personnel. french foreign minister has discussed invoking chapter seven which can be enforced militarily. israel celebrating its 64th anniversary at a national ceremony. speaking at the official ceremony parliament senator cautioned against extremism of all sites as those who threaten the future of israel society. government statistics show that israel's population grew by about 137,000 since last year to 7.8 million. on wall street today the dow was up 89 and s&p up 18. the u.s. senate has passed a postal reform bill. it would make it harder to close thousands of low revenue post offices and end saturday mail delivery perhaps in two years. even though the struggling

agency says those moves are needed to become profitable again the measure would have a cash infusion of about $11 million to pay off debt. the final vote in the senate 62 to 35. the obama administration it strongly opposes a house bill coming up to defend against attacks and intrusion by foreign governments. in a statement today the administration said the bill fails to ensure that the nation's core critical infrastructure is protected while repealing provisions of electronic surveillance law that concerns for privacy and civil liberty safe guards. the built says the senior advisors would recommend a veto. and finally white house gate crasher says he is going to run

for governor of virginia next year. he completed a declaration of candida candidacy. a state board says the agency that oversees cannot accept the declaration until the year in which the election is scheduled. back in a minute with more of washington today. on q and a this weekend blaine harden discusses his book escape from camp 14. his book tells the story of a young man born in captivity in camp 14. in 2005 he escaped. the only individual actually born in a labor camp to escape. blaine harden tells his story this sunday on q and a on c-span radio. listen on the go with the c-span radio app. congressional hearings, white

house briefings and speeches from national leaders. supreme court oral arguments, book teechb, american history tv and the sunday talk shows on the weekends. and the podcasts of q and a and news makers. the radio app free at the itunes app store. and welcome back to washington today here on c-span radio. one of the changes put forth by ben bernanke he told reporters that he is comfortable with the current stands of interest rate policy given the forecast that economic growth will be moderate. as expected the fed chairman did stress that the fed could purchase more assets if the economy needs additional assistance but some ways to boost like tolerating higher inflation would be reckless. here is more from today's news conference as he took questions

on what some say is not enough of what is being viewed as a slow economic recovery. >> unemployment is too high and you said you expect it to remain too high for years to come. inflation is under control and you say you expect it to remain under control. you say you have additional tools available for you to use but you are not using them right now. under these circumstances it is hard for people to understand why you are not using those tools right now. could you address that and specifically could you address whether your current views are inconsistent with the views on that subject that you held as an academic? >> let me tackle that second part first. so there's this view circulating that the views i expressed about 15 years ago on the bank of japan are somehow inconsistent with our current policies. that is absolutely incorrect. my views and policies are completely consistent with the views that i held at that time.

i made two points at that time to the bank of japan. the first was that i believe that a determined central bank could and should work to eliminate deflation. that is falling prices. the second point that i made was that when short term interest rates hit zero the tools of a central bank are not exhausted. there are still other things that central bank can do to create additional accommodation. looking at the current situation of the united states we are not in deflation. when deflation became a risk in 2010 we used additional balance sheet tools to help return close to the 2% target. likewise we had been aggressive and creative in using nonfederal funds rate tools to achieve additional accommodation for the u.s. economy. so the very critical difference between the japanese situation

15 years ago and the u.s. situation today is that japan was in deflation and clearly when you are in deflation and in recession then both sides of your mandate are demanding additional accommodation. in this case we are not in deflation. we have an inflation rate close to our objective. why don't we do more? i would reiterate that we are doing a great deal. policy is extraordinarily accommodative. you know the things we have done to try to provide support to the economy. i guess the question is, does it make sense to actively seek a higher inflation rate in order to achieve a slightly increased pace of reduction in the unemployment rate. the view of the committee is that that would be very

reckless. we have at the federal reserve has spebt 30s for building credibility in that we have been able to take strong accommodative actions in the last four or five years to support the economy without leading to an unentering of expectations. to risk that asset for what i think would be quite tentative and perhaps doubtful gains on the real side i think would be an unwise thing to do. >> the comments of ben bernanke in washington. we'll have more in the next hour and also news in great britain the possibility that that country is now facing what some are calling a double dip recession. the department of veteran affairs mental health system is suffering from what some are

