museum at test, the history of this city and its people will be written by what came afterward and by what is yet to come. by the tremendous outpouring of community support that became known as the oklahoma standard, by the demands relief operations which included support from over 12,000 federal, state, local, and community participants, including 665 fena employees -- fema employees. but the difficult lessons but the difficult lessons learned about how we need steal our defenses against terrorism and that we have to improve how we protect our country and by the unwavering determination to seek a justice of the perpetrators of this crime. as a governor -- as the governor mentioned, i was privileged to help lead a portion of the criminal investigation into this

attack as i was serving as the united states attorney for arizona. arizona alone, 150 agents were assigned to the case and for a full six weeks, we maintained a command post to ensure that every legal tool available to us would be used to support the investigation. i wish it were possible to stand here and say the threats from terrorism and violent extremism have gone away. we know that is not the case. in the 15 years since this attack, the reality of terrorism has come to haunt us again and our adversaries continue to look for ways to exploit our openness and to take innocent lives. we have not shed the reality of domestic violent extremism nor

of terrorism. when a female joined -- when fema joined i 1995n , my department was years from being formed. today, our first priority remains protecting against and preventing another terrorism attack on america. we have learned from this tragedy by continuing to implement and refined the security standards and procedures developed since 1995. in fact, the dh announced new security standards for all federal buildings and our federal protective service announced the brought employment of a new rest of -- risk assessment tool to help inspectors keep more than 9000 facilities secure. we will continue to work day and

night and we will continue to constantly ask ourselves if we are doing everything we can to prevent another terrorist attack but making prepared as part of our culture will ultimately draw on the innovation and civic spirit of the american people and our nation has never lacked for that. we cannot put a glass dome over our country. we cannot guarantee there will not be another attack. nobody can. we are a strong and resilient country. we can resolve that even a successful attack will not defeat our way of life. we can resolve that the oklahoma standard become the national standard. [applause] fac

we can target our resources against emerging threats and devolving risks. we can work to better and power of the american public and to draw what president obama has called our greatest national security asset -- our values. it is those values that define this as a nation and to those values will always be a force more powerful than the violent ideology of a tiny few. our nation has faced down violent extremism before. we have witnessed terrorism at home and abroad. we could witness it again someday. in big ways and small, resilience is the pillar of our security and there has never been a better example than right here in oklahoma city. we have seen that kind of resilience again and again and

the passengers who took matters into their own hands on september 11, and those who took matters into their own hands on december 25. we have seen it in the citizens of new orleans reclaiming their city after katrina and greensburg, kansas, who is rebuilding their town after it was destroyed by a tornado. all of these examples could have ended differently. the resilience and sense of shared responsibility that kicked off in each time it took them in another direction. around oklahoma and around the country there are thousands of young and elm trees growing, each having started as a cutting from the survivor tree that stands before us. among the children that survived that terrible day, the first has not graduated from high school and among the many thousands ofn

thousandss and americans whose -- many thousands of oklahomans and americans who survived are stories of strength and courage. terrorism is a tactic designed not just to kill but to make us feel powerless but we are never powerless. we control the way we prepare ourselves, not the way we combat threats and the way we respond if something happens. america is a strong nation. we are a resilient nation. as we confront new threats, we will use our values and our way of life as the most powerful sources of our strength. we will do this for now, for years to come. here at the memorial, there is

an inscription at the survivor tree that reads "the spirit of this city and this nation will not be defeated. our deeply rooted fate sustains us. " this is wisdom to make. it describes that intangible quality that would ever challenges we face, we will respond and persevere. we will continue to thrive and our families -- in are families and communities and across our nation. thank you. [applause] thank you, madame secretary. if we look forward to working with you as we move forward and appreciate your leadership in this important area. thank you for making this trip a priority with your busy schedule.

as we have been on the site remembering, others across the country have gathered, as well, to pay respects to bring awareness, to remember, and to educate. just five hours from here in downtown little rock, the designers of this outdoor symbolic memorial have gathered at the clinton presidential part with family and survivors to call arkansas home and with other people. the 168 names have been bred and an exhibit, which our staff helped design, is open for viewing at the clinton presidential center and will remain open through memorial day. this past weekend, president

clinton led a panel in washington d.c. as you know, we will honor him on wednesday night with our sixth annual reflections of hope award for his help in rebuilding the city and the work he has led around the world to bring hope in the midst of political crisis. also today as we gather here, sailors aboard the uss oklahoma city have raised a special american flag and have observed 168 seconds of silence in honor of this 15th anniversary. the ship's commander will send us that flag to be retained here at this museum. [applause] >> now comes the most important part of the ceremony,

remembering the 160 people were killed. as is the custom, we would ask that everybody please wait until all the names are read before standing. thank you. >> remember our friends and family in the oklahoma resources board building. robert chipman,. . the obsidian building. catherine elizabeth. i need that christine hightower. my mother, rebecca anderson. >> remember our friends and

family from the u.s. secret service ninth floor. kathy sidle. linda mckinney. my grandfather, mickey baroney. donald leonard. cynthia brown. >> we remember our friends and family in the drug enforcement administration. tennis mccullough. -- kenneth mccullough. caroled june put chip field. -- carol june. chip field. >> remember that our friends and

family in the department of housing and urban development. clarence wilson. francis williams. michael weaver. david walker. jewels valdez. lany david. antonio reyes. dr. george michael howard.

>> we remember our friends and family on the eighth floor. our daughter, susan farro. kimberly clark. donald burns. david berkett. ted allen. >> we remember our friends and family on the seventh floor. joanne woodenburg. john van ness. john stuart. terry smith.

patricia nickes. james mccarthy. mary renty. to reset lauderdale -- theresa lauderdale. linda florence. judy fischer. >> we remember our friends and family from the seventh floor.

my mother. kim cousins. fifth floor, paul gregory. >> where remember our friends and family in the u.s. marine corps recruiting, sixth floor. my brother, capt. randolph bruben. sgt benjamin davis. we remember our friends and

family in the u.s. customs. claude arthur. >> we remember our friends and family in the department of agriculture on the fifth floor. rita long. richard cummins. my sister, dr. peggy clarke. owen blomber. -- bloomber. we also remember our friends and family from the u.s. army recruiting department.

delores stratton. victoria stone. john moss. peggy holland. karen carr. >> we remember our friends and family in the department of transportation. fourth floor. john youngblood. johnny wade. rick tomlin. michelle reader. jerry lee parker. ronata woodbridge.

james martin. larry jones. michael carillo. mark bolty. lucio almond. >> we remember our friends and family from federal employees credit union, third floor. theresa wharton. virginia thompson. victoria dexter. karen shepherd. sondra sanders.

claudine ritter. jill randolph. frankie merrill. claude thatte meeks. >> alvin justice. cristy jenkins. my sister, robin huss baby amber huss.

she let driver -- sheila driver and baby. kathy family. -- kathy finley. woodrow brady. >> we remember our friends and family in the advance security surface, third floor. robert westbury. larry turner. norma johnson. robert demaster.

my uncle, hardly cottingham. >> visitor to the second floor, we remember scott williams. >> we remember our friends and family in the american child develops center, second floor. carlton smith. chase smith. blake kennedy. wanda howell. kevin. kevin garrett. tyler santores.

brenda daniels. >> my sister, jaycee ray. antonio and sarah cooper. >> anthony christopher cooper. his mother, dana cooper. zachary taylor chavez. my big sister, bailey allman. >> remember our friends and family in the general services

administration, first floor. stephen curry. >> where remember our friends and family in social security administration, first floor. sharon chesnutt. stephen williams. julie welch. my husband, robert walker. luther trainer. michael thompson.

charlotte thomas. amelio tapia. julie mitchell. irwin miller. courtney mcgraven. rev. gilbert martinez. >> i remember my grandparents from the first floor.

>> dr. charles hubert. raymond johnson. my mother, ms. levy. >> thomas hawthorne. robert vernon. sheryl mannon. ethel griffin. margaret gibson. >> laura --

>> ashley eckel. >> catherine kragen. > my mother-in-law, carroll bowers. cassandra booker. alita bitty. towson battel. sandy avery. pamela argo. richard allen. teresa alexander.

