you serve the citizens and this country and your communities by not allowing convicted felons, convicted domestic abusers, known or suspected terrorists, and people found to be dangerously or mentally ill. to buy, own or carry a gun anywhere in our great nation. do your country and its citizens a great service. help us who are in law enforcement keep these streets safe. there was an act that actually did not allow assault rifles to be purchased by the public. it was only good for ten years. we want that reenacted. the general public does not need assault rifles. keep them in the hands of those that do. military and law enforcement. keep our streets safe. we lost a good one that day. the thin blue line got one person thinner. may 28th, 2011, i will be back up here in d.c. next month for

national police week. and i challenge those here on capitol hill to face me face to face and tell me there was nothing you could have done to have stopped my husband's death. thank you. >> suzanne verge. okay. danelle williams. >> good afternoon. my name is danelle williams. i live in austin, texas. my sister, carol ann harris, lived in austin, texas. on july 25th, 1994, she was in her own home. she was asleep. around 3:45 in the morning, a young man by the name of timothy franks, he was 19 years old. he walked up on her porch.

he made just enough noise for her to get up and go to this door. when she headed toward the door, he opened fire. she never opened the door. she took two bullets and died on the other side. i am honored to be here today with the 32. we are going to congress. we're going to demand that they change this law. those of you at home, if you go on to bradycampaign.org, see what you can do to help us. the people in congress, this hasn't happened to them. they don't feel what we feel. that's why they're not willing to change the law. thank you. >> is there anybody that we missed? yeah, say something. yes. >> just real quick. my name is suzanne verge. i'm from santa monica, california. and i'm here in memory of my brother, who's 18. i was 15 when he was murdered.

no family should experience this. these 32, none of us should be here today. this is unacceptable. >> so i just want to make it clear and then we'll take a few minutes of questions because we do have to run to a meeting. yes, there are going to be 32 people here who are going to be taking their voice to congress to speak on behalf of the loved ones they lost. but it is not just 32 people that are going to be represented in congress that day. it is not just going to be the victims. it is going to be the voice of the american people, the brady organization is the citizens lobby. we are the voice of the american public on the gun violence issue. so it's not just us, a bunch of activists or victims standing up to say enough is enough. it's the american public that needs to and is going to start holding our leaders accountable for the decisions they make that are costing lives. they put the gun in george zimmerman's hands. they put the guns in the hands of many of the people who resulted in these tragedies

today, and we are going to hold them accountable. any questions? >> what do you think relative to what's happened, you waged your battle, that's for sure. you've been through a lot, that's for sure. but now you have trayvon martin in the news. do you think any of that will change things in view of all the difficulties you've had in moving forward? anybody who wants to answer? >> yeah. we are very hopeful that the tragedy of trayvon martin is different. it's not just an example of the american public temporarily being concerned about a tragedy of gun violence. you know, that's happened before. but the trayvon martin tragedy points directly to the culpability of the gun lobby and the legislators that do their bidding in terms of putting the guns in the hands of dangerous people. we blame george zimmerman for shooting trayvon martin. but we blame the gun lobby and the florida politicians who do their bidding for putting the

gun in his hands that he was carrying that night, an armed man with a violent past and arrest record legally carrying a loaded hidden gun that he used to take that life. we intend to take this tragedy and hang it around the neck of the politicians that have passed these laws of the gun lobby that's advocating these law as cross the country and demonstrating their culpability in creating the tragedy. and george zimmerman -- you know, there was this advertising campaign that the they did several years ago. this folksy advertising campaign, i am the nra. they had tom selleck and nolan ryan, you know, trying to portray that as the agenda of the gun lobby. george zimmerman is the nra. he is the creation of the nra. he is the creation of the politicians who have done their bidding. and we need to take all this outrage that's focused around this trayvon martin tragedy and hold our leaders accountable. and yes, i do believe that this one is different.

anything else? we can -- what's that? so do we want everybody to sign these now? all right. so i guess what we're going to do now is we are going to the -- all of the 32 that are here, we're going to start by signing this statement of principle against arming dangerous people and, again, to remind you, this is the very simple statement we're going to be asking our elected officials to sign. do you or do you not believe that these people listed on this list should be able to buy a loaded, hidden -- should be able to buy a gun, carry a gun, own a gun anywhere in our country? thank you. so i guess we want to go in alphabetical order?

