i will step down this week. i am getting better. every day, my spirit is alive. i will return and we will work together for arizona and this great country. great country. thank you very much. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2012] >> giffords is 41 years old. she served as a representative for arizona's 8 congressional district. on january 8, she was wounded in a shooting that left six people dead and another 12 wounded.

an election will be held to fill his seat. -- her seat. next, the german foreign minister outlines what the european countries should do to deal with the financial situation. after that, janet napolitano on a discussion about national security. then, a conference forum on what local communities are doing for servicemen and their families. >> mr. speaker, the president of the united states. >> tuesday night, president obama delivers his state of the union address. live coverage begins at 8:00 p.m. eastern. live on c-span and c-span radio. on c-span 2, watched the speech

with tweeds from members of congress. throughout the night, go online for live video and to add your comments using facebook and twitter bang. -- twitter. >> the german foreign minister said budget cuts alone would not solve the debt crisis. guido westerwelle says he expects a new consensus to emerge by the end of the month. he spoke with the brookings institution. this is an hour and 25 minutes. >> ladies and gentlemen, we will get started right away. he has assured me everything is resolved. the market can rest easy now.

i am fiona hill, first of all, i would like to welcome everyone here. the foreign minister, on behalf of the institution, and also the head of the foreign policy program who is not here. you are here. a very large audience. we also have an overflow room. we would like to test -- to say hello to the audience of c-span and the other media outlets. this is a very important speech. we would like to thank the foreign minister for making the time to come and talk to us in between so many important meetings. he is leaving at cocotte -- 12:00. i am going to hand over to the foreign minister for his presentation. he has offered to take a number

of questions from the audience. we will try to accommodate as many of you as we can. thank you very much, thank you for joining us. [applause] >> i am delighted to be a guest of the brookings institution today. i am pleased to see so many friends of europe here. i would like to apologize i am lake. i am sorry for this delay. i just had a meeting with timothy geithner. it was very intensive. it was constructive. the markets, it is fine. the famous line in mark twain's memories is also true for europe. the music is better than it sounds. [laughter]

i say this as a great fan of both. there are many questions and concerns about europe these days. i follow the internal discussions about europe and it is an important time in the united states of america. the question is about the current crisis and what this means the european americans and others around the globe. questions also about germany's approach to the crisis. the role it sees for itself in europe. i have come here to answer four fundamental questions as openly and directly as possible. what is the nature of the crisis we are facing? what are we trying to achieve? what is germany's role in all of

this? and, what is in it for the united states? first, the nature of the crisis. the term bureau crisis is convenient but misleading. in its first 10 years, the common currency has been remarkably successful by any standard. its exchange rate, inflation rate, are at the stable end of the door to mark. the euro has assumed the role -- of the deutsche mark. the euro has assumed the role. if we did not have it, we would have to invent it now has a lesson learned from the financial crisis that would have had a worse of that without a common currency.

-- defect without a common currency. a number of countries are not enjoying a position in the financial market. the reasons are different in each case. three things are at the root of this crisis. the word financial crisis as a trigger. the success of public and private debt, the growing macro economic -- the lack of competitiveness and flaws in eurozone government. all of these factors are interlinked in the aftermath of the financial crisis, the state had to rescue an ill invested banking sector, at the same time, it had to provide a fiscal stimulus for the economy.

the german fiscal stimulus was compatible in size to u.s. efforts at that time. as a result, financial markets started questioning the ability of some eurozone members to repair -- or to grow their way out of the debt burden, first in greece, then in ireland, then in portugal. it morphed into a crisis of confidence, questioning the political will and determination of eurozone members. second, what we are trying to achieve. there are those who argue that a rescue operation would somehow have prevented the crisis from developing. as if some sort of unlimited

guarantee of greek sovereign debt for all other eurozone members in the spring of 2010 could have put everything on hold. i do not think this argument holds up. it focuses exclusively on the contagion issue but completely ignores the deeper origins of the crisis. the same is true about the argument that germany, europe's anger of stability, misreads the nature of the crisis. that we are trying to amend the rule book instead of putting out the fire. from the very beginning, we have focused on a strategy, linking solidarity with a firm commitment to fix the eurozone

and put all members on a path of fiscal responsibility, both are necessary. both are interlinked. our philosophy in this crisis is that, on the one hand, we have to be wrecked the firewall. we have to fight against this present crisis. on the other hand, we have to be aware, long-term engagement is necessary. long-term solutions are necessary. structural reforms are necessary. otherwise, this crisis would hit us every few months, every few years, again, and we would not solve the problem. we would only heal the symptoms. we would not care about the route and the causes of the crisis we are in. from our point of view, both

unnecessary. -- both are necessary. if we explain this, it is clear for us, we have to show solidarity. on the other hand, we have to use the opportunity, the structure of the crisis, that gives us answers to the cause in the construction -- destruction of the eurozone. let me emphasize this point again. it represents the core of our approach. there are those who argue that we underestimate the severity of the crisis. that we focus on long-term remedies for what is a short- term problem. my answer is, it is this argument that underestimates the nature and the scope of the

crisis. we need short-term crisis management, but we should not work for measures that will lay the ground for an even bigger crisis in years to come. most importantly, our short-term measures will only be credible and effective if we address the root causes at the same time. some think, in the public opinion, some discuss it in the sense that a long-term solution is something we should have answered in a few months after the present crisis. if our idea, if our analyzing is right, we are in a crisis which started as a debt crisis. which more into a crisis of confidence.

a long-term answer is necessary to solve this crisis of confidence. the long-term answer, the sustainable answer, is also important for the international markets for all the citizens who want to see that europe knows what it has with the european union and with our common currency. the combination of both is necessary. it is a comprehensive approach which we discussed and which we have as a guideline in our policy. solidarity with countries having liquidity problems is an indispensable part of our effort. we are in the final stage of setting up a permanent mechanism to deal with liquidity problems. germany's share of these guarantees is more than a

quarter of the total. the german parliament has approved guarantees for more than two hundred billion bureaus. -- euros. translated into the u.s. economy, this would be more than one trillion u.s. dollars guaranteed by the u.s. treasury. i think this is a remarkable answer, more than two hundred billion euros on the table, knowing that this is our responsibility in the interest of europe, but also in our national interest as a national economy in the federal republic of germany. one trillion, if i compare it to the american size of the economy, one trillion dollars would mean -- answer the