>> thank you, all. thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for being with us today. your presence means a locked on this 15th anniversary. -- means a lot on this 50th anniversary. admission to the museum is complementary provided five -- provided by our friends at cox to medications. but iran, secretary hippolyta llano -- secretary the awill hol on the media's role on terrorism. thank you. [applause]

>> on washington journal, tomorrow morning, how americans feel about government. our guest is carolina doherty, patrick corvington and kenneth vogel will take your questions about political fund raising her head"washington journal -- fundraising. all this month, see the winners of the c-span's studentcam document nouri contest. watched the top winning videos every morning on c-span at 6:50 a.m. eastern, just before " washington journal." then, meet the people that made them. >> now, representative sandra

lynn -- sen 11. -- representative sander levin. we're committed to a free press, worldwide. for more information, please visit our web site to donate to our professional programs. please visit the library of web site. i would like to welcome our speaker and attendees which include guests of our speaker as well as working journalists. i would also like to welcome our c-span and public radio

audiences. i would now like to introduce our head table guests. from your right, peter blank, route 20 sean thomas, jerry geisel, michael hampton, jennifer ludden, andrew schneider, the senior vice president for the committee that organized today's events. deborah pryce, md. to wax -- and ryan of bloomberg, the first word in business journalism. please give them a round of

applause. he has served in congress since 1982, representing the 12th district. the washington post calls him the lesser-known levin because his younger brother has historically gotten more ink. he has worked quietly for years behind the scenes. in march, he took over as chairman of the house ways and means committee. now, he oversees every tax, trade, social security and employment measure that moves through congress. if there is a major money involved, the bill goes through ways and means.

with the powerful position comes a place in history books. they are the first brothers since the 1800's to served simultaneously as committee chairs the share, he said the economy is job no. 1 for his committee. he is ready to take on the most controversial tactics of the day. other issues include shortfalls in social security and helping u.s. businesses become more competitive. he is the father of four and his daughter is with us at the head table today. the national press club welcomes -- a center 11.

i am not sure she remembers. but i can remember her at our house in berkeley -- as we had meetings. and she was two or three years old. she would just stay there listening intently, and so she is here today. ask any question unrelated to ways and means, i will turn my

cell phone on and text message my brother. [laughter] so, i have it here. especially if it relates to armed services matters. and others he is investigating beyond arms services today, as you know. as i sat down to write my remarks, i thought, what were the events of the 27 years that i have been in congress? my colleague dennis is here, we served together. butler derrick. and i remember the recession, the end of soviet power and domination. i remember well the debate over the health care bill in the clinton years. i remember very vividly the republican takeover of the house. of course, 9/11, and the war in

iraq. i remember also going home in 1993 after the deficit reduction vote that passed, as you remember, just by a sliver. and we made the mistake, i thought, of having a town meeting. i love them all. but in a place in warren, michigan, in a shopping mall with a very low ceiling. and i can still hear -- it was a rather turbulent meeting. as i began to write my remarks i decided that this is the difference. and so, here is what i wrote down. we are at a major crossroad. in a democracy every generation or so, there occurred conditions that can be described by what seems a rather strange label.

a perfect storm is defined -- and one of the staff, the internet. a rare combination of circumstances -- in this volatile combination today includes. you all know them and some of the report on them. the deepest economic recession sense of depression, distort financial meltdown receiving more and more attention. the globalizing of our economy is more apparent every day. all of them impacting the families that i represent and the communities in suburban michigan. secondly, bush administration policies that contributed to a historical high level of income

inequality is, are for income families billing still better and middle-class families in essentially stagnant in their incomes. a missed a historic increase in the national debt -- amidst a historic increase in national that replacing budget surpluses. third -- and being on the committee i remember these issues so well. neglect of public programs intended to provide safeguards for families in need. a disgraceful example is so vivid in michigan. the doubling of the social security disability backlog of thousands waiting two or three years or more for a decision. and unemployment insurance system that has too often failed to help jobless workers. last, u.s. trade deficits, the

largest in recorded history. twice as large as the previous record in the 1980's and a major drag on our economy and a contributor to the global crisis. such a combination creates "a perfect storm." from my experience going back decades, the clash has been intensified by the loss of

moderates within republican ranks. a few of you may remember, and jenny does, several decades ago i tried to the elected governor of michigan against a moderate republican who has become a good friend of mine. and if i might say so, he and died today are much closer in ideas than he is to those dominant in today's republican party. and so health care became the every now for this intense battle of ideas and rhetoric. the obama administration inherited a health care system, the best in terms of innovation, and almost the worst among industrial nations in terms of cost and coverage. the unsuccessful clinton reform effort was followed by eight years of inaction, as cost and

coverage problems grew still worse. so, we acted. basic change creates resistance. and the nation heard claims of impending disaster similar to those heard surrounding the passage of social security, medicare, and the staff and i pulled together some of those quotes from the 1960's and 1930's. they are not included here because of the lack of time, but they sound so similar, those claims and arguments of decades ago to those today. it turned out that prognostications were wrong. the clash -- i emphasize this -- is not in mobilized but energized those of us in the majority. this happens, i think, when people do what they believe in. and believe their actions will be in the best american tradition -- spreading the

wings of opportunity and of community. well, we returned last week, and jobs is our number one issue. very much before this committee. the deeper the recession, along the traditional like we know in job creation. ax -- i think there are more and more signs. when i talk to you in the business, the first question i asked, it is it a bit better? and most of you say, gas, a bit better. but clearly we have to undertake additional efforts to spur job growth. so, as in a, the president signed a bill last week. and it has real incentives for small businesses. and the house approved, unfortunately with only a

handful of republican votes, the small business and infrastructure tax act to assist small businesses extend their very successful build america bond program, which experts have called, and i quote, one of economic recovery efforts business -- biggest successes. we had a hearing last week on green johns, and a distinguished reporter who is here was there i think for all of this -- green jobs. it went until 10:00 until 6:00 p.m.. it was a useful hearing, i think, and we are now looking at further legislation. several business spokesperson's had something to say that i thought was so significant from gm and dell, about the need for an active public partnership with the private sector to develop technologies shaping our future. these two people said it could

not have happened, only relying on markets themselves. and it was best that -- this that characterized program so many of you know. the battery grant that helped spark the beginning of a renaissance in michigan and elsewhere industrially. it is interesting because i talk to my colleagues, how many of my colleagues say, i come from the state that is going to be the new center of electric battery development. so many. i look at them and i say, you know, it is michigan. [laughter] no, they say, it is ohio. someone told me, it is delaware. joe biden is from delaware, so i took that somewhat seriously. [laughter] but also this public-private partnership is the underlying premise of the r&d tax credit

which is at the hearts of the bill that passed both houses. these bills are being worked right now into the -- and to anticipate a question on this, i think these extend their bills and small business and infrastructure jobs bill, that together we need to not only work on them but passed them before memorial day. so, let me say a few words about safeguards for workers. i think those who reported no that as i handled the unemployment bill just last week, on i was really disturbed, mild word, the attack on the bill or the resistance to it, first among senate republicans and then most -- if not all of the house republicans. there are today twice the numbers of long-term unemployed compared to any other time on

record. it has usually been a bipartisan effort. but the claim among republicans is that we cannot afford it because of the deficit. these members seem to have discovered fiscal responsibility when it comes to unemployed workers but not when it comes to paying for tax cuts for the very wealthy. so, we have to extend unemployment and cobra. we have also acted in the recovery act for those dislocated by trade. in the recovery act we began some long needed reforms of the unemployment compensation system. all so we included -- and this has been somewhat overlooked -- some important we put -- improvements to provide funding to help states with rising welfare caseloads. and it is really interesting. i do suggest that those in the media look at what the states

have been doing with the several billion dollars in this tandem program. some of the most conservative states have in essentially used the money to put people back to work. unfortunately for the disabled congress has provided increase funding -- fortunately, for the disabled, congress is provided increased funding. in michigan today the average wait for those who are disabled or claim to be disabled is over three years. and there is no health care. these are people we don't see. it is hard to find them. they are covered by privacy requirements. but we need to do better. remember, two-thirds of the claims that are being litigated

eventually are approved and people are waiting all of these years falling deeper and deeper in despair and some even dying before the litigation can proceed. so let me say a word about tax policy. the rumor is ways and means has jurisdiction. just a brief word about the estate tax it expired -- estate tax. it expired. four months into the year without a resolution. i find this uncertainty unacceptable and unfair. i wrote this out and i had to double check. i am a lawyer. i did a bit of estate planning. but i do not think i fully realize all the ramifications. for instance, many wells are written to leave as much to the children as is the load the estate tax threshold with the

rest going to their surviving spouse. today, that means that the children may well be left with nothing. just a word about the expiring tax cuts. during the last again amid stanton from 2001 through 2007, the top 1% of americans received two-thirds of the increase in national income while the middle class incomes in essentially stagnated. the divergence of income we have seen in the last decade means that we should keep the middle income tax cuts and let those for the very wealthy expire. and i think that is going to eventually happened. set by statutory pay go -- and not only sets the course but is

a vital step for fiscal responsibility. just a word. once we handle these issues, we can turn our attention to reform of the tax code. charlie rangel, as you know, months ago unfolded -- unveiled a comprehensive tax reform proposal. and i think we will continue to work on it. just a few words about trade. some of you know, i have been somewhat involved in this and have some deep feelings about it. the bush administration took a hands-off approach to trade policy. those of you who report on it have heard me say it so many times. it was wedded to the view that the more the trade, the better, no matter its terms or content. in my judgment we need to both expand trade and spread its benefits more broadly and be sure that our workers and

businesses are playing on a level playing field. that has been the expression most importantly of the president. talking about the need for it to be reciprocal, not to just a one-way street. and the administration has taken important steps to carry that out. a brief word -- and you may want to talk more about the specific trade agreements. that the administration inherited from the bush administration -- correa, colombia, and panama. -- korea. no doubt they contain important positive aspects but also flaws and when they were being negotiated we made clear to those negotiating that they had to be changed. they were not. and now we need to fix them. last week without a bipartisan meeting of key house members. four of us republicans and democrats, with the new u.s. t

our leadership working on the dole hot negotiations -- usta leadership working on the doha negotiations. we are going to be working together, i hope, on a broad range of issues. we will save it transpacific partnership agreements and all so the issues of currency. we are going to actively offer our support for the administration's g-20 initiative to address unsustainable global trade and financial balances, including addressing currency policies. china's currency is clearly undervalued and it is an important cause of our country's major trade deficit. and i will continue to work with

this administration over the next few months as it addresses in the g-20, as it must, the currency issue. let me conclude with just a few thoughts. so many of the pending issues of 2010 are in the jurisdiction of our committee. moving ahead responsibly and responsive fully -- responsively -- we have held hearings, for example, on china's currency, and more recently on energy and technology issues and we had recently a committee markup of the most recent jobs bill and will continue to do that. just this last comment. much is being reported now about the political outlook for november, and as i look about it, it is true of many of you. congressional democrats know

that repairing the damage of the combination of harmful bush administration policies in many key areas and it's in action in others and replacing them with sound policies require both persistence and patience and a vigorous dialogue with the american people. we know that responding to the dynamics of a perfect storm means resistance as a part of progress. we have confidence that the path forward we are charting builds on the finest american traditions and that we are going to succeed. thank you very much. [applause]

>> thank you, chairman levin. in keeping with a wide range of topics your committee oversees we have a wide range of topics for questions. i can see that more are still coming in. starting off with one of the topics, health care reform. it is being said the health care reform package use all of the low hanging fruit in terms of revenue raisers. where can the committee look for new sources to pay for new investments? >> by the way -- i welcome your questions, and i know it is the tradition here to have written questions. so, i'm sorry you don't have to identify yourselves, who asked the question. and also i love the back and forth, including the chance to disagree with me after i in answer. but i followed the traditions of this distinguished press club, including r d court that i until late not used to.

