gathered in this room and how elated we were that the president that we supported had been elected and many of us had played such a key role in that election. i can only imagine the joy that you feel now being in a similar position and i congratulate you on that. enjoy it. it is wonderful. unfortunately, it does not last forever. [laughter] on the question what does president obama mean to me, it is easy. . . regulation on the oil companies and massive regulation of employees in unions, i see

enormous amounts of business. that is what the obama that is what the obama o me. [laughter] [applause] >> we are happy to keep you employed. [applause] >> if you look at what this administration has done in 125 days, whatever it has been now. from the signing of the lily ledbetter act or schip to tobacco regulation, this is what it means. standing there with the president when he assigning these, yesterday with him signing the memorandum on extending benefits in same-sex couples. people are in tears. people are impacted by this. this change is not abstract, it

is real. the problems in national security are very difficult and people are working on them. some of this -- helpless and give us your ideas and stay with us as we work through them. >> i appreciate noel's candor although i am not so sure about the elected thing eight years ago. [applause] [laughter] >> i was trying not to use that word knowing the crowd i was in. >> not over it yet.

look, i do think that it is hard to add to what was said about what president obama's presidency means. i will say that to see -- what this presidency means is change but change at a time when the nation so desperately needs to change. it is the combination of the man, the agenda, and the moment that are so powerful for me and so moving for me. why i am willing to get up early in the morning and stayed late at night and missed my kids and do all the things i do to serve because i think you have an extraordinary leader. an extraordinary person in terms of judgment and talent and ability to lead the country. an agenda, a policy program that really can put the country out

of the cycle of boom and bust economics we have been on an ad of the problems we have had on the domestic and international front and put us on the right footing at the time when we could not needed anymore as a nation and as a world. the demand for this kind of change and action is so acute and so urgent and i think when you put those things together, i do believe we're at an historic moment and witnessing a historic presidency and fold -- unfold. that change will not be possible without its supporters and allies, its thinkers and advocates who are not part of the administration staying engaged and supportive and operating -- offering those suggestions. one thing we wondered, those of

us who were involved early on is what would happen to acs if there was a progressive president. would it remain impact will and important? seeing the crowd here tonight at this convention, i am glad to see your answer is a resounding yes and i hope it >> up next, house republicans talk about their support for dissidents in iran. after that, house for debate on the iran support. then, the iranian supreme leader on the election and the protests. >> every weekend, "book tv" has

that latest books and nonfiction authors on c-span2. the history of the world, through a collection of 600 short stories. he talks with columbia university professor john dingus. also sunday, books on the economy. former investment banker john talbott expose is the myths about the recession and what it will take to recover. and j. richards on the best way to protect the environment. also this weekend, the end of overeating, former fda commissioner david kessler explains how americans, program by too much sugar, salt, and junk, can control their eating habits. there are lots more books and authors this weekend on "book tv."

we have simple ways to share your favorite programs. booktv.org. >> how is c-span funded? >> through donations. >> i think you get a little bit from the federal government. >> grants and stuff like that. >> may be from sponsors. >> it might get some government funding. >> how is c-span funded? 30 years ago, america's cable companies created c-span as a public service, a private business initiative, no government mandate, no government mondaey. >> they spoke shortly after the house overwhelmingly voted to pass a resolution in support of the iranian dissidents. this is about 20 minutes.

>> thank you very much for being here with us. i am so honored to represent a district that knows about the lack of freedom, the lack of human rights, and constantly fights for getting those universally accepted human rights respected in my native homeland of cuba. iran should be no exception. how honored i am to be with a long line of heroes here who are speaking on behalf of the iranian people, who may feel that they have no voice, but they are being listened to internationally. for decades, the people of iran have been denied the most basic fundamental human rights and civil liberties by an impressive -- and oppressive iranian regime which uses a sham process and candidates handpicked by the ruling apparatus. real reform and real democracy were never an option. the machine relies on so-called elections to provide them with a

veneer of legitimacy, but that aside has been shattered by iran -- in iran by the protesters that took to the streets this week. the state department's human rights record noted iran's human rights record worsened and it committed -- continued to commit serious violations. it severely limited citizens tried to change their government peacefully through fear, free and fair elections, using smear tactics and fear and intimidation to try to squelch the revolt that is obviously taking place in the iranian people's call for freedom and democracy. if you look beyond what does happen this week, it was only the most recent demonstration of the brutality of that regime and its troop authoritarian nature. we must also recognize that the

iranian regime is not just a threat to its own people, but indeed, it presents a threat to the security interests and to global peace and security through its pursuit of nuclear weapons capability, through its pursuit of chemical and biological weapons program, and its pursuit of long-range missiles and by being a state sponsorship of global violent islamic extremist acts. we are here today to focus on the hopes of the individual iranians who have been robbed of a better future for almost 30 years by a regime which offers nothing but more misery and malaise. so we stand here today with the iranian people and their struggle for freedom. i am so pleased that we had congressman mike pence's resolution before us today. i would like to turn to him so he can begin the series of remarks.

