liberals have coerced you into this direction. campaign finance and the amount of money folks are putting into the political process. so let me just recite a few facts for the record. mpl according to the center for responsive politics, in 2013, the oil, gas and coal industries invested at least $170 million in lobbying the federal government. according to the center for responsive politics, in the 2012 election cycle, the same industry spent more than $93 million in recorded chasm pain contributio

contributions, an enormous number which is dwarfed by the number spent. we have the coke brothers who are today, as a family, worth $80 billion. who have spent hundreds of millions of dollars on political campaigns and setting up think tapgs and, in fact, are doing that in this election, as well. according to the washington post and the center for responsive politics. the coke brothers. where does the coke brothers get their money? they are a fossil fuel industry. they have invested $407 million in the 2012 political election. that money is clearly dwarfed by the amount of money coming in from the fossil fuel industry.

i find it remarkable that some have expressed their deep concern for the low-income and the elderly. i would remind the people of this country that these are the same folks whose compassion and love of low-income people prevents them from working to raise the minimum raise so people can have a living wage. allows them to make massive cuts in the liheap program which provides fuel assistance to low-income people. many of them are on record as making massive cuts in medicaid, medicare, trying to end privatized social security.

senator whitehouse, did you want to add anything to that? >> one last question for the administrator. >> i take the position that the cost of this regulation are dwarfed fwi the benefits. i also take the position that it's not fair for people to only look at one side of the ledger in evaluating this legislation. they can't just look at the interest of the coal. they really need to look at america more broadly. and there are lots of us who are on the other side of that equation for whom coal is really a harm. and we can work in rational ways to try to balance that. but, please, don't pretend that my side doesn't exist. the third is there's

legitimate concern and concern for rhetorical purposes. but if we look at the history that e.p.a. has seen of industry reaction. they did not prove true to the fact.

both can't be true. but let me ask you. you've been in this business for a long time at the state level as well as the federal level. you have work ds for republican governors before. what is you're view on what the track record has been of industry projections and warnings about the cost and consequences of envierntsal regulation by epa. >> history tells us they always exaggerate the costs. they aumgs project as somehow being contrary to economic growth and goals. and it just simply hasn't come true. never. and so one of the -- i think one of the point that is we haven't talked about a little bit senator is one of the great

benefits of looking at setting up a course for climate change that is long term and flexible is that what we're actually sending is a tremendous investment signal. and what the united states values and cares about, it will unleash innovation and investment money. this is not about a scrubber at the end of a pipe or a smokestack. this is really about investing in things people care about. investing in things that people will make money on. one of the great tlings about regulating is seeing how the company grumbles during the regulation process. this proposal is designed to be moderate based on its ask. but the direction that it's going to take, i think we will

get significantly more benefit than we are require ing requiri we're asking for things that the american public wants to spend money on. >> if i could pick up on senator winehouse's question, what i hear you saying is you believe the united states could be a leader in the world in new technologies, which help us reduce greenhouse gas emissions. in one area in vermont, we've put some money, a federal money, into weatherization. we've reduced fuel bills for

people. for people. lower income people. cutting their fuel bills by 32%. you know what else we've done? we've created jobs in the area. and i suspect your point is that once industry gets moving in terms of sustainable energies, et cetera, et cetera, we could be a leader in providing technologies not only in the united states but all over the world, and in the process, getting worldwide companies moving as well. is that kind of what you're saying? >> that's what i meant to say. >> all right. you said it better than i did. >> yes. >> my question, and i'll go back to senator winehouse. again, the issue of money in politics has been raised at this hearing.

do you have any thoughts on the amoubt of money that we're seeing in lobbying that comes from the big energy companies? >> senator, let me just hit the issue directly. i know it had to do with a new york times article, which has been given surprising credibility. >> i know how hard the great staff worked to design this basically from whole clothd and energy regulators and stake holders from all walks of life. i am extraordinarily proud of the work they put into it. i know they didn't sleep for any night for months well.

i think this is a discredit to them to say that this was designed by one group and in our pocket ready to unvail. this is a result of hard work and lots of listening and a result of more than 40 years of listening, understanding the law and doing the work we need to do. and that's what this is all about. >> senator white house, the last result of the process in which the electric utility industry, the coal industry, the fossil fuel industry, the chamber of commerce also had their input, correct? >> i will also guarantee you that i have met many more times with utilities than i have the nrdc. >> thank you. by way of brief closing statement; i just want to thank

senator sanders on this issue. this week, i'm going to be talking about precisely the point that you raised. if you look back at our history in this body, there has been a very constant, strong heartbeat of bipartisan activity on climate. and many of our colleagues who are still here have had proud histories of engagement with significant biparty legislation. and after 2010, you see that heartbeat of bipartisan activity flat line. if you look at what happened in early 2010 that might explain

why it suddenly ended, you find a supreme court decision called citizen's united that allowed unlimited corporate money, unlimited billionaire money to bombard our politics. and what people often think about that is people beat up the republicans. but i've heard over and over, what are you complaining about? they're spending more money against us than they're spending against you. and there have been times, i believe, when actually, the unaccountable anonymous dark money that citizens united is being unleashed, was being spent more in republican primaries and more against republicans than it was against democrats. and that, i think, has suppressed debate and had a corrosive effect on our politics

and has ended for what has been many, many years a proud, bipartisan tradition. so i'm very glad that senator sanders has raised. and i thank administrator mccarthy being here for her leadership and courage. >> thank you, senator winehouse. and, with that, we adjourn the hearing. tonight, two members of congress talk about their technology legislation.

>> we crafted an amendment that said really this. under 702 of the act, you can collect data that may also include the information of americans, even though they may not be the purpose. what the amendment simply said if you want to search that lawfully acquired data base for americans, you should get a warnts. not that you can't get the information, get a warrant. >> democratic representative from california zoe lofgrin tonight at 8:00 eastern on the communicators on cspan-2.

with live coverage on the house and senate, here, on cspan-3, we then have on weekends programs that tell our nation's story, including six unique series. the civil war's 150th anniversary visiting battlefi d battlefields and key events, american artifacts touring museums and unique sites. history books shall with the best-known american history writers. the presidency looking at the policy's legacy of our nation's commander in chief chlgt top college professors delving into america's past. and our new series, real america featuring article chi value government and educational films. c-span3 funded by your local cable or satellite provider. watch us in hd, like us on

facebook and follow us on twitter. one of the witnesses is the assistant director to the cyber division who testified about sending spam and viruss through a collection of computers known as bolt nets. this is 45 minutes. >> i call this hearing to order. i have the permission of my ranking member to get underway. he will be joining us shortly.

but allowing for opening statements and so fort. i think that's probably the best way to do this is to zisimply proceed and get underway. we are going to be hearing testimony about the threat that they pose to our economy, to our personal privacy and to our national security. a bot net is a simple thing. it's a network of computers connected over the internet that can be con struktsed to carry out specific tasks. the problem with bot nets is typically the owners of those computers don't know that they are carrying out those tasks.

