about what we must do to make sure that this country we love, this city we live in, are both good and great. and please join me in saying a prayer for the family of freddie gray and all the men whose names we know and those we don't. who have lost their lives unnecessarily and tragically and in particular today include in that prayer the people of baltimore and our beloved country. thank you all very much. [ applause ] with live coverage of the u.s. house on c-span and the senate on c-span 2 here on c-span3 we complement that coverage by showing you hearings and public affairs events. on weekends c-span3 is home to

american history tv that tell the country's story including visiting battlefields and key events. american artifacts touring museums and historic sites. history bookshelf with the best-known american history writes, the presidency look at the policies and legacies of our nation's commanders in chief. and our new series real america featuring or chievl government and educational films from the 1930s through the '70s. c-span3 funded by your local cable or satellite provider. now today's white house briefing which focused on iran's nuclear agreement and hillary clinton's announcement that she is running for president in 2016.

afternoon, everybody. nice to see you. very quiet and calm in here today. let's see if we can keep it that way, huh? just teasing. >> appreciate your efforts. >> i will. i will resip row kate. one announcement. the president earlier today spoke with prime minister -- of nepal. to convey the deep condolences of the american people for the loss of life and destruction caused by the earthquake in nepal and discussed the efforts to assist the government ofny ball and the disaster response

efforts include with rescue and logistics support. the president pledged the united states will do all it can to help the people of nepal in its time of need. >> i would like to ask you about body cameras. hillary clinton gave a speech in which she said she would go further than the president in that she would like to see every police department in the country have body cameras. i know his request for funds were not granted by congress but would he also like to see every police department have body cameras? >> well, the president does believe there is a possibility that body-worn cameras by police officers could be a useful tool both in protecting police officers and protecting members of the public. the department of justice later this week will be talking about a pilot body-worn camera grant program and they will have more details on that soon. there because additional

funds -- there were additional funds that were requested by the obama administration in our budget proposal that was released earlier this year. the one thing that was included in the set of recommendationations from the task force was an investment of $75 million in body-wompb cameras in the next three years. this would assist in the purchase of 50,000 body-worn cameras. the thing that we have said when discussing this issue is there is not a strong body of evidence to this point of what impact that body-worn cameras have. they could positively contribute to relations between police officers and the communities they are sworn to serve and protect. i know of one particular study that indicated that police officers who are wearing body-worn cameras were much less likely to be involved in confrontations with the

community. that is one preliminary piece of evidence that would indicate that body-worn cameras could be helpful in this regard. but the task force recommendations and some of the funds from the department of justice will go toward studying the impact of body-worn cameras and gathering more evidence to try to assess with more specificity what impact the impact of body-worn cameras has on the relationships between the communities and the police officers. >> does the president believe it is premature to call for every department to have body cameras? >> what the president believes is that we should expand funding and the federal government should play a role in assisting local jurisdictions who are interested in making that investment make it more financially feasible for them to do so. we also believe that the use of body-worn cameras is something

that merits additional study and we are dedicating resources for doing that. >> she also says that funds should be used to focus on best practices instead of putting what she called weapons of war on to the streets. you have said that the president doesn't want to push for repeal of the programs for military style equipment. so is he wrong about that to voice opposition to those programs? >> i'm detecting a pattern in your questioning today. probably not the first time that this line of questioning will be pursued. what the president has said about this is there are some situations in which the legitimate use of this kind of equipment can be valuable in assisting local law enforcement agencies and keeping the peace and responding to the needs of members of their community. there were the initial review of this program did indicate there may be some situations in which law enforcement agencies didn't

have sufficient training to use the equipment they had received and so this is something that we are -- that again is continuing to be reviewed here. >> i want to follow up on some of the hostage policy questions we had earlier this week. and just ask would the president support or oppose changing the law so that families cannot be prosecuted for pay ransom? >> i don't have any specific policy announcements to make at this point. but we have been very clear about what the official policy is of the united states government which is -- a policy that has been in place under both democratic and republican presidents and that policy prohibits making concessions to terrorist organizations and the concern is two-fold. one is make those kinds of concessions by paying ransom could only put additional american citizens at greater

risk and the second is that we know that there are terrorist organizations that essentially finance their terror activities through ransom payments. and so one way we can effectively shut off financing for extremist organizations is to make sure that they are not getting ransom payments. and that is the policy of the u.s. government and one that this administration has enforced. as it relates to the legal standing of efforts by families of hostages i don't have any new position to announce at this point. roberta? >> i want to ask about trade. the president was scheduled to have lunch with leader pelosi. did he plan to discuss trade legislation with her and what other meetings with lawmakers is the president having on trade? >> the lunch with leader pelosi is ongoing right now. i don't anticipate we'll have a detailed readout of that lunch

once it's concluded. it would be fair for you to assume that the president and the democratic leader in the house are discussing an array of legislative priority for the president and that certainly would include trade promotion authority legislation. but i don't anticipate that we'll have a detailed readout of their lunch. there is one additional legislative engagement that i can tell you about at this point that tomorrow the president will be meeting with members of the new democrat coalition. these are democrats in the house many of whom are supporters of the president's efforts to reach a trade agreement. so i don't know that we'll have a particularly detailed readout of that meeting. that is a meeting scheduled tomorrow. >> is it happening here? >> at the white house that's correct. >> and senator portman is expected to push for enforcement

currency manipulation language in the tpa when the bill comes up in the full senate and i wonder if the president would veto a bill that included that language? >> we have expressed our concerns about a legislative approach similar to this. and our concern principally is that legislation like that could unfairly and unwisely bind the hands of our monetary policymakers in this country as they pursue a strategy that's consistent with the strength and growth of our economy. so what the president has said is that we're going to insist that other countries when it comes to currency, that they play fairly. and we have addressed currency issues of "n" issues in a wide range of

international meetings including the g 7, the g-20 and the imf and we have seen that they have had a positive impact. china's exchange rate is up 20% on a real basis since 2010. that is at least one specific measurable impact that we can point to when talking about the effective advocacy of the united states in insisting that other countries level the playing field when it comes to their currency. i think the other point that i would mention relates to our japanese friends who were just here at the white house yesterday that the japanese have not intervened in the foreign exchange market for more than three years. and there previously had been some concerns about the impact of the monetary approaches that they were pursuing. and again i think that is another piece of evidence that i can point to that indicates that the administration, using effective tools and our

