that is my opinion. i kind of agree with you. i sympathize. you are answering all sorts of yoyo questions and booya to you. it has to change but that is not going to happen nowadays. guest: you have to remember that the military and civilian world have to get along. for the civilians, it is your military. you have to love them and understand them. for the people in the military, the reason you do it is for the civilian world. that is why being in the center is a fun place to be. i think it is very necessary. host: bruce fleming's book is out this summer. you can also read more about it at his website, a brucefleming.net that will do it for this "washington journal washington." -- that will do it for this "washington journal." tomorrow, windy sherman will

join us. she is the former state department counselor on north korea. we will talk about the u.s. reaction to policy in north korea. later, a look at the north american free trade agreement and what it means to future trade agreements. we will wrap up with a discussion on bankruptcies in the united states with samuel gerdano from the bankruptcy institute. we hope you have a wonderful memorial day. we will see you tomorrow at 7:00. thank you for joining us. [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2010] [captioning performed by national captioning institute] . .

>> live coverage of memorial day ceremony. first at the arlington national cemetery, later president obama at the abraham national cemetery in the amyloid. >> this treaty is an evolution of agreements the comeback to the 1970's. particularly of the series of start agreements that started in the reagan administration and continued in some form in every subsequent administration. >> watched the moments that make history right now online at the c-span video library. washington your way, every

program since 1987 available free online. [applause] d>> barbara bush, the daughter of president bush and laura bush, made a speech recently about help corps. at the national press club. >> i wanted to thank a few of the friends who have helped us. gene case, she has supported us from the very beginning. thank you, gene. charlie hill is one of our other co-founders. he is representing google at the

national geographic spelling bee today. geeta gupta has been instrumental, sitting in the back and i am thrilled that she could make it. lastly i wanted to thank my sister, who is ironically now a member of the club. to my surprise and under the support of my family, she is a member of nbc's "today" show. she is now a member of the press, formerly the enemy. [laughter] i am thrilled that she can be here today. thank you all for the warm reception. i am excited to talk to you about my organization and the work we're doing to promote

global health equity. nutrition, malaria, hiv aids, it has drawn the attention of presidents, world leaders, the heads of business and religious groups, artists and musicians, and compassionate people all over the world. it is also an issue that has captured the imagination of my generation. a generation of technology, a generation that is increasingly globally connected engaged. the global health challenges facing our world today are real and very serious. as many as 500,000 women die as a result of child birth every year. approximately 9 million children die under the age of five. every 30 seconds malaria kills a child in africa. the number of people living with hiv aids worldwide rose by 1 million every year. fewer than 4 million of the 14

million that need immediate treatment are actually receiving it. each year millions of people die from preventable and treatable illnesses. these are very daunting statistics. sometimes they tend to spark dire headlines. calling attention to the seemingly insurmountable deficits in the funds needed to save lives. what those headlines and stories sometimes miss is the ever growing interest of people in our generation to take on these global health challenges. serving on the front lines in the global movement for greater health equity. these headlines do not mention the tenacity and optimism of a new generation of leaders that are committing their lives to making change. for my generation this is not something we are willing to read about and hope to solve some day. we are engaged now. according to reports released last fall by the consortium of

universities and global health, the number of students enrolled in global health programs in the u.s. and canada has more than doubled in the last three years. to meet this growing interest more than 55 universities have developed for all programs in global health. picking the interest of hundreds of thousands of young people who want to engage in changing the unacceptable status quo. my own interest grew out of my experience of traveling with my parents in africa, first in 2003 and later on my own to work in south africa and botswana. i vividly remember standing next to a tiny, precious girl, lying down in her fancy lavender dress. i did not know the details of that child's life, only that she was too sick to stand.

even though she looked like she was 3, she was 7. her mother dressed her up to come see the american president who was visiting her country. sadly she did not live much longer than that. i was 21 at that moment and i could not wrap my brain around this image. but that type of memory was one of many amazing, brilliant memories of being totally engaged, meeting health care workers that were supporting girls like this and her family members. after i came home from that trip i was desperate to work in the field. i wanted to do anything i could to change the fate of that little girl. so, i went back to college and then rolled in as many global health programs as i could. i wound up moving to south africa after college to work at

a children's hospital. after that experience i return to the united states and i began talking with others about how to harness the interest, energy, and passion of other young people looking to make a difference in global health. one of the primary challenges that we saw was the perspective that you cannot work in the local health if you are not a professional. that it is only done by people with medical training. doctors and nurses. the truth is that the complexity and scope of today's challenges require people with the verse skills from a wide range of backgrounds in medicine and beyond. to truly bring about innovative, sustainable solutions, we must engage people the skills ranging from education and psychology to technology, computer programming, monitoring evaluation, business methods and beyond. to truly shift the tide of

global health we need new, innovative solutions and an amplified public mobilization. our desire was to harness the passion, energy, and skills of young people in our generation. we wanted to get young leaders, regardless of their cells debt -- skills that, the ability to engage effectively right now. we have been inspired by organizations like teach for america and city year, who had effectively promoted service in their field, shifting the mindsets of people graduating college to approach education as a career choice. global health corps works with partner organizations, including the clinton foundation and partners in helped to identify areas in need. we then recruit recent graduates and young professionals for