they are now recognized as a weapon of choice for cyber criminals. and it is easy to see why. a bot net can increase the computing resource at a hacker's disposal exponentially all helping to conceal their identity. botnets allow identity theft on a massive scale. for years, botnets have sent most of the spam that we receive. the largest are capable of sending billions of spam messages every day. they're also used to distribute

attacks k4 can shut down web sites by sitly overwhelming them with incoming traflic. if only limit is the imagination of the people who control them. when a hacker runs out of uses for a botnet, he can simply sell it to another criminal organization to use for an entirely any interest. the threat of botnets is not just a threat to our wallet. they are effective weapons not only for those who want to steal from us, but also for those who wish to do us far more serious

harm. experts have long feared that the next 9/11 may be a cyber attack. if that's the case, it is likely that a botnet may be involved. simply put, in recent years, the government and the private sector have launched aggressive enforcement actions to disrupt and disable original boltnets. the technique used to go after these botnets have been as varied as the botnets themselves.

many use the court system with such ancient common law claims. in 2011, if government obtained, for the first time, a court order that allowed it to seize control of a botnet using a substitute command and control server. microsoft, working with law enforcement, has obtained several restraining orders to disrupt and in some cases, take down original botnets.

earlier this year, working with the private sector and law enforcement agencies around the world, obtained a restraining order allowing them to take over the game over zeuss botnet. it was designed to tlart efforts to stop them. each of our witnesses today has played a role in our efforts to stop botnets. i look forward to learning more about these and other enforcement actions. we must recognize that enforcement is just one part of the answer. i'm interested in how we can better inform users of the dangers of botne strks and what other hygiene steps we can take to address this threat. >> my hope is that this starts a kfrgts day-to-day and those of

us who are deeply concerned about that threat. kochk does have an important role for enforcement actions again botnes and clear gover nans standing when it can occur. we must also ensure that other actions are carried out in a way that protects consumers privacy. all while recognizing one of the greatest threat that is computer users face today. they can actually hack into your computer and look at you through your web cam. and we must make sure that our stafl to innovation. i look forward to starting this

conversation today. and to continuing it in the months ahead. i thank you all for participating in this hearing and for your efforts to protect americans from this dangerous threat. >> thank you, mr. chairman. i just want to acknowledge your work on this issue and everything related to cyber threats. there is no stronger, clearer voice in the senate than sheldon winehouse.

the department of revenue in south carolina was hacked in by, we don't know all of the details, but a criminal enterprise that stole millions of social security numbers. and then information regarding companies charters, revenue. it was a $35 million a year allocation to protect those who had their social security numbers stolen, we believe, by a criminal enterprise. it can happen in south carolina, it can happen to any business, organization in america. so the purpose of this hearing is to gather information and help the law enforcement.

i'm delighted to welcome our add min strative witnesses. the first witness is leslie caldwell. was confirmed on may 15,2014. previously having served as the director of the enron task force and federal asa in new york and california. after her testimony, we'll hear from the assistant director from the f.b.i. cyber division. he joined the f.b.i. in 198le

and assistant director in charge. i have to say that i have had the chance to work very closely with mr. damast and i appreciate very much the energy and notification he's braught against the criminal networks of the world and look forward to his testimony. let me begin with assistant attorney general senator caldwell. >> thank you for the opportunity to discuss the fight against botnets. i particularly want to thank the chair for holding this hearing and for his continued leadership on these important issues. the threat from botnets defined as networks of hijacked

computers serp tishsly. criminals are using state-of-the-art techniques to take control of hundreds of thousands of bots. they can then command these bots. they can flood an internet site with junk data. they can knock it offline by doing that. they can steal banking credentials, other personal information. other financial information. send fraudulent, spam, e-mail or even spy on unexpecting computer users. if left unchecked, they will succeed in doing so. as cyber criminals have become more sophisticated, the department of justice working

through highly trained prosecutors at the computer and property section of the criminal decision, which i'll call csips. we have, likewise, adapted and advanced our tactics to meet this threat. just one example, the u.s. attorney for the western district of pennsylvania and the f.b.i. in partner shich with other games disrupted a key member of that group. until its disrupt, it was the largest worldwide. it contained over 500,000 and 1 million computers.

used that information by transferring funds by transferring from the victims' accounts to their own accounts. thafgs installed on infected computers and enabled these criminals to encrypt and to charge victim also ransom for the release of their own files. in the short period between its emergence and our action, it affected nearly 600,000 computers worldwide. it continued with other serversaround the world. the investigation and operation

ultimately identified and charged one of the leading perpetrators and also to cripple the botnet. more over, was able to facilitate the removal of malware from have victim computers. at present, it remains inoperable and out of the criminal's hands. game over zeuss are down 30% and crypto locker remains unoperable. we are employing that congress has given us. we've lev rachblged our strengths by partnering all over the world and the private sector. if we want to remain effective, our laws and resources must keep pace with the increasingly sophisticated taktsices and growing numbers of our adversaries.

these proposals include an amendment to the fraud and abuse act and several other proposals. we look forward to working with the committee to address these issues. we also need additional resources at the department to just continue to disrupts botnets including hiring new attorneys as indicated in my statement. thank you for the opportunity to disz cuss work in this area. good aver noochb, chairman. thank you for holding this hearing. i look forward to discussing the progress the fbi has made on

campaigns to disrupt or disable our significant botnets. they pose a very real risk to the economic security and privacy in the united states and its citizens. the use of botnets is on the rise. the weapons of a cyber criminal are tool that is are readily available for purchase on the internet. this software is also known as malware that can turn a computer into a bot. a computer can perform an automated task. a network for these computers is

called a botnet. the impact of this global cyber threat has been significant. according to industry estimates, botnets have caused over $9 billion in losses to victims. the f.b.i. includes the panel of distinguished presenters today from microsoft and has had success in taking down a number of large botnets. by combining a number of resources and large government, we will continue to improve cyber security by identify catching those who threaten it. due to the complicated nature of today's cyber threat, the f.b.i. has developed a strategy to involve the development, distribution, and support

impacting u.s. systems. the complete strategy involves a wholistic look at the entire underground eco system. operation spearhead is sponsored by the f.b.i. to include d.h.s. and private sector. gern, del secure works is one of the main.

and we talk about gameover zeuss. increase the cost of doing business and to exceed uncertainty by causing potential or actual law enforcement action against them. just a beef description of some of the successes. the f.b.i. disrupted an international organized crime ring which stole computer user's credit card information and other personal, identifiable information. the f.b.i. exkuded nuchl rous search warrant and arrested 10 individuals from bosnia, macedonia, new zealand, peru, the united kingdom and the united states.

it had facilitated unauthorized access to computers and individual financial institutions to steal online banking credentials. over a thousand domains were seized and accounted for 11 million. and other industry partners disrupted zero access botnet. zero access specifically targeted search results on google, bing and yahoo.

