too long. >> that is senate business i will yield to mr. booker if he is -- yes --. i believe senateor booker has left, but we're hopeful for a speedy confirmation. >> i support the chairman -- >> not only is he handsome, but he is very intelligent. >> seriously senator. they want to know the prospects of mrs. lynch's confirmation. >> can you approach the microphones please? >> i think it's good thank you. >> can you talk about -- >> we discussed it but we didn't go into detail. >> thank you sir. >> i think chairman buter field covered everything that we did. the president is looking for creative ways to make certain

that all americans will be educated and trained to meet the challenges of any trade agreement. >> thank you! >> members of the congressional black congress talking with press members after their meets with the president. we will take you back to some of our state of the state and inauguration addresses throughout the country. governor greg abbott during his inaugural address, he talked about taxes, education, and infrastructure spending. [ applause ]

>>. >> thank you all so much. let me welcome everyone here to your capital the people's capital of the great state of texas. [ applause ] texas is so great we say the pledge of allegiance twice! lieutenant governor dan patrick and wife jan, to speak erthe speaker

and his lovely wife julie. we continue to elevate texas higher than it has ever been before. to members of the texas senate and the members of the texas house. to all elected officials and to members of the judiciary. and most especially to all of my fellow texans. let me express my deepest gratitude to the people of this state for electing me governor of the greatest state in the united states of america. for 14 years we the people

placed our trust inform a man i am humbled to succeed. along with his wife, anita, he has been a faithful steward of the miracle that is texas. and i thank rick perry for us unwaivering leadership for this great state. the path that brought me to this point today i could not have travelled alone. i share today with so many people starting with a woman of genuine warmth and character my

beautiful wife cecilia. texas has been a blending of cultures from across the globe even before we game our own nation. my wife represents that. she has now made texas history as the first hispanic first lady in the history of the great state of texas. >> and we share this very special day with our precious

daughter, audrey. audrey, it is through your eyes that we see the promise of the next generation of texas. i am honored to be the texas governor. but the title that matters most to me is that of dad. i am proud to be your dad, audrey abbott. >> family is everything to us as is shown by the legions of family members with us today. i won't name them all, but i do

want all of them to know how grateful i am for your love and for your support. i do however, want to recognize my father-in-law, bill palin, and perhaps the most famous mother-in-law in texas. [ applause ] and i alsoment to recognize gary abbott. gary is my big brother. but he is also a retired commander in the united states navy where he served for 20

years in the most powerful military in the history of the world. so i want to say thanks to gary. and to every man and woman with us here today who has ever worn the uniform of the united states military. their extraordinary service has secured our freedom to celebrate events of democracy like what we are celebrating today. but for me let's face it.

this moment was highly improbable. during this month, 30 years ago, i laid in a hospital bed recovering from injuries that broke my back and left me forever unable to walk. the journey from that houston hospital to the texas governorship was possible because of two powerful forces. first, is the grace of god the book of matthew reminds us that with god, all things are possible. i'm reminded of this when i hear

a song that i often hear in churches across the state of texas. it is titled "you raise me up." you raise me up so i can stand on mountains. you raise me up to walk on stormy seas. i am strong when i am on your shoulders. you raise me up to more than i can be. as i begin my governorship, i humbly ask god for his continued grace and guidance. and i assure you we will never forget that we are one nation, under god. [ applause ]

now the other powerful force that brought me from that how's hospital to this inauguration is that i had the good fortune to live in the great state of texas. texas is the place where the improbable becomes the possible. go back in time and you realize that many people thought that it would be improbable that texans would overcome the devastation of the alamo. and yet the unyielding drive for independence that has always filled the hears of texans helped them go on to achieve

victory at the battle of sanjocino and begin the legend that texas has become. to this day, texas has been filled with legends who started humbly, but who succeeded spectacularly. where a boy like dan duncan, who grew up dirt poor in deep east texas started a business with just two trucks and $10,000. but with hard work and true texas grit he went on to become one of the wealthiest texans ever. where people like colleen barrett can climb the ladder from being an executive assistant to being one of the most powerful women in america

as president of southwest airlines. and where a 13-year-old daughter of immigrants from mexico worked nights in a drapery factory, but never gave up on her dreams. and now, eva guzeman is the first latina justice on the supreme court of texas. [ applause ] and texas is where a mother from wichita falls, who like so many mothers chose to stay at home with her children and raise them and instill in them the values she thought were important. and although now today she is in

heaven with my dad, she is no doubt proud that her timeless love and devotion inspired her son to become the 48th governor of texas. these stories are the promise of texas. these stories are not the exception because our state truly is exceptional. i am living proof that we live in a state where a young man's life can literally be broken in half and yet he can still rise up to be governor of this great

state. as governor i will ensure that texas remains the state that ensures that brand of opportunity for every single texan. texas truly is the land of opportunity. the place where anyone request achieve absolutely anything. but, as great as texas is there is more we must do. more for the families who are stuck in traffic. more for our parched towns thirsty for water. more for parents who fear their children are falling behind in school. more for our employers who are searching for skilled workers.

