the table. >> according to some estimates, social security has 40-trillion in unfunded liability. governor rick perry said that they were paying into a program >> all you have to do is do the math and you will know for yourself. a year ago it was 237 and 22%, so in just a year-and-a-half they have kicked that up. cannot raise the retirement age to 68 until 2015, then people do not have a prayer anyway.

>> the chilean model, which uses a personal retirement accounts, and using that would be a good idea as well? >> chile and the united states are slightly different. no, i don't. >> it would not fit the economy, the demographics, it makes no sense. it could not possibly function. the crux let me take a quick point -- >> let me make a quick point about that on social security. i think social security is a good example about the earlier you make changes to a program, the more gradual they can be. 10 years ago and 15 years ago when people were talking about private accounts in social security, there could have been discussion about it because there were surpluses. there are not surpluses anymore. it makes reforming the program

even more urgent. there are claims on other government resources. social security is a perk for example of why getting ahead of a problem that you know is out there -- is a perfect example of why getting ahead of a problem that euna was out there is better off of rather than waiting until you have your options. i do not believe credit accounts are the problem. >> there is a very key thing happening here. our commission never talked about privatization of social security, not once. and you read about it, that the bush thing failed, and in these guys will fail, too, because we are talking about privatization. it is a shunt.

we are not into that game. >> social security today is about $45 billion. on an annual basis it is about negative.n cash- " we tried to do was put forward some recommendations that would make social security sustainably solvent so that it would be there for your generation. that can be done and we obviously recommended that it should be done. >> you say very often that this commission is going to be successful. the crux i think i said optimistic, not very optimistic -- >> i think i said optimistic, not very optimistic. >> both of you were on this

committee. the what is your initial advice? or what would you do to make sure this goes forward? >> i think senator kyle has also said from time to time, and he may not have been quoted correctly on that. we do have an imaginary deficit in this country were the source of that deficit, that imaginary deficit, is waste, fraud, and abuse, foreign-aid, all subsidies, and nancy pelosi's airplane. the real deficit and the real causes of our deficit are a couple of things. first, we spend twice as much as any of a developed country on health care, and that is true whether you look at it as a percentage of gdp or on a per- capita basis. that is one of the big problems. the amount of the growing healthcare costs.

the second is that we spend more than the 14 largest countries combined on our natural -- national defenses. that is not sustainable. causes kind of a howling out of a country because there are not resort -- hollowing out of a country because there are not the resources like education. and the third is that we give half of the way in deductions and credits. people wonder why we have a relatively high tax rate, and yet, we only in that half the money that should be coming into the country. it is because of these deductions and credits. those are the three causes of the deficit and those are the three things that everyone is going to have to deal with if you are going to solve the problem on a long-term basis. >> and i believe we will see what we learned about the defense department. they said, how many contractors

do you have, and they said, it is quite a range, between 1 million.net and 10 million. kent conrad asked for an audit a few years ago. we have no ability to audit ourselves, nor can anyone else audit the defense department. there are health care plans that cost $250 that affect veterans. i am not a veteran and i am not here to crucify veterans. but i was overseas and wrecked them. and make sure everything is on the table. you have to deal with all of these issues if you really are going to address the long-term problems that face the country.

>> do you think of investing money in things like president obama's proposal to reduce payroll taxes temporarily while ignoring investing in -- while it is investing in infrastructure, reducing becher potentially lower the deficit? >> we have seen many times that -- we have said many times that of this country is going to compete globally, we have to invest in things like infrastructure and education and high value-added resources. but we have said we have to do that in a fiscally responsible manner. the when you have limited resources, you have to make choices. let me give you two examples. i just spent six years as the president of the university of north carolina.

when of the things i've fought for the hardest was for us to do our part to improve k-12. and to improve k-12, you have to turn out not just more teachers, but better teachers. the first day i looked at was, what did the but federal government to in this area? i quickly found out that the federal government has 82 programs to improve the quality of education. do we need to or three good ones? absolutely, but we do not need 82. we did $1.5 billion worth of annual research paid for by the taxpayers. of that $1.5 billion, i cannot tell you how much of that would be described as high value-added research, but not all of it is. we are doing research on 3000 colleges and universities today. we have to make choices.

there was a great nobel scientist named ernest rutherford. when his project was running out of money, he even said, we are running out of money. we have got to start thinking. the we've got to make choices. the we have to prioritize our spending. we have to get a bigger bang for our bop. and once we do that, then we have to think about, can we spend more and how do we pay for it? >> can you give us -- they have about two months until thanksgiving to make a recommendation. what would you read by speak to them as far as what to expect? >> to throw away the copies of every paper that comes out daily

because there will be a full- about every sacred cow. they will say, you cannot do this to old people. it will be outrageous. it will be severed tree. -- savagery. it will we put this out they all sat around and chuckled and said, boy, these guys are goofy. now with two months ago, they know exactly what is happening. they are zeroing in on all the stuff that we did. and the gang of six and amenity and everyone out there with a brain, they have no -- and pete davinci, and everyone out there with a brain, they have nowhere to go. it will be savagery. i had people coming from 9:00 a.m. ordaz -- >> i had people

coming in from 9:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. and we did not have anyone saying to cut our budget. they were say ours was the most important. obama said, erskine, i am very proud of you. you should be fiscally responsible, but do not mess with my medicare. and that's what everybody thinks, do this, but do not mess with theirs. but we have to mess with everything because it has to be a shared sacrifice. the problems are real. the solutions are all hard and there is no easy way out. >> there has been the thought that the group does not have time to do the $1.5 billion. [unintelligible] >> i think they have plenty of time and i can tell you the more

comprehensive we made, the easier our job god, these your it was to get to a majority -- , the easier our job got, that easier it was to get a majority. >> just to close out, i cannot help but give a huge thanks to erskine bowles and thousands and. they really set the gold standard for how to fix the budget. for a decade we have not been talking about realistic changes, and it has completely changed the discussion in washington, and in the country. i never thought it would be possible that two people could hit the road and get standing ovations for budget speeches. at i have given enough budget speech is to know you do not get standing ovations. if you listen to them, it is inspiring how much support there is outside of washington to do

the right thing. that work led to the gang of six and there were many colleagues in the house and senate that came together in a bipartisan way to say, let's put everything on the table and put a real fix out there and get ahead of a problem, which is something that we know is unsustainable and changes have to remain. the purpose of releasing this letter is to bring together the voices, all these former members of congress, and the head of the treasury department and office of management budget. they know exactly what we need and they try to lend support to the 12 men and women who are working on the new super committee, and hopefully, help them come up with a solution. you actually get more momentum when you put everything on the table. that may be the thing that helps them. so many people in the country are wishing them support and

success. thank you. >> i would say, what we say to people is a very dirty way and we say it. and we are -- a very earthy way and we say we don't ubs -- do b.s. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2011]

>> more about deficit-reduction tomorrow and when the congressional deficit-reduction committee meets on capitol hill, they will talk about the history of deficit reduction, what makes the current situation different, and what is driving the current need for spending. that will be on c-span3 tomorrow morning at 10:30 a.m. eastern. we will be going live to the capital about 45 minutes from our members of congress will be

holding in 9/11 remembrance ceremony. house leaders will speak and a marine band will play. right after that, the house coming back in for votes at 6:30 p.m. this morning on "washington journal" denise of the mash -- national housing association talked about a program. every monday at this time, we will have a segment called " your money." we will look and not just what the programs cost, but what they do -- look at not just what the program's cost, but what they do. our guest is denise muha with the national leased housing association. democrats -- (202)624-1111. republicans -- (202)624-1115. independents -- (202)624-0760. and if you live in section 8

(202)737-all us at * 2579. denise muha, what is what is referred to as section 8 housing? guest: it is a rental assistance program. it is rental assistance that comes in the two forms. one is attached to a particular property. the housing choice voucher program is a piece of paper that folks qualify and can use to rent apartments anywhere in the country. host: talk to us about the difference between the housing projects versus using the money

and living someplace else that is mixed housing, more of a mixed-income bracket area. guest: i think the positive thing about the voucher program is it offers people more choice. the project helps develop housing or did develop housing over the years. there are properties that exist for low-income people. host: how do you qualify for rental assistance? guest: it is all about income. most people aren't 30% below the median. you can have income -- most people earn 30% below the median. host: how do you actually qualify and get involved? guest: you have to apply. the easiest way to apply is to go to your local housing agency

or housing authority. generally, they have long waiting lists. they will pre qualify you to make sure your income is low enough to be eligible. they'll check your income and those kinds of things. if you are trying to apply to our particular building, you go to that building and get -- to a particular building, you go to that building and get on their waiting list. host: the budget request for the fiscal year 2012 breaks down this way. the total is $19.2 billion. $17 billion of that would go to the renewal of section 8 vouchers. $1.6 billion to the related fees for the vouchers. $111 million for section 811 doctors, for people with disabilities. those numbers are from hud. how does the spending look? guest: the house just marked up to their bill. they did not cut the section 8 program.