>> again, investigative efforts result in the wider range efforts of conspiracy that affected thousands of computers infected with malicious software which is a mall ware that captured passwords necessary to log onto online banking accou s accounts. the conspirators allegedly used the information. later, june, 2014, yet another operation announcing a multinational eft result. if f.b.i. and its allies ever asempbted to disrupt.

game over zeuss is a specific type of mallware designed to steal from computers it infects. in the case, its primary purchase is to capture information from infected computers and then issues a redirect. losses contributed to game over zeuss are over a hundred million. we are focusing the same effort from the botnets. we welcome the opportunity like the one today to discuss our efforts. we are greatful for the community's support and yours, in particular, senator whitehouse.

>> thank you very much. given that, what are your factors for prioritizing which ones to go after through the clean slate program or just generalizing? >> so by operation clean slate, it was to forge a line for the private sector and government and then prioritize the most ae gr e gre jus. and looking across, you know, the world.

prioritizing those and developing a cam bane going after the infrastructure. >> one of the -- this pre-dates you. but i've had some concerns based on my time in the department of justice as the u.s. attorney. about the way in which the department has responded to the botnet threat. i think ewe're doing a good job, but there's a cultural divide sometimes between the criminal prosecutors and the civil attorneys for the government. these cases that take down the botnet are instiktive on the part of the criminal prosecutors to think that that's a lesser task at a lesser pursuit than what they are doing. and whether that gets in the way of adequately pursuing the legal

remedies that shut these botnets down. the second is when the core took place, it appeared to me that that was kind of an ad hoc group of very talented people who brought together to address themselves to core flood and to succeed at taking it down. once the operation was complete, they went back to their individual ausa slots and offices around the country. and the effort was dispursed. i'm interested in, first, how this is prioritized despite the civil nature of the legal proceeding that cures the botnet problem that strips it out to the system.

and what is done to establish a permanent institution. >> with a call for operation is a perfect example of how we see this going forward. although i wouldn't dispute that there are some criminal assistant u.s. attorneys who may think that the civil assistant u.s. attorneys have a less-exciting job. we don't see it that way. the civil o poept is a very big part of this. in gameover zeuss, we used a combination of civil and criminal authorities. again, it isn't one-size fits all.

the civil injunctions were obtained at the same time. there's a lot between the criminal prosecutors -- it was really all one team. so i think the civil tools is a very important tool. and we expect to continue to use it. as you indicated in your opening remarks, they're engaged in other things, too. one thing that we would like to see happen is an amendment to the statute to permit injunctions in other circumstances. then, on the institution of knowledge, the -- it really is the receptacle, that's a bad

word, but really, where all of that knowledge is based, it has a head kwaurters component and field component. if one prosecutor leaves, the knowledge isn't going to leave. >> it's deaf fitly a priority and it's a definitely a process

and there are counter part at the f.b.i. about these boltnets. >> my impression was that so much of those were sort of sporadic and ad hoc take downs. >> i'm glad that you've got ton where you've gotten. thank you. >> you make people think if i do this, i'm going to get caught. and if i get caught, bad things are going to happen.

>> i think it eets significant now. they could take some actions with impugntive. we're fine today based on some of the enforcement action. it's successful. we're causing impact. we see that in other collections, them talking against each other and concern. it is a way of containing some of the threats that we see today. >> i would say nation states of eurasia, criminally. >> are day reliable partners? >> we're opening dialogue on that front. >> we're working toward improving them. >> if it's position, could you

provide the committee with a list of people you think have been good partners and a list of people you think have been resistant? >> yeah, easily done. once we identify them, maybe we can change their behavior. was this a problem five years ago? >> this has existed for years. >> what made us more aware of it? >> i think consequences. i think victim reporting. i think major loss is occurring to private industry.

>> we see a complete evolution. but, again, we're actually placing -- at least there's a price to pay for engaging in this organization. >> are terrorist organizations involved in this? >> we track them very closely. i would say there's afternoon interest, but much further than that, we could give you a thorough briefing. >> on the civil/criminal aspect to this, what are the couple things you would like congress to do to earn hans your protection. i'm sure you've got this written down somewhere, but what are the couple things you'd like to see us do? >> one is the one that i've already plengsed. >> am i falling off? >> changing the civil injunction ability to that we have have the ability in fraud and wiretapping. there are, for example, directive denial of service attacks. right now, we can't get an injunction against that.

so we'd like to be able to do that. >> do we need to increase penalty? >> need to change any statutes to make this bite more? >> i'll defer to ms. caldwell, but -- i'll defer to you. >> yeah. i think that the maximum sentences under most of the statutes are adequate. i don't think we need any kind of mandatory minimums because we have been seeing judges imposing sentences around the seven, eight, nine-year range which i think is a substantial sentence. there are a couple other things we would like to see that right now there's no law that covers the sale or transfer of a botnet that's already in existence. and we've seen evidence that a lot of folks sell botnets. they rent them out. and we'd like to see a law that addresses that. one other thing which is a

little bit off point but i think is still relevant to botnets is we -- right now there's no law that prohibits the overseas sale of u.s. credit cards unless there's an action taken in the united states or unless money's being transferred from overseas to the united states and we see credit card -- situations where people have millions of credit cards from u.s. financial institutions and never set foot in the united states. that's currently not covered by the existing law. >> you could steal my credit card information from overseas and basically be immune. >> correct. unless you transferred proceeds of the scheme back to the united states. >> okay. one last question here. when it -- when they basically seize your computer, hijack your computer and the information contained therein, they actually hold -- i mean, they ask -- they make a ransom demand? how does that work? >> under crypto locker, what happened and i'm certainly not a technical expert so jump in.

you would be on the computer and see something on the screen that told you the files were encrypted and would be unless you paid a ransom and within "x" hours and if you didn't the files would be deleted. >> and a payment made through bitcoin or whatever established venue is they expect the payment within a given amount of time and if not it's encrypted. >> do people pay? >> they do. >> what's the biggest payout you have seen? >> well, all things involved, crypto locker and crypto wall now and a major concern of paying in excess of probably $10,000 but they're focused now more on major concerns, businesses. and entities as opposed to single victims. >> is that extortion under our law? >> yes. >> so you don't need to change that statute? >> no. the problem is, though, that as with a lot of these cyber crimes, most of the people engaged are overseas. >> thank you.

