matter and how her regulations were actually going to create jobs. so i said what did you know? i knew it was bad. company was regulated by the epa and i had no idea of the disconnect. i looked at the rules under which ms. jackson was operating at the epa and said how did we get here, most of the statutory authority was given to her under an republican administration. so we have got a long, big mountain to move. and the conservative movement has got to take the lead in moving that mountain. >> well, let me ask you this. along those lines, is there -- and congressman huelskamp, you were a member of the kansas legislature before you came to washington. so you have been in a state legislature and know something about legislating. compare your experience in the state legislature and how things worked compared to congress. are there things that the state does better? are there things that are worse?

what can we learn from the states? what would you say about how to fix some of the things that congressman pompeo just talked about. >> a great question. i hate to speak for my colleagues. it's never ending. there is never a solution. it's like well we'll do that tomorrow there is four magic words they learned that i put in my vocabulary for 2012. it's "after the next election." we're going to solve the problem, we'll do that after the next election. we're going to tackle spending. well, we'll do that after the next election. what i see is we tend to put off tomorrow doing the right thing today for fear it would cost us election tomorrow. and that doesn't work that way. that's not what the founders did. and that's what i see is different than the state legislatures. they've got to get something done. and there is a responsibility. but up here it's always somebody else's problem. and that's what happened when we had this debt deal back in august. >> talk about that. talk about your experience. all three of you were involved in that. this is something conservatives all over the country were watching. tell us the behind-the-scenes what was going on and the

pressures from both sides. tell what's was going on and what happened and why. >> folks have different opinions on that. but i'll tell you. when republicans were together the most, when we were together the most is when we were conservatives. when we presented a vision that said you know what? we can't spend and baro ourselves to prosperity. and we all say that but the question is do we vote that way. and when we did cut, cap and balance, that's when we were most together. we had this president in a way he could not escape we should have said there is no debt increase unless there is real spending increases -- excuse me, decreases. i've been here a little too long. at least we forced that debate. in the last congress, they didn't even have debates on raising the debt ceiling. >> let me add to that. the other time we had a great showing from the conservative movement is when we presented paul ryan's budget to the house of representatives. and literally, literally for the first time in my lifetime, we

did something serious to protect and preserve entitlement programs and fix them so they are around for the next generation. you can criticize the plan, be you can't do it with nothing. and rationing health care is not an answer that works. and the other side has no beef. and we got 240 votes for paul ryan's budget. that's an amazing accomplishment when we knew what it would run into in the senate. some folks have very difficult congressional districts who won as freshmen in districts that president obama carried by a substantial margin did the right thing and supported that piece of legislation. i think it's remarkable. when we present that conservative legislation, we get the people supporting us. >> and i'm a good follow-up to mike's comments, because i came from one of those districts. do you know what it's like to be a conservative in new york? but i am here to tell you, and i voted against -- i voted for cut, cap and balance. but the budget control act i thought was not the right way to go for this country. i think what we need to do a

better job of, and this is the challenge for all of you as well as for us, we need to let the american people know that our principles -- it's not a republican or a democratic or conservative -- our principles, the principles upon which this country was found ready the right way to go. it's what will get this country out of this economic quagmire that we're in. it is what will energize this nation, will instill the american dream for all of us and get that bag going. we've got to do a better job. we're right on this issue. we're right on these principles. this whole argument with hhs, it's a first amendment issue. don't let anyone tell you it's anything but a first amendment issue and an assault on our first amendment rights. but we've got to do a better job. >> you spoke about being from -- being a conservative in new york. what do you hear from your

constituents about how they view what has happened in the last year? we know what the media says. but what are your constituents saying to you, to each of you, and what do you hear from your colleagues? your freshmen colleagues in terms of what they're hearing from their folks back home? >> well, i think, and again, this is because of the media and because of our opposition is so much louder than we are, i think more people in america think like you do. and in my district, which was a "d" plus 3 district on paper. but i think more americans understand the fundamentals about this nation. they have that sense that things just aren't going right. and i think if we can make the argument that we've got the answers, we want less government. we want to reduce spending. i think if we can make that argument and we make it well, we'll get those people in the middle. and that's our challenge. and that's what we've got to do for 2012. >> what do you hear politically