question to yourself. can you imagine members of congress approving such a sum to help one american? the theory that germany is not demonstrating solidarity with its fellow partners in trouble is simply not accurate. the european central bank also has an important role in managing the crisis. it will do what it considers necessary and appropriate with this mandate. it is not for me to comment or to give advice. the european sense of things is independent. -- central bank is independent. it was a goal in the negotiations that the central bank is independent and does not

have to follow political order. the core of the problem, however, goes even deeper than providing liquidity. the crisis of confidence requires decisive action on two fronts. first, we have to fix the flaws in the eurozone construction. when setting it up after the fall of the berlin wall, we were not able to go all the way and create a political union, side by side, with the economic and monetary union. it took a while for the consequences to become apparent. we enjoyed low interest rates and strong economic growth, especially in southern -- 47 eurozone measures. this made it so easy to -- for

southern europe some measures. this made it so easy to neglect. we thought we were doing well, even without stronger coordination. this was a mistake we also alleged -- mistake. we also allowed the hallmark of our union to be hollowed out and violated without consequence. there was another mistake. we did not reduce public and private debt in good time. that was our third mistake. we are now addressing and correcting all three of them. this is why we have pushed for change to the european treaties. this is why we hope to conclude a new fiscal compact by the end of this month. with this, that, we will establish the principles of future -- with this compact, we

will establish the principles of future economic stability. if i translate it, we introduced a strong debt-break. we will significantly strengthen policy for the nation within the eurozone and its prospective members. i am confident that most non- euro members will join in this effort. our door will remain open to great britain. better coordination cannot be the end of the story. we have to recognize that we need nothing less than a change for our countries and our society. the debt economy itself has

reached its limits. fiscal responsibility and sustainability are not concepts for experts, nor are they up with hobbies -- awkward hobbies. they are the imperative of our time. the policy of debt, combined with the shortcoming of the eurozone construction and compounded by the affect of the financial crisis had led into the danger zone. we are taking it too far, beyond the point of credibility. allow me the question, as a guest, with all modesty and politeness, can we be sure this is only a problem of the eurozone?

the aaa origins of the crisis -- triple origins of the crisis, put forward by economists and pundits on both side of the atlantic. that is why we are focusing our efforts on creating a union of stability in europe and moving toward fiscal stability here and now. we cannot postpone this fundamental change to a distant future. rescue packages and short-term liquidity are not the solution of enterprises, they are buying as time in which we can address the root causes. the key is to strike the right balance between easing the

short-term pain and laying the foundation for a long-term gain. europe has decided to no longer easily symptoms of the crisis by fighting debt with more debt. this is an enormous challenge. it will be neither easy nor quick. it is the only viable path for a stronger europe in the future. our partners in many countries deserve our respect and our support for the efforts and sacrifices they have made. when we discussed the marriage --merit of this argument, let's not overlook the demographic differences of our society. in many parts of europe, every

bureau of debt -- euro of debt will be shouldered by fewer and fewer tax payers. by no means do i support austerity only. a path from the debt issue, the widening gap in competitiveness between eurozone members is the most important cause of the crisis. budget cuts alone will not do the trick. structural reforms are essential for the creation of new growth. they are also essential for the long term cohesion of the eurozone. it is not acceptable that one out of five europeans under the age of 25 is without a job. in some countries, we are even talking about one out of three.

we can and we must do better. reforming labor markets is only one element, but a very important one. we know from our own experience, when germany was singled out as the sick man of europe, these reforms are politically difficult but very beneficial for long-term growth and employment. in other words, germany is asking and urging for structural reforms. we do not ask any other country in europe or in the eurozone for more than we did by ourselves in our own country. structural reforms are decided because a currency is only as strong as the economies of the countries.

this is the change -- this is the challenge that some of our partners in europe are facing. others have already successfully implemented these reforms and have returned to solid growth. we will do more. we will employ unused fields, structural funds, to stimulate economic growth. we will focus the upcoming budget for the years 2014-2020 on innovation and technology and move away from subsidizing. the budget, to which germany will be the biggest net contributor. finally, we should never lose sight of the benefits of free trade.

we work hard to expand free access to the emerging markets. should we not also put the issue of a trans-atlantic free trade area high on our agenda? the free trade area, it is not weakening our wto efforts for global free trade. we are more deeply integrated through trade and investment than any other two economic areas of the world. this brings me, ladies and gentlemen, to my third question, what is germany's role in all of this? when you look at most of the public commentary, it cannot help but feel a dilemma. we are either criticized for being too cautious in addressing the crisis, or for being too

dominant in dictating our own policies to others. we take both seriously and we believe both are beside the point. to be perfectly clear from the outset, there is no good future for germany without a good future for a united europe. while there are differences in opinion among german political parties on the details of crisis management, there is a broad consensus that the answer to the current crisis has to be more europe, not less europe. germany is and remains deeply and firmly committed to a united europe. the integrated european market is the basis of our wealth and economic prosperity.

the integrated decision making in brussels, while often tedious and full of compromises, has been the basis of more than six decades of peace among the european union member states. the integrated trade of foreign policies are our best chance to preserve our european way of life and assert our values and interests in a globalized world with a new sense of power. going it alone is not an option for germany. however strong our economy may be. history has taught us with chapters too dark to forget, european integration was and remains the only convincing answer to the german question. this fundamental continues to guide our policy.

i am deeply committed to the idea of a european germany. allow me beside this text and by a prepared speech to make a personal remark to you here in washington. i was born in 1961. i am the first generation with parents who grew up in the time of the second world war. for us, for my generation, europe and the european union was always more than just a single market for a common currency or a monetary system. i remember the talks of my parents, disappointed about the

time and the war. i remember in the 1960's and when i was older, in the 1970's, how it was to travel to other european countries. i remember when i was 14 or 15 or even younger when i traveled to france to the atlantic coast. i remember in the middle of the that i was there with three friends, traveling around britain with tents. i wanted to buy something in a

real liberal area -- real, rural area. there was a lady, the owner of the shop. she was, from our point of view, a very old. she was my age now. we were three boys in this shop. she was wearing her traditional clothes. some of you have been hit -- with their. -- been there. i was very slim. i had their hair, blue eyes, a horrible accident when i tried to speak. i was a torture for everyone.