yearlong placements in those organizations. they work in teams of two, partnered with international fellows. our partners are currently from six countries right now. the u.s., tanzania, malawi, 80, burundi, an[unintelligible] supplemented by mentor ship in related fields, along with training and community building. not surprisingly, we received a great deal of interest in our fellowship as they offer unique opportunities for young people to have an immediate impact. last year we received more than 1200 applications for the first class of 22 fellows. this year the interest has continued to grow exponentially. the current fellows have been on the ground working for more than 10 months in malawi, tanzania, rwanda, here in the united

states in boston and new work, new jersey. training hundreds of nurses on how to communicate effectively with their patients, counseling with homeless teenagers, improving the availability of health records and information in tanzania, and opening brand new district hospitals in rwanda. they are making a lasting difference. the fun part, i get to tell you about some of them. one of our fellows is a 26-year- old from illinois the studied engineering at uc-berkeley. after graduating he went to work at restoration hardware doing supply chain management. after three years in the retail he began to look for a way to use the skills that he had to make a change. he heard about the global health corp., applied, and was accepted as one of our first class of 22 fellows. weeks after leaving his job he

moved to zanzibar. his job is to do for the 1 million people there exactly what he did for the gap. but instead of working on clothing in store as he is working on life-saving medicine getting to the hands of the patients that needed the most. since beginning his fellowship to be off the talk about what an honor it was use his skills to offer help for a better and healthier life to the patients he has met. transitioning from the retail industry to global health. not the career that he expected, but he is sure that this is his future, a career working for social justice. for [unintelligible] of malawi his work is more personal. after watching his father die of hiv aids he wanted to prevent the same fate for other families.

he completed his graduate studies in the water and environmental management. he put his skills to use addressing water, sanitation, and environmental problems that affect community health. today as a fellow he and his partner are working to improve and expand the export client program. in the program hiv positive mothers counsel pregnant women that are hiv-positive and expecting you children. they can counsel them on the importance of hiv prevention, testing, and treatment. these experts clients are mothers themselves who are aware firsthand of the issues that positive caregivers face. weekly he visits his clients in different districts to hear their success stories, provide them with support, and make sure they have what they need. he checks in to make sure that they have been able to

successfully council expecting mothers and help them improve their lives to stop the spread of disease. they ask their expert clients to write down their success stories so that faces and names can be paired with statistics. like the fact that one out of four people live with hiv in their district. as they point out, roughly the same statistic as how many people on high-definition televisions in the u.s.. jeffrey was worried that he might not have any success stories as he was frustrated against the harsh stigma of hiv in the community. jeffrey and emily reluctantly ask for success stories. she excitedly grabbed her notebook and showed them the story she had written.

as he reached to carry out to take it with them he realized that the notebook was followed success stories due to the positive reactions based on her counseling. thousands of hiv mothers were not having children with hiv based on this program. his work is succeeding in making sure that other families do not have to suffer. one of our other fellows is from london, selene mgenhi, originally from the condo. her family fled the conflict there -- congo. for family fled the conflict there. while in canada she knew that she desperately wanted to return to our country to help in the rebuilding process. today she is working for the clinton foundation in the north of burrera. specifically to work alongside

community health workers. individuals that provide health care provisions for their neighbors. they are the backbone of the health-care society. in rwanda they are not paid. most of them old two or three other jobs. she helps to provide financial resources for their work. this is a pilot program that, if successful, will be spread across the country. she is already working with 15 cooperatives, each with 50 to 150 members in it. she is making a huge impact in the health of communities today and a huge impact in rebuilding the health care system in her country. she says that everyone has the right to live in a healthy environment with clean water where children can go to school

and where children feel safe. she has worked with global health court to help rebuild not only her country but also the hopes of the people for a better life. these three examples that i shoat -- shared with you are examples that come from africa but it also works in the united states right now. u.s. is certainly not immune to global health challenges. one of our fellows, bertha simms, is working in new -- newark, new jersey. she joined the peace corps originally and served as a volunteer for two years, returning to the u.s. to receive for post-graduate from columbia. she had little experience working in the u.s. and was excited to work at lessening in equity in her own country. she now works on a day-to-day basis, personally exporting women to doctors' appointments,

walking them through medicaid procedures, educating and supporting women in dealing with illnesses like hiv. her experience in collaboration has made her acutely aware of the profound need in some cities in the united states. despite the urban blight there is tremendous potential for health care intervention and with this hope she is matriculating into a harvard med school this fall. today she is making an impact within the health organization, serving on the front line of global health. no matter where they go after their fellowship year they will continue to be advocates for global health. to build health equity the must be the tip. with each group of fellows the

potential for innovative, sustainable solutions rose exponentially, which is an inspiring. so, the next time that you read, write, or report about global health challenges and the number of children dying from malaria or the cost of treating hiv aids, do not allow the statistics to show you that nothing can be done. remember all of the health-care providers that are choosing to serve today, not waiting for tomorrow. think about this movement of young leaders who are already helping to build a more just world. some people say that our generation is untitled. after meeting our fellows and reading this year's applications, i know that this simply is not true.

