mobility. that's the goal in income tax reform. the president has set out a plan for getting rid of loopholes. this sound like it should be dobl, but you're smiling. >> the problem has been that it's always from the white house, what we've heard is tax reform means tax increases. we just don't believe. >> that's not what they say. they say they want to lower the rate. >> they say, when you see what they propose, that's what happens. when the president unveiled his proposals for international tax reform, right? how tax code applies to american based multinationals. now all of a sudden there's a minimal international tax that american national haves to pay putting them at a more disadvantage of vis-a-vis. >> that would be a deal killer

for you. >> we have to think of what the goal is. we want more revenues generated by a growing economy to help manage down the debt and deficit. you don't do that by saying you're just going to raise taxes because there's consequences to that. those consequences they will have every incentive to move abroad to escape the higher taxes. >> where do you think we'll be in tax reform by the end of the year? >> we're going to work towards really putting it out there. we've been very bold in terms of putting forth prescriptions to try to manage down the debt and deficit. something the other side has not done. so i believe that we're going to be very concerted in look at all the issues. ways and means just had a hearing on the retirement

provisions in the tax code. this is not easy stuff. >> do you believe the comprehensive tax reform will pass in 2013? >> i do believe that some form of tax reform is going to pass in 2013. >> by some form? >> again, mike, this is tough stuff. this is very intricate and we want to make it simpler. >> it sounds like you're not optimistic about comprehensive tax reform. >> that's certainly the goal. i did just say there will be some kind of tax reform. i'm hoping it's comprehensive. we're working with many members and a white house and we all have to learn that in order to get results we have to come together. when you say my kind of tax reform and the comprehensive tax reform that i think most of us on the other side of the aisle and the house would feel, certainly we want that to happen. but reality is results. that's what the voters aring

look for and that's what this election is going to be about. >> for those of you on c-span and on twitter, give us your questions, your heckling, your responses, and those will be handled to me in a minute. we're going to take a question. first, i'm going to ask you about house republican leadership. politico had a story about peace talks between your staff and the spiker's staff. why can't you get along? >> we get along fine. we really do. there's a noeg within your profession that we don't get along. the speaker and i meet on a regular basis onon one and in groups. >> let many accurate about this. this is not a notion. there is a reality to differences between those two. >> i can tell you we get along. we've got a professional relationship. we've got personal relationships.

and we're able to manage as a speaker and a majority leader should manage in a way that allows our conference to function. we have regular communication. i think there is a fascination where it's really misguided. does that situation bother you. do you think you should do more to correct it? >> i think the fascination -- misplaced fascination on the part of the press is something that no longer bothers me. >> you're saying there's no reality to it at all. >> okay. >> as you know at the white house they're practically giddy at the idea of the opportunities you all have presented to make this a contrast competition between the president and the republicans. do you feel in the sense of where this goads now with mitt romney that you need to listen to what the republican defacto nominee wants the house

republicans to do going forward before november on the agenda in order to try to mute that contrast that the president is so eager to get? >> i think if this election goes as the public polling suggests, it is going to be about jobs in the economy. and i think we welcome the opportunity for voters to see the difference between our vision as to the direction the we should take versus the president. it's very clear. the result haves not been there. the economic policies of this white house have failed. i think people understand that. that's why you see in polling out today, the anxiety level is very high among the voters in this country because they don't have a lot of confidence of their ability to make it through the month, it's gas prices, it's tuition price, it's the threat of higher taxes, it's health care prices and the availability of that health care. it's the uncertainty. that's why we welcome the

opportunity to debate the differences that we've got with this white house and fankly that mitt romney's plan represents versus that of the president's. >> is mitt romney a true conservative? >> yes. mitt romney is a true results driven conservative. he's somebody who's got a proven track record in the one area where voters are most interested to see results and that's jobs in the economy. he's the only one out there who's got that track record. certainly vis-a-vis the president. his record stands and towers over the president in terms of job creation. and he also is one who's put out a bold plan for growth. this president has not done that. >> you have a lot of irons in the fire. what role do you plan to play or are you considering playing in the romney campaign. >> i want to be there to help mitt romney any way we can. i believe he's going to be very helpful with our candidates in the house races. i am very focused on helping our

candidates deliver the message that we're the party of small business. we're the party of opportunity and job growth. and we have the prescriptions and to put them out there how to help small businesses, how to help entrepreneurs and frankly how to ensure that america becomes a start up country again. we used to be known as the place to come to if you want to make a better life and strike out on your own. and we really are the country of economic freedom and the country that says that economic freedom affords ordinary people the ability to do extraordinary things. and that is what really has become frayed that notion in america. we want to restore that. and mitt romney has the track record and ability to say to people it is all of us together reclaiming that dream. >> given that, why are so many house republicans so lukewarm about mitt romney? >> i just don't think that's true. >> i don't think that's true. >> do you talk to them?

