healthcare, so seized your jicama their families in afghan or iraq or talk about how they are going to get jobs. host: thank you for joining us. guest: you have the nicest location on capitol hill. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2009] . >> dissent continues to debate

on the nomination of sonia sotomayor. you can see a tally of house senators say they will vote. coming this fall, tour the home to america's highest court, "the supreme court." >> two journalist are right tom today. they were accompanied by president bill clinton who helped secure their release. they were for -- that were from al gore's current tv network. >> welcome home laura ling and euna lee. [applause]

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>> 30 an hour seco -- 38 hours ago, euna lee and i were prisoners in north korea. we appeared at any moment that we could be sent to a hard labor camp. and then suddenly we were told that we were going to a meeting. we were taken to a location and when we walked in -- through the doors, we saw standing before us president bill clinton. we were shocked. but we knew instantly in our

hearts that the nightmare of our life was finally coming to an end, and now we stand here and on and free -- home and free. euna and i would like to express our deepest gratitude to president clinton and his wonderful, amazing, not to mention supercool team, including john but as the -- podesta and the united states secret service, who traveled halfway around the world to secure our release. we would also like to thank president obama, secretary clinton, vice-president gore,

who we also call al, the swedish ambassador, and the people at the u.s. state department who worked so hard to win the release of their fellow americans. steve bing and his crew, and the dow company, and i know that i am for getting a bunch of instrumental people right now, and for with me if i am totally incoherent. -- and forgive me if i am totally incoherent. to our loved ones and to the complete strangers with the kindness of heart, who showed us so much love and send us so many positive thoughts and energy, we thank you. we could feel your love all the

way in north korea. it is what kept us going in the darkest of hours. it is what sustained our fate that we would come home -- our faith that we would come home. the past 140 days had been the most difficult, heart wrenching time in our life. we are very grateful that we were granted amnesty by the government of north korea, and we're so happy to be home. we are just so anxious right now to be able to spend quiet private time, getting reacquainted with our family. thank you so much. >> ladies and gentlemen, the

families asked me to say a few words, and on their behalf all of us -- and on behalf of the staff and families of current tv and mike cofounder, we want to welcome laura and euna home. we will not think president clinton for performing this so skillfully and four members of this team who played a key role in it. and also to president obama, laura mae agendas, but he has been deeply involved in this humanitarian effort. to secretary clinton and members of the state department, several of whom are here, they have really put their hearts into this. it speaks well of our country that went to american citizens are in harm's way -- that when

two american citizens are in harm's way, people would go to work and make sure that this has had a happy ending. we're so grateful to all of them. to the thousands upon thousands of people who upheld loran and duna in their prayers, who called in sick e-mails, we were very grateful. to steve bing and all the folks who have made the flight possible, we say a word of thanks -- deep banks as well. -- deep thanks as well. i want you ought to know that your families had been unbelievable, unbelievable. passionate, involved, and you'll hear a lot of stories. they are looking bored to hearing all lot of stories from you, but euna, hannah has been a

great girl why you have been gone. and laura, your mother has been making your special soup for two days now. for everyone who played a part in this, and especially thanks to president bill clinton, my partner and friend, so grateful. and ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming out. we're going to let these families at a full and proper reunion now, but thank you for coming out. >> on his way to indiana today to make a speech on the economy, president obama talked about the two journalist from north korea. >> good morning, everybody. all want to just make it brief comment about the fact that the two young journalists, euna lee and laura ling, are safely back

with their families. we are obviously extraordinary relieved. i had an opportunity to speak with the families yesterday once we knew that they were on the plane. the reunion that we have all seen on television, i think, is a source of happiness, not only for the families but for the entire country. i want to thank president bill clinton. i have a chance to talk to him for the extraordinary humanitarian effort that resulted in the release of the two journalist. of what the bank vice-president al gore who worked tirelessly -- i want to thank vice-president al gore who worked tirelessly to achieve a positive outcome. i think that not only is this white house obviously extraordinarily happening -- happy, but all americans should be grateful to former president

clinton and vice president gore for their extraordinary work. my hope is that the families that have been reunited can enjoy the next several days and weeks' understanding that because of the efforts of president clinton and gore, they are able to be with each other once again. we are very pleased with the outcome, and i am hopeful that the families are going to be able to get some good time together in the next few days. thank you very tibet -- thank you very much. >> while in indiana, president obama announced that the government will provide $2.4 billion to this factor. it is part of a speech of an economy that took place in an rv

manufacturing plant. this is about 30 minutes. >> thank you very much. thank you. thank you so much. thank you. please, everybody, have a seat. thank you so much. well, it is wonderful to be here. thank you so much for the wonderful welcome. urban, thanks for the great introduction. it is great to be back in indiana. [applause] this is as close as i have gotten to home in a while. and i flew out here with somebody bill i think the people of indiana have known for a long time and have trusted for a long time because he is fighting for working families each and every

day, our great senator, and i -- evan bayh. please get them around of applause. -- please gb him of round of applause. too often there are those in washington to focus on the ups and downs of politics. my concern is the ups and downs in the lives of the american people. the families feeling the pain of this recession, the folks i have met across this country, who lost jobs, savings, and health insurance but have not lost hope. the men and women who still believe in the capacity, the ability of this nation to meet the challenges of our times. these challenges you know all too well here.

this area has been hit with a perfect storm of economic troubles. over the last few decades, you have borne the brunt of a steadily weakening american manufacturing -- in the face of global competition. you have felt the struggle of the global auto industry, and the repercussions that have hit the midwest especially hard. you are living every day but the consequences of this recession. and the financial meltdown, if you have felt that in all lost jobs and lost savings. as a result, the elkhart area has seen the second greatest rate of unemployment in the country, up 10 points in a year. it is astonishing. there have been times when nearly one in five people in this area have been looking for work. you have seen factories closed

and your sons and daughters move away in search of jobs and opportunity. this is more than an economic crisis. this goes to the heart and soul of the community, it tests the strength of families and the spirit of good people, hard- working folks who read given them all -- who have given their all. there are some that have seen what is taking place and had suggested that it is all an inevitable. the only way to get ahead in his for elkhart to be left behind. you hear that sometime in washington. you know and i know that the truth is exactly the opposite. i am here because i believe our ability to recover and prosper as a nation depends on what happens in communities just like this one. [applause] the battle for america's future

will be fought and won in places like elkhart, detroit, goshen, pittsburg, south bend, youngstown, and cities and towns across indiana and the midwest and across the country that had been the backbone of america. it will be won by making places like elkhart what they once were and what they can be again, centers of innovation and entrepreneurship and opportunity. the puzzling humming engines of american prosperity. boras the world grows more competitive, we cannot afford to run the race at half speed. if we want to leave this century like we left the last century, we have to create the conditions and opportunities for places like elkhart to succeed. we have to harness the potential, the innovative and creative spirit that is waiting to be awakened all across america. that is how we will rebuild this

economy stronger than before, strong enough to compete in a global economy, to avoid the cycles of boom and bust, strong enough to support the jobs of the 21st century, and strong enough to unleash prosperity for everybody, not just some. but before we can rebuild our communities, we have to rescue it today. that is why we passed our recovery act less than one month than we did -- when i got in office. we did so without any of the earmarks usually from washington. there have been a lot of disinformation out there about the recovery act. let me tell you what he is and what it is not. the plan was divided into three parts. 33% of the money has gone to tax relief for families and small businesses.

33% is cutting people's taxes. for americans struggling to pay rising bills or shrinking wages, we kept the campaign promise to put a middle-class tax cut into the pockets of 95% of working families. a tax cut -- [applause] a tax cut that began showing up in paychecks of 4.8 million indiana house holds about three months ago. we also cut taxes for small businesses, on the investments that they make, and more than 425 small businesses in indiana have received lsba loans for the recovery act. another 33% of the money in the recovery act have been for emergency relief who have borne the brunt of this recession. for americans who were laid off, we expanded unemployment

benefits, and that has already made a difference for 12 million americans, including 220,000 folks right here in indiana. we're making health-insurance 65% cheaper for families relying on cobra wall looking for work. some already know people who have lost their job worried about their health care, not able to afford coverage. we reduce their costs by 65% said that to keep their health care while they were looking for jobs. and we have provided assistance that has saved the jobs of tens of thousands of teachers and police officers and other public servants, so that you would not see the recession get any even -- get even worse. the first that is tax relief, the second part is for small businesses and that individuals that have fallen on hard times

predella last 33% of the recovery act is what we're going to talk about today. investments that are not only putting people back to work in the short term, but laying a new foundation for growth and prosperity in the long run. these are the jobs that are building the future of america, upgrading our roads and bridges, renovating our schools and our colleges. the elkhart area has seen the benefits. they have resurfaced the runway of elkhart airport. u.s. 33, part of the city health center has received recovery dollars. it is hired additional staff. and as part of the recovery plan, we're making an historic commitment to renovation. the recovery act creates jobs, doubling our capacity to regenerate renewable energy, building a new smart bread, take -- carrying electricity from coast to can, laying down the

broadband lines, and providing the largest boost in basic research in history to ensure that america leads and a breakthrough discoveries of the new century. just as we led in the last. because that is what we do best in america, we turn ideas and inventions into industries. history should be our guide. the united states led the world economy in the 20th-century because we lead the world in innovation. today the competition is keen ear, the challenges tougher, and that is why innovation is more important than ever. that is the key to good, new jobs in the 21st century. that is how we will ensure that the high quality of life for this generation and future generations. we are planting the seeds of progress for our country and good pay in private-sector jobs for the american people. that is why i am here today. i am announcing $2.4 billion in

highly competitive grants to develop the next generation of fuel-efficient cars and trucks powered by the next generation of technology is all made right here in the u. s. of a. right here in america. [applause] made in america. you know, for too long we failed to invest in this kind of innovative work. even as countries as china and japan were racing ahead, and that is why this announcement is all-important. this represents the largest investment in this kind of technology in american history. see, i am committed to a

strategy that ensures that america leads in the design and implement of the next generation of clean energy vehicles. this is not just an investment to produce in -- vehicles today, testing and developing technologies tomorrow, creating the infrastructure of innovation. indiana is the second-largest recipient of grant funding and it is a perfect example of what this means. you have purdue and other name, all receiving a grant funding for these projects. that is number one. we've got a small business in indianapolis that will develop batteries for hybrid and electric vehicles. you have allison transmission in indianapolis, and other

companies, all who will help develop electric components for commercial and passenger vehicles. and right here in elkhart county, navastar and other facilities will receive eight $39 million grant to build 400 advanced battery trucks with a range of 100 miles. [applause] right there. just a few months ago, the spot that these factors might be closed for good. now they're coming back to life. you're welcome. thank the american people.