>> let me recognize senator kuntz who's been interested and dedicated to this topic and home state is energized on the topic because the delaware national guard actually has a cyber wing that's active and one of the best cyber national guard detachments in the country. i say one of the best because rhode island has one, too. senator kuntz? >> thank you very much. thank you chairman and senator graham. you're great and effective leaders on this issue. to the point raised by the chairman, given the persistency of this threat, given it trajectory, its scope, its scale and the resources that you're having to deploy in order to take down these botnets and in order to break up the criminal gangs, is it acceptable, is it possible for us to deal with this threat with a federal law enforcement response alone? do we need a partnership from state and local law enforcement? i assume the answer is yes. how are we doing it?

delivering an integrated capability, federal, state and local, first, second? what kind of capabilities do businesses and individuals, does the private sector and citizens have and what are we doing to help scale up that? because the resiliency of our country, the ability to respond to the threats as we all know much as it is with natural disasters or with terrorism threats, requires a sort of everybody engaged response that engages our private sector, engages entrepreneurs and engages state and local and federal law enforcement. >> sure. thank you, senator kuntz. we have cyber tasks forces throughout the offices, 56 out there. each office is engaging at the local level to bring state and local authorities aboard. net defenders from the organization thai represent. very difficult with resources constrained at the state and local level and appreciating. we kicked off a well spring,

defrauding the elderly and real estate and bring an investigator or officer aboard or analyst, we work closely with them to foster or develop the skill in this area working cyber crime. it's worked well in the initial offices in salt lake city, with the utah department of public safety. and down in dallas with some of the local department of dallas police department. we have a long way to go in that space and for them to fully appreciate the threats today facing the public or the citizens they're responsible for. on the private sector, we have worked far and wide and somewhat limited force and focused on those priority sectors if you will most threatened. but we have found time and time again the most threatened and most vulnerable are small to medium-sized business owners with one single person that's responsible for internet

security or cyber security and information and the like and how to target the band and bring them aboard? we had health care, representatives from the health care industry in the headquarters working through what that relationship would look like with health care and we focused on energy, telecommunications, i.t., finance and the like over the past two years and now how do we broaden that effort out? >> implicitly from the reference to health care, as we go to electronic medical records, we have data for cyber criminals to go after. ms. caldwell? >> yes. i think -- i'm sorry. i think any online database is vulnerable. some obviously have more security protections than others. and as you indicated, senator kuntz, the health care databases have a lot of sensitive personal information so we've seen i know in some of the botnets that we have seen over the years including if i'm not mistaken

game over zeus some of the victims were hospitals so that's a very serious area of concern we're concerned about. >> one other question. as senator whitehouse referenced, we have a warfare squadron of the national guard. delaware has stood up and grown and developed this national guard capability which takes advantage of the fact that we have a fairly sophisticated financial services community. we have credit card processing and as a result there's a lot of fairly capable and sophisticated online security and financial services security professionals who can then also serve in a law enforcement and national security first responder context through the national guard. what lessons do you think we could learn from that partnership, that collaboration in our two home states and lead us to a better scale-up of the needed federal workforce to respond to and deal with the law enforcement challenges? >> the treasure trove of skill in the guard and reserve forces.

we participated, actually hosted at the fbi academy the cyber guard exercise for 2014. a lot of -- we brought personnel in from around the field, at least 50 from the local cyber it is a forces and local guard units in. great capability there. our director along with deputy director had a meeting with the cyber command, osd and joint staff to better core late or corroborate in the space. tomorrow we have another meeting with the commanders at my level to put it in place with reserve and guard units. admiral rogers held a meeting up at nsa recently to talk through what that looks like and working with cyber command, the guard forces and reserve forces. and what skills they bring, how that may assist the fbi in our operations and also training opportunity that is we can leverage with one another. >> terrific. thank you for your testimony.

i look forward to hearing more of the development of the partnership and thank you for your leadership in this area, senator whitehouse. >> well, i'll let you two go. i'm sure we could ask you questions all afternoon. this is such a fascinating and emerging area of criminal law enforcement. i appreciate very, very much the work that you do and i want you to pass on to attorney general holder my congratulations for the dedication that he's brought to this pursuit, particularly as exemplified by the game over zeus take down and indictment of the chinese pla officials, those were both very welcomed steps and i'm looking forward to seeing more criminal prosecution of foreign cyber hackers. i think the opening gambit with the indictment was terrific. congratulations to you both. thank you for your good work, and we'll release you and call the next panel forward.

is. tonight on c-span 3, secretary of state john kerry talking about u.s.-india relations. after that president obama speaking to young african leaders at a summit in washington, d.c. and later a house science, space and technology hearing with two astronauts aboard the international space station. ahead of his visit to india this week, secretary of state john kerry talked about u.s.-india relations at the center for american progress where he urged india to expand trade and do more combat climate change. he also spoke briefly about events in the middle east.

this is 45 minutes. we are really honored and thrilled to have the 68th secretary of state john kerry join us today to discuss america's relationship with india. throughout his career, secretary kerry has reinforced the strategic partnership between the united states and india. he supported the crucial civilian nuclear agreement in 2008 and maintained u.s. support for india's full, permanent membership in an expanded u.n. security council. with a new government in india, the country faces challenges and real opportunities. prime minister modi came to power with a promise and a mandate to shake up india's economy and redefine the country's role on the world stage. through caps, we hope to work with key stakeholders to build an even stronger relationship and seize on the opportunity for positive change.

we are so pleased to have secretary kerry at our inaugural event. secretary kerry has a long and distinguished career in serving his country on the battlefield, in the senate, and now as the face of american diplomacy around the world. for three decades he represented massachusetts in the u.s. senate. in fact, i grew up in bedford, massachusetts, and he was my senator and i am proud to say my mom always voted for him. his service in the u.s. -- i left at 18, but i would have voted for him. his service in the u.s. navy during vietnam made him a leading voice. the proud son of a foreign service officer, his understanding of today's foreign policy challenges uniquely qualifies him to be america's top diplomat. since he was sworn into office, secretary kerry has been one of

the most active, energetic, and ambitious secretaries in u.s. history. he has dived head first into some of the world's most difficult problems. i know as the world faces greater and greater instability with international crises erupting seemingly daily, it is easy to turn in words. that is why it is so crucial secretary kerry is in this role because throughout his career he has stood for that strand of progressivism that is international in outlook and engaged in the world. that brand of progressivism that believes an engaged america strengthens our own security as we work for peace and stability around the world, however hard that is. i know the world is a difficult place and getting more dangerous. but secretary kerry also knows that without active, engaged american leadership, it will get far, far worse. we are lucky to have him in this role.

i believe he is truly the man for this moment. secretary kerry, thank you for being here today, for all the support you have had of cap over the years, and it is now my great honor and privilege to introduce secretary of state john kerry. [ applause ] >> thank you very, very much. thank you for confirming to me your mother's fealty. i'm deeply appreciative for her support through the years and i'm sorry we lost you when you were 18, but i'm glad you wound up here as is everybody else. we're delighted that you're here. it's a privilege for me to be back at the center for american progress, and i am very, very apologetic for the delay. i know i have kept you all from your appointed rounds and i apologize for that. it's good to get the telephone

unglued for a few minutes here. obviously we are still working hard trying to deal with the issue of the crisis in the middle east. i spoke to it a little earlier today, so i'm not going to repeat what i said except to say to all of you that we want to be able to find a way to get to a table to discuss the underlying issues which are real and impactful on everybody and on the region, and we hope to be able to find the magic formula by which the violence could cease for a long enough period of time to try to find that sustainable cease-fire which could allow you to move on from there. the region has known violence for far too long. too many innocent people caught in the cross fire.