-- include the red cord i am totally not used to. i did not know how low hanging it was but it was there. black liquor was used so many times that we almost became drunk. what are we going to use instead? because we have the extender bill that has been renamed the jobs bill. and we have our small business bill over there. and those relating to treaty shopping. and there is some resisting to it. also over there is a bill, with carried interest in it. all of these have been controversial. i met with senator baucus about a week ago, last monday, and we

had a thorough and, i think, very constructive discussion about where we are going to find today for it. i just want to assure everybody that is here that a week -- that we are going to take a serious look at those provisions and others. we have to pay for them. it is required by pay go and buy fiscal responsibility. not the unemployment provisions, cobra provisions, that are essentially covered by pay go. and i am hopeful that as we discussed of this, that the republicans will drop their opposition to extending unemployment compensation unless it is paid for. we have not paid for extensions of unemployment or cobra and pay

go, provide, as i said, the structure to proceed. however, the rest of the provisions have to be paid for. and i am not sure where the fruit is. some people think it is sour. some may think it is riveting. but the main thing -- some might think it is robbing. but the main thing, we will find pay fors using some intelligent discussion going beyond the labels to see where we can find provisions that provide resources with equity. with equity. >> thank you. just to note -- the red line. we know you are popular among the tax and trade lobbyists around town and we tried to keep the paparazzi away from you. out of respect to the speakers.

a lot of questions have to do with the various free-trade agreements that have been waiting for some kind of approval or ratification have you received any signals from the white house that they intend to send you any of the pending free-trade agreements this year? the think the korea free trade and up -- free trade agreement can be fixed, especially with automobiles? >> let me take them in turn. panama -- by the way, we have been working on these four years. it was a year and a half ago, i think, that i spent two saturdays at the panama and is a with a staff person discussing with the panamanians of the free trade agreement. in those days, the administration did not want to negotiate labor and environmental provisions. so east and chile, the democratic trade staff and i --

essentially the democratic trade staff and i did not negotiate. that change. it is up to ustr to do the negotiating. the issue we discussed with panama then related to their coming into compliance with basic ill worker rights provisions. the tax haven issue was not as prominent then as it is now. essentially what has to happen with panama is to implement what we discussed a year-and-a-half ago and to pass a tax haven provision. they do that, and i think then we will be in a position to move forward. let me say a word about career appeared -- kores. i said -- and i was not the only one -- to administration negotiators that they had to open up the market for our

industrial goods. they shipped 700,000 cars a year here. we ship less than 10,000. they have a wall against our exports industrially. american refrigerator manufacturers cannot sell their basic refrigerator in korea. you can go to lows and home depot and find several korean- made refrigerators. it is a one-way street and we told them it had to change and they have to provide for those changes. they failed to do so. so, they went ahead with a path that was sure to fail. we warned them. can it be fixed? the answer is, yes. unfortunately when are two presidents met, the korean president and president obama, for the first time it indicated a willingness to sit down and talk about fixing a -- and

fortunately, when the two presidents met. i want to say a word about colombia. our trade policy under this administration is essentially says this -- you have to expand trade, but to do so in a way that spreads its benefits. that is better for those countries and better for hours. with colombia and -- and this was the battle we had over tafta -- cafta. latin-american countries essentially into many cases have these deep disparities in terms of income and opportunity. you can't grow middle-class is under those circumstances. middle class is the one who buy our goods, basically. so there is a basic point in

worker rights and environmental issues. it is not because anybody is standing up for any particular interest group in this country. we are standing up for our businesses and workers and and the workers and other countries in need to be part of the nixon ordered to buy our goods. -- part of the mix in order to buy our goods. today there was an article -- you reporters, we clip you endlessly and we stuck them in our pockets the same way. so i stopped this in my pocket, and it comes from "the washington post." colombia struggles to reduce poverty. the gap between rich and poor continues. i went down to colombia myself,

like i did when i went to china myself and the cast of countries myself to see firsthand what the conditions were pared i'd met the people who worked with bus sugar industry. there is essentially workers are totally deprived of their ability to be participants and have a say. they have set up these so called cooperative is that are essentially a dummy outfits, and workers go from cooperative to cooperative, being paid for by some entity, unable to be able to be a major part of the economy. that has to be fixed for their good and our good. i fully understand the importance of opening up the colombian market. i fuller -- fully understand it for our businesses and workers.

but we need to have trade agreements that essentially reflect our values, and in the case of workers, basic international labor values. once that happens, we will be able to proceed. i understand some -- there also have to be gains in terms of diminishing the disparities in income that has so beleaguered the latin american countries. i finish with this. my beloved dad, her granddad, loved and latin america, traveled there. we were raised with that feeling of affection. he was the honorary consul general for honduras in michigan in the 1950's. he wanted to find a country that would make him consul, so he found honduras. he stamped 5 visas a year.

but he felt so deeply about the importance of those countries, fully meeting the needs of their constituents. that is what this is all about. so in a word, i think we need to proceed. we need to address the outstanding issues. i hope we can do that. >> one of the frequent arguments made in favor of ratifying this free trade agreements is the need to support strategic allies. how much weight should foreign- policy decisions be given in determining whether to ratify a free-trade agreement? >> the answer is, some. but they are trade agreements. that is the answer. i mean -- look, we know with korea, for example, the other issues.

they are important issues. all i suggest is that they did not totally overwhelm what is the basic purpose of a free trade agreement. i will finish with this. the rhetoric in this town, of this administration or people like myself being isolationist -- charlie rangel and isolationist? -- charlie rangel, an isolationist? it is people will understand the importance of globalization and want to make it work. work, as the article indicates, not for a minority but for the fast -- they asked people of that country because it is better for that country and it is better for our country. and that was once the foundation of american policy toward latin america. and i wanted to be revived, and i have confidence under this administration that it will be.

>> one month ago you chaired a hearing on chinese currency manipulation after which included the status quo was unsustainable. another month has passed but china bought the currency has not appreciated against the dollar. president obama discussed the issue with chinese president jintao and washington but no promises were made or timeline said. what is congress's role to play? legislation on the currency helpful? should the treasury designate china as a currency manipulator in its overdue currency report? >> the administration is essentially decided on this course, to try to resolve the china currency issue multilaterally. when secretary geithner and i met, two fridays ago, i think, we discussed it at length. and he made clear that that was how they were going to go. the g-20 is meeting in a couple

of months. it is clear to me this administration is endeavoring to try to help bring about a change. china has rigged its currency. it has been part of its overall strategy. it has to change. they are going to try to use a multilateral process to help bring that about. if it doesn't work, the u.s. will act. i have no doubt about it. i think the administration will act and i think congress will act. congressional pressure -- i think perhaps helps the chinese understand that the status quo is unacceptable. it has had it that imbalance, a substantial impact on our businesses and our workers. one can argue endlessly how much is an undervalued, between

15% or 40%, or 10% or 30%? and how many jobs have been lost? all we know the chinese government -- it is not the only thing -- but the currency is a major tool for them essentially to get an advantage economically over us. it is far from fair for us. i think it is also unwise for the chinese to continue doing it that way. so, in a word, i think it will change by the end of the g-20 meetings. china will make the decisions, will begin to do this, or else we will take further steps. >> several questions relating to the value-added tax, a proposal discussed on capitol hill. could you please discuss the pros and cons and would such a

tax by late president obama's promise not to impose taxes on people making less than $250,000? >> i have been listening to this debate. i saw, waiting for the red wings hockey game -- i should not have waited. i listened to the talk shows and it was adjusting how the value added tax had gained such prominence. i was somewhat surprised. i have heard almost nobody within our ranks discussing it. i know that one distinguished economist in this town did talk about it. but the administration hasn't. so i was somewhat surprised. my guess is by next week it will be a goner. that is for good reason.

