administrati administrative sanctions on people who vary from the accepted rules. at least in a willful context and even perhaps in a negligible context. nothing attracts the attention after government employee so much as prospect of losing his job or being, you know, suspended for a term of months. so that would be where i would focus. >> if we look at failures of compliance that's been acknowledged, if we see employees that are failures of the technical systems that behave consistently with. internal policies and this is a case where oversight can operate without needing to get deeply into the nuts and bolts of technology and what process are in place and what technology does what your general council

says it should do. and that is -- i think there's an opportunity to push on oversight in that area. >> to general dempsey now. >> thank you. and thank you to all of the witnesses. i think it is important as we wrap up this panel to highlight what i at least heard as an awful lot of commonality. i think it is important for the board and important for the public moving forward. not to end up in the proposition that this is also confusing and there are so many different views. i heard a lot of commonality among the witnesses starting with the point that i think you all agree whether you start from the premise that privacy is a human right or whether you start

from the premise that it is instrumental right. i think all of you agree that it is an umbrella term that covers many different values, many different interests. and the mosaic theory, even if it isn't accepted by the court, is real. it is real both from privacy perspective and it is real from the governmental perspective. >> let the record reflect you're nodding. >> and thirdly, i think i heard unanimity that what the law refers to at least as the third party doctrine. the doctrine that by giving information to one person, you lose all interest, all privacy interest in that information,

that exposure to one surrenders you right with respect to disclosure for any other purpose. there was agreement that that concept, that disclosure to one is disclosure to all, is not a valid and constitutionally aside, for modern day reality, that doctrine just doesn't fit with the way we view information and view privacy. and dan is nodding. paul, would you agree that the disclosure to one is not a surrender of all interest in the information. for. >> i would say that the way that people interact today, it would be inappropriate to imply consent to universal disclosure from explicit consent to disclosure to a single person. yes. i'm not sure that i would agree with what's implicit in your

question, which is that that -- that it necessarily if will fols that that is a matter of either constitutional significance or one of legal kog niezable significant that should animate this board. i want to think about that. but i would certainly accept the premise that human experiences, that if i tell dan a secret, i'm not expecting him to tell everybody. >> there is an instrumental approach. an instrumental value that the disclosure of your medical records to the doctor is specifically premised by the notion that you have not surrendered your privacy rights and in fact we want people to accurately disclose information to their doctors. therefore we promise them this their disclosure to the doctor is not disclosure to all. >> that's true. that's a wonderful example because we accept statements made to a doctor as an exception from the hearsay rule precisely because we think that when you talk it a doctor in an emergency situation you're motivated to be

telling the truth. i was shot, doc, so the doctor can be in some circumstances, be compelled to -- so it works both ways. >> so the law collected under -- >> yes. >> there was talk about the fips, the fair information practice principle. which there is no definitive version of them, but there is a version that was adopted by the department of homeland security in 2008. which is as good as any, i think. an it seemed to me also that there was agreement that the fips framework provide the

framework, the question, they are nowhere perfectly implemented. nowhere fully implemented. but they are relevant as a framework for asking about how you deal with information. then you decide, do you adjust it? does it work? if it doesn't work, you compensate for it with more emphasis on other issues. is that again a fair -- paul, you're making a some what skeptical face. you would at least say that it was a framework for asking the question. >> it is a framework for starting point for asking the question. but i think that many of those questions don't with stand the technological trance nations we're going through.sce nations we're going through.ice nations we're going through.e nations we're going through. nations we're going through.nations we're going through.ations we're going through.tions we're going through. it was a leaping off point but i think that some of the other members of the board would discard them as inoperable under circumstances --

>> and what would you replace them with? >> as ed said, emphasis on the remaining aspects and then to my mind, i think kind of more granular analysis of the underlying interest and in thinking about what the mechanisms are and the privacy interest we are talking about is that we have to protect -- you know, fips is one size fits all. i just don't think it kind of covers the range of the privacy of the chairman outlines. >> we have a couple questions from the audience. i'm not sure we will get to all of them but i will direct tlem. i'll be arbitrary and direct them to a particular panel member. then if you could be as brief as you possibly can. first one, the writer wanted it directed toward you.