from your colleagues? >> colleagues or constituents? >> both, either. >> i come from fairly conservative district. >> exactly. >> i'm blessed in that way. a little different than new york. but no matter you're conservative, liberal, don't have a clue what is going on, this nation is in jeopardy. $16.4 trillion of debt. i sit down with constituents and i talk about that. i talk about medicare being bankrupt in as few as six years. and their eyes open up. we haven't been told that. they're looking for solutions. this president promised everything in the world, and he has delivered six million more people into poverty. millions of americans out of work. we have to present a vision. this is pretty amazing. a lot of people in this town ring their hands about people don't trust washington. get a clue. what is amazing is that ronald reagan said washington was the problem, not the solution. and the trust in washington -- [ applause ] and at the end of his eight

years, the trust in washington went up because the american people understand if you trust them, or you trust the bureaucrats, take your pick. and that's probably hopefully will be the decision folks see in this election. >> congressman pompeo, if you were speaker for a week, if you could be speaker for a week, what would you do? >> i think i would spend my time trying to do the same thing i do as a very junior member of congress. i think it's our mission and the conservative movement's mission. it's the reason you all are here today to speak the truth about commitment to the constitution and the principles and the declaration of independence. i would use that opportunity as speaker to gain as much attention as i could to be committed to those very things. it's when we talk about those things -- and it's great. when we get together as freshmen, we often turn to this. talk about those principles. we have an obligation. we have sworn to the constitution, right? that's what we did when we took an oath. it was the second time in my life that i had the privilege to do that. i would spend that time

educating folks about what it means to have an enormous government where one out of five folks is dependent on the federal government. and what that means to your life and what it means to institutions like churches and to our charitable organizations when so much of our resources is sucked in to this big beast in washington, d.c. and how much it impacts them no matter where they are in life, no matter where they're stationed. this is not a government that is committed to those principles. we have moved a long ways. and i would spend a long time talking than at every moment. >> congressman, what do you think is the biggest obstacle -- lots of obstacles i'm sure you've seen. i'd be interested in hearing all of them. what is the biggest obstacle to doing what you came here to do? is it the white house? is it the president? is it the senate democrats? is it the senate republicans? is it the democrats? is it the house leadership? the republican leadership?

is it the media? what is it? the biggest obstacle to achieving what you came here to do. >> well, i think that probably all of the above, if i'm honest, that there are a lot of reasons. i think we fail as a conservative movement to get our message out. we've got to do a better job. so when we talk about any issue, this hhs rule that we've been debating so feverishly over the last few days, when we talk about it, we allow the opposition to take it to contraceptive issue. it's not. it's a first amendment issue. we have to talk about principles, our vision for this country. and i don't think we do a good enough job of that. and of course the reality of it is we're up against the media in many instances. that's the reality we have to deal with, the spin that is put on it. which is why the challenge goes to each one of you and us. educate your neighbors, your

family, your neighbor, your sister, your cousins, one by one. this is -- this is the united states of america, and we must work so hard and fight to preserve her as we know her and love her. >> and what do you think are the biggest challenges, congressman? >> mark twain once said. do the right thing. it would gratify some people and astonish the rest. i kept telling my fellow freshmen, let's astonish washington and do what we said we would do. we did. we voted to repeal obamacare. we pledged -- we need to do that every month at a minimum. can we do that again? why not do it again. [ applause ] >> that's an issue where we're winning on. why don't we talk about it more. do the right thing. and what i think bothers me the most is folks that go home and say hey, we're going to do this thing, but then they don't follow through. you know, the pledge to america, which is what all republicans were under said we would cut $100 billion. $100 billion. that's a good start out of a $1.4 trillion deficit. the end result of what we

finally passed as a budget is we cut about $1 for every american. that's not good enough. it's not good enough to say i tried. you got to keep trying. we got to keep fighting, because this is not about the election. it's not about the next election. it's about the next generation. and that's what we ought to focus on. >> congressman? >> clearly the biggest obstacle to achieving what the 87 freshmen wanted to come do residence at 1600 pennsylvania avenue. absolute total absence of leadership. i remember this hhs issue brings it up again. this is a president who talked about us clinging to our guns and our religion. count me a clinger. this is a president with a deep antipathy to what we're trying to do, and who has a series of policies that have been destructive all across the country and certainly in kansas as well.