the company estimates that this investment will help create or save hundreds of jobs in the area, and already boxlike herman are being required -- folks like herman are being retired. this will save or create thousands of future jobs -- of hoosier jobs. this would not be possible if not earlier this in congress who supported this, leaders like evan bayh and brad ellsworth, and peter, and these grants will create tens of thousands of jobs all across america. in fact, today vice-president biden is announcing grant winners in michigan. members of my cabinet are fanning out across the country announcing recipients elsewhere. we're providing the incentives

to those businesses large and small that stand ready to help us lead a new clean energy economy by developing new technologies for new types of vehicles. i do not want to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and then end up being dependent on their foreign innovations. i don't have to it in part of a hybrid car, i want to build a hybrid car here. i want to import a hybrid truck, i want to build a hybrid truck here. idolater import of windmill from someplace else, i want to build a windmill right here in indiana. i want the cars of the future, that technologies that power it, to be developed and deployed right here in america. and that is just the beginning. in no area will innovation be more important than in the ways to produce new energy. we are not only doubling our

capacity to generate renewable energy and build a smarter electricity grid, we have reached an agreement to raise fuel economy standards. we created a system of clean energy incentives which will help make renewable energy the profitable kind of energy in america while helping end our dependence on foreign oil and protecting our planet from future generations. we are now working to pass the legislation through the senate. we know that the real innovations depend on government but on the generous potential of the american people. if the american people get a clear set of roles, if they know what is needed, what challenges we have got to meet, they will figure out how to do it. that is why our budget makes this research tax credit permanent. it helps companies afford what are sometimes very high cost in

developing new ideas and new products. that means new jobs. this tax credit returns to dollars to the economy for every $1 that we spend. for a long time, we were trying to renew it once a year and companies did not know whether they could get the next year. that has changed. we have now made it permanent. i also proposed reducing to $0 the capital gains tax for investment in small businesses, because they are innovative businesses, producing 13 times more patents for employees than large companies. of course, in order to lead in the global economy and ensure that our businesses can grow and innovate, we have to pass health insurance reform that brings down costs. [applause] reform that brings down costs

and provides more security for people who have health insurance and more affordable options for those who do not. i promise you, we will pass reform by the end of this year because the american people need it. the american people need some relief. we're going to have to make it happen. in fact, the recovery plan began the process of reform by modernizing our health care infrastructure. we took some long-overdue steps of computerizing the health records which can reduce all but waste and heiress that cost millions of dollars and thousands of lives while protecting patient privacy. it is also important to note that these records all the potential offering patients the care chance to be more active participant in the prevention of diseases. you will not have developed the same form of a dozen times.

you will not have to rely on your memory when talking to your doctor. they also reduce our costs and lower your premiums and give you more security in your health care. now in addition to energy and health care, we also note that a nation that out-educates us today will now compete us tomorrow. we are making a historic commitment to increasing education. our schools continue to trail many of our competitors. i have challenged states to dramatically improve achievement by raising standards and modernizing science labs, upgrading curriculum, forming new partnerships to promote math and science, improving the use of technology in the classroom. and i have set this goal -- in the next decade, by 2020, america will once again have the highest proportion college graduates in the world. we do is to be number one. we will be number one again when it comes to college graduates.

[applause] net to reach this goal, we have provided tax credits and grants to make college education more affordable. and we have made a historic commitment to community colleges, which are the unsung heroes of america's education system. america can and must have the best educated, the highest skilled work force in the world, because we are building new cars here in america. if we are building a new clean energy grid in america, then we will need to build engineers in america, and scientists and america, and skilled technicians right here in america. so all of these pieces are fitting together. energy and innovation, health care and education. these are the pillars of the new foundation that we have to build. this is how we want just rescue

the economy, but we're going to rebuild it stronger than before. there are a lot of people out there who are looking to defend the status quo. there are those who want to seek political and bandages -- advantage, they want to oppose these efforts, because these problems in the first place and now they do not want to be distracted -- they did not want to be constructed, they just wanted to the usual political fights back and forth. and that is fedy ball the cable chatter on the media. but you and i know the truth. we know that even in the hardest times, against the toughest odds, we have never surrendered. we do not give up. we don't surrender our dates to chance. we have always endured. we have worked hard and we have fought for our future.

our parents had a fight for their future, our grandparents had a fight for their future -- that is the tradition of america. this country was not built by griping and complaining. it was built by hard work and taking risks. [applause] and that is what we have to do today. so i know these are tough times. if you have not lost a job, you know somebody who has, maybe a family may burke -- a family member, a neighbor, a friend. you know that ias difficult as losing a job in the, it is more than a paycheck. we define ourselves by the work that we do. a sense that you are contributing and supporting your family and doing the right thing and you are responsible. the truth is, it can be easy to lose hope.

especially when you see a lot of folks out there who fail to meet their responsibilities, on wall street to washington -- it can be easy to grow cynical when ec politicians say one thing and then to another, or say one thing and then do nothing. when u.s. seen decades of broken promises and broken policies. but this is a rare moment in which we are called upon to rise above the failures of the past and a chance to restore that spirit of optimism and opportunity which is -- which has been central to our success. we have to set our sights higher, not lower. we have to build a future where new american cars are powered by new american innovation, a brighter future for elkhart and for indiana and for the united states of america. that is what we are fighting for. that is what this plant is about. that is what you are about.

that is what we're going to achieve in the weeks and months to come. so thank you very much, everybody. not unless the united states of america. thank you. -- geode the blasts -- god bless the united states of america. thank you. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2009] [military march playing]

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[applause] >> we just heard president obama talking about health care and the economy. in this quinnipiac ball,

americans are worried about the deficit but they approve of general pieces of the bill. here is more about that survey with quinnipiac assistant director peter brown. this is about 20 minutes. >> i am here to deal with the latest quinnipiac poll which deals with health care. this is the largest university in the state of connecticut and does public opinion polling as a public service on national and state issues. what is interesting about this poll in a political sense is that we're seeing something that we rarely have seen in recent american political history, which is that the budget deficit is becoming a big deal to average voters. over the last several decades

kattegat's and organizations have tried to use it don't mobilize political support and win elections, and frankly, it has not been very effective. ross perot tried in the 1990's and he finished third. you made me remember 1984, walter mondale campaign on the need for a tax increase to help solve the deficit. he carried only his own state. what we're seeing in this poll is substantial public concern about the deficit, so much so that the majorities are even willing to throw health care reform overboard if they think it will add to the deficit. for instance, by 55% to 35% margin, voters say they are more concerned than health care reform -- that health care reform will add to the deficit than that candor -- been that congress will not enact health

care reform. by 57%-32% margin, voters said that they would rather have no health care reform than a health care reform that add substantially to the deficit. also, another interesting fact -- if you ask voters if yet -- it they would support the bill if it had only democratic support, a 59% stake know. president obama, who as we all know, as high job approval ratings on a number of issues during his first several months of office, but 52% give him a thumbs down job approval on this issue. that is substantially different from july, the last time that

quinnipiac asked this question, when 47% approved of him and 47% disapproved of him. one other common aside for the president on health care and public opinion, almost 70% say that they do not believe that obama can produce a health care reform package or bill that will not add to the deficit. the president says that he will be able to do that. obviously voters are becoming skeptical. another interesting piece of data in the survey is that by and large -- not by and large, but more voters think it will not help the quality of their health care than think it will. this is not all good news for

the president. more than 60% of voters still support having what is called the public option, but the number has decreased five points over the last month. and the vast majority of americans prefer to get their health insurance rather -- from a private insurer. much of the change in public opinion and the reason why the president's numbers are down and support for some of these programs are down are independent voters, those who broke strongly for president obama last november and in the early months of his administration have been very supportive of him and his policies. now the majority'ies are voting the other way or are indicating that they are less supportive of the president. i will be happy to take your questions. yes.

