visas to the chernobyl children from the north of ukraine who are actually suffering worst conditions than those from belarus and will he meet me and the delegation of the charities to discuss this important issue? >> mr. speaker, i know he's raised this matter on many occasions and he's taken a very deep interest in this and he's held an adjournment debate on this very matter. he's raising questions about the home office and what they can do to help. i suggest that he may ask for a meeting with the home expect and i'm sure the home secretary will be happy to meet his delegation. >> thank you very much, mr. speaker. my right honorable friend may know that i have in my constituency three of the five biggest energy users and they are concerned about the increasing energy costs. what is my right honorable friend doing to protecting them with the cost. >> we're concerned of the fifty % oil prices from the time when

the oil price was $150 to $30 it's gone up to $70 and that means it's difficult for energy companies in this country but very difficult for consumers and very difficult when we look at future gas and electricity bills. i believe that the world has got to look at what it can do to make sure that supply and demand in oil is also at c-span.org i-can find past sessions.

>> next, congressman eric canter, pennsylvania governor, and homeland security secretary at the hispanic prayer breakfast. after that, q and a. and then another chance to see prime minister gordon brown. iran's former crown prince, an advocate for civil disobedience, discusses the political systems in iran. live coverage begins tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. eastern. >> the fcc should be a model for transparency, openness, and fairness. >> monday on the communicators, a discussion on president obama's choice to lead the federal communications

commission. and dow jones news wires. what the fcc would look like under a new chairman monday night at 8:00 eastern. on friday, hundreds of hispanic clergy and community leaders gathered for the annual prayer breakfast. among the speakers, house minority whip eric canter, and homeland security security janet nap ol tano. this is about 30 minutes. >> good morning. thank you for all the great work you do to >> good morning. thank you for all you to to enrich the lives of so many in america. hope, you don't merely represent this principle in

name or in words. you live by it and live by example. the faith-based community in this country throughout our land sheds light where all too often there is darkness. fer the proud virginiaen, i stand here and join you as heirs to the tradition set forth by the colnists who came ashore at jamestown and began its settlement in 16 07. through an unfailing commitment to faith and concern for one another, these colnists banded together and worked hard toward a better future. they planted the seeds of tolerance that have inspired millions to come to our shores in search of the american

dream. 400 years later, that dream is alive and well. the evidence is all around us. for we are all the product of some uniquely american story. at the corner of st. james and charity streets in downtown richmond, virginia, in an historically african american neighborhood, there once lived a widowed jewish immigrant from russia. she had fled the antisemityism and bloody war of her native land just before the revolution. in america she saw freedom, opportunity, and a combetter life. in richmond, she didn't have much money. but she did have remarkable drive and determination. she raised her two children in tight quarters above a tiny

grocery store that she owned and operated. she worked day and night, and sacrificed tremendously to secure a better future for her and her two children. and sure enough, in young woman who had the courage to journey to a distant land with hope as her only possession lifted herself into the ranks of the middle class. through hard work, thrift, and faith, she was even able to send her two children to college. before making her way to virginia, this young woman had passed through ellis island. peering out from the boat at the mouth of the hudson river, she saw the statue of liberty, the most powerful symbol of freedom and opportunity that america represents. all she wanted was a chance. but never did she dare dream

that her grandson would some day, this day, be this member of the u.s. congress standing before you. [applause] when i think of my grand mother in that richmond storefront, i am reminded in its purest sense, america is about looking forward. it's about the quest for freedom and opportunity. it's about persevering, to pass on something better for your children than you inherited. the narrative of this country's promise resides within us all. all of us, all of us here came from somewhere. we are are our ancestors came to this country for the same reason, for hope, for opportunity, and a better life. this is the time that has

always bound us as a nation. this is the tie that continually strengthens us as a people. above all, america is a nation of inclusion. a country nourished by its rich tradition of diversity and its tradition of immigration. so too is this a nation unapoll jetic of its deep faith in god. like you, i treasure my faith. it is sustained my grand parents when they entered this country as immigrants. it sustains me as i go about my duties as a member of congress, as a husband and a father, and as an american. i grew up in a jewish community in richmond, virginia, that valued what we call sadaka, charity and justice, and acts

of loving kindness. i have seen how much good a religious community can achieve when it extends a welcoming hand and resolve to lift people up. for those who still doubt the faith-based community's ability to lift our society to a higher plain than would exist without these groups, just ask the students at the academy charter high school in philadelphia, in a school district with a 43% latino dropout rate, eespransa high graduated 628 of its 630 students. [applause] make no mistake, america is a stronger place when its faith communities are strong, its

charities, active and vibrant. faith can also serve to remind us of how our nation should treat its newest members. a major theme of the hebrew bible is to welcome the stranger. from exodus to lev it cuss to dute ron my, to the profits, we are commanded not to -- fro profets, we seeing yes were strangers in the land of egypt. or consider love yes therefore the stranger for yes were strangers in the land of egypt. thetora, the five books of missouri sess commands us to leave the corners of the field for the poor and the fonchers. these injunctions are repeated in our prayers. as we look for a fair and just solution to the immigration issue in america, let us all