jake sherman said you don't have to talk to them off the record. we quote them by name. >> again, i've talked to jake about it. i think i talk to more members than jake does. again, i would say we need to stop slekt selecting the buns na want to give you the message of the narrative you want to portray is. our conference is excited about coalescing around mitt romney as the candidate. that's what this election's about. this election is about freedom and opportunity. it's about making life better for people who seem to think that america has forgotten what has made us so great. >> so you think republicans are on fire ecstatic about mitt romney? >> i think republicans have been gone through a primary process that's been pretty rigorous. you look to see what mitt romney has been through in fending off the opposition one by one. i think we are at a point where

members in our conference are satisfied that mitt romney is going to be a terrific candidate for us. and are now getting behind his candidacy and his policies in contrast to nose in the administration. >> what's the outlook for the house in november? >> i'm very bullish on the house. and we never are overly confident in any kind of reckless way. but i am very confident that we will strengthen our majority. as you know, we've had a program in place at the nrkcc which stemmed from the efforts initially called the young guns program that is in place that has now served to be an excellent vetting process and a grooming process for seasoned candidates. we're looking on offense not just to defend our incumbents because we're going to be there. but i think redistricting has done -- has yielded a safer playing field for us. i think many of our incumbents

that were elected in what were swing seats have been shifted off the swing category. if you look at the rankings. and we are looking at playing offense and potentially to have 30 to 40 seats in play. >> so what's the most that you could gain or lose? >> again, if we're looking to make sure that we're playing offense. >> how many -- i'm sorry, i should ask this way. how many do you think you will gain? >> listen to what i say, that's about all i'm going to say. 30 to 40 seats in play is our goal to be on offense. >> you think you could pick up how many seats? >> i am thinking that we'll see how things go. again, i want to see us on offense in 30 to 40 seats. >> and, but most people think even most of your fellow top republicans think you will lose some seats, you'll saying you'll gain seats. >> i am optimistic about our ability to sprenten the majority. >> before you said you were

going to gain seats. >> that's the same thing i'm saying now. >> in a minute we're going to go to john thon carl. should romney put bob mcdonald on the ticket? >> listen, i'm a big fan of bob mcdonald. if he wants bob mcdonald to be vp, sure. i think he'd be great. >> how would it help? >> i think there are a lot of folks that make great vp. it would certainly help us in virginia. i think mitt romney wins virginia now. if bob mcdonald's on the ticket, he will help us in virginia, north carolina. and a lot of the states where suburban voters matter. and bob mcdonald he was my seat mate in the house of delegates when you and i first met. he is father, he is a family man, businessman. he is somebody who understands what the independent voters want. that's results. >> do you think he's been hurt on the national stage by some

issues that came up in the virginia legislature? >> i think there's been aempts to try and do that, but i don't. i think his leadership in virginia is -- has been stel rar. if you look at the public polling in virginia, bob mcdonald is still very popular. he's a results driven conservative. he's been able to manage the budget. we're a state whose unemployment numbers are much lower than the national average. >> dough don't think he's been hurt? >> no. >> if he were to run for president a year ago or so, sure he would be great. >> how would he help mitt romney on the ticket? >> i think, paul's demonstrated the ability to lead on matters of budget and has a clear grasp on the budget than anybody i know who's serving in congress. and understands the import of our getting the fiscal house in order with the experience to boot. >> would that ticket give romney

some vulnerabilities with the middle? >> i think the middle is focused on issues that affect their daily lives and right now people are squarely focused on making their lives better. they want higher wages. they want to see tuition in college come down, they want to see health care costs come down. they want to see gas prices come down. they want to see their neighbors and they have more job security. all these things have been out there and provided uncertainty in people's lives for too long now. and the leadership they're looking at in the white house is not responding to that anxiety. and i think that's why mitt romney and whoever he picks as vp is going to be the antedote that people are looking for. >> i was about to ask about ryan and mcdonald. i want to follow up on that. first something you mentioned. i heard this mentioned a lot by conversations. 45% of americans not paying any

federal income tax. are you saying you need a tax increase on the 45% that pay no federal income tax. >> in a macro way you've got to discuss that issue. is what is going to fund the necessary operations of the federal government? how do we allow for that to take place in a way that we can see a growing economy. because whatever scenario you may choose to embrace about cutting the spending or reforming the entitlement programs, the necessary piece is a growing economy or you're never going to manage down and back to balance in the budget. so that's got to be the goal. how you deal with that. how you deal with a shrinking pie a number of people and entities that support the operations of government and how do you go about continuing to milk them more if that's what

