making sure that happens. >> one other thing that is interesting is the repatriation of a lot of jobs because of technology. people are able to work from home. because of the technology advances, we're seeing repatriation of jobs back here. that is something we need to build on. >> we're a leader in information technology software and hardware. if we can use that with productivity and flexibility tools, it to have a great benefit. >> united technologies is bringing back 400,000 jobs from china and mexico. they are coming back to south carolina because we have created an environment for business restructuring in our state. >> i appreciate your research. i think we're coming to the right time in the financial

cycle. it is not that we will create jobs, but how many and how fast. >> we are talking about job creation. i wondered if anyone would like to comment on the keystone pipeline project and its job creation in the energy sector or others like that. >> it is a great jobs project. we believe the president and administration have come down on the wrong side of it. job creation belongs in the private sector. that is what the entire conversation has been about. if we seriously want to grow the economy and get to 21 million jobs by 2020, is a no-brainer to allow that project to ensue.

also from an energy cost and security issue. there is no question in my mind. >> the question is whether we will position ourselves to be a place where jobs come or allowed it to go overseas. will we be a player or not? the decision cannot wait until after the election. 22,000 more americans could be working right now. >> weekend do this. i am for it. >> i think we can. the question about getting it done has more to do with what we see as america's future. do you see america as an entrepreneurial haven or a place

that needs to be insulated and comforted as we become a used to be super power? >> are there any last questions? we promised to end at noon. one last question. >> there was controversy on friday over the jobs numbers and whether it painted an accurate picture not taking into account those who have given up looking for work. does the gop have a plan to confront it? how will it play into the presidential election? >> i sent out front that we welcome the good news. as far as new participants in the market and how that was being interpreted, i do not know enough to tell you yes or no. i did see one study that indicated it was up until june

that he saw a decline in the number of those participating in the job market. since then, there has been a leveling off. perhaps there is evidence to the contrary, but i look at the fact is you are creating to under 50,000 jobs -- 250,000 job as a good thing. in the 1980's, you were creating 400,000 new jobs a month. have 21 going to million new jobs by 2020, you are going to have to have a significant number of sustained job growth throughout this period. we ought to embrace it. we should set the bar higher and say we can do better. we can do it. >> i would like to thank our panel .

[applause] [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2012] >> subscribe to our youtube channel and we will notify you of the newest posts. >> there was this tragic episode. a race riot broke out here in 1943. there was a story about a black

man and a white woman. when the story spread into the shipyard, several thousand of the shipyard workers came, of the shipyard and came downtown to the city hall, to the police department, to try to find a person who had allegedly committed this crime. >> there are hundreds of the is to choose from online. today, c-span will be bringing you more live coverage from the conservative political action conference this afternoon. we will be hearing from texas senator john cornyn followed by grover norquist. then, results from the cpac presidential straw poll.

at 4:30 eastern, remarks from sarah palin. a look ahead to tomorrow's "washington journal," the impact of super pac's on the election. bill press discusses 2012 presidential politics and his new book. rob richie outlined problems with the current election system and gives suggestions to change the process. in his weekly address, president obama urged congress to pass the payroll tax cut extension which he says will prevent a tax increase on 160 million americans. virginia governor bob mcdonnell will give the republican address. he talks about what he expects to see in president obama's

budget request and the government role in creating jobs. >> hello, everybody. in recent weeks, we've seen signs that our economy is growing stronger and creating jobs at a faster clip. while numbers and figures will go up and down in the coming months, what cannot waver is our resolve to do everything in our power to keep stoking the fires of the recovery. and the last thing we should do is let washington stand in the way. you see, at the end of the month, taxes are set to go up on 160 million working americans. if you're one of them, then you know better than anyone that the last thing you need right now is a tax hike. but if congress refuses to act, middle class taxes will go up. it's that simple. now, if this sounds familiar, it's because we've been here before. back in december, congress faced this exact same predicament. ultimately, thanks to your voices, they did the right thing -- but only after a great deal of bickering and political posturing that put the strength of our economy and the security of middle class families at

risk. we can't go through that again. congress needs to stop this middle class tax hike from happening. period. no drama. no delay. and no ideological side issues that have nothing to do with this tax cut. now is not the time for self- inflicted wounds to our recovery. now is the time for common- sense action. and this tax cut is common- sense. if you're a family making about $50,000 a year, this tax cut amounts to about $1,000 a year. that's about $40 in every paycheck. i know there are some folks in this town who think $40 isn't a lot of money. but to a student or a senior who's trying to stretch the budget a little bit further? to a parent who is filling up the tank and looking at rising gas prices? to them, $40 can make all the difference in the world. and so can your voice. i hope you'll pick up the phone, send a tweet, write an email, and tell your representative that they should get this done before it gets too late.

