going to bring iran to the table? and they don't really see anything serious. and i think that's going to be a continuing challenge for the obama administration going forward and dealing with congress, dealing with the public, and dealing with all these world leaders, many of whom have financial ties to iran, to its oil, to the businesses in the area. and it's very hard to say to all those people, ok, maybe take an economic hit for some intangible benefit as far as keeping them from getting nuclear weapons. it's a very difficult trade-off to get the whole world to agree to. >> what's next for congress on this issue? >> i think congress is, has been passing bills against iran and there's been lots of harsh rhetoric on the floor. you know, proclamations, et cetera. but that doesn't -- until the white house decides to take action, it's very unlikely that congress would actually pass

something that the white house doesn't want. then send it to his desk. so it's going to be more of a sense of people pushing him. and i think the republicans have certainly been pushing for closer ties to israel. there have been criticism of the obama administration for criticizing benjamin netanyahu over the settlements issues. so there's lots of politics at play. but one thing that's going to be very interesting to watch is this start treaty when it goes to the senate. and to pass the treaty with russia reducing strategic nuclear weapons have passed with more than 90 votes. and there's real chance this time that it might pass or not pass in 67 -- you need 67 votes to pass a treaty in the senate. and there has been just this sense that almost every issue now has become a partisan issue. whether it be a nuclear power

reduction treaty or anything else. and so it's going to be interesting to see if that happens on this as well. >> the "new york times" and other newspapers reporting that israel, the only nuclear armed power in the middle east and that the muslim countries, egypt and turkey, that are coming monday and tuesday to this nuclear summit, that if the reason why they are putting some pressure on israel is not that they're not concerned with iran, but that they think the whole region needs to be nuclear free in order to have peace in that area. what are you hearing from the white house about what's next when it comes to israel? >> i think the white house is working very hard to ensure that the israel issue does not come with what they consider to be a red herring in the upcoming summit because the summit actually really is about what the countries that are participating can agree to do within a four-year period.

it's certainly a worthy debate to have about why israel is or is not a part of this. but what they're trying to do on monday and tuesday is come up with agreements where nations can decide what's our sovereign power to decide and what can we agree on internationally. and israel is off to the side. i think the white house will work very hard to ensure that doesn't become what the summit is about. and i think most of the countries' interests is also to that end. many countries besides the united states are concerned about proliferation. many countries would like financial assistance from the u.s. to get ahold of their nuclear materials. people don't want bad guys running through their territory, smuggling stuff, obtaining their plutonium or uranium for bad purposes. and this is not entirely a political summit. there is actually an actual policy interest to varying degrees but most countries

desire to tackle this issue. >> thank you both for being on "newsmakers." we appreciate it. >> thank you. >> good to be here. ♪ ♪ >> what in the world is more ridiculous right now than american politics? >> for the past year, using clips from various media outlets including c-span, the gregory brothers have become famous for their auto tune the news. >> too big to fail is a harder issue. my own view is that we are past the days of exclusively small banks and institutions. >> looking for more about the financial crisis? at the video library, you can search it, watch it, clip it, and share it.

over 16 0,000 hours of video from yesterday or ten years ago. every program since 1987. the video library, cable's latest gift to america. >> first lady michelle obama talked to c-span and a group of students at the white house on wednesday about one of her signature initiatives, fighting childhood obesity in america. included in the conversation, matthew shim ra from hawaii whose film won the middle school first prize. other student cam film makers who focused on the topic joined the discussion by phone. 21st century. >> good morning on this beautiful spring day and welcome to the white house. we're very pleased to be here at the white house for a dialogue on childhood obesity and childhood health with the first lady michelle obama.

we're very pleased for this program, which is live this morning, to have students from all around the washington, d.c. area and students watching all across the country, some of them calling in with questions on our discussion on childhood obesity. we'll be here for 45 minutes, and we hope to learn more about this topic and why it's so important to young people's health and how to stay healthy, and alts why the first lady is so passionate about it. so boys and girls, would you please join me in welcoming the first lady michelle obama to our discussion this morning. [applause] [applause] . first lady is so passionate about it. will you please join me in welcoming michele obama to our discussion this morning. [applause] >> hello, everybody. >> well, hello. >> hello. >> well, we're just going to plunge right into it.

as i get started i thought -- i'll ask you a question -- i had a very important question as we were getting ready this morning, mrs. obama from a young woman in the back. we keep using the big word obesity and a young man didn't know what it meant. >> it is a big word but to make it simple is when people's weight gets higher than it should be. and there are very scientific measurements for it. something called body mass index is what a lot of doctors try to measure. but as you grow your weight and your height should remain fairly consistent. but people's body mass index really varies. so there's no one right height or weight to be. we have people in my family who are 6'6" and 4'1" 1 and weight and height really depend on you, as a person. but what this is all ant,

really, is about making sure that you guys are healthy. that you're eating the right foods, that you're getting enough exercise. this isn't about how you look. this suspect about appearances, because we all have to own and be proud of exactly who we are. i am 5'1" 1. i was probably this height when i was very young, and my parents taught me to be proud of how i look and this isn't about how i look. this is about how you guys feel and your health. so i think that's the big take away. and you can talk to the doctors and experts and scientists if you wambt to get a more definitive answer to what obesity technically is. but it's really about our health, your health. does that help? >> all right. good. it's a good way to start. >> the way this all came together is students around the country have participated in a national documentary contest our network holds called student cam and this year we

had 1,000 from all around the country but interestingly health was the number one sh, 121 issues on health so it was much on their minds. economy number two. but today we're going to meet one of the special document theriens, matthew who was here as first prize. he's been thinking about childhood obesity. welcome, matt. congratulations on your winning documentary. we also have young people who entered the contest who are watching and also on the topic of tchood obesity is to they aritying about this and have questions for you. i'm going to ask you to stand up with the group when i call the name of your school so your parents can see you're here. first of all where's the half sted community? welcome. >> in washington d.c. 6-8. stuart hobson. >> looking good.

>> next alexander korea virginia liles crouch elementary school. >> hello. >> and we've got a group of girl scouts from the national capital region who have been involved in health and wellness issues. welcome, ladies. >> how about the alliance for a healthier generation. >> good morning. >> and we have a number of student journalists covering this event. >> oh, goodness, the journalists. >> the professionals always in the back. >> watching. >> yes. >> and is there any person who hasn't had a chance to hand? >> make sure you stand up because your parents are watching. >> great. >> you could -- if you could begin by telling us. in the past every first lady has had a special issue. mrs. reagan was worried about drug use by young people. mrs. bush was worried about literacy. how did you come to this issue

and why? >> as a mom way before we were anywhere near coming to the white house. you guys know i have these two beautiful little girls malya and sasha. they are not so little now, but i was like a lot of your parents. you know, i worked a job. my husband worked a job. we were very busy. you're trying to make sure you're doing the right thing as a mom and keeping your job together, and our health habits got way out of kilter, because we were eating out too much. i didn't have time to cook. i had to buy a lot of quick packaged things so my kids were drinking a lot of quick sugarry they think so and we were probably eating too many things out of a box. so we were doing probably what most of your parents do because you're just trying to get to the -- through the day and there's too many activities and shuffling through work and missing dinner together. we were living that life, and

it seemed fine. i thought i was in criminal control until one of my kids pediatrician tapped me on the shoulder, because he was regularly measuring the b.m.i., the body mass index and we were lucky that we had a pediatrician that tchecked accurately, because we live in the south side of chicago, predominantly african-american issue and weight issue and he was tracking that. and he said you may want to watch it. and i didn't think we had a problem because i look at my kids and i see perfection, just like your parents see. you're perfect. you're beautiful. it wasn't that they with respect but things were just tipping over to the point that we needed to make some changes. so we made some pretty simple changes in our household and made sure we had under flutes and vegetables and we ateqxx ou little bit less and limited

desserts toal weekends. i know. not every day. >> i took out sugery drinks. my kids were drinking more water. we made sure they were exercising or moving around during the day so no tv during the week. so those changes made pretty significant difference. my view was if i could make those kind of changes, and it could help my family in such a sfabt way, i wanted to make sure we were doing that with the rest of the country because my view is if i'm having this problem in my household and i didn't know it and it was unclear to me, what's going on with everybody else? people who don't have the information or pediatrician that is are working with them. so when we planted the white house kitchen guard an year ago, we did it to start a conversation with young people about eating healthy. maybe they would get more engaged in frusion and