international influence can go to great lengths to level the playing field for the american economy, for american workers and american businesses. again, i think it's the view of the president that reaching a trade agreement like the one that we are trying to hammer out with ten or 11 other countries in the asia pacific region would allow us to further level that playing feel and repluvmove tariff barriers raising standards for workers in an enforceable way. these are all elements of an agreement that would level the playing field for american businesses and american workers and the president continues to have full confidence if we can level the playing field that american businesses and american workers are going to be very well positioned to win the long-term economic competition that's shaping up in this

prosperous -- increasingly prosperous and dynamic region of the world. michelle? >> it surprised plenty of people when the president used the words thugs and criminals to describe some of the people in baltimore. and there has been some criticism of the use of that word. and analysts saying that when it falls on black ears it is equivalent to using the "n" word. but when the president did the interview with steve harvey this morning it was almost a repeat of the press conference yesterday but he left that word out. is that indication that the administration feels that wasn't the best use of terms yesterday? >> i don't think the president would revise any of the remarks he shared with you in the rose garden. the fact of the matter is the vast majority of people who were

protesting have done so in a responsible way. these are individuals black and white, i would point out that have in the mind of the president legislate concerns. that is why the department of justice is reviewing the facts of that situation. i know that local officials are engaged in a review as well to determine what happened and whether or not any misconduct occurred and whether criminal charges are necessary. that will be a decision that is made by independent prosecutors as it should be. but what is also true and what did get the lion's share of the coverage out of baltimore were the actions of a small minority that were nothing short of criminal actions. and whether it's arson or you know, the looting of a liquor store, those were -- those were thuggish acts. and i think the president felt it was important and continues

to think it's important to draw a clear distinction between those actions and the efforts of the vast majority of people in that community to draw attention to the legitimate concerns they have about the treatment of freddie gray and what they purr conceive to be broader problems that may exist or frankly do exist in the relationship between some communities in baltimore and the baltimore police department. >> so for the president to use all the same phrases and virtually, you know a recap of the press conference yesterday this morning but to specifically leave out that word you don't think that was deliberate? >> i assure you it was not. >> also on this move to reauthorize the patriot act without revising section 215 on the mass collection of data does the president want to change that? would he support something like

that. >> the president for almost a year and a half now has been calling on congress to enact important changes to the fisa act to better safeguard our civil liberties while keeping our nation safe and the president is clear that he believes we should end the section 215 metadata practice by creating an alternative mechanism to preserve the capability without the government being responsible for holding the bulk data. now i can tell you we are gratified that some of those reforms are included in a recent piece of legislation that has bipartisan support in both the house and the senate. and we're going to continue to review the text of that bill before we render a final judgment on it but it is encouraging that democrats and republicans in both the house and the senate that share the president's commitment to implementing those reforms have

cod codified that into legislation. the deadline to renew the patriot act is coming up in about a month. we are hopeful that democrats and republicans can work together to articulate the changes that the president believes are necessary while at the same time preserving the capability of our law enforcement officials and our intelligence professionals to take the steps that are necessary to keep the american people safe. so you know we are hopeful and are going to be working closely with democrats and republicans in congress to try to advance this bipartisan legislation that it's clearly in the best interest of the country. >> but if it is fast track without reforms, would the president veto that? >> what we are gratified is the

bipartisan effort to include reforms that includes the renewal of the patriot act. the proposal, the clean renewal has been put forward by senator mcconnell does not include those reforms and the president was quite definitive about the need to make those kinds of reforms a top priority. >> we shouldn't see that as a veto threat at this point? >> i think at this point you should see that as the president and the administration seeking to work in bipartisan fashion with members of the house and members of the senate to incorporate reforms that protect the civil liberties of the american people while ensuring that our intelligence and national security individuals have the tools to keep us safe. pamela? >> what are the representations of the policing task force was that police departments should not be investigating themselves and that's apparently what's happening in baltimore. is there any concern here that the report that they come out

with will not be viewed as legitimate by the community and could cause more problems? >> weaponi don't want to prejudge an ongoing investigation. we will allow the investigators to do their work. let me point out two things, there is also a department of justice review of the facts underway as well. and that is a -- that is a review, an investigation that is being conducted by career prosecutors and they have an important role in this. and we'll let them do their work too before we prejudge the outcome. the second thing is and the president i think was pretty direct about this, in his robust answer in the rose garden yesterday in making clear that he believes that the vast majority of police officers who go to work every day to try to keep the peace and in fact are

willing to put their lives on the line to protect the communities that they serve are people who are in that line of work for the right reason and in fact many times they are doing heroic work and are worthy of our honor and respect. and as the president intimated yesterday in his answer he believes it is clearly in the interest of all law enforcement professionals to ensure that those agencies and those individual officers are keeping faith with the communities that they're sworn to serve and protect. and when their individuals officers who fall short of that it's important that that be acknowledged and that the justice system be allowed to work the way it was intended. >> but it wouldn't be better to have an independent person or police agency come in and look at it? >> the fact is right now there is an ongoing investigation and i don't want to say anything to get ahead of or leave you with the appearance or anyone with

the appearance that we're trying to influence the outcome of that investigation one way or another. i will reserve judgment on that. i think that is something that can be more appropriately evaluated after that investigation has concluded. okay? cheryl? >> thanks, josh the white house yesterday started putting out veto threats on the appreciations bills and you have said you would like to see ryan-murray style negotiations going on do. you see those coming together and who do you see in those roles? who is ryan and who is murray this year? >> maybe we could feature paul ryan and patty murray as themselves in this feature-length film. i know this is something -- this is a sentiment that even spacher boehner has expressed. and we certainly were gratified to see him say something along those lines at the end of last week, i believe that was.