to many lives ruptured, and so it is imperative for all of us in positions of responsibility to do everything we can to try to find a diplomatic way, a peaceful way forward if possible. it is a privilege for me to be back here at the center for american progress. ambassador, thank you for being here representing the embassy, the dcm here. all of our ex-ambassadors and ex-assistant secretaries of defense and otherwise, greatly appreciative for their support and efforts to advance the very crucial relationship between the united states and india, and you know at a time when so many people are back in history when they were looking for a lot of simple slogans and silver bullets to cure an immediate problem, which was pretty basic, that the democratic party was out of the white house and

sidelined in the minority in both the house and the senate, that's when a guy named john podesta stood up and was determined to get past the day to day ups and downs of the washington echo chamber and helped to shape a progressive policy agenda for governing. john knew then what he practices now in the white house for president obama, good policy is good politics. so -- excuse me. let me get rid of my flight here. good policy really does make good politics. i always found that and i have always tried to practice that. under neera tanden's leadership for the last couple years, cap has continued to prove that good ideas are still the most important currency in our

political debate, and that is a principle that has also guided cap's work on foreign policy, especially in convening the first intensive climate change dialogue between the united states and india. india 2020 builds on that success by showing how the united states and india together can tackle global challenges from security in the asia-pacific to providing clean energy to delivering more inclusive growth, and vikram and rich are going to help lead us together on that bringing some of the best minds together in terms of policy and politics, and i thank you very, very much for your contribution, rich and vikram. thank you for what you're undertaking. it is really a dialogue about what is in most people's

currency but not always yet fully blossomed, one of the most important relationships internationally. now, i just got back as i think you all know from a pretty intensive trip to egypt, israel, and the west bank and to europe working to try to find an end to the violence that has threatened our ally, israel, and which has also cost hundreds of innocent lives in gaza and elsewhere. we're -- the fact is that we were able to produce at least the beginnings of a cease-fire process, a 12-hour cease-fire, then confusion over four hours and 12 hours, but the bottom line is the concept of that is still appreciated by all and the key now is to find the road, not the question of what. now, there are some in america who question america's efforts,

actually not just in america. there are some people who ask this elsewhere, but particularly here they question our efforts to bring peace to various conflicts around the world. i think they ought to ask, what's the alternative? make no mistake, when the people of israel are rushing to bomb shelters, when innocent israeli and palestinian teenagers are abducted and murdered, when hundreds of innocent civilians have lost their lives, i will and we will make no apologies for our engagement. ungoverned spaces threaten us all. instability threatens us all. in upholding the rule of law and humanitarian standards are not only national security imperatives, they are the right thing to do. this is who we are, and this is what we do. and, frankly, i think it is what we do with greater gusto, with greater grounding, if you will,

in international rule of law and structure than almost, almost any other country. but i want to be very clear about something, and that's why i'm here today. even as we focus on crises and flash points that dominate the daily headlines, even as this happens and they demand our leadership, we will always act with long-term strategic imperatives foremost in our minds and that's why we're here today. you can go to any capital in the world, and you can find different nuanced and self-assured perspectives about american foreign policy. but if you were lucky enough to have the top 100 foreign policy thinkers sit in a room together and you ask them to name the most important relationships for

which the united states -- with that relationship will most affect the direction of the 21st century, i can guarantee you this, every single one of them would rank the u.s./india relationship right up there in the top tier. so i want to emphasize, the key relationship for the united states, one of the key relationships for the united states in that context is the deepening relationship with india. and particularly trying to deepen our ties with india in terms of our strategic imperatives, both of us. it doesn't matter just to us or to india. it actually matters to the world, and that's why in my first months as secretary of state i went to india, and it's no coincidence that, you know, at the time in prime minister modi's first 100 days of his

government, i'm now returning to delhi for two days of strategic dialogue and discussion, and it was no accident that in the intervening time we have had many discussions and meetings and the prime minister -- former prime minister singh came here to the white house during that period of time. then, of course, they had an election and as everybody knows for a certain number of months during an election, things tend to be put on hold. now is the time to renew that dialogue with a new government, with a new set of opportunities, new possibilities. this is a potentially transformative moment in our partnership with india. we're determined to deliver on the strategic and historic opportunities we can create together. in a globalized world, we recognize that, yes, india is going to have many different partners. that's the nature of the world we're in today.

but we believe there are unique opportunities for just the united states and india. and that the dynamism and the entrepreneurial spirit of mumbai and bangalore, of silicon valley and of boston, that is precisely what is required in order to solve some of the world's greatest challenges. president obama is absolutely right to call this a defining partnership for the 21st century. india's new government has won a historic mandate to deliver change and reform, and together we have a singular opportunity to help india to be able to meet that challenge, to boost two-way trade, to drive south asia's connectivity. to develop cleaner energy. to deepen our security partnership in the asia-pacific and beyond. the united states and india can and should be indispensable

partners for the 21st century and that is, i assure, you the way we approach the modi government. this week secretary pritzker and i will be emphasizing those opportunities as we meet leaders of india's new government. we face, as we all know and neera talked about it and it is true, this is a particularly challenging moment. forces that were pent up for years in the cold war, tampened down by dictatorship and absence of freedom to speak have suddenly been released everywhere, and everywhere everybody is in touch with everybody all the time. it changes the face of politics profoundly everywhere. people have more information, more ability to organize, more

ability to talk to each other. so we do face a host of critical challenges together, and we face a world in which more young people, more rapidly are demanding more from their governments with too much -- too many places where there's too little response. and that is a challenge for all governance. none more so than what we do to link our economies, india and the united states in order to further our shared prosperity agenda. what we do to strengthen global security and a rules-based international system, how we turn the challenges of climate change into an opportunity for greater cooperation and economic growth these are the big challenges, these are opportunities for us. our countries have had a decades' long relationship, and i can personally remember the lingering sense of distrust and

suspicion when i went to india at the end of the cold war. i travelled with executives from companies like raytheon and nextel. i remember talking to then finance minister singh about the reforms that were needed and the opening up of the economy and the ability to be able to attract capital and have rules that made sense to everybody, that we all understood. i remember that back then, and i felt then the possibility of the enormous potential of a closer, stronger partnership. and now it's not hard to see how in this moment we can actually deliver on that partnership's full promise. the new plan, together with all, development for all, that's a concept, a vision that we want to support. we believe it's a great vision.