and eric cantor has been speaking on behalf of the iranian people to freely choose their leaders for many years. he has been a strong voice for freedom and democracy worldwide. eric cantor. >> thank you for your leadership on these issues. we are here in a group unified as a house to salute the leadership of my pence in helping bring this resolution forward. i am joined today also with tom price from georgia, the ranking member from the armed services committee, the ranking member from the house select intelligence committee, and the champion for human rights and freedom. we are here because when american here's the call for freedom, we ought to answer.

all of us believe that america has a moral responsibility to speak out on behalf of the iranian people. make no mistake about it. the regime in charge is the one that turns on and off the spigot of democracy. no matter who comes out on top in that election, and they have announced is mr. ahmadinejad, make no mistake about who is in charge. we have seen the brutality of that regime on the streets of tehran on our television screens of the last several days. he gives us all great cause for alarm. that is why we are calling on our allies across the world, as well as urging president obama to speak out strongly on behalf of freedom. we can make a difference for the iranian people. with that, i want to turn over to chairman mike pence who has been the primary sponsor of the

resolution just pass. >> i want to thank all my colleagues, but most especially i want to thank eric cantor, who led the effort in so many ways of the last week on behalf of giving the american people an opportunity through their elected representatives to be heard on the question of freedom and iran. i also want to commend the ranking member of the foreign affairs committee for her leadership and hurt yeoman's work in bringing this work so expeditiously to the fore. let me also say how grateful i am a congressman for his bipartisan spirit and the good faith manner in which he negotiated this resolution and assisted in bringing it to the

floor. today in the wake of so-called elections in iran, and on an overwhelming and near it unanimous bipartisan basis, the american people have spoken through this congress to condemn the violence and suppression of a free and independent press in iran, and as americans have done throughout our history, this congress today, on behalf of the american people, has spoken a word of heartfelt support to all iranian citizens who embraced by use of freedom, human rights, civil liberties, and the rule of law. some observers say that america should remain silent in the wake of the extraordinary violence and repression that has dominated the airwaves of the world emanating from iran for

the last week. i say from my heart, the american cause is freedom. in this cause, the american people will never be silent. the iranian regime would do well to remember those words of the late ronald reagan. he said in his first inaugural address, no arsenal or no weapon in the arsenals of the world is so formidable as the real and moral courage of free men and women. on behalf of the moral courage of men and women in iran who have taken to the streets of their country, risking their liberty and even their lives on behalf of freedom, this congress in overwhelming bipartisan fashion today expresses our support. i am deeply humble to have been a part of it.

>> young people today are not going to appreciate what chairman howard berman and the others have done, but in bringing this resolution to the floor and saying in every way possible that this is no different than tiananmen square, this is no different than men and women throwing themselves and often dying trying to get over the berlin wall. this is no different than those scenes of the last people trying to go to freedom as south vietnam fell. this is in fact the aspirations of people to have greater freedom. many people, including the administration, will call this at times an internal affair. some say it was an election and this is just the minority not being willing to accept the outcome. minority rights, whether it is one man standing in front of a tank in tiananmen square, are

hundreds and thousands going to the streets to protest the lack of any rights for women, the lack of basic education that once was plentiful in iran being pulled back, that kind of minority demand is no different than when they went on strike in poland, and though we had no direct ability to fight it, we supported that. america is about looking for the side whose rights are not being upheld and weighing in in favor of saying to the majority, those with all power in iran, that they must find a way to give the rights to those people whose aspirations are legitimate and consistent with american values. >> thank you so much. my name is tom price. i am privileged to chair the republican study this year. i stand with men and women who understand that liberty is

enduring and that tierney is temporary. the united states is a beacon of freedom to the dark corners of the world. alexander solzhenitsyn and the gulag, once they gain freedom, they talked about the uplifting effect of the words coming from the united states, deliver -- defending their liberty and freedom. now should be no different. we stand with the did fenders of liberty and freedom in iran and we will not allow them to be silenced. >> i am not in the leadership and i guess i am here because i was a speechwriter for president reagan. i have a very vivid memory of those people who attacked ronald reagan because he was strong in his rhetoric and was forcefully

an advocate for freedom and never hesitated to condemned oppression and a press stores throughout the world. -- oppressors three of the world. i remember the pressure on him to tone down the rhetoric. it was coming inside his administration as well as outside. having been one of his speechwriters, i was there on the front line trying to back up his desire to make sure that america stayed true to what our founding fathers wanted us to be, the beacon of hope to the world. that did not want us to intervene everywhere in the world, but at the very least, they wanted us to stand for the principles of liberty and justice that they were sacrificing so much for. there has been so much sacrifice of the history of our country. we betray our founding fathers when we restrain -- refrain from speaking up for justice and liberty in the struggle that is going on in different countries. nowhere is that more true than