>> you point out in question #30 that the president has said he will not sign a bill that is not paid for. the house and the senate proposals supposedly are fully offset. so why this reaction? it looks like people do not believe the government anymore. >> that is a fair analysis. yes, people obviously -- obviously those of us in this room, a journalist to cover politics or policy or public opinion, by and large, they may have a different frame of reference and the average voter. the average voter out there has always been skeptical about government. some have interpreted president obama's election as a mandate for larger government, and that may or may not be true. what is clearly showing here is

there is a lot of skepticism about public officials that still remains. >> of the republicans in congress having as of that? >> to some degree, it is due to republicans raising issues that made voters uncomfortable. those republicans and blue dog democrats who had been very public about their worries about the increasing deficit in the health care reform bill, might just increase the deficit dramatically. it is obviously had an effect on the public. they have heard estimates of numbers that are very large, potentially hundreds of trillions of dollars over decades of war dead. and again, it is worth pointing out this concern about the deficit is really very unusual in recent american history. it is something that has been given lip service.

this is just a poll, so there is a difference. but what we see here clearly is that voters are concerned about the deficit. the question of which 57% say they would rather have no plan been one that increases the deficit is start in terms of what people want. what will happen over the next month, as we all know, is that the republicans and democrats will spend an awful lot of money when they go on to see their constituents and television ads and the interest groups that support them, telling voters i did a good part of the plan or the bad part of the plan, depending on the perspective. and we will know when a mother so whether they can change public opinion one way or the other. it is a fair analysis but the momentum that president obama enjoyed on health care reform with the country being behind him has slowed and perhaps

stopped. that does not mean it will not start up again. let's be very clear about this. polls are snapshots in time. but there clearly more concerned about not increasing the deficit than having health care parent. that is an indication that the momentum that he gained office with has been slowed substantially. >> the republican message of this is adding to the deficit is working. is there anything that you would advise democrats to do in august, something that they should be pounding on? >> they need to reverse the number that says that almost 75% to not think that he can sign a health care plan that will not increase the deficit. if people do not believe that the president and our congressional leadership, that what they finally come up with will not increase the red ink. that is really the key to it.

there is a gigantic battle that will go on over the next month or so. it will not be -- it will be in dayton and denver and detroit and any place out where the americans are, not in the beltway. what lawmakers find when they go home will determine likely what happens to this proposal, and therefore, what public opinion tells these lawmakers as they go home is critical. [inaudible] not necessarily. >> the republicans in congress? >> that is clearly true. we asked to do a better job,

president obama for the republicans in congress. the president had a 10-point lead. that is good for the president but here is that that is. a month ago, he had a 20-point lead. it is in your package there. that is another reflection of the momentum slowing and perhaps turning. now he is still -- a number of the aspects of the plans that have been tossed around have shrunk support. boaters' think that there should be a public option. they may not want for themselves but that think that there should be a public option. they like the idea of taxing business and the rich. they do not like the idea of taxing themselves for taxes on health care benefits. they support subsidies for large groups of americans, and the

poll finds strong support subsidies for individuals and families of four that make up 88,000 a year. those are large birds of americans for subsidies. the median family income is more than $50,000. it is slightly more than $50,000. americans back the subsidies. with one hand, they think government is a good thing. on the other evening -- on the other hand, they are skeptical of the deficit rising. maybe this is not surprising. this is what happens in politics. people always want to know what is in it for me. what is interesting in nasdaq is that voters are concerned -- many voters are concerned. 85% of the electorate has health care. many butters are concerned that this will help other people but

not help them -- many voters are concerned that this will help other people but not help them. >> you point out here that -- they want businesses to pay for it, they want the rich to pay for it. they do not want to pay for it. are they really worried about the deficit? >> as i said, public opinion is inconsistent. there is nothing new about that. you can go back to public opinion before. they do not want their taxes to go up. we gave them a choice between no health care plan and a larger deficit or a health care plan that would substantially increase the deficit. they do not like that. that is interesting. again, it is hard over emphasize just how big a deal it is that that deficit means something to people. it really has not in the last several decades. when ronald reagan got elected,

they thought they could do it by cutting waste, fraud, and abuse. the most successful politician in recent american history. yes, ma'am? >> this is the people actually support the main parts of the plan. the poll results indicate on missing -- and messaging success? >> right. i am not sure that is messaging. my guess is that if we asked americans to finance anything, they would be much more likely to say, let's tax business and the wealthy as opposed to the middle class. we could probably be talking about iwidgets here. they would have that those priorities. that is just human nature.

>> apparently a lot of the messaging during the august break, from what we have heard from the speaker in the past two essays in the president himself will be about the insurance industry, the public plan, support supposedly -- other polls have shown support for the public plan. >> yes. >> says they have come out and said it at that will be their focus over the break, you are saying based on what you see here is that the key to it -- your words -- is focusing on the deficit and making people believe you when this is not going to add to the deficit. you think that is a misuse of their time and energy to try to generate support for the public plan, attacking the insurance industry? >> i am a pollster, not a political strategist. these numbers show that the

voters are very concerned about the deficit. that is not to say that political hay cannot be made by hitting the bill hard. but the mothers are very concerned about the deficit, much more, again -- the recent political history is one where the deficit gets lit service and does not matter. these numbers show that it seems to be battery. that is really different. -- it seems to be smattering. that is really different. .

these numbers indicate that the deficit matters the least to the people who led been taken away from supporting the plan. >> do you have any insights, the tipping point was? >> there has been a change that is set in stone. this poll but was taken -- that was taken -- it may just be the numbers being tossed around.

trillion's is a big number. it also comes a time when job approval overall is coming down. it may be a melting of a number of things. it certainly does not help the president of unemployment keeps going up. the frustration of voters have with the economy obviously has the effect on how voters feel about any economic issue and health care certainly is an economic issue. >> i do not see it in this poll, but in other places you've looked at how the impact of the economic stimulus package and how that as to the budget -- >> we ask about the economic stimulus package.

it was not asked about the context of this. >> to know what is my due to president obama or the democrats? >> if the numbers keep coming down, that is not good for the president or democratic party. polls are snapshot in time. they do not tell you what will happen in the future. the trend is not one that makes the folks in on pennsylvania avenue happy. >> to think people will be less healthy -- happy with -- you think people would be less happy with the health care reform? >> we did not ask this question. during that time, it showed a the the president. -- it showed faith in the

president. what we are seeing here, the '70s sermon to nothing you consign health care reform even though he is -- the 70% that say you cannot assign healthcare reform, that doubt is it operated. -- is evaporated. thank you. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2009]

>> a federal jury today convicted former louisiana congressman william jefferson of racketeering and money laundering. he represented parts of new orleans and was accused of accepting more than $400,000 in bribes. you'll hear from the prosecution and the defense attorney outside the courthouse in alexandria, va. >> i want to begin by thanking the prosecutors in this case in. i think it is important to note the importance of this

prosecution in that congressman jefferson had come back to the citizens of louisiana and the people of the united states. he showed them his services. he violated that trust and sold his office and that is what brought us here today. the citizens were owed honesty and integrity. he knew influence and power -- he used influence and power to enrich himself and his family. this case shows us that we are a nation of laws. no person is above the law. the prosecution was important from our perspective because public corruption is corrosive. the citizens need to have confidence in their government. when someone sells their offer, it replaces that confidence with cynicism. but $90,000 -- $90,000 is not a

gray area. it is a violation. today the jury held him guilty. thank you. >> two years ago we stood here in front of you and talked about this unbelievable team of career prosecutors, agents, analysts, and they never gave up. they were relentless. today the jury confirmed their energy and professionalism. we also said the case was about power, greed, and money. the jury agreed with that. it show congressman jefferson that he sold his office and now he will face the price of that. the public needs to know that we are committed as an agency and department. i think they did a herculean job. they allowed every possible avenue of appeals. they went to the legal process. today they prevail.

by a thank the jury for their -- i thank the jury for their work. he used his agreed to obtain money. he sold his office for the least common denominator of what public service is about and that is personal wealth and greed. to the public, you should be reassured that we will continue to place our emphasis not just in the new orleans or d.c., but across the country. >> could you give us your comments -- you worked on this for years. >> cannot comment. >> [unintelligible] >> and lots of things the why -- a lot of things the way into a

think he is a flight risk. >> the words that were used as the some of these nations were cozy with him. the to overplay your hands? >> i do not think we overplayed our hand. we argued the fact that we saw this in the court and the court made a decision. >> what is the reason she was not called to the stand? >> there are many decisions made on how to present evidence and what goes on. there are sometimes hundreds and thousands of decisions. i will not get into an internal deliberation of why we did something or did not do something. as we analyze the case, the jury accepted it. >> [unintelligible] >> i think it is really

difficult to speculate on why a jury reached the decision. we are pleased with the work they did. >> what about sentencing guidelines -- did you ask for the maximum all 11 counts? >> we will wait until we get a free sentence report. then we will study that. we will consider what we consider to be inappropriate sense. i'm not willing to speak for the than the right now. >> what you think the defining moment was for this case that led to the conviction? >> the defining moment of the trial? >> yes. >> i do not think it had a defining moment. i do not think most trusted. i think the jury reaches a collective decision between two people. that is why the system works so well. >> what you think is the most powerful evidence? >> out have to speculate on what the jury thought.