[speaking french] something like that. it was a moment with the rest of my life. we were in this room. it was easy to see that i was chairman -- german. this lady, the owner of the shop, she went out of the shop. she went to a kitchen behind the shop. we could hear that she started to cry. she did not want to serve us. and then the daughter came out.

she talked to us, three young men, and she said, i apologize. this has nothing to do with you, personally. my father was killed in the second world war by the germans. if you grew up in this situation, i think you would understand that europe is always more than a single market and a common currency. it is the answer to the darkest chapter in our history. it is also our life insurance in

times of globalization. please forgive me that i want to underline my personal commitment and a commitment of my generation, the european commitment of the germans with these personal remarks. but probably you understand that for us this is not a technical question, it is a historical question. we may prove you, show you that the german commitment about europe and the eurozone is out of discussion. however, it would be wrong to deny that there are different visions of what europe should be. there are those we do not want, and open europe. there are those who stress differences by religious

differences rather than what unites us. the upgrading a fortress. -- they are creating a fortress. this is the vision we need to oppose. nationalization in a time of globalization is a dangerous concept. this is a message to whom it may concern. the financial, political, and human costs of disintegrating europe would be crippling. it is only if we can put our own house in order that we can seamlessly and credibly establish europe as a strong political actor on the global stage. i am convinced that europe has something to offer beyond preserving its welalth.

we are a community of the values. we are founded on the rights of the individual. the model of shared sovereignty can be an inspiration in a globalized world in need of order. this leads me to my fourth and final point. what is in it for the united states? i believe in what joe biden said so eloquently in his speech to the munich security conference three years ago. i was there and i could listen to him. "in sharing ideals and searching for partners in a more complex world, americans and europeans still look to one another before they look to anyone else." to add my own words, this is

what we have done in the past. this is what we are doing today. this is what we have to do in the future. the affects of globalization confront us with new challenges. from climate change, water and food shortages, said a security, the protection of global commerce, new powers are rising faster than we could foresee only a few years ago. the growing economic wave increasingly translates into political weight. every government on our two continents is shifting towards fast-growing new centers of power in asia and elsewhere. and yet, when we confront the pressing issue of today, it is about all americans and europeans who share the same of

values, interests, objectives, and resources. we continue to fight alongside each other in afghanistan. we pushed forward our joint strategy for a gradual transfer of responsibility to the afghan authorities we are working on a political solution to prevent the country from ever again becoming a safe haven for terrorism. we stand firmly together in confronting iran's cause. for us, like for many of you, the security of israel is important. the european union will put into place a substantial round of sanctions this coming monday to forcefully make the point that behavior-- that iran's

is unacceptable and a danger to world peace. we are working closely together and with our partners in the air belleek to address the ongoing bloodshed in syria, where a brutal regime results to violence against its own people. we are joining forces to support the transformation in the arab world with a more representative, more part is the tory political system. both america -- more participatory political system. both a mayor and the european union put an emphasis on the power of -- both america and the european union put an emphasis on the power of the woman. we will reaffirm our close alliance at the naples summit in chicago.

an alliance of collective defense. an alliance that gives itself the means to be an element of stability in a fragile l. world. possibly, the most important task of all will be to restore the legitimacy and viability of our economic model. the proper regulation of the global financial system is still unfinished business. we have to continue to work on it together and in the framework. this includes making sure that the imf has what it takes to play a crucial role in the global system. if we do not address these issues in a convincing fashion, we will face a systemic crisis of legitimacy. it will transcend our two economies. it would undermine our own political system and it would

diminish our ability to promote our values and interests globally. ladies and gentlemen, when i look at the american debate over the past weeks, i see mostly a caricature of europe. the image of a continent mired in gloom and self absorption. i beg to differ. first point, we actually overcame socialism in europe 20 years ago. [laughter] we owe this among others to the firm commitment to the idea of freedom by a vote, democratic and republican american

administrations. secondly, the most recent global competitiveness index listed seven european countries in its top 10 list. european companies are among the fastest-growing businesses in america, investing billions of dollars and creating thousands of jobs in this wonderful country. europe is the largest donor of humanitarian aid across the globe. in short, europe is a strong and vibrant continent and i firmly believe that we will emerge stronger from this crisis. my vision of our future strategic partnership sees the united states and a united europe at the core of the

enlarged west. in a world with new centers of power is an agreement between the u.s. -- will no longer be sufficient to ship coble conditions. -- shape global conditions. we have to bring on board new partners to build a broad consensus. in a word, the idea of freedom continues to gain strength, it is imperative that the west, the cradle of rhythm, stand together. thank you -- cradle of freedom, stands together. thank you so much for your attention. [applause] >> thank you.

as you can see from the round of applause, this was a very powerful speech. many of the people, when you are relating your personal story, i was looking at the audience, everyone had fallen very silent. i think that made it big and act on the way people think about the exercise you and your colleagues are doing. thank you for sharing that with us. i will also look to your colleagues to signal with me when you need to leave. we do not want to hold you up. i know there are a lot of questions. some people have already tried to attract my attention. i will try to group two or three questions together. i will keep a note of them. we will try to fit in as many questions as possible. you have covered a lot of

territory. the primary point for about the eurozone, what germany and other european countries were doing to tackle the issues he laid out. you also talked about some of the issues you are here to discuss, the upcoming summit in chicago. there may be some questions about that. you had a discussion with united states counterparts about the air this spring, syria, -- arab spring,. syria, iran. i will start with one of our colleagues who also used to work with someone you mentioned, joe biden. some people will recognize, he has some german connections. >> thank you. i would take issue with only one

thing you said, that was the rhetorical question when you ask what the the united states would commit the equivalent of a trillion dollars to help non americans. with all due respect, i think that is what you would call [speaking foreign language]. the question is, would americans from wealthier parts of the states agreed to appropriate money to help the country as a whole, especially their fellow citizens elsewhere. i think this is what the european union is striving towards. in that regard, i would like to pose a question about eurobond. it is often talked about.

the federal government has basically said it will not consider this. i wonder how you feel about eurobonds as a means to showing the solidarity you expressed, both in terms of short-term and long-term? >> if people could introduce themselves before they ask the question. >> thank you. you mentioned the uk. i was wondering if you could give further details of your assessment of the u.k.'s response. what is the gentleman at the back. >> -- >> the gentleman at the back. >> "wall street journal." the negotiators are in greece hoping to close a deal, what did what they have hopes for a deal

to be done before monday -- wondering whether you have hopes for a deal to be done before monday? he made clear it germany's commitment to a united europe, can you characterize how far that extends? is there a point at which politically or economically germany will not commit to a united europe? >> we have a question about eurobonds and solidarity. and then a very pertinent question about how far germany will commend itself to the enterprise, and of course, the deal that we are expecting. >> i would like to answer your answer, if you allow. because you use this wonderful phrase.

