for women once and for all. [cheers and applause] i can just envision the tweets donald is putting together. donald trump can accuse me of playing the woman card all he wants. if fighting for equal pay and paid family leave is played the woman card, then deal me in. [cheers and applause] and i'll tell you, these are just my size. these are the 10 spies. these are america's fight and i

feel with all might be, these are fights we have to wage and win together. [cheers and applause] as bernie and his supporters have argued so eloquently, we won't get anywhere unless we overhaul or campaign finance system. [cheers and applause] it is past time to end the stranglehold of wealthy special interests in washington and get back to government of the people ,-com,-com ma by the people and for the people. that is why as president for my very first days i will make campaign finance reform a top priority. we will do everything we can to overturn citizens united. and we will require everybody,

democrats, republicans, independents, whoever, to disclose all of their donors. while we are at it, we are going to create a donor matching system to make it easy for more americans to be elected at every level of government. [cheers and applause] because just like bernie, i have met so many impressive people here in the camp shirt across america with great ideas for our country. i want to see you run for office and when. there is another radical idea. let's make it easier to vote, not harder. [cheers and applause] website back against attacks on

voting rights, attacks that disproportionately affect low-income voters, people of color, students, the elderly and women. that means we need to restore the voting rights act and keep going. all americans should be automatically registered to vote on their 18th birthday. every state should have at least 20 days of an in-person voting and no one in america should never have to wait more than 30 minutes to cast their ballots. cloud not so senator sanders and i will be working to get unaccountable money out of politics and the voices of everyday americans back in.

as bernie has said, this is in a progressive issue. it's not a conservative issue. it's an american issue. let me close with this. to everyone here and everyone across the country who poured your heart and soul into senator sanders campaign, thank you. thank you. [applause] i was proud of the campaign we ran. it was a campaign about issues, not insults. and our country desperately needs your voices and involvement and so does this campaign and so does the democratic party. because you know what, we need to take back the senate and take back the house and make sure we have democratic governors and democratic state legislators.

[cheers and applause] let's open the doors to everyone who shares our progressive values. this is one of the most important elections in our lifetime. so i am asking you to stand with us and then i am asking you to keep working in the weeks, months and yes, years ahead. you will always have a seat at the table when i am in the white house. [cheers and applause] as bernie will tell you, talk is cheap. we need to keep fighting to make sure everything was good for israel and the lives of people across america. this amazing country of ours is worthy of our best effort. this election, let's send a clear message in america. we don't share each other down. we lift each other up.

we build bridges, not walls. but the common interests ahead of self-interest. we stand together because we are stronger together. so i need your help. please join this campaign. you can take out your phone right now and tax join or go to hillary clinton.com. we accept $27 donations, too, you know. [cheers and applause] i can't tell you how grateful i am to be standing here with senator sanders because i think both of us realized that each of our campaign together represent the best of who we are.

and now it is time for us to take that message to the rest of the country. i am fully aware that the other side will do everything possible to distort, to distant forum and we can't let that happen. we have to be standing up and fighting for the america that we know we can create together. i am confident and optimistic about our future, particularly when it comes to young people. i think america's best years are still ahead of us. let's make this happen together and win the election. thank you very much. [cheers and applause] ♪

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>> today, the city of dallas will hold a memorial service in honor of the five policeotest. officers slain in a senseless shooting during last week's peaceful protest. the victims are individuals who like line first met officials ic each of our communities, willingly put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe. their loss is a tragic reminder of the courage and selflessness they possess. just as a reminder of the burden their families bear on our behalf, today we remember each sena

of them. i know i speak for the entire senate saying our hearts are with the families and friends of each of these victims.w the others wounded. the entire law enforcement community and the city of dallas. our nation x games a great deal of suffering and heartbreak laso week. it must come together now to overcome this tragedy is and allow healing to prevail. mr. president, on an entirely different matter, and she was a beautiful girl with a heart of gold and a smile that would light up a room before life was changed by parra win. she described her addiction by saying mom, i need this drug like i need air to breathe. it would take angie experience and an overdose and her mom taking her to quit before she agreed to seek treatment. unfortunately, like so many

addicts, and she left a treatment facility and started using again. she told her mother, i am in a black hole and i can't get out. and she would end up dying from an overdose, her body dumped at the end of a muddy creek right or drug dealer. tragically, angie's story in epi prescription opioid and heroin epidemic sweeping our country. in fact, drug overdoses claim 129 lives that day in america. the families of these victims no more must be done to prevent others from entering pain addiction an overdose. law-enforcement officials also no more must be done to prevent at the hand of this crisis. that is why nearly 200 e.