combine this bibble cal instruction with the fact that we are a nation of wlaws and borders in america. it is unfortunate that at times during the immigration debate the rhetoric has gotten overheated. the undertones in certain circumstances have alienate d many communities. we must do everything in our power to remember the script turs and ensure that immigrants in this debate are always treated with dignity and respect. [applause] the public discussion should reflect gratitude for the enormous contributions made by your community and the many others that make up the patchwork of our nation. the fabric of america is strengthened by your common work ethic, by our

determination, by our faith in god, by our devotion to family and cultural roots, and by your willingness to serve in our military and thank you to those wounded warriors that are here. [applause] and every day, we serve in this town, and serve for the people, we know we are only able to do that because of your service. and we thank all of those military men and women who are here today. this is the land of

opportunity. perhaps the only place where people from humble and modest roots like and rue jackson, abraham lincoln, ronald reagan, bill clinton, and president barack obama can rise to become president. america remains the same beeken of hope for the world that it was when my grand mother reached ellis island, the place where her story is renewed with each new generation of immigrants, reward for hard work, innovation, free enterprise, fairness, self-relions, community, and faith. these are the values that have sustained us for over 200 years. may we never forget these values as we work together to build a better tomorrow for our children. thank you all very much for

having me. [applause] >> thank you. thank you very much. you know, i've been in elective office for 31 years. that's a long time. and among the thing that is i'm proudest of is the relationship that i've had with the hispanic community both in philadelphia and throughout the commonwealth. the latino coalition was extraordinarily helpful in getting me elected governor, our former councilman is here. we've made so much political progress. councilman ortiz ran at large, and very often would come in number one of all the candidates in the ballot. we just elected in the munenuss pal election in philadelphia a wonderful council woman, maria sanchez, and she won in a district that was not 50%

latino. she won because she was the best candidate and ran the best campaign. we have a secretary of state who was appointed by me in my first year of office. he has risen to be president of the national secretary of states association, and he's supervised two presidential elections, in 2004 and 2008, when pennsylvania was the center of the universe and there wasn't one hint of any problem in either of those elections. a remarkable fete by a remarkable young man. [applause] and we've made great progress politically and some progress with groups like ees&a in social and economic fronts. but that progress is challenged today by two things. i just want to take a minute to talk about the two thing that is are challenging those. first is education. i am so pleased that we have made so much gain in pennsylvania in six years in education.

30% more of our children are both proficient in math and in skyance than six years ago. math and english than six years ago. we are one of only nine states to have made significant progress in both reading and math in the national test. we are doing very well in er area. the gap between minority achievement, latino, african american, and majority achievement is narrowing in pennsylvania. latino american kids have made significant strides and progress. and that's happened because we've invested real money in education. not just dumping it into black holes but into real programs that work, like pre-kirnedgarten, like after-school tuterg. like full-day kindergarten. to improve achievement. smaller high schools. good programs in high schools. opportunities for children to grow. all sorts of good and

innovative programs. but in state capitals like harrisburg, in sacramento, albany, springfield, all across this country, education is being challenged by the current economic crisis. we have to decide as americans and as pennsylvanians and every state in the union, are we going to continue educational prag or are we going to use this recession as an excuse for bringing it to a halt? are we going to give up because times are a little tough? are we going to mortgage our future because education is the future? it's our future for hispanic kids, for african american kids, but for all american kids. and this is not the time to give up on education. this is the time to stand strong. this is the time to stand strong. and if that means raising revenue, as difficult as that is in this political climate, revenue must be raised to presoys education, because it is the only way, it's the only

way to empty our jails. it's the only way to have fairness in our economic system. it's the only way that everyone is going to have opportunity to get the best jobs, those cutting edge jobs that need high technology education. so number one, all of us have to make sure we weigh in. stand up for education. whatever the cost, however difficult the time it is, don't mortgage the future just to avoid some short run. my second message, and i hope congressman canter is still here, is that we need to go about having a rational immigration policy soon. soon. [applause] because the cost for not having that policy is great in so many different ways. if you do -- did you ever think when you first heard about swine flu or h1n1 virus, did you ever think that would be an issue impacted by immigration?

it is. it is. because we in pennsylvania have had cases. and you know the thing about swine flu or h1n1 is it's absolutely treatable. we don't have a vaccine for it yet, but it's treatable as an antiviral course of shots that you take over five days and it is treatable. it is recoverable. but the key is to get in to the doctor as soon as possible. if you delay a week, it may be too late and your lives are squadrd and lost. if you stay out in the public without getting treated, you can infect other people. well, there are many workers in pennsylvania, and i'm sure this is true in other parts of the counchtry, who have come in illegally and some of them have swine flu. and they are afraid to go to the doctor, afraid to go to public health offices, afraid to go to state health offices because of the current