willis got a powerful piece of evidence was the $90,000 -- we always thought a powerful piece of evidence was the $90,000. >> we finally got a chance to see the pictures is that something the play to the jury? >> i can only speculate what works for the jury. all this, there is definite evidence on a number of accounts. >> he is asking of the foreign corruption. >> the department has achieved many convictions with the foreign corrupt track. it has nearly become a cottage industry. in this case the jury did not accept it. >> he could face 20 years or more under sentencing guidelines. how complicated will be to calculate guidelines given the

complex teams in shares of stock? >> the guidelines are advisory. it is not pitch for nearly complicated. -- extraordinarily complicated. >> thank you you all. >> what was your reaction to the news today? >> a la the people said there will be an honorable explanation. >> they did not accept a deal that counts. that was the evidence. it was a week on that. -- it was weak on that. >> the prosecution has tried to

paint him as a greedy politicians. you have argued that you called his action stupid at one point but that they were not illegal. how you feel the potential crux of this argument was? >> we have always considered that they have the proven the crimes that the church. -- that of the charge. -- that they charged. >> have you shown in your weak spots at all to the government? >> i think we will be evaluating the verdict and looking at all the legal issues. >> do you plan on filing an appeal? >> yes. >> do you feel your defense is better suited to another court

rather than a jury? >> we certainly believe that we have very strong the legal issues to appeal on. we have been fighting these issues since the day of the indictment. we feel very strongly about them. >> you that the prosecution to go over five weeks. he went about two hours and only call two witnesses. >> they thought they had proven their case. many of their witnesses were discredited. [unintelligible] that is why we handled it the way we did. >> and hind side would you change your strategy? >> no, i do not know it is good to replay what might have been.

the judgments were sound. >> [unintelligible] >> you are watching public affairs programming of c-span. up next, iranian president ahmadinejad is sworn in for a second term. . after that, a senate hearing examined autism research here in the u.s.. ahmadinejad was sworn in for a second term. he called for national unity and criticized foreign government for questioning the validity of

the election. this is courtesy of press tv, the english language news channel. >> i hereby swear in the name of almighty god to protect the system of the islamic revolution and the constitution and to use all my expertise and all i have in my power to this charge of responsibilities that i have undertaken and it to evoke myself to serve the people to the glory of the country and to the promotion of religion and morality and to

support righteousness and to spread justice. and to refrain from being autocratic and to protect the freedom and dignity of individuals and the right that the constitution is recognized for the people. i will not safeguard the frontiers and political and economic freedoms of the country. i will spare no effort at safeguarding this and follow the guidelines of the holy province of islam. i will guard the power that the people have entrusted to me as the sacred trust. i will safeguard like an honor.

i will later entrusted to who is elected by the nation after me. now we invite the president to address.

>> in the name of god, praise be to god almighty and of the presence of god be upon the province of islam. i praise god almighty for giving the running people the chance -- the irony people the chance, who came to the scene in created -- the iranian people and created a scene on election day that without a doubt showed

major changes of international levels. all those people who have helped and the thinking of the great aspirations of the nation, i would like to thank them all. to the people of the r iran, thy have always been active and have had a major role. today they are fully present on the scene and they are actually giving rise to a humane government with the nine characteristics. for 30 years we have been

bearing the lack of dignity. with more -- the people have been ever more determined. the presidential election was a manifestation of people's face and following through the sublime aspirations of the revolution. there was an epic 40 million votes and casting 25 million through the elected persons is another source of pride for the i iranian nation. the magnitude of this can be seen in the anger and outrage of the enemies of human values. you can see this for yourself.

there is a lot of dust in the air. they have raised lots of questions. they tried to depict a bleak prospect in the future of the irani nation. people are vigilant. they are aware. they rely on god. they are present on the scene. they will show there will and determination. they have exercised the power of the victor. -- exercise the power. the victor are the people, the values, and the establishment. the vote is the continuation of the path of the revolution and activities of the past four years. it has been symbolized by folks. prevailing justice, fighting,

national dignity, independence, and persisting and resisting against the demands of bullies and prevailing brotherhood and justice. people have one more time addressed the capability, self- reliance, and the great capacity on the national level to move toward their aspirations. this was late on protecting our iranian and islamic culture,

birds, and human resources -- culture, arts, and human resources. and protecting human dignity's and moral and spiritual values, affection and love for other people, freedom and acting independently from world powers. these are what is demanded by the people and endorsed by the people in the election. they want a model government. this is what they voted for. i respect the participants.

i do not have any ideas other than serving the people in the country. i do not think of anything but progress and development as a nation. i am committed to all these commitments and aspirations. i have sworn, and you people i am committed. i have no doubt you also feel committed to the same principles. i mentioned the outlines of my plan. people strongly endorsed them. in the endorsement ceremony, i briefly highlighted those ends the leader of the islamic revolution also confirmed them.

the plans today have turned to a demand by all the people and everyone is responsible for that. we are all responsible for that. we should join hands and tried to fill these. -- and try to fulfill these. who has voted for who? that is on the question. today we need a national will and results to join forces. i am confident that our brothers and sisters will be supporting the government in line with the fulfillment of these plans.

the recent presidential election indicated the trade aspirations of the iranian nation. the people of iran capitalize on far-fetched ideas. they are going after sublime aspirations. the leader should deserve the right knee ia iranian people. we are representing a great nation. our nation has a great goals. great goals require great decisions in great measures, great actions. it strikes me to be taken -- stride need to be taken.

we should make best of this chance. the past four years showed that capacities are abundant in the country. there have been some short punchinshortcomings. i announced that the government in the near term is the term and to use all of its force and serve the nation and to use all these potentialities and to activate the mall. this requires cooperation and support of the i iranian parliament. i once again with like to mention some of these islands of the plan.

the first one is culture. maintaining the identity requires maintaining the elements, seeking justice, dignity, acquiring knowledge, affections, sacrifice, purity, and good deeds and moral by usv, art, literature, culture. they all need to be dealt with. great thoughts, wherever they are in the academia, thinkers, the lead of all kinds, they are

the main assets of the country and the models for movement. we need to take more effective means for their presence and policymaking of the country against planning and execution of the planning. i would like to invite everyone here to join forces to move with us forward. the cultural diversity is an unprecedented beauty of the iranian nation. we need to protect this. the threat of terrorism is a main factor of cultural exchanges between iran and other nations. this should be given undue attention to. -- due attention to.

our youth are the main activists of our country. they deserve to be actually active in different tiers like sports and scientific areas. women and girls in this country for the purist, kindness, and noble of women and girls in the world. they need to have a more constructive world -- role and show scientific, arps, political, and executive fields. they need to be more active in policymaking as well. iranians are able to inspire hope in the region and the world.

this requires sparing no effort in getting the chance to everyone. family is the main killer for of bringing of the main kind -- mankind in security and peace in this country. everyone should respect the boundaries of the family. to protect everyone miss phil calm and tranquil. -- to protect it, everyone must feel calm and tranquil. there must be bravery in defending the oppressed. this should prevail. all individuals are first class

citizens. they do deserve equal rights. they are equal. no one has any special concessions or privileges over anyone else. no one should feel that a right is trampled upon or they are not given a chance. no single individual should feel they are incriminated against. no one should feel their dignity is being entrenched. freedom is a divine gift. achievements -- everyone should enjoy and protect all this. no one has the right to limit social freedoms. the third point is the economic affairs.

we see distribution of wealth. the on equal distribution should be stopped. it to be looked on as a national service. [unintelligible] structures and mechanism should be corrected quickly. all these must be implemented as soon as possible. targeted subsidies and the banking system, and taxing, and distribution and strengthening

the running currency. these seem to materialize as soon as possible. -- needed to materialize as soon as possible. government has made relevant plans and they need to be correctly implemented. that requires brave decisions made by you parliamentarians. i do trustor open mindedness. -- trust your open mindedness. i do think we can solve the problem of unemployment and housing. these are all on the agenda of the government.

you believe -- everyone should believe that. all disciplines i mentioned can be built quickly. we need to get rid of the imposed mechanisms and bureaucracy that only kill challenges and limits people and our human resources. you are going to make the destiny of our country. we should be rid of these restrictions. people have the capacity to do great things. it is you and me to need to be determined and take action. we still will continue with active foreign policy, with more

power and with fresh plans a more effective plans. we will roll out an active role in all years. joint human values we will emphasize. we invite everyone to seek tranquility. we will resist the powers. we will try to correct the discriminatory mechanisms prevalent in the world. the people of iran still have our bearings of monism is an and justice. we should play an active role on an international level. we should fill responsible for

the words and deeds. interferences, occupations, and cultural economic disturbances that arise from the policies, they need to be corrected. they need to be accountable for this. people of iran are for constructive dialogue. the pillar of our foreign policy is skillful interactions with all people and nations. however, some have violation of law and -- we will not remain silent. we want equal and friendly relations.

this interference we will not tolerate. you just heard that some of those countries announced that the elections -- they do recognize the election but they will not send their congratulations. what does this attitude mean? the message is that they just want democracy in the service of their own interests. they do not respect the rights of other nations. the recognize himself as the artistry of democracy -- the recognize himself as the artistry of democracy -- they recognize themselves as the artistry of democracy. nobody in iran is waiting for

anyone's congratulations. [laughter] the people of iran do not care about the frowning for had leaders that they care about and their smiles and congratulations. [laughter] [general crowthursday for a rese iranian nation. reachewe are reaching a chapter

development for humanity. we need to realize our status but we need to fill our divine duty. we should come to believe that iran can stand on the peaks of progress. we can reach this and we should have our eyes cast upon the heavenly aspirations that will lead a side shortsightedness. we should believe that we can reduce that the government of justice is around the corner.

