system of a nuclear power plant or more traditional coal or gas-fired power plant or into the grid that can cause some pretty huge problems. so this is definitely a big issue and i think it is an economy wide issue. >> i just read a report about commercial aviation how secure aviation systems are. the answer seemed to be that they're quite secure, as long as they don't interface with the public, the public facing computer systems on airplanes that are not secure at all. the trouble is we have now inter laced them. people like to watch flight data on their computer screens, so the two systems now interact in ways that create vulnerabilities for the other systems. let us go to audience questions. if you have a question, flag me and please wait for the microphone.

we have a lot of questions. the gentleman over here i saw first. please introduce yourself and please keep questions brief. >> thank you. i am nick farmer. could you speak to the idea of fully autonomous vehicles in a shared use environment that is not as a personal car that i own but a fleet vehicle that i use or like the daimler car to go fully autonomous, can deliver packages food deliver people, replace cars busses, taxis in an urban environment. seems like that paradigm change would be looking at it differently, than trying to replace each individual car, would have more opportunity. >> i think that when you talk about fleets, this is something we're already seeing. ben mentioned military use, not

only drones but land vehicles and military looking at fleets there. they're definitely looking at this kind of technology. from a consumer perspective, something like car to go is a perfect platform for this technology. you see it in washington, d.c., those of you that travel to other cities we are in lots of cities around the world you see the smart cars that are a little reminiscent in the google perception of what an autonomous car will look like in the future, doesn't have a wheel at all, but a transportation pod for one or two people. these kinds of systems are meant for urban environments like you said because they're small, not for long road trips, and generally go at lower speeds, which i think will definitely contribute to more consumer acceptance of this kind of technology in an urban environment. not only from a safety perspective but you said it has consumer applications as well.

these kinds of companies like amazon mcdonald's are looking at same day delivery, get your big mac in two hours kinds of things. this is going to be definitely contributing to that kind of economy moving forward. so we like to think that because we have a multi layered system within daimler that we have the platforms available, not only everywhere from the small smart car to the 18 wheeler heavy duty freight liner that this kind of technology can be applied to different settings, and something like we said, we need to work on the regulation to be sure we are in lock step. >> can i say one thing on that? i think you hit on an important topic. there's a heading in my book when two plus two equals ten. truth is when you sinner jazz these, car sharing autonomy,

electrification, fleet management you get these terrific possibilities in terms of more efficient use of capital, urban land management, you know imagine if you could eliminate parking. that's a huge amount of land within the city that we could use for so many productive causes. so i think it is really important to think about these issues systematically and not to just take them piecemeal, and figure out what are the ultimate implications of potentially bringing some of these various technologies together. so i think it is a terrific question, something we have to think a lot about. >> evelyn smith with american enterprise institute. my question is for jessica. you were mentioning that in the autonomous trucks that are being tested in nevada that there's not -- there's still a vehicle manager in the car. so i think there's a public

perception that this technology will eliminate a lot of jobs, seems not the case in the short term. is there a skill required to be a vehicle manager, a different type of job will replace a truck driver or hooper driver? >> absolutely. i think that's a good question and it is exciting for people in this field. i think we are looking at the elevation of this kind of career from a driver to like you said a manager, someone who is monitoring all of the systems in the vehicle. this is a high tech job, advanced training. actually i was at an event here in this room a few weeks ago about advanced industries, and the kinds of education that are going to be necessary moving forward for different kinds of industries in this country. and i think this is a perfect example, that unlike travel agents that we don't see too

many of them any more this is a job, this is a career that's going to transform. i don't see layoffs necessarily. i see the elevation of this kind of career. and especially because once someone in this kind of career is trained like this that provides more opportunity than the current truck driver role. from the technical perspective, they were going to need a human for the time being in cars and trucks, even with high levels of autonomy, even once commercial licenses are granted in certain states and countries. but looking several decades down the line, that's the time we are looking at possibly no one in the car at all. and that's something sonya alluded to with the disabled community, i was with that group that had a big group of disabled

advocates for the disabled community who wanted to talk about implications of this kind of technology for the blind the deaf people with severe physical disabilities who are completely unable to manage their own transportation as it stands now. >> if no one else has something i feel like i have to. are there going to be layoffs, yes. are there going to be lots of layoffs, yes. is artificial intelligence and deep learning going to transform the way the economy works? definitely, will there be new jobs, yes. will there be as many new jobs as old jobs we lose, unclear. i think it is really important that we think about the issues in eyes wide open ways and realize that we are moving toward an era where computers will be able to do a lot of things only a human can do today. there's a huge feature piece in "the economist" for this coming

week about it. i recommend it. i think it is well done. i think that anyone who looks at these issues in a balanced way is going to have to admit that there are going to be a lot of layoffs, huge transition, and the kind of job that's available now to a truck driver will not necessarily be available 10 15 years from now, and we have to think about that from a policy perspective and plan for it. >> want to say something about that the layoffs. there was simulation at singapore university to replace a company taxi business, it was done at university level. then they came to the result it is possible. the service time for customer and average time is better than taxi because of shorter waiting time. then they said okay we still

need people to relocate the fleet and this was in a third of taxi drivers. so two-thirds laid off. they made the same simulations, autonomous trials then they have to increase the number of cars because the cars have to reallocate themself. >> yes. >> hi, i am bourdain with nature. i have a question for jessica and kari-josef about ethics. as i understand one of the things that's quite difficult if you're an autonomous car making decision between you have to brake quickly to save the person in the car, but that could cause a chain reaction or something, it is quite difficult for a computer program to deal with things like counter factuals and calculating whether it is better

to do one thing versus the other. i wonder what are daimler and siemens and engineers who deal with this thinking about in terms of the right approach to making those calculations. do we know ethical decisions of this kind can be reliably automated and computed by machine and do we need to know that before we can have things like say mercedes, one of daimler's marks doing testing in california do we need to know and how much do we know before we can actually sort of have these ethical questions answered in terms of what the car is capable of doing? >> the question is not so difficult. as soon as you have algorithm, you know what it is doing. it is deciding before something is happening. the rules are fixed. it is programmed. so you know exactly how the car

is going. you have a choice of accident left, right car from behind, you know it, so the calculation time, it is making selection from a few choices. it is done faster than the human brain. so you know exactly this is what happens in this situation by this or this or this. so we have to make that transparent that we want to have this reaction so we can discuss situations before they're happening. >> is there an ethical obligation to make the algorithms public, to make the choice to say okay, we're choosing if you have a choice between killing a kid and killing an adult you kill the adult. or do you kill the kid whatever your choice is. i am being reductionist, but when you have a tragic choice and you have an prospective engineering answer to that, is