regulations twofe turn them in. we have to turn them in. so they stay on the outside infecting others. they stay on the outside limiting their chances for recovery. we have asked washington for a waiver, for a waiver. that hasn't been resolved yet. i expect it will be resolved positively. because it's the right thing to do from a human standpoint and it's the smart thing to do to stop the spread of that virus. but until we come to grips with this issue, and i know that congress and even the president doesn't want to deal with this until we've dealt with health care. and i understand all that. but i think by this time next year we have to have rational immigration policy in this country. these issues have to be resolved. they have to be resolved. [applause] and it is an issue. it is an issue that can be driven by faith. that can be driven by faith. i am sick and tired of hearing

politicians talk about fates and they're guided by faith and religious values. and then they come to the table on crucial issues and they do exactly the opposite of what their faith would dictate. [applause] so i want to see this immigration dispute guided by faith. because, and i know we always get criticized for saying this when we bring this up, but on the immigration issue, we know what jesus would do. thank you all. [applause] >> well, thank you so much. good morning. what a wonderful day, a beautiful day in washington. welcome to all who are here. thank you for that kind introduction.

i wanted to be here to say thank you. to thank you for eespransa's efforts to strengthen communities and especially in this economic climate to thank people and to work on issues like immigration, like housing, workforce development education and health care. you know, before i was appointmented by president obama, who you will hear from later, to be the secretary of homeland security, i served two terms as the governor of arizona. and any arizonans in the house? there you are. we'll talk later. but we work hard to make sure that government served as a bridge to the many communities of faith in our state. that there was not an

artificial division between people of faith and people in government, recognizing that we can help each other help others. and that's what we worked on there. and that is what we intend to do here within the department of homeland security. now, that's a long name for a government department that has many, many functions. but one of our key functions is to work with people in times of disaster. because in the aftermath of hurricane katrina, i think we all saw that when government is not prepared to reach out to people and to work with people in times of disaster, terrible things can happen. and indeed, people can die. and so within fema, which i must say is much, much improved and changed and altered since

katrina, lessons were learned, were incorporated. many dedicated men and women have come to work there. but in that, in the wake of that, we've really been thinking about how can we work with different communities to be prepared for disasters even before disasters happen? because they're going to occur in any state, in any community, whether you like it or not. you may live in a hurricane area. or, in an area that has tornadoes. or, earth quakes or floods. or forest fires. it doesn't really matter where you live in the united states, mother nature can wreak havoc. and that instance, in that case, it's so very, very important that we think not just about what we do in the aftermath but what we do now

when things are ok and things are kind of peaceful. and you can help us with that. because the government alone cannot bear the responsibility for helping or preparing people for when disaster strikes. you know, we want to be as a nation, as a country, in a constant state of readieness and of preparation so that we don't have to live in a constant state of fear. if you're prepared, you're not fearful. right? and so we need your help to work with your community, work with your communities of faith, encourage people. make sure that in their homes they have kept a couple of days of water and of food. make sure that they have prepared for their families a plan for how they get reunified, how they get back together in case they're split up during a disaster or an

emergency. make sure that they've had some red cross, some first aid training. and you can actually offer it yourselves. reach out to the american red cross, bring them into your net to help with our constant state of preparation so that our people don't have to live in a constant state of fear. help your individuals, help your families, help them be prepared. help them have the confidence to know that whatever strikes, they will be ready. you will be ready. and if we do that across this country, then everybody is not just sitting back waiting for the government to come to help. that's the wrong thing. we want everybody to be involved in these efforts. so i hope you will make that commitment before you leave here today. i'm seeing some heads nodding. not enough. so i'm going to ask you, will you help get your communities

prepared? will you do these common sense thing sns i'm not hearing it. will you do these common sense things? help prepare 2 communities. and really, we will be so much more effective. and then, when disaster does strike, and it will, we will be prepared to work with you. because so oftentimes people, the first place they don't go is the government office. and you probably know that more than most. but maybe the first place they'll go for help is their church. because that's where they're comfortable, that's where their community is. that's where they feel safe. and at no time perhaps more in acute need of prayer than a time of disaster when maybe you can't find your family, you don't know where your children are. maybe your house is gone. so that the need for faith is even more acute than on an

everyday basis. so our planning for how we respond to emergencies, how we respond to disasters is going to take into account the faith communities, build bridges there. work with groups like eespransa and the groups that belong within, because our goal is to reach out and to make sure that whatever happens people have a safe place to go and a place to go where they feel safe. and where they know and have confidence. such an important word, confidence, that we will respond, we will bounce back with all the resilience that the american people have shown for so many, many years. now, that's part of the department of homeland security. but another part of the homeland security, and it was mentioned within the introduction, is of course we

have primary responsibility for enforcement of our nation's immigration laws. now, i know you were on the hill yesterday up in congress. and i know that you recognized that the issue of immigration brings out passions on all sides. it's hard to avoid that. but i think there's one thing that everybody agrees upon. so we'll start from there. i think everybody agrees that the current system does not work. [applause] . >> it does not work. our president has committed to opening that dialogue on immigration this year. i am committed to being part of that dialogue. i'm committed because i've seen what happens when the immigration system gets out of kilter. i've seen