one of the reasons that that process succeeded, both in finding common ground making smarter decisions, at least about what the federal budget priorities should look like and finding a compromise the president could sign is that it involved democrats and republicans working together and it involved democrats and republicans in both the house and the senate trying to find the common ground and doing so with the full engagement and support of the administration. and i think that was the key to that success was that essentially you had democrats and republicans in the house and senate committed to try to find the common ground and you had the engagement from the administration that supported those efforts. so leaders in congress and both parties will have to decide who will play those important roles. but if they do begin to move down this road in a constructive

fashion they can anticipate the full engagement and support of the administration in pursuit of that bipartisan compromise. okay? justin? >> i wanted to ask about gdp. the second straight quarter where gdp growth has missed expectations and today kind of dramatically so. i know that jason obviously put a statement out earlier explaining some of it. attributing it to foreign demand and to weather but is there concern at the white house that the recovery is slowing down at this point? >> justin i think the first thing that is worth pointing out is when we get this kind of data is the thing we are quick to review the longer term trends and what the data has in the context of the broader trend and incorporating this latest data, the gdp has grown by 3% over the

last year. and that does reflect the kind of economic strength that we see across a range of other economic metrics. and that gdp growth is 50% faster than at some earlier stages of the ongoing economic recovery. that's an indication that our economy continues to have important momentum. at the same time there clearly were some head winds that our economy was dealing with and the most significant of those as jason ferman pointed out in his blog post. jace jason is the president's top economist. he indicated one of the contributors to the disappointing gdp number is the weak demand overseas for american goods. some of that is the result of

the strong dollar. but in the president's mind it highlights the need for the united states to engage in the kinds of trade agreements that are going to open up american goods and services to more markets and allow american goods and services to more deeply penetrate in those markets and take away the barriers you have to overcome to the business overseas. 95% of the world's markets are beyond our borders. and that's why the president has been so tenacious in trying to pursue the kinds of agreements that are in the best interest of american workers and american businesses. the legitimate concern that the president has is that the refusal on the parts of the united states to engage in these kinds of talks and agreements only opens up an avenue for china to step in and write the rules of the road in a way that is disadvantageous to american

workers and american businesses and the broader american economy. for those wondering why has the president made the transpacific partnership such an economic priority i think we'd point to the recent gdp numbers as an indication of why it's important for us to be vigilant about seeking out opportunities for american businesses overseas. >> trailing off of that i know that some of the big issues that president obama and prime minister abe were hoping to discuss yesterday was discusses that exist on tpp on specifically on autos and rice. i'm wondering in there were breakthroughs or progress on that. i asked a couple days ago about whether the president would raise the issue of comfort women and satisfy some of south korea's concerns? i don't think that the prime minister did that but i wonder if president obama raised the issue? >> i don't have a detailed read

than you have already received. as they stated in the rose garden, they did feel as if they had a productive discussion about some of the remaining issues that need to be negotiated when it comes to the tpp. and they are hopeful that the kind of momentum they are feeling at their back to resolve those issues can be carried over to the broader tpp negotiations. and as the two largest economies involved in those talks they can push this agreement across the finish line. but there is important work to be done. as it relates to the comfort women i saw that the prime minister addressed this yesterday in the rose garden -- >> i'm asking about the president -- >> i don't know if it came up in their conversation. >> the "wall street journal" is recording that the fbi facilitated a ransom payment by al qaeda by warren weinstein's

family and i'm wondering how that fits with the u.s. policy? >> i haven't seen the -- i haven't seen the story you are talking about -- >> it just crossed. >> i'll say we'll look into this for you a little bit further. it sounds like we should have a conversation about the fbi about it too. but the policy of the -- that's been in place throughout the six years of the obama administration and in place during the previous administration is one that continues to be in place right now and that is that the united states government will not make concessions to terrorists. 20 to do so would only put americans at greater risk and would serve to allow terrorist organizations to better finance their ongoing violation. >> i know we have been over this before but are you drawing a distinction between u.s. government and u.s. families of people held hostage? >> well, i mean, obviously those

are two different things but there are relevant laws that apply to both but the policy on this has not changed. kevin? >> thank you, josh. >> yes sir. >> you guys are used to battling the opposition on a number of issues and yet as it relates to trade now and the iranian negotiations you may have to do a bit of jousting with democrats, those that are usually on your side. does the president look forward to that? >> i think the president looks forward to trying to find common ground on a couple of really important issues facing the country. and certainly the president relishes the opportunity to work with democrats and republicans to advance a trade promotion authority bill that would allow us to reach a transpacific partnership deal that would be in the best interest of american businesses and american workers. there is an opportunity to reach a trade agreement that would put

in place enforcen't labor provisions and environmental protections, significant provisions related to human rights intelligent yule property products, other things that would level the playing field and allow american businesses the opportunity to do business in the asia-pacific region on a level playing field. and the president is confident if given the level playing field that american businesses and american workers are well positioned to the very well in that kind of international economic position. >> is it a tougher sell to fellow democrats for tough issues like the iranian nuclear deal for example or even the trade deal? >> we have been clear that there is historic reflexive opposition among many in the democratic party to these kinds of international trade agreements. but the president has a case to make to democrats who might be -- who might have reflexive reaction.

the fact is, those same democrats also have significant concerns about the way -- about the impact that nafta had on communities all across the country and the case the president has made pretty bluntly is that both canada and mexico are in the tpp negotiations. and that if we can reach an agreement through the tpp negotiations it would include enforceable labor conditions and environmental protections not included in nafta. if there is an opportunity for american businesses to have access to a substantial economic market that could be very good for their bottom line. so the president is going to continue to make this case. and the other part of this argument is simply that those who are opposed to this kind of trade agreement are severally suggest we should lock in the status quo and the president doesn't believable that is in

the best interest of our economy or in the interest of middle class workers in the country. >> on the iranians intercepting the tigris how concerned is the white house on what the iranian navy has been up to? >> as of this morning it is our understanding that it remains in the custody of the irgc navy and we are continuing to monitor the situation. we have not received reports of injuries to crew members and as we noted yesterday, according to information received yesterday there are no americans on board. this is a situation we continue to monitor because we are committed to as we discussed at some length last week committed to ensuring the free flow of commerce in international waters. we will continue to monitor the situation. john? >> just to pick up on, that what does it say when the iranian revolutionary guard is seizing a

u.s. flagged ship when you are in the final stages of the nuclear negotiations. >> is it a far shall islands flagged ship. and this is a situation that we are closely monitoring. we have a vested interest and a vested economic interest in preserving the freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce in this sensitive area of the world. >> but again, isn't this a display of at the very least bad faith while these negotiations are going on. seizing what is clearly a commercial vessel? >> we have in the past talked about the wide range of concerns that we have with iranian behavior. and our view is that a nuclear-armed iran only makes their bad behavior more dangerous. so to bring it back to this particular example if our concerned about the interference with the maersk tigris would be

even more acute if an iranian-armed -- i'm sorry, a nuclear-armed iranian navy were conducting these intercepts. >> they can do a lot of damage without nuclear weapons and they are doing a lot of damage. >> we are expressing concerns about the destabilizing activity of the iranians whether the houthis or the assad regime or offering support for terror activities iranian support for hezbollah and the destabilizing aspect that has. we have concerns with the iranian behavior. but if iran had a nuclear weapon and sorting the assad regime or supporting hezbollah, our concerns about their support for just to take those two entities would be -- would be much more alarmed about that.