if you know young people interested in global health, encourage them to join this movement. encourage them to improve global health equity. let them know that one person can make a difference. frankly, we need them. thank you very much, i look forward your questions. [applause] >> we look forward to your questions here. if you have something to send up, please do so. we have a good amount of time to have a good conversation. that is why we like having folks like you here at the national press club. the first question that we have follows up on what you were talking about in terms of a person not necessarily meeting and medical background to be helpful on this issue. stafwhat are some of the skill s

needed to go into the field that are not necessarily medically related but do relate to the work that you do? >> as i mentioned, the way that we work as we partner with organizations to find out what their needs are. honestly, than these range but there are clear people with technology skills and computer management skills that are desperately needed in the health field. grant writing skills are very helpful to nonprofit organizations. monitoring and evaluation is a big field that is lacking. just general project management as well. honestly, one of the things that inspired me when we started, someone said they were interested in working in health and they were not studying

medicine. they were told honestly, tell me what you are studying and i can tell you a way to apply it. we are definitely seeing that in terms of the needs a partner organizations. >> how did you literally go about forming the global health corps? what did it take to create this global innovation project? >> jenin and charlie are sitting here with me and we had an amazing team that worked with us. we had four other co-founders that started with us. we all had an interest in health and service and we met through starting global health court. jedda process at her house in baltimore and we brainstorm about ways that we could engage the people of our generation. if anyone was interested in starting a start up, all you

need is people with ideas that are willing to support you and the guts to do it. week with our job and started working full-time on this. we spoke with as many people as we could that have worked in the field. i met with gene literally one month after we have formed our formal business plan. seek advice from anyone in these fields to hear what you should work on. then get good at fund-raising and recruiting college graduates. >> has been challenging to raise funds? how you deal with this target environment? >> it has definitely been difficult but we have managed to cover the first cost of 22 fellows in we have almost completely covered the next 40. the end of 2008 was not the

ideal time to start a nonprofit. but we have been successful and that the same time we were thrilled to start at that time because so many people were rethinking their career choices. people with unbelievable skills were thinking about whether or not they wanted to continue in their field. the talent of our fellows and applicants is outstanding. we were oregon -- incredibly excited to start at that time. >> volunteers that are excited, skills needed to apply, you might send them to an applicant country. what kind of support will they get? >> as i said, it is a team of model. already there is a team working with them. training is held at stanford university before they go to work on professional for paribas

and community building. the fellows can rely on each other. they are having pretty similar experiences working on health challenges the organizations are facing. in terms of support, the community is outstanding. the training is a great way to get together, we hold retreats throughout the year to talk about challenges. fellows also receive two mentors that serve as emotional support and brainstorming systems throughout the year. on top of that they give financial compensation. >> what are some of the biggest lessons about life, working in a difficult area, global health bedfellows like yourself have learned in the business? >> as i mentioned, we hold retreats every year for our fellows.

in terms of lessons they all dealt with at the same challenges even though their projects were different, which was interesting. someone working on medical records in rwanda could have the same challenge as someone as tanzania -- someone in tanzania. it is a complicated field. sometimes the people do not have the proper resources. i think that the best lessons they have learned is thinking creatively about doing what they can with what they have and have to collaborate with organizations and other people working on similar issues. you can really expand your reach by doing that. >> has significant a concern is security for global health workers? spot -- especially in dangerous areas like rwanda? >> we definitely take that into account before sending fellows anywhere. rwanda is a post-conflict

country. they are holding elections this year and it will be interesting to see how that plays out. security definitely plays a part. we follow state department guidelines. fellows working anywhere are doing what our government recommends that they do in terms of safety. >> what might be the next cities in the united states the would expand to? >> a good question. we are looking to expand in the united states. there are many interesting places that we could expand to in the united states. urban cities with urban health problems. washington, d.c. has a very high hiv rate and is a lot of interesting work that can be done. there are many places with a rural health problems as well. we are constantly working -- looking for great partners to

work with. we are hoping to build up more placements in the eastern united states because that is where the fellows are already working. we love receiving e-mails from organizations that want fellows. if you know of any, let us know. >> this question comes from the audience. you mentioned training nurses in washington -- in newark, new jersey. is there any effort in washington, d.c.? >> not to the global health court. in newark it goes through a very large public hospital. that is where the fellows are working on health literacy with nurses and doctors. i know that health literacy right now in the health world is a big buzz word. i am sure the that is being done in washington, d.c., but not

through the global health court. >> are you planning to do more in haiti this year than last year? >> an interesting question. paul farmer is definitely an inspiration on the advisory board with us and we are thrilled to have his knowledge. we are very interested in expanding to another club. we have definitely thought about expanding into the dominican republic and caribbean. definitely on our list of places we want to expand into. >> in the countries and governments that you work with, what about the corruption barrier by and providing adequate health care? -- barrier in providing adequate health care? >> corruption can certainly be a problem in the countries we're working but we specifically work with nonprofits. many of the ones that they work

with do a lot of work with the government, local governments up the chain. currently many of the fellows are working with local governments. for them, corruption has not been a problem. it is very important, obviously, to work with the government in the country so that what they're working on fits with the larger plan. >> questions about approaches and techniques, what do you think of the role of rebuilding health care systems in developing world? >> i think that there's a huge role for that. a lot of interesting work is being done through text messages. lots of community health worker programs use cell phones to text message hospitals if they are having problems with a patient