he has opposed every single limited government measure that the house has put forward this year. some so much that we're even too timid to present them. and so we need an enormous change in the white house. >> now when you say too timid to present them, you mean that the leadership, the republican leadership is afraid to present them because of the fear of being attacked by the media? >> i'll say -- too timid. all of the above in the sense collectively. look at the payroll tax battle that we had. the house put out -- it wouldn't have been my first draft, but it was a reasonable presentation that would have extended some of these crazy things for more than just a couple months. a year and in one case two years. and yet we did it. we took our vote. we got it done. we all went home. and within hours the united states senate had collapsed, good conservatives had voted for a two-month extension on a piece of ridiculous legislation. we all came back to washington, d.c. and said not again. so here we sit now with a

february deadline. and i'm very concerned about what we'll do, because we haven't been able to successfully articulate our vision for how to move forward with unemployment insurance and the payroll tax. it's been a combination of things that have caused us to lose some very, very important battles. >> well, let me ask you this, because i'm a former state legislator. and you know, i always thought that it would be members, the conservative hous members and the conservative senators working together to have a plan do you do that? do you work across the -- not just party lines. forget that. but working across the other side of the rotunda to get a plan that the house and senate conservatives can all agree on and try to stand firm on? do you do much of that? >> there is some of that, but not nearly enough in my opinion. >> you've done that before in the state legislature. >> i served and had that opportunity. but that gets lost. that gets lost. but oftentimes it's not the divide between the house and the senate. it's the folks that have been here a little bit longer.

this place is just tends to -- that's why we need you engaged, to push folks to say you said you were a conservative. where are your principles? where are your solutions? what you doing about it? like paul ryan, i had an opportunity to serve on his budget committee. he said last night this election is not just about beating this president, and that it is. it is about setting up a choice because we have had 60 years of liberal policies that have broken down our culture, broken down our families, broken down our society there are some tough choices to be made. people have to be ready for those choices. >> i would say, and you're going to be seeing it as the republicans put out their budget. we'll get right into the same debate. it will spun that we want to get rid of medicare, we want to cut medicare for seniors, we don't care about seniors. i want you to please be aware and pay attention to what will happen with that. that, if the republicans just like last year, the budget we put out is bold and it's a realization that we can no longer -- we cannot stay with the status quo, because

medicare, social security, all the rest, they're bankrupt already. so we need to have -- put out a vision. we did that last year. we're we'll do it this year. our role needs to be to educate the american people. the health care law is what will destroy medicare. the health care law cut medicare by $500 billion. that's the kind of education that we need to continue to getting out there and saying our vision is the right vision for this country. >> congressman pompeo, what is congress going to -- what are you as freshmen and what is the house going to do this year, an election year? and what can we do? what can these people here, people watching us, what can we do to help hold the house members accountable to the things that all of you have said you came to washington to do? >> well, we'll do lots of important things that are narrow. i'm confident that we will pass legislation that undoes what the president did with respect to religious freedom. i'm confident we'll move that

forward. i think one of the most important tasks we'll take on is again passing the budget. going through the process and articulating priorities. it's what the federal government has never done. it's well, this is how much money we have and so that's how much money we're going to spend. i'm hopeful we'll do that. i'm hopeful we'll take on another piece of entitlement reform. we will take votes in the senate too. although i will say i do not understand that institution. if anyone does, please come see me later. we have the votes so we'll recognize that. it is nonetheless incredibly important that we continue the mission that the three of us all came to do, and continue the march towards that objective. and then when we get the votes in the senate and the white house, i am counting on the fact that we will continue to do those things in the future. [ applause ] >> well, republicans had the white house and both houses of congress for eight years. so what do we say -- well, i guess six years, basically. so what do we say to people when

we say well yeah, you can wait until you get the presidency and wait until you have the house and senate. >> yeah. >> well, no so much last time. >> cleta, let me take that first. i get that question all the time from my good conservative friends. hey, what will be different in january 2013, even if we're successful in the electoral process as we hope to be? that's where you all come in. that's the importance. it is absolutely the case. the first thing we have to do i think as conservatives is admit that when we had the levers of power before, we failed. and the american people spanked us in 2006 and 2008. but we marched together in november of 2010. we all need to be held accountable. it's easier to vote for some of these things, frankly, when you know they're not going to become law. i hope, and it's my fervent prayer for that next generation that when we have them, we'll continue to do the right thing. >> i think too tim mentioned earlier about trust. and we lost the american people's trust.