it is a very well used term in germany by politicians if they do not want to answer. [laughter] and i said nothing else that there is a cliche and a stereotype in the public discussion, germany is not committed enough. they do not show enough solidarity. europe and the eurozone is not quick enough in their decisions. the opinions of the leaders of the governments are too weak. i think this is completely wrong. but you know what kind of discussion you had on the hill about this. not my business. [laughter]

but then you can imagine how complicated this is to discuss and to decide such a size of solidarity in a totally different situation, politically different situation. you are one country. and you have experienced structures, services, parliament, decisions, opinion leaders, white house and so on and so on. when we are talking about europe ramallah -- about europe, be aware, we have national countries, and we are together in a union. we are not one country debt. -- one country yet. from my point of view, and i think you can read this between

the lines -- from my point of view, it is necessary to develop for the next chapter of the integration of europe more and more into this direction. but at the moment, we are not. at the moment, we are 27 -- probably after sunday and the referendum, 28. 28 member states. next year. 27 national countries united under one political umbrella with one parliament with limited authorities and possibilities. there is no one government. and we do not have a president in the sense that you use the word president in america, in the united states. this is the way i want to compare it. if there is a public discussion of germany not doing enough, not showing enough solidarity,

i want to compare it with the size of our economies. i mean, we are 80 million citizens on the european continent. we are not the so-called super power worldwide. we are, from our point of view, a very successful country and we have shown that in what we do for the last 10 years. excellent growth rate, decreasing unemployment rate, and economic situation demoss social situation -- and economic situation, social situation, the best in the history. 200 billion in germany, 200 billion or more heroes we put on the table -- 200 billion for more we put on the table.

it is really a lot. and i just want to ask that we do not underestimate this money and this solidarity. if you know me, you know i am working for the trans-atlantic friendship, many years before i came to be in the german government. if we're talking about 200 million euros -- 200 billion in germany, -- 200 billion euros in germany, it is translated into more than 1000 billion dollars in the u.s.

not to criticize anyone. i want to explain. sometimes i think you look to germany and think that we can do everything. there is the capability to protect, but there is also the obligation to do so. you have to protect the balance. also, just imagine how complicated it is sometimes to decide the european institutions, with one exception, all other governments, all other parliaments -- 26 parliament, independent, national parliaments decided to support

this agreement. they decided to show solidarity and decided to open the next chapter of european integration. this is normal. eurobonds, what do you say? my answer is very short and simple. i do not think you can solve a debt crisis by making it easier to take out new debt. to fight depp with debt does not work in the private life and it does not work in nations. this is our authority and our idea. and please, do not forget, once again, everything that we ask for in structural reforms, we did before in our own country. retirement age and so on and so on. we did all of this in our country.

this is why i want to say, now, please, put on my glasses. not immediately. [laughter] but put on my glasses and looked through my glasses to the situation. do you think that, for example, some member countries in the european union, we were courageously on this structural reform. if we, as germans, say, you get the money, thank you, we are fine. it is a mutual agreement. we showed solidarity. but we ask those who ask for solidarity to do their homework, to fulfil and to work on the necessary structural reforms, and the competitiveness. we all know this. it is a key question in this

crisis for new growth. and then of course, for a balanced budget, which is our long-term goal. the united kingdom, your second question -- thank you so much for this. it is also a bit ironic because i have just been in the united states after the ninth of december summit we had in europe with the european union. and please, understand, i know the public opinion in america is very much influenced by the discussion in great britain, which is very understandable. because most american people do not follow our german language, which is obvious. and of course, there is a long tradition, and cultural roots, no doubt about it.

i want to say, a german -- as german foreign minister, i want to have great burden on board. and we have to look now at how to build a bridge over this troubled water to the continent. and probably, you have a professional background for your question. and you know this very well, it is not the first time. "i want my money back." [laughter] when i was your age, i will never forget this statement from an historical lady, like a movie career. [laughter] this is my answer. i hope you felt by my words that it was very gentle and open-minded. it is a standing invitation and addressed to london to the public there. third, greece, i think we

should stop as politicians and political leaders to enter into the cold -- to answer and a hypothetical questions if it is right, and i'm sure it is right, but we are left in a crisis. then i think it would be better if politicians and government answer questions when they have to hansard, which means when the situation is there to answer the question all of these hypothetical questions mislead us. if the spotlight were to fall down, i would leave the room. but it probably will not happen. and we work on the opposite. this is why we fixed the spotlight. we have to answer it. we have a present negotiation

with greece. and we are waiting for a report. and i will not make comments as to the future of greece before receive the report by the troika, which is vis-à-vis the commission and the imf. i have just left my office on sunday. i have the conviction that it is necessary to do the home market and to do that -- the hallmark and the structural reforms. -- to do the homework and the structural reforms. it is also necessary for the parties in the government work with papademos and i think they understood that this is a crucial time and everyone has to do their own homework at

home. >> thank you. let me take three more questions. this gentleman at the back over here. then this gentleman here and then the gentleman over there. >> i used to deal with the economic issues at the state department in the past. my question is, if southern -- [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2012]

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the first lady and doctor by didn't rule out joining force -- and dr. biden rolled out joining forces. public awareness. employment. education. wellness. mental health. public awareness, if you have been to remove your watched any football. you have seen tom hanks, oprah winfrey, and steven spielberg

calling to action -- for the country to do something and do what you do best in the communities to help serve this population. it is also manifested in major- league baseball out reach. in fighting the first lady and dr. biden to the world series. it was nascar back in the fall, which was actually a great event. there was 1000 military families and spouses. they came together to work with an organization to commit to hiring 4000 veterans just at the local level in the next two years. most recently and just last week we teamed up with someone who is committed to doing things for military families in 2012. they kicked off a public-service announcement campaign.

for those of you who own any tweens, you saw the first lady appear in an episode of icarly. again, what it means to have a child of a parent who is deployed. to those who have been a part of the military structure with more than 60% of americans or 190 million sank it has had no personal impact on them. -- saying it has had no personal impact on them. that was great fun. that is public awareness. i think we'll continue to see more and more of those at a very public level and national level in the months to come. i will cut employment at the end. but education, we are working down two lanes. we're working with the national math science initiative.

