conflict. colonel frank murry, two years ago met a man born in a small town in south korea. now a researcher at m.i.t., saying his life and success were only possible because of the american soldiers that fought in korea. that friendship continues. these are stories of commitment compassion and courage, men and women who he serving. here my colleagues, leader boehner and leader hoyer talk about that satellite, of the brilliance of south korea by night and how dark ever infrequent quent a that picturen the ground in north korea as well.

a happy -- i visited him a few years ago. while i had seen the overhead, the contest is greater overtime. what we saw on the ground was the same thing the vitality. the sparkle, the children, it is still alive. there was a poverty of spirit. a dullness. in our hotel room, what we saw there was video, newsreels of

soldiers in north korea. that is what they showed those people -- americans in north korea. that was their excuse for not having enough food for people. the americans would be coming in the time, so we had to keep the food for the military and the people were starving. there was a difference later referenced. the difference between communism and freedom. others had mentioned about the memorial. and nation honors their sons and daughters of regarding people they never knew or met.

this duty and devotion to freedom lives to this day. it is the greatest legacy of people who were on the front lines. today we honor their sacrifice once more. we pledge to never forget them. we remember everything they did for the american people and all they did to achieve peace and liberty around the world. every day, america is blessed by the men and women in uniform to keep us safe and the home of the brave and the land of the free. thank you. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, the reverend will now deliver the benediction. >> shall we stand?

lord god, we have not forgotten and we will not forget. bless all of those we honor and remember today, especially those who served in the military and their families in the korean war. bless personally and reward greatly charlie rangel, and several others such as arlen specter. colleagues who we honor here today. they ended their colleagues in the war have a moment frozen in time and moments that were melted in sweat and blood. lord, we remember the deeper,

hidden stories that have yet to be revealed as recall those missing in action with so many fraid relationships and open wounds left behind. made their memory be a blessing to us today in a world for the universal concern of all of those who are called prisoners of war, even in our day. may patient attention of military forces carol l. -- across this parallel feet aware. all of those that the parallel

lines separating families -- we see the difference in the struggle with north and south in so many parts of the world. let it bring hope for the future and healing in the past. let us ushered in a new era of reconciliation and peace. amen. >> ladies and gentlemen, thanks for joining us today. please remain in your seats for the departure of the official party. a reception will begin now in the room.

[captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2010] ] >> that is what the office demands for each that serve here. >> look at farewell speeches on the c-span video library with every c-span program since 1987. many hours are on line in free. in his first weekly address of the new year, president obama

plans to work with republicans to solve the nation's problems. then we hear about issues of reducing government spending and to safeguarding against terrorist threats. >> as we close the books on one year and beginning another, i want to take a moment to wish you a very happy new year and talk to you about a year that lies ahead. we are still emerging from a once in a lifetime recession. it has taken a terrible toll on millions of families. many are trying to get their lives back on track. we have news that our recovery is gaining traction. our most important task is to keep it going. as president, that is my

commitment to you, to do everything i can to make sure our economy grows and strengthen our middle class. that is my resolution for the coming year. as we work to boost our economy in the short term, we have to make serious decisions about how to keep our economy going strong in the long run. we have to look ahead. we have full -- we have to see where innovations will come from and how to attract the company's of tomorrow. what will it take to get those jobs? what will it take to out-compete countries around the world? what will it take to make the american dream come true for our children and grandchildren? our grandparents and parents ask themselves those questions. we have had the good fortune to grow up in the greatest nation on earth as a result. we must think about the future.

in a few days, congress will form with one branch controlled by democrats and the other by republicans. we have a shared responsibility to move the country forward. i am willing to work with anyone who has a good idea and is willing to see it through. we expect you to hold us accountable for our progress. solving our challenges will not be quick or easy. we have come through a difficult decade. a new year and a new decade stretches out before us. if we remember what america is capable of and live up to that legacy, i am confident that we will have a time of progress where our economy is growing and we will do what it takes to make sure that america remains in

the 21st century as it was in the 20, the greatest country in the world. thanks for listening. happy new year. >> i am a newly elected senator from new hampshire. we have opportunities to take stock in the opportunities of the past and look at the promise of a new year. we are beginning a new chapter for our country and our party. the american people are relying on us to make changes in washington. we want to do just that. many republican members are set boehner the head.o we want to make government smaller and not a bigger and not

spend money that we do not have on programs that are not working. we must carry out the will of the people. americans across the country have been declaring their new year's resolutions. it is an opportunity to clarify goals and take a stand for the future. republicans are participating in a similar exercise. we are doubling our commitment to the principles on which we were elected. we want to eliminate the path forward for our country. we want to stop wasteful washington spending. as the mother of two children, i worry that our debt threatens the economic future of america along with our children. we want to make sure future

generations have more opportunities than what we had. this is not a republican problem or a democrat problem. it will require tough decision making for both parties. republicans are ready to lead that fight. we want to create conditions necessary to have been well pain, sustainable jobs with millions of americans unemployed, which must work quickly to jump-start our economy. the effort to prevent any income tax hike on families and businesses is an important first step. coming from a small business family, i have seen firsthand the risk-taking american business people, not the government create more jobs. we need to harness these policies to get our economy

moving again. we have to get washington out of the way to unleash this american spirit that is made as a very innovative around the world. we must remain vigilant regarding current terrorists. we continue to live in a dangerous world. my husband is in iraq war veteran. as the military works, -- i and stem the sacrifices they make so that we can be safe. we must stand firm with our troops as they continue the war around the globe against terrorism. the challenges we face are great america is the greatest

nation in the the earth. thanks for listening. having a year. may god bless america. >> next a call in program featuring russian prime minister putin. >> tomorrow, christian science monitor examines the relationship with obama. [unintelligible] this is live tomorrow morning at 7 kottkamp eastern on c-span.