there were very close to what the white house requested. to cut that assistance is to cut assistance directly from families, so that has a big impact. it would be seen immediately. in this economy, it is just not doable. host: section 8 residents, you can call us at (202)737-2579. good morning. caller: good morning. i am disabled. i was looking at that number for disabled. i am under a program that alabama -- one of the people here that helps people that don't have -- need somewhere

to stay. they are getting funded from the government. there is an organization called lighthouse counseling center. they got me into a hud-status apartment as disabled. i started out downstairs, then they put me upstairs. by me being disabled, i talked to the counselor and she says there's no money to move anywhere else. can i ask how much money as been funded to my program -- has

been funded to my program? host: how much funding has been provided? guest: he is talking about a state program, which i am not that familiar with. because he is disabled, the first thing i would do is ask the folks up on the program for reasonable accommodation because you are having trouble living on one floor and doing the stairs. under the fair housing act, there are provisions that they would have to provide at reasonable but not -- reasonable accommodation to you. guest: -- host: how does it break down federally versus state and local assistance? guest: there is very little state and local assistance and i am not that familiar with it. folks rely on the federal government to provide housing assistance. host: got? -- dot?

you are on the program with denise muha. go ahead. caller: i am calling from fayetteville, north carolina. here, they say they don't have any more section 8 housing. i am still on section 8, but they are telling people that section 8 is not here anymore, that they do not have the program anymore, that they are not taking any more vouchers. host: maybe there are not taking people at the moment versus the program has run out altogether. caller: they are saying they are not giving out any more vouchers. they are not taking any more section 8. host: let's get a response. guest: you already received section 8, correct? if you are a receive that, you

will not lose it, as long as you meet the requirements. the housing authority probably has a very full waiting list. they probably closed the waiting list. they are not taking any more names. that's my guess. host: louise? caller: i am concerned about the discrimination going on against people who do receive section 8. sometimes, when you search for a house, it will say no section 8, no dogs. what can be done to prevent the source of income discrimination against people who receive section 8? i know, in new york city, there are laws. throughout new york state, there are not. i'm wondering if there is any type of effort from the federal government to put pressure on

state government to prevent this type of discrimination, because it concentrates the pore in high crime areas -- poor in high- crime areas. guest: this is an interesting question. if the government were to require that all landlords excepted vouchers, there would be a backlash against the program. i do not endorse that. there are communities across the country. you mentioned your city. baltimore county is one locally in the ec -- in d.c. it does not allow for discrimination. you have to do your due diligence. it may open units that may not become available. there is still the rent issue. if the rent is not reasonable, the voucher-holder would not be approved anyway. it is definitely a problem we face. i am sympathetic to it, but it

would be detrimental to make it a federal mandate. host: there is a piece by the author of "attention deficit democracy." he says, "remarkably, hud -- what's your thought on that? guest: that is a very interesting opinion. i would disagree. we certainly support the violence against women act. the fact is that it is not a

protected class, being a victim of domestic violence is not a protected class. that raises more questions than it answers. he raises a good point. there are people who can get on the waiting list sooner. if they are evicted, they have to certify their status. that was a weird opinion. host: richard, good morning. caller: good morning. i am disabled. i have been on the waiting list for about five years. about six months ago, i received a letter from the santa clara housing authority, backdating it by a month, that i was taken off the list. i had to write a letter to the

hud director and the person in charge of the santa clara county housing authority that that was wrong. that took three months. recently, i received a letter that i was put back on the list, but it was way, way back than it was before. i would probably have to wait another six years. from my perspective, in dealing with this particular section 8 program here in the county of santa clara, especially where i live, we have seen section 8 being given to legal immigrants. i want you to, if you could, please address that. i want to thank you very much. thank you for c-span. guest: first of all, i am sorry you are having that problem. centocor is one of the best housing authorities in the country -- santa clara is one of

the best housing authorities in the country. i would go and see the executive director of the agency to get you out on a higher place on the list. you should not be penalized for that. with regard to illegal immigrants, the law does not allow section 8 subsidies to be provided to folks who are in this country illegally. if that happened, it should not happen. it is against the law. host: let's hear from james in atlanta, georgia. sorry i cut you off. caller: yes, what i would like to say is that i live in subsidized housing. it seems like there is a problem. host: what's the problem? what's the problem, james? caller: what i noticed is that subsidy programs seem like --

did you cut me off? host: no, turn down your tv. go ahead. caller: it seems like all of the attacks are on the poor. host: all i got was james' comment was he was saying there are attacks on the poor. let's go back to this idea of when you are brought into a middle-income neighborhood -- you do not have to eat live in a project, but you can use the subsidy voucher -- have to live use project, but you cayou can the subsidy voucher to live somewhere else, is there

discrimination? guest: for landlords, is a steady source of income. -- it is a steady source of income. it comes down to screening and due diligence. host: denise muha is the executive director of the national leased housing association. donnie in washington state. hi, there. guest: hi. i am in washington state. i have personally known so many people on section 8 housing who are abusing the system by hiding their income. i believe wholeheartedly in the section 8 program, because i know handicapped people who really need it. the cuts they have made -- so

many people are having their boyfriends or girlfriends with income living with them. when they get their notice that they are having an inspection, these wage-earning people move out temporarily. it is the responsibility of the landlord to do more out for vacation -- more verification. abuse is rampant and i think that hurts the program drastically. guest: i absolutely agree that hurts the program. hud has a program where they can match the income data from folks who were recently hired in the state. you are talking about families that have somebody living there that is not on the lease, contributing to the income of the household.

it is another problem. you're right that households -- landlords need to be more diligent. a lot of the landlords are mom- and-pops. they do not have the experience or the wherewithal to keep tabs on the kind of thing. a property would project-based assistance -- that is unlikely to happen. -- in a property with project- based assistance, that is unlikely to happen. host: we mentioned that $1.6 billion in related fees for about shares -- for vouchers. what are these fees for? who do they go to? is the money going to banks? is it -- sounds like waste.

guest: it is used to check up on it applications, see whether people are eligible, hire inspectors -- check out on applications, see whether people are eligible, hire inspectors. the fees are a little bit low at this point. some housing authorities have had to lay off people. host: looking at some other numbers -- the hud public housing request for 2012. what does this particular program? guest: public housing was built by the federal government and is operated by housing agencies. section 8 is privately owned. public housing is funded, as you mentioned, through capital and fun -- capital and federal agencies. hud is trying to push a program

that would allow those funds to be leveraged by the private sector so they could be recapitalized and use less federal dollars, which has a lot of merit. the public housing program is taking it on the chin as far as funding those. host: marty in minneapolis, good morning. caller: thank you for taking my call. you hear the political debate quite often about whether or not social safety net programs should be the burden of churches and other community organizations. i wonder if an organization has done any statistical analysis of what it would actually cost in terms of impact on our society if you actually put people off some of these programs that exist, such as section 8. the other question, it is the waiting list still so long? it seems like you have a

problem. there are a lot of empty, foreclosed properties. you have a lot of people that need houses. i wonder if any work has been re.e to connect the dots thei thank you. guest: you ask a couple of good questions and raise a couple of points. there was an article in "the washington post" that showed that a lot of folks that are about -- are voucher recipients are able to rent very nice single-family homes because they are in the process of being foreclosed on. it has opened a lot of supply of rental housing to about shoulders -- voucher-holders. in some areas, voucher-holders who used to live in apartments are now living in single-family homes. as far as a study of how the

value would be borne by churches, i'm not aware of it. i do not think it is possible for the slack to be taken up by somebody else, nonprofit in particular. there is an impact on communities if you do not have rental assistance. folks have to earn a two or three times the minimum wage to be able to afford a two-bedroom apartment. i do not know where the woodwork if they did not live in their community or nearby -- i do not know where people would live if they did not live in their community -- i do not know where people would work if they did not live in their community or nearby. host: let's look at these numbers.

denise muha, tell us about some of those programs. guest: the home program is a grant program created in 1992. states and localities get money to do various things related to housing. it is not that much money. i look at it as a sort of gap financing. if you're building a house and property with low-income tax credits, maybe with rental subsidies -- building housing property with low-income tax credit, maybe with rental subsidy, it is a good tool, but not well enough funded. host: let's go to nicole in preventing, florida -- breaking 10 -- bradenton, florida. caller: i am trying to figure out why they would go by the children boss -- children's ssi income for my rent.

i don't think that's fair. guest: that is an interesting question. i can tell you there are exclusions from income. i am assuming their children get the income because their father is deceased or disabled. you raen't -- aren't paying rent on the full price. if you go to hud.com,t here -- hud.com, there are some worksheets that can help. talk to your housing provier. -- provider. host: let's go to mark on our independent line. caller: is information from hud public information?