vegetables if they were involved until growing them. and what we found in working with kids that helped me with the guard season if kids planted it and were involved in it they would eat it and be excited about it. and they would help not only change their onil health habits but go back home and start teaching their parents. so once i started talking to my kids about what they needed to eat, they were monitoring me way more than i was monitoring them. they cleaned out the cabinets and looked at labels a bit more. they made zegses about the kind of snacks they would eat. they started to make pretty healthy choices for themselves and a lot of times when i wanted to cheat, they pulled me back. so my hope is is that young people around the country will take that kind of interest in their own health and then to see the statistics, to see that one in three kids in this country is overweight or obese and that we're on track for the

first time ever for our kids to live shorter lives than we do. that in and of itself was terrifying enough for me. i would want want that fate for my girls and i don't want it for any of you or any other kids in this country, so we started let's move! and hopefully it /@@@@@ @ @ @ @r right? i would love it if i could live healthy on pie and french fries. i'd do it. butal the fact of the matter is that you can't. we are made as humans to need a

balanced diet with enough fiber and vegetables and fruits, and we have to be educated about what that diet should look like, and then we have to start making choices to not to not have candy every date and place and to got ask for those desserts all the time even if you can and learn how to cook for yourselves. bake a little chicken and make pasta and put more water in your diet. those are decisions at your age. you're the age of my girls. you guys can make those zegses and you can help your parents, because they are tv and if you complained and didn't want to try new things, if you were going to get that -- buy those chips instead of some pretzels, if you're not going to make good decisions there's not a lot parents can do because you're not with us all the time. you're at school, with your

friends, so my whole goal for my kids is to try to get them to think about the choices they are going to make in their own lives and i tell them it's not about who they are today. it's who they want to be when they are 20 and 2 5. i have them thinking about what kind of mom are you going to be? if you don't learn how to feet yourself, how are you going to feed your own kids? so it's really about you guys taking responsibility of your own future in so many ways and helping your parents and families make those kinds of decisions. i think that's the first thing you can do, because that's your power. you don't have to live in a certain neighborhood. you don't have to know anything minor make better decisions for yourself and be willing to make some of those decisions on your own. you don't need a teacher or parent to do it. tough power to do it and once you do it your parents will follow. they know.

>> let's introduce matt in the front row coming all the way to the white house from honolulu. we're very proud of the documentary. and the dew pointry on childhood obesity took first place in middle school, matt, congratulations. [applause] >> now mrs. obama announce ad project on childhood obesity in early february. by then you had finished your documentary. >> what got me interested was when i was at our state's fridays when we don't have the public schools don't have schools on fridays so they don't have lump or p.e. on those days, so they are lacking nutrition and physical exercise so i thought that could leave to public obesity. >> what did you learn?

>> how to make a great documentary and express my ideas here in the room as i told you before, we're going to see the rest of the documentary and have a question for you from mrs. obama. >> we live in the land of abundance surrounded by calorie-rich food. it's easy to take in too many calories. calorie-dense foods are cheap and pleptful. with brands familiar to shop erps and their kids. even though families want to serve heaty, they don't have the resources to see that -- nutritious foods also require hand preparation while calorie-dense foods are easy to eat. 8-18-year-olds spend about four hours a day watching tv, and

playing video games. >> the kneel son company reports kids ages 6-11 watch about 10 hours of tv-watch ago week. >> at the same time school p.e. programs are being cut back. but it's hard to make the balance of nutrition and exercise work out. >> and that was matt doing the voiceover in his exercise. how do you think government can improve nutrition in the schools? >> you know, i think that first of all, one thing i just want to say is that the solution to this challenge has to come from the bottom up. the depoth can't be in a position of telling people what to do in their own homes.

>> that generally doesn't work. >> it's so it's clear that all of us, the federal got to the, business leaders. food manufacturers. farmers, students, nursing >> when you think about the federal government when it comes to school lunches, the childhood nutrition we offer -- re-authorization act is one of the ways in which the government supports school lunches. and one of the things we're trying to get done, because it's time for it to be re authorized. to put into combhementing that act so we there's much less processed foods, the quality goes up, because a large percentage of kids in this country are getting half of their meals at school.

so if we can do a better job in the schools providing better option that is are healthier, then we're going to -- but the fact also works to encourage more schools to become u.s. health yir schools. and these are schools that are designated as already taking those steps to change the way they do things, providing healthier meals, incorporating new strigs education into the curriculum. making sure that they are making time for physical activity and recess, because in many schools around this country with budget cuts omp times being the first thing to go so there are schools out there that are finding ways to put back, kind of, exercise and activity back into the curriculum. the healthier schools challenge

works to recognize that. >> and we're going to show you hundreds of foods to. through the fda, food and drug administration, we can work with grocery manufacturers to make sure the foods produced in this store have labels on them that help families make decisions. because when you walk in that grocery store you walk down the aisle until my kids know the brand. they know the commercial. but when a mom or dad picks up the cereal, how do you know many this is something nutrition? and how many servings and right now fur locking for a downal -- so we're trying to work with the food manufacturers to simple phi those things so you guys can walk in and look at the foods and make zegs about

what actually is going to be healthy and how much of it canuck r to have more importantly, this is an effort that's going to require everyone. no one's off the hook on this one. >> our next question is going to come from a student in oklahoma who is watching us, afterward we'll take a question from the room. who has a zpwhe yes? alexander england who is watching us in oklahoma. goes to jenks high school and his winning documentary was childhood obesity, we appreciate him. >> good morning miss obama, it is an honor to talk with you this morning. >> good morning alex and der, thank you for calling in. what's your question? >> i interviewed the haven't of

a fast food chain and rarely sees parents make choices based on how heathy the food is but yet the price. with that do you think the you know, you're absolutely right the cost of healthy foods becomes a barrier. >> the ack access and affordibility is a huge issue. and with let's move, that's one of our major pillers. there are millions of kids who live in area all throughout the country that we call food deserts, those are places where there isn't a grocery store or a place to buy fresh produce, healthy food. there are a lot of people who live in communities where the only access from food comes in the form of a convenience store or gasation.

imagine trying to feed your family with -- when the closest grocery store is a train ride or cab ride oar car ride away? there are smlsfoffsfofe >> we are looking at starting a healthier food finance initiative modeled after some of the efforts that have been done. taking money from the treasury department and department of agriculture to try to leverage resources to encourage more grocery stores to relocate in underserved commuents. >> that way, not only do you help to eliminate the food desert sure, but you can create jobs, you can build economies around new grocery stores

relocating through communities. asaw this first hand in philadelphia in a community that hadn't had goesry store in it for a beck aid. so you're 10 years old and sauer growing up in a community where your mom dependant go in and buy tomp and in pennsylvania they were able tom: partner with a chain sthoor came in. this grocery store is amazing. it looks like any whole foods store that you would see in any comminet. fresh produce, fresh vegetables, everything you could imagine, and the excitement this community feels over having this resource that they haven't seen could just turn this community upside down with excitement. >> so our thought is if they can't do it in philadelphia and

other places there's no way or reason why we can't replicate that model all over the country. >> a question. >> -- you think schools and students should tell students what they shuled and shouldn't eat while we're there. you know, many schools are already doing this. one of the things i said in a speech that i did to some of the school lunch ladies. the association, they were here in washington, and i said we have to remember that learning doesn't femple -- one of the most important classrooms in the school. and yes, during that time, and not just that time alone, but by exposing kids to different types of foods, helping them get introduced encouraging kids to try to tie helping the they haven't tried. they may try some things in the

bottom ogg but nutrition-education is an important part of the curriculum. and there are many figuring out ways to support the commercial and they have wutch community gardens. and are using those gardens to not just teach science but to teach reading and math. and along the way, if you're useding the garden, you're also helping kids, once again, become exposet and when kids see that in the classroom they may be more inclined to try this at home. this is why raising the folve -- so how do we scale that up? how do we take those best

practice, and make sure they are happening in all schools around the country. and it's going to take some resources and it's doing to take the folks who stride food for these schools. there are companies throughout that get contracts to preserve the issue and we want to make sure the lunches they are providing aren't just cheap and easy but low in fat and salt and sugar. and many of them have already agreed they will a better job. we have to hold their feet to the fair to. the fair to. look at the@@@@@ @ @ @

planting? confidents. who in this room has a question? >> all right. you'll billion next this is sarah in kreider falls, iowa an honorable mention winner in our contest. and her video was improving school lunch, too closetly or a way to bend the cost curve. 12k3 you're on the line now. with miss obama. what's your problem? >> i go to a pub luck school where they recently tried is to where they recently tried is to implement higher nutritional because pat find out

so i was wondering if you have any idea about how schools might thards issue? >> yes. sarah, thanks for the question. you make a great point about the vending machines and a la carte lines. foe and wanted to make sure you had healthy omses. i a. a a proponent of vending machines because when you all are hungry you're going to look toward a vending machine. the question is what do we have in those vending machines. there's nothing wrong with them but you can have a healthy sports drink or water or trail mix and pretzels, nuts, crackers, cheese, so many things kids could eat to what's there. so i think that's a part of

what we need to do as we work through these nutrition demrines that we can't just look at the footh food on the cafeteria line but all the foods available to our children and again, that's why this isn't a problem that can be involved by the federal government. the school community the local community has to want to make these changes and decisions about what's going to go in those vending machines as opposes to trying to what happens in your schools around communities is troll you and your mayors and your city count still sfemple -- folks know their communities better than we'll ever know. but the fact of the matter is that this question points out that we have to make sure that all of the options are good ones and not just some of them.