some want to do, but preserve their ability to provide the growth engine. that leads me back to saying those at the bottom end of the income scale want nothing more than to increase their income, to get up that ladder of success. so the goal should be how do you do that? i never believed that you go and raise taxes on those who have been successful that are paying in, taking away from them so that you just hand out and give to someone else. they want the ability to get up the ladder. in a broader question that's the kind of issues we've got to be asking and finding resolution together so we can affect tax reform. >> quickly on 2012 and the vp search. i'm wondering if you can give us some general principals that should guide romney in this

choice? what should he look for? geographicical diversity, should he try to put a woman on the ticket? finally your name was bandied around for mccain, should eric cantor be on the list and would you kpep if offerd. >> no to that answer. >> you'd say no? >> eric cantor is not interested at all in that. i'll just say this, the election is going to be very clear it's going to be a very clear choice. it's mitt romney's choice. he will make that decision and i think that he will set the tone of what the terms of the debate are and we welcome that contrast with obama in terms of the economic vision of this country sha the so central on the windows of so many people right now in america. >> you got in a little hot water for supporter a challenge tore the house member. what did you learn from that

episode? >> i made a commitment to a colleague of mine and i felt necessary to live up to that word i gave that colleague. >> what vo you learned -- you've gotten a lot of blow back from your conference? so some decisions that you make aren't easy. i think most importantly you live up to your commitment and you make sure that your word stays good. your word doesn't mean that some day it's good, and others it's not. >> interesting story on this, it said the member who lost represented dan man sewello of illinois. it said according to a half dozen republican sources he said that you would not be saved. what did you take from that? >> again, i don't want to discuss that. i would just say, mike, this has to do with the commitment that i

made to a colleague and my decision to want to live up to that commitment. >> do you believe don said that? >> again, i'm not commenting on it. and -- >> it sounds -- >> i think tom is an upstanding individual who served his constituents well. >> have you detected any anti-semitism among members of congress? >> no. i don't want to say anything about those remarks. i don't want to talk about anything having to do with this sort of darker side of sort of any kind of comments made or whatever. >> so you're saying there is a darker side? >> well, mike, i think that all of us know that in this country we have not always goten it right in terms of religious matters, racial matters. we continue to strive to provide equal treatment to everybody. to sit here and say in america we've got it all right now. pretty much all of us can say we

have work to do. >> we're talking about the house republican conference not america. innovation. you're just back from a field trip to google facebook. you're the first member i think with a twitter wall. tell us about your tweet wall. >> listen, we've got to go where the people are. we've tried to be very aggressive in opening up the kinds of things that we're doing here and making them accessible to the people of the country. so much of what the people of the country see and feel that is coming out of washington has for the longest time been controlled by others. what social media has done is enabled for people to actually assume some ownership to control what it is the kind of news they want. to be able to interject themselves in the debate. >> tell us what your tweet wall looks like. >> it's a twitter wall that's a panel. >> is it in your waiting room.

>> it's in the lobby. all of rus in the central place where everyone has to walk by it to get into the office. i think it's a clear reminder that everything we're doing should be ventilated with the public and the people that sendd up getting a better work product if we -- if we pay attention to the fact that we've got to engage the public. it is they who sent us here, and i just think that that's what social media, whether twitter, whether it's facebook. it's any of the platforms now online, and on your belt, or in your pocket, that allow people to engage in a much more rapid fashion for sure, and in a much fuller way. and the more we can do that, the more we can invite people in. we have this program called citizens' pro-sponsor project. >> on facebook. >> just launched. launched to be compatible with facebook and other social media platforms, where people can

incorporate sort of what they like and the things that they're tracking in the legislative process into their home page, into their profile page so that their friends can see what's going op. their friends can get the updates and maybe spark some kind of interest that, hey, i can go in and sort of begin to figure out this as well and become an owner of the process, too. >> what could washington learn fr from -- >> one of the things i was told when i went out there early on was in silicon valley you wake up thinking globally. i think that's kind of an interesting sort of adage, because i think it means that we're out there competing every single day, and making sure that we are the first to innovate, and that we can be the first to take those ideas and bring them to the markets. and so what -- what i think we

learn from that is that entrepreneurial drive that commitment to make sure that we don't stymie innovation is what we learn from silicon valley. that, really, america's always served as a frontier to the world. >> very specifically, how could washington, how could the house, change its work flow or change its approach that would mirror those lessons? >> one of the things you mention is ventilate. open up for ideas. and that's why we have the twitter wall. that's why you see so much activity in the republican members of congress online. and the more we can stay close to that exchange of ideas and the input from the people that put us there, the better the work product is here, but i think that you know, one of the things we try to do with the schedule in the house this term was to make sure that members are going home and living with the people that elect them and don't stay within the beltway