there ethical obligation to lay it out imagine "the washington post" and "the new york times" headline siemens engineers killing kid. you know, do you have to do that or are you allowed to have a proprietary killing kid algorithm? >> interesting question. >> you have to see the point. we are making this -- we want to have it in the world. this discussion or question you are asking physician somewhere in the third world does this decision every day. every day has this decision. ethical, moral decision and nobody is helping him with this. now as we have in our pocket we have to discuss it, we have to

decide before. and we are not making the decision, we are blaming the engineer. >> i want to add one thing these decisions will also be adaptive, they will evolve, change, and also be dependent on region, government, et cetera, the same way the physician in one part of the country in the same situation won't make the same decision the same would be true of the al go rhythms. >> this is an area that calls out for guidelines. we make these decisions every day, decide how much so 2 do we allow coal fired power plants to emit and that kills people. i think that when it comes to making the big ethical decisions, that's the role of the culture in many senses. >> i think as you mention, the

transparency issue this is something that we are discussing within the framework of the ethical debate to begin with, and know that the other german automakers are also having these discussions. just this week one of our competitors voiced concern they didn't think ethical concerns could be surmounted which we disagree with. we think it is certainly worth discussing. but if years go by and there's still no answers, that's something we'll have to tackle at the time internationally. >> just want to point out, when i reference the problem that the military and covert agencies had in attempting to engineer exactly this civilian harm reduction problem, you said well it will be totally different because, you know these are robots designed to transport people not robots designed to kill people, and yet

here we are having exactly the same conversation and one of the -- >> i think that's partially because you're asking the questions. >> i didn't ask this question. >> but still the difference is that in a military system the program is to kill people. the principal problem you have on the road is different. it is an exception. it is a situation of accidents and then it is decision. >> which is the company that decided the ethical problems are not surmountable? >> bmw hinted this week that they're concerned about that. >> yes. >> allen pi sar ski researcher in transportation travel behavior, public investment. i am wondering about critical interface between public and

technologies that we are talking about. are there game breakers, critical interfaces that are important or are you going to be able to do this activity autonomously outside whatever public investments are undertaken? >> so that's something that has to be studied carefully. that's my next project is to look at that interface and what are the road blocks from policy perspective, how we have to get our house in order to allow automakers to innovate toward this future that's more efficient, safer and so that's something that calls out for further research. >> also i want to bring up here in terms of infrastructure spectrum use issue which is a little bit of a hot topic in d.c. if you follow these issues now, and that's something that

we feel very strongly about preserving that band of the spectrum for automotive use, so this is something that even though we're talking about vehicles 10 or 15 years from now, it is going on right now from a policy perspective. >> when you're done with the mike, pass it to the gentleman in back. >> brad town send with ourenergypolicy.org. i want to touch on the safety issue and builds on some of what has already been asked. i tend to agree with levi that public support would be toward net reduction. however, i do think there could be potential push back specifically looking at who is responsible for making the programming decisions whether that's the company or regulatory agency. so i am wondering what the current regulatory framework

looks like in terms of supporting those types of decisions, particularly with the international angle as part of it. >> i'm sorry, i am not sure i completely got the question. the question is -- [ inaudible ] >> there's a terrific paper which i think copies of are out there about liability issues, product liability issues with respect to driverless cars and

reliability issues. a lot of what you describe is not a regulatory architecture it is a liability and blame assignment after the fact. the question of how you apply that legal system to a system in which you point the person on the decision may not be the driver is a very hard one and i don't think we entirely know the answer to it. >> that's right. i would say these systems are embryonic, taking shape. in some states autonomous states they're illegal, not defined in some they're legal, but there are different standards on how and where they are to be driven. on a federal level you have a push toward defining how regulatory agencies will deal with autonomy.

ntsa is working on connecting vehicles, policies now. it is something we have to get on creatively from a regulatory standpoint, starting now. >> i think to piggy back on that, the framework is set up or at least getting set up. i know the dot has a plan for vehicle automation they're working on between the u.s. eu and japan already. this is working which has already been established. there already have been several meetings correct people identified. these kinds of discussions are well placed already and have started. >> another dimension is that unlike the other area where this automation is taking place, in aviation of one sort or another

you have a federal state issue here that's peculiar traditionally licensing agency for driving is state government. now you're talking about the agency's, the decision making entity being a commercial product that presumably doesn't have a license from district of columbia to operate a motor vehicle. there's a question of how much autonomy does a car have before you really lose the foundations of state licensing rules that have governed car driving for the last 100 plus years. >> going to be a tremendous undertaking to look at the regulations, many of which were established in countries and states, decades and decades ago a century ago, and look at

amending them. >> we have a gentleman shaking his head with annoyance. let this gentleman ask his question. when you're done, pass to the gentleman who wants to correct me. >> all right. i would like to note there's a third option when you were killing the kid or the adult, kill the occupants of the autonomous vehicle. that's just a third alternative in the algorithm. >> i am sure that will be a great comfort. >> my concern is dealing with deployment of this technology because it was my good fortune to be part of jet propulsion laboratory in the '70s. we had an autonomous vehicle running around the lab in the 1970s. the technology was on its way. it was an engineering model but deployment and where it made sense and the continuity of programs, none of it came through. so it is 40 years ago. here we are again. to me you need a couple of

things to go forward with, and i would like to see anybody respond to this. one is a specific duty cycle. that way maintenance is controlled. that way if you deal with electric propulsion technology which you don't have to do but it could be that is controlled also so that you know your system, vehicle systems are operable when you introduce it into the rest of the system. the other is i believe there's a hybrid that's in there. that's what we anticipated long ago. that is imagine you're driving along in your bmw z 5 or 6 on a nice country road. >> that's okay. >> you're on a nice country road but approaching the town you want to be in. you throw it into automated mode. you sit back and relax. the car confirms you're in automated mode. you proceed through a city you know nothing about, precisely to where your destination is. and you go.