so thus the tea party there was a lack of trust with republicans and the democratic administrations. so i think what we need to do, if we are successful in getting -- when we are successful in getting the senate and the white house back, what we need to do is be faithful to the american people, to do what we said we would do. and that is restore principles to the nation. [ applause ] >> do you -- do you get a lot of pressure as freshmen? do you get a lot of pressure from the house republican leadership to say hey, just go with us this time, this is the best we can do, or is there a countervailing force from them that says you know, we know we're not going to get this through the senate, so we're going to put forth the strongest most conservative platform we. which do you see coming most out of the republican leadership in the house or the senate? >> that's a great question. it's really seems to be a mixed bag.

i learned early on if you tell them no, if you say i'm going to cut spending rather than flat line, they eventually say well we're not going to lobby them anymore. i had an opportunity. i had 70 town halls last year. i tell you, the frustration is incredible out there. you know why? because we're not doing what we said we would do. that's pretty clear. and we're not taking up the challenge to fight against this president's vision. and it's a vision that is radically different than the history of this country. and we can fight, but let's fight, if we're going to lose. that's what i continue to hear. that's what the american people, that's what kansans tell me every day. >> do they say that in new york? >> they do. regardless as how liberal as one perceives new york as being, and it, i think you're seeing a movement in new york illustrated by how many seats we picked hundred in congress. we picked up six congressional seats. because, again, it's not republican or a democratic issue. it's an issue of what works. and we are losing two

congressional seats in new york because of the policies and the regulations and the taxes in new york. 10 we need to look at how we're doing business there and change the mind-set and the principles upon which we stand and we believe our nation stands on that, is what is going to turn this around. and that's why i think even in new york we will follow that direction. >> congressman? >> sure. there is lots of pressure. i will tell you, i always in my mind take just little bit of joy in remembering each time i see her referring to as minority leader pelosi, it's one of life's -- it's one of life's simple pleasures. and i am counting on the same title next time. there is lots of pressure to try to get the place which gets the best policy that you can achieve given the conditions in which you find yourself. it's one of the things i heard my colleagues talk about frustration. i characterize it a bit differently. but we do recognize that without

leadership in the white house for the conservative movement, that the real goals, the enormous changes we need are just unlikely to occur. and so the battle continues. >> so wrap up a few seconds. what do you charge this audience and conservatives to go out of here and do. what specifically besides believing strongly, what can they do? >> this is the election of the lifetime. and i firmly believe that -- i have four young children. and you look them in the eye. i want them to remember that 2012 is when daddy said you know what? or you said, you know what? the future of this nation was at stake, and you want to be able to tell them, what did you do when they asked. you want to say i fought for the conservative principles, because that's what we need to be fighting for. we need to save this country. it fundamentally is about the next generation. and that's what i would like you to think as you engage in that battle. >> and i would echo tim's comments.

this election is for the very united states of america. i do believe we have won last chance in 2012 to reclaim this country and to get her back from the brink at which she teeters right now. each one of you, you're here, you're engaged. you are -- ronald reagan said if you can't find a hero, you're looking in the wrong places. i look out here today and i say these are folks who love their country and who want to want to make things right. but we've got to communicate our message to others. as i said earlier, your neighbors, your family, your friends. get them engaged. get people registered to vote. help educate them on thou vote. and we will get this country back. i am optimistic. america is made up of great americans, people just like yourselves. >> not much more to add. as a former soldier, i always think about it as send us more troops. send us a handful more senators. send us a president in the white house. and when i say send -- don't just send republicans, send conservatives, and we'll get

this done. >> all right, ladies and gentlemen, let's give a hand to these three freshmen. thank you. >> thank you, all. ♪ coming up here on c-span 3, radio talk show host bill press on his new book "the boom hate machine." then a look back at some of the highlights of january's u.s. conference of mayors meeting here in washington, including remarks from democratic leader nancy pelosi and "the huffington post" blogs' arianna huffington. and local food sustainability and renewable energy. with president obama releasing his $3.8 trillion budget proposal for fiscal year 2013, a number of his cabinet secretaries will be heading to capitol hill tuesday to testify about the newly released request.