[unintelligible] we believe in the dawning [unintelligible] i thank you all represented -- represented does, the people, the speaker.

and also the respective heads of the judiciary and people of the guardian council. the ambassadors participating in the ceremony, people from different walks of life, i thank you all. >> you are watching public affairs on c-span. up next, a senate hearing examined autism research in the u.s.. after that, and update on the two journalists held by north korea to return to the u.s. today. >> sunday, a look of british politics on the bbc, including the expense scandal, recognition of the house speaker, and debate over military operations in afghanistan.

sunday night at 9:00 p.m. eastern. >> on tomorrow mornings of a good washington journal" we are joined -- warning on "washington journal" we are joined by john solomon. the european parliament member daniel hannan but europe's economy in the health-care system. you also get an update on the nomination of judge should my door -- judge sotomayor . later, a senate panel discusses the u.s. postal service. they said they are set to lose more than $7 billion by the end of the year. this begins at 10:00 p.m. eastern. >> now a senate hearing on

autism research. witnesses include the director of the national institute of mental health and the parents of children with autism. tom harkin of iowa talks. this is about two hours and 15 minutes. >> today's hearing is on autism intervention and research. the center for disease control says that one out of every 150 children born this year will be diagnosed with autism. among boys, the rate is even higher. we do not know what causes this disorder. most researchers agree that

every discovery seems to raise more questions even though autism has not just one of genetic prospect but many. we still do not know with the turning mechanisms are. many experts think environmental factors may be a play. we do not know what they are exactly or whether they take effect during a child's first few months or years or maybe during gestation. we know a little bit more about interventions. some behavioral interventions in to help. we are nowhere near a cure all. this subcommittee has taken a strong interest in recent years. the fiscal year 2010 appropriations bill that was approved by the committee last week include a range of activities related to what some

such as outreach and education, surveillance, medical research, and the inter agency autism coordinating committee. it also includes $40 million for a new program to help students with intellectual disabilities make the transition to colleges and complete their post secondary education. another problem is how to address the growing adult population with autism. i want to thank all the witnesses for coming here today. i will leave the record open for his introductory statement.

we have two panels. the first is the director of the mih. akins boyd is from mississippi. david miller, va.. ms. dana however some from iowa. i think we covered all the aspects of you want to cover on autism on these two panels. first we will open up. as with all of the people testifying this morning, your statements will be made a part of the record in its entirety. we will ask you to go ahead and proceed as you so desire.

>> i am honored to be here the other panelists. i know this is a very busy time for you and your colleagues. we appreciate your taking time here in the middle of the summer to hear about the latest research and the latest challenges with autism. the brief is to get you -- you a quick update on the research as we last met which is a little more than two years ago. this has been an extraordinary. with a lot of exciting progress. we are going to try to review the. the testimony i hope will be submitted to the record. rather than reading that, i thought i would take you very quickly through three questions. what we know at this time? what we need? what do we doing? we will try to summarize this very quickly. today you on track here, let me make sure we are all on the same

page. autism by definition start by age three. we are talking about three different kinds of symptoms that characterize autism, reduce social behavior, abnormal language, and repetitive restrictive behavior's that often are called steer at peace. these are the definitions that many children come in with additional complicated features. i listed a few of them here. 20-30% will have associated seizure disorder that can be part of the autism syndrome. intellectual disability in various sorts. we have many families were concerned about gastrointestinal problems of many different kinds. about 10% of children who have an autism label have odd faces or appearances, we call this is more thick.

somewhere between 10% and 20% have regression. everybody may regress to some degree. some seem to develop quite well for 18 months and then will lose language and function. the results of understanding these complicated features and the fact that this is such a heterogeneous syndrome is that we increasingly talk about all systems. there are many -- autisms. sometimes we are prisoner of our own language by thinking of it in the singular term. the term has been most widely accepted, the autism spectrum. all that means is that we are talking about a range with in the syndrome from those children who really have very limited functions and very little -- very really have

limited language or severe debilities and they should no interest in social interaction. there are lots of motor after nemeses like hand flapping. they are the ones often have these distorted features. at the other end of the spectrum are children who are going to graves to be often highly successful. they may have social awkwardness or be called nerdy or more interested in numbers, but they may be tremendously useful and successful and made huge contributions. these will be areas that will allow them to use their oxygen to its best, which is the ball mechanical and numerical and less social aspects of the world. all of those people -- let's

dive into what do we actually know what we have learned. i think there is wide recognition that this is a developmental brain disorder. we do not know yet where in the brain or what in the brain or went in the brain things go off track. the most recent research would suggest that what we are talking about here is not a specific region, but it may be more likely a problem of brain connections. that may be very diffuse. it is quite possible that the reason you see problems in language and social interaction is that those are functions that require the greatest numbers..

secure connections are not working, he can see deficits in those kinds of functions. there is been -- the greatest degree of progress has been internet. that is true in almost every area of the date has been genet is. that has been true in almost every area of science. -- the greatest degree of progress has been in genetics. that has been true in almost every area of science. two years ago when i spoke to you, i talked about how it will be important. we would have said that it was important because we know a couple percent of the children have recognized syndromes. these are single gene mutations

that affect 50% of the children. in the last two years, we discovered a range of other rare but had a significant mutations. they are in the form of structural genomes seem to contribute. where two years ago and may have said 5% of any population of children with autism would have won in the syndromes, i think now we can say that number is 1 to be considerably -- adding now we can see that number is going to be considerably higher. there are new reports out about where mutations that may explain another 1% or 2%. there is clearly a genetic factor at work here. it does not explain all of autism. we still need to learn a lot more about how genes and environments interact. there will be more research

about that in the future. that is an important area of progress. we spoke about this two years ago. as you said in your opening remarks, interventions are helpful. they are helpful when started earlier. the one to find this, because i think the issue here is making sure the best behavior of interventions are available to people who need them. we are not talking about children but also children transitioning into adult and adults themselves. these to work but they are not always available or paid for. we didn't have a conversation later about how that is going to happen. -- we do need to have a conversation later about how that is going to happen. we are sitting in a bar for how far these behavioral interventions will go it done early.

the issue that you broke up -- brought of the opening remarks is one that is of great concern to you is the increase in problems. the centers for disease control and prevention now reports from 2007, a rate of 150 children being given a diagnosis. something on the autism spectrum, i do not think that number is a great variance of numbers we have seen elsewhere. it is also true that is about a tenfold increase over the numbers coming from the cdc. the increase is of great interest to many of us. i want to caution you that a change of prevalence is not unique to autism. we have seen a 40 fold increase in the prevalence of pediatric bipolar disorder. we have seen a tenfold or

greater increase in detention -- and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. this kind of a change is not unique to autism. it is certainly one that deserves our attention. we have to remember the difference between prevalence, which can be diagnosed by change in diagnoses, that could be a crew increase in the instances. that is an area that requires more research. that is what we know, what we need? part of what we need is filling in the gaps of what we do not know in taking you through the kinds of things we are talking about and understand more about the risk architecture of the whole spectrum. genes are important. environmental factors are important. most important will be how they interact. that is not unique for autism. that is true for autism -- for

asthma, etc. new therapies and began to emerge. we want to understand this. the point is to be able to develop ways of protecting this disorder -- detecting this disorder much order. brain disorder behavior is one of the last features to change. that is true for alzheimer's, parkinson's, huntington's, and it will be imported to move upstream by having a biomarker allow us to detect risk in disorders much early. we want to have interventions such a more effective. behavioral interventions are fitted for many children but they are expensive, expensive -- extensive, and take a long time to work. we want to offer more than behavioral interventions. we want to know what he meant to

work best for what people. you'll hear a lot about personalize medicine. we are hoping that the new director will be confirmed by the full senate this week. should that be the case, i think you will hear from him that there is a high priority. impersonalized money. -- there is a high priority put on personalize medicine. as you mentioned in your opening remarks, we have a whole wave of children of what is in that will soon be adults with autism. how we make sure that they have the access to services that we take care of this transition and the coverage deserves urgent attention from this committee and from others who make policy. luscious a little bit about what we are doing. i will tell you -- let's just talk a little bit about what we are doing. i will tell you that we are

working with the coordinating committee. . . >> would happen soon thereafter with the american recovery in reinvestment act was the opportunity to make new investments to jumpstart the strategic plan, focusing on the short term objectives. we hope within the next six weeks to be able to announce publicly the large number of grants that have been funded

through the american recovery and reinvestment act, including not only the special rfa to support new cotton is a research to the tune of $60 million, but also a large number of challenge grants and grant opportunity warrants that will be made and will be announced before september 30 of this year. finally, i will just mention that we have also tried to jumpstart much of this progress by creating a national database for autism research which will be essentially a meeting ground for scientists around the world to share data and share the tools necessary to accelerate progress in this area. as you will see in this plan, there were six questions that guided the effort to help us think about what were the most important issues.

it includes both public members and federal members. these efforts came out of a rich discussion about what is that families and people on the autism spectrum most are looking for. we have taken each of these too hard and come up with a summary of what we know and what we need for each of the six questions. we have short-term and long-term objectives that are being addressed through the recovery act and other sources of funding. i will finish with this vision statement which i thought would be worth while steering with you -- sharing with you. that is to inspire research that will profoundly improve the health and well-being of every person on the spectrum across the life span. i cannot emphasize enough the importance of now attention to adults and soon to become adults with optimism.

-- with autism. >> this plan will not only provide the road map for research but also set the standard for public-private cooperation and engaging the broad community who will be so invested in trying to make sure we expedite research progress. with that, i will make one final comment. and now you have been thanked for many things you have done, both for autism and for nih and many of the other issues to deal with. i would like to send a personal thank you for giving us allen murray, who will be joining hhs very soon. -- ellen murray. for those of us ofhhs, is a terrific gift. we are delighted that you saw to it to share her expertise with us, so thank you, sir.