>> would the administration be willing to impose sanctions on iran for issues beyond the -- additional sanctions on iran for issues beyond the nuclear program? would the administration be open to immosting anxiouses for activity like this in the gulf of hormuz or terror activity in yemen and syria and lebanon. >> as you point on john, the nuclear deal that is under negotiation contemplates a scenario where iran would make serious commitments that would effectively shut down every path that iran has to a nuclear weapon in exchange to offering sanctions relief that were put in place as a result of their nuclear program. what that means is that sanctions that are already in place against iran for other activities -- you know the

weapons programs, violation of human rights, those sanctions remain in place. even if we do reach a nuclear deal those other sanctions that are in place because of iran's other activities and iran's behavior in a variety of other areas will remain in place. i'm not going to make any threats from here about the likelihood of imposing additional sanctions over this particular incident but it's our approach to this -- our approach to iranian behavior is consistent to the approach we have taken when it comes to sanction. we can have a conversation about the nuclear program and get them to make concessions in exchange for some sanctions relief for those concessions. but that would have no impact on our concerns about their behavior in a variety of other areas and have no impact on sanctions already in place against them as a result of their behavior in other areas. >> the sanctions are lifted because of the -- you know the

sanctions of the nuclear program are lifted. there is concern in the region from the allies and concern that suddenly the iranians have hundreds of billions of additional revenue because the sanctions have been lifted and are now able to do even more -- conduct -- doing more mischief in the region. would the united states be willing to reimpose sanction not on the nuclear -- not for violations of the nuclear program but because of what they're doing elsewhere in the region? >> i'll just say i'm not in a position to make threats from here right now but we are going to continue to monitor the iranian activities that continue to be a source of significant concern on the part of the united states but other countries in the region and around the world. let me say it this way just because we reach an agreement on the nuclear concerns and we do reach an agreement that would shut down every pathway that

would offer to a nuclear weapon, it would not in any way diminish the likelihood that if were iran were to engage in worsening behavior in other areas we would not at all be reluctant to impose additional sanctions on those other areas if we concluded that is in our best interest. >> the senate is looking at the corker bill. he doesn't need it but there are a series of amendments that are going to be voted on for instance before sanctions are lifted iran would have to release three americans known to be in iranian prisons. what is the administration's view on these amendments. is it this deal or no deal or back to a veto threat situation if an amendment passes that says first iran has to release

americans? would you veto that bill? >> the president would certainly veto any amendment or any bill with an amendment that undermined the unanimous compromise that was reached in the senate foreign relations committee or that interfered with the ongoing negotiations. and certainly, a provision, an amendment that made this nuclear deal contingent on iran's release of those three american citizens would fall into both categories. it would directly undermine the unanimous compromise that was reached in the senate foreign relations committee and it would interfere with the negotiations between the international committee and iran on the nuclear program. >> the president would veto that? >> those kinds of amendments that are added to the bill that undermine the unanimous compromise or would interfere with the talks would earn a presidential veto. and i think that given, again,

the unanimous vote in the senate foreign relations committee you know, i'm confident that there would be strong support or strong opposition to those kinds of amendments and that opposition would be bipartisan. but this is a process that would have to play out. zeke. nice to see you today. >> who in the white house is keeping an eye on what is happening in baltimore and maryland. has the president reached out to local community leaders and is anyone traveling the 40 some odd miles up there? >> there is no one from the white house that has travel plans for baltimore at this point. as you point out, valerie jarrett has been in touch with state and local officials from maryland. and you noted that late in the day yesterday she convened a

conference call with the attorney general to discuss with local leaders and a variety of other communities our efforts to address the ongoing situation in baltimore. i don't have any new calls to read out at this point. >> [ inaudible question ]. >> i'm not aware that they connected. we can check on. that but obviously if government hogan has an urgent need to speak to someone at the white house he would get a return phone call. there have been senior department of justice officials who do have expertise in this particular area did spend significant time in baltimore yesterday. so this is vinny gupta ronald davis, and -- who is the director of community relations of -- of the community relations service of the department of justice. they continue to be in close

touch with baltimore officials as they deal with this matter. >> and back to earlier conversation about body cameras. you said there is a possibility they could be useful in police-civilian interactions are you saying that the expansion of that program would be imprudent that the white house thinks it could be a potential waste of money that needs more study before it is rolled out nationally? >> i wouldn't use that adjective. i would say we have put forward a proposal to help local law enforcement agencies that make the decision to invest in body cameras make that more financially feasible for them. we are talking about 20 million dollars or so from the department of justice. there is a three-year proposal that we have here. and at the same time we believe some of those resources should be dedicated to studying tim pact that these cameras have on

those kinds of interactions to determine how effective they are in reducing violence between the police and the members of the community. >> what is the downside? if there is a benefit, why the delay? >> i don't think it's a matter of delay but a matter of money. we would need congressional action to get the resources that are needed to expand this program further. and the president's budget proposal that he rolled out a couple months ago included additional funds for this program. but at the same time we feel it would be prudent, to use your word to more carefully examine the impact that body camseras would have in policing across the country. >> are you shocked by this revelation that the fbi apparently facilitated a ransom payment in the weinstein case?