>> leadership in the time of uncertainty. that is what the nation asked of the u.s. senate. that is what the office demands of each that serve. >> search the c-span video library. more than one of the 60,000 hours all online. all free. it is washington your way. >> earlier this month, more than 2 million questions were submitted to prime minister putin. his annual program lasted four hours. he responded to several questions. he discussed public housing for those that lost their homes in the wild fires. here is some of it.

>> good afternoon. thanks for joining us. we will discuss the wild fires throughout russia.

others will remember this as a year when housing conditions improved and some bought a car under a special program. and we had the 2010 winter olympics in vancouver. we are happy that russia won the bid to host the 2018 world cup. we have so many people that are here today. many have their own answers to the question as to what this year has been like. we will be joined by the guest.

we will have a live broadcast and be in touch with crews from our location. we now will go live with our prime minister clinton. [applause] >> i will be here and you can call in with your questions. here are the numbers. you can use your cell phone. you contexture questions. here are the numbers. you can send your questions via internet at this address.

you can type in the internet address. . >> good afternoon. we are starting to see some evidence recovering from the crisis. our auto sector is beginning to breathe more freely. the budget is still dealing with a deficit. utility bills are still increasing. some feel the worst dish in the past. >> i have the latest

information with me. i spoke with my colleagues yesterday. the ministers have confirmed that this is the case. the main indicator of the economic effectiveness is growth. the gross domestic product indicates the size of our economy. we have seen solid continued growth 7% on average over the previous decade. a very good indicator of stable growth. the the our economy shrank dramatically with the economic crisis. it shrank by 7.9%. we have seen a positive trend this year.

the economy has grown 4%. not as much as china, europe, or the united states. it is positive. industrial production decreased -- an increase of 8% this year. this does not make up for the decline, but it is moving in that direction in the neighborhood of 8.5%. agriculture about 1.4% last year. because of the drought, there was a decline of 9.9%.

there were poor harvests. in 2008, -- only this year, 65 million tons of grain which is a considerable decrease from 90 million tons of grain in a previous year. we are working hard to support agriculture and preserve this trend of positive development. i am positive that we will concede. investment in fixed assets worth somewhat negative, but they have been growing this year. there are social indicators.

it fell last year 3.5%. real income of households grew slightly. where did it come from? the decision that we took regarding increasing wages and pensions by over 24%. real income increased by just over 2%. this year, we saw real wages grow. last year, they fell by 3.5%. pensions have grown.

it is not something to write home about, but it least we no longer have retirees living below the poverty line. the proportion of russians living below the poverty line has decreased. it is now 12.5% this year. this is a positive trend. 29% of the population in russia lived below the poverty line years ago. we often compare ourselves to europe. we have different approach to

statistics. i do not have average data for europe. the situation in russia is not that different from romania. we are finishing the year in a satisfactory manner. >> when will they feel the general situation is improving? >> a positive trend is on the way and people should be able to feel that. unemployment was 6.2 million last year. we have reduced those numbers by 1.2 million.

this is a very good indicator. it is better than satisfactory. i hope that people have been feeling that changes are on the way. gdp is an important indicator. when the economy goes back to pre-crisis levels, then we can say that people are filling changes and the job market has come back. we should regain our pre crisis gdp in the late 2011 or 2012. i think it will be somewhere in between.

it would be premature to say there will be a turning point in 2011. gdp fell by 7.9, but it does come up 6.4%. this was a trying year for the economy because of the natural and man-made disasters. >> what was most difficult? >> the wild fires. it was a major disaster for them. many people lived very modestly. and they lost what they had. it was a great tribulation for

those people. we have taken care of these problems on the whole. the drought was a very heavy blow to the economy. we have been getting a lot of text messages. >> thanks. the country has been shaken by the events in pittsburgh. -- the st. petersburg. some claim the violence is coming from one area. they say it must be stopped. here is a text from an

individual where he says, as a result, people cannot leave their homes to go to work. the police are not doing anything. we must cut short extremist actions on all sides. >> we cannot see interview everybody in the same way. we must be ruthless in cracking down on any and all kinds of extremist sections. the general public must understand that we need a law and order. it must be maintained. we must guarantee the interest.