because you guys are pretty sneaky. you'll find a way to get to that bag of chips. [laughter] >> how many of youal in fact when you're looking for snacks at least feel that you have an option in your vending machines at school to have a healthy choice if you want one. would you raise your hand if you have an option for it? >> looks like we have a little work for ourselves. >> my name is tyler, and my question is about false labelingings nutrition labels and ip wanted to -- to ensure false labels aren't put as nutritious facts. >> the fda will be working with the grocery store manufacturers i hope it's that, because the

foe they want to be -- this is one of the easy ways they can be helpful. how do you make, as i said earlier, simple, clear, accurate labels that giveal the facts in a way that the average consumer and average purchaser can figure it out. and to but the food and drug administration is going to be setting a to feel >> we want top do it with the help ott -- help of the grocery stores because you can't tell family members to make smart decisions if they are confused as to what to buy. how they market to kids. dwropt quote percentages but there are a lot of commercial that is come on kid tv programs. my kids are watching it. the sugery foods to foe that's

what you guys are see ago lot of. and one of the things we're asking is that as those grocery store manufacturers think about the products they are going to market to kids, what percentage of those products are really helpful and how much of it is reel -- hold up of it is real. so you are not bombarded with stuff saying this sugery stuff is really what you want. and it's not enough just to change not marketing the not so good stuff but help us market the good stuff to you. and they know how to sell stuff. all of you could raise your hand and make the not but if you're hearing those same songs

and messages about good foods, trust me, those ideas and thoughts will be ringing in your head as much as the sugery foods are. so we need to do a better job of getting you all the information. the information that you need to make good choices. >> once again let's see a hand for a future question. >> in the blue, next but first we're going to take a call from kyle street. kyle is an honorable mention winner from his video call. he is a student at the and avenue first of all i'd like to say thank you for this opportunity and in our small, rural community, volunteers have just start ad program to moment healthier lifestyles. children start organizing physical activities at a young age.

our elementary school offers punishment e. class twice a week and recess. mrs. o'basma. as you mentioned physical education programs recall getting canceled or cut forecast zm thanks for the question, kyle. and it's important. i spent a lot of time talking about food. the food side of this equation. but as kyle points out, the physical activity piece is just as important. because the truth is when i was growing up as a kid. we didn't worry about what we ate. and we ate the cupcakes and this. we didn't eat it every day, but the difference was when i was growing up, every kid i knew foe geros wouldn't see you there. and to that i hadn't seen since

you were born. and your parents were about to kim you out of the house. >> now my kids could watch sponge bob 24 hours a day, same shows over and over and over again. i even knowal all the episodes. [laughter] >> so you guys just have -- you've got computers, your ipod, a lot of what you're drawn to has nothing to do with movement. you know? and in you're not signed up with an activity or you don't have a bala class in your -- all these after school programs are just really, really expensive for parents and families. if you're not demaged in any of that, a lot of times kids nowadays are just sitting in front of your tv, watching, playing on the video games. and guidelines basically say that kids should be getting 60

minutes of exercise every singal day. that's really what you're supposed to do. right? and when i was little, 60 metropolitans of play outside was nothing. tv's just play. so they think so have gotten tough for you in so many ways. not just in schools but outside often school to figure out how do we get you guys moving again. and i guess some of that is on you all the. some of that is choices that you make, because you're at the age thousand where you can make a decision to sit in front of the tv or get up and jump rope or walk up and down the starings or do a pushup or figure out something like turn on the radio and dance. exercise certainty about sports. it's not always about throwing a ball. it's aboutmologist. and those are some choices you have to make, but we have to do

a better job in giving you guys 07pingss to play. and sounds like what they are doing is what we need to have happen engine all communities across this country. where the adults, the mayors and city officials an business people and the community groums and churches are figuring out how do we open up parks and spaces for you guys to play? how do we organize places to play and open up gym facilities for longer periods of time. those solutions have to come from the bottom up, because it's going to be different in every community. but getting you guys smoving because we really don't have time to wait. we fofe and not make physical activity a regular part of your lives. so we need to be modeling

what's going on in indiana? is that where reconcile from? >> and you know, it's a small community. they've figured out a way to make it happen. but there are also bigger cities like summerville, massachusetts where they are figuring out how to restructure that whole city so they are focused on health and physical activity, and we've got to do that in cities and towns all across the country. and my question is what is the main cause of childhood obesity? is >> you know, i don't know that they know that there's one single cause for it. sometimes it's genetics. and a lot of time it's lifestyle. as i said before, things have changed the way we live as americans has changed.

we walk less, sometimes because it's not safe to walk. sometimes it's because the schools your parents need to -- when i was little everybody went to the school in our neighborhood. but if you're being -- going to a magnet school or a church school or a new school somewhere else, where, you know, you don't have the ability to walk, what do you do? you're in your parents' car or on a bus. and then you get to the school and there's no physical education. there's no p.e. there are no sports programs, and there were always those when i was growing up. you played outside before school. you had recess. you played during lunch time and in the playground after school. now kids are going straight home. to sit in front of the tv, do

their homework and parents hmm. -- there are some parents trying to pay the bills and one or both parents have two jobs. so parents are busy and it's harder to get you guys where you have to go, so things have changed in the society and slowly but surely i think that's a direct effect on how healthy kids are. we are eating more processed foods. fast food is no longer a treat. it's something that you do several times a week, because it's convent. >> and we got to sort of dial that back. we have to rethink those times to figure out how do we create healthy lifestyles in a twhoorled we live in today?

how do we do that for you? and again, you tosme the question that i have for you is how do i get you to turn off the tv? how do i get you in this culture of all this tv and all these video gaels, what do i då) so, we will need your help in figuring this out. >> we have nine minutes left in our conversation. who will be our next questioner? you will be next, right in front of the camera. in between, we will hear from lauren. she is in florida. she is in middle school. she is a documentarian. lauren?

>> it is a great honor for me to speak with our first lady. enge, obesity." >> hello. it is a great honor for me to speak with you as first lady. mrs. obama, my question is our country is facing talented economic times. with limited resources to address childhood obesity, what measures would you take to make sthurlrm could -- having a platform of the white house is really helpful in getting attention to stuff, right? a lot of times when i do something, a lot of cameras show up and people tend to watch and write about it. sometimes they write more about what i'm wearing. [laughter] >> so i think it's my job to help shine the light on things

that are already working. so that's one of the reasons why i chose this as my initiative. i also think that one of the reasons that i think we can move this effort, one of the reasons why i think that we can be successful is that it doesn't require -- i don't believe -- and others may have struggled with it more. it doesn't require full scale changes in your life. the beauty about kids, you guys, is that you're young. your metabolisms are really healthy which generally means once you start moving and eating right, you guys change, really working and if we can make school lunch, it's better. if we get you guys educated

about what to eat, these are all things we can control and doesn't take millions of dollars and a whole bunch of legislation to get it done. we don't have tocount on people passing stuffer, thank god, to move this problem along. and if we all get pitched up and empowered, right, we can move this issue along. that's why i'm so excited about it that's why i'mcounting on all of you. my thing is if we get you thinking differently now, as middle schoolers and folks getting to college, you're going to enter adulthood with a whole different baseline of understanding about nutrition. you're not going to carry these problems into your adulthood. and you're going to help your kids learn a bit differently. so you guys are the beginning of the solution, right? our goal was that means you are