>> thank you very much, dr. isel. >> i am pleased to join you at this hearing to thank our witnesses who have come to share with us their experience and talk about what we can do to more effectively deal with the challenge of autism. we have had hearings before, but it is important for us to continue our efforts to stay up- to-date and join forces with the victims and their families to help make sure we triumph and did not like the victims and their families down. we want to support the calls. thank you for being here to lead it off. >> thank you again for your leadership. on the interagency coordinating committee, just looking at the list of people on the committee, as you know, our interest obviously is in research and finding causes, which hopefully will lead to prevention. also, we are interested in the early intervention programs and

how you get to these kids early. do you have enough expertise on this panel in terms of, or you are looking at that aspect also? water the most effective early intervention programs -- what are the most effective early in a region programs we can find and work on? >> do we have the expertise? we bring in the expertise. each year we have to update the plan, and we do that by bringing in the experts in all the areas we are concerned with. we have heard about both ends of the spectrum, early detection and early intervention. as one of the places that needs a big push, the other end is adults on the spectrum who need a lot more in the way of interventions.

>> which treatments and interventions will help? your group is actively out there looking at different interventions and trying to find out which ones work best, and all our -- are you also promoting -- or you instigating different types of early interventions to track them and see which ones work the best? >> let me just go through the process very quickly. the first thing we did was to do a portfolio analysis. this was unprecedented. in the questions of interventions or any other aspects of those six questions, we asked all the federal players, including the department of defense, but also the private groups which are very substantial players for autism. they are putting in significant amounts of research dollars. for the first time, everybody had shared their information

about every grant a fund, how much they are putting into it. we were able to use that to map on to these six questions and see what is missing. one place where it looked like we were under invested across the sixth question is this area of interventions. how we feel that in? the first thing we do is bring the experts, at least on an annual basis, to tell us not only with the needs are, but what are the opportunities? what is really hot right now in terms of techniques, or things going on in other areas of medicine? the meeting this year will be on september 30 and october 1. we did a previous one which would have been in january of 2008, if i have that right. we used four days to hear from a broad panel of experts. i might add that is not only your typical academic grantee that we are hearing from. we are bringing in family members who may have had a very

interesting experience that they think we should hear about. we are bringing in conditions as well who may be trying things we do not know much about yet. -- bringing in clinicians. we are making sure we get all the best ideas on the table before we decide what to recommend for nih and others to be looking at for funding. >> we are talking about applied behavior therapy. it seems to be successful. how early an age can you start that, and do we know what age you should start that? >> i am going to duck that question, because the world's expert, dr. dawson, is sitting right behind me. she has just completed the landmark study on that question, going as early as possible.

i would love to steal their thunder, but because she is a friend and i do not want to alienate her, it would be better for you to hear from her directly about her own data. >> i hear a lot about this issue of vaccines and optimism. can you talk about the science regarding that issue? >> what we know is that there is no question from the community that there are internal factors at work, and that some aspect of the environment is going to be interacting with genetics to make children and maybe even unborn children vulnerable. it may be that these are prenatal internal factors. the only factor that has been explored in great detail would be vaccines. part of that has to do with an increasing number of vaccines.

it has gone up over the past 30 years or so. i have made a slight so you can see what that looks like. there has been an extract -- a striking increase from 1900 until about 2009. there are more vaccines now in the recommended schedule. there are more injections that are possible currently. it is also important to realize that while the number of vaccines have increased, the quality of vaccines has really changed in the same time. if you look at the number of antigens that go into these vaccines, although it does not show it here, the amount of protein that goes into any -- into the full group of vaccines that children are receiving is less than they were when you are getting a single shot in 1900.

the vaccines are for more refined and targeted. they look very different than they would have even when your children would have been vaccinated in the 1970's and before. it is not quite comparing apples and apples when you look at this change over time. the research that has been focused on vaccines has a potential association with optimism has been largely epidemiological research. up until this point time, there have been a total of about 16 studies involving hundreds of thousands of children. there is no evidence at this point of any association between vaccines -- the number and kind of vaccines and any of the things we are showing here and the increase or particular vulnerability to of schism. -- our vulnerability to

optimism. >> how you can have a study of hundreds of thousands of vaccines -- if you go back to your first chart, i have a chart from the center for disease control and prevention that shows that in 1983, the maximum number of vaccine doses administered before age two was 8. in 2009, it is a minimum of 21, maximum of 29. from everything i can ascertain, it is closer to 29. so we have gone from eight in 1983 to 29 this year, before the age of 2. most pediatricians do that. so how would you ever find a group of kids that do not get those?

there is a striking decrease. these are not the same formulations. they are not the same kinds of vaccines. what we are talking today, while the numbers have gone up, is a profound reduction in the amount of protein and the number of antigens. >> some of these vaccines were not around in 1980. we have a number of them here, some of these were not even around. hepatitis a -- they were not around in 1980. next the vaccines that were around in 1980 have been changed in many cases. they are not actually the same vaccines in many cases. >> they are the same. >> they are not the same.

they may have the same names, but the formulation has been greatly refined. that is how you get these kinds of changes. >> i get confused in this area. i just want to focus on the number of vaccines, and the fact that they are sometimes put together before the age of two. i am not talking about that antigens, just the total number has gone up. i do not know of any studies that would compare a cohort of children from 0 to age two that did not get the shot and the incidence of autism. and those that did receive 29 vaccines and that did come down with optimism. i do not know of any study out there that has done is -- that did not come down with optimism. >> could we now a study of vaccinated vs. undetonated children? we do not have a vaccine

expertise on that committee. we had decided to consult a federal advisory committee that reports to the secretary to get their expertise, because they do have it. we met about a month ago to have this conversation with them. before meeting with them, we said then the question, saying has there been such a study? just the kind you describe. if not, why not, and could we do such a study? their first response to us was, first of all, and has not been done. they did not think it was feasible to do it, but they did not think it was ethical. they had real concerns about the ethics of randomizing a group of children to not receiving vaccines, because they were concerned about the risk involved in not vaccinating a large number of children. you would need a very large number for such a study. >> so we really cannot tell that. i do know of people now with

children who are not letting their children get those numbers of vaccines. some of these are highly educated, professional people, and they have decided -- they will not give it to them by the age of two, maybe up by the -- may be bought age of five or six. i know a lot of that is happening out there. a lot of pediatricians will not treat a child if, in fact, they are not getting these immunizations that -- will tell the parents that if you do not agree to the vaccination schedule, you cannot be a patient of mine. i know a lot of people that basically are not having their kids vaccinated. i do not know the ramifications of that. i just know that is happening. >> the problem is that we cannot know if 29 vaccinations by the age of two do have an effect.

we do not know that. we are not only from those who are convinced that vaccines are the problem but those who are not. we have both ends of the spectrum. we hear from lots of families who have a child with autism and are wondering what they should do about their next child. that is often a question on the table, because they do not know who to believe and who to listen to. the group of people who feel that there really is an issue here and that we ought to be concerned because there is a relationship between vaccines and optimism point to the numbers, the large increase. all 16 studies demonstrate a relationship. however, those are all

epidemiological studies, and you cannot rule out the possibility that there is a small signal there that might have been missed. on the other side of the coin, the other end of the spectrum, we are hearing from other people, not a scientist, but even family members on this committee who are saying enough, already. if there is an internal factor at play here, and we have spent a lot of money and time during the 16 studies and nothing has shown up on this question, maybe we do not need to turn that rocked over a 70 time. let's move on and look at something that is more likely to shed light on what could be an important factor in increasing prevalence or the risk for autism. that is what we are hearing. we are trying to balance both of those points of view and also trying to make sure there is information available for those who are concerned about what to do with their next child.

>> early interventions and how we help people right now who are having trouble dealing with children. we have to focus on those early intervention programs. we will get to that in the next panel. >> i want to join you in welcoming ininsel to the hearing. we have had hearings in the past to try to develop a body of information that will help us identify better ways of dealing with autism. are there other causes? what are the possible changes in environment or nutrition, health care generally that we can turn to for help in dealing with the

challenges and difficulties that optimism brings to our society -- that altruism brings to our society. going on television, inviting people to contribute, and some of the experiences i had then, observing the children who were victims of autism and talking with families and getting to know more about it really made a big impact on me and how challenging the situation really is. my heart goes out to those families who are dealing with it, and i just want to be here today to support the effort to identify how government can be more helpful. what are the other possible causes for autism, and what are the things we can do?

and to continue to work and not give up. a lot of people have invested time, ever, research dollars, personal energies, to cope with this situation. i am curious to know from you, is there hope? have we discovered things and learn things over the last several years as we have been embarked on this joint effort that give us any hope that we are making progress? >> absolutely. there is always hope, but there is even more than that right now. there is very rapid progress. i think is next. time is going to be even more extraordinary -- this next period of time is going to be even more extraordinary. in 2008, our budget for autism research went up, and it will go up even more in 2009 because we are seeing this recovery act effort.