often we criticize our law enforcement agents. we are fighting negative elements including the police. . we must not paint everybody black. we was not treat them like dirt. the we must not disregard them or degraded them. everybody has a role to play and a job to do. some hold a microphone and

others tv cameras. the state must fulfil its function. >> we have received another question by tex. what about the russians living in the north caucuses facts >> we should throw away our fears. people from all areas must be able to feel a certain way in their country no matter where they live. we play a pivotal role in this along with public organizations.

everybody must have a shared awareness that they have one homeland. one of our main objectives is to ensure that all people that live in russia can feel safe or comfortable anywhere in this country. russia has always been a multi- ethnic and multi-confessional. religion is christianity or

orthodox. some say it is closer to the principles of islam. that is compared to catholicism. i am not going to discuss how close that statement is to reality. these religions have coexisted for many centuries. they have developed a communications culture. we must go back to their roots in communicate. >> there is footage of the wild fires.

many have moved in their new homes. we would like to ask those people how things are. >> our correspondent is there. >> what is it like now? >> good afternoon. we are here in this village where 68 modern comfortable houses. it is been constructed for residents who lost their homes for wild fires this summer.

they have satellite television, internet. they are grateful that you came here when the construction was still under way. people were able to move in before the first snow hit the ground. they're here to tell you about the developments. >> here is our question. will any amendments be made as a result of the fire? will anything change? years ago, many were laid off.

the situation was completely out of control in the forest. >> if we have decided to raise the responsibility for certain areas -- not just that. it is a part of the bigger problem. fire services are poorly equipped. we must make amendments especially around certain town centers and facilities. we are debating a bill on volunteer firefighting. we are planning to reinstate

them. it belongs to the emergency ministry in the defense ministry and the interior ministry. the additional equipment will have the government allocate over the next few years and includes new aircraft. we will buy certain aircraft. we hope it will help us view more confidently and more efficiently the challenges of

this. does anyone else have questions? >> i am a doctor's assistant. i worked closely with elderly women in the past, their utility bills were an issue. any changes? will they increase or stay the same? >> in the past, villages like this had a low capacity. the power supply and water system is a factor.

all of this cost additional money. we need additional resources. this is something that we have seen for ourselves. they are energy saving. one can keep the cost of electricity and heating down. the utilities and structure of the whole country -- it is not fully satisfying.

there was an increase of 20% at one point. next year, we do not expect the crisis to rise above 13%. if you economize, you can make even

and we've have professionals that can establish that. we hope that it will not happen. we have resumption of one thing, but not killed. >> thanks. the issue has been raised, and there are many questions as a result. we have that of the management companies. our specific concern is that rates have been going up each year. we have intelligence in this country. my husband and i are disabled.

why have they this continued our discount for utilities? what is to be done? >> this is the talk of the town. a buzz word. it has to do with a systematic chronic underfunding. what happens in real life? local authorities are underfunding this area. they are not raising the rates because we want to be popular with the constituency. they want residents to like them. they fail to do it on time. then they fail to have a dead end. then they raise the prices by a large percentage. the networks are falling apart.

there is more to it than that. the market has monopolized certain ones. they have a local utility company that has developed a close release and ship, which is charging people certain prices without improving the quality of services provided in any way. another important area of work is to do something to the utility market. we should pay close attention to this. we should make sure that regulations be adopted at the local, and municipal markets. this is a very important area of work. without it, we cannot change the

situation. before people turn over to homeowners associations, we must do everything to make sure that it is at the proper level. some hope that they will spend money to improve dilapidated houses. as far as discounted rates, i would like to tell him and many other citizens that nobody has the [unintelligible] and one must check what is going

on in this city. some individuals have a right to discounted rates. the federal budget allocates serious money. those monies are sent to a region so that they get a discount. in some of them, benefits are being monetized. some can pay little for utilities out of 50%. and out of that percentage, it is not a lot of money. people should receive more.

first, they have to pay to put the money in the individual account. then they can pay for utilities. it is not the other way around. first they make them pay and then they do not to refund. that is part of the problem. management company is being managed by somebody. >> we have questions. >> a great deal of questions regarding utilities as winter is very relevant in a sensitive issue. they need sewage in heating. they are asking while -- why the law is not working. some must be cynical to set up a

management company. and it will rub off many people. the question is, how long will this go on until the system changes. i do not know if i can add something. this is one of the key priorities. it has to be done. i heard this regarding a diagram. the diagrammed it showed the personal sewage bill. he was thinking about it.

regional legislatures must be thinking about it. it is not an easy problem, but it can be solved. there are many people in the steel that care. they must ask questions. >> we have a lot of people here from the college and they are wearing uniforms as a resident, i am concerned about this. it has seen some lawlessness and there has been some shock.

what happens will not happen again. that is the hope. >> that is the problem with calling militia police. as a result of a broad public -- broad public discussion, we are looking at these changes in the structure of the interior. and the way these works are organized to take place. we have to see if these changes are safe.

we need to improve the well- being of the staff of the interior. . it is not just about this. all authorities failed to rise to the task. what about the prosecutor's office? . where are the courts that would of taken the proper woolens.

they did not see anything? it is an important red flag. they decided to take -- shake off the dust and to pay closer attention to what is happening. i came under a lot of criticism and still have for changing a procedure for which those who have been appointed and sworn in. the power was to present criminal entities from catching

[unintelligible] there were a criminal entities behind certain candidates. they sometimes succeeded in affecting the outcome of the election campaign and its result. this creates some kind of a barrier for a criminal entities to act in this. .