i think it has been raised mostly by the republicans for political gain, trying to label us as a taxer. i suggest not only am i wrong but they should read paul ryan's proposal, he is a republican, and he has a value added tax provision in it. so, i don't think it is on the agenda. and so, let me suggest that we can argue the pros and cons. the next time i can come to the press club. >> under chairman rangel ways and means committee put enormous effort into putting together a revenue-neutral package of tax reforms that would broaden the overhaul base and lower taxes on u.s. companies and middle-class taxpayers. given the deficit, is a possible to do a revenue-neutral reform? does any broad package of

changes or reforms need to bring in more revenue overall? >> i think, to charlie rangel's credit, he brought it out, as i said earlier, some months ago -- many months ago. and i think clearly tax reform has to be a major item on the agenda. as to whether it is neutral or not, i think has to be discussed at a time we are able to focus in on a comprehensive tax reform. this isn't the time now. we have it immediately in front of us the estate tax issue. we have immediately in front of us the 2001-2003 tax cuts. we have to address them. it isn't going to be easy if -- it isn't going to be easy. if there isn't a budget resolution with fervor

reconciliation possibilities it will take 60 votes. if any of you can tell me how we are sure to get that, tell me. it will be off the record. i am not sure how we do that. but that really has to be the focus in the coming months. i'm not sure how we do it. i am not sure -- but it has to be the first order of business. and clearly comprehensive tax reform is an issue for next year, not this year. >> is it realistic to believe that individual tax increases can be limited only to high and taxpayers when the bush tax cut to expire at the end of the year? >> yes. [laughter] >> de think all taxes are the

same? if not, what kind of taxes serve society best? >> who wrote that question? [laughter] i meant that almost seriously. that is why i love town hall meetings. because the person who asks the question has to announce himself or herself. obviously all taxes are not the same. by the way, as i was writing my remarks, i was reading some material and talking with the most talented staff, if i might say so, in congress, the ways and means staff. i had a chance to serve on four of the subcommittees over the years of ways and means. now income security -- where i was able to serve as ranking after are much loved -- passed

away, then of course, a trade. i was going back over some materials. my guess is, if i gave you a test -- if i asked all of you to take a piece of paper and answer this question. what percentage of american taxes come from payroll taxes? my guess is, most of you might not pass. because some of the rhetoric in this town is that most people don't pay taxes. people don't say income taxes. they pay taxes. but it is well, well over 40 or perhaps 45% come from payroll taxes which virtually everybody does pay. so the answer is, no, all taxes

are far from the same. my guess is that we will continue to have an income tax, which is progressive, that we will look at taxes like payroll taxes, and try to see if we can make some adjustments. we have social security and medicare to look at. we have the health care bill and its tax provisions to look at. clearly they are not all the same. what we have to do in our society is find ways to make intelligent decisions as to which taxes are the fairest, most equitable taxes. >> any reason the u.s. should not put a tax on financial transactions similar to a tax on stock trades in the u.k. uses? >> let me just quickly cover

this point, because i thought somebody might ask about the bank tax and the financial transaction taxes. i don't think the financial transaction tax idea is likely to be acceptable. we are now thinking about what we do with what is called the bank tax. i think you know, tarp legislation essentially required in the next few years for the administration to come up with suggestions as to how any -- gap, in terms of repayment, is filled. it now looks like 60% or 75% of the tarp funds will sure be repaid, and i think it is close to that already. there is likely to be a gap.

and so, it is important to figure out how we are going to fill it. and the financial regulation provision in the senate has a tax, but different than is being discussed related to the bank tax. i think one way or another, we are going to consider this issue as to a financial fee or a tax on institutions that benefited from the essentials needed to rescue our economy. there are various ways to go. assets versus income, for example. the administration has proposed one path. we have been discussing intensely with the administration the various paths that may be opened. if i might say so, this is the example of the importance of the

ways and means committee and the importance of our working with the finance committee, the importance of our working with the administration, and i hope the importance of working with the minority to try to find out the best way to do this if we are going to do it. that is what we are in the middle of. i expect those in the media are going to be asking us in the next weeks ahead how it is going, and i will try to tell you. at this point, it is not clear. >> moving to climate change -- the think the carbon tax provisions are workable and what are your ideas on climate change legislation? >> you know, i am not sure where we are going because it has become so politicized. i voted for the cap-and-trade provision. by the way, our staff and i put

together the provisions in terms of border adjustments. somewhat related to the other issues, including a vat tax because one of the problems we had with the trade is, as you know, other countries have a tax system that advantage is somewhat directly their producers. our system is more complicated. we had to be sure and the cap- and-trade bill that we had a provision so that other countries did not become a party to a meaningful environmental structure, and therefore gain an advantage over us economically, that we had an instrumentality to react. it was interesting -- i might say so -- how it immediately got caught up in the polarized rhetoric of trade.

they said, in quotes, it was protectionist. what we were doing is saying that if other countries tried to get -- and there had to be a deliberate effort -- to gain advantage in trade through pollution, if you want to put it directly, that we would be able to compete. so, any energy legislation has to include a sensitivity to who is included, and as to what happens if we are competing with those who are not included. so, i think the cap-and-trade bill met major resistance. i think john kerry and barbara boxer and others, working with lindsey graham, may have a way to do this that would work, that

was different. all i can say is this. and this gets back to the perfect storm. and it relates, i guess, to the environment. from my generation, global warming is a threat that we must address in terms of our children and our grandchildren. the assumption is that it will all work out is an assumption that is too dangerous. so, i think this will probably not be the year, but maybe so, but if it is not this year, i hope this country will have enough sense to have a sensible discussion of climate issues and not to be caught up in what has become so divisive within our rhetoric.

>> we are almost out of time. before asking the last question we have a couple important matters to take care of. first, let us remind our guests and members of future speakers. april 30, secretary of the department of navy and may 19 hosting the honorable tim kane, chair of the democrat national committee will discuss his party's prospects in the 2010 elections. second, the moment we have been waiting for, we would like to present our guest with the traditional national press club mugged. -- mug. [applause] >> i will unwrap it. >> the final question. the pew research center released a survey today that found that four out of five americans surveyed distrust government. what has to be done to restore that trust and what role do you fate -- see the ways and means

committee planning specifically? >> i heard those reports. and they are very concerned. -- concerning. i think the first approach has to be integrity. i think that everybody in this country wants legislators essentially to have basic honesty, basic integrity, to be in a position to call it the way they see its after they have talked with all interested parties and with their constituents. i think that anything that undercuts that is a serious problem. so, i think i would put that first.

we also -- i also think we have to make clear that we are shutting nobody out from the debate. i must confess that i find some of the echoes in our present debate somewhat disturbing. however, i think the best answer to that is to listen and to respond. and let me say lastly in terms of how we handle this issue in terms of duty -- i think our citizens in this country have felt somewhat shut out. we have this perfect storm. we have a feeling among the middle income groups of this country that they essentially have been treading water, as they have pared -- as they have.

i think we need to respond to what is the feeling of recently treading water. and it relates to jobs. and also i think it relates to education. this health bill is called a health bill, it has some important education provisions in it. also i think there is a feeling for a need for equity and fairness. i close with this, because i think it is a special charge to the ways and means committee that has jurisdiction over social security and health care, medicare, and trade issues where fairness is an issue and also tax policy. i think we in the committee have a solemn obligation to make sure that there is an equitable opportunity for every citizen

in the united states. every citizen in the united states. and while i enjoy so much serving on this committee -- why i enjoy some of serving on this committee, is it gives me the opportunity in all of the areas i mentioned to try to make sure that this remains a land of opportunity, and add the word, community. i feel what we have been trying to do, our majority, is to keep that promise of opportunity and of community. and my own judgment is, if we will keep at it, if we will have open the years and open minds, but also a sense of commitment and determination, that in the end we will be able to respond

to those who are skeptics of the way it is today and skeptics of government. look, i want my constituents to be proud, not of me really, but of the position i hold. and of the government that i served. i want to go back and convince them that it can be such. otherwise, why run? i want to run in an atmosphere that renews trust and renews faith and renews a sense that it is a government to serve and not to dominate. thank you very much. [applause] >> thank you, chairman levin. thank you all for coming today. we would also like to thank the

national press club staff, including the library and broadcast operations center and for more information on joining and how to acquire a copy of today's program go to our website at press.org. thank you, and this meeting is adjourned. .

program, meet the students who made them. and for a list of all the winners, visit studentcam.org. >> "washington journal" continues. host: jason mattera joins us this morning. his new book, "obama zombies." what is an obama zogby? >> it is -- guest: it is any individual who put the man on a pedestal and thought that ipod would drop from heaven and he would melt away their student loans for ever. now they're paying the price big time. that is why i wanted to ride obama -- "obama zombies" to set this record straight. host: do you think that anyone voted obama as a zombie in your term?

guest: if you look at the margin of victory he carried in voters 18 to 29, it was the largest demographic shift in this area in history. and the youth vote is what predominantly carried account for barack obama. -- of the count for barack obama. people who voted for him because he hooked them up with concert tickets, that is an obama zogby. host: the people -- and obama zombie. host: if you were to ask those people today, what do think there answer would be? i think guest: there are two camps. -- guest: i think there are two camps. i think there are those that are having buyer's remorse.

unfortunately, there's this huge disconnect between younger americans who still by and large support this president even though his policies are a catastrophe that are aimed right at their futures. he was going to be this great united. he was supposed to heal the country. he was supposed to open transparency. this is where young people have bought into, and that has not materialized. yet they still provide his biggest bases of support. that is why i wrote obama zombies. and also to point out how the gop has had an awful and youth outreach program for many years. host: you are critical of john mccain in this book. what did you not like about his campaign? guest: where do i start? number one, he was not a conservative. he banged his presidency on reaching across the aisle and plain nice with the left.