and our private sector is eager to be a catalyst in india's economic revitalization. american companies lead in exactly the key sectors where india wants to grow. in high-end manufacturing, in infrastructure, in health care, information technology. vital for leapfrogging stages of development so you can provide more faster to more people. india wants to build a more competitive workforce and already 100,000 indians study each year in america's universities. but america's community colleges actually set a remarkable standard for 21st century skills training. we should be expanding our educational ties, increasing opportunities for young people in both of our nations. i know prime minister modi drew

from that energy of india's youth during his campaign. he repeatedly pointed out that while india is one of the world's oldest civilizations, it has the world's youngest population. prime minister modi has said young people have a natural instinct to rise like a flame and he has spoken about india's duty to nurture that instinct, and we believe, frankly, that's a duty for both of our nations, and that means strengthening the exchange and technical education and vocational programs for high skilled trades and especially in areas where we can build on the entrepreneurial innovative spirit of both of our nations. and we all know about the extraordinary work ethic that india have and the capacity to seize this opportunity. one of the marked contrasts of this moment is this

juxtaposition to parts of the world where young people demanded a participation in this world they see around them and rose up against leadership that had stultified over the course of years, decades even. tunisia, egypt, syria. they all began without one flake of religious extremism involved in the revolutions that brought change. it was all about young people gathering and forcing the notion that they wanted something more to life, they wanted opportunity, education, respect, dignity, jobs, a future. so this possibility i have just defined between india and the united states which fits very neatly into prime minister modi's vision that he expressed in a campaign which was ratified overwhelmingly by the people of

his country is exactly the vision we need to embrace now and that's why this opportunity is actually so ripe. this area of cooperation is, you know, particularly exciting i think and i'm particularly confident about these opportunities because only countries that reward creativity the way the united states and india do could have possibly launched hollywood and bollywood. only countries that celebrate the entrepreneur the way we did could have launched silicon valley and bangalore. innovation and entrepreneurship are in both of our dna, and they not only make us natural partners, they give us natural advantages in a world that demands adaptability and resilience. the united states and india cannot afford to just sort of sit back and rest on these currently existing advantages.

we have to build on them, and we have to build on them by investing more in one another. now, unlike some other nations, the united states cannot direct a private corporation to go invest in a particular country. president obama can't order businesses to build factories in calcutta. it just doesn't happen. but we know this from several hundred years of experience. if india's government delivers on its plans to support greater space for private initiative, if it creates greater openness for capital flows, if it limits subsidies that stifle competition, if it provides strong intellectual property rights, believe me even more american companies will come to india. they may even race to india. and with a clear and ambitious

agenda, we can absolutely help create those conditions. so as we work with our trading partners around the world to advance trade and investment liberalization, india has a decision to make about where it fits in the global trading system. india's willingness to support a rules-based trading order and fulfill it's obligations will help to welcome greater investment from the united states and from elsewhere around the world. the greater transparency and accountability that prime minister modi put in place during his time as chief minister tells us he has already provided a model of how raising standards can actually increase economic growth. now, i believe the united states and india should continue to reach for the ambitious target that vice president biden laid out last summer in india to push from $100 billion to $500 billion a year in trade.

and whatever impediments we may face along the way we need to always be mindful of the opportunities and the bigger picture around this. so it's in our -- excuse me. it is completely in our mutual interest to address those obstacles that kind of raise their head here and there as you go along the way and to remember that a lot bigger opportunities will come from more robust ties. so we need to keep our eye on the prize out there and not get dragged down by, you know, one small or lesser particular aspect of a restraint. the bigger picture has to guide us and the end game has to guide

us. if you have any doubts, just look at the opportunities that ford is creating right now in india. they're doubling production from plants. they're investing $1 billion to make india a global hub for exports. take a look at the jobs tata is creating for americans by expanding automobile design and sales in the united states adding to its 24,000 employees already in this country. india investment creates close to 100,000 jobs right here at home. we've also convinced -- we are convinced that just as the united states and india can do more to create shared prosperity, so can india and its neighbors. simply from the size of south asia's market, 1.6 billion

consumers, and from india's geography sitting at the center of this dynamic asian continent, the opportunities are leaping out at us. they're just enormous. and just to underscore how untapped this potential is consider this. south asia is the least integrated economic region in the world. fastest growing region in the world, southeast asia. by strengthening trade link was bangladesh, by building on the political opening in burma, by increasing trade with the asia-pacific and southeast asia, india can be at the heart of a more connected, prosperous region, so we are deeply committed to helping india grab ahold of these opportunities. that's why the united states is supporting an indo-pacific

economic corridor to connect south asia to southeast asia. that's why we're focused on investing in regional infrastructures and then the creation of a regional energy market. and that's why we're supporting new trade routes linking central and south asia with a new silk road initiative. i mean, the possibilities here are gigantic. by inviting leaders from around the region to his swearing in and by bringing them together to speak about their economies, he is eager for india to play a leading role, and guess what? so are we. nowhere is that leadership more critical than improving cross border trade and relations between india and pakistan.

prime minister modi took the important first step of inviting him to his inauguration. both men are business-minded leaders who want to create opportunity for their people. he was very encouraged, thought it was positive. the possibilities he understood. so improved trade is a win/win for both countries and both peoples, and i know that there are plans for commerce secretaries and foreign secretaries to meet in the coming weeks in order to build on that. i commit to you that the united states will do everything we can to encourage india and pakistan to work together and improve the prospects for both prosperity and stability in the region. now, india has already shown a deep commitment to regional stability with the generous investments in afghanistan. at this critical moment of transition and in the coming months, support from all across the international community will

be vitally important. in the coming days, i will continue to work closely with president karzai, with the candidates, with the united nations in order to provide afghanistan with support during the transition. and we look forward to working also with india on this and we look forward to india engaging with its neighbors so that afghanistan's connections to the region and the world are defined by the opportunity that they can create together. far beyond afghanistan india's assuming greater responsibilities for regional and global security. as india plays an increasingly global role, its interests are served by forging strong partnerships on a broad range of issues. among south asian nations and within international organizations, india should be a global leader. that's why president obama voiced his clear support for a

reformed u.n. security council that includes india as a permanent member. for several years india has been a major partner in the fight against piracy in the strait of malacca. even as we speak india and the united states are participating in rim pac and joint naval exercises. secretary hagel will explore broadening our deepening -- the deepening possibilities of our relationship with india when he travels there in early august. counterterrorism is also a challenge to both of our nations. the united states and india are continuing a very close partnership in that regard. we began after the horrific mumbai attacks, and then we began to train first responders in order to help protect our citizens. and president obama was crystal clear about the stakes at his

west point speech in may. and our two nations have provided one model of how these partnerships can work. our collaboration on counterterrorism and real time information sharing has helped us confront common threats and bring terrorists to justice. but there is obviously room for us to be able to do more. when terrorist attacks took 400 indian lives in 2013 alone, we know that the threat of terrorism remains too real and far too high or india's people. confronting terrorism requires our continued partnership and it requires continued vigilance, and it also means leading with our values. india and the united states are two nations that have worked hard to overcome our own divisions so that today we draw strength from pluralism and

diversity. we have to provide that example as we work to provide opportunity beyond our borders addressing the conditions that allow extremists to thrive in the first place. i won't tell you where, but i'll tell you i was with a foreign minister of a country in africa recently and we had dinner and we talked, kind of candidly and openly as you can in that situation, and he said to me, you know, i asked him about their muslim population and what was happening. he said, well, "x" percentage of our population is muslim and we're very worried because the bad guys have a strategy. they grab these young minds when they're 13, 14, 15, 16, they pay them originally and then when they get the minds they don't pay them anymore, they don't have to. then they send them out to recruit or conduct a mission and they subvert the state. they have a strategy.