.

[applause] thank you. we appreciate it. today we shall it might on a truth. enslaved african americans were used as laborers in the construction of this capitol building. the mandate of the slave labor task force is to study and recognize the contributions of the enslaved african americans in building the united states capitol. the architect of the 2005 report

entitled "history of slave laborers in the construction of the united states capitol" documents the work of slaves in the capital construction. these historical markers will be placed in the visitor's center. we recognize the blood, sweat, and tears of the enslaved african americans that helped construct this embodiment of our democracy. imagine, constructing this nation pottery capital building with your own two hands -- constructing this nation's capitol building with your own two hands. to chisel and pulled the massive stones out of a mosquito and

tested quarry. imagine having to work in the bone-chilling winter without shoes. just imagine the united states government, our government, paying your honor, not you, but your honor. -- paying your owner, not you, but your owner. $5 a month for your labor. this capital, the most recognizable symbol of our democracy, was not built overnight. it was not built by machines. it was built by the back- breaking work of laborers and slave laborers. this building from which we project the ideas of freedom, democracy, and community stands

grounded on a foundation laid by slaves. slavery is a part of our nation's history for which we are not proud. however, we should not run away from it. the history of the capitol like the history of our nation should be complete. as thousands of big -- visitors what to the capital, they leave without knowing the true history of its construction. today that changes. today with these markers, we moved one step closer of realizing a dream of a more perfect more -- of a more perfect union. with these markers, we now tell the full history of our nation and this capital building. today through these markers, we remind all visitors of the work

of enslaved african americans in building this temple of freedom. again, madam speaker and leaders of the congress, i would like to thank everyone here for their support for the slave labor task force in helping to bring this to light. thank you very much. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, the united states senator from arkansas, the hon. blanche lincoln. >> gracias. -- thank you. [applause] i would like to thank you for being here today enjoining all

of us in this incredible opportunity to pay respect and really elevate this monumental task that was a part of our great history in this country. i just want to say a very special thank you to my friend congressman john lewis for those remarks, for his passion, for his steadfast determination in his lap time -- i in his lifetime to do so many good things on behalf of so many people. most of all, his leadership here with the slave labor task force. i had the privilege of working with them when i served in the house. i have been pleased and honored to work with them on this initiative. j.c. watts has also worked hard on this. i want to extend my sincere thanks to the sikes family for

joining us here today. i want to take a moment to remember mr. curtis sites who is no longer with us. he was an original member of the slave labor task force and a native of little rock, ark., where he was an original member of the arkansas black history of advisory committee. i am bank will for his contribution to this effort -- i am thankful for his contribution to this effort. all it also like to thank another resident of little rock. i thank her for her contribution to this task force following mr. sikes after his untimely passing. a special welcome to our distinguished guests for taking time to join us in washington. today is such a special day. after almost 10 years of hard work and dedication, we celebrate the contribution made

by enslaved african-americans in the construction of the u.s. capitol. when the capital was first being built in the early 1800's, enslaved african-americans worked on all facets of this construction. for nearly 200 years the stories of these slave laborers were mostly unknown to the visitors of the capital. we forgot to say thank you to these incredible, skilled, and talented craftsman and workers. in 1999, old pay stubs were discovered that showed that slaves were involved in the construction of the capital. i sponsored a resolution in july of 2000 to establish a special task force do make recommendations to honor the slave laborers who worked on the capital. in 2007, this task force presented our recommendations.

today, the events of the unveiling of these markers is the fulfillment of one of our recommendations. i am reminded of a bill read and the statue of freedom. we look at the top of this great building at the top of this capital and see a statute -- the statue of freedom. it was cast by thomas crawford in his studio in italy. mr. crawford passed away. once it arrived in washington, d.c., problems soon arose. a worker who assembled the model soon got into a pay dispute. when it came time to disassemble it and move its to maryland where it would be cast into bronze, he refused to reveal how to take it apart. [laughter] work on the statue stalled until a man by the name of phillip

reed solved the mystery. he was enslaved african- american. he was selected to cast the bronze statue. he figured out how to disassemble the model by attaching a iron hook to the statue's head and ever so gently lifting the top section until a hairline crack appeared. the crack indicated with the joints were located. he then repeated the operation until the five different sections of the statue were discovered. we know about him today because the son of the foundry owner shared the story in 1969. it described him as an expert, and its marble workmen, and highly esteemed by all who knew him. we stand here today not only because of phillip reed, but for other african-americans like

him who worked tirelessly to sacrifice. these markers, in their own right, will serve as a symbol of their sacrifice and will be seen by visitors to enter the building for evermore. in closing, i would like to personally thank the members of the slave labor task force. center chambliss and senator schumer who were co-sponsors of the legislation to honor these in slave laborers. this incredible sacrificing contribution to the construction of this majestic building have gone unrecognized for far too long. i am grateful for the opportunity -- the opportunity to be a part of this initiative and to thank everyone who joined us today for this very meaningful and long overdue event. as i came back to what might have been on the minds of those