calling a culture from performance goals. the story and testimony that took part earlier today. the administrator that worked in new hampshire saying managers pressed the staff to develop ways to see as many veterans as possible while providing minimal services. that's the testimony from former courseman who worked at the facility in 2009. senator patty murray leading the questions today and among those taking the questions william, the deputy under secretary of veterans affairs on asking the question what happened in new hampshire is it the same in what hospitals and why some of the problems were not spotted sooner. >> first let me say that i'm very happy to hear that the v.a. is acknowledging that there is a problem when the department is saying there is new perfect

compliance but every other indication is there are major problems i think it is an incredible failure of leadership that no one was looking into this. when you sit at that table before this committee we expect you to take seriously. it should not take multiple hearings and letters and an investigation to get you to act. i also would like to suggest that if the reity on the ground could be so far off as to what central office as it relates to mental health you ought to look at other areas of care. what we have heard is very, very troubling. for months we have been questioning whether central office had a full understanding of the situation out in the field and i believe the report has very clearly shown you do not. so i want to start by asking you today after hearing from this

committee from veterans, from providers and from outside experts why you were not proactive about this problem months ago. >> chairman, murray, we have been look at mental health for many years. as you know with support of the congress we increased our capacity and hired about 8,000 new providers between 2007 and 2011. we relied primarily on a uniform mental health handbook that would be the source of the way in which we would deliver care to our nation's veterans. that has been the focus of the department to ensure that we are getting evidence based therapies and a staffing model that was largely based on the handbook put out in 2009. i think what we have learned in

this journey and we have been wanting to work very closely with our providers is a number of things. as i mentioned in my opening statement the way in which we measure these performance measures is not a good measure of wait time. we want to work very closely with any other resources that are available to assist us in suring we provide -- >> with all due respect i think back in 2005 the ig said this information was there. so that's a long time with a lot of veterans in between. so my question is, how are you going to address that growing gap that we have seen what central office believes and what is happening in the field? >> as dr. day described in our response to the report we have a number of things going on.

one is first we have a working group that will report this summer on a new set of performance measures that includes providers on the ground assisting us with insuring that we develop measures in conjunction with support that are really veteran centered and centered on a veteran's individual condition and one in which we can revamp and go forward. we fully embrace better performance measurement system that needs to be revised. we will be doing that with the work of people on the front lines to assist us. we have the benefit of these mental health site visits. we are learning as we go on other issues having to do with scheduling and all of this effort is assisting us in not just having people in central office develop proposed solution but to engage the field in a way

that we need to in order to ensure we are veteran centered and able to support our providers in delivering in this care. >> i appreciate that but it is very troubling to me that this didn't happen five or ten years ago that just now after months of this and years of this that that disconnect is there. >> the questions by the chair of the senate committee dealing with veterans affairs questioning the deputy under secretary. the issue today mental health. the report from one worker at a facility in new hampshire saying that the v.a. hospital was raising the numbers in terms of its care but only providing minimal care at best to many who needed additional assistance. you are listening to washington today on c-span radio. on capitol hill this week the senate has begun laying the

groundwork for a half trillion dollar farm and food bill that would end unconditional subsidies to farmers but also a plan to cut food stamps by as much at $13 billion a year. that prospect is dimming the chances that congress will pass the measure and then the postponement of the markup by the senate. joining us on the phone is ben. thanks very much for being with us. >> thanks for having me. >> the decision late tuesday night to postpone the markup. why? >> the senators say that they are pretty much done. they have the bulk of the bill done but so many amendments were added that they haven't been able to score it and they don't know what it is going to cost. so they're delaying it a bit to free up more time to figure out what is going to happen. they are also getting pushback from southern commodity groups. they sent a letter saying they needed more time to read it and