we cannot have that anymore. he did not have bases on college campuses. obama had 1000 students per chapter. he always had young people behind him. his internet reach was absolutely amazing. john mccain's our region on the internet was a game called pork invaders were you had to dodge incoming projectiles from pigs. the graphics were not even that good. it look like pac-man in the 1980's. barack obama hires the co creator of facebook to run his new media operation. he hires an emmy award winning producers from cnn to upload videos to youtube. it was a complete digital domination. i think there is a lot of the gop can learn. host: jason mattera is with us

until about 9:55 a.m. eastern. the numbers are on the screen. folks may also know you from some of your television appearances, you're on camera, your video -- for lack of a bit better word -- a of interviews. you have an interview on your web site at jasonmattera.com with the offering can. -- with al franken. guest: most people do treat these corrupt individuals like they are superstars and. and yet, the "new york times" is running articles showing how premiums are going to increase

and how villa -- there are all of these provisions that do not line up to the promises that the obama campaign was speaking during this entire process. this is -- these are questions that i ask people like al franken were there are moneys set aside for general james and mudcat bars. he has no idea -- for jungle gyms and monkey bars. he has no idea what is in it. host: do people not see this coming? guest: no, i bottom of first and then you ask the hard questions. -- buy butter them up first and then you ask the hard questions. avoiding the filibuster, so that barack obama himself said in

2005 was unconstitutional and a power grab. and robert giggs, i confronted him, and he said, president bush did the same thing to tax cuts. host: wouldn't the, the zombies say, this is what we wanted done -- wouldn't the obama zombies say, this is what we wanted done? we wanted something to get done and this move to the process along? guest: i think that most young people did not shut their ipods off for a second. they are now subsidizing the cost of all americans. insurance companies can no longer very the price to a significant degree according to one's age. that affects people in my age bracket. it is like an inheritance in reverse. that is what i've identified as an obama zogby. his policies are a slap in the face -- and obama zombie.

his policies are a slap in the face. host: joe is our first caller. caller: how old are you? guest: 26. caller: these young people who voted for obama have just been through eight years of bush. eight years is forever when you are young. i would say the largest influence is eight years of two wars and everything that went wrong. guest: the caller is definitely right, there was a lot of fatigue with george bush and reckless spending. what is interesting is that barack obama in a year-and-a- half has racked up more deficits than george of the bush did in his entire time in

office. my generation is going to have to pay for this. and that is why obama zombie i wrote a obama zombie -- and that is why i wrote obama zombies. host: do you have to get candidates out there? a a guest: you ought to get candidates who are going to win. it has to be a clear juxtaposition to a liberal philosophy. obama has shown his cards. he believes there is a government solution to every problem. we have to say, no, it is our problem and we have to find solutions. host: who you see as an upcoming candidates? guest: i will take everyone and see what they have to offer. at this point i'm not endorsing

any one particular candidate. host: go ahead with your comment. caller: i worked on the key mccain campaign and i was in over seven counties in western virginia. i understand were your coming from about mccain not being a conservative and the ground game and everything, but we need to also played -- placed the blame on the other people or whoever was in the field the did not take the initiative. i had 27 interns from james madison in china -- university. no one told me to do that. i did that of my own accord. the ground game has to be creative and do their own thing. and know how to bring people in. if you cannot totally blame it on mccain. i think a lot of it has to be blamed on the people on the ground and her professional they are.

a lot guest: has to be pinned on a cane. his ground game -- guest: a lot has to be pinned on mccain. his ground game needed a of work. thank you the obama campaign were targeting young people. -- of the obama campaign were targeting young people. there is a lot we can learn, that conservatives can learn from our political enemies and adopt their tactics, because quite frankly, some of them are worth adopting. host: it is not surprising that so many young people voted democratic. it is fairly traditional. where you surprised that the votes go beyond obama? you still argue that the folks who voted for him are still somehow duped by his campaign rhetoric and promises. guest: completely duped. one of his promises is that he

was going to stop a a glaciers from melting. he has the audacity to say he's going to stop is for melting? and young people were just cheering him on. it flies in the face of any rational thought. and certainly, bush has something to do with it. but the news has not always gone to democrats. ronald reagan won eight in 1980 and in 1984 and by a pretty good margin. it is about losing an entire generation about -- you are uninformed about ideas. host: on our independent line, high falls, new york, elaine. caller: i would just like to develop this young gentleman's premise that obama zombies are going to lose out.

i just feel that the rhetoric -- the rhetoric that he is using is very of judge bork -- a objectionable. he sounds like an arch conservative. since 2000, this is the rhetoric that they adopt any time we discuss a democrat. and for eight years we had the bushies and people turned against them. what you think that? because for eight years they did nothing for this country. guest: it was not eight years of art conservatism. in fact, george w. bush and bill damany companies and many people like myself or against that. -- bailed out many companies and many people like myself were against that.

but obama has spent much more end of my generation is going to have to repay debt. i am a proud conservative because i believe in individuals and not government empowerment. i believe in individual liberty and not the empowerment of washington. host: bailing out the banks, would you have done that? guest: absolutely not. host: the economic stimulus bill. guest: it was a disaster. it was supposed to keep unemployment below 8% and now we are looking at double-digit unemployment for new -- for who knows how long. host: and bailing out the car makers. guest: americans do not work to support companies or government schemes. the average american spends 103 days of their life working to support a government scheme, almost one-third of their life

paying taxes. host: where you think it would be reasonable for the government to intervene in private business? would you have just let the banks fail? guest: yes, because there have to be consequences for bad decisions. we cannot set up a system that rewards profits and failures at the same time. host: but if you're looking at the downstream consequences of those, higher unemployment, etc. where you make that choice? guest: we already have high unemployment. if we had some of those banks differently that were too big to fail and let them actually fail, we would have a different outcome. caller: sir, let me tell you, you are too young to be so uninformed.

you all look like a bunch of puppets saying the same thing to people that do not make any kind of sense. yes, we are high up as far as the budget is concerned because we have to pay for two wars that mr. bush did not pay for. plus, the doughnut hole in "d." host: medicare? caller: and medicare, i absolutely. all of you from fox news, it is the same thing on down, just a different face. guest: at is no, zombie right there. regardless of his policies, sheep -- that is an obama zombie right there. and regardless of his policies, she will support him. it is crazy the amount of spending that is happening. host: what drives your

conservative policies? how did you become a conservative? guest: i was playing high school in -- high school basketball and got recruited to play high schoobasketball in college. it really turned -- got recruited to play college basketball. host: now you're editor of the human events. where can folks find it? >> they can -- guest: they can go to humanevents.com. caller: i've been waiting a long time to add my views and i do not know where to begin. let's go back to the bush reelection in 2000 and the supreme court that gave him the election. the whole damn thing was rigged.

that was florida. i am ashamed to say that i was a republican when i saw that happening. now, the next thing that is going on is right here. " you have a man in from a view that is so smug and thinks he knows everything. he is criticizing. where were you at the beginning? did you have any ideas then? did you know how to save the country? let's go back to bush. he went into afghanistan and a of -- no, iraq' first and does't he know it is a travel people? -- tribal people? why? because he was looking for oil. host: and the views of by agreeing to my republican caller from texas. guest: most of the problems of washington rohrer too much

overreaching -- problems from washington are too much over reaching. my solution is simple. you have to cut back on these government programs. people know best how to spend their money and govern their own lives. liberalism and for many years now has tried to increase the power of washington and minimize the individual's power. we need our leaders to make the difference is plain and simple. for young people, -- the book is not just about young people in particular. that is why it is important to stand up to the obama zombie. host: eureka, calif., this is mark. caller: i voted for obama and i am a little disappointed in him.

but if we would have put mr. mccain in dara we would be bombing -- in their blue would be bombing iran right now. -- if we would have put mr. mccain in there, we would have been bombing iran right now. if you look at the lesser of two evils, i never would have put mr. mccain in their, especially with pailin as vice president. -- palin as vice president. if he would have died, and he is old enough to die, and i do not want to see him die -- host: you voted for president obama. and what is the one area that he has disappointed you most? caller: i think the first in each of have done after the banks is jobs. personally, i think if we start

making solar power and win power -- wind power and then we can stop this dependency. guest: no, wind and solar power is a fantasy. most of our power is provided by coal and nuclear and oil, and we can continue to grant federer. most places, -- to ramp up up. most places, their unemployment rate is skyrocketing.