enslaved african-americans, i can only think, just as the father mentioned in his prayer, to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with our god. that must have certainly been on the minds of those enslaved african-americans as they did their jobs as skilled laborers, as craftsman with a great sense of pride for what they produced for so many americans to enjoy. thank you for joining us. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, republican leader of the united states house of representatives, if the hon. john boehner. [applause] >> madam speaker, my colleagues, honored guests, we welcome all of you to the capitol today. we take time from our busy schedules to honor a group of

people who were almost forgotten to history. i want to commend the work of the slave labor task force as others have done and the work of john lewis, blanche lincoln, and j.c. watts. thank you to all of those who served on that task force and thank you for being with us today. the capitol building that we also love began its life in september of 1793. it is now the preeminent symbol of freedom and liberty throughout the world. the work of the task force is to remind every american of the contributions that african- american slaves made to the construction of this sacred building player to the end of slavery here in washington, d.c. in 1814 when the british came to burn the capital, -- they did in fact burn it -- it only had a house and senate wing. both buildings were gutted. all that remained were the outer

walls. the effort to rebuild was extensive. all of that work was performed by many enslaved african- americans to help the area. they transported the stone here to the capital. they cast the bricks. they cleared the land. they rebuilt the two wings and eventually helped construct what we know now as the greatest symbol of representative government in the world. that is our capitol dome. the markers we are dedicating to date simply say "we will not forget." american slaves not only helped build the capital, they helped build a nation. i think our nation owes them a debt of gratitude. thank you. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, republican leader of the united states senate, the hon. mitch

mcconnell. [applause] >> speaker policy, leader peaker pelosi,eale leader boehner -- we must remind ourselves that nearly a century after the declaration of independence was signed, an entire race of people were died the god-given rights about which jefferson wrote in that immortal document. finally, because i in remembering the slaves who labored here, we give them in some measure it -- some measure of dignity they were denied in life.

without it, we would not have these markers. we would not know some of the stories that have come down to us as part of the research. senator lincoln has already told you the story of phillip reed, but it is so interesting it bears repeating. as you just learned, he played an unlikely role in finishing the construction of the capital as it appears today. originally from south carolina, he worked in a calgary owned by thomas crawford, the man who designed the statue of entry jackson we are all familiar with in lafayette park. he was later commissioned to cast the statue of fret sits atop the capitol dome. as senator lincoln pointed out,

the plaster model for the statue of freedom was supposed to be displayed in the old house chamber until the time came for it to be disassembled. cast into statue and put up over the dome. but there was a problem. a big problem. the italian sculptor, as plants pointed out, -- as blanche pointed out, was the only person around who knew how to take it apart. well, philip reed was apparently the sharpest die in the capital at the time. [laughter] he was the only one in, literally the only one who could figure out how to take the thing apart without the sculptor's help. it is largely because of him that this great symbol of

freedom sits atop the capitol dome. as the task force historians point out, the story of philip reed underscores one of the great ironies of this building's construction. that is of eight ortman helping to cast the statue of freedom who was not himself free. this is a terrible injustice, but it is part of the story and we must continue to tell it. as congressman lewis said, the history of the capitals should be complete. we are grateful to the slave labor task force for their work , they're helping us to remember and memorialize this painful part of our history, and they're helping make sure future

generations continue to tell the whole story. thank you. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, majority leader of the united states senate, the hon. harry reid. [applause] >> as we have heard and heard -- [laughter] as soon as president lincoln signed the emancipation proclamation, the statue was lowered into the dome. we all know his last name was reed -- [laughter] [applause] but you know, there are lots of

different ways to spell reid. this was spelled -- his was spelled r-e-i-d. each of us speaking today recognizes what a privilege it is to call this place our workplace. callus local slaves labor here long before we did. their task were backbreaking. law condemned to a sentence of disgraceful injustice, they somehow found the strength to fashion the most graceful designs. if through blistering summers and biking winters, they carved and carried the stones.

they built a temple to liberty, though many of them would never note it firsthand. they toiled with nothing more but the hope for the rights of their descendants to be free. to elect the leaders who would represent them and serve as their representatives. in this place are so much -- were so much of american history was written, it is our duty to make sure that none of it, no matter how foul, is a race front memory. that is why we are here today. we share their story emplaced this marker, not only for those who work your generations ago, but for those who will work and live here for generations to come. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, the

speaker of the united states house of representatives, if the hon. nancy pelosi. [applause] >> hello again. welcome to all of you to the capital for this very special occasion. imagine having this program in recognition of the contribution of enslaved african-americans. because of john lewis and senator blanche lincoln, j.c. watts -- thank you j. c. for being here -- you have given us this privilege to unveil this statute and to correct this injustice. i am glad we are doing so in a very strong bipartisan way.