more for our veterans who return broken from battle. and we must do more for the millions of texans who are tierred of having our state's cover sovereignty and the rule of law ignored by a federal government who refuses to secure our border. [ applause ] as governor i will ensure that we build the roads needed to keep texas growing. texas raised for roads will be

spent on building more roads here in texas. i will speed up our needed water projects. and i will ensure that we secure our border. >> and it will come as no surprise that as governor, i will continue my legacy of pushing back against a washington if they spend too much regulate too much, or violate our state sovereignty. [ applause ] any government that uses the guise of fairness to rob us of

our freedom will get a uniquely texan response. come and take it. now don't get me wrong we texans are not spoiling for a fight, but we won't shrink from one when the cause is right. for far too long washington has tried to remake america in it's image. in texas, we offer a different approach. we don't put our trust in government we put our trust in

the people. and we will never forget that the government is the servant of the people, not the other way around. [ applause ] as governor, i will also ensure that we keep texas number one in the nation for job rekrags.creation. we will promote policies that limit the growth of government, not the size of your dreams. yet we all know there are too

many who live on the fringe of opportunity. for them, there is no solice and number one ranking that don't touch their lives. i'm talking about our children who live in broken homes. and children who are struck in broken schools. on this point, we cannot be captive to partisan arguments. because our children transcend politics in this state. if texas is to remain the leader in job creation we must become the leader in educating our children. you know when you think about

it, you realize that countries sometimes excel because of their military might. states are different. states will excel because of our mental might. texas should be the source of the greatest minds that the country has ever known. these great minds will not be molded by a cookie cutter approach to teaching. instead, it will be the product of great teachers that recognize the value and uniqueness of each and every student. we will cultivate those teachers. we will educate those students to fill the growing job markets that will keep texas the economic engine of the united

states of america. now with us here today is one of those teachers. my english teacher from duncanville high school, nancy nichol. [ applause ] ms. nickel taught me how to reach for my dreams. thank you mrs. nickel and thank you to all of the tremendous teachers we have in our great

state. there truly is no place like texas. we will ensure that remanes just as true for the next generate as it does for those here today. i want you to take just a moment. i want you to look at where you are sitting or standing. the ground beneath your feet is far more than pavement or grass. it is the soil that centuries ago bore the hopes and the dreamts of settlers who risked it all to come to a lapd that promised freedom and

opportunity. scripture teaches us that perseverance creating character, and character creates hope. because our lyes have been abused with the perseverance and character that sprang. and we must make sure this hollowed ground stirs the hopes and dreams that come after us. we must keep texas on a path that took years from now. in this generation that we were to past generations. to do that we must do more than

just work to find a common ground to solve our problems. we must seek higher ground to elevate texas even more. not just as a leader in this nation, but has a leader in this world. as goes texas so goes america. and as goes america, so goes the world. so we have to take the lead here in texas from amarillo to mce mcclellan. we must work together to ensure that the future is bigger in texas. may god bless each and every one of you, and may god forever

bless the great state of texas. thank you. >> tomorrow the house is scheduled to take up the senate version with the construction of the keystone xl pipeline. watch the debate on c-span. u.s. chamber of congress president calls to pass cyber security bills. >> thank you, suzanne, let's not

lose sight that i'm irish. thank you to all of you for being part of this annual chamber tradition. the state of american business is improving. six long years after the recession technically ended, inventing and consumer spending are firming up. the housing sector continues to recover in fits and starts. we have created millions of new jobs. the drop in energy prices may slow this sector over the next year. we have had a few good quarters of solid growth surprising some of the experts. the economy should continue to

improve moderately through 2015 opinion the chamber expects to see growth at least through the middle of the year. energy prices and inflation should remain low for the time being. there is no reason to think that another recession is lurking out there or in the near term arising. when you look beyond the near term, the outlook becomes much less certain. businesses are concerned about the health of their major customers over seas. china is slowing europe is floundering, and japan may be sinking back into recession. it is also a disruption from a whole host of international conflicts.