they thought that some of the commodity groups weren't getting represented as they could by crop insurance. they are close but taking a little more time to see exactly what it is going to cost. >> the deadline is the end of september when the current farm bill will expire. will congress meet the deadline? >> that's a good question. a lot of senators are saying they have to put the petal to the metal at this point. they really got to get going so they are hoping that they are going to be able to have the markup the week after the recess. there is still a chance it will happen tomorrow. really they are hoping to get the markup done the week after they go away for a week and then keep it rolling from there. the problem at this point doesn't seen like the senate. they seem like they are close. the problem is going to be like over to the house. and there is going to be a big

fight over food stamps as you mentioned. that will be one of the partisan battles that congress doesn't do particularly quickly. >> let's stay on that food stamp issue because a report by the congressional budget office indicating that over the next five years the government will spend about $400 billion in food assistance and food stamp programs. the republicans want to trim that by about $13 billion a year. >> they do. and the republicans they don't love the food stamp program. it makes up a huge chunk of the farm bill. it is actually the majority of the farm bill going right to food stamp programs. they want to trim that as part of their goal to trim the deficit. a perfect place for them to do it as far as they are concerned. democrats are going to fight that tooth and nail. you can't guarantee it is going to be law because the house is going to have a battle on its

hands. >> if the food stamp program is the bulk of the farm bill what else is in the legislation? >> the problem they are having now in the senate are in commodities and crop insurance mostly. in 1996 the farm bill had direct payments installed which meant that regardless of the prices of food and regardless of how many crops were being grown farmers were being paid. that was supposed to be a transition fix but it kept getting put into farm bills. that's going to be gone. there is bipartisan support to get rid of direct payments. the question now is what you replace it with. there will be some sort of crop insurance to make sure that if there is a natural disaster the farms won't go bankrupt right away. with so many different types of

groups and conconstituents it is more a part about which regions. >> is this unusual to have this kind of delay? >> farm bills are delayed often is what i found. it's such a big bill. there are so many different people involved. it's hard to get it done quickly. and legislation in general hasn't been able to be done quickly in the house or senate this year. not a surprise to anybody that it is delayed. they are going to have to speed it up. >> the deadline is the end of september with news that the senate has postponed the markup of the bill. his work available online at nationaljournal.com. thanks very much for being with us. >> c-span radio's washington today. the senate has been focusing on something that you could argue affects just about all of

us, postal office, saturday mail delivery and the proposal of closing some. the senate passing a bill aimed at saving the u.s. postal service from insolvency and allows the potential end of saturday delivery. the measure would give the agency about $11 billion in refund. the issue is that pension fund overpayments and allows the postal service to offer new services such as shipping beer and wine. it would stop potentially saturday delivery after two years if no other cost saving measures could be found. the postal service reporting a loss of about $3 billion in the first quarter of this fiscal year alone after posting a loss of $5 billion last year in total. the latest budget does back the ability to drop the saturday

service but saturday delivery will continue for the next two years. after that time period the postal service can determine whether or not will save money. the senate voted today the final vote 62-37. one of a number of amendments put forth this one by senator mansion. >> mr. president and all of my colleagues here, this amendment here is the only one that will give us a chance to save truly an american postal service. it's the only one. it's a two year prohibition against closing any of our postal services. we're talking about a lot of good things have been done, a lot of amendments have been made already that nibbles around the edges. this is the only amendment that says for a two year period you got to sit down and restructure this. $200 million is what they are talking about.

that's one day in afghanistan. one day. but we're talking about if you lose this is what the little state of west virginia would lose. 150 post offices. they are saying well we got a one year moratorium. we can restructure this and show where the savings should be. i got a lot of different ideas where the savings can be, sir, but i can tell you right now start with the former post master general potter hearned $550,000. that's more than the president of the united states. you take these life lines away and that's all the people have. they get their medicine. they get everything they do to depend on their life lines. they have nothing else. their towns have gone away except for that connection and i'm asking for my colleagues to consider keeping these life lines. give us the two year period we need. >> mr. president -- >> senator from connecticut. >> mr. president, respectfully to my dear friend from west virginia i'm is going to pose the amendment. the united states postal service