i want to acknowledge so many members of the congressional black caucus and the associate members of the caucus. the black caucus and john lewis had been called the conscience of the congress. today, a challenge to the congress that this injustice has presented is at least partially corrected by getting the recognition that we do. it has been an honor to work on this endeavor. i would also like to recognize two other bidders for the african-american community. lorraine miller, the clerk of the house, and terry rouse. terry is the ceo of the capital

visitor's center. i do not know where loraine is. she is still working. over the past decade, the slave labor task force work to document the history of slave laborers who constructed the walls of the united states capitol. we know of the valuable contributions of the reed family. out of a dark chapter in our past, rice refused, a dream not yet realized, these nation's carpenters, painters, and others gave this house of liberty as a beacon of hope for our nation and the world. history books till now had not told their story. the tale will be written forever

into these walls and into the structure and spoken from this marble chamber. today it is enshrined in these markers which state "this original exterior wall was constructed between 1793 and 1800 of sandstone quarried by enslaved african-americans who were an important part of the labor force that built the united states capitol for all to see, read, sabre, treasurer, and value when they visit the capital of the united states, never again will there contributions go unrecognized. this marker will join others in the capital. they are a symbol to all to come here that no american is left

out of america's story. today we honor men and women who not only constructed this building, but became a critical thread in the fabric of our country -- our country's heritage -- and we will continue to honor the diversity of our nation in the months and years ahead. when lincoln made his second inaugural address, which is sometimes called [unintelligible] with malice toward none, with charity towards all. that is the first times african americans have ever attended -- that was the first time african- americans had ever attended a presidential inauguration. it was a very changed situation. the great demands the paper would make his inaugural address then have people there fully attending.

at that time, president lincoln said, "we cannot escape history." with this marker, we embrace it and we celebrate it. i let my colleagues to join me in the unveiling of the marker. after that, reverend black, the chaplain of the united states senate, will deliver the benediction. after the invocation, i invite you all to participate in a celebration and a brief reception. thank you for coming. i want to run up to each of you and ask you to sign my program. [laughter] you are all our very special guests. we are honored by your presence. now, we will unveil the plaque. [applause]

>> there are many honors that are afforded leaders in the congress. today is a very special day for all of us because to be a part of the ceremony and to stand here with john lewis and blanche lincoln -- come up here. [applause] are there other members of the

task force here? come on up. come on, barbara. the secretary of labor is here with us today. harry had to go vote. [laughter]

now we are going to do something we know you all love to do -- pray. >> let us now for the benediction. lord god almighty, creator and sustainer of the universe, accept our thanksgiving for the contributions of enslaved african-americans to the construction of the united states capitol. may our gratitude for their sacrifices motivate us to strive to see more clearly your image

in all humanity. lord, inspire us to pray that you will truly make us one nation under girded by you, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. in the seasons to come, bless and keep us. make your face to shine upon us and be gracious unto us. let the light of your countenance upon us and give us your piece until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream. we pray in your liberating name, amen. [applause]

>> ladies and gentlemen, thank you for attending today's ceremony. enjoy the rest of your day. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2011] >> next, a discussion of the future of investigations -- of investigative journalism. >> the one thing that we have absolutely large over the last 30 years is that economists and other sages of the economy are not very good at predicting what actually happens. >> in columns for newsweek and

the washington post, robert samuelson has written about economics. he will join us tonight on c- span's q and a. >> this was moderated by grover norquist and tucker carlson, founder of the daily color. that is live monday for the national press club at 1:00 p.m. eastern on c-span. >> now, a panel of reporters discuss investigative journalism. harvard's kennedy school of government hosted the discussion. it is in honor of david halberstam who died in 2007. this is 1.5 hours.

>> i want to welcome you to this wonderful evening in the spirit of david halberstam and, if someone i knew and admired. he is a great person to inspire a talk about journalism in every respect. we talk about it from the perspective of idealism, professionalism, high-quality, passion -- all those things. i am glad that the class of 1955 is represented here. is there anyone else who was a co-sponsor i should mention? shell out.

-- shout out. i am very pleased that david halberstam's widow and daughter are here. [applause] david halberstam, as all of you probably know, was a graduate of harvard in 1955. he was also a significant figure in american journalism in a different kind of sense. he was at the beginning of a new kind of american journalism. highly educated, idealistic, committed in kind of a social way to being a journalist in order to use journalism to tell truths that would have the

effect of making this a better place. the journalist before david halberstam's time were not rooted in education and idealism. he looked at journalism as a profession that was suitable to a guy who went to harvard. that was very unusual at the time. david halberstam and graduated in 1955. he went to the smallest newspapers and in mississippi to began his journalism career, covering civil rights. he then went to the new york times in 1962. i want to tell you a story about that. i think it really gets at something that is very much the spirit of david halberstam and also what journalism, i believe, is really all about. let me take you back. david halberstam went to

mississippi to cover civil rights. what he felt was a situation that was morally repugnant, but what was also important was that that the enemy was often the government. the government had looked at themselves as i allies, as partners of journalists. journalists were uniforms during world war ii. david halberstam and his contemporaries cut their teeth in a world in which they were actively answering back to government power and often criticized it. he went to vietnam in 1962. he went to saigon as one of the very few american newspaper journalist.