do we? it's a prime question for all of us. and in so many parts of the world where 60% of the population is under the age of 30, 50% under the age of 21, 40% under the age of 18 and more in some places, if these people don't find jobs and they don't get an education and they don't have opportunity and dignity and respect and a voice, then you know who is going to grab them and say out of frustration there's a better way. that's part of our challenge and responsibility as great global powers, and that's part of how we tame the most dangerous impulses of a more interconnected world. one challenge that drives home just how interconnected and interdependent we are on this planet is this challenge of a lifetime called climate change. for millions of indians, extreme weather and resource shortages

are not future threats. they are here now. they're endangering their health and prosperity and security every single day. in india's largest rice producing region, west bengal, the monsoon rains have been 50% lower than average this year. this comes after the monsoons all but failed last year in several indian states helping to cause one of the worst droughts in a generation affecting 120 million indians. in parts of northern india, armed bandits have imposed what amounts to a water tax demanding 35 buckets a day. so believe me, it is not hard to measure the ways in which climate change every single day is already a catalyst for instability. i can show you places in the

world where tribes fight over a well and people are dying because of the absence of water. and while parts of india suffer from a once in a generation drought, others suffer from, guess what? historic rains. when i arrived in india last summer, there was an area grappling with historic floods that killed more than 5,000 people. so climate volatility is clearly taking a toll on india's population and so is pollution. of the ten cities in the world with the worst air quality, six are in india. each year in india the effects of air pollution cause nearly 1.5 million deaths. so we know what the downsides are, but happily, guess what? we also know what the solutions are.

and forging these solutions is a huge economic opportunity for both of us. the solution comes from areas where we already do things very well. where we've already made great progress. where innovation, smarter energy policy, and clean energy technology are already defining the future. let me just share with everybody, reinforce this again and again whenever i get a chance, the solution to climate change is energy policy. it's not some magical unreachable, untouchable thing out there. it's not pie in the sky. it's energy policy. and where we put good energy policy in place we reduce emissions and we begin to contribute to the solution. it's a huge market, my friends. i also remind people that the market that created the great wealth of the united states of america during the 1990s, which made americans individually and otherwise richer than they had of been in american history.

at the top end it made people richer than they did in the 1920s when we didn't have an income tax, and everybody saw their income go up in the 1990s. you know what that was? a $1 trillion market with 1 billion users. it was the high tech computer, personal computer, et cetera, market. today's energy market is a -- today's energy market is a $6 trillion market now with 4 billion to 5 billion users growing to 9 billion users over the course of the next 30 years by 2050. just think about that. it's an opportunity for huge numbers of jobs, for transformation and the provision of our power, transformation in health, lowering the pollution, moving into the new energy sources, providing safety and security in energy so we don't have instability and i could run

on in the possibilities, not the least of which are global responsibility to stand up for and leave a cleaner, better, more sustainable earth to our children and our grandchildren. it's a way of living up to our responsibility as stewards of the planet which, by the way, is directed to us in every major scripture of every major religion. now, both of our nations pride ourselves on science and innovation. so the bottom line is this is up to us. it's up to us to deliver. i know prime minister modi understands urgency. he's called for a saffron revolution because the saffron color represents energy. he said this revolution should focus on renewable energy. he's absolutely right. together i believe we can at last begin a new constructive chapter in the united

states/india climate change relationship. the united states has an immediate ability to make a difference here and we need to eliminate the barriers that keep the best technology out of the indian market, and the united states can help india find and develop new sources of energy through renewable technologies and greater export capacity for liquefied natural gas. already we've brought together more than $1 billion in financing for renewable energy projects, and with this funding we helped to bring india's first 1,000 megawatts of solar power online but we need to build on the u.s./india civil nuclear agreement. so that american companies can start building and provide clean power to millions in india. and we need to build on the $125 million investment that we made in joint clean energy research and development center. prime minister modi has also made a commitment to electrify every home in india by 2019.

with fewer limits on foreign technology and investment in india's green energy sector, we can help make clean power more cost-effective and more accessible at the same time. we can provide 400 million indians with power without creating emission that is dirty the air and endanger public health. and by working together to help an entire generation of indians leapfrog over fossil fuels, we could actually set an example to the world. so i readily acknowledge that today's climate challenges did not start with india, and we know that the united states is the second largest emitter of carbon in the world. the first now being china who have overtaken us, but we also know that we can't solve these problems alone. no one. they require partnership, and our partnership requires our

leadership. by acting right now to reduce emissions just as president obama has done here in the united states, by investing in innovation, and by working together in the u.n. climate negotiations we could prevent the most devastating consequences of climate change and meet this generational challenge. lastly, in this century one that will continue to be defined by competing models of government, india and the united states have a common responsibility. we already have it. we share it. to prove that democracies can deliver for their citizens. our two nations believe that when every citizen no matter their background, no matter their beliefs can make their full contribution, that is when we are strongest and that's when we're most secure. so we are two confident nations connected by core values,

optimistic nations, never losing sight of how much more we can and must achieve. from women's rights to minority rights, there is room to go further with our work together, and we also have to speak with a common voice against the violence against women in any shape or form that is a violation against our deepest values. the united states and india are two nations that began both of their founding documents with exactly the same three words. we, the people. and by deepening our partnership we can work together to deliver opportunity to all of our people and become stronger nations. president roosevelt, of course, described america as having a rendezvous with destiny. india's first prime minister, prime minister nehru, spoke about india's tryst with destiny.

this can be a moment where our destiny actually do converge, and if we harness our capacity of our two nations, if we deepen our partnership, if we make smart choices, if we seize these opportunities, the united states and india can create a more prosperous and secure future for the world and for one another. that is why i leave for delhi tomorrow night and that is why the president will welcome prime minister modi to washington in september, because this is the moment to transform our strategic relationship into an historic partnership that honors our place as great powers and great democracies. we intend to leave not an instant behind us. we are going to get to work now. thank you. [ applause ]

>> ladies and gentlemen, we ask that you please remain in your seats while the secretary makes his exit. thank you. >> on our next jirnl we'll talk to mississippi senator roger wicker about the house senate deal on a veterans health care bill and the debate on immigration and border security. texas democratic congressman, beto o'rourke will weigh in on that legislation. later anthony carnevale will discuss workforce training

programs. washington journal live each morning at 7:00 eastern on c-span. sunday on book tv's in depth, former republican congressman from texas and presidential candidate ron paul has written more than a dozen books on politics and history with his latest on school resks. join the conversation as he takes your calls, emails and tweets live for three hours sunday august 3rd at noon eastern and tune in next month for author, historian and activist, mary francis barry. in october joan biskupic discusses court decisions. michael korda in november. and arthur brooks in december. in depth on c-span's book tv for serious readers. the washington fellowship for young african leaders heard from president obama monday at a summit in washington, d.c.

the fellowship includes hundreds of promising leaders from s sub-saharan africa. this is an hour. >> to introduce the president of the united states, please welcome washington fellow, faith mingopath. [ applause ]