so that they do not have to walk several miles. i would love to know what jean thinks about this. i think that there is a lot of amazing work already being done with technology and health and i consider it an opportunity. >> what role does social media play in your project? >> it plays a huge role in terms of education, in terms of our fellows being able to communicate with each other. they all blog about the work of they are doing. i think of that is an easy way for them to get the message but what they are working on to the people that they care about. also for the young people entering health care, there are so many ways for them to get engaged and learn about what is being done to social media. i honestly cannot imagine how

these programs work before the internet. it has been such a blessing. >> inevitably will be dealing with governments and government funding, which can be an important component of projects. what have you learned in your role about working with government and government relations and how important is increased government funding in advancing efforts like your own? >> i have already acknowledged that we do work with local governments in the countries where they are. many of them also work with organizations that are funded and already received government funding. really helping them to expand the amount of work that those organizations can do. government funding is very important and it has played a huge role already.

changing the course of how the aids economic could have gone. i'm glad it was signed again two years ago, it is important to have government funding. as a nonprofit we do not get government funds but it does affect the work that our fellows do. >> as you can see, we have a lot of audience interest. checkered past, potential futures. [laughter] we have a few questions about these. this will start with a transition and we will use the national press club as the transition. this audience member asks that your mother came to this podium to speak about aids in africa. how did she inspire you in his career? how much crossover is there between your organization and

your mother's work? >> by mother definitely inspired me to work in health. the best thing that they did for my sister and myself was expose us to the work that they were doing so that we could be aware of the work that the government was doing, we could be aware of the billion people in the health field. for my sister in education. i was very lucky to be able to travel with my parents in 2003, which was the first time i had seen health intervention making a difference. since then i was lucky to attack a lot with my parents on other trips they were making. i was completely cuinspired by their commitment and the work that i saw on the travels. the billion people in those

countries that have devoted their lives to these clauses and had made extreme differences. my mother has been a huge inspiration. very fun, because she understands the work we're doing. it is very easy to talk about what we're focusing on. i am excited to learn more as they shape the institute they are creating together. >> by the way, feel free to incorporate your sister into the responses to some of these upcoming questions. in case you need some backup. both of your parents have written memoirs. your father's will be up in the fall. did you have a chance to bet either of them before they went to press? [laughter] >> i did read my mother's manuscript before it went to press.

i did not have any problems with it. i have not read my father's, but i will before it comes out. i cannot imagine that it will say anything unexpected. >> was there anything that you found surprising or possibly embarrassing? >> there was not anything that i found embarrassing. did you find anything embarrassing? [laughter] i was definitely surprised to read my mother's book. she is a very private woman. some things came out, especially just about her experience in growing up that i did not know about. i loved reading it because it was so much fun to read a book from my mother's perspective of memories i had when i was a

little kid, but to read them from her perspective. >> would you and jan at ever consider writing a joint memoir? >> probably not. [laughter] we do not know if there's a market for it. [laughter] >> how has living in the white house and being in that spot blight had an effect on how people treat you in the professional world? >> well, we never actually lived in the white house, but obviously everyone i work with has worked in the world of my parents. my previous positions definitely started at the bottom. i have definitely been an assistant to people in internal

organizations, gotten coffee for my boss, doing everything that everyone else does. i do not think it played a big role in my work experience. >> this audience member asks another security question. what were the ups and downs of having secret security agents as a college student? [laughter] >> we got a secret service when we were 18, a time when everyone has a lot of change. leaving texas, going to school at yale. we definitely got used to having people there with us, but they were a great group of people. we had so much fun getting to know them and being around them. honestly, they felt more like brothers then secret service agents. we were very thankful that they were there because we knew that they took their job very

seriously. it definitely put us at ease knowing that our parents had secret service also. in knowing that they were always surrounded by a brilliant, great people. we are really very thankful for them. i loved meeting up with them to talk about funny old times. >> when do you turned your parents for advice? let i turned to my parents for advice all the time. especially now that we have started global health or. this is the first time in my life i have worked for a start up, so is an interesting feeling in that normally in your job you have someone guiding you in terms of the work you are doing. working for a startup, it is an open canvas. it has been great to be able to turn my parents for advice about

whom we should be talking to or how to approach fun rating -- fund-raising meetings. they have great experiences to share with us. for personal reasons, a mother is very clean and organize. it has been very helpful. >> what advice would you have for the currensasha amd maleya? >> i do not have much advice, they are lovely, smart girls with parents that are very devoted. the biggest thing would be to take advantage of the opportunity, travel with your parents, what an incredible experience for two little girls. b.a. support your parents and have fun with them.