when you leave you exit in the same manner, and if you choose, take the freeway, forget the nice country road. but that choice is a great way to introduce this technology along with mass transit and that's the specific duty cycle because mobility for people that don't have a driver's license, never did or have lost it is critical. if you work on that, the hybrid concept and getting mobility for all of the people, you get quick deployment and acceptance. that was my comment because i've been in this field. >> okay. so hybrid version is the road to acceptance. thoughts? >> i would add another element to the hybrid road to acceptance and that's the access to the transportation system. that's a perfect way to sensitize the public to these technologies. >> i would just say most

automakers completely agree with you and we love to talk about autonomous vehicles because that's sexy, autonomous vehicles drive themselves. but if you go and talk to toyota they do not use the term autonomous vehicles, they say automated vehicles. the reason is there are certain instances, that line of code decides whether that someone kills a kid, kill the occupants kill themselves, or do something else yet undefined. toyota likes to talk about the fact that there are large stretches of highway and road in this country for which autonomous driving is quite simple to program and very safe and usually that's highway driving. then the other thing that is relatively easy to do is low speed driving. and you can do that from a technical perspective, not a big deal. gets more complicated when you move into high speed urban driving in a very dynamic

environment. i think what automakers would like to see is a system where we can get 80 90% of the benefit of autonomous vehicles while leaving the last critical, difficult decisions off the table because you're never going to be driving in an environment where they're likely to arise. >> from a manufacturer perspective, especially as german manufacturer, i completely agree with you. that's why our first big stab at this and what we showed at ces and traveling the world since still has a wheel. a steering wheel. because in our perspective consumers are going to want that choice and want to use the car differently on saturday morning versus monday morning. not everyone necessarily wants more than one vehicle. so that's kind of the way we see

things as having that comfort and luxury in a mobile lounge, to be able to drive it when you want or when you need to versus be able to relax when you don't. >> the federal government versus states, i was on commerce committee as a lawyer. few years i worked on the '74 amendments to the motor vehicle safety act, i know a little about ntsa. but states have very little control over the equipment of the car, they license drivers, but motor vehicle safety equipment like restraints, i am surprised you haven't mentioned good example of forcing technology proposed rule 30 years before adopting. took a long time. in a way it forced technology.

>> i think you misunderstood. i did not mean to suggest the states would regulate. what i would suggest is the opposite. more of the driving function you give to equipment the more you lessen the role of the state and more you give to the government the function we traditionally associated with the state the day to day operative supervision of driving function. >> i think it raises a good point about and we see it in environmental regulation that certain states are doing certain things to go above and beyond what the federal government does. if you even keep one half an eye on the auto industry in the last several decades, you know that we push for harmonization so we don't have patch work regulations, that's the same issue with automated driving as

well. >> brings back to a bigger issue around standards and collaboration and cooperation to make sure you don't have different infrastructure in different states that's not going to allow the vehicles to cross lines in countries and places like europe and cars frequently travel internationally as well, so i think the whole international aspect is critical. >> we have time for one more question. then i am going to give each of our panelists chance to wrap up in response to either the question or if he or she chooses to ignore the question to anything else that moves. sir in the back. >> thank you all excellent talk. john watson. my question is we danced around this a bit, several remarks regarding it human factors lead to acceptance. we talked about tesla being a

superior car to the alternatives because of design. pundits can have as much concern and anxiety until the second they use it and it is more convenient. jessica, you mentioned about the mobile lounge. what are the design factors human factors that go into design of a vehicle that make it acceptable and desirable to the consumer that will lead to acceptance. >> this is a really interesting question and i'm glad you brought it up because design is something that can't be ignored when we are talking about consumer acceptance. because as far as technology and sensors and regulations and laws come, if people don't want to buy it, it is a problem. this is what we are seeing with certain drive trains in california and other states so we are a luxury car brand and we look at this issue a little differently than some mainstream car brands.

i point you to google with the google car, looking at what that is versus what our fo 15 is, incredibly different. so the kind of design we might put in an autonomous smart car in the fleet versus something a wealthy business man might buy for his personal use is going to be completely different but for us it is the luxury it is the comfort and the privacy of your own space, especially when you are thinking of cultural aspects in the u.s. of people that generally like their own space and that's why there's some reluctance to beef up the public transport systems in this country. so we're looking at all of that from our luxury perspective. i'm pretty excited about the way it is going. i'll leave it at that at my closing remarks, too. >> go straight down the line. >> one must point to autonomous driving. it was an interesting time about five, six years ago, made a worldwide study, conducted in

china and japan and europe and the u.s., and how much discussion we would have on the cars. the prediction of what would happen in the future. sorry to say it was six years ago, we were wrong. now it is announced we have the first autonomous systems followed by 21 and 22 we have highway assistance, parking assistance system, so you don't have to drive the car by yourself in the garage, on the highway. it is coming soon earlier than we predicted. i guess that the same will happen with autonomous driving because there's need for it in the world.

that's a difference to what you said with propulsion systems and in the lab. took 100 years until we have mass rollout of electric cars on the road because we have the beginning of the last century, there were more electric taxis than combustion engines. now these autonomous cars are coming and i guess they're coming faster than we think already now. >> yeah. i couldn't agree more. and so to answer your question our discussion has been kind of safety, safety and safety, and the answer to your question is productivity productivity and productivity. if you can have a mobile office that allows you to live in hernden, commute in be as productive and comfortable in the car as you are in your office, then that's a game changer. and i think that productivity

gains are going to overwhelm opposition to autonomous vehicle technology. i think smart automakers will be thinking about that, thinking about how they can integrate not just entertainment but the rest of life into your vehicle as well. >> i would encourage us to think about the autonomous vehicles not just in terms of direct benefits, reduction in traffic accidents, but also increased access that these types of vehicles can provide and benefits to society as well. >> with that we have to close. thank you all for coming. thank you all for coming. [ applause ] . on the next washington

journal, bernard kerik. he offers views on criminal justice and prison reform. "the new york times" correspondent discusses u.s. drone policy and controversy it caused naming three undercover cia officials. and talking about advanced placement exam. they take calls from high school students. join the conversation on facebook and twitter. washington journal, live at 7:00 a.m. eastern on cspan.

they were wise. and mothers. some had children and grandchildren who became presidents and politicians. they dealt with the joys and trials of motherhood, the pleasure and sometimes chaos of raising small different. and the tragedy of loss. just in time for mother's day first ladies looks at the personal lives of every first lady in american history, many of whom raised families in the white house. lively stories of fascinating women and illuminating entertaining, inspiring read, based on original interviews from cspan's first ladies series published by public affairs, it is available as hard cover or e book and makes a great mother's day gift from your favorite bookstore or online book seller. at a ceremony in washington marking the 70th anniversary of

ve day, susan rice talked about sacrifices endured by europe in world war ii and its aftermath. here are her remarks from the world war ii memorial on the national mall. >> good morning, everyone. alex, thank you so much for that generous introduction. thank you, members of the diplomatic core for joining us. thank you to all of our beloved and distinguished veterans. the message when it came atlas was simple. the mission of this allied force was fulfilled. at 02: 41 local time may 7,