closer to home, employers are being being -- at the current rate, 4,000 regulations will pour out of the regulatory pipeline this year. the new congress faces a series of government funding and debt limit lines this year as well. we hope the administration will act responsibly and not add to uncertainty. and everyone wonders when the federal reserve is going to raise interest rates. when the time inevitably comes, how will the markets react. adding to these uncertainties are all of the questions about siebl cybersecurity. what happened to sony can happen to any business, any organization, or to any media

outlet. government in the private sector must work together on this challenge. and we're calling on the congress to pass a cyber security information sharing bill without delate based on economic reports, it's understandable that the administration and the business community and the chamber may like to stake a victory lap. not so fast there is lots more to come. we can forget that 17.7 million americans are still up employed under underemployed, or have given up looking for work. participation stands at 62.7%.

reflecting a significant level of discouragement and let me say in some places extraordinary increases in productivity. current policies have eroded our long term potential rate of growth. it would be a serious mistake for more taxes and regulations to deliver more jobs and prosperity. they will deliver less. the american people understand this. this is why last november they clearly rejected a good portion of the economic course that we're on. they voted for a new direction. one that puts jobs and growth

first. the chamber played a significant role in the midterm elections. we have since then, been meeting with our leaders in both the house and the senate and the administration. to discuss with them how we move forward. we are urging them part of what we call a governing center. it suggests you can be a committed conservative a passive, and you can still find a way to work together, sometimes you can find common ground but more often than not you acknowledge your differentces and you just make a deal. that is how governing is

supposed to work in a democracy. we had divided government many times in the past and lawmakers still got things done. why not now? in 2015 we're asking the nation's leaders to rally around a common bipartisan cause that is stronger and deeper economic growth to create jobs and expand opportunities for all americans. how can we get there? first we need a growth agenda that capitalizes growth. energy, trade, technology, and infrastructure. second we need a government reform agenda that eases uncertainty and supports growth by improving our immigration system. the regulatory process, the tax

code entitlement programs, the legal systems, and last but not least, our public schools. with a return to regular order in the senate expanded roles for congressional committees we hope that business priorities will get attention and see action through the passage of bills, amendments, and in the appropriations process. to support our proposals on the hill will grow our grass roots network. we will lay the ground work this year for the pivotal election to come. we will be very clear about what lawmakers in both parties need to do if they hope to earn the business communities support.

outside of washington the chamber will be busy in the states. fighting for legal reform, workplace freedom, and education reform. we will be working in regulatory agencies to fix and improve any regulations. we will be working around the world to open markets defend the interests of american companies and protect their intellectual property last, we will be busty in the courts. it will be a critical tool in 2015. last year the chamber's litigation center filed a record number of briefs in state courts and we will likely sup pass that

record this year. now let me continue with comments about what we can do right now today to accelerate growth and create jobs. first is trade, 95% of the people we want to sell something to live outside of the united states. we have opportunities to increase america's exports. we have working on the transpacific partnership agreement and the transatlantic trade and partnership agreement. the president said that he is committed to finishing the job

in both packs, and we congratulate him from that. he is going to have to go out and really fight for it especially with the members of the party but they can count on our aggressive support. and this is one of our top legislative priorities this year. we will also continue to advance other trade priorities. including a technology agreement, a trade and services agreement, and a bilateral investment treaty with china. we'll work on the recent successfully competed wto trade facilitation agreement modernizing with customs reform and the charter of the bank.

our global sbel chul property center will improve properties here and around the world. and we will work to improve our own rules on trade secreted while advancing ip agreements in india and china. p even with the recent deline in energy prices, abundant energy still stands out as an extraordinary opportunity to generate millions of jobs in this country trillions in new investment while secures affordable energy for american consumers. to unleash the resolution and we should reform export rules so

we can sell this energy when appropriate around the world. our institute for 21st century energy has issued a 64 specific recommendations on how, for example, to remove barriers to oil and gas production to ensure the use of coal and nuclear energy, and enhance the competitiveness of renewable resources. and we're going to keep pushing on the keystone pipeline. the administration's own facts clearly now this project can create jobs and energy security without harming the environment. one more thought on energy and it is important. over time, energy development can deliver hundreds of billions of new dollars and that will be

a nice down payment on our rapidly growing bill for our nation's entitlement programs. energy won't solve that problem or remove the need for reform, but it sure can help. along with trade and energy american leadership and technology can deliver great benefits to our quality of life. it is becomes more the target of governments and activists. we will be running at full speed and will spearhead a chamber wide effort to add vns their