defense secretary leon panetta and chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, general martin dempsey, testify tomorrow

on the security situation in syria and the recent violence there. that country's currently in its 13th month of conflict with a death toll topping 9,000. the hearings held in front of the house armed services committee. you can see it live thursday at 10:00 a.m. eastern on c-span3. from the colonial era, prohibition to today, drinking for better or worse has always been a part of the american landscape. saturday night, live on "american history tv," a history of alcohol in america. watch our simulcast of back story with the american history guys. ed, peter and brian regale with tales of beer and spirits in america. saturday night at 8:00 a.m. eastern, part of "american history tv" this weekend on c-span3. >> when i was embedded in eastern afghanistan, the soldiers started telling me that the u.s. government was wasting tens of billions of dollars on

totally mismanaged development and logistics contract. >> douglas wising follows the money and follows corruption right into the hands of the taliban. >> i was in one meeting with an incredibly effective guy named colonel mike howard, this is not long after president obama took office. and the state department was out there saying okay, we're going to give you a whole bunch of development money. you know, it's counterinsurgency. we're going to do this. win their hearts and minds, nation build. and colonel louder said, don't send them any more money. send me contract officers that can oversee this stuff. i need people. i don't need more money. >> douglas wissing on bankrolling the enemy sunday night at 8:00 eastern on c-span's "q&a." jury selection began this week in the retrial of former major league pitcher roger cleme

clemens, charged by federal prosecutors with knowingly lying to congress in february 2008 on performance enhancing drug use in baseball. >> let me read to you what his wife said in her affidavit. "i, laura pettitte, do depose andy told me he had had a conversation with roger clemens in which roger admitted to him using human growth hormones." mr. clemens, once again, i remind you, you're under oath. you have said your conversation with mr. pettitte never happened. if that was true, why would laura pettitte remember andy telling her about the conversation? >> once again, mr. congressman, i think he misremembers the conversation that we had. andy and i's relationship was close enough to know that if i would have known that he was -- had done hgh, which i now know, if he was knowingly knowing that i had taken hgh, we would have

talked about the subject. he'd have come to me to ask me about the effects of it. >> watch his 2008 testimony online at the c-span video library. with over a quarter century of american politics and public affairs on your computer. earlier today, house speaker john boehner called mismanagement at the general services administration outrageous and called for accountability. that government agency spent $823,000 on a 2010 conference held in las vegas. the speaker also talked about the extension of the highway bill and the house agenda for the rest of the week. this is 15 minutes. >> that would probably be a fbi. >> don't toy with us. >> behave yourself. you know, on sunday, secretary geithner said that the obama administration's economic policies have been -- and i'll quote -- remarkably effective.

i don't think there's anything remarkably effective about 38 straight months of unemployment higher than 8%. the longest such period since the great depression. and i don't think there's anything remarkable -- remarkably effective about adding $5 trillion of debt on the backs of our kids and our gr grandkids. and there's nothing remarkably effective about doubling gas prices and blocking more american energy production that could begin to address those rising gas prices. our country is facing some serious economic and fiscal challenges. and the global challenges that we have continue to mount. and all the american people are getting from the obama administration are political gimmicks like the so-called buffett rule that won't do a thing to create jobs in our country. even the president has admitted that his buffett tax is a gimmick that won't help our

economy. you know, yesterday's gimmick was this new focus on oil manipulation even though the white house can't produce one shred of evidence that this manipulation is taking place. and if they thought it was taking place, they have the tools and the laws already in place to go after it. so here's the president using the rose garden for an announcement on tackling a problem that they have no shred of evidence even exists. you know, the president checked out last labor day. he spent the last six months campaigning from one end of the country to the other instead of working with members of both political parties here in washington to address the serious challenges that our country faces. he's shrinking from his responsibility to lead and rather not using and not having

any courage to help tackle these problems. and as i said before, if the president won't lead, republicans will, and we are. while the president continues to push tax hikes, republicans are focused on lowering taxes for small business owners. tomorrow, the house will vote on a small business tax cut that would provide 20 million american small businesses with the resources they need to expand their businesses and hire more workers. it's all part of our plan to help american job creators. we've got 30 bills sitting over in the united states senate. this will be one more. if the president wants to help create jobs and get our economy going, he ought to be calling harry reid and pushing the senate democrats to take these bills up. republicans have also passed bills to expand american energy production that would address high gas prices and help create american jobs. today, the house will take