1945. signed eisenhower. there was no pm to victory, no exaltation. too much had been lost for that. too much remained to be done. when president truman addressed the nation, even as he proclaimed the flags of freedom fly all over europe, he reminded all americans of those priceless lives that were rendered as sacrifice to redeem our liberty. as the news spread and people poured into the streets to celebrate in new york, london and paris cheers and laughter mixed freely with tears. and even in the midst of one

triumph, we vow to fight on and finish the war in the pacific. ladies and gentlemen, 70 years after that great turning point in the history of our world we remember the sacrifice that was made to preserve freedom. those who laid down their lives for a better future. the americans who won the beach head at normandy, inch by bloody inch. from britain, the few who defied them the free french who never accepted nazi occupation. the brave pols who fought for our freedom and yours. the canadian regiments that pushed across france into northern germany. the resistance movements in

every european country and in the east, the people of russia ukraine, belarus and all the former soviet states who endured many of the heaviest losses of the war. but today we can also celebrate without reserve the legacy of their accomplishments. a legacy that could not yet be imagined in 1945 with trauma of war so fresh. not just a europe that's known seven decades of growing peace and prosperity, but the pay the seed of democracy has flourished around the world. the lasting bonds that unite europe and the united states. the international institutions that have underwritten peaceful

development. the continually reaffirmation of those basic principles which formed our alliance, that all men and all women of all lands should be able to live free from fear and want. when american and soviet troops met in germany in april of 1945, they melt nott not only as victors in war but as witnesses to some of history's most unconscionable crimes. hardened soldiered were sickened by the horrors of auschwitz. as one world, we proclaimed never again. that legacy continues to drive us to stand against atrocities and acts of mass inhumanity.

on the home front the war helped unleash movements toward greater equality for all people as women stepped into factories to keep america's industries pumping and joined auxiliary services. platoons of white and black gis fought side by side on the fields of europe. and then black serviceman like my fathers tuskegee airmen came here to demand justice in their own land. we honor all those brave men and women, those who fell and those who survived, including the proud veterans who are here with us today. [ applause ] we owe each of you an unpayable

debt. on behalf of president obama let me reaffirm the enduring gratitude of the american people. the story of your generation will never be forgotten. we will continue to tell it to children blessedly untouched by war, so that they understand as this memorial reminds us the price of freedom. we will continue to mark the passing of anniversaries like this one so that memory never fades into complacency towards the evils in our world. we will carry on the march towards a world of greater rights and opportunities, so that all men and women can live their lives with the basic human dignity that your generation fought for.

because while one mission was fulfilled in 1945, the cause of defending freedom is never finished. as president truman put it, we must work to bind up the wounds of a suffering world to build an abiding peace, a peace rooted in justice and in law. that is the pledge we make again today and every day. and no matter how difficult the challenges that lie ahead or what obstacles arise we will never abandon this struggle because for all that is changed during the last 70 years, one thing never will, the united states of america will always stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of the world on the

side of liberty and justice for all. thank you very much. [ applause ] on the next washington journal, former police commissioner, author of from jailer to jail. he offers advice on prison reform. and the u.s. drone policy and controversy it caused naming three undercover cia officials. and high school officials talk about the advance placement u.s. government exam preparation. they go through sample questions, take calls from high school students. and we will take your calls. join the conversation on facebook and twitter. washington journal live at 7:00 a.m. eastern on cspan. here are some featured

programs for this weekend. saturday morning beginning 10 eastern, live from greenville, south carolina. speakers include scott walker, ted cruz carly fiorina, marco rubio. and mother's day noon eastern members of first families remember first ladies featuring daughters of jackie kennedy, lady byrd johnson betty ford and laura bush. on cspan2, saturday at 10:00 eastern, author john crack our on sexual assault in the u.s. and sunday evening at 10:00 ann dunwoody talks about her life and military career. on american history tv on cspan3, saturday at 4:45 eastern on oral histories, remembering the liberation of nazi concentration camps with interview of curt klein who as a

teenager escaped german persecution of jews by coming to the u.s. lost his parents in auschwitz, and as interrogate or for the army, questioned hitler's personal driver. sunday at 2:00 70th anniversary of world war ii in europe with dignitaries and veterans commemorating the event at the world war ii memorial in washington, d.c. get the complete schedule at cspan.org. the president of iraq's semi autonomous region of kurdistan spoke at the council on foreign relations in washington, d.c. about kurdistan's role fighting isis and their hope to achieve independence from iraq. this is an hour. >> good afternoon everyone. i am washington bureau chief of

"the wall street journal." as you all know i have a special guest today, president of the kurdistan region of iraq and it is a pleasure and honor to have you with us, mr. president. equally important is the foreign minister of the krg. crucially will serve as interpreter so that we can make the conversation happen in a meaningful and substantive way. thank you for joining us. we appreciate it very much. mr. president i thought i would start by asking if you want to talk for a couple of minutes if you have something to say is he outset, perhaps summarizing your visit this week or anything else you want to cover then i'll launch in to ask questions. we are speaking on the record today. after we have a conversation at about 1:00 i'll shut up and open the floor to your questions and we will have microphones

that go around at that point. i very much look forward to having all of you join the conversation as well. mr. president, the floor is yours. >> translator: i would like to thank you for providing me this opportunity. our visit to washington came at the invitation of the white house. so we are here in order to communicate and convey our

thanks to the president, vice president, the administration, and people of the united states for the support they have provided when we are faced with isis. [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: as you all know, it's almost a year that we have been a tough and difl fight with the most brutal terrorist organization of the day. [ speaking foreign language ] fight with the most brutal terrorist organization of the day. [ speaking foreign language ]d fight with the most brutal terrorist organization of the day. [ speaking foreign language ]i fight with the most brutal terrorist organization of the day. [ speaking foreign language ]f fight with the most brutal terrorist organization of the day. [ speaking foreign language ]f fight with the most brutal terrorist organization of the day. [ speaking foreign language ]i fight with the most brutal terrorist organization of the day. [ speaking foreign language ]c fight with the most brutal terrorist organization of the day. [ speakingt fight with the most brutal terrorist organization of the day. [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: so far as a result of this we have driven huge sacrifices, 7,000 peshmerga have been wounded. [ speaking foreign language ]