like whether a particular address or person is receiving section 8 assistance? host: do you think it should be or it should not be? caller: considering is tax money, i don't see why it shouldn't be. host: are you concerned whether there is any bias? caller: it is a bigger might like to check in -- is something i might like to check in on. event how would you pr discrimination? caller: i want to know if i could detect whether a person is receiving a in cases -- it in cases where i suspect fraud.

guest: i have privacy concerns about that. in relation to an issue i was working on on capitol hill a few years ago, the topic came up. in the cleveland area, i know you can go on line and find addresses. if you suspect fraud, contact your local housing agency. host: we talked about some of the of the -- some of the other fiscal year 2012 amounts. what is htf and how does it work? guest: it is a relatively new program, authorized a few years ago. it is a grant-type program. i think it will be difficult to implement. i will be surprised if the funding will come. we're not supposed -- not opposed to the program.

the regs i have seen would make it difficult unless you have a lot of other subsidies to lay on top of it. host: it would increase the supply of rental housing for extremely-low and low-income families. guest: the intent is good. maybe they should look at joining forces with the home program, maybe combine them. caller: -- host: daniel on twitter -- another on twitter -- guest: there are efforts in the industry to green the housing. hud has put out information on an fha program which would insure loans for a vote -- for folks doing green-energy

reductions. a lot of the costs go to utilities. a lot of older buildings could be retrofitted. it is really a timely and -- really timely. host: let's go to rick. turn down your tv. go ahead. caller: i am a recipient of the section 8 program. i think it is a very beneficial program. the income and make it my full- time job that i work very hard at -- income i make at my full-time job that i work very hard that is not enough to support my six-person household. host: have you found it to be

user-friendly? caller: definitely. i heard someone make a comment about not being able to attract people's income. they have a program in pennsylvania that tracks how much money they make. obviously, if you have to pay more rent, you will receive a letter with that notice. i do not see how it is possible for anyone to jump the system -- gyp the system. forink it is a great thing people in my situation. guest: that is what congress needs to hear. your example is truly what we see most often. most folks have working, employment income, just not high enough to support the rents in the area. or someone elderly or disabled two lives on a fixed income. i think it is a wonderful program.

there are always things that go wrong. at the end of the day, it is a good thing for the government -- bang for the government buck. host: denise muha of the national leased housing association. we're talking about the rental assistance program. we're talking about a couple of breakdowns, how much they cost, what they do. what are the requirements for landlords to rent under section 8 and meet the program? guest: ran past the reasonable for the area. they cannot charge just -- rent has to be reasonable for the area. they cannot charge whatever they want. it has to be safe. there are things that makes it easier for an enlarged to participate. our organization is more oferested fin the quality landlords and trying to increase the number of

professional landlords. we can cut back on some of the red tape. housing quality is the biggest issue, along with rent. host: on twitter, why don't yo u limit the number of years a person can live in section 8 housing? for example, young, able-bodied people? guest: most people are working. their income is not high enough to support the rent. the issue of time limits comes up periodically, but the data does not reflect that they are really needed. most people are on rental assistance or less than five years. something like 53%. about 80% are on it for less than eight years. that is not that long. people who are on it longer are usually olderly -- elderly or disabled. washington. go to

linda? with us?itu one last time, linda? caller: hi. host: you are on the program. go ahead. caller: sorry. there is a $2,000 asset limit. it includes your car. my landlord works for a community agency. he will not fix my place. he wants me to move. he wants more money. i need to find a new situation. i have only $539 to look for a place. i cannot find a one-bedroom in

decent condition. guest: i am not sure what your question is, other than you need to find a new unit. the housing authority can help. the landlord is free to decide they want to rent to someone else, to change the buil diong -- building from a rental to a condo. it is private sector. the fact that you have about your makes them portable -- makes them voucher portable. host: what about that figure of $2,000? guest: i am not sure about that.

you can certainly have a car and a few other things. they do not want people who have assets they could liquidate getting assistance when there are others who really need it. host: good morning. caller: i have been up and down the ladder with salary. i have been a single mother working three jobs. sectio n8 housing -- section 8 housing does not work. you can have the proper paperwork. once you get on, that is where the corruption happens -- after they get approved. tell me how many illegals are getting section it. tell many ham -- me how many people who could find work. boyfriends aren't reported. section 8 housing just makes more -- guest: i hear what you're

saying. we certainly tried to prevent fraud. it happens in every aspect of every government program. there is always some fraud, but i do not think it is a lot of fraud. if you know something, you should certainly reported. folks who are in the country illegally are not allowed to receive rental assistance. it should not be happening. i would be surprised if it is. host: our caller said section 8 housing creates more to get those -- more ghettoes. we talked about the vouchers versus the projects. can section 8 housing be in any neighborhood? guest: it can be anywhere. in many small towns, the only high-rise is a senior

community. there have been various studies on the effects of vouchers on crime. they aren't able to make a relationship. sometimes, voucher-holders move to neighborhoods that are already crammed hidden because that is the landlords that are renting to them in that -- that are already crime-ridden because that is the landlords that are renting to them. there are a higher concentration on route 1 where landlords are willing to rent. you can get a higher concentration. i'm not sure if one causes the other, but i would not say that it is necessarily correlated. host: let's here from jackie in

missouri. caller: i have two comments. i am on section 8. i was on a buyout program and i ended up receiving section 8. it is a good program. it tells think provide for my children. i do not have a mother. she died when i was little. it tells me to go to work and pay my rent. i have a job that i work 6 months and sometimes i am furloughed for 6 months. is there a program where i could start looking to buy a home? i have been wanting to look at what my resources are for purchasing a home. i did live in an area that was a very nice complex.

the apartment managers ended up selling to another manager. sometimes you get landlords who just do not care. they can just move anybody in. it turned into a very high-crime area. that is why i ended up moving out to st. charles. i was living in st. louis county. the townhomes or the worst in missouri -- were the worst in missouri. they had a big crime. it is fraud and everything. i want to live in peace. i am grateful to god that i am able to have this kind of service to help me provide for my children. my children are in college now. i am trying to do the right thing on section eight. i do thank you for fighting for us.

i want to know if there is a home buying program that you know about. guest: thank you 3 much. it is good to hear of your experience. there is about your home ownership program -- a voucher homeownership program. it depends on where you are in the home -- and the home prices. in some communities, you can use your voucher towards making a mortgage payment. i would go and talk to the housing authority in your area and asked if they have a voucher homeownership program -- ask if they have a without sure, ownership program -- have a voucher homeownership program. we represent the developers and owners of section 8 as well as those who represent the program. we have done this since 1972.

host: denise muha, executive director o >> we hope to go live to the capital shortly for a 9/11 remembrance ceremony. house and senate leaders will speak. we have many other ceremonies that happened yesterday on our website, c-span.org. the house is coming back in four boats at 6:30. members considered three bills earlier today, including one dealing with protecting judges. we'll have live coverage here at 6:30 eastern. president obama is sending is $447 billion jobs plan to capitol hill today. we spoke with a congressional

blotter about what is happening with the bill. -- congressional blogger. what did the house majority leader say about the president's job planned timetable? >> it was the first time we saw him respond in person to the president's proposal, which he outlined at the end of last week. republicans are saying that they look forward to seeing this proposal when the president sends it appear tonight. they are not able to fully weigh in on it until the congressional budget office is able to score what the budgetary impact will be. the white house estimates this is a $447 billion proposal to stimulate the economy and boost job creation. but until the cdo weighs in, we do not know what the price tag will be. >> are they planning to consider

it as one bill or are they going to break up into smaller measures? >> that is the main question. the white house has said they would like it to be considered as a whole. use of a press secretary saying congress ought to pass it as a whole. republicans don't seem to be on the same page. the majority leader today pointed to a bunch of aspects of this plan that republicans are on board with like to actually for small businesses, three pending trade deals and several other things they believe would be an area for bipartisan agreement. but they are not on board with everything in particular. particularly the white house's plan to pay for this with the elimination of some tax deductions for higher earners and the closing of some loopholes for oil and gas companies.

some of the measures the democrats and the white house have brought up before which republicans have consistently opposed. there is a town of some agreement, but it is not complete agreement just yet. >> if the republicans oppose what the president is offering, what alternatives do they have? >> house republicans have rolled out there know cost jobs plan which includes many of the key points of their party's platform -- their insistence that taxes be not increased for small businessing back federal regulations, particularly ones the obama administration is proposing and measures such as those which would decrease the tax burden and decrease government spending. that has been the party's agenda for this entire congress and previous ones as well.

the question for house republicans is are they able to make the case that would be a successful recipe for job creation in the country. right now, we seem to be out of play on the hill. >> thank you. we are trying to bring you live coverage of bailed 9/11 from burns ceremony about one minute from now on capitol hill. you can read the president paused jobs plan on our web site, c-span.org. as we wait, to economists were on the "washington journal" this morning looking at the president's proposal.