>> at some point would you like to leave the administrative end of this somewhere else and work in the field yourself? >> yes, i would love to be a fellow. every time that we meet with our partner organizations we are so unbelievably jealous that we do not get to go out to do the work. we have a great team of people. i probably will not be a fellow. but we do have a great team of people that are very supportive and doing brilliant work. it would be a fun dream. >> do you see this as a long- term career path? where do you see yourself in 5- 10 years? >> i do see it as long term. i want to work in the health field. in five years i hope that the global health care -- health

corps has grown. i hope that we have even more fellow's making change in the field. one of our previous alumni, speaking at the national press club, i see it as a long-term career goal. >> you started with 22, now you have 40. where do you see the organization in 5-10 years? >> we would love to have 500 fellows and expand. right now we are in east africa. we want to build community in those areas to provide support for each other so that they can collaborate on the work. we would really love to expand to other parts of the world. i know that one of the question s was about haiti and the caribbean. we would love the work there,

south america, there are needs all over the world and it is fun to think about how we can expand. >> periodically there are calls for idealism to a generation. the peace corps of the 1960's. americorps in the 1990's. this is your own generation's col. how might you distinguish the dynamic of this generation's idealism as opposed to idealism from the past? >> one thing we have seen in that i have talked about, obviously there is idealism which is great that needs to be captured but what is so exciting of the people with skills just from growing up when we did. because of connectivity, technology, living in a global society, i think that our generation is idealistic but we also all have a lot more knowledge just based upon exposure through connectivity.

therefore you can be more informed about the work that you do, making sure that you work on the skills that you need to make a difference in these areas. >> how has global health court distinguished itself from the gates foundation in africa? compare and contrast your work? >> we are very different from the gates foundation. the great -- the gates foundation is doing great work in africa, in a lot of places in the world, but there really a very different organization. what we have provided, basically, is manpower. we provide people of energy to commit to these organizations. it is fundamentally different in terms of what we provide. although i would imagine that our hopes for the health field

are very in line with that there's in terms of ending the health challenges i already discussed. the end goal is the same. but our approach is very different. >> here is a question about foundations and family. you mentioned the clinton foundation several times. how have you worked with president clinton? what did you think of your father's comment that your grandfather had adopted him in your family? follow that, would you see chelsea clinton has a sister? >> who wrote this question? [laughter] let's see, the clinton foundation is one of our great partners. we have worked with it their health access initiative. i have worked with at the people that work for the health access initiative. i did not structure the partnership.

they are doing unbelievable work, which is why we are partnering with them. they are bringing about great change at a local level. we are thrilled to be partnering with them. a grandfather has a very close relationship with president clinton. they worked together to raise funds after the tsunami. we are all connected as one family now after the work in haiti. >> looking to biographical materials i know that you have no elevator in your fifth or walk up in manhattan. especially if you wanted to see your sister on "the today show." this audience member asks, can you critique your sister's pieces on "the today show"?

>> i think she is amazing. even though i do not have a television i've managed to see them all. i go and stay with her at her hotel, i can use that television. [laughter] i can also get them off the internet. i think they have been great. i think that she was born an entertainer. it is perfect. >> what is your most entertaining sister moment? [laughter] >> i do not know what i am allowed to say? growing up she had an amazing imagination. it was no surprise when she wrote a book. she loved to play with barbie dolls. her scenarios between them were the most dramatic, drawn out

situations that you could imagine. i was not surprised at all when she grew up to write that book and become a teacher. i have too many to say. i would need to get them first. [laughter] >> would you consider following in her footsteps and joining the media to spread your message? join us. [laughter] >> i love talking about global health care and taking advantage of the media to talk about these issues, but i am not sure that there are any requests for me to join the media, so probably not. >> what role do you see multilateral institutions in in terms of addressing global health equity? >> we are a nonprofit plaaing a small role in health. governments play a huge role.

to really bring about effective change, all of these organizations need to be involved. most importantly they need to partner and make sure that they work effectively together. i think that there is tremendous potential for multilateral institutions to play a role. >> another very serious question from the audience. your father's administration will be remembered for many things. one important day was september 11, 2001. where were you that day? what was your memory? what did you feel? >> obviously a very defining moment during my father's presidency that caught everyone off guard. i was a sophomore in college. i was in my dorm room and i felt shocked, just like everyone else. i know that i found out the same way as everyone else.

my roommate and i were waking up and the radio announcement was about it. we had no idea, we thought it was an accident. in the dorm room next to last another student was sobbing and we did not know why. that is how we figured it out. i felt the same way as everyone else in the country, i think. totally shocked and very saddened. same as my parents, the same feelings that we all had. knowing at that moment that my father's role as president would be very different based on that day. >> earlier you talked about some of the experiences that inspired you to go into global health. was there a moment earlier in your life where you decided service was the area you want to go into? >> service was just what we did growing up. i do not know if that is

generational or what, but we grew up seeing hours parents involved in many different organizations. at the church there was always a service opportunity. whether it was feeding the homeless -- i remember in high- school to graduate you had to have done a certain amount of community service. it was always just there. i never thought about whether or not you would do it, it was just something that you were suppose to do. it was fun and rewarding. i do not think that there was a moment where i thought that i would go into service, i simply grew up knowing that it would be a part of my life. that was a fact. >> this question was submitted in different forms by five different people. you are clearly passionate about health issues in helping people. is there any chance we will see your name on a valid one day?