>> translator: yes at the beginning we have faced some difficulties. we have lost territory to the isis but immediately we were able to take full control of the situation and to liberate the areas. we have been able to far to clear and liberate an area of 20,000 square kilometers and the peshmerga have full control. [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: the area so called the disputed territories or areas outside of the care of the administration are almost in the hands of the peshmerga today. [ speaking foreign language ]

>> translator: and we are ready to go back to the will of the people as it has been stipulated in the constitution, to go back to the will of the people for the people to make the final decision on their choice what do way want to be and to decide their own future. we are committed to that and we are committed to respect the will and the choice of the population in these areas. [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: and the losses suffered by isis, they have lost 11,000 of their members those who have been killed in our front lines, those who have been killed by the peshmerga forces or those who have been targeted

by the air strikes. [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: and i would also like to share with you that the coordination to have cooperation between the u.s. forces and coalition partners have been excellent and no civilians have been targeted throughout these operations. [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: while certainly it were not for the air support provided by the united states our losses would have been much more. but at the same time had the peshmergas had in the city the needed weapons, the losses would have been much less. [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: isis is not a new organization, it's an extension

of al qaeda. [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: al qaeda we lied on the jihadi trend. isis benefitted from that, with all of its factions. [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: isis would not have been able to achieve all of that has achieved. as an example, they were able to acquire 1,700 humvees or hummers because as a result of the wrong policies of the former prime

minister and former cabinet which paved the way for isis to take full control. [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: so the front line that we have with isis in iraqi from sinjar is 1,050 kilometers but we're in the front line which is 1,050 kilometers from kobani. [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: and it's a source of pride for the people of cork stan that we have been able to with stand the image of isis big invisible force.

[ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: and also we believe that we're defending some common values, values and principles that the free world believes in and cherish and we defend these values. [ speaking foreign language ] [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: in addition to the cost of the war and the burdens of war and sustaining that war we're under huge pressure economically for

providing refuge and sanctuary to the internally displaced people from the rest of iraq and the refugees from sere yo. all together is 1.5 million. the rest are from different parts of iraq, christians they all have found refuge and sanctuary is kirk stan. but their needs and expectations are far more the capability and the capacity of the care. [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: the republican trooen erbil and baghdad the better than it was with the previous cabinet and we're working together to find solution to the problems that we face. [ speaking foreign language ]

>> translator: and finally i would like to say that we are delighted and pleased with our visit and we think it's a successful visit and we found there is a very good understanding of the question of the issues of the kurdish people and also we have been given assurances that the peshmergas will get the weapons and the requirements into their hands. >> mr. president, thank you for that overview. let me start with that final thought. you said in your comments just now that the battle against isis would be easier if the peshmerga had the necessary weapons. what assurances did you get specifically while you were here that you will get the weapons

that you need, and specifically what does the peshmerga lack right now that you would like to see in the hands of your fighters? [ speaking foreign language ] [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: if we go back to the history of this issue, we're going back to the old days during the time of 2007 when general dempsey was in charge of the u.s. forces in iraq. there was an agreement that the peshmerga forces which were part of the defense system, they would get their share from

whatever the iraqi army gets. [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: but unfortunately we did not receive neither a bullet for a piece of weapon. [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: so the peshmergas had all of the out dated weapons and they are the weapons that we have captured in the fight against the ra geem and in other fights. [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: indeed we discussed this issue with the administration, the details of this issue, and there were assurances made that this will not be repeated again and we were given assurances that there would be follow up on that. and before now we did not get such kind of assurances.

therefore we're pleased that at that level assurances have been given. >> and just to be specific about your conversations here, do you leave washington confident that the president the vice president, the secretary of state will make sure that that -- those assurances are followed through? [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: we go back with full confidence and great hope to kirk stan. >> let me talk about your relationship with baghdad. i'm curious about the status of the december agreement.

the questions that were to be resolved in that agreement, particularly in regards to the sale of oil. are you satisfied with it? are there things that need to be worked on? [ speaking foreign language ] [ speaking foreign language ] [ speaking foreign language ]

[ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: as far as the agreement is concerned they're required to provide 550,000 pounds per day nrd for the government in baghdad to provide for the krg as it is in the iraqi budget for 2015. in april the krg provided and exported more than what is required to. but according to the news that i have received while here baghdad has not honored that agreement in order to provide care with its 17% share of it. and indeed it's less than the amount of oil that krg has given to baghdad to be sold. but we'll follow up on that when

we go back to kyrgyzstan. >> on that point i assume you raised that with officials of the amount here. will you have their assistance in making sure that you get what the december agreement says the kurdish government is supposed to receive? [ speaking foreign language ] [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: before now and now they have been trying seriously in order to encourage baghdad to take this agreement for it to be implemented. >> there is coming an torrent fight for mosul.

what role durg the peshmerga forces are likely to play in that enterprise? [ speaking foreign language ] [ speaking foreign language ] [ speaking foreign language ]

[ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: for your kind information, mosul is unlike -- while in mosul you have kurds, christians, different religiouses, didn't sexs and different ethnicities. therefore we have to find a foryulia to be agreed upon before thinking of going to the liberation of mosul. so we have to think of a formula that all of the communities in who live in mosul agree upon and they're sure about their future in the city. right now there is a committee that has been established between baghdad and a

representative of the united states in order to discuss a detailed plan for the liberation and the day after. the moment that the agreement is reached the peshmergas are ready in order to play a serious role in the liberation of mosul. >> one of the other factors that have changed in the regional political structure in recent weeks is the emergence of the p 5 s1 agreement. how do you think that changes the structure and how significantly do you think it affects your part of the world the kyrgyzstan section? [ speaking foreign language ]

[ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: i believe that will have an impact on the entire region, not only on kyrgyzstan region but if that issue could be solved through understanding and dialogue, definitely it will help with the reduction or reducing the tension that exists in the area. >> how would you describe the extent of the iranian government in baghdad now, particularly the new government? [ speaking foreign language ]