policy -- advance their interests. tech companies are unfairly targeted by regulators in key markets from china to the european union. companies urgently need high skilled talent and an expansion of spectrum and broad band capacity. we recognize that the issue of net neutrality divides the tech community. but there can be no neutrality as far as the chamber is concerned. we oppose efforts to regulate the internet like a 20th century public utility. the internet is one of the greatest drives of prosperity in our economy. for data security, and sharing. but the system must remain open

and successful regulation of the internet would just kill that goose. you know infrastructure is another big growth opportunity. we are asking congress to pass a long-term highway and mass transit bill with full funding generated from the users. and we must fully form our aviation and water systems as well. the big question is how to pay for these programs. the simplest and fairest way is through a modest increase in terms of roads and transit of the federal fuel user fee that has not been increased in more than 20 years. i know the politics are difficult. but isn't this a pretty good time to try? since last summer the average price of gas has dropped $1.45 a

gallon. isn't that reasonable then to consider investing a time or two of those savings back into our roads, bridges and highways? and transit to put americans back to work? to clean the air? to grow the economy and save thousands of lives? the chamber plans to continue a strong case to the congress, to the white house, and most important to the american people. along with trade and infrastructure, we must embark on a sweeping program of government reform. let's start with immigration reform. i an assure you that we will continue to make this a top priority until it is done. meaningful immigration reform can only be achiefed through

bipartisan legislation. we are renewing our call for common sense measures that can provide the american economy with the workers it needs at all skill levels. improve the verification system and the employment -- let me just say that is beginning to work and it would be a big benefit for american companies and a deal with undocumented immigrants in a positive way. now we know that reform is unlikely to happen in one great big bill. that would be a lot neater. and we recognize that moving forward height not be a whole comprehensive bill. it can't be one or nothing. it has got to be something that works on a bipartisan basis.

and by the way i think it is important for the leaders and members of both houses to understand there is more agreement in the country and in the congress on these issues than you may think. and it is in the political interest of both parties to act before the next selection it is pretty obvious why. that is why we believe a resolution is possible this year. government reform must also address the regulatory system itself that has not been modernized since harry truman's administration. many of you will not remember him. i do. it was a long time ago. business recognizes the need for smart regulation but with a $2 trillion price tag in compliance costs, put on

american business by a virtual fourth branch of government it is time to bring the system into the 21st century. it will launch an all out effort that already enjoy significant bipartisan support in the house and the senate. the bills would modernize the process by which new rules are considered. and it would bring transparency and accountability to the now abusive process known as sue and settle. and it would stream line the permitting process once regulations are in place. these are not pie in the sky ideas that have no chance of passing. they are bipartisan issues that

should be able to clear both houses. we hope that he will find cause to reconsider his early reaction to these important bipartisan reforms. thousand while working to reform the regulatory process, the chamber will address specific regulations that we believe would hurt our economy. throw people out of work while achieving little or no public benefit. the proposal to lower the ozone standard is an example. while we strongly support technological solutions to address greenhouse gas emotions, we do not believe the regulations of these admissions through the clean air act is

appropriate or more importantly workable workable we define who must be covered under the employer health care mandate. we will work to repeal taxes like the medical device tax, the cadillac tax and the health insurance tax. now on the labor front, we will aggressively oppose measures that would unnecessarily amend an already complex workplace laws covering a whole list of issues. including those that would upset the delicate balance now struck by the labor relations act. when it comes to financial markets and the regulation of these markets, it is time to ask who is in charge of making sure that the overall regulatory

system actually works for job creators and investors. we know that at a federal level alone, there are nearly two dozen financial regulatory groups that often, most of the time conflict compete, and fail to work together. successful financial regulatory reform can't be measured by the sheer number of new regulations or the size of the fines extracted from financial firms. we need a modern regulatory system that drives financial stability and encourages capital formation. it occurs to us that we will be working on helping the congress and the american people to better understand how the capital pool in this country is created and how without it you

will not be able to expand and support our economy. the chamber has supported positive steps to strengthen to vigorously oppose using the proxy to advance special interest agendas. we will also continue to push for reform of secretive proxy advisory firms. the chamber will also seek targeted fixes to dodd/frank. you all know how long it's been since it was past, a third of the rules have not been completed. the financial stability oversight council is considering overdue and necessary changes to a systematically -- systemically important designation process, and we all saw in today's papers is going to be an interesting