we have put money specifically into an all it is requests for applications through the recovery act. the only disease specific such request in the recovery act from nih for this year, this is the one that does have a disease name on, because we realized that there is an urgent need, and equally important, there is a tremendous opportunity right now for progress. we have the tools we need so we can really start to move quickly. we want to do that over the next two years. >> thank you very much for your efforts and being involved as the director of the institute of mental health. we appreciate your being here with us this morning and helping us fully understand the challenges we have ahead. >> thank you for your interest and support. >> would like to call our second panel. i did not talk to you earlier about this, but if you have the time to stay, i would appreciate

that. if you could stay for a second panel, i would appreciate that. >> i would be happy to stay, and most of all i want to hear the copal analysts, because i think all of us need to hear some of the experiences picture >> you can stay where you are, you do not have to move. let's call our second panel, but dr. geraldine dawson. let's start from left to right as i call your names. mr. joshua cobb's, miss boyd, david miller, and dena halverson. >> thank you all for being here. some of you have come a great distance. your statements will be made a part of the record in their entirety. you kind of summarize, 5 minutes

or so, i would appreciate it very much. we will just sort from left to right here, dr. geraldine dawson, the chief science officer for autism speaks. dr. dawson received her ph.d. from the university of washington. thank you very much, and please proceed. >> good morning, mr. chairman. i want to thank you for inviting me. i am very honored to appear before this subcommittee, and i want to thank the committee members and you for your leadership in providing full funding for the combating autism act, and also for your most recent fiscal year appropriations bill. this year, more children will be diagnosed with autism, as you

may know, than with age, diabetes, and cancer combined. autism research, however, is still significantly underfunded, despite greater public and congressional awareness. for example, leukemia affects one in 25,000 people, but receives research funding for $310 million annually. pediatric aids affects one in 8000 children. its funding, 200 feet $5 million a year. autism, as you know, affects one in 150 individuals, individuals,nih funding for fiscal 2009 is estimated to be $122 million. as you have heard, most scientists agree that autism is caused by a combination of both genetic risk factors and environmental factors. we have discovered some of the autism risk genes, but we still know very local about the role

of the environment and how it interacts with these genes. we have come to understand that optimism is not one disease, but many different diseases. has many different causes, and each costs will likely only explain a minority of cases. piece by piece, we must discover each of these causes so that effective treatment and prevention will be possible. to identify the causes, it will be necessary to invest in large scale, population based studies that broadly examined genetic factors and internal trekkers, such as the nih national children study. it will be important to invest in large skillet databases such as the national database for autism research, the genetic the resource exchange, and the optimiautsim tissue exchange.

research suggests that it may be the connection between brain cells. some of the best it is in the world are working hard at understanding how genetic mutations can change the way in which neurons communicate, and they are developing therapeutic strategies that might restore the function of the synapse. all this work is offering real hope, the pace of discovery is simply too slow, in large part because of lack of adequate funding. we can now screen for autism at 18 months of age. of his and speaks is funding several clinical trials that are evaluating interventions for at risk infants who are as young as 12 months of age. the hope is that by detecting autism early, we will be able to reduce its severity or even prevent the syndrome from developing. however, the impact of this work will not be felt less pediatricians are using the available screening methods, and

parents have access to train professionals who can deliver these interventions. that is why it is critical that we continue to study dissemination methods, invest in training professionals and caretakers, and support federally mandated insurance coverage for behavioral interventions, which we know are cost-effective in the long run. all behavioral interventions or effective for some individuals, most individuals with autism suffer without relief from the optimism itself and a wide range of medical conditions such as sleep disorders, gastrointestinal problems, and epilepsy. very few clinical trials have been conducted that address these medical conditions, and virtually no cost effectiveness studies have been conducted to determine which treatments are most effective. thus, parents are left to sort through confusing and often inaccurate information about the various treatment options and claims.

clinicians are often at a loss in helping parents to make evidence based treatment decisions. this gap in research must be addressed. very little research has been conducted that addresses the issues that adults with autism face, despite the fact that adult care accounts for the bulk of the $35 billion that is spent annually on caring for individuals with autism in the united states. unlike other health conditions, we have limited information about autism health care utilization, barriers to access, health care disparities in the u.s., where cost effectiveness models. mr. chairman, over the past two years, your subcommittee and you have been responding to the challenge of autism with resources. this is beginning a meaningful fight against this very challenging disorder. but more is needed to better understand the disorder, diagnosis, and to better treat those individuals who have it. i want to end by thanking you

for your time, for your commitment, and for your leadership. i am very happy to entertain any questions that you may have. >> thank you very much, dr. dawson. before we go on, i want to recognize my good friend and colleague from pennsylvania, with whom i have shared the gavel here over the last almost 20 years. senator specter is a member of the judiciary committee. they are on the floor now with the sotomayor ofoundation. >> thank you for yielding. we are taking up the confirmation hearing of judge sotomayor or for supreme court. i am due on the floor shortly, but i wanted to thank you, mr. chairman, and the ranking member for scheduling this hearing on this very important subject, and

thank the witnesses for coming in. autism is a heartbreaking alemaailment. one of the toughest part is talking to parents who have children suffering from autism, and there's a real question of doing more. we have worked hard on funding for the national institutes of health. for a decade, we are able to raise funding from $12 billion to $30 billion, at a time when senator harkin and i have transferred the gobble -- gavel. regrettably, that is not enough. i know that funding for autism is slightly under $52 million,

up to $122 billion now. cdc funding has increased to little over $22 million. we have been successful in getting it -- getting into the stimulus package $10 billion. it is my projection that some of that will be going to autism. these funding levels were set by nih in order to avoid what we call politicization. our job is to get the money, but not to distribute it. i think there ought to be a bigger share for autism. we are pushing to make that happen. on comprehensive health care reform, which we are working on now, we are trying to get $10 billion added as a base, and

start with $40 billion, which will give us an opportunity to do more. staff will be here to follow the testimony and will have a chance to review it. i appreciate your coming in, and you have are assurances we will do everything we can on this very important malady. >> i understand you have to be on the floor for the nomination. now we will go to mr. cobbs. if i remember right, you are from iowa, of near sioux city. you or the chairman of the iowa autism council, the father of a nine year-old boy, no, with autism. i understand your wife, tina, is with you. >> you have two other children, and you were here at our last hearing a couple of years ago.

>> i was in the audience at the last hearing. >> i am interested in what has happened in the last couple of years, so welcome to the committee, and please proceed. >> thank you for having me. good morning, mr. chairman, and members of this distinguished committee. high and the chairperson of the iowa autism council. i am the parent of a child with autism. i spent over seven years trying to better the lives of individuals and families affected by autism through insurance and education reforms. when i was last in front of this distinguished committee, spoke of the successful and cost- efficient service is my son received. these services were provided in my home in iowa from professionals in florida through the celeste foundations federally sponsored national

research project. we are one of 15 families that participated in this demonstration across the nation. in this model, after a brief phase of on-site, face-to-face training, which is crucial to build up their peake relationship, we were linked by an interactive video system that allow consultation and support directly into our home, when and where we needed. for this model, we receive professional support in teaching our son language, life skills, and overall improving its quality of life. one of the main components of the study was the reduction in our family stressed for empowering us as frontline teachers and therapists. additionally, through training and education in this project, we had a better understanding of our child condition and those things we could do to bring to bear to improve his life. not only did improve my son's quality of life, but it had an impact on my family as well. also as a family, which showed a dramatic reduction in stress,

anxiety, and became more focused as a family unit. i will never forget the call from my wife saying it will never guess what our son did. he went potty on the big boys potty. this becomes a super milestone when your child is five years old and has the additional burden of societal rejection. we are given the right teaching skills and able to achieve what previously was unobtainable. our experience is chronicled and aired during autism awareness month. we have footage that we would like to share with the committee and it can also be viewed online. i cannot stress enough that the needs of a person with autism do not convene with professional

hours or appointments. just having the support in my home and allowed natural interaction for my son and allow the professionals to see the behaviors as they really occurred. as chairperson of the iowa autism counsel, i had the opportunity to speak with many family members and stakeholders within the autism community to learn their needs. from my perspective and my experience, these families are desperately in need of services. today, as parents search online for opprobrious services for their children, they are confronted with an array of and validated technologies and various individuals claiming expertise in treatment. unfortunately, there are no safeguards in place to protect vulnerable parents and children. for example, from anywhere in the world, anyone with a personal computer, a web cam and internet access, can offer internet services termed as advice. under the circumstances, any

individual or group can claim qualifications in helping parents and children with autism. not only our families experiencing the emotional burden of treating the child the disability, but they also had the financial burden of paying for this treatment with no assurance as to the quality of care provided. when individuals or organizations are collecting fees for services and can distance themself into the cloud that is the internet, what can families expect? the reality of standard setting is evident, because without standards, there can be no reimbursements. all the systems are cost- effective, without proper reimbursement model, they still remain unattainable for most parents. they are struggling financially to find care for their children. millions of dollars are being placed into rural networks. however, few if any methodologies exist. the current wave of statewide

health insurance requirements and to abide reimbursements for individuals with autism do not have well-defined standards for reimbursement. in the absence of consistent reimbursement policy and standards, families and children are not granted access to proven an effective care. i know this committee has recognized the need to assess "best practices and professional criteria standards, and to make recommendations to the committee concerning national standards that advances and encourages this type of technology." i commend the committee's foresight and urge that this momentum continues. in closing, you may be wondering how my son is doing today. he is now 9 years old, and my family is still utilizing this technology. we are addressing such behavior is as expressive language, academic skills, just to name a few. it is important to note that as my son grows, his treatment program continues to grow at a