he began sending back reports about what he really saw. this is something that was very unhappy to the kennedy administration. while this was happening, at the "new york times," a man named salzberger became publisher. he was not supposed to become publisher. he was considered to be much too inexperienced, much too unpolished. he was not a man who was thought to be ready. nevertheless, his brother-in-law died and he became publisher. he was trying have to be publisher in 1962. he was an ex-marine from world war ii.

he was a very patriotic man, but a man who barely got through college. he got an invitation in october of 1953 to go to the white house. he was invited to go to lunch. he goes to the white house and they walked in and there is jack kennedy using all of the power of the white house to overwhelm this young publisher. he began, immediately, to tell him that he had to get rid of david halberstam. david halberstam is too close to the story. he is not objective. you have to replace them. you have to which all him. you have to get him out of there. it was apparently one of these lectures -- he basically said,

"mr. president, you can go [beep] but the rope. he called david halberstam and canceled his vacation because he was afraid it would be interpreted as acquiescing to the presidency. flash for 30 years. this is important. the fact that the new york times that david made it possible for other news organizations to do the same. they set the tone. the tone was "tell it like it is." 30 years later, "the new yorker" magazine celebrated the

pulitzer prize-winning vietnam journalists. they went to a restaurant on the upper east side of york that is kind of a hang al to tell war stories, drink, and congratulate each other. they looked in the rest shot and there was punch with a group of people. david said, "i looked over. we talked about it and realized that what we did could not have been done without him." we told him that we appreciated him. five pulitzer prize winning the vietnam war correspondents set punch and his table a bottle of

champagne. my point is this, this was a time of david halberstam and it was a time of the "new york times." we are here to talk about journalism as he experienced it. i am also a journalist. also, journalism for a new generation, a generation that is now coming along and facing a different world, a world with its own challenges and difficulties. the pleasures and joys of journalism are very much still the same. i want you to look at a brief clip of david halberstam talking about journalism. >> it was not about being popular.

i did not care what washington wanted. what was important was that might readers could walk into saigon and not be surprised. and that was my mission, just to let my readers better. i was only 28-years old when i went there. i understood that i was the heir of the great tradition. by chance, history had catapulted me to a moment where journalism mattered. there are moments -- there are a lot of terrific stories -- in journalism mattered in the civil rights movement because this was a country trying to define itself for a modern era. in vietnam, it mattered as well because the government was lying.

the government does not tell the truth, then the power of journalism goes up. >> we had a distinguished panel. i want to introduce them and then we are going to have a conversation with ourselves and later with many of you. without further ado, let me introduce our distinguished panel. to your far right, charlie to is one of the founders of the globalpost.com, a new online international news site that is devoted to international news alone. charlie comes from a very distinguished background as a globetrotting foreign correspondent for the "boston globe." he would have probably still been there if in 2006 they had not effectively abolished all of

its international reporters. that is when the problems we have today. charlie had the idea that there was interest out there in international news. he put it together. it is a for-profit venture. this is something that has been underway for less than two years. it has already won incredible recognition. next to him is mark. his title is senior foreign affairs correspondent. she has been one of abc news's most distinguished reporters. she spent a lot of that time going to iraq, afghanistan, and pakistan during the kind of journalistic reporting to david halberstam represented and loved. she has won awards. when the sheet one that i state

means a lot to her was one in the name of daniel pearl. he was kidnapped by militants and executed. he represented the danger in the complexity of the world of journalist to are in dangerous places. martha has not only been a white house correspondent, but she has been all over the world and done the shoe leather kind of reporting that is the spirit of david halberstam. next to me is stephen engelberg, a colleague of mine from my time at the "new york times." he is an investigative reporter. he has spent his career as an investigative reporter. he is now the managing editor

of the most watched and admired non-profit venture for investigative journalism. it is a different model from the other two. this is a non-profit model focused on investigative reporting. the is -- he has won many awards. this is a very distinguished group. i told them before the program began we were back in the green room, that we would talk briefly -- i wanted to do something that journalists do not often do. i wanted to talk about what it felt like. these are people like david who have given their entire careers to journalism. david was killed in an on it -- in an automobile accident on the way to interview someone. that was his life. all of these people have done the same with the time they have

had. they have made their careers in journalism. i wanted to talk very quickly about why they became journalists, but more importantly, what from their experience feels -- journalism feels like. charlie? >> i think there are a couple of different key experiences you have. one is when you have that piece of deprivation that is going to break that story wide open. the other one is being in the right place at the right time. we often have to work really hard to be in the right place at the right time. for me, the reason i came into journalism was my family had a house painting business and my oldest brother had a job as a photographer for the "boston herald beer "i would go and run his film for him. i would not get very long to do

this, but for a few minutes i kiss day courts in watched the celtics. i wanted to be courtside. having done this for the paper i grew up reading was to see these great journalist, of feeling heir to a really proud legacy. for me, that was a career of trying to break stories and be there at the right place in the right time. being in afghanistan at 2001, being in iraq at -- in 2003 -- covering the stories really captured that -- you cannot call it a joy, but davis sounded up perfectly. it is that moment where history catapult's you into a place where journalism matters.