>> no, there is not. very happy working in global health right now and i am not interested in politics. >> we are almost out of time before asking the last question we have some important matters to take care of. first, reminding members and guests of future speakers. don june 7 we will have the former national security adviser to harold ford and george bush. did he have any good nicknames? >> not that i know of. [laughter] >> any questions, send them on. june 9, we have ashley judd, discussing the controversial practices in coal mining. june 10, stephen chu will be talking about accelerating innovation to meet climate in

intervention energy goals. the second order of business is to present our guest with the moment you have all been waiting for, the presentation of the traditional national press club mug. >> thank you. [applause] >> as we add to the bush family collection, i know that your mother has spoken here and i think your grandfather did. i know your father has been here. hard to believe that your great grandfather was not here as well. >> the call we also got paper g -- he probably also got a mug. [laughter] >> knowing did you and your sister are twins, for many years you were the bush wins but you have gone on your divergent paths, really beginning in college.

recently studies have come forth showing a lifetime earning power depending on the paths to take. i believe schools tend to do better than state schools, -- ivy league schools tend to do better than state schools, do you feel that your educational packets thus far will insure you greater careers and successful -- and financial success than your sister? [laughter] >> to be honest, my sister should basically be supporting me right now. [laughter] i work in the non-profit field. so, no. right now i would say no. that is my answer. [laughter] >> perhaps she could get to a television set. >> maybe. >> [inaudible] >> thank you. >> all right. thank you for coming today. [applause] [captioning performed by national captioning institute]

[captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2010] >> thank-you to the many people of the national press club who have helped to for this event together today. especially mill and a coke. the library and broadcast operations center has organized today's events. for more information about joining the national press club or acquiring a transcript of today's program, please go to our web site. thank you very much for coming to the national press club for today's luncheon. this meeting is adjourned. [applause]

>> now we take you to arlington national cemetery, where vice- president biden is participating in the traditional memorial day ceremony. he will place a wreath at the historic tomb of the unknown, joined by admiral mike mullen. later the vice president will give an address at the nearby memorial amphitheater. today the president is observing memorial day in illinois. here at arlington national ceremony -- cemetery we expect

shortly the arrival of the official parties. live, c-span.

>> vice-president joseph biden has arrived and is being greeted by today's poshost.

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♪ ["the star spangled banner"] ♪

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[drum roll] ♪ ["taps"]

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[applause]

>> please and gentlemen, please stand for the introduction of the vice-president, conners, invocation and national anthem. -- ownerhonors, invocation and national anthem. >mr. jack metzler, arlington national cemetery superintendent. major general carl r. horst, the united states army district of arm -- of washington. about role michael mullen, chairman, joint chiefs of staff. the hon. -- hon. william flynt

iii, deputy -- william lynn iii, deputy secretary of defense. ladies and gentlemen, the vice president of the united states. ♪ >> will you go with me in prayer? our gracious father, we ask you

to be present among us today as we pause to honor those who have served our nation and without hesitation, with selfless courage, and a love for our nation and the people we serve. thank you for the willingness to fight for freedom, for america, for home and family, and four of their comrades that stand next to them on the battlefield. at continued -- and for their comrades the senate to them on the battlefield. continue to watch over these men and women. they will never forget, always impressed upon our memories, those who fought the good fight and use names and lives are represented by the over 300,000 markers that surround us today. comfort those who grieve for those who gave the last full measure of devotion. let this day the reminder of the greatness of our country and those who proudly served in uniform. in your holy name we dupre, --

we do pray, amen. >> please join our navy band in singing the national anthem. ♪ ♪ ["the star spangled banner"] ♪

[applause] >> please, be seated. ladies and gentleman, admiral mullen. [applause] >> kurram morning. mr. vice president, members of congress, secretary lynn, a distinguished guest, veterans, family members of our fallen warriors, and fellow americans, every year since civil war

reconstruction americans have set aside this day to pay tribute to service and sacrifice. no place more than arlington reminds me of what we owe them and their families for what they have given to us. in forests and jungles, beaches and desert, and across seas and skies, young americans have fought for each other, fought for their families, and fought for us. now they peacefully rest in cemeteries, and marked battlefield graves, and in the deepest oceans around the world. each plot enshrines a unique story and we remember the sacrifice, humility and the service each name represents. the great world war ii correspondent early -- ernie pyle never forgot these stories, particularly those that the

fall and could never tell. in the wake of the normandy invasion on the beach were so many of gave their lives, he found bibles, toothbrushes, hand grenades, and snapshots of families back home staring up at him from the sand. but the most common items he found were letters, letters from home and a link writing paper waiting to become -- blank writing paper waiting to become letters in return. i believe each story, each item they carry sends a powerful message. it is not about how they died, but how they lived and what they cared for. today is a different time. these are different wars, so troops may carry fewer physical keepsakes. but there will always carry and

cherish the love of their family, the respect of their fellow citizens, and in -- and an abiding hope for a safe return. as a corporal in afghanistan wrote in his final letter to his family, "know that you all are the reason that i'm here and to give my life for that is nothing to me." here in arlington, centuries guard the stories of those who gave their lives, those who willingly sacrificed all that they carried. and if such stories of courage, love, and hope will be our continuous renewal has grass comes through their freshly turned soil of section 60. how our treasured and keepsakes will be the lives we celebrate every memorial day and every day of the year. [applause]

>> ladies and gentleman, listen now as the united states navy sea chanters perform an american anthem. ♪

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>> ladies and gentleman, deputy secretary of defense lynn. [applause] >> mr. vice-president, of normal and, families of tops, others distinguished guests -- families of taps, other distinguished guests, we gather today to honor one of the greatest symbols of the sacrifices made to our freedom and our way of life. we have carried our fallen heroes to these fields for 146 years. it the rows of marble headstones -- the rose of marble headstones are a testament of how -- the rows of moral headstones are a testament of howell one generation honors and remembers the next.