i know it just crossed but my question is would that shock you in any case and would that constitute the fbi ignoring specific policy guidance from this white house on rescuing any american hostage. >> i'm going to reserve comment on this until i have a had a chance to hear from the fbi about their explanation -- >> to conclude that you believe it is possibly true? >> well, i think that -- i think the caution is rooted in my reluctance to talk about something i don't know about. >> would you go about the specific guidance to every agency? >> i do not. >> there is no guidance about don't -- >> i don't know what the guidance is. >> you come with a binder state department people come with biebders. when asked what is the situation

with the maersk the state department could not describe it. can you describe it? is it an act of piracy a legal seizure, an illegal seizure, what is going on in the opinion of the u.s. government with this marshall islands flagged commercial vessel? >> it's hard to tell what's going on. that is why we continue to monster monitor the situation closely why the irgc took the steps that they took and we obviously do have concerns about the impact of navigation and the free flow of commerce in this area of the world. >> is there anything based on what this administration knows so far that suggests that what happens is consistent in any way with the free flow of commerce? >> it's unclear why the iranians

have taken the steps that they have. that's why we are closely monitoring the situation. there are u.s. naval assets in the region and we have a variety of ways we can keep tabs on the situation. >> you don't want to label it? >> at this point we need more information about why it happened and what happened. >> we had a discussion last week and i asked you if at that point the administration was satisfied that hillary clinton and secretary of state and the foundation complied with the memorandum of understanding and done everything in accordance with what the white house expectations were and you said it were. and another story 1100 donors undisclosed. richard lugar, who is -- the president has and still does hold in high regard said that he looking at that believes that this did not mean the spirit or intent of the memorandum of understanding. let me ask you again, is the

administration satisfied is the president satisfied that everything that was done met the standards of the memorandum of understanding and all the disclosures that should have been there were there? >> i think what i said last week is that the -- there has been no evidence produced by even the secretary's most ardent partisan critics that the decisions she made as secretary of state were in any way influenced by anything that was done at the family's foundation. >> yes, but as we can revisit i asked about compliance that satisfied the president. and you said the compliance did satisfy the president. the president was proud of her service and everything was done in accordance with his expectation. >> i think even last week i was reluctant to talk about the compliance. the white house is not in a position to enforce that compliance.

>> it is in position to rebder a judgment. >> it's the state department's responsibility to enforce that compliance. that's why i refer questions to the state department when it comes to that aspect of this question. what i can render judgment on is secretary clinton's job as secretary of state it was exemplary. >> one last thing. the president often has talked when issues of racial tension have come up about how he perceives things or tries to look at things as a father. toya graham is being talked about as a hero mom for her videotaped interaction with her son in some of the more intense moments that occurred in baltimore. has the president seen any of that or have an evaluation of

it? does he believe it adds to our understanding of the role of parents in this situation? >> i have not spoke to the president about this specific thing. i can hazard a guess that he has seen the video. and -- the president as he eluded to in the rose garden yesterday believes there is a role for parents to play here in terms of setting guidelines and doing right by their kids. and there are situations where it is virtually impossible for parents to do right by their kids and trying to confront those obstacles to responsible parents is one thing that we have to take responsibility for and not pin that responsibility on police officers who already have a difficult job. but you know, the president even dating back to his first presidential campaign. you covered some of these events remembered that the president in

rather colorful fashion talked about how important it is for parents -- it was. for parents to -- to impose some impose some guidelines and to impose some structure on their kids and that that was going to be critical to their success and that there is a lot, there's a significant role for the government to play in terms of putting together policies, like good schools, economic opportunity, early childhood education. even making sure the kids have good access to health care i think are in line with the kinds of things that the government can do to try to address some of these endemocratic problems but the president doesn't believe we should over look the critically important role that parents can play in setting structure for their kids to give them a chance to succeed. >> based on your memory of that video and my memory of the video and you have a hunch the president has seen it do you

think you could generally be okay with what he saw and its ultimate result which was to discourage her son from participating further in the activity? >> well i think what i -- why don't i say it this way. i think what resonated with me -- and he's got a lot more experience being a parent than i do. >> as do i. >> as do you. the thing that resonated with me was her expression that she was concerned about her son facing the same fate as freddie gray. and while i'm sure that it was not the immediate reaction of her son to feel like she was looking out for his best interests, there is no doubting that her reaction was one that

was rooted in his safety and his well-being and her love for her child and i think that is a very powerful expression about the role that parents can play that that expression about love was very conspicuous and one that i think will serve as a powerful influence on that young man's life. and that same kind of passion and concern and love for the well-being of one's child i think is the kind of thing that can contribute to a young man or woman having the kind of opportunity to succeed that a lot of other kids don't get. jared? >> the president yesterday in his answer on baltimore explained at length his agenda has a lot in it but he doesn't expect congress to pass it and in your answer a few minutes ago you said look, this is in the budget but we don't know what

exactly is going to get done. in terms of actual action in the next two years, what should we expect the president to be doing? he was very eloquent yesterday putting out this sense of deeper understanding of these issues but yet what about actual actions? because there wasn't -- maybe it wasn't the place for it, a list of things that he'll be doing over the next two years. >> well, jared, at least a couple things come to mind. the first is the president takes very seriously the recommendations that we got from the policing task force and the president is hopeful and is going to be counting on the department of justice and members of the task force to follow through on some of these recommendations, both to ensure that they are adequately implemented for federal law enforcement agencies but also to ensure that local law enforcement agencies have the support and advice and guidance that they need to fully implement these measures at the local level as we feelll. that's one thing that could be done and is being done even as we speak. the second thing is, the

president has talked about a lot about his my brother is my keeper initiative to try to serve as a positive enfluns on young men of color. so many of the incidents that we've talked about that have gotten so much attention in the last several months are incidents involving young men of color and it sort of highlights the special -- it's just one example, i guess of the unique challenges faced by young men of color in this country and this is an observation that not just the president has made based in part on his own experience but also an observation that's been made by leaders in the private sector and academia and to implement programs that will benefit young men of color that. certainly would go to addressing some of the challenges that the

president talked about yesterday. the third thing that was a bit of a coincidence but still is an appropriate one, there was discussions about promise zones established as promise zones. these are areas where the effort of the federal government will be integrated and focus on those communities that are in greatest need. and i think that is another example of how some commonsense steps can be taken to try to focus our efforts in particular on those communities that are in the greatest need. >> i know that's not necessarily an exhaustive or representative sample. it's just three off the top of your head. but is this kind of nibbling around the edges because the president identified a deeper societal problem and of those three that you mentioned only really promise zones goes to the socioeconomic inequality in a targeting at the source kind of way with the congress being the