>> translator: i believe this is a given fact that today iran has more influence on the ground than any other country in iraq. >> and is that inevitable or is that something that could be changed by american policy by a new alignment within iraq itself? [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: i believe in any country in any given country it would be important for the people of that country to decide what kind of policy they want and they have to decide for their own. what will the united states be able to do. would they declare a war or

what? >> well, one of the questions that inevitably follows you is the question of kurdish autonomy kurdish self determination, kurdish independence. what is your own thinking about the path forward on the question of kurdish autonomy? [ speaking foreign language ] [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: of course right now the priority for all f us is

for fighting isis to continue to push them out and away from the areas. but the purpose for the referendum to take place for the people of kyrgyzstan to determine their future and the people of kyrgyzstan to exercise the right to self determination is a process that has started. it will not stop and we will not step back from that process. we're determined and we insist on continuing the path. >> mr. president, let me ask you one final question of my own and then i'll open it up to the audience. when you step back from the fight against isis, i'm just wondering. as we speak here today is isis being defeated or is it not being defeated? [ speaking foreign language ] [ speaking foreign language ]

>> translator: of course fighting isis -- [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: fighting isis should not be confined to military oppressions. it has be a military fight an economic fighting with logistics, et cetera. it's the spnt of many in the international community to fight that. and it would not be good or in the interest of the stability and security if any quarter would like or would try to use isis as a pressure cut on the

others. as far as our front line is concerned, i can tell you that we have been able to give -- to make sure that isis suffers great losses but still they pose a threat to us. at the same time, isis have to be dealt with in both syria and iraq to be defeated in both places. we can't target them in one place, leave the air area a free area for movement of isis. >> mr. president, thank you for that. let me ask you for your questions. raise your hand. a couple of requests. wait until i call upon you. please wait for the microphone and also state your name and affiliation. we'll have a lot of questions. please keep them concise. i'll start right there and go there next. >> welcome to washington, president. >> a little louder. >> the question is can you

defeat dash in the um bar province with the support of the sunni tribes. and secondly it seems everybody is fighting dash the peshmerga are fighting dash, the shiite militias are fighting dash the syrian army is fighting dash, hezbollah is fiekting dash and the u.s. air force are fighting dash. how have they been able to sustain themselves and where are they getting their weapons and money from? [ speaking foreign language ] [ speaking foreign language ]

[ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: first of all very briefly to respond to you, the groups that you mentioned, some of them before fighting isis they have got their own internal problems fighting each other. [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: therefore, isis is the beneficiary in this. [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: so this is also a question that we're being considering where do they get all of these weapons and ammunition. we do realize they have been able to get some weapons from

the syrian army, some weapons from the maliki army. but they have some new weapons. they have got some missiles with anti-tank weapons and they've used them against us. >> if i might follow up, where do those come from? [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: they also seem to find an answer, somebody to tell us. >> do what we can. thank you. >> trudy rubin from the philadelphia inquirer. pleasure to see you again. just to follow up on that question, in an bar and also in anyone what in mosul, can isis be defeated if sunnis on the ground do not rise up and fight against them? do you feel that the central government is doing enough or will do enough to do the

political things necessary to encourage sunnis to rise up? and did you discuss this with the americans in your visit here? do you feel the u.s. should be doing more to somehow facilitate a political deal where sunnis in these provinces would be encouraged to fight back against isis? [ speaking foreign language ] [ speaking foreign language ]

[ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: to be very honest to you in responding to this question -- [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: first of all, it's very necessary that the sunnis in mosul and tikrit to participate in this fight. [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: and the problem here is that i have shared that with the sunnis. that's why i shared with you, that i've told them that the

sunnis have neither a united political reference nor a united religious reference. [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: that has created some difficulties among the sunnis. [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: for the sunnis to be able to play a more effective role, they have to put their act together. they have to unite among themselves. [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: and we wish -- [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: and in terms of this sectarian sensitivity, it's a given fact it's there. no one can deny that. we wish it had not been this but it's there and there are problems between the federal government and these groups. that trust have not been built

yet. >> let me first interject a question that comes from a council member who has been listening remotely that's been e-mailed in. this is from kermit jones, rush university medical center in chicago. the question is if your recent remarks at the atlanta council, you reiterated that an independent occurred stan is coming. in your vision for occurred stan now and in the future what role do you see peshmerga fighters playing in the broader regional fight against isis? [ speaking foreign language ] [ speaking foreign language ]

>> after kurdistan is independent, what role peshmerga can play. >> in a broader, long term. [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: well certainly the peshmergas have been able to achieve what they have achieved so far in destroying isis with their limited and humble abilities that they have. certainly when peshmergas are an army of independent state they would achieve much more. [ speaking foreign language ] skblt certainly the peshmergas will be defending the values and principles that the free world all share and cherish. >> here and then there.

>> thaupg you. lehigh university. i was wondering whether your relationship with the syrian codes, pvd have changed especially after kobani given that in the past you were not sympathetic to them so the knc emerged as the force in syria. and in this context where do you see and what is the preference in terms of the future of what's happening in syria and bashar al assad's area? [ speaking foreign language ]

[ speaking foreign language ] [ speaking foreign language ] skblt as far as the future of syria is concerned indeeds it's complicated and there is nothing in the horizon. the way i shee, neither is there a military solution in the

horizon nor a political solution on the horizon. as far as the kurds the brothers and sisters, when they needed our help, we sent peshmerga forces there. we have given matters wounded peshmergas in order to defend our brothers and sisters in syria. we did not ask them if they were pyd, we realized they were being attacked and it was our responsibility to g and protect them. and without asking them which party they belong to. as far as their future is concerned and our future relations, we will try our best so they get the act together they cooperate with each other and have a clear statement so that we will be able to help them more than this. >> michael gordon, "the new york times." sir, as i understand it, kurdish law limits the presidents to two

terms in office. your second term in office was extended by two years in 2013, into august of this year. do you plan to seek another extension of your term in office as president or if there was significant internal opposition to that would you step aside? thank you. [ speaking foreign language ] [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: the two-year extension that was extended, it

was not upon by request. it was imposed on me. [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: and now i have not asked for extension and i will not ask for it. [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: and now i have written a letter two years ago i have written a letter to the parliament for them to carry out the election to prepare the ground for this and for me to hand over the responsibility to the person who would be elected. [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: and even now before my trip i have talked to the parliament and the political parties that they have to sort this issue out. [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: certainly i would not be within reason that as a result of the presidency chair i would create an internal problem

for kurdistan. i would never do that. >> judith kipper. it's always good to see you mr. president, in washington and i think many of us admire the way the kurds have thrived through so many conflicts. you've talked a little bit about iran and syria. i wonder if you could give us your impression of whether turkey is being coop ty in the struggles in the region not only against isis but generally. a member of nato, a very important country and very important obviously to your region. [ speaking foreign language ]