it has the most advanced ap courses in the country. in institutionalizing those in public schools that have a large military population. most public schools -- most military children go to a public school. this is not a dod school. this is an effort to submit for the long term and advanced education opportunity. we are also looking to cement opportunities that are sustainable for the long haul. we have been working with 100 universities around the country with the goal of getting them to commit to training all the teachers and their respective institutions and a fundamental courses relating to a military challenge. what it means to have the military shot in the classroom. if you are a public school teacher and you have a couple of young kids falling asleep and

you're teaching sixth grade class and they're falling asleep, it would be healthy for you to have some understanding that this young kids parent is in eastern afghanistan. you may or may not have heard from the pen for a couple of weeks. mom and dad are stripes -- are stressed. anyone at the human level can understand what it would mean to have that perspective. and then in the world of wellness or behavioral health, working on two pieces. one, in the fairly broad. there is not a day that does not go by that we don't read something about -- they are obviously the invisible wounds of this war, although they are hardly new issues. these same issues have been around for every war. in just the last two weeks, with

taken two specific steps to address this. the first is that we believe very firmly because this population is young, everyone who fought in these wars was in their 20's or 30's when they did it. they have around 50 or 60 more years. this is a long term -- will have a long-term invested in this. we have invested a lot of time with all of the nation's medical colleges. we have asked them to come together to train the future positions in understanding. the reason being, more than half of veterans in this country do not seek medical care within the va system. in order to address behavioral systems, with your in the morning, south florida, you need to have some understanding

because there is a tremendous impact on this growing population. the great news is that they stepped up and get a big announcement in richmond just a week before last where 130 medical colleges came together and thought this was an important endeavor and will train the nation's future physicians in this. that is great. we are also working with 30 medical associations around the country. getting them to fundamentally do the same thing. that is, for all the medical discipline in the country, asking them to have nurses, physical therapists, physicians, surgeons, to have some basic understanding of ptsd and pti. you do not have to be the expert, but they have some knowledge based on where the family is in the country. we'll see some manassas but that in the coming week.

each of you has an impact and you can essentially do it today. you may or may not know, young veterans have -- unemployment in particular for young veterans is higher than the national average. why? why is that? the reason is that the nation lost 8 million jobs. we were hit particularly hard. there are some other pieces that go with that, including what has not historically been much of a need to have to translate those skills on the battlefield into civilian speak. but with fewer and fewer leaders in our nation's institutions have been bettered themselves, it is important that young veterans be able to translate those great experiences into civilian speak so that employers understand it. i use myself as an example. if i were seeking a job today, i

would say the things i do well are drive warships, launched tomahawk missiles, and hunt submarines. there is not a great need for that in the private sector. there is probably some need for managing thousands of people on a $500 million budget. that is where people need to seize the opportunity and translate those skills. that is one piece. we really embarked on a significant effort to address this issue in using the private sector. it is a pretty ambitious goal. we asked the first lady and dr. biden to lead this effort. the great news is that companies

have stepped up left and right. just under our umbrella, we have had about 1500 companies already higher 35,000 veterans in just five months. we are on an incredible trajectory. that is the good news. 1500 companies is a thought -- it is nothing. -- is a dot -- it is nothing. let's continue to spread the news in the most impact away where folks can make a difference at the committee level. i would suggest the mayors of this nation can really help with this. whether it is engaging with the local chamber of commerce, encouraging of veterans hiring. what we find out is that for those who have done this, if you are a veteran and you are

better, you get it. you understand the type of employment. for those of you who love not been veterans, siemens last year said it will lead into this. they loved it. they really loved the quality of the people they were getting. it is not a population that had targeted, but they're truly outstanding folks. that was all in about an eight month period. ended up hiring six and a 20 folks. that is one company in the united states of america. multiple that by 29,000 and you can see the possibility of really helping the young veteran population in a very short period of time. mike asked of the group is, go back to your communities. spread the word to hire veterans or military spouses. you will find time and time

again that the quality of the person you get is already a graduate of the world's greatest trading institution -- the united states military. it is a positive at the company level and it is good for the bottom line. we have emphasized that. it is one thing to hire them because it is patriotic, but it is a whole other thing to do because it makes good business sense. it is good for your bottom line. i get feedback every day from ceos who are saying, give me more. you are not alone in this endeavor. no one is saying, mr. mayor, go out and do this. in the last couple of months with had the most robust private partnership. to help the south, we also have policies in place. let me -- to help us out, we also have had policies in place. the meat over the policies.

the president announced tax policies for people who hire veterans. the news,not watching you may not have known. this is a huge news back in -- back on main street. hire veterans because it makes good sense for your company, and by the way, get a tax credit for $56. if you hire one of the nation's wounded warriors, that tax credit is up to -- i use that -- i use every opportunity to tell every business and that this is not as an opportunity to help out, but to do things for your bottom line. help your bottom line in the process of doing it. the vote for that was clearly a non-political issue.

this is an american issue. while that policy piece is in place, there are also several other enablers that are helpful. i think the secretary talked publicly about the gold card. this is the department of labor's one-stop from the country. a gold card that is available to every post-9/11 veteran in america. it helps take sgt cooper and introduce him to the private sector in a meaningful way and put him or her at the top of the queue for meaningful deployment. i would also ask you to spread the word. the department of labour is deeply involved in has a great opportunity in terms of counseling. they'll be able to match individual with a need for a job

and unemployed. it has also worked, and most people do not believe this, very closely with i t giants at google, monster.com. there are still a fair number of those jobs or as from the country and provide a single stop, shopping opportunity for veterans. this is a collaborative effort between the dod and va called the veterans a job bank. and a private organization called simply hired. a positive 500,000 jobs were companies indicated a desire to hire into this one single stop jobs they. then behind that, google developed what they referred to as a tagging program where they

have offered every single company in the program in america who desires to use it the ability to electronically tagged a job they want to hire and google's very large search engine scoops' these jobs up into the veterans and job bank. we are a two way street here. now they have an opportunity to advertise where they want jobs. great news for veterans. not have one website where they can go to for jobs and they do not have to work through that mosaic. particularly a young service member leaves, all they know what if you came out of high school is it a graduate anheuser, join the military, got a lot of guidance, learned a lot, now i am out. wow. it is a pretty dramatic shift.

we want to set up a task force -- you're the term to design a reverse boot camp. bettors at the front and have not historically is that a lot of time on the back and helping with the transition. we will hear from them in the coming months. as far and loud as wide as you communicate to hire a veteran, or three, or five, or 50, or 50,000, there is a tax credit involved. several government measures such as the gold card. incredible support from the va includes opening of a vocational training. and i think we can get at this in 2012. i am optimistic that we are on a trajectory to have really hit this target. i think it to more than my allotted five minutes. i appreciate it.