going to be taking the lead. so in you're thinking differently about what to eat and access and affordability and growing your own food and thinking consciously and making your own choices and looking at exercise as a necessity to keep us alive and you've got top find the thing that's going to keep you moving every day. if you're growing up like that, then you're not going to have a lot of the bad habits grown people have a hard time getting rid of. 2k34r that doesn't take -- that's not rocket science. that's goods information and a coordinator fated effort. and i think that the country from what i can see ready to respond. people around the country, i haven't got an negative response from anybody, not people, not members of congress. not people in the media, entertainers, everybody pleeves that they can help femme so for

all of us -- there's no reason why we shouldn't be able to significantly change this trend in your lifetime. >> your question? >> how do you feel about childhood obesity and adult obesity? do you think they are the same problem? >> you know, i am not an expert on sort of the science of this issue. what i do think is that, as i said, it's harder to break habits when you're older, right? the longer you do something, eat a certain way, get adjusted to a different kind of food, get yourself to a certain taste, right? get used to not exercising. it's hard to break that habit. it's hard for grownups top make changes. you know? identity just is. you guys are still open.

you're -- your brains still takeing in new information. trust me you can learn tow love vegetables. even though it doesn't feel that way. right now if you get used to the taste of a really sugery food, your taste buds are going adjust to that as being normal, right? but if you start drinking more water and trying manufacture vege tbles. to where -- physical all you're eating is fast food and junk food that's just what you're going to want. so i just think it's easier top help people change habits earlier. that doesn't mean that it's not hard for kids to make different choices. it's just, if it's hard now, it's gonna really be hard when you get to be an adult, so why

get there, right? why not stop it now? why not get you guys in the habit of exercising and moving now so that you're not struggling with these issues for the rest of your life. >> caltey ramos is with charter cable and a student, what's your question? >> good morning, mrs. obama. how do you think parents should address the issue of obesity with young children? should they take a more obvious approach or softer approach not letting the child know the severity of the situation? >> well, it's a delicate balance because you want to make sure your kits feel great of yourself because you can't getal involved with how smsh deals with their kids but in the process we have to make sure our kids still feel good about themselves no matter what

their weight or how they feel, we need to make sure our kids know we love them no matter who they are, what they are eating. that's really important. but what i found in my household is making small changes and involving my kids in the -- it's not a punishment. i did it more as a -- let's figure out more how we can do this. do we really need this many sugery snacks? have we thought about what's in our food? and i tried to engage them in the process so it didn't feel like you're being punished for something, and that they felt more ownership over it. so i don't know that might be viewed as softer approach. but again, this isn't about how our kids look. this is about how our kids

kneel, and it's about, you know, helping our kids take ownership over their lives and what they eat and making sure they have the information that they need to make those choices. . >> do have a question? >> good morning, mrs. obama. >> how are you? >> each year, our school has information from the police and firemen who talk about fire safety. they help us make better choices. maybe we need a program where doctors teaches about obesity. what do you think? >> i think it is a great idea. the more information, the better.

that is my bottom line on this issue. there is not a thing as too much information. the question is, what information and what format is right for what age and what community? at what time? decisions about what is taught in schools and how it should be something that principals and teachers and parents in those schools think through and make sure it makes sense and works for the kids in their community. >> she told us how cameras follow her wherever she goes. i brought along a photograph from the newspaper from last week when she and her daughters went to new york city. the photographers followed her as they went to a pizza parlor. is it possible to eat pizza and still eat healthy? >> absolutely. i do not believe in any

absolutes in this thing. it is about balance occurree. can you have junk food every day? no, you just cannot. i wish the answer was yes. we talk about this all the time. why on earth is there not -- why doesn't help the food tastes like candy? that is the question. -- doesn't healthy food tastes like candy? it is a dilemma. the same that is best for us is not always the thing that taste the best. but that is life, right? those are the beginnings of the lessons of life. there is a lot of stuff you need to do that you do not want to do, but you need to do it. i am sure your parents have told you that, but they are right. eating right is one of those things. in my household, there are no

absolute nos. we eat a lot of fun stuff. we snack food, junk food, but it is a balance. desserts are on the weekend. we have set some basic rules. sometimes you break that, because of a special occasion or birthday party at school. there is no way i will tell my kids, you cannot have their cake. it would never work. balance and moderation is the key not just to how we eat and exercise but how we live in this country. hopefully, you guys develop that sense of balance. know you cannot have candy every day. if you are doing it, you are ruining your teeth, making your parents matt, and you will not be healthy. >>-- making your parents mad. >> on behalf of our students, thank you for your hospitality. [applause]

>> i will shake some hands. all right? how are you guys doing? good to see a paryou. thanks for all your work and focus on these issues. how this school going? everything is good? thank you. thanks so much for bringing these guys. are you ready to make a change? you will help us? >> mrs. obama, in our school we say sometimes food and all the times food. >> yeah. that's why we need you. this is perfect -- sometimes, always. we should launch you on a

campaign. does that help you remember? hi, guys. nice to see you. thank you. thanks so much. good job. how are you guys doing? >> we are doing fine. >> does any of this makes sense to you? >> i have a question. when you were trying to get your family to eat right, did that inspire you to make it happen for the whole country? >> absolutely. it did. that was exactly what happened. and you guys keep me inspired. you are smart, clear, and we need you to be healthy so you can run the country in a few years. yes.

>> [inaudible] sometimes they do not have the smarts choices in school lunches. how do think kids can influence for healthier lunches? >> maybe they need some ideas. when i was packing my kids' lunches, it was quick and easy. that is all we were thinking about. one of the things we are doing is we are going to be doing these action plans, that people can get on line to think about, what can i pack for lunch that is quick and easy? if we encourage kids to go online and get some new ideas and share their ideas. what makes a good lunch? and share that information to make kids feel -- [applause] it is nice to see you guys. >> my friend wanted to

apologize. >> why? >> i did not even hear it. >>i will try to shake hands befe -- before they shall be off. thank -- they shuttle me off. i am proud of you all. keep working. how are you? it is good to see you. how are you doing, little lady? gusy inys in the back. let me lean on you. you can take the lead. >> in the white house, you have a camera following your around, is that ever an annoyance? >> yes. -- we usually do. there'll be something coming up.

that is because of the secret service. it is a good to see you all. thank you so much. >> would you give some of this money to the -- foundation? >> that is great. it is so necessary. i had to develop my own posse when i went to princeton. when you go to this -- from the south side of chicago to princeton, you need a posse. congratulations. you had great questions. thank you so much. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2010] >> it's good to see you. thanks so much. we are proud of you all. can you help us out on this? i think so.

thanks again. he was great, did a gerreat job. have fun. thanks. >> today on "newsmakers", representative brad sherman, chairman of the house foreign affairs subcommittee on terrorism and nonproliferation on the obama administration's goal to reduce the world's nuclear weapons arsenal and the signing of an arms control agreement with russia prosy president. >> they have momentum on dealing with the rather technical issue of making sure that medical -- nuclear materials are well handled and when they are no longer useful, that they are returned properly to where they can be reprocessed or disposed of. as to the bigger issue of stopping the iranian nuclear program or dealing with the north koreans, i believe we are

doomed to failure as long as we maintain the policies of the bush and obama administration. >> you can see the entire interview with brad sherman on "newsmakers", today at 6:00 p.m. eastern, 3:00 p.m. pacific on c- span. it is also available online at c-span.org. ♪ \ >> ♪ and jobs thos ie in favor say hi ♪ >> what in the world is more ridiculous than american politics? >> using clips from various media, including c-span, the gregory brothers have become viral hitmakers with auto- tune the news. we will talk with them tonight on c-span's "q&a". >> president obama let and russian president -- president

medvedev signed a treaty. they signed the original treaty in 1991. following the signing, the two leaders took questions from reporters. this is an hour. ♪ >> [speaking russian] >> president of the united states, barack obama and president medvedev signing a treaty between the united states and the russian federation on measures for the limitation and reduction of arms. >> [speaking russian]

barack obama -- [speaking russian] > the president of the united states of america barack obama and the president of the russian federation president medvedev are citing the treaty between the united states of america and -- are signing the treaty between the united states and the russian federation on measures for the further reduction and limitation of strategic arms and the protocol to it.