and how these sacrifices stretch to the present day. less visible year, but equally a part of memorial day is the sacrifice made by the families of those we have lost. for every fallen hero laid to rest, there is a mother and father who will not see their child through life's milestones. foremost, there is a spouse who must live -- for most, there is a spouse who must live without their partner. and for many, there is a child without thitheir parents to guie them. today, we honored not only those who made the ultimate sacrifice, but we honor all of those who shared the loss. even as we acknowledge the suffering that war has brought, we affirm the sacred commitment to our nation has made to

perpetuate its ideals. if lincoln at gettysburg asked whether a new nation -- lincoln at gettysburg asked whether a new nation in seeking liberty cannot prolong in door. the answer is all around us. from the former slave barrier to the children of the civil war, to the immigrants who twice free europe, to our brothers who fought and died in the korea and vietnam these grounds record that not only freedom and liberty have endured, but that they have flourished. those who sleep in arlington is newest section are from every race and every creed. their graves are topped by the cross, the crescent moon and star, the star of david. to walk from les manchin to

arlington's first degroat -- freshly -- from lee's manchimano arlington's freshly dug grave, it reflects the more perfect union they died to defend. in arlington like nowhere else, we can see freedom blossom and note its price. it is now my privilege to introduce our next speaker. but i first want to say a note of gratitude to his wife, dr. joe biden, who is doing so much to help our military -- dr. jill biden, who is doing so much to help our military families. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor to introduce a man who knows both service and sacrifice, the vice president of the united states. [applause]

>> thank you all very, very much. deputy secretary lynn, thank you for that introduction. that admiral mullen, i have to say -- and at roland, a have to say, we have gotten to know each other and this is -- admiral mullen, i have to say, we have gotten to know each other and this is the greatest opportunity of my life to address all of you on this hallowed ground. and superintendent metzler, thank you for your intention -- attention and care of these hallowed grounds. and thanks to the old guard who stand watch over the souls who gave their lives to standing watch over us. and thanks to all of the service members responsible and representing every branch of the military all across america to ensure that on this day that

those who served under our flag have a flag standing proudly before their headstones, and decoration worthy of their dignity. collectively, the generation of soldiers herrmann and marines who have sacrificed -- airmen and marines who have sacrificed for as are the heart and soul, and i would say, the spine of this nation. and as a nation, we pause to remember them. they gave their lives fulfilling their oath to this nation and to us. and in doing so, they imparted a responsibility on us to recognize, to respect, to honor, and to care for those who risk their lives so that we can live our lives. moments ago, i had the distinct honor and high privilege of playing the reece at the tomb of

the unknown soldier -- of ... laying the wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier. this morning, we are joined by those who know all too well the price paid by their loved ones. i met ruth, who lost her son christopher on the first night of major operations in afghanistan in october of 2001. imaging couple -- imojean cupp, the woman who played a pivotal role in vietnam. terry davis, the remarkable gold star sister, goldstar wife, and gold star mothers. none should be asked to sacrifice that much.

and i also met the parents, the brother, and the beautiful widow of john howard. i had the privilege of meeting his family when i attended the memorial service in fort lewis in washington state. john served in the striker brigade that was among the hardest hit in afghanistan. he left behind a wife, two young sons, and an infant daughter who he never got to make, but who i hope will grow up with a pride in her father filling part of the void that is loved by his loss. each of the goldstar families and bodies in the words of john milton, -- embodied in the words of john milton those who also served stand in waiting. those of you that are standing and waiting are relieved and to

return, as jill and i were, at the return of our son from iraq. many of you are now waiting with family members still overseas, many in harm's way, and some of you have stood and waited for a loved one that did not return. and to live now with the knowledge that you will one day be united with them with our heavenly father. to those who have lost a loved one in the service of our nation, i recall a famous headstone in ireland. the headstone reads as follows, "death leaves the heartache -- "death leaves a heartache no one can heal. love leaves a memory no one can steal." no one can steal the memory from you.

i can tell you from my own personal experience that eventually, the pain and heartache that you now feel will eventually, god willing, be replaced by the joyful memory of the son or daughter, husband or wife, father or mother that you loved so dearly and lost. gergel and my joshed jill and my prayer for you -- jill and my prayer for you is that the healing will come. today is a day of mournful cry. we mourn those who we've lost and we take great pride in the lives they lived and the service they provided and the nation they created, saved and strengthened. earlier this month, stephen

banco, who was kind enough to send my wife some of his speeches right after we were elected, stephen van gogh, who won many medals in vietnam -- stephen banco, who won several medals in vietnam said, "most people think of the battlefield as a province of hate, fear and anger. when you have fought and bled and you risk and you survive, you recognize it as something entirely different. hatred would hardly be enough to make a soldier leave a safe position to rescue a buddy. fear would never make one share of the last set of water with a dying, and -- the last sip of

water with a dying, nad. and angewr would never make a nurse stable with a dying marine. -- stay with a gangrene. only love can trigger that kind of courage. -- and anger would never make a nurse, stayed with a dying marine. only love can trigger that kind of courage. and only their families, who share the love even more deeply, as i look at the headstones of those who gave their lives to win our independence, to save our nation, to save our union, to defend against fascism and communism, i wonder what they would think of this nation and this world today.