follow us. "washington journal" continues. host: josh bivens is an economist with the economic public policy in tier -- institute and kevin hassett from the economic policy -- from the american enterprise institute. how do you think this would help or not help the economy? josh, what part of the president's plan to you think would do the most to help the economy? guest: i think a lot of it is very well that spend money, actually. i am happy with the composition. we have a mammoth unemployment crisis in this country right now. i think the second most effective thing in terms of bang for buck, how many jobs it will

create, is the infrastructure spending that is part of it. and then i think the less effective bids will still do something, the payroll tax cuts. we have had a payroll tax cut for the past year, 2%. this extends it on the employee side, and it also adds cuts to the employer side, and benefits to hiring. it will not do nothing. whether that is the maximum bang for the but you can get, i am not sure. host: the items you just mentioned, the you think those of the least effective elements of the plan? guest: least effective big- ticket items. that i think it's probably the least effective. it does not take a lot of money. it pays for itself in 10 years.

it is fine, in my book. it is not crowding out the shelf. the least effective big-ticket item in there is the employer side payroll tax. host: the president is calling for two and $45 billion in tax cuts, $140 billion in infrastructure and aid to states. $62 billion in unemployment insurance in the hiring -- and hiring. kevin hassett, what is the biggest thing about this plan for you? guest: we are close to going into recession again, and starting with an unemployment rate that is much higher than the last time we started going downward. it is a question of how we should act. some of the president's ideas are good, some of them are not. we're but disagree about the details come up but -- host: what was your initial

reaction to the president's speech? he did mention some items that had some republican support. guest: it was actually a big disappointment. i was so disappointed about his speech, i could not blog. it is not that he is not trying. i am stan that his heart is in the right place, but the fact is we are ignoring the big problems and kicking the can down the road. there are big problems that we need to fix in order to restore certainty and a climate of optimism in our country. having athat we're weak recovery because we have got all these big problems we are not addressing, and the idea that we can ignore the big problems and take a shot of caffeine and get through this year is something we have tried. the problem is the hangover when the caffeine wears off keeps coming back, and that is

happening in part because we are ignoring our big problems. the thing that really upset me is that they really did things that need to be addressed. i got so annoyed i could soblog. ready ideas that we have all thrown away -- our infrastructure is terrible. remember the bridge in minneapolis that collapsed. the fact is that i think the average bridge in the united states is about the same age. there is an enormous amount of investment that we have to make not necessarily to stimulate the economy but to keep our economy running because our infrastructure is falling apart. that is a part that i think -- that is a waste of money. that is the one part that is consistent with the theme of going after a long term problems

because we have a long-term problem that our infrastructure is inadequate, old, indicating. host: josh bivens with the economic policy institute, what do you think about the president saying -- what you think about what kevin is say about missing the mark on big problems? guest: to me what is driving new the hut and a plumber rate is -- is simply a shortfall demand. we >> where going live now to the capital where members are beginning to gather to hold a 9/11 reverence ceremony.

>> ladies and gentlemen, good evening. members of the united states congress are gathered tonight on the steps of the capital to mark the 10th observance of the events of september 11th, 2001. at this time, the marine band will lead us in the national anthem. i would invite all to join in the singing. ♪ o! say can you see by the dawn's early light, what so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming, whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight, ♪o'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?

♪and the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air, night proof through the that our flag was still there; o! say does that star- spangled banner yet wave, ♪ o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave? [applause]

>> less prey. god of heaven and earth, -- let us pray. today, we remember a day began in terror and violence and ended in a heroic effort and courage. we mourn those whose lives were snatched from them and wish to comfort those left behind who strive to cope with their loss. may you, o god, give them peace and healing. we thank you again for the almost universal international response to a great american tragedy, which all the world recognized as theirs as well. all your children of good will could see the horror of actions by men who would presume to act in your name, causing so much death and destruction.

may your spirit of peace and justice continued to fill the hearts of people of all faiths, races, and nations. help us to recognize your creative love in the lives of all who share this beautiful planet. the present with us this day as we gather again on our capitol steps. bless the men and women who serve this great nation in the senate and house of representatives. united then and united today in our shared citizenship, they have been given greater responsibility by their fellow americans. made their show of unity augur a hopeful future of concerted effort. to do what is best for these united states. maybe confidence in the knowledge of americans stand

behind them in their common efforts to forge legislation that will reflect a resilient greatness of our nation in building a vibrant economy into a safe and secure future. may all that is done this day and in the many days to come before your greater honor and glory, amen. >> over and over again, we say when we visit the memory of september 11th, we are treading on sacred ground. on that day, but 10 years ago, we witnessed a world changing before our very eyes. seeing the horrific attack on our nation and our fellow americans. as we watched images of destruction in new york, pa.,

and at the pentagon, we bore witness to courage, bravery, heroism and patriotism of those who ran to the rescue of those in danger is searched for survivors, who risked their lives to save others. long after the buildings fell, in the weeks following, many of us visited the site. we heard silence. silence as workers sifted through the rubble with great strength, great dignity and silence. sacred ground indeed. every day is a day we are indebted to our first responders. every day cents, to our service members and their families, to all who work to keep us safe.

earlier this year, many of us in congress and people throughout the country had the privilege of stitching and the flag that flew over ground zero on that fateful day. it is now being mended with portions of other flags. i mention it now because those fragments of piecing the flight together included threads from the flag that covered president lincoln's body after his assassination. a connection across generations, from one terrible tragedy for our nation, to another. again, across the country, portions of flags from every state united with those threads from a lincoln's thread. when i saw that, i thought of a president lincoln said one of his speeches. he talked about the silent altar -- the silent artillery of time.

i hope the silent artillery of time does something to lessen the pain of those who lost their loved ones. but it will never diminish or lessen the memory of those who gave their lives. and those who came to the rescue. as i say, we honor them, we should honor them every day. 10 years ago, we stood on the steps of this capital and sang "god bless america." it's a tremendous memory for all of us. a very poignant one. we know that god has truly blessed america with the service and leadership of our men and women in uniform wherever they serve, our first responders, and all who keep us safe in our country. may god continue to bless the united states of america. >> like all of you, i remember

everything about that day. when the first plane hit, i assumed it was an accident. when the second plane hit, i knew we were at war. elaine and i spent most of the day just like everybody else, watching it all unfold on television, calling colleagues and friends, hoping it would not get worse. for many of us, the nightmare first began to dissipate a little bit right here on these steps, when even the fiercest of political adversaries found themselves standing shoulder to shoulder, singing "god bless america." the terror of the morning began to yield to a spontaneous expression of unity and to the collective believe that, yes, we would get through this as a nation. the reaction to the attack was

up listing in a way we did not expect. we came together, united by the sudden realization of what connected s, first, our profound sadness for the victims and their loved ones. second, our shared values as americans. third, our growing resolve to fight back. it was not until later we learned of the unity we experience did not begin in the aftermath of the attacks, it began in the midst of the attacks, and said the hijacked planes and buildings themselves. we learned of the men and women sitting at their desks during the most ordinary things one moment and suddenly found themselves risking their lives to save people they had never even met, strangers on a plane who form the team and hatched a plan in the skies over pennsylvania to support their

hijackers. not so much as save themselves but to save the people and the national symbols on the ground they knew the hijackers were really after. we learned about people like the man in the north tower who lived a stranger of a wheelchair and carried her 68 floors to safety. when they finally reached the bottom, a placer in an ambulance and walked away. of the firemen who raced toward a fire they were ordering others to run away from, and so many others whose courage that morning has become of met -- as much a part of our nation story as the battlefield heroics we've read about in school. 10 years later, in new york, and pennsylvania, and at the pentagon, the name of every single person who was murdered that morning is now recorded on a permanent monument. assigned to all the world that, unlike our attackers, we ascribe

value and dignity to every human life. that is why 10 years later, we come together not just to honor america's resilience, but honor every single person we lost that day. so we honor them today, the heroes of 9/11. we honor the countless men and women who is given so much to protect others from a similar fate, particularly those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. the attacks inspired entire generation of new heroes to have done extraordinary work and whose perseverance has made it possible to mark this anniversary for the very first time knowing the man behind 9/11 will never play again. i don't suppose there was a single person in that country -- in this country that morning who thought we would be able to stand here 10 years later and say there has not been a single major attack on our homeland since then.

we have the u.s. armed forces and scores of intelligence personnel to thank for it. they have proven beyond a doubt that al qaeda was wrong about the united states. and as long as we remain vigilant and hold fast to the policies that guide their good work, we will continue to prove it. some of us may have wondered on 9/11 whether america had in her to respond. today, there should be no question. we did not hide. we fought back. we showed the terrorists what america is all about. you can destroy our symbols, but not our spirit. a decade after 9/11, i am with those who believe america is stronger today than it was then. yes, it has been a long and challenging decade, but we have done more than in door. we have shown ourselves and the world that freedom is indeed the strongest force on earth.