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[laughter] [applause] [applause] >> good afternoon, everyone. i am honored to be back in the

czech republic with president medvedev and r chour czech host for this treaty. happy to be back in the beautiful city of prague. the czech republic is a close friend and ally of the united states. i have great admiration and affection for the czech people. their bond with the american people are deep and enduring. they have made great contributions to the united states over many decades, including in my hometown in chicago. i want to thank the president and all those involved in helping to host this extraordinary event. i want to thank my friend and partner dmitri medvedev. without his personal efforts and strong leadership, we would not be here today.

we have met and spoken by phone many times throughout the negotiations of this treaty and we have developed a very effective work relationship built on calendar, collaboration, and mutual respect. one year ago this week, i came here to prague and gave a speech outlining america's comprehensive commitment to stopping the spread of nuclear weapons and seeking the ultimate goal of a world without them. i said then and i will repeat now, that this is a long-term goal, one that may not even be achieved in my lifetime. but i believed then and as i do now, that the pursuit of that goal will move us further beyond the cold war, strengthen the global nonproliferation regime, and make the united states and the world safer and more secure. one of the steps that i called

for last year was the realization of this treaty. so it is very gratifying to be back in prague today. i also came committed to reset relations between the united states and russia. i know that president medvedev shared that commitment. as he said in our first meeting in london, our relationship that started to drift, making it difficult to cooperate on issues of common interest. when the u.s. and russia are not able to work together if on big issues, it is not good for either of our nations, nor is it good for growth. together we have stopped that drift and? and the benefits of cooperation. today is an important milestone for nuclear security and nonproliferation and for u.s.- russia relations. if it fulfills our common objective to negotiate a new strategic arms reduction treaty. it includes a significant reduction in nuclear weapons that we will deploy. it cuts our delivery vehicle by

roughly half. it includes a comprehensive verification regime which allows us to further build trust. it enables both sides of the flexibility to protect our security as well as america's unwavering commitment to the security of our european allies. i look forward to working with the united states senate to achieve ratification for this important treaty later this year. finally, this day demonstrates the determination of the united states and russia and, the two nations holding over 90% of the world's nuclear weapons, to pursue responsible global leadership. together we are keeping our commitments under the nuclear nonproliferation treaty, which must be the foundation for global nonproliferation. the new start treaty is an important first step forward, it is just one step on a longer journey. as i said last year, this treaty will set the stage for further

cuts. going forward, we hope to pursue discussions with russia on reducing our strategic and tactical weapons, including non- deployed weapons. if president medvedev and i have agreed to expand discussions on missile defense. this will include regular exchanges of information about our threat assessments as well as the completion of a joint assessment of emerging ballistic missiles. if these assessments are completed -- at their completed, i laforce to launch an a dialogue about missile defense cooperation. but nuclear weapons are not simply an issue for the u.s. and russia. they threaten the common security of all nations. a nuclear weapon in the hands of a terrorist is a danger to people everywhere. from moscow to n.y., from the cities of europe to south asia. so next week 47 nations will come together in washington to discuss concrete steps that can be taken to secure all

vulnerable nuclear materials on the world in four years. and the spread of nuclear weapons to more states is also unacceptable to global security, raising the specter of arms races from the middle east to east asia. earlier this week the united states formally changed our states formally changed our policy to make it clear that -- this demonstrates once more america's commitment to the mpt as a cornerstone of our security strategy. those nations that follow the rules will find greater security and opportunity. those nations that refused will be isolated and denied the opportunity that comes with international recognition. that includes accountability for those that break the rules.

otherwise, it is just words on the page. that is why the united states and russia are part of a coalition of nations insisting that the islamic republic of iran of face consequences because they have continually failed to meet their obligations. obligations. we are working together, the united nations security council, to pass strong sections -- sanctions on iran. we will not tolerate actions that followed the npt and threaten the international community and our collective and stability. while these issues are a top priority, they are only one part of the u.s.-russia relationship. today i express again my deepest condolences for the terrible loss of russian lives in the recent terrorist attacks. we will remain steadfast partners in combating violent extremism. we also discussed the potential to expand our cooperation on

behalf of economic growth, trade, and investment, as well as technological innovation. if i look for to discussing these issues further when president medvedev visits the united states later this year. because there's much we can do on behalf of our security and prosperity if we continue to work together. when you survey the many challenges we face around ", it is easy to grow complacent or to abandon the notion that progress can be shared -- many challenges we face around the world. when nations allow themselves to be defined by their differences, the gulf between them widens. when we fail to pepursue peace, its days beyond our grasp. prague is a monument to human progress. old adversaries can forge new partnerships. i cannot be help but be struck

the other day by the person who helped build the soviet union's first atom bomb at the age of 92. having lived to see the world war and the cold war. he said "we hope humanity will reach the moment when there is no need for nuclear weapons, when there is peace and calm in the world." it is easy to dismiss those voices. doing so risks repeating the horrors of the past and ignoring the history of human progress. the pursuit of peace and calm and cooperation among nations is the work of both leaders and peoples in the 21st century. we must be as persistent and passionate in our pursuit of progress as any who would stand in our way. once again, president medvedev, thank you for your extraordinary leadership. >> your welco are welcome.

[applause] ">> dear colleagues, dear members of the media, i fully agree with the assessment that has just been made by my colleague, president obama, concerning the fact that here in this room a truly historic event has taken place and the treaty has been signed for a further reduction and limitation of strategic offensive arms. this treaty has a 10-year duration. it will supersede the start treaty which has expired as well as another existing crushes-u.s. treaty on reduction of strategic defense capabilities. first of all, i'd like to thank

my colleague, president of united states of america, for successful cooperation in this very complex matter and for the reasonable compromises that have been achieved thanks to the work of our two teams. the aborted a bank to them, but let me do it once again in the presence of the media and the public. we thank them for their excellent work. i would also like to thank the leadership of the czech republic, mr. president, you, for this beautiful city and this beautiful springtime, thereby creating a good atmosphere for the future. and i believe that the this signature will open new cooperation among our countries and will create safer conditions for life here and throughout the world.

the negotiating process has not been --, but we have been working in a constructive way that has been a lot of work and very often are teams worked 24 hours a day. that enabled us to do something that just a couple of months ago looked like a mission impossible. within a short amount of time and be prepared a full-fledged treaty and signed it. as a result we have a document that maintains the balance of interest of russia and the united states of america. what matters most is that this is a win-win situation. no one stands to lose from this agreement. i believe that this is typical of our cooperation. both parties have taken into account this victory of ours,

the entire world community has one. this treaty has strategic ability and at the same time enables us to rise to a higher level of cooperation between russia and the united states. also, the contents of the treaty -- let me point out once again what we have achieved, because this is very important, 1550 developed weapons, which is one-third below the current level. 700 deployed icbm 's. and heavy bombers. this represents more than two fold reduction below the current levels. deployed and non deplore launchers for such missiles as well as deployed and non deployed heavy weapons, which presents a two-thirds reduction below the level that existed prior to this treaty.

at the same time can use its own discretion to determine the makeup and structure of its strategic defense potential. the treaty also includes provisions concerning -- change. we are quite experienced in these two matters. experts on these matters, they have the greatest experts in the world. the treaty also includes provisions concerning conversion and elimination, inspection provisions, as well as confidence-building measures. the verification mechanism has been significant and simplify compared with the original start treaty. it insures proper verification, irreversibility, and transparency to reduce strategic offensive arms. we believe and our american

partners are aware of it, this is our open position, we believe that the treaty can be viable and can operate only provided there is no qualitative orix quantitative increase in -- or quantitative increase in capabilities. this is the gist of the statement made by the russian confederation in the signature. in the post-senator period, we will achieve the ratification of the treaty, as mentioned by my colleague, mr. president of the united states. if it is also important to synchronize the ratification process. in terms of proceeding quickly to present this document to the senate for ratification. we will also work with our federal assembly to maintain the

necessary dynamics of the ratification process. by and large, we are satisfied with the work done. the result we have obtained is good. but today of course we have discussed not only the fact of signing the treaty. we have also discussed a whole range of important key issues of concern to all the countries. of course we cannot omit the iranian nuclear program. regrettably, iran is not responding to many constructive proposals that have been made. we cannot turn a blind eye to this. therefore, i do not rule out the possibility that the security council of united nations will have to review this issue again. our position is well-known. let me briefly outline it now. of course sanctions by themselves seldom obtained specific results. although it is difficult to do without them in certain situations.