way it is the next two years do you see any opportunities to attack the deeper problem that the president described yesterday with legislation? >> jared i think the president was pretty candid about this in his answer yesterday that there are limitations, that there's a majority in both houses of congress right now that don't seem to share his passion for these kinds of issues. and there are some things that congress could do that would have a near term impact. you know that's everything from raising the federal minimum wage to offering tax credits to make quality child care available to more families. the president has a proposal for a second earner tax credit that certainly for those families both mom and dad are working, giving them the special tax break probably makes sense. they likely have a greater need when it comes to child care because both of them have jobs

there. are other things, like free community college expanding the earned income tax credit that the president has put on the table that doesn't have the support from republicans in the majority of both the house and the senate and the majority is required to take action on those two things. there are a couple of things that i can think of off the top of my head where there might be common ground and bipartisan support in congress for these initiatives. the first is infrastructure. we've talked about how that can create jobs in the short term and we know that the communities where we've seen this kind of strife, they are in desperate need of infrastructure. there is bipartisan support in congress for the concept of floating some tax loopholes and investing in infrastructure. the second thing is there is

bipartisan support for criminal justice reform. the president referred in his answer yesterday at the rose garden the preponderance of minorities, many of them poor who are serving long jail sentences for nonviolent drug crimes they've committed. reforming our criminal justice system could address a similar situation where you have kids being raised by one parent because the other parent is in prison. the last example i can cite is there has been progress recently on education reform and on school reform. we know that ensuring that our kids get a quality education can give them a good start in expanding economic opportunities for them. and there does seem to be emerging bipartisan support around some proposals in congress and we'll obviously be in support with those ongoing efforts. yes, there is a lot that we could do and what the president would like to do. many of those things won't be done because republicans in the

congress oppose them. despite the positive economic impact they would have on communities across the country including these countries that we know are in the greatest need. that said, there are opportunities for us to make progress on policies that benefit the entire country but also benefit these communities where we know a lot of work needs to get done. >> following up on michelle's question earlier, you said that the president wouldn't revise his comments with the use of his word thugs and in the context of mayor stephanie rawlings-blake saying she doesn't want to use that loaded language does the white house not think that is a word that should be used with care? is that not something that is on this white house's radar? >> again, i'll let you guys sort of decide what sort of -- how those words get interpreted. i think the president was clear that the vast majority of people

who were publicly expressing their concerns about the treatment of freddie gray were doing so in a responsible way that merits the attention of the american public and our elected officials, that they have a concern about a persistent problem in their community. and broader concerns that they have when it comes to their relationship with the like cal police department. at the same time we saw a small minority of individuals engaged in other activity that was not responsible, that is clearly a crime. and when you're looting a convenience store or you're throwing a cinder block at a police officer, you're engaging in thuggish behavior and that's why the president used that word. coming up tonight on c-span 3, japanese prime minister shinzo abe addressing a joint meeting of congress. then, president obama speaks at the white house teacher of the year ceremony. after that, representative john

delaney of maryland discusses u.s. hostage policy and earnest moniz testifies before the senate energy committee. japanese prime minister shinzo abe has been in washington, d.c., this week for a meeting with president obama and a state dinner at the white house. today the prime minister addressed a joint meeting of congress. this is 50 minutes. >> mr. speaker the prime minister of japan! [ applause ]

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members of congress, i have the high privilege and the distinct honor of presenting to you his excellence see, prime minister shinzo abe, prime minister of japan. [ applause ] >> mr. speaker, mr. vice president, distinguished members of the senate and the house, distinct guests ladies and

gentlemen, back in june 1957, my grandfather standing right here as prime minister of japan began his address. by saying, and i quote, "it is because of our strong believe in democratic principles and ideals that japan associates herself with a free nations of the

world! [ applause ] >> 50 years has passed. today, i am honored to stand here as the first japanese prime minister ever to address the joint session. i extend my gratitude to you for inviting me. i have lots of things to tell you, but i am here with no ability nor the intention to filibuster. [ applause ] as i stand in front of you today, the names of your distinguished colleagues that

japan welcome as your ambassador come back to me the honorable mike walter mondale. [ applause ] tom foley and howard baker. [ applause ] on behalf of japanese people thank you so very very much for sending us such shining champions of democracy! [ applause ] ambassador also embodies

american democracy. thank you. thank you for ambassador kennedy for what you have done, for all of us! [ applause ] kenn >> we all miss senator daniel inoye who symbolized the honor and achievement of japanese-americans. [ applause ] ladies and gentlemen, my first

encounter with america goes back to my days as a student when i spent a spell in california. [ applause ] a lady named kathleen let me live in her house. she was a widow and always spoke of her late husband saying, you know he was much more handsome than gary cooper. she meant it. she really did. in the gallery, you see my wife akie abe. [ applause ]

i don't dare what she says about me. her italian cooking was simply out of this world. she was cheerful and so kind to let a lot and lot of people stop by at her house. they were so diverse. i was amazed. i said do myself, america is an awesome country. later, i took a job as a steel maker and i was given the chance to work in new york.

here in the u.s., hierarchy neither here nor there. people advance base on merit. when you discuss things, you don't pay much attention to who is junior or senior. you just choose the best idea no matter who the idea was from. this culture it has talked to me. so much so after i got elected as a member of the house, some of the old guard in my party would say, hey you are so cheeky, abe. and so my family name, it is not

abe. some americans do call me that every now and then, but i don't take offense. that's because ladies and gentlemen, the japanese, ever since they started, have seen the very foundation for democracy in that famous line in the gettysburg address. the son of a former carpenter can become the president. the fact that such a country existed, woke up the japanese of the late 19th century to democracy. for japan, our encounter with america was also our encounter with democracy. [ applause ]

and that was more than 150 years ago giving us a mature history together. before coming over here, i was at the world war ii memorial. it was a place of peace and calm. the air was filled with the sound of order. breaking in the fountains in one corner stands the freedom wall.

more than 4,000 gold stars shine on the wall. i was surprised to hear that each star represents the lives of 100 fallen soldiers. i believe those gold stars are a proud symbol of the sacrifices in defending freedom. [ applause ]

but in those gold stars, we also find the pain, sorrow and love for family of young americans who otherwise who have lived happy lives. pearl harbor baton corendal engraved at the memorial crossed my mind and i reflected upon the lost dreams and lost futures of thousand young americans history

is harsh. what is done cannot be undone. with deep repen tans in my heart, i stood there in prayer for some time. my dear friends, on behalf of japan and the japanese people, i offer with profound respect my eternal condolences to the souls of all american people that were lost during world war ii.