>> it has been 10 years. that tuesday morning, i was the first to get to that room. the senator from louisiana said turn on the television, there's something going on in new york. the tower was burning and we thought how could an airplane run into the tower. senate yourdaschle was directing that meeting. a few minutes later, probably about a quarter after 9:00, he came in quickly and said we have to leave as quickly as we can. there is a plane headed for the

capital. i can remember walking out of that room, looking out the window and seeing the smoke billowing out of the pentagon. that day was uneventful day in many different ways. i was taken with senator lott, senator daschle, to a location with vice-president cheney, to a location where we spent the day. we came back to the capital. we were able to have our meeting in the capital that night, about half an hour later that it is today. for one reason -- the courage of the people on that flight that went down over pennsylvania. the plane was headed here. we've learned since then, the ringleader of that evil band made the decision would be the capital, not the white house, because it was a much easier target. that night, we did not know that when we met here, but we know it now.

like every american, i will never forget that day. yesterday, the nation paused, as it should, to remember those in who died in this cowardly attack on american soil. we mourned of the thousands of innocent life lost in new york, in virginia, and over pennsylvania. we honored the firefighters and rescue workers, both living and dead, who rushed to the scene and entered the twin towers knowing the risks they took. and we gave thanks yesterday to the many dedicated americans who serve in our armed forces and state department and the intelligence community who have given their lives to prevent a similar attack from ever happening again. today, we also pay tribute to the spirit of unity and determination that have -- that has carried us through the 10 years since our world was turned

upside down. hear, 10 years ago, we reaffirmed in our own way that our commitment was for freedom and democracy, that makes america the greatest nation in the world. little did we know the affect that barbara mikulski suggesting to us, the members of congress assembled, that we should sing "god bless america." it is the sweetest song i have ever heard. and i will remember that today when we hear it from our military band. i'm grateful for those people who made yesterday such a success and who, in the process, protect us from further harm. >> tenures on, there is still sadness -- 10 years on, there

is still sadness. may god give the families comfort and peace. 11th of september will always be a day of remembrance. we also have this day, the 12th, that represents of renewal. where better to stir our hearts today than the capital, which was likely saved by brave patriots who, on instinct, banded together to thwart the enemy. to those americans, and to all of that day's heroes, it was clear what needed to be done. no one had to tell them. they saved countless lives. they have studied our country before a watching world. our war fighters took up the charge and now persevere in tough conditions, having felt the call to serve on september 11th, many carry the names and pictures of people they never

met nor ever will. no one asked them to do this. their valor and spires and they save lives every day. no burden compares to that borne by the families of the fallen. yet when vigilance is needed most, it comes first from those who lost the most. no one has asked them, asked this of them, no one expects this of them. we are blessed to call these men and women fellow americans. memories as powerful as these come easily. capturing their meaning, though, is much tougher. we turn to the wisdom of our forbearers, the declaration of independence, does not guarantee happiness. instead, its pursuit is entrusted to our good sense and

our god given nature. this remains an awesome charge. but one americans have always met, no matter what the cost, otherwise, this great nation will not stand above others as a beacon of life and liberty. so it is up to we who live on, particularly we who served, to never forget. to every deal. but to hold fast -- to never healed. but to hold fast against those who come after us. if we are successful: no one will have to tell them what to do, they will know. they too will never forget. god bless america. before we hear the benediction, please join me in a moment of silence to honor the memory of september 11th, 2001.

>> let us pray. lord, god almighty, creator and sustainer of the universe, we pause to honor the memory of 9/11 and to acknowledge that, in everything, you are working for the good of those who love you. today, as we have remembered

that tragic event, we pray for the families who lost loved ones, for those who lost friends and colleagues, and for those who lost companies, jobs, and resources. we pray also for those who have suffered and a sacrifice in the wars and conflicts that followed it 9/11. today we also thank you for your grace that has protected and sustained us. since that -- protected and sustained us since that sad day. may our gratitude for your sustaining providence motivate us to strive for greater unity, to be more aware of our

mortality, and to work to leave this world better than we found it. now, bless us and keep us. make your face to shine upon us and be gracious unto us. lift the light of your countenance upon us and give us your peace. we pray in the name of him who has been our help in ages past and our hope for years to come. amen. ♪ ♪ god bless america land that i love stand beside her and guide her

through the night with a light from above from the mountains to the prairies to the oceans white with foam god bless america my home sweet home god bless america my home sweet home ♪ [applause] >> thank you. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2011]

>> we're going to continue to stream the rest of this live on c-span.org. from the steps of the capitol to inside the house now. and same set of

rules from wall street to main street. we can work together to create the jobs as the future by helping small business entrepreneurs by investing in education and making things the world buys. to create jobs, i'm submitting the american jobs act of 2011, which is made up of the kinds of proposals supported by both republicans and democrats and that the congress should pass right away to get the economy moving right away now. the purpose of the american jobs act of 2011 is simple, put more money in the pockets of working americans and do so without adding a dime to the deficit. first, the american jobs act of 2011, provides a tax cut for small businesses to help them hire and expand now and end additional tax cuts to any business that hires or increases wages. in addition, the american jocks act of 2011 puts more money in the pockets of working and

middle-class americans by cutting in half the payroll tax that comes out of the pay check of every worker and saving $1,500 a year. the american jobs act of 2011 puts more people back to work, including teachers laid off by state budget cuts, first responders and veterans coming back from iraq and afghanistan and construction workers repairing crumbling bridges, roads and more than 35,000 schools. with projects chosen by need and impact not politics. it will repair and service foreclosed homes and businesses across the country. third, the american jobs act of 2011 helps out-of-work americans by extending unemployment benefits by looking for work and reforming the system that builds real skills, connects real jobs

and helps the long-term unemployed and bands bans employers and who have been out of a job for six months and expands job opportunities for hundreds of thousands of low-income youths and adults. that supports summer and year-round job for youth, innovative new job programs to connect low-income workers to jobs quickly and encourage employers to bringing on disadvantaged workers. lastly, this legislation is fully paid for. the legislation includes specific offsets to close corporate tax loopholes and asks wealthiest americans to pay their fair share that more than cover the costs of job measures. the legislation increases the deficit reduction target for the joint committee by the amount of the jobs package and specifies if the committee reaches that

higher target, their measure would replace and turn off the specific offsets in this legislation. i urge favorable consideration of this proposal. signed, barack obama, the white house, september 12, 2011. the speaker pro tempore: returned to the committees on the education and work force, committee on financial services and committee of house administration and the committee on judiciary, the committee on oversight and government reform, committee on rules, committee on space, science and technology, committee on small business, committee on small business and infrastructure and ways and means and ordered printed. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, proceedings will resume. votes will be taken in the following order. h.r. 2076 by the yeas and nays. h.r. 2633 by the yeas and nays. h.r. 1059 by the yeas and nays. the first electronic vote will

be conducted as a 15-minute vote. remaining votes will be conducted as five-minute votes. unfinished business is the vote on the motion of the the gentleman from south to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 2076 as amended on which the yeas and nays are ordered. the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar number 121, h.r. 2076, a bill to amend title 28, united states code to clarify the statutory authority for the long-standing class of the department of justice by providing investigatory assistance on request of state and local authorities with respect to certain serious violent crimes and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the vote -- the bill as amended. this will be a 15-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned

coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote, the yeas are 358, the nays are nine. 2/3 of those being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection, the

motion to reconsider is laid on the table. the unfinished business is the vote on the motion by the gentleman from north carolina, mr. coble, to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 2333 as amend. the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 2633, a bill to amend united states code to clarify the time limit for appeals in civil cases to which united states officers or employees are party. the speaker pro tempore: the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill as amended? members will record their votes by electronic device. this is a five-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote the yeas are 384, the nays are zero. 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table.

the unfinished business is the vote on the motion of the gentleman from north carolina, mr. coble, to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 1059 on which the yeas and nays were ordered. the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar number 123, h.r. 1059, a bill to protect the safety of judges by extending the authority of the judicial conference to redact sensitive information contained in their financial disclosure reports and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill. members will record their votes by electronic device. this will be a five-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote the yeas are 384, the nays are zero. 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection the motion to requr is laid upon the table -- reconsider is laid upon the table. the house will be in order. will the members kindly clear

the well. for what purpose does the gentleman from california rise? >> i ask unanimous consent that it shall be in order at any time without any intervention of order to consider in the house the bill h.r. 2887. the bill should be considered as read, the bill shall be debatable for one hour equally divide and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the committee on transportation and infrastructure. mr. dreier: and the previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill to final passage without intervening motion except one motion to recommit. the speaker pro tempore: is there objection? without objection, that will be the order.