direct -- and address his ever evolving needs. it has been an effective delivery system for our family. has been so effective that now might 8-year-old daughter has become a mini-therapist, using teaching strategies that we learned in the program with my son. at this point, he continues in the role of student and teacher to us all. indeed, his future is bright. i would like to thank you for your time and the opportunity to share our story and the stories of thousands of families here today. thank you. >> thank you very much. we will have some questions for you later. now we turn to the vice chairman of the mississippi autism task force. an attorney and mother of two children, her second child developed aggressive autism at around 22 months of age. she was recently appointed to mississippi's department of

education, special education advisory committee. she attended mississippi state and received her doctorate from ole miss. >> i want to thank this committee. on behalf of the many families with optimism that i represent. we have had various meetings throughout the state of mississippi. in fall of 2005, our family was living in san antonio, texas, has been completed his fellowship. my of his job, at the age of 22 months developed regressive autism. almost overnight, he digressed from using words and sentences into language with fine and gross motor coordination well above his developmental pierce, to someone who lost almost all of those skills sets. it was as though a tornado had hit our lives, and there was no end in the foreseeable future. at age 25 months, i son began a

rigorous program filled with behavioral, speech, and occupational therapy, that has continued after our move back to mississippi. currently we can see progress, and we are cautiously optimistic about the future. he is quite verbal and his gross and fine motor skills have greatly improved. his medical condition is always tenuous, as he is believed to suffer from mitochondrial disorder which is supposed to be contributed factor to his autism. simple viruses will turn this very high functioning child to love functioning child within just a matter of hours. today, he will attend his kindergarten open house in oxford, mississippi. he will attend a regular education class and have some classroom resource assistance. as a class of 2022 starts kindergarten, schools across the country will look very different. 20 years ago in this country, he

would probably have been the only child in his class with autism or even his old school district. -- his whole school district. his kindergarten class will have six children diagnosed with autism spectrum, all of them very high functioning. if you do the math, that is roughly one in 34. in mississippi, according to surveys, we know that children typically do not get diagnosed much later than 5. that number is probably going to go higher. this is a very high number compared to what we see as national statistics, but i think you can see this number replicated in kindergartens throughout this country in various places. we know that the rate of autism goes up 10%-70% per year. can you imagine what autism is going to look like in the next decade? the medical establishment gives

itself a pat on the back for saying they are doing a better job diagnosing this, but we know there have to be contributing factors that are the root of this increase. better diagnosis does not completely explain the explosion we are seeing here in america. we often see adversarial relationships develop between pediatricians and family members who believe that there autism was caused by vaccines. we also see adversarial relationships when parents do not accept the advice of physicians that there could be multiple causes of autism, and reach an impasse. the autism society of america currently estimates that the lifetime cost of caring for a child with autism is from $3.5 million to $5 million. taking those numbers, we are

looking at facing almost $90 billion annual cost in autism. the question we have to ask is, can we afford not to put the money into research and treatment, if these are the numbers we are looking at? i am glad you are sitting beside me. the combating of citizen group brought great hope to parents. --, adding optimism grew. we have to move quicker. we have to see the coordinating committee look at all aspects and possible causes to autism. we also have to see that committee quickly make some identifiers and look at populations of these children's to find out what are the general pictures we see of these children's parents, their family members. what are some health indicators

that we see? in has to be done quicker than we usually operate at government bureaucracy levels. the other thing, i would be remiss in represent the parents across this country if i did not go back to your question. we have to look at the causation with vaccines. dr. healy, who i am sure has testified many times, and does not have any financial interest, has noted that there is a dearth of research in truly looking at the vaccine-odd to some connection. there are some very good steadies' that have yet to be done -- the vaccine-autism connection. i know this committee does not like to tell the nih how to spend those research dollars, but on behalf of parents across america, i ask that you look at this when you are confirming a

new nih director. i want to give you some optimism. in this classroom, five of those children have been blessed to be able to receive intensive behavioral therapy. their families have in one situation taken to jobs to be able to afford this intensive behavioral therapy. that is not often the case in mississippi, and is a rarity. the average annual income in mississippi is less than $35,000 a year, and yet this private therapy runs most of us around $50,000 a year. it is impossible for many of the constituents back home to a for the therapy that they know will make their job better. -- to afford at the therapy.

i beg you to look at ways that we can afford intensive behavioral therapy for all children. these children that i mentioned who have received this therapy, even at the age of 5, they already are requiring less classroom support than they would have. you can see the financial bright spots down the road of investing in early, intensive behavioral therapy. the question i will leave you with is, if we know that we are looking at a $90 billion annual health care cost, and we are looking -- we are looking at initial investments of around $32,000 a year, and we know that over that child's life, we can see health care returns at roughly $2.5 billion of health care savings for their children who get this, the question is, can we afford not to make that

investment? >> a very profound statement. thank you very much. now we will turn to david miller, a resident of fairfax county, virginia. he is on the board of directors at northern virginia community college where he co-founded the consortium on autism and intellectual disabilities. he has a master's in public administration and a law degree from george mason university. he is retired from the armed forces and the father of two identical twins who have autism. >> thank you very much for holding this hearing. as the chairman indicated, i am a board member. we are the second-largest many college in the nation.

i and the co-founder of the consortium on autism and intellectual disabilities, comprised of 41 community college presidents. i am pleased to say that a colleague is a very active member of our consortium as well as the president of hines community college, which he tells me is the largest one in mississippi. both of these leaders could not be here today, because a previously scheduled board meetings, but we do have some community college presidents here that i would like to introduce the subcommittee to. the first one is willing duncan. he is the chairman of taft college and the chairman of our consortium. we also have dr. wayne burton, president of the north shore community college in massachusetts.

we have the chairman of passaic county community college. also with the is jeff ross. if you look at my testimony, the summary of the measurable results that taft has achieved these last 13 years with respect to students with intellectual disabilities and developmental disabilities is astounding. at the committed college level, we aspire to have programs that affected. this hearing has particular poignancy to me because i am the father it of 27-year-old twins who have autism. their sister is the youngest of these, and thankfully -- she is the youngest of these triplets.

thankfully she is a healthy, happy, seven year-old. i am concerned about the long- term viability of these children to live independently and develop a career checked that will allow them to support themselves financially well meeting in overcoming challenges that you and i have never faced in our entire lives. i am not as educated as some of these presidents. i am not as well versed in the nuances of optimism or as well read as my wife, who on a daily basis meets the challenges. she is a wonderful and very accomplished woman. she should be seated in this interest -- in this witness chair. when you do the next hearing, she needs to be invited. people talk about takeaways.

i think that when you go on to further activities, the two takeaways i would like to have for my testimony or, number one, my kids are here to stay. what you are doing with respect to research is excellent. we need to invest funds in screening in diagnosis and all that. we need to do that, but having said that, my kids are here. all the panelists who have autistic kids are here, so what are we going to do with these kids? as i talked to more advocates and opponents, what is the game plan here? what are we looking towards and working for? most of these kids are below the age of 17 at this stage, but more and more of them are entering middle school and high school. at some point, they will be adults. what are going to do with these kids? that is a critical question will have to consider. we have to keep that objective in mind. at the community college level, we are seeing our first

beginnings of autistic kids on our campus. you are chairman, chairman kennedy, obviously gets it. we have had a number of discussions, and he has called this a tsunami. he said debt -- based on his offer ship, he authorized awarding five-year grants in support of model demonstration programs that promote the sec's -- successful transition of students. i have a letter from senator kennedy where he requests funding for these types of programs. the reason for this bunning request is that the vast majority of autistic and disabled students are currently

in committee colleges and will attend community colleges because we have open admissions policies. they reach age 21, and the, on our campuses. they are here, and frankly we have no effective programs to deal with these children. they enroll in normal academic courses and are soon put on academic probation, and then soon academically dismissed, and that is in it. they have no further contacts with respect to job training programs. they have no further or additional educational opportunities. that is it. what happens to these kids after that? that is what senator kennedy is really focused on. some schools will tell you, these are expensive programs. they run roughly $30,000 a school. there are limited by law to approximately $2,000 to $3,000

for tuition. they do not have access to any further funding. with the reduction in state operating funds, they did not have the financial resources to develop programs to assist the students. i know i am over my time. these funds are are essentially economic development funds. they are essentially local stimulus funds. they will be focused in life skills training and vocational training. we appreciate the fact that you have seen fit to put approximately $80 million for this program, and we hope that in conference, you will walk away with at least that minimum amount of money. again, thank you very much. >> now we have a co-founder of beat iowa. usually we do not say that. [laughter]

i should have looked at that before i set it. -- before i set it. that could be misinterpreted. she lives on a farm in north would, iowa, way up in northwest iowa with her husband and three children. her 7-year-old daughter, robin, was diagnosed with autism when she was 15 months old. she has a b.a. in french from southwest in receipt. >> she was diagnosed a little before age 3. her diagnosis was that three years and three months. >> thank you, mr. chairman and colleagues for this opportunity to encourage more thought and action on autism. and a daily basis, i am a wife and mother of an iowa farm

family. i days are filled from very early to bury late with joyce, blessings, and challenges of my three children. i have one daughter who has heavy-metal toxicity. her original diagnosis and just over age three was of his mental retardation. although my daughter was given the label of autism, this failed -- this term fails to describe the nature of her disorder. after her diagnosis, i discovered by medical origins of our condition. over the next several years, we confirmed multiple medical diagnoses, including intestinal this bias is, multiple few -- food allergies, growth hormone deficiencies, in the crib disfunction, pituitary dysfunction, hypothyroidism, allergic colitis, and heavy metal toxicity, to name a few. we have only been able to help robyn by struggling to travel all over the country and working with many medical practitioners, spending thousands