when the government draws data from certain public data, such as telephone data, which regulation is more required? private entity collections or government collection from the private entity? yes or no? >> i don't think i can answer that question. depends on what you mean by more regulation. obviously when you disclose certain information to your telephone company, you are in a contract with that company. that regulates your dealings with the company. i think part of -- one of the problems that with the metadata program is that there is no reading of the contract or the section 215 as patriot act that would enable any person to know what they are consenting to and know that their information goes knot sa. to the nsa. >> so the answer is both? >> both tp just different types of regulation. contractural regulation. story communications act is

government communication act and from the government the fourth amendment and all of the matter of law. so lots of regulation everywhere. >> okay for you dan. private companies have no incentive to coerce or imprison people, that's why the risk might be greater from the government than from private companies but the rider act, does that take into account the homeland security and nsa couldn't do what it does without 484 contractors providing it technical support. are there risk in the increasing commercialization of national security. >> yes. problems can come from anywhere. i don't think they are inherent things that can be said about

various things about where problems could be caused. they help gather data, analyze data, and sure data with the government. i think all these things create various problems that we need to address. and so i think if we can keep our eye on the problems and stop looking elsewhere and just look at the problems, and address those problems, wherever they may happen, i think that's the best approach. >> okay. so the panel discusses what they

think their tesla, i today ask what that was, what technology should be built in -- i know you have covered a great deal in this report. if you could just give us kind of one piece or summary on it, that would be kbret. >> in a sense, the question is asking me to sum up a whole area of knowledge in a second. which i won't try do. i simply say that as with cars, as with the tesla, some sort of high end car, you should think in terms of which technologies are available and reasonably prak tig al to use to minimize or control or limit the risk of a certain information practice. and then ask that those be there. that you should ask that an entity that wants to collect and use the information be willing to justify the choices they've made and be willing to justify why they did not use some

accepted technical privacy preserving technical method if it seems to be available. >> the last one is -- paul, i don't think you're naturally available, but what about the application of privacy and quasi federal organizations like the federal service. if i can remember back to my old initial background. that something benefits there -- >> pension. pension benefits. >> what? >> pension benefits. >> pension benefits. how are they impacted? are there issues for privacy in those organizations? >> i suppose the honest answer is that i'm not sure. the fourth amendment applies those institutions in they are exercising governmental authority and acting as agents

for the government. so i assume that postal service employees can't open your mail willy-nilly just because they're a pseudo private actor. i may be wrong about that but since they don't open my mail, jim is nodding no, i'm right. so that's good. i think the implication, the most interesting part of it, since it is transition and something to talk about, is that it emphasizes the point the lines are made with which i do agree which is that the line between commercial collection and government collection is increasingly blurring some and the idea that, you know, regulation of the government but no regulation of collection is kind of sits in this instance and places that are half way between.

for me, you know, that suggests one set of answers because i'm willing to think about whole sale government regulation at extreme level of government -- corporate practice, corporate business practice. i think there's some there. but it certainly emphasizes the confluence between them. >> okay, that ends my part of the panel. does the chair have any parting words? >> thank you very much. >> thanks to the panel and audience questions. we will resume with the technology panel.