at 10:00 a.m. eastern, c-span 3 will have live coverage of a senate finance committee hearing with treasury secretary tim geithner. and over on c-span, defense secretary leon panetta and joint chiefs of staff chairman general martin dempsey will testify before the senate armed services committee on the defense department's 2013 budget. it calls for $525.4 billion in discretionary spending. a 1% decrease from last year. and that gets under way at 9:30 eastern. now online at the c-span video library, speeches from last weekend's conservative action conference. >> we must outsmart the liberals. we must outsmart the stupid people that are trying to ruin america. >> it's about one country united under god. we aren't red americans, we're not blue americans, we're red,

white, and blue. and president obama, we are through with you. >> around the last table, they can get along and come at our throat as long as we're foolish enough to raise taxes and throw money in the center of the table. and then they can get along in the scene like the movie after the bank robbery, one for you, one for you. and they're all happy. >> search for c-pac and you can clip videos and share them at c-span.org/videolibrary. next, radio talk show host bill press talks about the 2012 presidential race. as well as his new book "the obama hate machine: the lies, distortions and personal attacks on the president and who is behind them." he was a guest on sunday's washington journal. >> we want to welcome back author and radio talk show host bill press. welcome to c-span. >> steve, it's nice to see you. good morning. >> the book is titled "the obama hate machine: the lies, distortions and personal attacks on the president and who is

behind them." let's get right into it. you point out no president should be spared criticism. no president has. but the president and his personal attacks at barack obama have been more relentless and uglier than those against any other president in our lifetime. >> in our lifetime. i think since my research at any rate, any other president since abraham lincoln, whom we think of as saint abraham, was not in his lifetime. he was reviled. and i'm glad you started where you did in the sense you and i go to the white house just about every day, right? i love seeing the protesters in front of the white house every day. it sort of reminds me of who we are as americans. criticism of any president is valid and important. i believe in our democracy. but when it gets to be personal, ugly, you know, just vicious personal attacks, that's what i think is wrong. and that's what we've seen against president obama. again, no president since in our lifetime and certainly no president since abraham lincoln

has been the subject of such personal attacks. >> you go on to point out speaker boehner has had zero interest in bipartisanship, which after all if it is going to work must be a two-way street. you also add that not content with upsetting the apple cart from the beginning, it was largely personal, political and mean-spirited. >> sure. in fact, i'm critical of president obama, and i have been. and as a democrat and as a liberal, because i think he spent too much time trying to make deals with mitch mcconnell and john boehner when from the get-go, they indicated that they were not interested. mitch mcconnell, our number one goal in the next four years, he said that the first day of this last congress, was to deny barack obama a second term. when you start out that way, you're not going to get any compromise on anything. a quick story, john, that robert gibbs told us in the white house briefing room. president obama, when he laid out his first economic recovery

program, he called john boehner and said this is a new post partisan age. i would like to come up to the hill and speak to the republican caucus. no democratic president had ever done that, and explain my plan and maybe we can get some support. boehner said that would be great. come on up. before the president got in his limousine, john boehner went in front of his caucus and said we're going to unanimously oppose this plan. hadn't even heard it yet. that's what we've seen. lack of cooperation. >> one of the issues, and you know this has come up in briefs and administration officials saying they can deal with speaker boehner, they can deal with eric cantor. the problem is the republicans can't rein in their own caucus. that part of the problem? >> within part of the problem, they can deal with john boehner. i don't think they can deal with eric cantor. i think eric cantor more than anyone else is the problem. he represents the tea party freshmen who don't want any compromise on any issue. and they've been a problem for john boehner. but you know, my book is not so

much about the problem with congress is you mentioned them in the last segment with david fossy, about the political machine that the cope brothers have built for the sole purpose of taking down barack obama. and they've done it with think tanks, with political organizations, with the tea party, with research centers on universities. they are everywhere in states and at the federal level. and they just had another summit out in palm springs where they got their corporate buddies together and raised $100 million, $100 million for taking down obama this year. >> let me read one quote. and there are a number from conservativive columnists. rush limbaugh in january of 2009. you say it is striking how unqualified obama is and how this whole thing came about within the democrat party party. nobody had the guts to stand up and say no to a black guy. >> yeah. we always thought growing up that it would b