i wonder what they would think of this new generation of warriors. the forces of globalization have made the world cross which they must fight much smaller. and as the world are around us that shrinks, it need struggle halfway -- it means trouble halfway around the globe can and will visit us. pauour men and women in uniform know full well that the promise and peril of this time have never been greater, the threats to american security more widespread than ever before geographically. and the spread of weapons of mass destruction and dangerous disease, economic dislocations and the growing gap between the rich and the port, ethnic animosities and failed states.

the challenges of freedom and security when facing a radical fundamentalism. this new generation of warriors stand watch, protecting america's interests against all of these new threats. and they will take, and it has taken, is equally great sacrifice as those who have gone before them. from fallujah to marja, from baghdad to kandahar, from home and to anbar -- from helmand to hand our, our nation has lost 3091 servicemen and women. 1074 in operation in during freedom and in afghanistan. if they were the best of us. they were our blood. they were born of carbone, blood of our blood. they were our treasure -- they were bone of our owbone, the bld

of our blood. they were our treasure. our sacred obligation, the only obligation that a government has that is true the sacred, or sacred obligation to provide these warriors with everything they need to complete their mission, and everything they need and deserve when they come home, that will not change. [applause] but these new warriors, a special breed, they are warriors, but they're also bright, educated, and committed like those who have gone before. they understand that the example of our kara and must be matched

the example of our power must be matched by the power of our example. all of you know our ultimate strength lies in our values. that is what brought everyone of the men and women in this house vote cemetery -- this hallowed cemetery close monday to give their lives, upholding our values. and in -- to give their lives, upholding our values. it ended up holding our values, the objective is to change what it means to be an american. it has been my honor over the past two decades to visit our troops from bosnia to xhosa vote, to iraq to the afghanistan, from six young warriors are bring high in the

announced of afghanistan -- in the mountains of afghanistan to a mess hall in iraq. and every time i can say without fear or contradiction i come away impressed with the intelligence, the grit, they resolved and the patriotism of these young women and men. this is the finest military the world has ever produced, period. [applause] if anyone ever had any doubt about that, they should have been with me three days ago when that conviction was reinforced when i have the great privilege and honor of addressing this year's graduating class at the naval academy. as part of that service, there was an award given to some young

marine showing the qualities that will make him a future leader of the marine corps. the award was named for marine named doug tock zembick. he was a captain in 2004 and because of his heroism in the early ground assault he became known as the line of fallujah -- lion of fallujah. three years ago, this month, doug was shot and killed leading the iraqis he had trained. it was his fourth tour. silver star, bronze star, two purple hearts -- and doug was a warrior, a warrior of from this nation can be proud. major zembick is.

just down the hill in section 60, 21. and when he was laid to rest, his best friend read from his personal notebook in which major zembick wrote these words. he said, "be a man of principle. fight for what you believe in. keep your word. be brave. believe in something bigger than yourself. serve your country. teacher, mentor, and give something back to society. lead from the front and conquer your fears of." -- your fears." these words, in my view, captor -- capture the character and purpose of all of those we honor today.

they served nobly. they gave everything. they fought for what they believed in. and maybe most importantly, they believe in something bigger than themselves. they believe in all of you. they believed in all of us. and they believed in america. on this day, this solemn day, let us strive once again to be individuals and a nation worthy of that belief. may god bless you. may god protect our troops. and may god continue to bless the memory of all of those who have died that we may live. thank you. [applause]

>> ladies and gentlemen, please remain standing for the playing of "taps" and the benediction. ♪ ["taps"]

>> received a benediction. our dear god, before we leave here today, we ask once more that you, oh, lord, bless us, our families, our comrades and leaders and our country. he was mindful of the justice and equality of our nation that have preserved our heritage. let us not forget those who have fought and died so the and we may endure. bless their continuous service today as well as their families and a grateful nation. bring us together in a future in peace. protect those serving on a field

of battle this very moment, and continue to be a strength for the families and loved ones of those deployed. in your holy name we dupreo pra, amen. >> ladies and gentlemen, please remain until the vice president has exited and the colors are retired.

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[applause]

>> president obama is spending his at the memorial day in illinois. he is scheduled to give remarks at the lincoln cemetery in elmwood in chicago. we will have live coverage at about 12:30 p.m. eastern here on c-span. this morning, "washington journal" talked with the co- founder of an autumn flight

network set up to deliver every world war ii veteran to this memorial. we will show as much as we can before the president's remarks in illinois. bringing a world war ii veterans from their home towns to the nation's capital to see the memorial out on the mall. what inspired you to create your organization? guest: at the time i was on a panel and 300 of the pople there were world war ii veterans. they are part of a different breed. i have personally found them to largest airlines country, in on

on this idea of flying about personally. the first flight was in may, it was the 21st. 2005. host: one year ter the

memorial was dedicated. guest: little airplanes at first. we went from 12 little airplanes flying 22 veterans every month. my mother told me that we were getting more applications than that every month. many of them are active duty, although some of them are retired military. they were excited to see their memorial. we had all kinds of volunteers. the sad part is that some of the veterans were in wheelchairs'. they would call to ask if we could

>> they have to raise their own funds and the majority of donations come from individuals. it might be an individual whose grandfather or father was