confines under the dome, if you will, to think that all answers come from washington. because they don't. this is a country that is unique in history. power derived from the people. we've got to make sure that government is working for the people again, and not the other way around. >> and when you were at the google pledge, you saw the driverless car. tell us about the driverless car. >> i rode in the driverless car. it is awesome. yeah. >> tell us what it is. >> it is phenomenal. i mean, there is a prius that have now taken and they've put sort of, seeing eyes, infrared and other cameras up on the roof and in the rear, and they have a laptop in the front seat and they have put google maps on to the laptop and then images filling that out. so the car knows what you're passing by. whether it's trees, bushes, whatever. also knows another car, a truck, a person walking across a

crosswalk. so it senses where things are moving around it, and is utterly -- i was speechless at what wa going on. of course, there was a driver to see what's going on, truly amazing. i think the goal they've got is those who are less fortunate, maybe wounded veterans or those who are handicapped have the ability to get around. and imagine what you could do to provide mobility to people like that? and obviously they're going through a lot more testing and things like that. >> you've always been an apple guy. you were one of the first offices on the hill. maybe the first office that was a totally mac environment. >> listen, i am all about this, because this is an unbelievable tool, you know, that we have before us, and the thing is, and i wanted to show you, i have my politico opened right there, but

i will say, we had a little technical difficulty with our politico app the other day. so we needed to call -- >> it's fixed? >> it's fixed now. >> the amazing thing is this app here, the drop box app. if anybody has not seen this, probably competing apps out there, but my office is really trying to go completely paperless, and so when we talk about preparation and staff is exchanging memos, et cetera, it is all done electronically, all portable. you're not lugging around pep books, anything who that. information from meetings is all right here. phenomenal. >> all come through drop box? >> all through drop box. >> what or apps do you have? >> i have -- well, you know, the richmond times dispatch. >> alma mater. >> absolutely. don't want to slight anybody,

but there's tons of apps here. >> have you played games? >> do i play games? well, that's -- >> you're not a scrabble die. >> i've got some on here, yes, and some others. >> one of the reasons you went into real estate has to do with the theory about how people choose where they live, shop, sort of your own tipping point there. tell us about that. >> you know, i really like people, and i guess if you're in the people of elected service, that you've got to like people, and you've got to want to find out about what drives them what makes them choose their lifestyle, and what kind of outcomes they want, and so i got into real estate development after law school, because i had a father who was a real estate lawyer and a developer and family who was in that business. what i saw was you have an ability to start from literally the ground up, and when you plan a project, and my family is in land development, and so when

you start a neighborhood, a subdivision, you begin to think about what people will see and do every day driving through the streets of that neighborhood. turns out on the main thoroughfare. what kind of conveniences are around them? what kind of shopping is available? what kind of entertainment? what kind of services do they need? and it really is about patterns of life. >> tell us how that applies to shopping? give us an example, because this is interesting. >> how it applies to shopping? >> when talking about patterns of life? >> again, you want -- if you think about it, i was just recently in florida, and was on an island where people live and was wondering, how in the world do they go shopping? how do they go get a carton of milk, or if their child is sick, how do they go get some medicine very quickly, you know, without having to go off the island? i was told later there were actually some stores on the island that i didn't see, but it's that kind of thing.

it's what are the necessities of life? what are the elements that family require to support their existence? you know, i know from being a parent, when your child has a homework assignment due and all of a sudden they've forgot to tell you something they need to bring to school the next day. thank goodness there's a walmart down the street that's open the 24 hours you can access what you need. but it's that kind of everyday need that i think really forms the basis of support in a community, and it's not just school supplies, but it's, you know, what kind of health care services are available? whi when you have a retirement community you may be involved in building. or what would they be interested in? certainly interested in health care facilities and making sure that a hospital is nearby and those kind of services. so as a real estate developer and somebody in that business, it is about -- it starts with community and it starts with people, and trying to understand

in a market way what the market will demand, and what will make your project successful. >> we're about to get the hook. what's a book on there, a book you think we should read? >> i'm reading now "boong meran the sequel, if you will, to the "big short." >> greece, california. >> and iceland and the rest. fascinating. trying to learn tr that experience so we don't step into even more of that here. >> and music on there? red hot chili peppers i believe -- rap i didn't. >> yeah. it's true. you know, you have -- you have little jay-z and yung jeezy and wyss cle wiz khalifa. the lyrics are horrendous and you try to have the cleanup vision. you live with teenagers, you have to try to see what they're about and try to correction their direction so