lawsuit about that. in addition both the consumer financial bureau ought to be placed under the appropriations process. we all think it might work better better. and we are concerned that the department of labor is considering fiduciary decisions to make retirement savings much harder for middle class families. the next target is to divide the business community but it is essential and that's tax reform. the united states has the highest corporate tax rate in the developed world. we adhere to a system of taxation discarded by many

countries long ago. american businesses pay taxes twice, first in the foreign country in which they do business, and second to uncle sam when they bring the profits home. 38 businesses pay their taxes as individuals, we also need to inform at the same time the individual side of the code. we need to end the bias against investment and spur small business start-ups, which, by the way, have been lagging or going down for a protracted period of time, as a result less job creation. now, republican leaders and the president all day the tax reform will be a priority in 2015. now, the chamber plans to be at the table if that comes to pass, on the theory that if you're not at the table you're on the menu.

we'll encourage genuine efforts to create a fair system. we will not support an approach that uses tax reform as an executive to engineer another big tax increase on the american business community. turning to the nation's financial condition. short determine deficits have come down that's good but almost everyone agrees they will soon begin to rise again. the federal government has already begun to pile up $18 trillion in debt and it will reach 74% of the gross domestic product this year. more than anything else, the nation's massive debt is being driven by one thing, entitlement costs.

by 2025 federal spending will be $5.8 trillion. and more than 76% of it will go to mandatory programs plus interest on the national debt. that leaves 20 some odds% for national defense, important domestic programs and everything else that the government does at home and abroad. one of these early tests for congress will be passing a fiscally responsible budget that should lay the foundation for further action on tax and entitlement reform. ladies and gentlemen, this will be no small feat. the last time congress produced a real budget was in 2009, six years ago. america's leaders need to start telling the american people the truth.

entitlement prices are entirely predictable. we know it's going to happen, it demands action and leadership without further delay. there are two other sets of reforms we need and the first is legal reform. with the chamber's institute of legal reform leading the way, we have made progress in curbing the excesses of class and mass action trial lawyers and educating voters in state court election s elections. but america still has the costliest legal system in the world. even before disturbing americans enforcement system which has turned in to a shakedown process enforcement officials find a company that may or may not have done something wrong. threaten its managers with

commercial ruin. and the basic way they do that, if they indict you, you can't do any business with the federal government, just think about that, and then force them to pay an enormous fine to drop or just not to file the charges. now, our agenda includes curbing these excesses. plus reforming the legal system in key states and jurisdiction. preserving the availability of arbitration. passing the fraudulent asbestos claims and challenging foreign governments so they don't get as foolish as we do considering the american style of class action lawsuit ss. finally, education reform it's fundamentally unfair that some of america's children get high quality education, while others are left far behind. far, far behind.

this is where the real inequity comes in america. the harsh reality is that the young person without basic skills in reading, writing, math and computing won't be able to hold down a good job in the 21st century. in many ways, a job of any kind. we must ramp up our efforts to reform public schools to toughen standards to measure them against prior years. so we can find out if students are falling behind, moving ahead. we also need to remove the small number of bad teachers and pay good teachers accordingly to create more innovative charter schools and ensure that parental choice is an option not just for wealthy communities, but for all communities. ladies and gentlemen, hopefully i helped you understand what the

chamber stands for. and what we're going to fight for this year and beyond. let me underscore that this is no time to be complacent we have a few good quarters of economic growth. there are many risks and challenges facing our economy and they have the potential to send us right back to the doldrums or worse. that's why our elected leaders. divided as they may be must work together to get jobs growth and opportunity first. the majority of congress understands they have something to prove to the voters that elected them. they need to legislate the president needs to engage together they need to govern.

i have focused on these remarks on what needs to be changed. yet there are some things that must never change. that is a set of fundamental american values that define who we are as a people. and to explain why we have been able to build and sustain the most free most prosperous and most compassionate country in the world. i'm talking about the right to speak. the right to due process under the law, and the right to participate in a freer enterprise system where you can take a risk. where you can work hard where you can achieve your dreams. we should all be concerned by the steady erosion of these rights in this town and around the country. the chamber will fight to ensure that all americans have the right to petition their government without fear, without

intimidation. without undue regulation. we'll fight for due process under the law. free of abusive tactics by federal and state agencies, and prosecutorers. we'll fight for everyone's right to speak and even voice con electrover shall opinions. we'll fight to preserve the spirit of enterprise in america which begins with the right to risk, to fail, to try again, to succeed and to be rewarded for your efforts. contrary to what some of our political leaders have said, businesses really do create the jobs. they really do build things. wherever they reside businesses are not the enemy, they're a