the chair lays before the house a communication. the clerk: the honorable the speaker, house of representatives, sir, on september 8, 2011, pursuant to section 3307 of title 40, united states code, the committee on transportation and infrastructure met in open session to consider resolutions to authorize five lease perspectives considered in the general services administrations and one lease included in g.s.a.'s f.y. 2012 cilp. our committee continues to work to cut waste and the cost of federal property and leases. this resolution is approved by the committee will save the taxpayer more than $21 million annually or more than $210 million over 10 years. these resolutions ensure savings through lower rents, avoid

penalties and efficiencies created through consolidation. in addition, the committee has included space utilization requirements in each of the resolutions to ensure agencies find ways to shrink our real property footprint. i have enclosed copies of the resolutions adopted by the committee on transportation and infrastructure on september 8, 2011. signed, sincerely, john l. mica, member of congress, chairman. the speaker pro tempore: referred to the committee on appropriations. the chair will now entertain requests for one-minute speeches. for what purpose does the gentleman from tennessee seek recognition? mr. roe: i ask unanimous consent to creas the house for one minute -- address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: so ordered. mr. roe: i thank the speaker. today marks the adult and family literacy week and we must help

ensure every american is literate. today 93 million american adults function below a high school level of literacy, lacking the most basic skills needed to compete in the 21st century economy. the unemployment crisis falls most heavily here. 14.3% of americans without a high school diploma are unemployed, among high school graduates with no additional education, the rate drops to 9.6%. by supporting efforts to expand literacy, we can extend a hand to individuals and families across america. making sure adults can read to their child or understand a word isn't just good for them, it's essential for competing in the global economy. learning is a life-long process. it doesn't stop the day you leave school. so let's renew our efforts to promote adult and family literacy, both for the good of families and for the good of the country. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from indiana rise?

mr. burton: i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute, revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. burton: mr. speaker, the fed chairman ben bernanke said last week when he was giving a speech that we didn't really have to worry about inflation. that the long-term inflation problem would not get beyond 2%. so in case mr. bernanke or the administration's paying attention i'd like to read a few facts to them. the price of milk has gone up 38% since last year. the price of sugar is up 20% since last year. the price of corn is up 62% since last year. as of august beef prices grew 13% or 52 cents a pound since last year, the largest increase in the last seven years. gasoline is up 35% from a year ago, 98 cents a gallon.

and the projected inflation rate is much, much higher than the administration or the fed says is going to occur. so i hope that we'll stop these keynesian policies, these socialistic policies, these big-spending policies that are killing the american people. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: are there further requests for one-minute speeches? the chair lays before the house the following personal requests. the clerk: leaves of absence requested for mr. barletta of pennsylvania for today, ms. capuano for september 15 and

16, mr. moreno of pennsylvania for today and mr. paulson of minnesota for today. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the are granted. for what purpose does the gentleman from illinois seek recognition? mr. clyburn: i ask unanimous consent to have my name removed as co-sponsor of h r. 11 -- >> i ask unanimous consent to have my name removed as co-sponsor of h.r. 1161. the speaker pro tempore: under the speaker's announced policy of january 6, 2011, the gentlewoman from the virgin islands, mrs. christensen, is recognized as the designee of the minority leader for 60 minutes. mrs. christensen: thank you, mr. speaker. i'm pleased to join my colleagues in the congressional

black caucus to talk about jobs for this first hour. we're pleased we're going to be led this night by our democratic whipe, the honorable steny hoyer, the person who has led us in the make it in america agenda. for such time as he might consume. mr. hoyer: i thank the gentlelady for yielding and for her leadership. i want to thank the congressional black caucus which has raised this issue to a new height of not only visibility but of hope. emanuel cleaver, chairman of the congressional black caucus told a wonderful story in our caucus the other day. he said there was a little by boy and his dad and his dad was reading the paper and the little boy scratched his hand and as he did so, it obviously hurt and he went in front of

his dad, shaking his hand, shaking his hand, he walked to and from his father and his father kept reading the paper. and finally his father put down the paper and said, son, i know you scratched your hand. but there's nothing i can do about it. and the little boy looked at his dad and said, you can say ouch. you can understand the pain i'm experiencing. you can understand the pain that losing a job is causing me. you can understand the pain of a home that is lost because the mortgage cannot be paid. you can understand the pain of a family living in a home who has seen the value of that most important asset of theirs dwindle and be reduced. so that the mortgage payment they're paying is more than the value of the home in which they live.

the congressional black caucus did two things. it said, we hear and we say "ouch." we understand the pain you're experiencing. we feel your pain. but if all we do is empathize and feel pain, that's not enough. our president addressed this last week. he said, we can shrug our shoulders and say, there's 14 months until the next election. but the people in pain can't wait 14 months. that's what the congressional black caucus did. ten offings thousands of people showed up throughout this nation because somebody offered hope and not just hope but real deliverables. jobs were gotten. interviews were set up. training sessions for how you

apply, how you dress, how you talk to prospective employers. those kinds of seminars were given. a difference was made by the congressional black caucus traveling throughout this country. so i rise to thank the leadership and all the members of the con fwregsal black caucus. i see mr. davis and ms. waters on the floor with donna christensen and i thank them for their leadership in particular. maxine waters was an extraordinarily strong voice for saying just that we feel your pain and it's not just empathy, we're going to give you the help that we can give. this president came before us last week and said, ladies and gentlemen, it is time to act. it is time to add to the opportunity for success for

putting america back to work. for addressing the mortgage crisis in our country. for putting some more money in the pockets of working men and women in this country. for helping small business grow and expand. making sure as well that we pay for what we buy. every commission that has met, the bowles-simpson commission and the domenici commission said we have to get a handle on this debt, for which i'm a strong proponent. but in the short-term, we need to grow the economy. if you do not grow the economy, you will not get the deficit down. because you need people working so they can support themselves and their families and yes, pay taxes. so that their grandchildren will not be deeply in debt. so i stand indebted to the

congressional black caucus for continuing to focus like a laser on creating jobs. mr. butterfield, another member of the congressional black caucus and leader in our house, chief deputy whip, is here as well and will be speaking so that in north carolina and in america, we can create jobs, invest in our economy and give confidence to every single individual, every family and yes, every business, small, medium, and large that this kindness will act responsibly to address a challenge to address the pain that our people are feeling and to make sure in the long-term as we did in the 1990's, that our country is on a sound fiscal path.

leading to growth in the economy, jobs for our people and a stronger and healthier america. so i am pleased to join the congressional black caucus. thanking them, congratulating them, and saying i look forward to working with them, not just today, but today, the next day, tomorrow, and tomorrow and the next week, until such time as our people are no longer in the pain they now experience. and i yield back to my friend from the virgin islands. mrs. christensen: thank you, democratic whip. thank you for joining us, please come back and join us any time we're on the floor and thank you for reminding everyone that the people of this country cannot wait 14 months to go back to work to take care of their families. at this time, i'd like to yield such time as he might consume

to congressman davis from illinois. mr. davis: thank you very much. thank you, mr. speaker. let me first of all thank you, my classmates and donna christensen, we got here about the same time. it seems as though the longer we're here, the more alike we think and so i want to thank you for your leadership. i also want to commend the congressional black caucus because we have just completed what i will call a very successful tour, a tour where some people were able to actually obtain jobs. where other people were able to renew their faith and hope that out there somewhere waiting for them is a job. as the minority whip talked

about pain and frustration, it reminded me that there are thousands of people in my congressional district who are experiencing that pain, just as there are millions across the country. i dug out an old record of mine the other day, i was going through my collection, and there was a fellow singing a song about get a job. he said every morning about this time, she bring misbreakfast to the bed crying, get a job. it says, when i read the paper, i read it through and through, trying to see if there is any work for me to do. get a job. but he kind of ends by saying, it's difficult to get a job that did not exist. it was difficult to get a job

that he couldn't find. and so i was pleased a few nights ago when a job plan was articulated and presented. that's a very simple kind of plan in a sense. i couldn't find much controversy, i couldn't find much that one couldn't buy, no matter which side of the aisle they were on. no matter what their political stripes. who can argue with the rebuilding -- with rebuilding roads and bridges and highways and giving people the opportunity to just drive on roads that are not bumpy or to ride on streets that are not filled with potholes.

meaningful kinds of work. that anybody can know is an investment and is not any kind of giveaway. who can argue with unemployed teachers getting an opportunity to work. who can argue with small businesses being able to receive incentives if they hire people who have been unemployed for more than six months. who can argue with that. i don't think anybody that is serious could argue with any of that. and so jobs must be found, jobs must be had, and i'm pleased to join with my colleague to say that we must turn around, that there are no jobs so that the guy can sing, i got a job. i got a job.