is in trouble. it's losing about 23 or 24 million dollars on the average every day. more than 13 billion in the last two years. it's not going to survive if the status quo prevails. it needs to change. this bill provides for change, but in a way that we think is balanced and reasonable. my friend from west virginia has introduced an amendment which would prohibit all change for the next two years and, therefore, i think opens the way for a kind of a death spiral for the u.s. postal service. there are many protections in our bill before a post office could be closed even more before a mail processing facility or just as much a mail processing -- before a mail processing facility can be closed. we added more protections yesterday with the amendments and the tester-levin amendments. they allow change because

without change this postal service of ours will die. >> senator joe lieberman who opposed the manchin amendment. the senate did pass the measure that would allow the postal service to eliminating saturday delivery. that will come after two years. and some other potential shutdowns of the processing facilities and postal facilities that are not essentially getting enough customers and some other you a built for the postal service to raise money including as we said earlier shipping beer and wine. on capitol hill today congressional leaders and vice president joe biden honoring donald paine democrat of new jersey in a ceremony on capitol hill. congressman paine died last month. he was 77 years old after battling colon cancer. among those paying tribute to the former colleague is congressman clevelander from the capitol rotunda earlier today.

>> he was indulgent with his family and tolerant towards injustice, invisible during credit taking time, incorruptible in a city of temptation and indistinguishable as a human spirit who is much loved. now i'm compelled to utter something that is perhaps counter intuitive, washington, d.c. is a city of heroes. yes, i challenge the late night comedians and the midday commentators. washington, d.c. is a city of heroes. this is the city of washington, lincoln, jefferson, roosevelt, roosevelt, kennedy, reagan. this is the city where leaders have gathered since 1790 to create the most democratic republican in the history of the

planet. this is the city that attracted courageous leaders who slammed slavery into the junk pile of days gone by. the leaders of washington suffered from and eventually stabilized the scariest economic downturn in world history, 1929. it was from this city that the political will was harvested to win not one but two world wars. it was in this city with civil rights leaders in the lead that jim crow laws were liquidated. donald paine sowed seeds of civility and enjoyed a bountiful harvest of goodwill from all sides. this is the city where in 1983 ronald reagan and tip o'neill came together and added two decades to the solvency of

social security. the forceful but civil words of donald paine spoke in the hallowed halls of congress were short to speak but their cokes are endless. heroes in washington, d.c. are made by the men and women who win or lose and at no small risk to themselves place their name on ballots for the place or a place in the people's house. donald paine was a hero. he defeat ad hero to get here and once here he remained true to his ideals and beliefs. donald paine was a hero because he never landed on the evening news because of some caustic comment. he's a hero because he forced congressional attention on africa. he became a hero because in a town filled with hot air he taught us to say nothing often. he is a hero because he won more

washington battles with his ears than his mouth. he is a hero because his life is measured not by its duration, but by its donation. i'm a united methodist and john wesley laid the foundation for what we call today methodism say our people die well. donald paine is a hero because he died well. blessed are the dead which die in the lord. they rest from their labor and their works do follow them. let me conclude by just telling you that i was really impressed when i saw the funeral of leona leonard breznev. his widow stood by his casket

after all were seated and just before they pulled the lid down she did the unthinkable in the soviet union. she put her hand over in the casket, on her husband's chest she made the sign of the cross. in the citadel of the war on religion she made the sign of the cross on her husband's chest and so i know that we're not supposed to do religious stuff in congress, but taking a cue from mrs. breznev, donald there's no need to go to newark any more, you're in the right place now. [ applause ] >> the comment and tribute of

congressman eman manuel cleaver. he was 77 years old. today members of congress democrats and republicans paying tribute to their former colleague. this is "washington today" on c-span radio, we welcome our listeners coast to coast on xm channel 119. we're streamed on the web at c-span.org and we're live 5 to 7:00 eastern time. join c-span radio for live coverage of the white house correspondent's association dinner this saturday night. the headliner is the president of the united states, barack obama, featured entertainer, late night comic and talk show host jimmy kimmel. the white house association dinner, live coverage begins at 10:00 p.m. eastern this saturday night. "washington today" continues.