>> talk about that moment that you were just describing. when someone says something and you know that you have them. >> i worked with ben bradley at the "boston globe." he was a fantastic editor. i remembered legally with which i could talk with them. i could call him up and tell him what i had. covering the big dig, i began going out drinking with a lot of engineers. there was this thing called the [unintelligible] i remembered this moment of being with a bunch of engineers who were chatting about a contract. this was where the story was. there was no way this was going to work. this was going to cost at least $500 million. i got the place where i need to

go to to find that contract to look at that and say, "i have got it." that is one feeling, but another one that is equally powerful is the sense that you are in the moment. you are on a story, he worked hard to get their -- i had that feeling in afghanistan in 2001. i had covered al qaeda for eight years. the first world trade center bombing in 1993 when i was a street reporter -- i covered it like a top story. we had a great editor to set me to egypt and into pakistan and the west bank to follow the suspects. cop reporting. he passed for to that moment on

september 11 where you now go to afghanistan to cover what will be the change of the world. that was the moment. s sense of history bring me to a place where journalism matters. >> market? >> this is embarrassing for me. i was not like you. but was not looking at it and sang all wanted to do that. i was kind of a loser. i drank too much beer template to much pull in college. i kind of fell into it. when i fell into it and when i started working at the lowest possible level at a television station, i instantly loved it. my 29-year-old daughter, worked for a short time after college at news channel 8.

she would call and say -- >> that is a local television station? >> it is local. she said, "i had a story today that was so boring." i said, "i love every story i cover." and i really do. it is a disciplined curiosity. you are telling stories. jimmy, that is the important part of my job. it is what i always say to journalism students. you cannot just say this happened this happened and this happened. you have to be excited about it. you've got to tell people what happened. a couple of moments for me that were exciting, and they are all very different. you talk about the interview where you said, "okay. that is going to make news." i covered vice president cheney a few years ago.

but it was tied up 8 nothing trip. i was thrown in on this trip and had not traveled with the vice president. he did not love having the press along. i cannot tell you how tense these interviews are with public figures whether it is the president, the vice president, or the secretary of state. you have 20 minutes and they are giving you flash cards. you want to drill down some subject, but they would you of all the time he will not get to what you want to talk to -- want to talk about. vice president cheney is looking at me and i said, "vice president, americans say the war was not worth fighting." he looked at me and he said, " so?"

>> that is a good moment. >> i was honestly stunned. i know i am on camera and i have to react. i think i said that to him, " does that matter?" at that moment he became quite the news story for quite a while. those interviews were during the time i covered the white house. they were, to make, >> i guess what i am palace of over the years -- what i am proudest of over the years is that during the time when iraq was truly in danger and that the national intelligence estimate said they were in the midst of a civil war and the administration was saying everything is fine, it is going to be a success.

i know says the surge is testing going a lot better. at this time it was not going well at all. i was traveling there a lot. i was a white house correspondent, but i was able to go overseas and come back. i remember asking the president if he agreed with this national intelligence estimate. he looked at me and said, "it is hard for me to say bidding in this the beautiful white house. you have been there. i have not." during that time, day after day with the administration saying it is going just fine, but every night the american public was being exposed to what was actually happening. i think the american public should hear it out. it did not mean that we wet on the air and said everything was horrible. it was that we wet on the air and said, "i am here and i just

i mortared." to me, day after day after day of doing that and having the american public figure that aou, president bush understood that they needed to change strategy and do something different. that was the greatest move to say everybody is saying get out of there, but i am going to go. i am going to double down. the sick -- the security situation improved. one final one, reporters never get a call. never -- never get called in the middle of the night. it is old fashioned. in or on the telephone all day. no one really ever calls you when something big happens. when the head of al qaeda in a

rock was captured, i got a great phone call at 2:00 in the morning. i was too tired. i had -- i was writing a book at the time. i was covering the white house. i just hit the pillow and i got a call. the caller said, "they have taught him." calls in the middle of the nine are never did. they are always something bad. that was actually one of those moments where i could not believe that i had just gotten a huge story. it feels good, but what feels the greatest is really telling a story. i love when people come up to me and say they remember my story from iraq or afghanistan. >> steve?

>> i stumbled into this business as well. i was an odd college freshmen. i knew exactly what i wanted to major in and do. it was not journalism. i was going to be a historian. i knew that that was what i was going to go to college to do. along the way i got sidetracked into the journalism thing and started some internships and so on. i fell in love with it and decided, given the choice between riding rough history and writing history where you could ask follow-up questions, i would rather interview the people i was writing about. i think it was a deeper things than that. a bit of personal background, i am a first-generation american. my father was a jewish refugee from germany. the choice of my career was not so coincidental.

in my heart, i have always believed that if people only knew the truth, if people had put in their hands of the actual facts, there would be a different outcome. for my money, most journalists are really reformist. they believe that democracy will make a good decision if only they know. i try to communicate that. two very quick examples -- i was at the washington bureau in the late 1980's. the libyans were building a chemical weapons factory. they had gotten support from european countries. everybody said, "oh well. that is terrible. they should not have chemical weapons." i wanted to find out who was doing this. i asked everybody i knew in washington to tell me and they

washington to tell me and they told me i was