those sanctions should be smart and name not only at nonproliferation but also to resolve other issues. rather [unintelligible] >> [speaking russian]

this should not only be between the presidency, but presidents do not cover all the issues that have to be tackled by executive structures. on the working level, contact should be maintained on all levels. >> [speaking russian]

>> [speaking russian]

[applause] >> "the chicago tribune." >> "the chicago tribune." >> thank you for taking my

question, mr. president. how well the two sides get around your differences on missile diefense -- and can the two sides resolve this issue by working out a cooperative agreement on missile defense? >> one of the things that we discussed when we first met in moscow was the relationship between offensive and defensive capabilities. and what i made clear was that

our missile defense systems were not directed at changing the strategic balance between the united states and russia. but work, instead, directed at protecting the american people -- but were, instead, directed at protecting american people from new attacks from lists -- missiles launched from third countries. we recognize russia has a significant interest in this issue. . . committed to doing is engaging in a significant discussion, not only bilaterally, but also having discussions with our european allies and others about a framework in which we can potentially cooperate on issues of missile defense. in a way that protects u.s. national security interests, preserves russian national

security interests, and allows security interests, and allows us to guard a a rogue missile from any source. i am actually optimistic, that having completed this treaty, which signals are strong commitment to a reduction in overall nuclear weapons and that i believe is going to strengthen the nuclear nonproliferation treaty regime, that sends a signal around road that the united states and russia are prepared to once again take leadership in moving in the direction of reducing reliance on nuclear weapons and preventing the spread of nuclear weapons as well as nuclear materials, that we will have build the kind of trust not only between president but also between governments and between peoples, that allows us to move forward in a constructive way.

. ,,,, i am actually confident that moving forward, as we have these discussions, it will be part of a broader set of discussions of how we can take tactical nuclear weapons out of theater. there is a possibility of making more significant cuts not only in a deployed but in non- deployed nuclear missiles. there is a whole range of issues. per se are confident that this

is an important first step -- i am confident that this is an important first step in that direction. >> i would like to say a few words on this issue. doubtless, interrelation between missa defense and s.t.a.r.t. was one of the most difficult things to discuss. the language in that the treaty we signed satisfies both parties. we -- it matters to us what will happen to missile defense. we will watch how these processes develop. the language extends and

replicates legal prince abilities -- legal principles and the ability to adapt to changing circumstances. we have appreciated the steps by the current u.s. administration in terms of their decision in the area of miss iowa defense. -- miss file defense -- missile defense. it is important to the united states that we help them develop a global antimissile mission.

we need to reduce the threat of nuclear arms being used by eight terrorists. i am an optimist that we will be able to reach an agreement on these issues. >> [speaking russian] [interpreter] i have two questions. president barack obama, you have mentioned that you are not the only two states having nuclear weapons. how will today's documentation on nuclear arms [unintelligible]

you have mentioned the fact that you were not able to agree on anything else but the reduction of arms. will we see anything that will counter such a statement, and what will the agreements viet? -- what will the agreements be? >> per se of all, as i mentioned in my opening remarks, the united states and russia account for 98% of a in the world's nuclear weapons.

it is important for us to show a significant leadership. that is what i think we have begun to do with this follow up s.t.a.r.t. treatiy. as i have repeatedly said, and i am assured dmitri feels the same way, we are going to preserve our nuclear deterrent so long as other countries have nuclear weapons. we are going to make sure that stockpile is safe and effective. but i do believe, as we look out on the 21st century, that more and more countries will come to recognize that the most important factor in providing security and peace will depend

on economic growth, the respect of the international community, having a strong conventional military that can protect their nation's borders, and that nuclear weapons, increasingly, in an inter-dependent world, will make less and less sense. but that is going to take some time, and i think each country is going to have to make its own determination. the key is for the united states and russia to show leadership on this front because we are so far ahead of every other nation in respect to nuclear weapons. the primary concern that we identified in the nuclear posture review visit u.s. policy in regards to nuclear -- ise in

regards to u.s. policy regarding nuclear weapons. we are worried about those weapons of being less controllable, less secure, nuclear material floating around out in the world. that is going to be an important part of the discussion we have on monday. the united states and russia have a decades-long history of locking down nuclear materials. i believe that our ability to move forward already in regards to sanctions on north korea, the intense discussions we're having regarding iran, will signal to countries that are not abiding by their nuclear non- proliferation treaty obligations that they will be isolated. all of those things will go toward sending a general

message that we need to move in a new direction. i think leadership on that front is important. the last point i will make a in regards to the other areas of cooperation is that both of our secretaries of state have been heading a bilateral commission that has been working on a whole range of issues. they have identified a series of key areas on the economic front, trade relations, a joint cooperation on various industries, how we can work on innovation and sparking economic growth. we have already worked closely together in the g-20. i think we can continue to work bilaterally. there are issues of counter-

terrorism that are critical to both of us. after the recent attacks in moscow, we recognize that that is a problem that could happen anywhere at any time, and it is important for russia and the united states to work closely on those issues. we have to make sure there is more interaction and exchange between our two countries on a whole range of issues within a civil society. i am very optimistic that we are going to continue to make progress on all of these fronts, but i think we should take pride in this particular accomplishment because it speaks not only to the security of our two nations, but to the security of the world as a whole. >> [speaking russian]

>> [interpreter] yes, we have an 90% of all of the stockpiles, which is the inheritance of the cold war legacy. we do care about what is going on with nuclear arms in other countries of of the world. we can not imagined buses -- we cannot imagine a situation in which russia and the united states make an effort to disarm and the rest of the world moves in a different direction. all of the issues related to the implementation of the treaty and nopriferation and the threat of nuclear terrorism -- i would

like this signing it to not be regarded by other countries as aside from the issue. on the contrary, they should be involved and take an active participation in it. they should be aware of what is going on. we welcome the initiative that has been proposed by the president of the united states for a summit in washington. it will be a good forum to discuss cooperation issues. as far as our linkages with nuclear arms are concerned, in this world, we have a lot that brings us together. today we have had a very good talk that started not with the

document to be assigned, not with iran or the middle east or other pressing issues, but with economic issues. i have said that there is a gap in our economic cooperation. i have looked at the figures of the cumulative investments of the united states in russia. it is quite small, nearly $7 billion, and the figure has decreased a bit because of the crisis. the russian investment in the united states is nearly the same. if we can barrett the presence of foreign investment -- if we can bear the presence of foreign

investments in our economy, it is a difference of 20 or 30 times. we have a field to work upon. today we talk about a in a high- tech economy establishment. we would like to use american experience and to employ issues of energy corp and trans sport. i have suggested some time ago creating a big cargo plane. between the united states and russia issues of nuclear cooperation are important. there can be a lot between the two countries and it is not up

to the president to deal with each of them, but there are some key issues. relations between business, relations between people who would like to have business ties, human contacts are important. it is important that our citizens respect each other and understand each other better so that they are guarded by the best practices of american and russian culture and do not deceive each other through the lens of information that sometimes is provided by mass media. we should more attentively, more thoughtfully, have a more positive attitude towards each other. i count on this.