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[captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2010] [captioning performed by national captioning institute] >> jobs, jobs, jobs. that's what this is about, but it is hard. that's why the recovery act, we invested billions of dollars in infrastructure. not just in highways which a lot of you are building. but also in brings, housing retro fits. not enough. not enough. but without it we would be even in deeper trouble. you notice and thank you all for

cooperating with this but we insisted on a strong davis bacon protections written into the recovery act. by the way, we got the same old stuff. without davis bacon we can put more people to work. spread the money more. like in 19 20, 19 10, 19 30, it is not just about a job. it is about a decent job. it is about a job. you have a shot. raising a family. it is about a job. that allows you to live in a neighborhood that is safe. a house that is secure. a promise. a promise. you may be able to do something to make your kids' circumstance better than yours. a middle class tax cut. 1/3 of all that in there was for

middle class tax cuts. [applause] it reached more people than any tax cut in american history. look, at the end of the day, the president and i have to -- pick up the pace to restoring jobs that have been lost in industries that need to come back and finally get in the game and creating tens of thousands of new jobs for the 21st century naupped industries like renewable industry, high-speed rail and pay a decent wage. what is a green job? a job installing the solar panel, the wind turbine, winterizing a home. laying track for high-speed rail. if we do it right we'll be building the train sets and those turbines as well. that's why we had the thing with the 48 c's.

that is the tax code that gives for advanced energy manufacturing a tax credit of 30%. a credit. a credit to any outfit that will come here and build clean energy components used here in the united states. people will say that is $5 billion, biden. i hope we end up having to hand out $50 billion. you know what it means? it means new industry. if they are giving the money out it means you're building that stuff here. we already have it for erecting those new faciles. but we ought to be able to encourage people. encourage them to build the stuff here. to me it is a good thing if we get cleaner energy from a windmill but an even better thing if an american worker builds the turbine, builds the gearbox, builds it all and you

guys go and erect it and get paid a fair wage that you're able to raise your family on. [applause] folks, it is a way off. but if we stick to it, we can do this. you know, and we're making another investment in energy and in you. mark, when is the last time you heard a president promise a nuclear power plant and then come through on the nuclear power? [applause] that's what president obama did announcing $8 billion of a nuclear loan guarantee while standing in a hall mean 800 permanent jobs when it is completed and that is only the beginning and by the way, that nuclear plant is being built with a project labor agreement. [applause] it also means -- it also means

we have broken through the reluctantance of the country to invest in this type of renewable energy. producing cleaner energy and more jobs in the days ahead. this is the new economy where labor has to lead. this is how we're going to keep the promise we have made for ourselves that we're not only going to create jobs but make decent good-paying jobs that you can raise a family on. that's how we get back what has been taken away. we can do this, folks. but folks, and you heard me say this before. this is about people's positions. how they feel about themselves. their dignity. their respect. a lot of people have had that dignity ripped away from them. you know, the least we can do is make sure they keep their health care, keep their house and family. that's why the recovery act we included insurance extension and

cobra. it lets the people just hang on. a lot of people are just really, really really hurting. if your brothers or sisters don't have work right now, those things a lifeline. i'm proud the president just extended unemployment insurance and cobra through june. tomorrow when you're up on the hill, do me a favor, let my former colleagues know, let them know, let them hear from you, tell them about not just the need for jobs but what it means to the people you know and represent to be able to have that unemployment check extended so they can keep their house. tell them what it means to be able to keep their health insurance through cobra. make sure that washington knows you want a clean energy bill. make sure they know you want tough financial regulatory

reform so we never have to bail these guys out again. [applause] so the banks can do what they are supposed to do to get you back to work. lend noun people. so you can do what you do best. build things. [applause] look, at the end of the day, it comes down to something i've said many times before. we don't have to accept this situation we cannot bear. we have the power to change it and we have begun to change it. it is painful and it is slow but the hole was incredibly deep. let me just remind you. biffer lowered my right hand on -- before i lowered my right hand on that cold january day, we had already lost 740,000 jobs by january. the economy shrunk 6 340eu7b% a year ago.

but the fact of the matter is the economy last quarter grew 5.8%. the last quarter averaging 53,000 jobs a month. we'll be adding an average of 200,000 jobs a month as we go forward. not enough to break through 8% unemployment but folks, you have been there. we've got to give people hope. people are beginning to believe the path we set out to recover from eight years of neglect is beginning. beginning to take hold. it is not just joe biden saying that. democratic vice president, it is the "wall street journal". "businessweek". it is everybody acknowledging that what we have been doing is beginning to take root. we still have unfinished business, folks. we have an unfinished commitment to you.

we want to make sure that when you, in fact, you should be able to sign up for union just like you sign up to vote. [applause] now folks, we've not forgotten that your guys and ours have to figure out when to pull that trigger and we cannot -- we cannot -- we cannot be down on our prospects this november. you know, senator clemons once said, the reports of my death are premature. well, the reports of our demise are premature. we still need you. [applause] we're absolutely determined to

change the equation. absolutely determined that labor comes back. absolutely determined that over the period of this time we create good, serious jobs, in which you can build a family and build a nation. and folks, ultimately, if we can't do it through you, it can't be done. we're going to do it. we're determined to do it. these leaders up here, they are derled to do it. ypt to thank you all for your patience and forebearance. it is awful hard for you to tell that to your members but we're moving in the right directions. may god bless you all and may god protect our troops. thank you very much. [applause] ♪ one step ahead

one step behind turn this thing around right now right now come on it's everything right now it means everything ♪ >> a little different than dick cheney, don't you think? [applause] thank you vice president biden for that inspiring message of hope for america's working

families and thank you for your unwavering support for the building and construction trades. ladies and gentlemen, like many of you, i'm a proud vietnam veteran. [applause] and i have visited the vietnam veterans' memorial wall many times and i'm always deeply moved by the service and sacrifice of those americans who are memorial i'dized in that sacred place. this year we have the opportunity to honor those heroic americans even more by building the education center at the wall sponsored by the vietnam met rans memorial fund. -- veterans memorial fund. >> washington is a city of monuments and memorials but there is one memorial that

stands out that is different from all the others. it is the vietnam wall. it is visited by more people than any of the other monuments and memorials. the simple reflection of service and sacrifice. it has touched us all for 25 years. you see this blank, polished stone, it reflects you. you look at the names, you see yourself. >> i feel my dad's presence there. i feel comfortable and safe. >> like an angel wrapping her wings around all these 58,000-plus men and women. >> it brought these troops, 3.5 million back into contact with each other. >> as a vet, my life and america's history will not be forgotten. >> the wall, to veterans will always be our hallowed ground. >> i'm general barry mccaffrey.

millions of people can claim a family member who fought in the vietnam conflict. patriots who answered our country's call and protected the values we hold dear. loyalty, honor, respect, courage , integrity, duty, and service. for those millions of family members, this place is indeed hallowed ground. >> this was a couple of nights before he was actually killed. >> this is my father. corporal montez. >> he always took up for the underdog. any time someone had to step up to the plate and take responsibility, rex did it. >> it was the last time i saw him. we were at the airport and he was ready to leave and he hugged me and gave me -- told me to be a good girl. >> he went through a hail of

grenades and bullets. reached eddie torres, patched him enough to stop the bleeding. he saved his life. >> when you look at all those names, you know there are stories there. you can see the names of fathers and sons. war nurses. the diversity of our country. irish, peekan names. >> you say they were once a real person and they had the same hopes and aspirations that you have and regretbly those strings were cut short. >> -- dreams were cut short. >> we at least have a chance to make sure their memory lives forever. i'm standing on what will some day with your help be the education center. we're located close to the wall itself on the national mall. this moving underground facility pays tribute to our veterans and

will educate the public about these honorable men and women who gave their lives for their country. its very existence was inspired by more than 100,000 artfacts left at the wal wall over the years. >> people goon leave poems and medals. it was a very private spot for these individuals. >> dad, although we only met briefly when you left for vietnam when i was a baby, i feel like i've known you all my life. >> wings of steel into a burning blue where your father sought to free a world of hate and oppression. >> you will always be my hero and nothing can take that away from us. thank you for making the ultimate sacrifice for our country and showing me how the stay strong even during the most difficult time. until we meet again, i love you, buddy. your son mike.

>> the vietnam war is the yardstick. it is compared to every other military engagement this country has been involved in since then. as such, we need to make sure that there are students and the teachers know what the vietnam war is about. >> this is an exprocess. not to force feed anybody a conclusion about the war but to educate them on the war. >> as you continue through the center there will be a place where you will see a timeline of military events and it is not about the politics of the war, refighting that battle. it is for another place, not for this place. this will just show the events that occurred. >> the legacy that we pass on to our children and hopefully our grandchildren, is that we're not different than any other patriot that serves their country. >> as you leave the center, you will see on a wall, drawings of those who gave their lives in the revolutionary war photographs, americans who have

given their lives at gettiesburg. photographs of o those who gave their lives at iwo jima and creecra and iraq. this will be a very valuable lesson >> when i'm gone and my family's gone, we will know that my son will always be there and people will still be looking at him and learning about him for as long as there is an education center. i'm very proud of him. i want his spirit and memory to live forever. >> future generations must understand what service and sacrifice is all about. so it will be a place that will enhance the vietnam war experience. it will keep it alive for years and years to come and i hope that all of you will understand the importance of having such a memorial and the importance of the connection to future

generations so these sacrifices will always be treasured and these names will never be forgotten. >> as it was with the construction to have wall, funds for this project are being raised by the public at large. that means you and me, our families and neighbors and co-workers and companies. our goal is to raise $85 million and together we can do it. we're thankful for the large corporations that have got ven --have gotten us off to a great start but the success of this project will depend depend on the thousands of people who take just a few momentses to donate $10, $20, $50, to make this dream a reality. won't you please do go to our website to donate online or call -- 866-990-wall.

thank you. [applause] you know, we're 1/3 of the way from having that $85 million. i've been working with jan, the designer and architect of the vietnam wall and there is absolutely no question about it, he said when we get the money it will only be built by union tradesmen. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, the website address for the education center at the wall is now being displayed on the video screens. thank you for your generosity and your support and again, keep in mind that the vietnam wall was built on donations of $5 and