[ speaking foreign language ] [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: when we realized that there was a big change that turkey in their policies, we thought that this would be a good opportunity for us to improve our relations with turkey and to encourage them and to cooperate with them in that. so we will continue on this in order to encourage a peaceful

solution. [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: we enjoy good relations with turkey now. [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: in the fight against isis, turkey at the beginning had some reservation. [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: what we see right now, that reservation has been decreased. >> just if i could -- >> i'm sorry? >> i was going to add, what lesson did you learn from the way or what lessons perhaps that turkey learned on how they handled the fight over kobani? [ speaking foreign language ] [ speaking foreign language ]

[ speaking foreign language ] sglt of course this was the second time for a peshmerga force to go from iraqi kurdistan to another part in order to support and to protect. the first time was in the 1945, '46 during the times of the republican of kurdistan when a force went to help. and this time they were from kurdistan to kobani of course without american cooperation and kurkish cooperation this would not have been possible. [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: so a lesson that we have learned in this cooperation is that we would be able to achieve good results. [ speaking foreign language ]

>> translator: a strange coins dent, they were cousins. >> way in the back there and then there next. just behind you. >> my passport has been expired since march of this year. do you think i should wait for another two years until i get kurdish passport and also, has any country given concrete promise to support occurred stand independence when you met, for example, the european leaders. thank you. [ speaking foreign language ]

[ speaking foreign language ] [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: until we get an independent kurdistan you can extend your passport. the iraqi ambassador is here. you can use that passport. [ laughter ] [ speaking foreign language ]

>> translator: so in the past there are many world leaders who were not ready to talk about kurdish independence or the rights of the kurdish people or the future of the kurds. right now that barrier is no longer there. [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: so we are pleased and delighted to see the change that has taken place. in the past we would have known the answer even before the meeting. we would have known what we would be told. but still we would go we would talking about our issues and we would be told that this is an internal issue we would not interfere. but thank god nowadays we are not hearing such kind of statements. >> there and then back there next. >> thank you. from the resource group.

mr. president, i had a question on kurdish independence. assuming that there's progression towards that objective, do you see that as an end in itself as far as the kurdistan region of iraq is concerned or do you see that being a nucleus given that it's spread out in the region? [ speaking foreign language ] [ speaking foreign language ]

[ speaking foreign language ] [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: throughout history there are a lot of things committed against ou people. the ride that was given to other nation, our nation was deprived

of that right, especially after world war i which during the right to self determination was supposed to be given to the kurdish people. each part has got its own characteristics characteristics. yes, we are one nation but we have to see the new realities on the ground today. the most important note is that neither we should be thinking about bloodshed and wars in order to solve all problems. solving these problems have to be through democratic and peaceful means. when we talk about kurdish independence, we talk about the southern part of kurdistan for the other parts of kurdistan it's left to the kurdish people in these areas to decide their own future. >> right there and then there. >> hi. i'm nancy burke, george washington university. i have another question about

lessons learned. in the places that you've liberated, i wonder what the learning has been about the way isil tries to govern what's been happening with the people there other lessons about how isil operates. and then you mentioned the day after for mosul. and i wonder what the process is in the other areas that have been liberated for meeting the needs of the people. thank you, sir. [ speaking foreign language ] [ speaking foreign language ]

[ speaking foreign language ] [ speaking foreign language ] [ speaking foreign language ]

[ speaking foreign language ] [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: as far as isis and the fighters are concerned, there are three main category, first the immigrants or the

caliphate army, they are foreign fighters who come from different parts of the world. the second group are those who have now adopted the ideology of isis and some of the former fighters, they also had some other people with them at the beginning who were coordinating but now they've adopted their policies and style. they agree on whatever isis is doing and they agree with the approach, with the conduct and behavior. and they have chosen to be with isis and the lifestyle that has been chosen by isis. of course they are the minority. but the majority of the people there at the beginning, the majority of the people there they were thinking that isis was the lib rart. they came to rescue them from the situation. but that has changed afterward when they realized the reality. now the majority of the people are tired of isis and they work to change it. just imagine when one would live in such an area that everything would be imposed on you, imposed on you what to wear, what to do,

what to eat when to sleep and when to wake up and that would be difficult to endure and to afford. as for the ideaareas that have been liberated. those who have come to kurdistan, we have helped them. after those with isis who have left the areas, those who have remained, they have been provided with respect and services and they are much more comfortable than the times they were under isis. and according to what they have told me personally when i visited these areas, they say that we do not want to belong to any other area, we want to belong to kurdistan region. but of course we, we will provide every service and everything that we can provided that these people with not with isis. >> we have time for one last question robin. >> thank you, robin wright, "the new yorker."

what role is iran playing specifically today in terms of providing arms in developing strategy. one of your colleagues describe armani as the commander in chief of iraq. would you disagree? [ speaking foreign language ] [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: of course iran provided assistance to us in the

early days of the fight against isis. we were smort of some kind of ammunition that was a kind that we did not have any. they provided that kind of ammunition and that was a great help to us. [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: on behalf of the kurds and on behalf of the peshmergas, they would not accept a foreigner to lead them. >> i believe vi to give you the last word. >> on norhonored to have you here in d.c. i have a reflection question, more of iraqi to iraqi. my father, when i started my political activism back in the early '80s, i asked him thou to describe this ap sigs and others with he said they needed to have

more deep rooted community connection for the politics to flourish. now after 30 years, how do you see that we need for our policy policies to converge? thank you. [ speaking foreign language ] [ speaking foreign language ] [ speaking foreign language ]

>> translator: i want to assure that i knew your late far before you were born. [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: he was a very patriotic, very respectful and very human person. [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: that same statement is true for today. >> our tomb is up. i want to express two sincere thanks yous here. first to you mr. minister for making this conversation possible. you did a flawless job and we appreciate it. thank you very much. we're honored to have you here. [ applause ] >> safe travels and i hope next time you're in washington you'll join us at the council again. thank you very much.