>> thank you. president barack obama, could you elaborate on how the negotiations on this treaty have advanced united states and russian cooperation on iran. can you discuss the sanctions and what those sanctions might look like? president medvedev, would russia accepte sanctions against iran, particularly in regards to the energy sector? >> discussions about sanctions on iran have been moving forward over the last several weeks. in fact, they have been moving

forward over the last several months. we are going to start seeing some land up negotiations taking place in the new york in the coming weeks. my expectation is it that we are going to be able to secure strong, tough sanctions on iran this spring. i think there are two ways in which these s.t.a.r.t. negotiations have advanced or at least influenced russia-u.s. discussions around iran. president medvedev and i have been able to build up a level of trust and our teams have been able to work together in such a way that we can be frank, we can be clear, and that helped to facilitate our ability, for example, to work together

jointly to present to iran reasonable options that would allow it to clearly distanced itself from a nuclear weapons. that was not just an approach that was taken by the united states and russia, but it was taken by the international atomic energy agency. what we have seen from the start is that a host of countries, led by countries like the united states and russia, have said to iran, we are willing to work through diplomatic channels to

resolve this issue. unfortunately, iran has consistently rebuffed that approach. i think that russia has been a very strong partner in saying that it has no interest in bringing down iranian society or the iranian government, but it does have an interest, as we all do, in making sure that each country is following its international obligations. the second way in which i think the s.t.a.r.t. treaty has influenced our discussions about iran, is that it has sent a strong signal that the united states and russia are following our own obligations under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, and that our interest in iran or north korea or any other country following the npt is not

based on singling out one country, but because all of us, each country, has an obligation to follow the rules of the road internationally to secure a more peaceful future for our children and our grandchildren. i think the fact that we are signing this treaty, the fact that we are willing as the two leading nuclear powers to continually work on reducing our own arsenals i think should indicate the fact that we are willing to be bound by our obligations, and we are not asking any other country to do anything different, but simply to follow the rules of the road that have been set forward, and that have helped to maintain at

least a lack of the use of nuclear weapons over the last several decades despite the cold war. the concern that i have in particular, the concern that i think is the most profound security threat to the united states, is that with further proliferation of nuclear weapons, with states obtaining nuclear weapons and potentially using them to blackmail other countries or potentially not securing them effectively or passing them on to terrorist organizations, that we could find ourselves in a world in which not only state actors but also potentially non-state actors are in possession of nuclear weapons. even if they do not use them, they would then be in a position to terrorize the world community. that is why this issue is so

important, and that is why we are going to be pushing very hard to make sure that both smart and strong sanctions and up being in place soon to send a signal to iran and other countries about this is an issue that the international community takes seriously. >> [speaking russian] [interpreter] let's ask ourselves the question. do we enjoy the effect of imposing reprisals against another state? i am confident that all those years will say that we need sanctions -- all those here will say that we need sanctions to

influence behavior in cooperation with international law. therefore, up when speaking about sanctions, i cannot disagree with what has been said. though they are not always successful, sanctions should be smart. sanctions are capable of producing proper behavior. but short of sanctions should we need -- what sort of sanctions should we need? today we have in a very open- minded, frank manner discussed what can be done and what cannot be done. i have outlined our limits for tough sanctions, our understanding of these sanctions, and i have said that in making decisions like that,

i, as president of the russian federation, have two requirements. first, we need iran to behave properly. second, we need to maintain the national interest of our country. smart sanctions should be able to motivate certain parties to behave properly. i am , and that we will be able to engage in smart -- i am confidant that we will be able to engage in a smart sanctions. everyone is concerned whether the treaty will be ratified by the parliament. >> what a difficult -- what the

difficulties do you see along this road, and what are your chances of success? >> we may have problems with the revocation. that may be true, but let me say what i think about this question. of course, such agreements of major importance, international agreements, under our constitution are subject to ratification by our parliament. we intend to proceed promptly and to do all of the necessary procedures to ensure that our parliament will start reviewing this treaty. i will proceed from the following. i believe that we have to ensure the securitization of this replication process so

that -- ratification process so that both states are ratified. we have to proceed simultaneously in the conditions of an open-minded and straightforward discussion. that is what we need. we will not be found amiss in that regard. >> and the united states senate has the obligation of a revealing any treaty -- revealing any treaty and ultimately ratifying it -- reviewing any treaty and ultimately ratified it.

fortunately, we have a history of about partisanship when it comes to arms treaties. i have already engaged with the chairman of the relevant committees. we are going to broaden that conversation now that this treaty has been assigned. my understanding is that both in russia and the united states it will be posted on the internet, appropriate to a 21st century treaty. people not only within the government, but also the general public will be able to review, in an open and transparent fashion, what it is that we have reached. i think what they will discover is that this is a well-crafted a treaty that meets the interests of both countries, and that meet the interests of a world. united states and russia reducing their arms arsenals and setting the stage for arms

reduction in the of the future. i am quite confident that democrats and republicans in the united state senate will see this as our country preserving its court security interests, maintaining secure an effective nuclear deterrence, but we are beginning to move forward to lead the cold war behind to address new challenges in new ways. i think this treaty represents an important first step in that direction, and i feel confident that we will be able to get it ratified. thank you very much everybody. >> and thank you, see you next time. [applause]

♪ >> what in the world is more ridiculous right now in american politics? >> for the past year, using clips from a very -- from various media outlets, the gregory brothers have bennett making -- have benen auto- tuning venues. -- the news. >> there are over 160,000 hours of video, every program since

1967, on the c-span library, cable's latest gift to america. >> last week, defense secretary robert gates said that defense threats around the world require the u.s. and to maintain the defensive posture in regards to nuclear weapons. he is joined by secretary of state hillary clinton, secretary to, and admiral mullen. this is about 25 minutes. >> thank you all for being with us today. today the department of defense is releasing a nuclear posture review, a balanced approach to dealing with nuclear weapons and america's national security. i am pleased to have secretary clinton and secretary to joining us to make this announcement --

secretary chu joining us to make this announcement. both they and admiral mullen will make brief comments in a moment. then we will take your questions in regards to the npr. npr provides a road map for implementing president barack obama's agenda for reducing nuclear threat to the international community. this tribute will reduce the role and numbers of nuclear weapons, with a long term goal of a nuclear-free world. the changing nature of the security environment causes of the npr to focus on five objectives. reducing the role of nuclear weapons in the u.s. national security strategy, reduced nuclear force levels,

strengthening regional deterrence and reassuring u.s. allies and partners, and finally, sustaining a safe, secure and effective nuclear arsenal. the npr it includes a is significant changes to the u.s. nuclear posture. new declaratory policies removed some of the ambiguity in previous policy. a non-nuclear weapons state is in compliance with the non- proliferation treaty, and the u.s. pledges not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against them. if any state eligible for this assurance were to use chemical or biological weapons against the united states or its allies or partners, it would phase out the in prospect of a conventional, a devastating military response. still, given the catastrophic potential of biological weapons and the rapid pace of biological technology development, the united states reserves the right to make any adjustment to this policy that

may be warranted by the evolution and proliferation of biological weapons. the review rightly places the prevention of nuclear terrorism and proliferation at the top of the nuclear policy agenda. iran says ongoing nuclear effort and north korea's proliferation make this focus appropriate and essential to the changes from previous reviews. the antiart concludes that stable deterrence can be maintained while reducing nuclear vehicles by approximately 50%. the united states will pursue high level, a bilateral dialogue on strategic stability with both russia and china that are aimed at a is more transparent strategic relationships. the united states will not

develop new nuclear warheads. programs to extend the lives of the warheads will use only nuclear component based on previously tested designs, and will not provide for new nuclear capabilities. we will study options for securing the safety and stability of nuclear warheads on a case by case basis. any decision to proceed with engineering development will give a strong preference to refurbishment or reuse. replacement of a nuclear component, and if absolutely necessary, would require specific presidential approval. we will invest in our aging nuclear infrastructure. i have asked for nearly $5 billion to be transferred from the department of defense to the department of energy over the next several years to improve our nuclear infrastructure and support a modernization program.

the united states will continue to hold accountable and the state terrorist group or other non-state actor that supports or enables terrorist efforts to obtain or use weapons of mass destruction, whether by facilitating, financing, or providing expertise for such efforts. we will maintain the nuclear triad. we will continue to develop and improve non-nuclear capabilities, including regional missile defense, extensions and deterrence -- sanctions and deterrents. we will abide by our pledge to not conduct nuclear testing. this has been an intra-agency effort, and i want to express my appreciation for the contributions from all departments, especially the

leadership of secretary clinton and secretary chu. i would also like to bank of the men and women from our national labs -- to thank the men and women from our national nuclear labs, whose participation was critical in making this possible. >> let me begin by thanking you for your leadership in this effort. the nuclear posture review we are releasing today represents a milestone in the transformation of our nuclear forces, and the way in which we reproached -- the way in which we approach on nuclear issues. we are working to prevent nuclear proliferation and nuclear terrorism. we are reducing the number of weapons in our arsenal while maintaining a safe, secure and

effective deterrent. this provides a foundation on which we and our allies can build a more secure future -- future. i believe this is the first unclassified npr in its totality. secretary gates is responsible for making this the most inclusive nuclear policy review in history. abnormal -- admiral mullen and the joint chiefs have been instrumental in working through many of the issues that have been raised. the department of energy has brought much to the table, and i am very proud of the role the state department has played. we will be working with partners to explain and implement this. it truly was a collaborative effort. it kept with the agenda and goals set by president barack