>> we appreciate you and that is why we are here, to make sure that we as mayors can make sure that we utilize our resources on the ground. that is what it is about. match our chamber of commerce is, or economic people on the ground. >> the u.s. chamber of commerce is one of our great teammates. the chamber has had 80 hiring around the country. hiring more than 7000 veterans as a result. we have learned a lot. we have learned so much. we did have more of these in 2012. one of them will be in a city near you been. i ask for your support to help communicate it. >> thank you. one thing forgot to mention is

that brad is still on active duty. we are very fortunate today to have as our next speaker barbara thompson. she is the director of -- she is responsible for programs and policies that promote military families well-being and quality of life. she has an early education and spanish and a master's in management. she is here to talk with us about the services available through her office to support our military families. barbara, thank you for being out here with us this morning. >> good morning. thank you for the opportunity to share some of the wonderful programs we have in the support military members of their family. i want to give you a little bit of context.

2/3 are up to 70% -- they cannot live on the installation like we did in the 70's. they are embedded in your communities. they are attending or churches. they are shopping in your shopping malls. they really are a part of your community. we want to make sure that we do not see them as being isolated on an installation and really volunteered. this has been 10 years of intense employment, separations, and a lot of worrying for our families. one of the things that has changed in my world is the use of the guard and reserve. never before have we deployed our reserves heavily have. the infrastructure in the department was not really set up for geographically dispersed family members.

in 2007 we really did change -- we really did change some of our programming and how we approach not only guard and reserves were not mere military installation, but active duty folks who sometimes go back home or live with the extended family while their loved one is deployed. so i want to share some of the resources and our thinking along those lines for how we reach contact with those people. in your dark blue folder i listed some of the policy. we say that we cover the cradle to the grave. we start at birth in our early childhood programs and we also have casualty assistance in our portfolio. we look at all aspects of support during those times. a lot of websites information because i think when you are informed about what is available, you can then share it

with the right people in your -- with your peers to be allowed to make sure that they are in basses to share this information. one of our greatest challenge is making sure our military members and their families know about the program and resources are available to them. i think that is critical. it is really frustrating from the policy level when we hear these issues that military families are facing and think, all my goodness, we offer this and have this. whether it is nonmedical counseling support of military children in the school system or it is something that is rudimentary and how you get help during a relocation and find out information about your new community? i hope this will be a good reference for you for some of the programs we have available. i will say are military families, as brad was saying, is

to children education. that has been their number one worry because they move as so often. if you are a child who is attending six to nine schools in your career, you know how difficult that is to transition from school to school and state to state with all the different requirements. so, we have 39 states that have signed the interstate compact. it is an effort to help those children who are transitioning to different states not to lose credit. not to have to take their state history from three states before they graduate high school. or how they can get into ap class is or even on the sports team because they missed the tryouts. with 39 saves a cover 88% of our children. wilson now the information has been sketchy. next year will be working very carefully to make sure that our state super intended some notes

about how will affect our children. it is an effort to protect them. as brad was saying, employment for military spouses is a particular interest. it falls into my portfolio. we know the financial stability of the family often hinges on the spouse's income, too. we know that our spouses have an unemployment rate of 26% compared to their civilian counterparts. we know they are underemployed by about 25%. we know there are more highly educated. 24% of our spouses have a bachelor degrees. we have the program called the military spouse employment partnership which is, again, an effort to connect employers to a really great asset in their community. that is military spouses. even though they are mobile, they have the leadership.

they adapt. they have the flexibility just as their service member. they are loyal and an excellent source of employment. since june 29, dr. biden launched the military spouse employed a partnership. we have launched -- we have hired spouses. our goal is to increase the numbers of businesses. especially for portable careers or virtual careers. so that spouses have the opportunity to have a career path and not have to start from scratch every time the move to a new location. i think with the reintegration piece of deployment, we consider that probably the most difficult phase. separation is one thing, but reintegrated into your family after being separate for one year can be very challenging. and so we are working very

closely with law enforcement to ensure that there is an awareness about domestic violence. about risky behaviors. use of alcohol. so that hopefully our law enforced is attuned to the fact they should ask a person who they stop because it may be telling their behavior is based on what they have lived through, but not necessarily them trying to be not a nuisance. i think that is very important. access to health, especially mental health services not only for our service mayors but also for their families. this has been a tremendous tool on our children in particular. it has also been a tool for spouses because they are trying to keep the home front stabilize while their spouses deployed. it is challenging. then i think we also have an emphasis on credit tory lending.

-- predatory -- creditory lending. we know they have a paycheck coming in every month. we're working very closely with the new federal protection board. we are trying to ensure that our families are safe from predatory lenders and predatory practices. what i would like you to take away are two things. one is that our military installation really mirrors your communities. your installation commander is basically a mirror of a town. so, whether it is churches, schools, for recreation facilities, child development centers, youth centers, there is a really important connection between our community and your community. our offices have a new initiative where we are working

with the university of georgia and the university of north carolina at chapel hill to really empower our professionals with the skill to reach out to the committee. we are aware of the resources you have and you are aware of the resources we can bear in this effort. it is going to take a village, if you will, to really supports these families. they are out in your communities. a lot of times they seek the support of their neighbors. one of the great things about joining forces is that these random acts of kindness, whether it is from the larger city or the neighbor next door or the person you go to church with, that is really important that we all see the little acts of kindness that really make an impact on how they can manage the stressors of the military lifestyle. so, the last thing i would like

to leave with is, it is also a military initiative. mrs. obama has been a spokesperson for preventing childhood obesity. the department of defense considers this a national security issue because we know that 17 to 24 euros, only 25% of our youth, are eligible to enter the military. whether it is they are not physically fit, they are obese, they have had some problems with the law, or they do not need the education standards. but obesity is preventable. she has an initiative called let's move cities and towns where the mayor's commit to making physical activity, better nutrition, and reduced screen time a focus of their administration. we are taking that model and developing an installation so that our commanders also get on

the bandwagon because it is critical not only for the well- being of our families, but for our future force. the army, for example, has extended their boot camp for one week because of the physical fitness aptitudes of their troops. that is scary because that is more costly. they're having more musculoskeletal injuries. we know that we need to put ourselves in front of those issues. i consider the other issue is the health costs. we know that if we do this and we do it right, we will save our help affairs. it is very significant dollars in our health costs. i leave you that little tidbit to go back to your communities and think about it. did not always supports military children but all of your futures. in your future citizens. thank you.