[ applause ] ladies and gentlemen, in the gallery today is lieutenant general lawrence snowden. [ applause ] 70 years ago in february he landed on the island of iwo jima as a captain in command of a

company. in recent years general snowden has often participated in the memorial services held jointly by japan and u.s. he said and i quote, we didn't and don't go to iwo jima to celebrate victory but to pay tribute to and honor those who lost their lives on both sides. next to general snowden sits yostaka shindo who is a former

member of my cabinet. his grandfather who valor we remember even today and the commander of the japanese during the battle of iwo jima. what should we call this if not history enemies that have put each other so fiercely have become friends bonded in spirit. [ applause ]

to general snowden, i pay tribute to your effort for reconciliation. thank you so very much. [ applause ] post war we started out on our path bearing in mind feelings of deep remorse over the war. our actions brought suffering to people in asian countries. we must not avert our eyes from

that. i will uphold the views expressed by the previous prime ministers in this regard. we must -- [ applause ] we must all contribute in every respect to the development of asia. we must spare no effort in working for the peace and prosperity of the region. reminding ourselves of all that we have come all this way. i am proud of this path we have

taken. 70 years ago, japan had been reduced to ashes, then came each and every month from the citizens of the united states gifts to japan, like milk for our children and warm sweaters and even goods. yes, from america. 2,036 came to japan. and japan received the biggest benefit from the very beginning economic system. the u.s. has fostered by opening up its own market and calling for a little world economy.

later on, from the 1908s, we saw the rise of the republic of korea, of thailand asian countries and, before long, china as well. this time, japan too. technologies to support their growth. meanwhile, in the u.s., japan created more employment than any other foreign nation but coming to the uk in this way prosperity fostered first by the u.s. and second by japan. and prosperity is nothing less

than the for peace involving countries in asia pacific whose background vary. the u.s. and japan must take the lead. we must take the lead to build a market dean nam mc, sustainable and also free from the arbitrary nations of any -- from the arbitration intentions of any nation. [ applause ] in the pacific market we cannot overlook sweat shops or violence

in the environment, nor can we simply allow free riders on intellectual property. [ applause ] no. instead, we can share our shared values around the world and have them take root. the rule of law, democracy and freedom. that is exactly what the tpp is all about. [ applause ]

furthermore, the ttp goes far beyond just ecobenefits. it is also about our security. its specific value is awesome. we should never forget that the ttp covers an area that accounts for 40% of our economy and one-third of global trade. we must turn the area into a region for lasting peace and prosperity. that is for the sake of our children and our children's children. as for u.s./japan negotiations,

the goal is near. let us bring the ttp to successful conclusion through our joint leadership. [ applause ] as a matter of fact, i have something i can tell you now. it was about 20 years ago the for agriculture was going long and i was much younger and opposed to opening japan's agricultural market. i even joined representatives in the rally in front of the

parliament. however, japan's agriculture has gone into decline over these last 20 years. the average age of our farmers have grown up by ten years. now -- and is now more than 66 years old. japan's agriculture is at the crossroads in order for it to survive, it has to change now. we are bringing great reforms towards agriculture policy.

that's been in place for decades. we are also bringing sweeping reform to our agricultural properties. that have not changed in 60 long years. it is now fully in line with global standards because we made it stronger rock solid relations are being broken in such sectors as medicine and energy and i'm determined to do

whatever it takes. we are changing some of our old habits to empower women so they can get -- [ applause ] thank you. to empower women so they can get more actively engaged in all walks of life. in short, japan is right in the middle of a quantum leap. my dear members of the congress

please do and come and see the new japan where we have regained our spirit of reform and our sense of speed. [ applause ] japan will not run away from any reforms. we keep our eyes only on the road ahead and push forward with structural reform. there is no doubt about it.

whatsoever. my dear colleagues, the peace and security of the post world war was not possible without american leadership. looking back, it makes me happy all the time that japan of the years past made the right decision, as i told you at the outset citing my grandfather that decision was to choose a path for japan to align itself with the u.s. and to go forward as a member of the western world and together with the u.s. and

other like-minded democracies, we want the [ inaudible ]. [ applause ] that path makes japan grow and prosper even today there is no alternative. my dear colleagues, we support the advancing by the u.s. in order to enhance the peace and security of the asia pacific region and i will state clearly we will support the u.s. effort first, last and throughout.

[ applause ] japan has deepened its strategic relations with australia and india. we are enhancing our cooperation across many fields with the countries of [ inaudible ] and the republic of korea. adding those partners to the central [ inaudible ] of the u.s./japan alliance.

now japan will provide up to $2.8 billion to help improve u.s. in guam whichbases in guam which will gain strategic significance in that regard. let me underscore here my three principles. first, states shall make their claims based on international law. second they shall not use force or coercion to drive the claims. and third, to settle disputes

any disputes, they shall do so by peaceful means. [ applause ] we must make the vast seas searching from the pacific to the indian oceans seize a peace and freedom. we all follow the rule of law. [ applause ] for that very reason, we must fortify the u.s./japan alliance. that is our [ inaudible ].

now, let me tell you in japan we are working hard to enhance the legislative foundations of our security. once in place japan will be much more able to provide a response for all levels of crisis. these enhanced legislative foundations should make the cooperation between the u.s. and japan defense forces ever stronger and the alliance still more solid providing credible

deterrence for the peace in the region that is the first of it is kind and a sweeping one in our possible history. we will achieve this but this coming summer. [ applause ] now, i have something to share with you the day before yesterday secretaries kerry and carter met our foreign minister and defense minister for consultations. as a result we now have a new framework, a framework to better

put together the forces of the u.s. and japan, a framework that is in line with a sledgelegislative attempt going on in japan necessary to build peace in the region and that is the new defense cooperation guidelines. [ applause ] yesterday, president obama and i fully agreed on this significance of these guidelines. ladies and gentlemen, we agreed on a document that is historic. [ applause ]

in the 1990s, japan self-defense forces swept away [ inaudible ] for ten years in the indian ocean japanese defense forces supported your operation to stop the flow of terrorists and meanwhile, in cambodia, iraq, haiti and south sudan, members of ourself-defense forces provided provided humanitarian support and peacekeeping operations. the number amounts to 50,000

based on this track record we are resolved to take yet more responsibility for the peace and stability in the world. it is for that purpose we are determined to enact all necessary bills by this coming summer and we will do exactly that. we must make sure human security will be resolved in addition to national security.