$10. so help them out. brothers and sisters, our next speaker is a familiar face within the world of political commentators. many of you will recognize him once he steps up here. the "wall street journal" has could mark shields the wittiest political analyst around. the "washington post" called him the walking almanac of american politics. since 1988, shields has provided weekly political analysis, commentary, on national campaigns for the award-winning pbs news hour. for 17 years, shields was moderator and panelist on crmp nn's "capital group." he is now a regular panelist on "inside washington." a weekly public affairs show

seen on abc and pbs. ladies and gentlemen, please welcome one of the most astute and insightful observers of american politics, mark shields. [applause] >> thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you very much, mr. president. for that generous introduction. it was far better than the introduction i received recently in baltimore where the master of ceremonies said now for the latest dope from washington. i appreciate being called the wittiest by the "washington journal" is a little bit like being called the best dressed man in the albanian press core. i don't look to the "wall street journal" for a lot of compliments but at the same time it is an honor to follow vice

president biden. i was confident that i would get up here. i found out we had the room until tuesday so that wasn't a problem. vice president reminded me of that 2008 campaign. that race was a fascinating race in the sense that most of the attention, the press attention went understandably to the democratic side where we had a number of historical firsts. senator obama and senator clinton and governor richardson. the race didn't get the kind of attention i think it really merited. the first thing, the republican party has been very proud of the fact that they opposed the victoria secret catalog. they take some strong positions.

they have come out against nude bathing. [laughter] so they tried to nominate candidates who reflect these values, but it was interesting because they had a little bit of a contradictory feel. you had first of all you had rudy giuliani. three times married. twice divorced. rather similarly announced his divorce to his current rife at the time at a press conference. he had two children. one wasn't speaking to him and one was volunteering for barack obama. you have my old friend, fred thompson. how young is his new wife? his new mother in law is four years young thearn fred. and they are waiting in the wings.

you have newt gingrich. erp's favorite. three times married. thrice divorced. he was carrying on an illicit affair with a young staffer. this is a field of candidates who would have made bill clintton family values candidate. you know? [applause] rudy was fascinating. the only candidate i've seen to begin campaign with -- democrats and republicans and independents. right across the board. he skipped iowa and new

hampshire and michigan and south carolina. made his last stand in florida knowing that there were a lot of new yorkers that lived in florida. unfortunately for rudy 80% of them were democrats. it went to mike huckabee, who i happen to like very much. why is it that people take such an instant dislike to me? mike huckabee said rudy, it is because it saves them time. ? the interest of saving time let me try to give you a sense of where we are politically. it came down two great competitors. you had a united states senator from illinois who, a united states senator from new york had been born in illinois. and a united states rt senator from illinois who had been born in a manger.

the reality is as we meet here today that american politics follows the fundamentals -- that is when the economy is bad the economy is the only issue and that is and overwhelming reality that everybody in shoe leather in this business lives with. i think it is important to put in perspective just exactly where, in fact, we have come from in this country. over the past 30 years, 28 years, actually, from the 1980-2008, we have in this country, 20 years of republican presidency and eight years of democratic presidency. those 20 years of republican presidency were eight years with president ronald reagan. four years of president george her better walker bush and eight

years of george walker bush. in those 20 years of republican leadership, including president reagan, both president bush's, the united states of america created in the private sector 15,688,000 jobs. in the eight years with bill clinton 21,600,000 jobs. it is a remarkable contrast. only the balanced budget in the entire half century, which many of us in this room have lived with by bill clinton, the democratic president. so it is -- i think it is important in terms of perspective to see exactly where it came from. i don't mean to be critical of ronald reagan. i enjoyed him. i disagreed with him on three

out of four issues. he won 49 states one time and 44 the next. he truly had a great sense of humor. one facet of that sense of humor is that ronald reagan from time to time used to say things that were not exactly true. now there was no attempt to deceive. deception was not in the man's soul. he picked things up. they got on the cards and they got into speeches. sometimes they didn't have a strong research basis to them and we used to call these little jewels factoids. they were not fact. they were not fiction. they were factoids. one of his factoids during the campaign in 1980 is there are 207 taxes on a loaf of bread. there are not 207 taxes on a loaf of bread.

the the gipper would say "readers digest." we're in stubenville, ohio, in september, 1980, dean martin's hometown. the day that ronald reagan delivered my all-time favorite factoid. trees cause more pollution than automobiles. [laughter] we all headed for the phones because we knew this was as good as it was going to get. it wasn't going to get any better. that is a great concept next time you're on the new jersey highway. just blamente on pine. mr. reagan was going to speak and some wise guy graduate

student held a sign on a tree that said cut me down before i kill again. [laughter] it was a remarkable, remarkable time. the reagan was -- we've only had two presidents in the hasek half century who served eight years and left office with 65% approval. it wouldn't have been more different. ronald reagan, a conservative republican and bill clinton, governor from arkansas. each of them in his own way represented what i think is essential to our political reality of what americans are always looking for. it was talked about earlier. by the president and the vice president of the united states. that is the element of hope. if one thinks about it, ronald reagan and bill clinton were

both born to what would be called disadvantaged backgrounds. ronald reagan's dad jack was a beloved and engaging figure who had a serious drinking problem and had a problem keeping a job. bill clinton never even met his dad. his dad was dead before he was born. he was raised by his grandparents. his mother went off to nursing school. there was something in each man, the sense of ability to communicate and the sense of confidence to those around them that things could be better, to follow my lead. if one i thinks about american politics there is nothing more important than optimism. it has been the key to american success. leadership. that was certainly embodied in the great depression when the country lost one-half of its

gross national product. ronald reagan, a man in a wheelchair lifted a man up off of its niece an on its feet again. it was an amazing achievement. the ability to create the sense of confidence, to infuse your fellow citizens with it. it is deep in our genes as a people, optimism. make no mistake about it. we are, with the seppings of those ancestors here when columbus arrived, everybody in this room is either himself or herself an immigrant or directly descendants of immigrants. much has been written about the immigrant experience. leaving family and friends and familiar surroundings. to live amongst people you have to speak a language where in many cases you never heard. it is an act of enormous courage. a belief that somewhere i can

breathe free and make things berth if not immediately for myself then for those who come after me. that is the key to american politics. that sense of possibility and optimism that we're all in it together. if there was one characteristic of john sununu. he used to say remember, we're all in this alone. no, we're not. we're not all in this alone. we're all in it together. we may have come here at different times in different ships but together we're all today in the same boat. and that is the reality. [applause] i -- i was thinking and i heard the talking earlier about the

deficit and its importance. i don't minimize the deficit in any way. but there were a number of deficits and certainly the tea party we live with today is reminiscent in part of the movement of ross perot in 1992. he was a phenomenal political occurrence. february 18, 1992, he was at zero in every public opinion poll. by june 10, he led both president bush and bill clinton in the national polls. he did it on the strength of his argument and the strength of his argument was we have been through 200 years in this country. we have fought two world wars and won them. we had the louisiana purchase and the great civil war and lived through great depreppings and during the that time we have run up a total indebitness of

$12 million and we have quadrupled that to $4 trillion. ross perot pointed out yern living west of the mississippi, every waitress and truck driver and schoolteacher wasn't enough to pay the interest on the national debt for one year. and he said -- we know he was telling truth. he made this case. he then pulled out one of the most cruely cockamamie explanations. i've been around politics and closed a few sa loons at last call. people in campaigns talking about the mischievous things tholede do to their opponents. let's order 400 pizzas c.o.d. at opponents headquarters. but i've never heard anybody,

even after a six pack of smirn ofs say let's sabotage our opponents' daughter's wed. this year i will have been married 44 years to someone from texas. i asked my wife how do you sabotage a texas wedding other than showing up sober? [laughter] texas has been too generous to this country. gave us eight years of george w. bush. george w. bush, i had an off the record dinner with him. i covered him the first time he ran against anne richards. the first woman governor of texas. it turns out she wasn't. she said i'm not the first woman governor of texas. the first one was mary ferguson.

she was elected -- she came to the governorship in the early 1930's. she was a western of very little education. she took on the ku klux klan. the big issue was a raging public debate over the teaching of foreign languages in the public texas schools and whether the schoolchildren could study in spanish. she came out against teaching in foreign language. this was her statement according to anne richards. no more teaching our children dirty french or spanish. if english is good enough for jesus christ, it is good enough for texans.

people that ask where great accomplishments and achievements come from, i'll tell you about a story, one of the greatest where you and your brothers and sisters were deeply and intimately involved in and without your involvement it would have come to pass. july 7, 1919, 260 army enlisted men and 27 vehicles left the area of the white house to drive across the country. they were commanded by a young army colonel. it took 62 days to get across the united states of america in 1919. breakdowns along the way. several of the vehicles never made it. the roads were so bad and so unpassable in so many places. and some 41 years later,, 40

years later that, young army colonel, having commanded the u.s. forces in world war ii and the invasion and liberation of europe, dwight david eisenhower, had a vision and that was an interstate highway system to be built. and that interstate highway system was, in fact built. it has been built and it continues to be built and the economic benefits to this nation in growth, in safety, in health, in community, have been incalculable and remain so today. it was a reality of the kind we live with today that more than 1/4 to have nation's brings are

either -- of the nation's bridges, more than 12,000 miles of interstate, intercoastal highway are defective and need repair. 3/4 of the public school buildings are outdated and inadequate, we need again your brains, your brawn, your imagination and your muscle and we need the commitment of this nation to rebuild america to, make us competitive again. [applause] before i went into journalism, i used to work in political campaigns. i worked for some wonderful people. george mcgovern. bobby kennedy.