>> thank you very much, miss thompson. ms. thompson also touched on an issue for our necks speaker that is also very important. i know as mayors, we also we often see -- we often see veterans at no fault of their own as homeless, or even just a black says to a roof over their head. i was really excited to hear about this program our next speaker is actually matt steiner. he's a director of development and outreach for veterans. he is a fourth generation marine. he attended oklahoma state university where he received a b.a. in political science. he received an m.a. in public

registration. he is here to talk about the veteran treatment and how they are impacting the lives of military families in our communities. i know that in the state of florida, tampa has pulled out their federal support. i was really excited to see that they are progressively moving forward with their program. the mayor has endorsed this program by active resolution. we are here as a partner to hopefully build a public awareness and actually use our position in local governments to encourage local court systems in our communities to implement this type of diversionary program to help prevent the incarceration of veterans that have served our country, the more poorly get their services

out there. and iwelcome mr. steiner will turn over to him. >> thank you very much. they you for allowing me the opportunity to speak. -- thank you for allowing me the opportunity to speak. after oklahoma state, i work for the mayor's office. she was-a part of this distinguished group. i can say that i definitely have firsthand experience about what it is like to work in local government. it really was that she implemented the coordination. she used the power as being the chief executive committee to rally better service organizations.

to stop having veterans becoming homeless, suicidal, incarcerated. that is how i fell into this role. afterwards, i went to the mayor and coordinated. we became a national model. i went to grad school at the same time. i can certainly take getting out of the marine corps that i never thought veterans incarceration would be my business, but it is something i am certainly very passionate about. it is something that every mayor here could definitely into the into the committee. i will kind of of my power point. i know everybody is busy so i will try to keep it short and brief. my cut at informations in the folder so please keep -- so please -- my contact information is in the folder, so please feel free to contact me at any time. like capt. cooper said, 72 worse. that is unprecedented. my grandfather went until world

war ii. because of that post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injuries have occurred at a higher level. it used to be something that was simply on the convoy. it would rattle the brain to the service member and cause brain injury. slightly less than 50% of our service members also have post- traumatic stress disorder. a lot of our veterans to come back and there is suffering. because of the problem, one in six veterans have a substance this order. one in six are coming back to your communities with a substance is order. one in five have a mental health condition. as a result, some veterans return to drugs or alcohol as a

result of their service. it is such a macho environment in the military that no one is going to raise their hand and talk about their feelings or mental health issues. as a result, sadly, they do t urn to drugs or alcohol. and then they may end up in the criminal system as we have seen. instead of incarceration, we want to give them rehabilitation. the solution is the veterans treatment. treatment course, let me give you a history these. the first drug corp. began in 1989 in florida. at the time, there are experiencing too many drug non- violent offenders. a judge down there created the drug court. today there is about 2500 drug

kors in every state. now they are serving veterans. 50% who go through it never see jail again. in oklahoma for example, $23,000 per year. the cost of $5,000 or $6,000 to send them through a drug court. because of that, we're able to have veterans treatment corp.. a good friends of mine had this amazing idea. he saw some any veterans coming through on his drug court dockets and wanted to do about it. he started the first of veterans treatment corp. in january, two dozen 8, in buffalo news, new york. -- in 2008, in buffalo, new york. it provides veterans with the intensive treatment while holding them accountable to the

court, their family, and themselves. i want to give you the structure of the veterans treatment corp. briefly. blue star mothers, the vet center, u.s. state department of veterans affairs. the department of labour. local veterans' employment wraps. the loss of the state county bar association that also participate. when hours in oklahoma, we had the department of defense congressional office come to our core once a month to help. you also have other community agencies. my point is that each city you live in and government has a va hospital. you are within reach of a regional office. you're not necessarily creating another bureaucracy with the veterans treatment core.

you're simply allocate all the courses that are there any way. i want to study how this works. two to work, i veterans had posttraumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injuries. he was suicidal and had -- and ended up in county jail. he never enrolled in the veterans health and administration. he was unemployed, at divorce, and had lost his son. however, six months later, we got him in role in the v.a. health care. he now leads a substance abuse and group spirit he connected with the bed -- with the veterans' benefits issue region. he gets money tax-free which she uses back committee conifer apartment rent. as a disabled veteran, he is getting his undergrad. he'll be the first person in his family to receive a college

education. here is somebody that was suicidal, had given up, was going to be a college graduate. he goes to the vet center regularly and got custody of his son because the local bar association helped him out. the oklahoma department of veterans affairs qualified him for free hunting, free licensing, and free fishing. it was kind of ironic because he is set for his life with free college. now there are about 88 veteran'' treatment courses in the nation. now there are 8800 more being planned. keeping up with demand is pretty tough. it is changing the way the va's treats veterans.

at&t -- lost in tulsa, -- military times, marine corps, maybe, and who we are. we ration their from the get go and started the movement. he is not our veterans treatment corp. committee. that's how we've been able to implement all these veterans treatment courts so far. so far, we have trained about 32. we have another train going on in san jose. we're going to train 10 more teams.

there be a total of 40 veterans treatment courts. we have for veterans mental treatment courts. we actually pay for folks to go visit eight better intriguing court and all day training. justice for bets, as part of the national association, and our 17th annual conference, we hosted the largest gathering of veterans treatment court professionals around the world. we had all the people from the hospital there. we had targeting, mentoring, national guard -- you name it. we hosted entrained it. we had a really good friend of mine now speak at our conference to over 3700 veterans treatment court professionals.

he did want to or in afghanistan and 1 tour in iraq. -- he did want to work in afghanistan -- he did one tour in afghanistan and one tour in the iraq. we have been on capitol hill several times. we hosted the first senate judiciary committee. i was like to take this time to think capt. cooper for his support and the first lady's support. we are mentioned in strengthening our families, meeting america's chimera by the white house. commitments by the white house.

veteran -- veterans treatment courts to solve these problems and they are working. some of our outreach, really the person behind this, and does not hesitate to recognize that he outrange me by about 23 pay grades of the time we talked. we just recently met at the chief of the national guard bureau. like ms. thompson said, we have a lot of our reserves in national guard members reserved. there in your cities, in your communities. we opened our doors to take active cardmembers. -- active guard members. and to really wrapped up, in legislation we have held california, colorado, illinois, texas, virginia, develop better treatment court legislation.