thank you, congressional black caucus. mrs. christensen: thank you, danny. this morning, i was with the postmasters at their convention. they're facing some difficulties and having to downsize. those are some jobs that we know that you and elijah cummings, eleanor holmes norton, ed towns and lacy clay have been working to protect. at this time, i yield such time as she might consume to the gentlelady from california, congresswoman maxine waters. ms. waters: thank you very much. i'd like to thank you for taking this time out this evening to focus on this issue of jobs. it's extremely important. i'd like to thank steny hoyer for coming to the floor to recognize the work that we are doing, to increase job opportunities for people in

this country. the congressional black caucus is to be commended, commended because they heard the cry. they felt the pain of so many people out there who have lost their jobs, who do not know how they're going to pay their mortgages, who do not know how they're going to provide for their families, so despite the fact that the congressional black caucus organizeds and introduced over 40 bills dealing with this issue, the congressional black caucus decided to do something more, recognizing, yes, we have a public policy responsibility, that's why the 40 bills, but beyond that, what else could we do? so the congressional black caucus took to the streets and went out into america and hit five cities, cleveland, ohio, detroit, michigan, atlanta, and miami, and then my city of los angeles. and what we saw was

mind-boggling. even though we understood that 16.7 is a huge number of people to be unemployed, we did not realize the thousands upon thousands of people who really were hurting out there and they came. they came by the thousands in every city we were in, they were young, they were middle-aged, they were the unemployed, they were people who had been looking for jobs for over a year, and it was awfully painful to see all of these young college graduate whs happened to be african-american, who went to school, graduated, and looked forward to going to their job, who had no jobs. so we saw it firsthand and my own city of los angeles where we organized one of these job fares, there were over 10,000 people -- fairs, there were over 10,000 people who showed up. luckily we had a venue where

they had a dome, a fake dome, they could hold 10,000 people, and people didn't have to stand in line. in atlanta people got ill standing in line. three, four hours, trying to get connected. the employers are to be commended. this he came and they listened, they interviewed, they took applications, they assisted people in learning how to get an opportunity with their companies and so we would like to thank all of those employers who participated with the congressional black caucus in trying to help connect people with jobs. we have to continue with this push for jobs. the press has done a relatively good job of shining a light on the devastation that's going on in these african-american communities. we support all people getting an opportunity for jobs, but we must target our resources to those communities that are most in need. we're talking about rural

communities where there's unemployment and poverty and we're talking about these urban areas. we believe that the resources must be targeted, the intention must be paid not just to the entire population in this country, unemployed, but those areas that are absolutely suffering. we need to continue to do this and while the white unemployment stayed the same last month, back unemployment increased to 16.7%. today in the "wall street journal" they noted that black teenage unemployment is bordering on 50%, 50%. these figures don't even take into account the discouraged workers, involuntary part time workers and underemployed workers. moreover, let me just tell but the wealth gap. it's at its largest levels in

more than a generation. the medium -- median wealth of white households is 20 times that of black households and 18 times that of hispanic households according to a pew research center analysis of newly government available data from 2009. these lop-sided wealth ratios are the largest since the government began publishing such data in 1984 and roughly twice the size of the ratios that had prevailed between these three groups for the two decades prior to the great recession that supposedly ended in 2009. the median wealth of white u.s. households in 2009 was $113,149. compared to $5,677 for blacks and $6,325 for hispanics. the percentage of african-americans with no wealth has increased, about 35% of black households and 31% of hispanic households had zero or negative net worth in 2009

compared with 15% of white households. so while unemployment and the housing crisis similar pacting everyone, it is hitting minority communities the hardest. that is why we must continue to push. i'm so pleased that the president presented a huge opportunity to focus on job creation and so now the devil is in the details. it must be targeted. the public policies must take into consideration, targeting these efforts so that these resources are put where it's most needed. the congress must have hearings and markups for the american jobs act, we must work together to ensure that its stimulative investments are protected and strengthened through greater targeting. our entire jobs creation agenda can't simply be the tax cuts alone. we need to focus, infrastructure repair in the communities with the bridges, roads and sewer systems that are most in need. we need to rebuild schools and urban and rural areas that have

long been neglected. we want a national housing trust fund to produce rehabilitate, preserve and operate rental housing in areas while our homeless veterans and seniors where they are concentrated. we need targeted aid to the unemployed who are the most likely to spend their money and stimulate the economy. if we do not pursue targeted public policy i predict that the african-american unemployment will hit 20%, the american economy will never be stable if we have one segment of our population, particularly a segment as large as the african-american population, that faces a systemic jobs crisis. so again my appreciation and my thanks to our chairman, emanuel cleaver, to the entire congressional black caucus for having the courage to step up and make this a priority issue not only for our caucus but for this congress and for this

country. we cannot sit idly by in silence and watch what is happening as this devastation is continuing in these communities. and so i would yield back the balance of my time and thank you one more time for allowing us to be here this evening. mrs. christensen: thank you, congresswoman waters. we want to thank you for your leadership in leading the jobs task force for the c.b.c. and for being such a strong voice for those who are continually being left out and left behind. at this time i'd like to yield such time as he might consume to congressman butterfield from north carolina. mr. butterfield: let me thank you, congresswoman chiftensen, for all of your work, -- christensen, for all of your work, for what you do with the congressional black caucus all across america. what hasn't come out tonight is that you're the first vice chair of the congressional black caucus and you work so hard for all of us and we want to thank you very much. we want to thank you for convening this special order tonight. you work so hard to make it

happen. i also want to extend my appreciation to congresswoman maxine waters who worked so tirelessly to help make successful the tour that we had a few weeks ago, she and her staff worked so very hard and i want to publicly thank them for all that they did. i had intended to go to two of the five events but because of hurricane irene in my district, i did not make it to los angeles, but i did go to the first one. i was there in cleveland with congresswoman marcia fudge when we had the jobs fair and the town hall meeting. and it made such a powerful impression on me. for us to get up that morning and to drive over to the community college and to see thousands of people lined up trying to get an interview for a job. there was no question about it, that these people were sin veer, they were jobsless through no fault of their own -- sincere, they were jobless through no fault of their own, many told us they were jobless for more than two years, they were standing in

line, hoping to the an opportunity to get interviewed by some of the fine companies that had come with jobs in hand. and see i want to encourage us to continue our work. we have so much work to do. the national unemployment rate now is 9.1% and african-american unemployment is at least 16.7% and probably more. as congresswoman waters said a few moments ago, among african-american youth the number now approaches 50%. so we have work to do. the president has announced a very bold jobs plan that i hope that we can come together as a congress, both democrat and republican, house and senate, host: that we can come together and -- i hope that we can come together and complete that package in just a few days because the american people are demandsing that we do it. we have a deficit panel that is now -- that has now begun its work, 12 members equally divided between democrats and republicans and half from the senate and half from the house and we're hoping and praying

that that deficit panel will be able to come together and to present bold ideas to this congress on november 23 so that we can demonstrate to the american people that we are serious, we are serious about trying to create jobs. but you know, congresswoman, we as a congress cannot do this alone. we as the c.b.c. cannot do this alone. we have to have shared sacrifice from people all across america and that includes america's corporations. i've been disturbed over the last few days that the reports now indicate that america's companies are sitting on more than $2 trillion in retained earnings and that is so disappointing. so when we talk about creation, creating jobs, american corporations have a responsibility, too. to put people to work and to start spending and investing in their own companies and so we go forward now and we have a lot of work to do, we have a short-term, as the minority whip said a few moments ago, and he's

absolutely right, and i want to thank steny hoyer for his willingness to come to the floor tonight and to make the statements that he made, but we must have a short-term solution and a long-term solution. in the short-term we've got to create jobs, we've got to grow the economy, we've got to help businesses innovate, we've got to improve the infrastructure so we can start getting more revenue from american workers and hopefully in the long-term we can begin to pay down the deficit. so thank you for allowing me to come to the floor tonight, thank you for your leadership, i thank the chairman of our congressional black caucus who works tirelessly, i don't know when he goes to kansas city, he is from kansas city, missouri, and a good friend of all of ours, but i don't know when he rests but he is our tireless leader, i understand that he may be next in the queue to speak and i will eagerly await the statements from our chairman. so thank you and i yield back the balance of my time. mrs. christensen: thank you, congressman better -- butterfield, and thank you for pointing out that america's corporations are sitting on

billions of dollars and they have an obligation, they, as i understand it, they claimed that there was uncertainty and so they're holding onto their funds. but there can't be any more uncertainty in our corporation than in the families around this country who are hurting because they need a job. mr. butterfield: without question. thank you. mrs. christensen: thank you again, congressman butterfield, for joining us. at this time it's my pleasure to yield to our leader of the congressional black caucus, the reverend emanuel cleaver and thank you so much for your work in reminding this congress and this country of the importance of job creation for america's families and for leading us on that tour over the august recess . i yield you as much time as you might consume. mr. cleaver: thank you, madam chair, vice chair of the c.b.c., and to congressman butterfield

who i think hit on all the proper and necessary areas of concern. it has been written that ours will be the last generation in in this country to experience surpassing the previous generation, that our children will not achieve what we have achieved, that the jobs are not there. and while the individuals who have written about this and presented research on it are certainly brilliant and wise, i will gently rebuke them and disagree with trare prediction -- with their prediction. i am not in any way willing to accept the fact, the fatalism, that the united states will inevitably fall to number two in the world behind china.