i actually set the ncaa record for concession speeches written for losing candidates. but i love politics. i think politics is nothing more and nothing less than the peaceable resolution and conflict. i don't know how else in a nation as big as brawling and diverse as ours we resolve our difference except through the political process. the passion and commitment of people like yourselves and since the like yourselves and those who care about public office. i don't know how else we have fortuned the compromises except through that political office. i like people who run for political office. most of us, myself included go to great lengths to avoid rejection of any kind. political candidates risk it every time they put their name

on the ballot. anybody you ever sat next to at study hall, double dated with, knows whether you won or lost. i've always admired particularly candidates who can lose with grace and with humor my half century in this business i've never seen anybody do it better than someone who lost a tight democratic state primary this laugs. only a handful of votes. they stuck the microphone in front of him. he said the people have spoken, the bastards. [laughter] but i admire the kind of

political courage that i've seen in my own lifetime. the very first time i ever slept in the same quarters with african-americans or took orders as a regular course for an african-american was in south carolina. the only reason i did that was because the president of the united states named harry truman said it is fundamentally unacceptable and immoral and at the core it is un-american to ask people to fight and possibly die for their country and then to segregate them by race. [applause] i admire, too, the courage of ronald reagan facing his last chance to be president. he lost to richard nixon and ran against president ford and lost.

1980 he was going to be 69 years old and in his home state or adopted home state of california there was one of those ballot referendum questions california is famous for. this one was called the brigs amendment. it would have prohibited a gay teacher from teaching in the public schools in california. just by that. that alone. no action. anything. if you were gay or homosexual you could not teach. it was leading the polls. ronald reagan came out against it. he said this isn't how we judge teachers in the state of california. we judge them by how our children learn in the classrooms. he turned it around. reagan made the difference. i admire the kind of politics that has taken the terror out of old age through social security and medicare. the kind of politics that rebuilt a war-torn europe

through marshall plan and restored democracy that terribly o pressed and beleaguered continent. the kind of politics that is sed to everybody in this country, you will have the chance to go as far as your able and your initiative will take you. the kind of politics that knocks down obstacles for women, that knocks down obstacles for those minority groups, that knocks down all obstacles that prevent us from reaching what we can collectively and individually reach because while you're here, and i know you're busy and i know your schedule on the hill. if you have a moment, you ought to sneak away down to the mall to the monument to franklin delano roosevelt. franklin delano roosevelt, only american elected four times to the white house.

frank length roosevelt was inaugurated for a second term, he gave us words to live by. it was simply these. the measure of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much but rather we provide enough to those who have too little. when he died, when he died, some 65 years ago this very month, he died in home springs, georgia, his casket was put on the explain and brought 800 miles and drawn by eight horses to the white house. americans lined those sidewalks 20 deep to express their sadness, their sympathy at their great loss of their great leader. and the only record we have of it are the newspapers and the

newsreels and it was remarkable to see people openly crying on the streets of washington. as they came down, a young cbs reporter saw one very well-dressed man just absolutely bereft. tears down his cheeks. he sate tell me, sir, -- said tell me, sir. did you know president roosevelt? he said no, i didn't know president roosevelt, but he knew me. that is the measurement of leadership. that is the test of leadership at every level. does the leader know his or her people? does he understand their hopes? their aspirations? their dreams? and because in the final analysis everyone of us lives with an escapable truth. that is that each and everyone of us has been warmed by fires we did not built.

each and every one of us has drunk interest wells we did not -- drunk from wells we did not dig. are you so very, very much. [applause] -- thank you so very, very much. >> thank you, mark, for your spirits undiluted analysis of the american political scene. it is the pleasure, really a pleasure to have mark at our legislative conference. ladies and gentlemen, i'm proud to say that our next speaker and the building trade enjoy a strong and mutually beneficial working relationship. in addition to being a distinguished scientist and co-winner of the nobel prize in

physics, dr. stephen chu is a visionary leader in america's energy future. he shares conviction that our nation needs a balanced and diverse electricity-supplied portfolio including nuclear, coal, natural gas and a growing renewable energy sector. can we hold it down out in the hall, please? more ever, he has championed the energy department loan guarantee program that supports private sector investment in america's nuclear power renaissance and also deeply understands our nation's need for skilled, experienced workers to serve the energy generation industry. so please join me in welcoming a very good friend of the building trade, the united states' secretary of energy, dr. steven chu. [applause]

♪ >> thank you, president ayers for that kind introduction. i used to be known as the nobel prize winner of the administration and then president obama got a nobel prize and now i'm known as the nerd with the nobel prize. [laughter] but i want to thank president ayers not only for your instruction but for your service on the blue ribbon commission on america's nuclear future. i want to also thank the entire board for this opportunity to talk to you. i would like to start by thanking you for everything you do to build america. your dedication, your craft casmanship, your pride in your

work have helped make this country what it is today. you build hopes that shelter our families and make our communities better places to live. your buildings house businesses that make our country run. you're creating a legacy that will last for generations. so thank you. [applause] i'm proud that the department of energy has a strong relationship with the building trades. particularly the environmental cleanup efforts. these are tough, dangerous projects that require best, most highly trained workers. throughout the department, we work with the ironworkers, [applause] with the laborors. electrical workers. cement masons. and sheet metal workers. and i want to thank you for the

quality job you do for the american people. so i'm going to make two predictions today. but before i make these predictions, i want to remind you of what the great american philosopher over the 20th century said. just in case you're wondering who it was, it was yogi bera. he said predictions were hard to make, especially about the future. so with that in mind, here are the two predictions. first, the price of oil will go up in the long run. we don't know whether it will be next month or next year but as developing countries grow their economies and sources of oil become harder to reach, the price will go up. second, i believe the cause of climate change will become so apparent that the world will act. we're changing our planet and endangering our future and as a result we're beginning to see already the demand for clean

energy technologies. the leaders in china now say that if the world continues on its current path, climate change will be devastating to china and the rest of the world. the leaders in china also say that they have to decrease their carbon emissions. what are they doing? they are investing about $10 billion a month on wind and solar energy, high voltage transmission lines to bring renewable manager to the population centers and they are building 21 nuclear power plants. the world will need a new industrial revolution that will give us clean energy to grow our economies. china wants to lead this industrial revolution, but i say america should be the one to lead it. [applause] the great hockey player wayne gretzky was once asked the secret of his success. he replied, i skate to where the

puck is going to be. not where it has been. americans should do the same. let's start skating. instead of depending on foreign oil, we should depend on america's resources and ingenuity and workers. i believe in this new industrializeation, industrial revolution, mesh's workers can lead the world. we made a down payment on this president obama's reinvestment act. made an $80 million investment in clean yrg jobs in the future. we're creating jobs across the supply chain. from manufacturing to installation. we're starting to unlock america's potential. what does this mean? nuclear power plants. president obama announced the first will break ground in decades. last week the building trade signed a strong project labor

agreement for more than 3,000 jobs in georgia. that gives me great confidence that it will be built right. if congress supports the president's budget request, the department of energy will be able to support six to nine nuclear reactors in the coming years. [applause] what about increasing our oil dependence? well, we should invent batteries that will be needed for plug-in hybrids that will save us money and oil. we're investing $2.4 billion for the batteries. buildings will be needed to house the factories. decreasing our oil dependence means we will need to invent ways to turner been a waste into transportation fuel and little bit that will bring wealth to rural measuring and it also means less expensive oil and gas production. in the coming decades, old

inefficient power plants need to be replaced and modern plants have to be retro fitted to reduce carbon emission. these tasks will require skilled labor to retro fit and build these plants. finally, it means expanding our use for renewable sources like to sun, wind, soil and water. thanks to the recovery act, we're on track to double our renewable energy general nation the next several years. in fact, the administration has called upon congress to fund an additional $5 billion for this program. we're providing cash assistance to jump-start projects like wind farms. these projects are being built in america by american works. we're providing loan guarantees for projects like solo plans in the mohave i desert. bright source alone will lead to

1,000 jobs. we're also working to build an entire new industry in america. retro fitting homes and commercial buildings to make they are energy efficient. the president has proposed a new program called home start to save families on their energy bills. this program will create jobs in the construction industry and provide opportunities to enter the skilled workforce. we want to make sure this work is done by trained professionals or we won't capture the potential savings. now i want to take this chance to urge you to make energy efficiency a top priority not only in all your jobs but in your personal lives. this is an issue i take perhaps more permanently than i should but whenever we move into a new home, i feel the air ducts and windows and doors. i crawled up and put up an extra layer of insulation. i do this because i want to save money and i'm cheap.

i also want to experience first hand what needs to be done. having crawled up in my attic, i recommend people hire trained professionals. [laughter] [applause] many of you have the opportunity to make sure things are built right the first time. no matter what happens in washington, the work is incredibly important for our energy future. when you're on a job site, you literally have america's energy future in your hands. i believe energy efficiency is a new patriotic duty and i know the men and women of the building trades are up to this task. [applause] the recovery act is a strong start, but to truly drive the changes we need and create the jobs in the future, we'll need a comprehensive energy and climate legislation. i want to thank the building trades for your