and several other states as well to develop better treatment legislation. one of the first things i did when i came on board justice for vets was to gain support of the most prestigious and respected organizations. the marine corps league. blue star mothers. the american legion. the disabled american veterans. the ball come on board with their public support for veterans' treatment courts. i said before, these organizations are in your community. and they do vote. other support, the national bar association. the american judges association. our committee is chaired and under his leadership we have been able to implement a lot of veterans treatment court and

better policy so far. we are really just hitting the tip of the spear with this. in tulsa for example, we're getting about 150 residents alone in tulsa county. we did not even have an active military base. but because we had a height veteran population, we were getting that many arrested. to my very much for your time. if i can answer editor questions -- i hope i did not go too fast. -- if i can answer any of your questions in -- i hope i did not go too fast. >> thank you very much. if anyone has any questions for our presenters. i guess i will start out. capt. cooper, you talked about these centers and where they are at. how do we link in, for example, my city. we have a human services department. how willing to bet and tell us a

little bit more about where these centers are and located? the think we're talking rut department of labour called one stops. there are thousands throughout the country. i can tell you there are many opportunities in south florida and around big cities throughout the country. i recently have gone online and used the my google apparatus. they're easy to find and access. they are manned by great folks and enablers. they understand what the local market looks like. they can take and recognize skill sets to help individuals, veterans, in particular. they can make the rest may more closely aligned -- they can make the reza may -- resume more

closely aligned. 8 center,there's a v- folks can go there. -- a v.a. center, folks can go there. you can also go to google. in a letter -- i am an electrician, i can type in what my military operation code is. it will translate that. i can even take in where i am interested in working. i am an election is interested in working in alabama. it will show me jobs aligned with my pay grade. a pretty sophisticated tool for folks to use. between those couple pieces, we are in a much better place. they are all new. some good opportunities.

>> from new jersey, i was approached several months ago from a young lady lovely as a veteran. she wanted to set up a transitional home for returning single parent mothers with children. she had an educational component and transition back into the work force. she ran into a roadblock somewhere. is there any place you can recommend that she can pick up on this or contact? would that be listed on google? >> i can give you an idea. what i would say, this is in the category we like to use that everyone can do something. do what you do best. if this young lady thinks it is

what she to do best, my recommendation would be to go to a local va. they have teamed to really attack veterans homelessness. they have made tremendous progress to ended by 2015. out sick for skilled there. -- i would say to first go there. it really is -- you need to attach -- to attack this whole list thickly. -- wholeistically. that would be my recommendation for starters. >> i would add that i would also go to the small business administration. they have grants for veterans

and military spouses for entrepreneur opportunities. they can probably help her with a loan to get started on setting up the home and what she would need to furnish it and things like that. >> thank you. >> i will take one final question. barbara and that touched on this. you talked about sensitivity training for our police forces. that is our core service. they are linked between your program and the diversion program. and what models we can take home to share with our police department. where can we send them?

maybe you both can partner with that. >> the one resource i would recommend as a reference point is the defense center of for excellence of psychological help and traumatic brain injury has a website with what are the issues facing military families. they also have the national center for technology. they have freed mobile apps for military and their families. how to learn how to deep a breeze to offset the stress. there are a lot of resources out there that address awareness of what are the red flags about mental health or psychological health and a traumatic brain injury. i would go there. i think it is under a different department, but it is my understand that they have a korcourse.

that would be another good resource for the law enforcement people to be aware of the impact of deployment on families and service members. >> thank you. to piggyback off of what she is talking about, keep in mind a lot of law enforcement are veterans. they kind of understand that culture a lot. that is something we ended up doing with our law enforcement. they would ask at the jail or even during arrests, have you served or are you currently serving in the united states armed forces? we never asked if there are a better not come because to me at of veterans where old guys like my dad or grandfather. i did not socialize of as a veteran when i first came back.

those are two kind of major points. they have done a lot of great work as well. >> i do not have anymore questions. i want to recognize our staff. larry, for your hardware putting his panel together. i want to thank you you all for joining us to get this conference of mayors. [applause] >> mr. speaker, the president of the united states. >> tuesday night, president

obama delivers his state of the union address. live coverage begins at 8:00 p.m. eastern, including the president's speech, republican response by mitch mcconnell, and your phone calls. on c-span to watch the president's speech along with tweets from members of congress. throughout the night, go online for live video. add your comments using facebook or twitter at c-span.org. >> arizona rep gabrielle giffords has announced she will resign from congress this week to concentrate on recovering from wounds she suffered from an assassination attempt a little over one year ago. the democratic congress would made the announcement on her website. here are her remarks.

>> arizona is my home. always will be. a lot has happened over the past year. we cannot change that. but i know on the issues we've fought for, we can change things for the better. jobs, border security. veterans. we can do so much more by working together. i do not remember much from that horrible day. but i will never forget the trust you placed in me to be your voice. thank you for your prayers and

for giving me time to recover. i have more work to do on my recovery. so, to do what is best for arizona, i will step down this week. i am getting better. every day my spirit is high. i will return and we will work together for arizona and this great country. thank you very much. >> congresswoman giffords is 41 years old.

she serves as the representative for arizona is 8 congressional representative for five years. on january 8 last her she was wounded in a shooting outside of a supermarket that left six people dead end 12 wounded. a special election will be held to replace her seat. next, q&a with syndicated columnist diana west. then, your calls and comments on "washington journal." today, an anti-abortion rally from the march for life education and defense fund to mark the anniversary of the roe v. wade court decision. >> , i have never felt more strongly that america's best days and democracy's best days lie ahead. we are a powerful force for

good. with faith and courage, we can perform great deeds and take freedoms next step. we will. we will carry on the tradition of a good and were the people who have brought light or there is darkness, warmth where there was cold, medicine or there was disease, food or there was hugger, and peace were there was only bloodshed. let us be sure that those who come after it will say of us in our time that in our time we did everything that could be done. we finished the race. we kept them free. we kept the faith. >> find a state of the union address is going back to 1952 online at the c-span library. what president obama deliver this year's address tuesday night live on c-span. it is washington your way.

>> this week, diana west. >> diana west, what do you try to accomplish with your columns? >> light and truth. what i try to do is focus on the stories that are not covered or discussed. we've spent years at war without talking about victory and what we wanted to accomplish or fail to accomplish. this is a way to bring things to heal. >> when did you start the column? >> 1998. >> where did you start? >> the "washington times." it was the article on kazan, it was the article on kazan, and