>> thank you very much. you may have a seat. [ laughter ] good morning. young leaders of africa, good morning distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. my name is faith. i'm a broadcaster, business woman and a world changer. but that is who i am. this morning let's talk a little bit about who you are. who are you when the narrative has depicted you as dark? who are you when the shadow of corruption as well as the shadow of instability has caused a shadow of your own ingrown greatness? who are you when hunger has been given a face and that face is you? who are you when the mental shackles which emphasize your inability to own your own resources and your wealth just refuse to come down? i say you are the ones that have

been chosen to rewrite the narrative. you are the ones -- [ applause ] africa, you are the ones that will testify of the greatness and the light of our african continent. by your works all the world will know that africa is no longer a sleeping giant but that, indeed, it is awake and open for business. [ applause ] we would like to thank president obama's washington fellowship for young african leaders on the program that's opened our eyes to endless possibilities which may occur when we no longer see ourselves as island countries within the african continent but rather as a nation, as citizens, as families who are interlinked and draw strength from collective collaboration. ladies and gentlemen, what we

learn and engage with one another let us remain resolved in this fact. we are the ones who are africa's best solution. [ applause ] so young leaders of africa, join me in this, to welcome the president of the united states. [ applause ] he is the leader, the believer of young people. >> hello, everybody!

hello. hello, everybody. thank you. thank you. thank you so much. everybody, please have a seat. have a seat. we are just getting -- we're just getting started here. well, hello, everybody. [ applause ] welcome to washington. i know most of you are visiting our country for the first time so on behalf of the american people, welcome to the united states of america. [ applause ] we are -- we are thrilled to have you here and to everybody who is watching online across africa or at watch parties or following through social media,

you are a part of this too and we're very glad you're with us. and can everybody please give faith a big round of applause for the great introduction. [ applause ] i have to say faith didn't seem very intimidated. she seemed not lacking in confidence. and she's doing great work in south africa to empower young people and young entrepreneurs, especially women. now i'm not here to give a big speech. the whole idea of a town hall is for me to be able to hear from you. but first, i want to speak briefly about why i believe so strongly in all of you being here today. next week i'll host a truly historic event, the u.s.-africa leaders summit where nearly 50 presidents and prime ministers attend from just about all of

your countries. it will be the largest gathering any american president has ever hosted with african heads of state and government. and the summit reflects a principle that's guided my approach to africa ever since i became president. that the security and prosperity and justice that we seek in the world cannot be achieved without a strong and prosperous and self-reliant africa. even as we deal with crises and challenges in other parts of the world that often dominate our headlines, even as we acknowledge the real hardships that so many africans face every day, we have to make sure that we're seizing the extraordinary potential of today's africa. which is the youngest and fastest growing of the continents. so next week's summit will focus on how we can continue to build a new model of partnership between america and africa. a partnership of equals that

focus on your capacity to expand opportunity and the strengthen democracy and promote security and peace, but this can't be achieved by government alone. it demands the active engagement of citizens, especially young people. so that's why four years ago i launched the young african leaders initiative to make sure we're tapping into the talent of young africans like you. [ applause ] since then we partnered with thousands of young people across the continent. empowering them with the skills and training and technology they need to start new businesses, to spark change in their communities, to promote education and health care and good governance. and last year in south africa at a town hall like this in soweto, some of you were there i announced the next step which was the washington fellowship for young african leaders.

the objective was to give young africans the opportunity to come to the united states and develop their skills as the next generation of leaders in civil society and business and government and the response was overwhelming. across the continent young men and women set out on a journey in remote village, phones and internet. they traveled by bus and train to reach larger towns and cities just to get an online application for the program. one young woman from rural zimbabwe took a five hour bus ride, another six hour bus ride, another seven hour bus ride, a two day journey just to get her interview. ultimately some 50,000 extraordinary young africans applied. and today they are at the heart of what we're calling our network the online network across africa sharing their

ideas and forging collaborations to realize the change they seek. i want everyone out there in the network to know you're the foundation of our partnership with africa's youth. today we're thrilled to welcome you our washington fellows to an exchange program unlike any other that america ever has had with africa. among your ranks is that young woman from zimbabwe who endured all those bus rides so we want to welcome abigail. where is abigail? [ applause ] where is she? there's abigail. [ applause ] that's a lot of bus rides. [ laughter ] now, i do have a first item of business. as i said, i launched this fellowship in soweto not far from the original home of nelson

mandela and the spirit of this program reflects his optimism, his idealism, his belief in what he called the endless heroism of youth. and so today with the blessing of the mandela family to whom we're so grateful, we're proud to announce that the new name of this program is the mandela washington fellowship. [ applause ] you're the first class of mandela washington fellow. [ applause ] that's right. so now i know all of you have been busy. all of you have been busy at some of america's top colleges and universities. you've been learning how to build grassroots organizations and how to run a business, how to manage an institution. as one of you said my brain has

been bubbling with all sorts of ideas. you've been developing your own ideas to address the challenges at next week's summit. i've read some of the recommendations that were produced at each university and college and i thought they were outstanding pieces of work. and that's what i want you to hear today. your ideas. your vision for africa. here at this summit you're going to engage with some of our nation's leading voices including some who you can't wait to see who is michele obama because -- [ applause ] -- but many members of congress who are strong supporters of this program are also here. where are members of congress. i know we got a few. there you are. [ applause ] so some outstanding members of congress are here. you'll get a chance to meet some of them and i know some of you are headed off to internships in our nation's leading companies

and organizations. one of you said i'll take what i learned and put it into practice back home and that's the whole idea. and i want to say, by the way, i took some pictures with some of the university officials who have hosted all of you and uniformly they said they could not have been more impressed with all of you and what a great job you did in engaging and taking advantage of the program. so thank you. [ applause ] i know you also have been experiencing america as well. the places that make us who we are, including my hometown of chicago. you experienced some of our traditions like a block party. you've experienced some of our food, faith said she ate a lot of texas barbecue when she was in austin. you really like that barbecue, huh? you got the whole longhorn thing going on and all that.

and americans have been learning from you as well because every interaction is a chance for americans to see the africa that so often is overlooked in the media. the africa that's initiativive and dynamic and growing. a new generation on facebook and twitter creating new ways to connect. i see some of you tweeting this town hall. although mostly i see these guys shifting into the seat over and over again, so everybody can get a picture. don't think i didn't notice. you all just -- you need to stay in your chairs. everybody thinks they are slick. so -- so -- so the point is our young leaders, our young africa leaders initiative is a long

term investment in your and africa and the future we can build together and today i want to announce some next steps that i think are important. first, given the extraordinary demand for this fellows program we'll double it so that in two years we'll welcome 1,000 mandela washington fellows to the united states of america. [ applause ] so that's good news. second, we'll do even more to support young entrepreneurs with new grants to help you start a business or a nonprofit. and training thousands of aspiring entrepreneurs in smaller towns in rural areas and given the success for our annual global entrepreneurship summit i can announce that next year's summit will be hosted for the first time in sub-saharan africa. [ applause ] third, we're launching a whole new set of tools to empower young africans through our network, new online courses and mentoring, new ways to meet up an