anti-drug and anti-drug in montoursville groups across the country have voiced their support for the comprehensive addiction recovery act conference report. last week, these groups collectively sent a letter urging passage of this legislation which they called a truly comprehensive response toi the opioid epidemic with a critical response we need. these groups represent states from coast to coast from herds covert connection in california to justice and recovery advocates in maryland, two friends of recovery in new york among dozens and dozens of others. i they know the impact of bipartisan comprehensive response could have. here is what i mean. the national association and the national league of cities have asked congress to act quickly

and pass the conference report. they call it a pivotal step toward stemming the tide of thim epidemic. the addiction policy forum has warned congress not to play politics by blocking passage of this conference report. they call it a monumental step forward, a tipping point to better addressing the paralyzing opioid epidemic. faces and voices of recovery has urged support, too. they called the most expensive federal bipartisan legislation to date for addiction support services and they say can help save the lives of countless r people. and the fraternal order of police asked congress to adopt a conference report on behalf of its more than 330,000 members. they call it another tool to reduce the deficit thisesident's epidemic. we are just one step away from

sending this legislation to the president's desk. the house overwhelmingly passedh it by a vote of 407-5 with continued cooperation in the senate and send it to then president this week.d remember, the senate hasnate ma. provided within twice as much funding for opioid related issues as under the previous majority. let me say that again. the senate has provided more than twice as much funding forth opioid related issues as under the previous senate majority. the passenger would represent another crucial step towards combating this crisis. of course, this would've been possible without the unwavering commitment of senator portman, center af, senator grassley, from raising awareness about thg christ is to serving as voices for the voiceless and working across the aisle to develop comprehensive legislative response, the senators are resolute in their support in no small part because of their

efforts to drive the bill forward, communities will be better equipped to prevent heroin and opioid -- i also want to recognize the work of democratic members like senator white house and senator clover charm for the referees to help garner support for this bill and move it through the legislative process. there's a reason every senator should support it now. we send this bill to the deaths we can help our communities begin to heal from the prescription opioid and heroin d crisis. another way to do that is passed the conference report they would fight zika and enact record levels of funding for medical services including millions for substance abuse and treatment. democrats are clearly very nervous about their decision to attack veterans of theil filibuster of the anti-zika funding bill.

who can blame them? they put forth a variety of tortured excuses that don't stand up to scrutiny. they've offered a proposal that would provide political cover by ditching funding our nation's veterans. that is clearly not a solution. i don't know how democrats plan to explain any of this to veterans this summer. i certainly don't know how democrats plan to explain this to pregnant mothers. either democrats believe zika is a virus that needs immediate action or they do not. publicans believe we ought to pass the bill now because thishe is a crisis. is our friends across the aisle what have to decide if they feef the same or a partisan political group is worth delaying funding to protect families from zika or finding our veterans. only one option to get anti-zika funding on the president's desk before september and that is passing the compromise zika control and funding legislation

before us in sending it down to the president for signature. the rules don't allow for a conference report to be amended to every passing the same bill that went to conference will put a bill on the president's desk. it won't create a vaccine. it won't kill a single mosquitog and it won't help a single t pregnant mother. let's do the right thing for our nation and pass the legislation before us. the >> mr. president. >> the democratic leader. >> a tortured explanation of my friends the republican this morning about two important of issues, opioids and zika are an indication of why the republicans will no longer have. the majority come election day. it is very clear that you can't go on doing what they are doing