>> on the next washington journal, arizona congressman will discuss some of the outstanding issues created in the lame duck session of congress and democratic agenda moving forward. and republican congressman walter jones of north carolina will talk about the u.s. strategy for combatting isis, including president obama's recent request for $5.6 billion in funding toward the effort. we will also take your phone calls, look for your comments on facebook and twitter. the senate gathers tuesday. shortly thereafter senators are

expected to begin debate on a bill that would authorize construction of the keystone xl pipeline. a vote on final passage is scheduled for approximately 6:15 p.m. recent reports have 59 senators planning to vote in favor of the measure. which was introduced by a louisiana senator mary landrieu. that's one vote shy of the 60 votes necessary for final passage. we recently talked to a capitol hill reporter for more insight. it will take six hours and 60 votes but the senate tuesday will vote on keystone xl pipeline legislation. lauren gardner is covering the debate in the senate. she is with cq roll call. what is with the senate taking up the keystone measure? >> well, obviously some political implications here on the line. senator lan drew of louisiana is in a very heated run off race with congressman bill cassidy,

republican serving in the house, and for senator mary landrieu, this is key to demonstrating that they can legislate and hold her own on the floor of the senate. even when her leaders aren't necessarily behind her. and she wants another legislative win to take home to louisiana and show voters that she can get things done. >> what would the keystone bill do? >> the keystone bill would basically take the approval process away from the president and give it to congress. and it would just see the pipeline approved and consider the environmental impact statement or issued as having filled the requirements under an environmental policy law. that has to be followed in order for a cross border permit to be considered. >> let's look at 60 votes needed in the senate to pass the measure. your article, you quote senator mary landrieu as saying, i am

confident that we'll have the 60 votes to pass it. where do things stand with the counting of the votes? >> as of right now, it still appears that senator mary landrieu has 59 votes. last week senators carper and bennett both blejed their support for the bill. as of right now, we haven't found the 60th vote yet. but mary landrieu aides said she would not have pushed this hard if she didn't have 60 votes. so well see going into tonight and tomorrow where the count is. >> seems like a fair amount of pressure. you retweeted modified tweets and the environmental activist saying a warning shot fired, your words. democratic leadership. senator schumer marched in the climate march. if he votes for the pipeline, he's never invited again. what are some of the senators feeling? >> democrats are feeling pressure from the environmentalists who want to tie keystone to climb at change

and make an argument by allowing them to go forward it would exacerbate the level of greenhouse gas emissions the the earth is already experiencing. for any democrats that want to be taken seriously now or in the future, there is a lot of pressure there. and part of senator schumer's office, says he is voting no against the pipeline. >> last week, 31 democrats to vote for his measure, what happens to congressman cassidy's measure if san tosenator mary landrieu's passes. >> well, that's the actual bill that will be sent to the president's desk. so cassidy name on it not mary landrieu. but she said it doesn't matter to her as long as the bill reaches the president's desk. >> you mention hoid this is playing in louisiana. here is the headline and role call. keystone dominates senate run off. but does louisiana care?

what's the story behind that p. >> well there's been a lot made about this keystone vote. for both candidates they want to take oem some kind of victory, however they are going to get it, to voters. do louisiana voters actually think this is a wedge issue. for senator meyeary landrieu, s has had direct impact on louisiana citizens. when she successfully negotiated a delay it flood insurance premium increases for example. >> a big issue to president obama. the white house has said whether or not the president will sign or veto the bill? >> they haven't wanted to say directly one way another, but president obama has repeatedly said while he is on foreign trial he wants to stay in the process and separate the supreme court process in nebraska to play out. so if he had his druthers, we

wouldn't have a bill at his desk p. but they haven't said one way or another if they would issue a definitive treat. >> you can read more at roll call.com and follow laurengarden at twitter. >> thank you for the preview. >> thanks for having me. >>. next, discussion on diversifying the work nors through education and other means. on-line magazine politic365 hosted this event which has representatives from the naacp and national urban league. this is 1 hour 40 minutes. good morning. good morning. and welcome to politic365 third annual blueprint policy forum. i'm co-founder and editor in chief of politic365.com.

with the release of our second report, we embark on a conversation about best policy practice that should be implemented and in some cases replicated nationwide in order to ensure greater economic opportunity for people of color even young people. following my introduction ducks, the report will have remarks from members of congress. we are join id right now by donnaed? ward who we will hear from soon. and we will also have an opportunity to do broader conversation between all of you here today. swoe so we thank you for coming. as our natural landscape shifts. we find that people of color play in even more critical role in dictating the socio economic health, vitality and global competitiveness of the country. thank you for joining us today. and we look forward to partsing out some ideas and strategies for a better positioning our communities and country for greater opportunities and future successes. so a little context.