another step when we vote on the keystone pipeline. yesterday president -- or the nebraska governor signed legislation to get the pipeline moving again. and the fact that the president has threatened to get it going again. and the americans want us to build those pipelines. they want the jobs created now. republicans will continue to listen to the american people. americans are working harder than ever to create new jobs and opportunities despite the obstacles that washington continues to throw at them. think about what could be achieved. as a president, we're serious about working with members here in congress on both sides of the aisle. >> you're passing tax cuts which the democrats say they don't

have any interest. how are you looking at the other party? how are you talking to them? >> the president is serious about helping to create jobs. why would he sit down with us and talk to us? yes, maybe he doesn't like this 20% tax cut that would help 20 million small businesses. but what are his ideas? but when there's no conversation, there's no engagement, all we're left with is moving our own ideas through the regular order and through the regular process here in congress. i told the president over a year ago, if there are ideas that he and i can agree on in the best interest of our country, i would be there to support him. >> speaker boehner, you said the

failure to lead but yet the house has a failure to lead, that you have checked out? >> you know, the jobs act was our idea and i think the president saw that it was going to get a big bipartisan in the house. >> the gsa scandal, this isn't the first time it's happened. in 2008 there was waste and sexual misconduct. how much do you blame this on the administration because it happened on his watch? >> well, this is outrageous behavior regardless of whose administration it is.

and i wrote my checks out to pay on my taxes and i can imagine millions of other americans wrote their checks out. and taking hard-earned money and sending it to washington and this is outrageous, that their tax money is getting wasted in this fashion. there's an investigation going on and it's certainly appropriate and those responsible ought to be held to account. >> what reforms need to be made, mr. speaker? >> let's make sure we understand what all of the facts are and learn out of this lesson and then we'll determine, are there changes that need to be made. >> mr. boehner, you said that you supported mitt romney, you were voicing your support for him. do you have any advice for the other two candidates seeking the gop nomination, newt gingrich and ron paul? >> no.

>> speaker boehner, i've got the same question. what happened, if you would let us know, about the need for hearings on capitol hill and how much responsibility needs to be taken? >> well, i think we need to get to the bottom of it. again, from all of the reports that i've read, it certainly sounds like behavior that was inappropriate. again, let's deal with what the facts are. i'm interested in getting to the bottom of this and if there are changes that need to be made, we certainly will do that. >> speaker boehner, the white house won't issue an executive order and discrimination policies in place, preventing

legislati legislation. >> i haven't seen it either. i heard heard that much about it. no one should face discrimination in the workforce and there are ample laws, already in place to deal with this. having been the chairman of the education workforce committee, i'm quite familiar with the employment law. >> when you were last here before the recess, what went wrong and what's the future of the highway legislation? >> well, if i had my drethers, hr 7 would have been on the floor six weeks ago but there were 218 weeks to do this. you've heard me talk about

allowing the house to work its will. and, you know, you have to go to plan b and plan b is on the floor day and i'm hopeful we'll be in conference soon. >> speaker boehner, speaker boehner -- >> the tax cut would cast 46, $47 billion. independent analysis posted on majority leader can for's website says that the one-year measure would only save about 1 million jobs. how does that make sense? >> i expect that we'll save far more jobs than that. small businesses who file as individuals, as i did in my business, face enormous

challenges. that money could stay in their business, hire more workers and expand their business. the american people are asking, where are the jobs? we're trying to do everything that we can to continue to help them. we've got a plan. we sent 30 bills over to the senate. why don't they get off their rears and do something. >> all right. last question for loud mouth. >> all right. recently the u.s. catholic -- conference of cat catholic bishops disproportionately, what is your response to them? >> what's more of a concern to me is that if you don't begin to make decisions about getting our fiscal house in order, there won't be a safety net. there won't p be these programs. and i don't know how often some

of us have to talk about the fact that you can't spend $1.3 trillion more than what you bring in, that's what's going to happen this year. $5 tril krlion worth of debt an think that this is going to continue. the fact that we have to make hard desishs, it's about trying to make sure that we're able to preserve these programs that are critically important for the poorest in our society. >> do they have a moral argument, though? >> yes, but i want them to take a bigger look. and the bigger look is, these programs won't exist and then you'll have something to worry

about. >>