and expect people to support you. in the morning, we are going to vote on opioid legislation. it is important we do that. everyone in this chamber knows we have to do something to stop this epidemic. it is claimed the lives of too many americans and it is doing it every day. our conference report is a the start. a missed opportunity to do something really sensitive to stab the number of opioid overdoses across the country. republicans refused to allocate money for this legislation. we need than twice as much as we did under the previous majority. why wasn't anything done beforey it was filibustered. don

we could do it. there's not enough money to do all the authorizing they've done for these programs. not enough money. in the conference, again our efforts to insert funding into the report, authorizing very, legislation is a start, but without resources, it is very, very meaningless. it comes up really sure.ia for example, editorials around the country become one. "new york times" editorial boaro said as much this morning in their peace in their piece that congress is voting on opioid will.bo i quote directly from this opi article.oi congress is about to pass a bill that to do with the nation's opioid epidemic to contain some good ideas and also be far less effective than they should be. the senate is expected to vote

on this measure on friday an overwhelming 275 majority. that offer programs to stem what has become a disgrace that more than 28,600 over at kos deaths occurred in 2016. scott morse, not better. we cannot support any of these initiatives. the bill would allow the federal government to award grants to state to treat people who don't prescription painkillers and drugs like heroin.th congress can any program authorizes only half the job, half the battle. republican leaders will allocate funding when lawmakers return to washington after a seven week break at the end of this week after labor day. there is no good reason for congress to put off a vote on funding, close quote. editorial vote and, and i quote,

those up for reelection including to show voters there something about opioids are the bill amounts to progress that will not change the threat t trajectory of this epidemic, close quote. that says it all. without real funding come of this is far from adequate. we need to stop the increasing o number of opioid overdoses and get serious about finding a wayo to do it and one-way funding our nation's armed. so i repeat, it is no wonder that they will be a change in the majority of this body with evidence by this morning.

to talk about a tortured explanation on zika the problem we have in america today is the ticket. last night, 39 new cases were reported in one day in america. this mosquito that is ravaging, two breeds of mosquitoes are causing these problems and they are vicious, awful. they have been bad for generations at making people sick and having people die. never in the history of all the problems they skate us have caused birth defects, but they do now and they do it big time.e the president is aware of the

issue. he is aware of the issue. it's a very frightening thingin for our country. in may, the senate passed a bipartisan compromise. the bill wasn't perfect. the legislation calls for 1.1 million funding.io short of 1.9 billion to address the crisis. but it was okay. it was certainly a step forward. 89 senators agreed it was a good step forward. democrats and republicans. the senate compromised at the very least was a step in thes right direction and that is why in spite of her serious reservations about the lack of adequate funding, we voted for this legislation and i am gladre we did. the overwhelmingly majority of republicans voted for this billr and nine but they did. the zika compromise as i

passed -- as i said 89 votes. only extreme conservatives voted against this. i was two months ago. since then it's been increasingly clear that folks are not serious. they are playing games again because they are not responding to the threat posed by these mosquitoes. horrible, horrible conditions in human beings.er still working to send the bill to the president's desk, they'd derail and sent back to the house of representatives. that was a conference republicans chose a very reckless approach. in the senate they were ignored, even as more and more americans get infected every day, there is almost 4000 people in the united

states that have zika right now. at least 600 pregnant women have shown evidence of infection. we don't know how many of those pregnant women have this virus are going to bear very, very sick babies. we don't know how many, but it is going to be alive. we should be working to fight saturday. we should be working together. v we should be provided public health experts with the tools they need to fight this virus. it's not being done with what the republican later says. in the senate, we are stuck in limbo as the republican later forces in ms ferryboat on the failed proposal we got from the house of representatives and approved by the republicans here in the senate, this conference report. we don't need to vote on this ws

again. we rejected again, why? for very good reasons. it is an abomination of a conference report. it restricts funding for birthp. control provided by planned parenthood. we want to talk about pregnant women, women who don't want to get pregnant. where they go. the vast majority of women and planned parenthood. they tried to list on the american people. it restricts a name by planned parenthood. planned parenthood is a whipping boy. >> live coverage now as they vote at 3:30 eastern on energy policy plan. it could also turn to short-term funding for the federal aviatiol