thank you. [ applause ] subdivision night on c-span's q and a, former bloomberg news reporter kate anderson brower on the world of the white house through the eyes of the people who work there. from the kennedys through the obamas. >> who are the thicklands? >> they are an incredible family, nine members of the family have worked at the white house and i interviewed james jeffries who is the only current

part time butler who u did get to interview. he's still there, might be there now. he workser week at the white house. nine members of his family worksed there. his uncles were may tra des, like the head butler. and he told me my uncles ran the white house. and they brought him in when he was 17 years old in 1959 during the eisenhower administration. and he describes how he used to work in the kitchen and he was a skinny little guy, they kept giving him ice cream to eat. it's incredible that he remember what is the eisenhowers were like, a dying breed of person who remembers that. that's what i wanted to do pay tribute to these people. >> sunday night at 8:00 eastern and pacific on c-span's q and a. here are a few of the book festivals we'll be covering this spring on c-span 2 book tf.

in the middle of may we'll viz maryland with former congressman tom davis and morton frost, as well as former senior adviser to president obama, david axle rod. we'll close out may at book expo america in new york city where the publishing industry show casing their book. first week of june we're live for the lit fest, including our live in-depth program with author lawrence wright. that's this spring on c-span 2's book tv. at a senate hearing musician elton john and rick warren testified about the u.s. state department's global health programs. much of the discussion was against the fight of hiv aides. senator lindsey graham chairs this two-hour subcommittee hearing. hiv aids.

back in your cages. give these people a break. [ laughter ] oh oh, here you go, mr. chair. got to put a quarter in it. there you go. the subcommittee will come to order. our hearing today is on global health programs and we have a panel of incredibly brilliant people who i'm honored to welcome you to the united states senate so you can form the senate and the american people and the world about the good causes you represent. thank you for coming. coronary of the united states government activities to combat hiv/aids and u.s. representative

of global health diplomacy department of state, dr. mark darble to fight aids tuberculosis and malaria, elton john, and dr. rick warren pastor of saddleback church. to each of you, thank you for coming. you have incredibly busy schedules, and you made time to talk about causes near and dear to your heart. i'll make a brief opening statement to the committee members. thank you for showing inging up. senator leahy, a privilege to work with you and senator tim in the majority and minority. as politics change in the country, we'll make sure the commitment of this does not change. at the end of the day, i've tried along with the senator, to shine a light on what the 150 count does for the united states and the world. it's 1% of the budget and here's what i would suggest to other members of the body, find

an account anywhere throughout the budget that gets a better rate of return than the 150 account. 1% of the budget is 50-something billion dollars when you add it all up. that includes all the funding for the state department and our embassies and our consulates, aids to israel and other nations, and a small portion of it goes to fighting aids and malaria, tuberculosis and other diseases. what i want the american taxpayer to know is from my point of view a conservative republican from north carolina, i've never seen a better return on investment. the private sector and the federal government and other international organizations and other governments have been collaborating for well over a decade to take the fight to aids, and we're winning, aids is losing. at the enof the day this scourge is being put in a box, but growing in some areas of

africa for reasons we must address. in terms of future commitment of money, now is not the time to back off, and we're literally inside the 10 yard line when it comes to some of these diseases like aids and malaria and there's thousands, if not millions of young people alive today because of america's intervention and attacks payers generosity. it's a national security effort in my view to stabilize developing parts of the world so rampant diseases like aids, malaria, and tuberculosis can be contained and does not create instability in regions that are already unstable. from an economic point of view, we're creating a customer base where american companies one day can do business with millions of people on a continent that i've come to love that have an affinity for the american people and our way of life, and america's at her best, i

believe, when she's doing things that are right and even though we have economic challenges here at home, compared to most, we're incredibly rich. our richness is not in our bank account. i think it is in our attitude and the way the american people engage the world. if i had to give one example to someone from far away to explain america, i would use this account. this account represents the best of the american people. it's transparent. it is well managed. it is saving lives and changing the world. having said that this count is at risk. sequestering budget cuts if fully enacted will devastate the ability of this account and others to fulfill its promise.

we're literally inside the 10 yard line, and the budget cuts that are coming under sequesteration destroy our ability to make progress, and we'll lose many of the gains we've achieved over time. when your $18 trillion in debt you need to evaluate your spending. here's what i can say. thissing the account is not in debt. this account makes us richer. this account is the smartest use of federal dollars of any place within the federal government, and it's my commitment working with my democrat and republican colleagues that we not abandon this account at a time we're so close to achieving the purposes of this account. which is to change the world in a positive fashion. so with that, i recognize senator leahy. >> thank you, senator chairman.

we worked together on this committee for so many years, and we go back and forth sometimes you're chairman then i'm chairman, but the thing is we come out with a bill almost always where we are in total agreement on it, and that's why it passes. this is an issue that should not get involved in partisan politics, and i can't think of these kinds of program we find stronger support than global health. we support investments combat diseases, and i know last night in our discussions out with pastor warren, we talked a lot of these diseases that could be prevented or treated or cured for just a few dollars. if it happened to any one of us, we'd come up with any amount of money it was, but we're talking about countries where that money's not there.

america's -- very few americans suffer from malaria or river blindness. imagine if they did? people would be lining up here, what are you spending? let's do something about it. well when you're in the welt wealthiest country on earth, we have moral responsibilities. this goes beyond political or economic economic. if you have this wealth, you have moral responsibilities and especially when these are diseases that affect millions of people, often children, in countries that have woefully inadequate health services. hiv/aids was identified 33 years ago, aids and tuberculosis continue to be a serious problem. we're here in the united states, we can do better, but the rates of infection here in this country pail compared to many

other countries, africa eastern europe southeast asia. now, the chairman has rightly pointed out budget restraints we have, but that does not mean that we suddenly had no money. we have a lot of money to spend as a country, and less pick where we go. we just want to make sure we use our best resources. the ebola catastrophe, how vulnerable we are, bill gates, and others ebola was a relatively easy disease to detect and contain compared to one infectious before a person experiences symptoms. it's not a question whether a virus will occur, but it's when and where. if we do not invest a relatively moderate sum to train the public health workers in countries with such a pandemic can originate we're going to pay more in the

hundreds of thousands and even millions of lives lost and dollars spent. these are things that dr. burke and others work on all the time. chairman, also in defense appropriations and judiciary, but we wanted to be here. you've all worked -- every one of you work so hard at this, on these issues. every one of you could find much easier things to tackle and i applaud you all. we've known each other for a number of years and you can sit back and just relax and say you're out pushing us all the time, and i don't want to say anything about pastor warren going after us on a moral issue, but a good pastor spoke to me about where our conscious should be on more than one occasion,