we must do our best so that every individual gets education, medical support and an opportunity to rise to be self-reliant. [ applause ] [ inaudible ] have always made women suffer the most. in our age, we must realize the kind of world where finally women are free from human rights abuses. [ applause ]

our men and women have made substantial accomplishments. so have our aid workers who have worked so steadily. the combined has given us a new self-identity. that's why we now hold up high a new banner that is proactive contribution to peace based on the principle of international cooperation. let me repeat. proactive contribution to peace

based on the present of international cooperation. should leave japan along its road for the future. [ applause ] problems we face include terrorism, infectious diseases natural disasters and climate change. [ applause ] the time has come for the u.s./japan alliance to face up to and jointly tackle those

challenges that are new. after all, our alliance has lasted more than a quarter of an entire history of the united states. it is an alliance that is bound and based on friendship deep between us. no new conflict should ever be necessary for the alliance that connects us the biggest and the second biggest democratic powers in the free world in working together. [ applause ]

always it is an alliance that cherishes our shared values of the role of love and respect for human rights and freedom. when i was young, in high school and listening to the radio, there was a song that touched my heart. it was a song by carol king. [ applause ] when you are down and troubled close your eyes and think of me

and i'll be there to brighten up even your darkest night. and that day, march 11, 2011, a big quake and tsunami and nuclear accident hit the northeastern part of japan. the darkest night fell upon japan. but the forces rushing to japan to the rescue like you've never seen or heard before, lots and lots of people from all corners

of the u.s. extended the hand of assistance to the children in the disaster areas. yes, we got a friend in you. [ applause ] together with the victims, you shed tears. you gave us something, something very, very precious.

it was hope. hope for the future. ladies and gentlemen the finest asset that u.s. has to give to the world was hope. is hope. it is and must always be hope. [ applause ] distinct representatives of the citizens of the united states, let us call the u.s./japan alliance an alliance of hope. let the two of us america and

japan, join our hands together and do our best to make the worldbetter a much better place to live. alliance of hope. together we can make difference. thank you so much. [ applause ] thank you so much. thank you. [ applause ]

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on the next washington journal, represent ron kind of wisconsin, chair of the democrat coalition and ways and means committee member will discuss his concerns with the trade authority bill. then congressman john mica is here to talk about the landing on capitol hill and efforts to secure d.c. air space. later, a look at a poll.

our guest, a polling director at harvard institute of politics. washington journal live at 7:00 eastern on cspan. join the conversation with your calls and comments on facebook and twitter. a government report alleges that homeland security official while serving as head of u.s. citizenship and immigration services gave special access to the visa program known as eb 5. thursday, he testifies before the house homeland security committee to answer questions about political favoritism. see it live starting 10:00 a.m. eastern on cspan 3. sunday night on cspan's q and a, "the washington post" national security reporter walter pinkas on the situation in the middle east and his opinion of the invasion of iraq. >> i think one of the things

about the bush administration and paul wolfowitz who never claimed to be an expert on the middle east or on iraq and proved it and history has proved it is that we look at things from our own point of view and get deceived by it. and you can go back to vietnam was a great example of the first time we sort of did it openly but we have a history of trying to think other people are like us or want our standards and the world is different. and particularly in the middle east it is a totally different culture. >> sunday night at 8:00 eastern and pacific on cspan's q and a. today at the white house president obama hosted an event featuring the 2015 national teacher of the year and the

finalists. this year's top teacher is shanna peeples of amarillo texas. the ceremony from the white house rose garden is 15 minutes. [ applause ] >> welcome to the white house everybody, please have a seat. this is one of my favorite days because it gives us a chance to acknowledge some folks who so often are giving so much and let's face it aren't always getting a lot in return. every day the teachers behind me give their students their all their knowledge, their

creativity, their focused attention, their love. they empty the tanks for their kids. then they get up the next morning and they do it all over again. and today is our chance to say thank you, to let these educators know we see how hard they work. we know the difference they make in their students' lives and they are at the same time making an incredible difference in the life of our country. today is a chance to reaffirm how important teachers are to our nation, not just these teachers but all teachers. we are joined by somebody who is as passionate about our teachers and students as anybody i know and that is our outstanding secretary of education arnie duncan. [ applause ] i want to thank all the school leaders who are here today

because it takes leadership at every level from principal all the way up to superintendent to give our students the best chance to succeed. because of teachers like these our classrooms are full. future doctors learning how muscle groups and organs work, future poets discovering langston hughes and emily dickinson. future scientists tinkering with microscopes and circuit boards. future entrepreneurs getting a hand on problem solving. future leaders learning what it means to be a citizen and how the ideals of freedom and justice made our country what we are today. so america's future is written in our classrooms. we all depend on our teachers, whether we have kids in the schools or not. they deserve our support and our appreciation. and they also probably deserve

higher salaries. [ applause ] thought i would editorialize a little bit. ad lib. that's what today is all about. here with us are 55 of america's top teachers from as far away as alaska and american samoa and as close as maryland and washington, d.c. they teach everything from math and science to art and journalism. some have taught for decades. others are still pretty new. a few of them look like they're still in middle school. but all of them share a passion for helping their kids develop their talents. all of them know the thrill of introducing students to something new and exciting. all of them are really good at

their jobs. i wish i could talk about each and every one of them because all of you are remarkable. but in the interest of time i'll just say a few words about one teacher in particular who happens to be the 2015 national teacher of the year from amarillo texas. shanna peeples. [ applause ] so shanna, i'm going to brag on you a little bit. you just stand there and relax a second. so shanna teaches english at high school in amarillo. many of her students face challenges that would overwhelm adults, let alone kids. about 85% are considered economically disadvantaged, many of refugees from places like iraq and somalia. many of them have known trauma and violence in their lives and

borne burdens that no kid should have to bear. sometimes just showing up to school is hard. but shanna's classroom provides them a safe haven and in shanna they find someone that protects them fiercely and believes in them deeply, and sets high expectations and is confident they're going to do amazing things. now, according to shanna, she wasn't always a teacher. in fact she tried everything else she could before she finally accepted her destiny. she was a deejay. i want to hear more about that. she was a medical assistant. she was a journalist. a professional pet sitter. finally she realized what she was always meant to do and that's helping young people discover the joy and power of