4 1/2 years ago, politic365 launched just eight months before the 2010 mid term election. our goal in creating an on-line magazine focused on politics and public policy from a multicultural point of view was two fold. first we wanted to have a place where people of color, spesh especially youth and young adult could understand the key issues of the day and how decisions made by elected and appointed officials impact their lives. second, in addition to demystifying what can admittedly at times be a mind-numbing political process, we wanted to create a platform that uplifted leaders of color even help them better serve their constituents by empowering people with information relevant to their lives and livelihood. so we fast forward to today. and while we remain ever faithful to our founding principles, we are even more committed to engaging, educating and empowering young people and

people of color to become more active are a tis pants in the policy decisions that shape their daily reality. particularly in view of changing demographics, it is neither prudent nor practical for this nation's growing majority of young people and people of color to sit on the side lines while other people whose interest and outlook may be be our own or whose vision does not align with the greatest hopes and aspirations that we have for ourselves, to dictate the victory answers outcome that create the america we live in each day. and so, in 2012, politic365 set to be out, not just a media outlet, but a platform fosh issues that matter so much to our community. in march of that year we held the first forum where we assembled policy makers, academics, business leaders, thinkers, movers and shakers. our goal was simple.

determine strategies to enable young people and people of color to leverage the momentum created by america's changing demographics to improve their social and economic standing. so thus began our quest. after a year of conversation and workshops and research and dinners and forums and surveys an meetings, we released our first blueprint report high lighting policy which if adopted and implemented effectively could help benefit our core demographic. our recommendations then as now focus on nine high growth spektors of the american economy. where substantial employment, entrepreneur ship and investment are being born each day. these sectors, broadband in technology, defense energy, health care and pharmaceuticals. hospitality, media all is part of economic activity supporting

millions of jobs and has pro nound found amounts of innovative potential. we released o you are first blueprint report in 2013 and set forth a high level policy agenda outlining critical issues that need to be addressed in order to both increase the participation by people of color and young people in our key industry areas and also create a better pipeline for success once we are more active in these spaces. to do a few key things merged across all sectors. first, enhanced opportunities for educational and stem in particular is a must. second we live in an increasingly connected society in which the internet is you'll things social, economic and political. and digital literacy skills are required to excel in this 21st

century economy. third, more needs to be done in the way of implementing and forward thinking of work force development program that are able to prepare people of color and young people for the types of jobs available in these most high growth sectors of our economy. fourth, we cannot turn a blind eye to the lingering effect of racial discrimination. especially when it comes to things like pay equity, access to capital, and the ability to tap into networks with influence. and finally, there's a critical interplay between regulations and the ability that firms, whether large corporations, small business orie or entrepreneurial efforts, that they thrive, have better jobs and replace the greater good. economic, as we call it, is access to jobs, critical resources and investment

potential on one hand. and the prsens of the ability to adopt and use affordable products and services on the other. with today's relief of politic365 blueprint for universal economic inclusion, best practices for building more diverse inclusive work force. we outline the current demographic situation for people of color, young people, propose some specific policy approaches, and highlight industry best practices that co-eless to create what we think is a prime recipe for economic opportunity. this report explores changes and torp rate policies that maror dangers and demographic. america becoming younger and more diverse at a time when too many achievement gaps persist and stand in the way of our growing majority becoming full and active participants in the economic promise of this country. a few democratic trends note, between 2000 and 2010, u.s.