yesterday there was a new story that said at best there will be two superpowers equal in terms of influence and their economies , china and the united states. this nation that placed men on the moon, this nation that creates a new technology almost hourly should never surrender its place in the world to any other nation and further i don't tchi that it is in our best interest -- i don't think that it is in our best interest to even give a hint that we believe that we can't continue to create jobs for the next generation. the jobs tour that we had during the month of august was eye-opening and earth-shattering.

when we walked from our cars inside the cleveland state university place where we held the job fair, there were people who had been in line since 5:00 a.m. that morning and so it always troubles me to hear people say, and is a baselessly, well, you know, some people don't want to work, 5:00 a.m. in the morning standing in line and at best of the 5,000 or 6,000 people who were there, we only had about 2,000 jobs, but people stood patiently in line and one of the things that happened that i think some of you may already know about who are in the c.b.c. , an anglo gentleman, and there were people from every race in

every stays city, but this particular gentleman caught my attention because he said, look, i listen to black radio, he said, i just like ry and b, he said, i -- r&b, he said, i heard about the jobs fair and thought i'd come over since i'm unemployed and he said, is it all right? and of course our position has been, is and shall always be one of including everybody, particularly at a time of crisis, but even if it were not, that's what we would want. i'm not sure what happened, if he was one of the successful applicants or not. but the point i want to make is the pain experienced in this nation is not just being experienced by us, it is true our numbers are higher but they are higher for a variety of reasons. number one, african-americans historically have tried or sought employment in

government. one of the reasons washington, d.c. is predominantly black is pause african-americans from the south came to washington by the tens of thousands because they believed if you could get to the capital of the united states, you would experience far less bigotry and discrimination so by the thousands they came to washington. the same thing holds true with government. african-americans have sought employment with state, local, and federal governments. so every time people read in the paper, or cheer, that some state laid off 200 or 300 people they need to ups that those are 200 or 300 real human beings and chances are great that they're -- that they're disproportionalityly minorities. that's one reason our numbers

are swelling like they are. also, i think we've got to realize that there are some other factors. through no fault of people who are unemployed, i served as mayor of kansas city, missouri, from 1991 to 1999, two terms, eight years. one of the things we had to always fight was expanding. urban sprawl is what it's called sose yo logically. kansas city is a -- sociologically. kansas city is a city that stretches 200,000 square miles. you can place the entire city of san francisco inside the city limits of kansas city 30 times. or the city of washington, i think it's like 42 times. we -- it's a huge city. now while many politicians brag about that, the truth of the matter is, we stretched out our

resources and one of the things i learned during the jobs fairs, we started out in cleveland, went to detroit, left detroit, went to atlanta, left atlanta, went to miami, left miami and went to los angeles. there's one thing that was present in all of those. that this congress needs to deal with. and it is this. the jobs that were brought to our fairs were not even jobs. the truth of the matter is, they were jobs that already existed except they were in the suburbs. and so as the cities have expanded, the jobs that moved to the suburb -- the jobs moved to the suburbs. we cannot speak of creating jobs without dealing with the issue of transportation. there's an inextricable connection between jobs and transportation. how do you get people in the

highest unemployed -- unemployment areas to the areas where the jobs are? and for those who live on the eastern seaboard, you have a little better situation, you have, as we do in washington, a metro but when you start moving toward the western part of the united states, or the caribbean, there is no mass transportation that is as effective as it is on the east coast. therefore, if jobs are in suburban kansas city and people who live in the urban area are unemployed and do not have a car and do not have any way of getting to the jobs, there's no way they can get there. remember, kansas city is a city of 322 square miles, which means that people, you know, could need to go, essentially, 30, 40, 50 miles, essentially, to get a job. let me also say that nothing has been discussed thus far

dealing with transportation. the jobs bill is seeking to have what i think most of us would support, which would be some kind of transportation bank where we would end up, the government would put money in and hopefully the private sector would come in and we would be able to get these infrastructure jobs going. but the amount of money that is being discussed is woefully inadequate and there's probably little chance that we're going to be able to create any new mass transit programs in the country. in fact, the urban mass transit administration is virtually broke. there's very little in the way of help coming forward. now there's some politics involved and we're all in the political environment, the people at home may not understand what's going on and

i think tragically, i have watched our country move to a state where people are constantly angry, they're being told to hate their government, and then both sides of the aisle use inappropriate language to discuss things with the other side of the aisle and it's continuing to ratchet up and it's getting worse and worse. the people around the country are not only participating in it, they are encouraging it. this is the united states of america. my hope and my dream is that this nation will be around for my children and grandchildren. but i'm telling you that what our children are seeing is not a pleasant sight because they are looking at a nation that's becoming more and more divided, you can't look at television or radio without this constant

attack, attack, attack. and it's just sickening to see this and then as we're moving into an election cycle, we're going to see thermonuclear campaigns, and the american public needs to come to grips with the fact that if people will run a nasty campaign where all they do is attack, chances are, when they come to congress, they're going to do the same thing. the more we bring people in here who come for the sole purpose of fighting against the other side, the less business we'll take care of for the people of this country. i said last week, there's people who would like to defeat the president of the united states. fine. campaign against him. get your spouse, your children, your grandchildren, your friends and everybody, vote against him. if you can vote twice, vote twice. do everything you can to defeat the president. but right now, vote for the

american public. fight him later, vote now for the american public. and the american public is in trouble. we've got to create opportunities for jobs to grow and develop, or we're going to find ourselves faced with a new normal, a new normal where unemployment is considered normal at 8%, rather than 3.5% which is what the -- what our predecessor december sided. we're going to keep unemployment at 3 ppt 5% so we can't allow this to happen. i think we've got to fight against it. but more than that, what we've got to do is quit fighting each other. nothing is going to happen worth anything if we're fighting each other. let me conclude, congresswoman christiansen, dr. christensen, my family makes fun of me --

>> will the gentleman yield? mr. cleaver: i will. mr. butterfield: you brought up infrastructure and that's an important conversation. you served eight years as a mayor of a major city. would you speak to the importance of infrastructure and what it can mean to job creation and economic development in communities across america? i'm from a rural community, i have 88 small cities and towns in my district and they don't have access to money to build infrastuckture. the infrastructure uh bank you made reference to would bring new life to rural communities. i know you served as a mayor. talk about the relationship between infrastructure and job creation. mr. cleaver: what is generally said is that you get 4-1, jobs to money spent, if we do an infrastructure project and those jobs are long lasting. most of the infrastructure in

this country is in decrepit condition. most storm water suers in cities around the country are over a century old. our roads are collapsing, our bridges are collapsing, we saw in minnesota two years ago what happens when we neglect our infrastructure and the worst thing about it is we're building roads and bridges right now in iraq. new roads and bridges and schools in iraq right now. i'm just a dumb methodist preacher but something doesn't add up. we're doing all of this in iraq and our roads are crumbling and we have american workers ready to do the work if we can create the opportunities and we can, with the infrastructure bank but we've got to put enough money in the fwoonk attract private sector dollars. i think that's part of the president's plan, hopefully people will buy into it. but i don't think we have a lot of time to waste. americans are sitting around

now, hoping, many of them even praying that we will do something to help them out of the economic doldrums in which they find themselves. so i appreciate the opportunity to come and share tonight in this discussion because i think people around the country who are watching this need to know at least there are some people in washington who are looking at -- looking out for their best interests. i think based on what we are doing, we are part of it. i'm not going to suggest that other folks are not interested in helping folks, they are. i'm saying that sometimes, maybe even unintentionally, we allow political ideology to trump anything an everything else. at some point we ought to be more americans than we are democrats or republicans. thank you and i yield back the balance of my time. mrs. christensen: thank you, chairman cleaver. thank you for the interspective you bring to these discussions, helping us to focus on the

important issues. sometimes the underlying issues that often get overlooked. yesterday and today, we've taken time out of our daily routines to remember the over 3,000 people who went to work on a bright, sunny morning, whose lives were snuffed out in three dastardly acts of terrorism. we remember that none of them, the families and first responders who rushed to help and met their death on september 11, 2001, and we pay tribute to the men and women of the armed forces who lost their lives in iraq and afghanistan, continuing our fight against al qaeda and other terrorist groups. and those who are still there, protecting us an the world from attack. today i had the honor of addressing our postmasters at their annual convention and remembered two postal workers died -- who died after being exposed to anthrax sent through

the mail after the 9/11 attack. we didn't talk about those who died as republicans or democrats or independents. they were workers in both the public and private sector who some groups today are trying to pit against each other. we honor them all. and their families. for their sacrifice. tonight, we're focusing on the workers who remain with us. most especially, we are singling out for our attention, the attention of this congress and for all americans, those who have no jobs. those who have no jobs. and -- and for whom until now it appeared as though there would be no legislation to come thire aid. but thanks to our great president, there's now a bill before us and we're calling on both bodies to pass it as soon as possible and without taking it apart. the 1.9 million jobs and 2% economic growth projections are