in the struggles on the streets of tehran. these people suffer under a mullah dictatorship. we should unapologetically be on the side of those people in iran who want democracy and freedom, because that will lead to peace between our peoples as well as freedom. this is what happened with reagan in the cold war. he ignored those who said don't be so belligerent. we need to be belligerent to tyrants in order to speak positively and be on the side of those people who long for freedom. what happened? the cold war ended when we actually gave that message to both the tyrants and the people who were suffering behind the iron curtain. perhaps with a strong stand, we can encourage the people of pteron by letting them know the american people are on their side. maybe we can this made the

mullah dictatorship and it will pass away just as common as did -- just as communism did. what a gift to the world that would be, simply for staying true to our principles as americans. >> we recognize that this is a very complex world. foreign policy is very hard. how do we move and how we see change in the world towards freedom? even though foreign policy is complex, this decision to speak out on behalf of the oppressed people in iran should not be. this should be a very easy decision for the leadership of america, for the public in america to stand alongside of the people in iran who are fighting for a larger voice, for

freedom and opportunity against a tyrannical regime. this is the natural place for the american people to be. it is the natural place for this congress to be, and i applaud our leadership, i applaud the leadership on the democratic side of the aisle to enable this congress to firmly establish an plant itself in a complex and difficult world squarely on the side of freedom and democracy. >> the ayatollah khamenei is the dictator in iran. he overstepped in this farcical election, imposing once again, is a puppet president, ahmadinejad. the other who -- the others who

aspired to the puppet presidency are upset. the iranian people heroically are utilizing this moment of division in the dictatorship to demonstrate for freedom. the issue is not who deserves to be the puppet presidents, but rather that the iranian people deserve to be free. the president of the united states has been silent and confused. the congress of the united states, consistent with the traditions and values of the american people, has been clear, and today it has spoken. we stand with the heroic people of iran, against the dictatorship of the people -- the people will prevail.

>> the initial resolution you had written was toned down what bit in the resolution on the floor. [unintelligible] >> let me say, when i approach this a couple of nights ago, that all my version of the resolution -- i asked him to take a look at it. the centerpiece for me, and nothing for all of us was, it was important for the people of the united states of america to have the opportunity to express support to the people of iran who are demonstrating on behalf of freedom. to that extent, this resolution was virtually unchanged. i was amenable in the course of

our discussions about the factual elements, the so-called whereas clauses that they might be susceptible to being used for propaganda purposes by the regime in tehran. we had no interest in that. our interest from the outset was to give the american people an opportunity to condemn the violence and repression of a free and independent press and ultimately to speak a word of support to the brave men and women on the streets of tehran. i am pleased about the fact that remained intact. >> the iranian threat is growing. where you go from here? >> i am very encouraged with the news just this morning that senator mccain and senator lieberman have offered this

identical resolution in the u.s. senate. we have all given a near unanimous adoption of this resolution of the house of representatives. we would urge our colleagues in the senate to take the measure of just as expeditiously as the house of representatives has done, but i think the objective here was for the congress to give the people an opportunity to be heard. i would join, and i will yield to our whip, i would renew my belief, as derek has also stated, that i respectfully disagree with the position the administration has taken. i do not believe that having the president of the united states express a word of unqualified support to the brave men and women who are risking their liberty and their lives on behalf of freedom on the streets of iran would constitute meddling. when ronald reagan went before the brandenburg gate, he did not

say mr. gorbachev, that wall is none of our business. he said mr. gorbachev, tear down that wall. at the same time he also engaged the regime in the soviet union to much greater effect. >> i think we have been very clear. we do not support the decision of this administration to engage with the terrorist regime. obviously when you have a regime that conducts itself the way it has and last week, on display for the world to see, brutalizing and killing people because they were standing up for their rights, it calls into question the ability for us as a country that, as a civilized world leader, to trust anything that this regime represent. so i believe we would come down on the side of trying to promote going forward the iran refined petroleum sanctions act,

to go ahead and if this administration is going to engage with the terrorist regime in tehran, let's at least go in and say look, we want results of those engagements, and the results can only come if the regime itself feels the pressure of the world community that its actions are unacceptable. >> thank you very much. >> the house overwhelmingly voted to pass the resolution in support of the iranian dissidents who were protesting last week's presidential vote. now the floor debate on that resolution. this is about 45 minutes.

the clerk: house resolution 560, expressing support for all iranian citizens who emwrace the values of freedom, human rights, civil liberties and rule of law and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from california, mr. berman, and the gentlewoman from florida, ms. ros-lehtinen, each will control 20 minutes. each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the >> mr. speaker, the streets of tehran have been filled with demonstrators, and each day this past week, the number seems to be growing. even state-run media in iran has put the number of demonstrators in tehran at hundreds of thousands. one british newspaper reports that there were a million demonstrators in tehran yesterday. what do these demonstrators want? are they simply in favor of the candidates