population growth was driven almost exclusively by racial and ethnic minorities. by 2042, people of color will make up the majority of america's population. even as people of color become the majority, during wealth and employment gaps threaten our community. it is 20 times that of african-americans and 18 times that of hispanic households. overall employment rate fell in september 2014 but the first time since 2008, unemployment for african-americans. though higher education is often associated with higher earnings, crop out rate for african-americans and his span iks are higher than they are for

white americans.dcrop out rate african-americans and his span iks are higher than they are for white americans.rop out rate fo african-americans and his span iks are higher than they are for white americans. 29.3% of white americans. and by the variety measures, african-americans and hispanics enter college less ready and prepared than their white or asian counter parts. with the growing stem degreeses, african-americans and hispanics pursue these fields at a lower rate than white or asian-americans and only kproez about 75% of the work force. with each group maintaining a steady power of 1 trillion and $1.5 trillion respectively. also broadband adoption and technology is up among african-americans and hispanics. especially when it comes to mobile technology. so bearing these trend in mind

we outlined key policies and best practices integral to turning the tide, based on america's growing ma skbrort and better position of people coloring people for better opportunity. whetherer with talking about paying for a house, saving for retirement or putting our kids through college, we rely on banking and financial services to support the fabric of our economic needs. at the same time, almost 6 million people are employed by this sector and the wealth generated by the financial services industry contributed nearly 6% to u.s. gdp in 2009. increasingly, participation by young people and people of color in this space requires direct pipe lines to opportunity, mentorship, and a meaningful investment in diversity. we site jpmorgan chase, gold sacks and master card for their efforts at diversity recruitment

and retention. as long as they support stem, job preparedness an financial literacy. when it comes to broadband and telecommunications, private sector has invested in excess of $1.2 trillion in deploying and maintaining broadband network since 1996. and an aggregate, brond band sector continues about $900 billion annually so the u.s. economy and supports roughly 10 million jobs. broadband is not only an asgent of economic opportunity but it has health care application and platform for the ideas and entrepreneurial activity. leaders in this space like verizon and at&t are creating rent preneural positions through people in color. and reverse the pipeline

program. the larmgest purchase of spectrum by minority owned firm in the country, supplies jobs and we took photos of community and young people. and the model for low income broadband adoption across the nation, having provided more than 1.2 million low income americanes with access to the internet. the value created i by the broadband and what we enjoy as open internet cannot be overstated. even as congress contemplates a potential rewrite of the telecommunications react by 19 t 96, requiring flexible rules of the road. which the commission can create using section 706 authorities that both protect consumer interest and incentivize.

turning to our defense sector, which is critical to our economic future, roughly 1/6 to all spending goes to national defense. and the sector directly supports more than 1 plilon jobs but twice as many, contributing about 2.25% of the nation's gdp each year, america spent between 500 billion and $750 billion on the fence each year. with issues like internet security, cybersecurity and bolstering the nation's defense systems raise and prominent so too dot opportunities for young people and to become more active participants in his face. northrop grumman has workplace diversity, executive compensation, higher and retention, lockheed martin, a focused approach and establishing new pipe lines of talent and bowling focuses on

mentor ship and power of sparking diversity among its ranks. participation by people of color and young people in this space, requires enhanced attention to stem education and resolution budget issues that has cuts related to spend ppg. >> employing o well over 1 million people with more than 600,000 working for private utilities, additionally, tens of thousands of new jobs are being created each year as a result of the renewed focus on did mostic nfrg production. in total, expenditures comprise of about 9% of the u.s. gdp. part of the economic economy equation them for the energy soerkt requireded a new job. solar projects launching across the nation. bit same token, efforts to

modernize the electric grid, and improve energy efficiency, will give benefits to young people. and companies like pacific gas and electric, duke energy and receive ron put in place that programs that promote sponsorship and deliver economic value back to their community. turn together health care and pharmaceutical sector state in the headlines with the implementation of the affordable care object. kproezs one of the most vibrant sectors of our ekmoin is health care spend pg. 18% of total gdp. cot /* cost expected to double