obama. the complications -- this process included more than 30 of our allies and partners. we have provided them with a reassurance and security. the policies outlined in this review allow us to continue a stabilizing role. this antiart makes it clear we will cooperate -- this and p r -- this npr makes it clear that we will cooperate with our allies in reducing arms around the world. the president is going to prague to sign an historic new treaty with russia. they are tackling the most important threat we face today,

the threat of nuclear terrorism. this demonstrates our commitment to making progress toward disarmament under the nuclear nonproliferation treaty. we are enforcing our commitment by stating clearly for the first time that the united states will not use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non- nuclear weapons states that are parties to the non-proliferation treaty. we believe that this is an important step that will help reinvigorate the global non- proliferation regime. let me thank secretary gates, secretary chu and admiral mullen. you will also be hearing from the experts who worked so hard on this from the state department. you'll hear from the energy department, the defense

department and also from the joint chiefs. i just want to thank everyone who helped work on this, because as secretary gates said, it took a lot of the meetings, a lot of effort, but we believe it represents the best interests of the united states and our partners and allies around the world. >> let me begin by first thinking secretary gates, secretary clinton and admiral mullen. well as the defense department led the effort, this was truly an interagency effort. this report reflects the administration's understanding that the effort to reduce nuclear dangers will require an all-out government approach. the president is addressing these issues in a way that improves security for americans and our friends and allies

around the world. as the president said in a prague, we will maintain a safe, secure nuclear arsenal. this reflects that commitment and put the nation on the path towards making that possible. it defines specific steps, accelerate the securing of nuclear material worldwide. it is based on key principles that will guide the u.s. decision. first, the united states will not conduct nuclear testing, and will seek ratification to the comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty. we will not develop new nuclear weapons. our laboratory directors have been very clear that our life extension programs can maintain the safety and security of our current stockpile. to accomplish that goal, this

treaty makes it clear that the united states will evaluate our weapons on the case by case basis. refurbishment, reuse and replacement will be considered. the united states will only use nuclear components based on previously tested designs and will not support nuclear missions or provide new nuclear capabilities. any decision two -- any decision to proceed with nuclear programs will give strong preference to refurbishment or reuse.

these are the principles that define how we intend to implement the president's strong commitment to maintaining the safety, security and effectiveness of an aging stockpile. but this does more than that. it provides an outline of what we will need to get the job done. calls for the modernization of nuclear weapons infrastructure, and supports the science, engineering, and technology base required to support our nuclear mission. this is supported by the budget the president submitted. his investment is critical to addressing our aging infrastructure and enhancing our efforts against nuclear proliferation and terrorism. it will also allow the u.s. to reduce our number of nuclear

warheads. the administration proposes continuing on current efforts. if we are going to be able to succeed, we need to retain the next generation of nuclear professionals. people are our greatest asset. i look forward to working with secretary gates, secretary clinton, admiral mullen, and of course, the congress, to the implement this npr. >> thank you to secretary clinton and secretary chu for your leadership in this effort. the process was collaborative and and produced a great

product. the chiefs and i fully support this nuclear posture review. it provides our field commanders of the opportunity to better shape our nuclear posture, policies and structured to meet an ever-changing environment. we appreciated the opportunity to inform it and to be informed by it as the process went forward. it reduces the role played by nuclear weapons, a reduction i holy and doors, and it reconfirms at our commitment to defend the united states, our partners and allies, up with the means we have at our disposal today. the review further strengthens the united states command and control, works to prevent

nuclear terrorism and proliferation, and suggests a new dialogue through which to improve transparency with russia and china. while it includes nuclear testing and the development of new warheads, it bolsters a regional deterrence, it improves counter-wmd capabilities. as secretary gates made clear, we must invest more wisely and more generously to impact -- to preserve the life span of our existing arsenal. we must hold people accountable high standards of training and management. we must recruit and retain the scientific expertise to retain our nuclear edge. i am mindful of the challenge. without such improvements an

aging nuclear force and only invites and in the miss behavior and miscalculation -- only invites and meet miss behavior and miscalculation -- enemy misbehavior and miscalculation. >> secretary clinton, would you comment on the statement today from moscow that russia would reserve the right to withdraw from the treaty if it felt the u.s. became a strategic threat to russia? >> first-com, the npr is very

explicit and the fundamental role of nuclear weapons being for deterrence. there was a lot of speculation outside the government and conversation inside the government is of how to frame that, how to describe it. i think that there was agreement within the administration that we did not think we were far enough along the road toward getting control of nuclear weapons around the world to limit ourselves so explicitly. there was general agreement that the term fundamental purpose makes clear and that other language makes clear that this is a weapon of last resort.

we recognize that we need to make progress moving in the direction that the president has said, but we also recognize the real world that we continue to live in. >> i am not aware of the statement, but it is no surprise that russians remain concerned about our missile defense program. we have persistently plot to -- fought to explain to them the role and missile defense can and should play in preventing nuclear terrorism, and we have consistently offered the russians the opportunity to cooperate with us. this s.t.a.r.t. treaty is not about missile defense, as you know. it is about cutting the sizes of our arsenals. we will continue our

conversations with the russians. we look forward to the ratification of s.t.a.r.t., and then another round of discussion with the russians about further reduction in our arsenal, and we will also be working with them to try to find common ground and ground missile defense, which we are committed to pursuing. >> what does the and the art say about -- what does inde the npry about tactical weapons? >> it is very explicit but that nato's nuclear capabilities will be handled within nato. as long as there are nuclear

weapons that threaten nato, nato will need to maintain nuclear capability. this will be addressed in the the strategic concept that nato is undertaking. what the npr does is to draw attention to the number of tactical nuclear weapons, and also to the number of non- deployed weapons that we are looking act. these clearly should be part of the arms control agenda as we move forward. >> there is a section, for those of you who have not yet had a chance to review it, in the chapter called "strengthening

regional a deterrent and reassuring u.s. allies and partners at," we make it very clear that any new nato posture should only be taken after a thorough review. those conversations have begun in connection with the new strategic concept that is being worked on, that hopefully will be ready for consensus at the nato conference in lisbon. >> i would like to ask about your concerns about iran, and what roles those concerns played in formulating this review. the president of iran said he is still pursuing a nuclear capabilities. what does that mean to you, and what message are you sending with all of this?

>> i actually think that the npr has a very strong message for both iran and north korea, because whether it is declaratory policy or another element, we essentially carve out states like iran and north korea that are not in compliance. basically, all options are on the table when it comes to countries of that category, along with non-state actors who might acquire nuclear weapons. if there is a message for iran and north korea here, it is, if you're going to play by the rules and joined the international community, we are under certain obligations to you. if you are not going to play by the rules, if you're going to be a proliferator, then all options are on the table in terms of how we deal with you. >> any attempt to attack u.s.

forces, our partners or allies will be blocked by nuclear capabilities. does that mean that if iran attacked israel with eight nuclear weapon, the u.s. will be able to respond in kind? >> i am not going to go down that hypothetical road. last question. >> could you tell us a little bit more about how the presidential decision making process will be changed under the npr? >> there are some changes we have made in command and control that tighten things up and also give the president more time for a decision.

>> as far as the military alert? >> friendly, we feel better the situation is -- frankly, we feel that the situation is a satisfactory one at the current time. we have no armed bombers and sitting at the end of runways. our icbm's are all targeted right now on the oceans so that if, god forbid, there were an accidental launch, it would put a missile right into the middle of the ocean rather than targeting any country. i think we have taken a number of steps to ensure that the president has additional time for decisions and that the forces on alert are not subject to some kind of disaster.

thank you all very much. >> today on "newsmakers," rep brad sherman on the obama administration's goal to reduce the world's nuclear arsenals. >> we have momentum on dealing with the technical issue of ensuring that medical nuclear materials are well handled, and that when they are no longer useful they are returned properly to where they can be reprocessed or disposed of. as to the bigger issue of stopping the iranian nuclear program or dealing with the north korean program, i think we are doomed to failure as long as

we maintain the policies of the bush and obama administrations. >> you can see the entire interview on "newsmakers" today at 3:00 p.m. on c-span. it is also available online at c-span.org. ♪ >> what in the world is more ridiculous right now than american politics? >> for the past year, using clips from various media outlets, the gregory brothers have become a viral hit makers. we will talk to them tonight. >> now, the federal reserve is in president from new york talks about the role of the federal reserve in overseeing u.s. banks.