by 2020.cot /* cost expected to by 2020.ot /* cost expected to y 2020.t /* cost expected to doub 2020. /* cost expected to doubl 2020./* cost expected to double 2020.cost expected to double by. participation in the health sector should be relevant to people of color who disproportionately suffer from chronic illnesses. if our workers are ill, not loin do they create financial burdens on the health care system to accommodate their treatment but they lose valuable time from working or entrepreneurial endeavors that could further the prospects of our community. the association of medical colleges have been front and center on minority recruitment and a three-year diversity curriculum for employees focused on inclusion. hotels and restaurant industries have become some of the most reliable hirers and promoters of young people and people of color. number of african-american owned

restaurants jumped 188% between 1997 and 2007. compared to 36 did% increase for all restaurant businesses. o during the same time period, restaurants increasing 80% while some grew 60%. people of color app young people and to advance economic opportunities. mariott has a learning program that also provides scholarships to the hispanic college fund and united negro college fund. allowing its employees to pursue their agreement or desire to build. making it possible for more people of color and young people to critical entry points to the political process. >> to the media industry which encompasses television radio music books and more, it is one of the largest and most diverse industries in the country.

adults on average spent 9 hours 9 minutes on digital media. the media is creating exciting opportunities for people. even if questions of media ownership persists, there is a tremendous opportunity for core demographic to be active parties nants this space. mindful of the value created by having people of color and young people actively participate in a sector, companies like 21st century fox, cbs and walt disney are supporting academic allia e alliances and mentoring to promote diverse talent p. after several years of downturn, detail sector roared back. with more than 3.6 million retailer establishments in the u.s., which support 1 in 4 jobs

or 42 million working americans, as an industry retail contributes approximately 2.5 into the country gdp each year. as consumers people of color have a growing spending power. which numbers into the trillions. as employees we represent a significant percentage of retail workers. as employers constantly taking it to new heights. target and call wal-mart, as examples, are engaging in community, investing in women-only new businesses and supporting life-long learning programs that help their employees. and finally the transportation sector encompasses every a r public and private movement with people from place it place. its very expansive nature is what supports millions of jobs

that generate sewed much potential. companies like american airlines and amtrak continue to focus their efforts on pipeline programs and inclue sievity. so country's demographic shifts and these are lots of numbers, so what does this all mean? the demographic shift provides a catalyst for some of the companies we have listed and some of the industries we have discussed to really start creating new pipeline programs to get traction going but the underlying goal is what should we be doing to increase economic opportunity for young people and people of color. and that's what we are here to talk about today. our report lays out of a variety ideas and statistics and best practices. we are privileged to joip two members of congress who will share with us their thoughts on how we can move forward. i would first like to ask a congresswoman edwards to please

come up, then we will be followed by congresswoman wilson. >> thank you, kristal, and good morning. as i was skimming through the report, one of the things that stuck out with me is the link in each one of these sectors to the technology sector. and the gap that kristal expressed that is born out in fact of the numbers of young people, people of color, who are trained for and going into these sectors. so i thought that i would focus my remarks in that direction this morning. i wanted to do that by sharing with you my experience. so when i came out of high school, like many of our young people come out of high school, i was very adept at many of the stem fields. scien science, technology,

engineering, math. we didn't call it that then. there was everyone in anyone who said, by the way, you should go into these fields in your career, in your studies and in college. no one who did that. despite the fact that i had scored at the top level on, you know, s.a.t. tests and math and these areas. and i came out of undergraduate at wake forest university majoring in english, minoring in spanish, and i thought that was great. and i kind of worked my way into in a very haphazard way into the lockheed corporation. lockheed ended up actually knowing that i had that capacity. they sent me to school, trained me, i ended up being a systems engineer working in the space program at nasa. but from my way of thinking, especially in looking back on

that now, there was a gap of almost a decade during which i could have been doing those things but for having been trained, mentored and developed in those fields. and sadly enough, that was years ago, that's still happening now. and as we look through each one of these sectors and particularly the growth sectors, a what strikes me is that in those growth sectors, the gap, particularly among african-americans young people and their training and development in the stem field, means that those gaps will increase if we don't stem the tie. i think is helpful to have pointed out some of the corporate good actors. i think too often we point out the bad actors. it was helpful to point out some of the good actors trying to engage in the most helpful way in matching the diversity in

many of these fields with the demographic shifts that are happening in this country. i wanted to know that one of the important fact for me is how connected young people are to technology. they are mobile broadband users. and although that hasn't translated into the home, it is not a fact that worried me quite as much. though it does in terms of young people being able to act as technology at home. so that they can be better students. but the reason is because as we move towards the future, it is increasingly going to be the mobile broadband applications that are more valuable in the workplace and in these growing sectors. but it can't be lost just on entertainment. it has to be translated into work force development, training and opportunity in the economy.

the other thing that strikes me in the democrgraphic changes ar increases in population, obviously, of all communities of color. and i think coming off of this last election cycle where we've today process that, what it means for us from a policy perspective, is that we have to in every space in the country begin to embrace and not fight against those demographic shifts. by making those opportunities available through the education sector and into these various sectors. i, over this last year, undertook, you know, just a tour, not in my congressional district but around our state to the historically black colleges and universities and minority serving institutions in maryland. with the specific purpose of

exploring their stem programs in each one of these institutions. i think my take away from that is the recognition that the overwhelming majority of our student of color are going to be educated in these institutions. and while they are trying on their own to expand the stem application and opportunities in those universities, it is not matched by an investment in research both by the federal and by state government. and when you don't have institutions in which research is being invested, you don't have institutions over a period of time that can continue to attract the most talented of student, most talented . and so it seems there a place for congress and state legislators in investing and research capacity of our

historically black colleges and universities and minorities serving institutions. that that would be a good invest amount that would pay off, truly pay off in the long run. it sls occurs to me that there are are interesting things happening in those ini ininstitutions. things that have do with renovation and that can spiller into the larger economy. i recall some interesting work going on on around agriculture around the university of mir land eastern shore. enhancing technology. but it requires a real infusion of investment so that you connect federal resources, whether that is through our national institutes of health, or whether it is through the department of agriculture and other sort of up suspecting places to the work that's going on in that institution. then i will say as well,

congress started a stem challenge a couple of years ago. very, very few members of congress participate in that stem challenge. and the goal is to try to some some ways like the artistic competition that goes on to encourage young people who are in our schools, to actually participatie in developing interesting new applications that demonstrate their capacity in the stem field. but very, very few members of congress are participating in that. i think that's a fault because it has a benefit, and i think particularly for members after congressional black caucus and white focus and it could have the benefit of elevating the importance of investment in these areas. now that is an policy response but it is a public education response. which i think it as needed as well. i've been very interested in

trying to figure out a way that we can use our tax code to encourage investments in smaller businesses that are doing things like innovative research and development. revery often the tax credit we offer for those things go to larger businesses. it is not that there is anything wrong with that, it is just that for my minority entrepreneurs, you know, they don't have the capacity to just pour out their corporate treasuries into investing in research and development. when you're a nation that doesn't invest in research and development, you are a nation that doesn't invest in the future. so i think as we move into a discussion about the tax code, let's expand that discussion so we are figuring out how we can encourage investment and research and development technologies and some of our smaller firms. that would have the benefit of providing greater opportunities

for minority businesses and for women-owned businesses that we're not going to get if we just trigger the tax code at the highest income or highest performing areas. then i think that it is really important for us to broaden our reach of stem. of science, technology be engineering and math. and what do i mean by that? in most places it is a funky terminology. everyone wapts wants to use it. but no one put the wherewithal into helping us understand how it is that we began to encourage young people to be interested in these feeltds. fields. most young people make a decision by about fourth grade that they are math students or science students. when a judgment is made in about fourth grade that that is true,

virtually every other decision about education flows from that. most of our stem programs on the other hand, target high school student and they even starring target student already in our colleges auniversities. so you probably lost a decade or more attracting our best students. and so we have to have interesting things that young people are excited about doing. things that connect them and their lives to the technology. and i think we have the capacity to do that but we also have to reach an unsuspecting places for those student.

and for me, when i think about my own congressional district, that is not about anned k educa system that creates special schools for these things. to me, the way to do education is to make sure that they are investments made in a whole bunch of different kind of schools and a lot of different neighborhoods. and encoo viernments because you over in know where you're going find those students. there a school in my congressional district, it is an science school. it is not a magnet school. and yet it has a whole bunch of students in that school with a lot of really great educators who are invested in making sure that they understand these technology fields. aep so what they've done is partner with the feed are schools to that high school and those student learn from each other.e are

schools to that high school and those student learn from each other.r are schools to that high school and those student learn from each other.are schools to that high school and those student learn from each other.re schools to that high school and those student learn from each other.e schools to that high school and those student learn from each other. to that high school and those student learn from each other. many of them do it on their own time, with guidance from parents, with guidance from educators. but what i have learned from that is that students no matter what neighborhood they're in, has the capacity to want to learn in these fields. and the more we engage them and the more different places that we engage them, the better capacity hour employers and future employers have been investing under those communities and schools. and i will conclude by saying when i look through the report, and i saw a number of the employers who were named as having, you know, robust and strength programs for bringing in. and let's not call it diversity but call it inclusion, the inclusion that is the demographics of this nation into their workplaces. some of the names didn't surprise me. and the reason is because those are exactly the same partners that i have in my congressional

district when it comes to things like job fares, career opportunities, investing in education. and investing in communities. many of these players are exactly the one doing that, those things now. what we have do is translate this good work and they are good examples into a broader spectrum of the workplace. so i thank you very much for the tupt to be here with you this morning and i look forward to cannoting to working with so many of you. because there are opportunities for our young people. we have to help them see it and see their connection to the future and then, when it comes around to an election cycle and we are asking young people to participate and asking actually all of our communities to participate in elections, it is not far afield from them. because we have connected with they need and their opportunity to the future to our public

policy development to a job in their community and neighborhood. to investing in them and their children and families and communities. and so, i like the idea of even the name poll politic365. because politics and public policy is not just a labor die to november exercise.oll politi. because politics and public policy is not just a labor die to november exercise.ll politic. because politics and public policy is not just a labor die to november exercise. politic36. because politics and public policy is not just a labor die to november exercise. politic36. because politics and public policy is not just a labor die to november exercise.politic365. because politics and public policy is not just a labor die to november exercise. contrary to popular belief and popular practice. with politic365, we are going to change that concept and stop losing churches after labor day and start investing under our community january to november. thank you very much. [ applause ] >> thank you, congresswoman edwards. i would like to invite

congresswoman wilson up now for some remarks. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> i would like to thank politic365 and especially our editor in chief, kristal high for inviting me today. i'm an educator by trade. i just happen to be a member of congress from miami, florida. and i started o out as a school teacher and i was educational coordinator for head start when we first add head start. and when they were trying to take head start out of our school districts. i had to come to congress to testify and save head start. then i became a school

principal. and it was just on the cusp of integration in miami, and the '80s. and i was the first black principal of this very integrated school. and they had to actually bus in the african-american children to integrate the school. the school was one-third african-american, one-third hispanic and one-third anglo. early on in the school year, i realized -- thank you so much. when you're from miami and you leave 80 degrees and you come here, that's a problem. and it is very early on it was very apparent to me that the

little black boys in my school were different. they were so different. i begin to meet with them every wednesday in my conference room and have lunch with them because every single time i had a parent come, it had to do with a black boy. if it was for suspension, expulsion, homework, alternative education, exceptional education, discipline, report card. whatever and why. even though the school was so integrated, it was always these little black boys. so i began to meet with them in my conference room and i used to ask them, what is the matter with you? why are you so angry?

why can't you just sit still, pay attention, listen to the teacher? why are you always in my office? talk to me. talk to me. so i started making home visits and i started listening to them. and it was very clear to me that these little boys had a little hole in their heart.