tell them not to play politics again by linking this debate to unrelated issues. tell them not to manufacture another needless standoff or crisis. tell them not to stand in the way of the recovery. tell them to just do their job. that's what our middle class needs. that's what our country needs. in the wake of the worst economic crisis of our lifetimes, we're getting things going again. and we're going to keep at it until everyone shares in america's comeback thanks, and have a great weekend. >> i hope you are enjoying a great weekend with family and friends. this is the first weekend without any football since august. depending on who your team is, that could be a good or bad thing. this is the second straight year we find ourselves waiting for the annual release of the president's budget. federal law mandates he release his budget on the first monday

of every february. his administration has extended that another seven days. that delay pales in comparison to the nearly three-year hold up. noty reid's majority has passed a budget in over 1000 days. they're refusing to even consider a budget on the floor. this is an astounding failure of leadership and management. we will get a budget from the president and less than 48 hours. we do not know the specifics. we can reasonably predict a lot from his past policy decisions. we can expect his budget to make private sector job creation tougher because it will raise taxes and continue policies like obamacare and making it harder for small businesses to hire at a time when millions of americans remain out of work. we can expect the budget to ignore the growing crisis in this country. it will not protect the security of medicare and social security.

it will continue down the road to bankrupting these programs in the years ahead. we can expect the president's budget to again fail to address the $15 trillion and growing national debt. the obama approach is more debt, more taxes, and more blaming others. we can expect this will not be a proactive budget built to promote fiscal responsibility and future prosperity. it appears we will see a bloated budget that doubles down on the failed policies of the past. republicans know that we can do better. every day, hard-working taxpayers, families, and business owners balance their budgets on time without excuses. they live within their means by setting priorities and making tough choices. they want and deserve a smaller and smarter government that does the same. they are not seeing that in washington, d.c. washington, d.c. they are increasingly witnessing the conservative approach in

state capitals. while washington borrows at a staggering $2.5 billion a day to keep the lights on, republican governors have slashed deficits. in virginia, we closed $6 billion in budget shortfalls without raising taxes and produced nearly $1 billion in surplus over the last two years by putting more money into transportation, colleges, and universities. in nebraska, the governor proposed tax cuts. in new jersey, the governor is pushing to cut the state income tax by 10%. republican governors in other states are working to reform their tax systems to make their states more competitive. republican governors are balancing budgets on time without tax increases and without deficit spending. their hard work to make government more efficient and effective is helping to create the environment where americans can use their talents to compete and innovate to pursue the american dream.

in the most recent rankings of business friendly states, 11 of the top 15 states have republican governors. those states are outpacing democratic counterparts when it comes to job creation takes seven of the 10 states with the lowest unemployment rates have republican governors. in 2011, states with republican governors added 912,000 new jobs. a true and lasting economic recovery will not come from government. it will come from the hard work, talents, and vision of the american people. republicans believe it is our duty to create an environment where private sector jobs can be created and sustained. we know when we limit government to free capital and reduce litigation, we spur private sector job creation. we believe the role of government in an economic recovery is simple. at every level, governments should pass budgets on time to preserve core functions and do not raise taxpayer dollars. at every level, governments

should enact policies to ensure private sector job creators and entrepreneurs can compete against the world, create jobs, and innovate. the american people can out- compete and out work anyone, anywhere. all they need is the opportunity. republican leaders in this capital are creating opportunities and getting results. we need that kind of leadership in the senate and white house. thank you for your time. have a great weekend. >> the conservative political action conference has been meeting in washington all weekend. we're going to join them now in progress live as a panel discussion gets under way -- underway. >> if you were to take the youth vote of 2004 and put it on to 2008, the difference in partisanship and intensity

accounted for 6.5 of 7 of obama's national wins. obviously, this is an important group to president obama. there was a harvard survey in december that said 74% of young people, the most important issues to them our jobs and the economy. when you hear that young people are single-issue voters, that is not true. young voters vote for the same reason every other voting bloc those four, but it affects them differently. we have 18% youth unemployment. that is more than twice the national average. young people are graduating with record-breaking student loan debt. the average student loan debt is more than $22,000. that does not even include a share of the national debt that has skyrocketed to over $15 trillion.

that breaks down to $40,000 per person. we have an advocacy program that we hope will contextualize the national debt. when you graduate college, regardless of any of the bills you have, you are also carrying a massive burnt a national debt. we're telling this administration to not put it on our generation. it is great to be on the panel. i look forward to this great discussion. thank you for having me. [applause] >> i think the most frightening accomplishment of the obama administration is to convince an entire generation of americans to turn over control of their future to the federal government. when we talk about young people , when you are 22, you have just

graduated. the first thing you want is to be independent. you want to move out, have your own life, make your own decisions. this is something you have been dreaming about since you are about 13. we have graduated and where are we? we are living in our parents' basement. economic obama's policies put us there and are likely to keep us there. there are three related problems. the first is we cannot find jobs. obliterates for 18 to 24 -- unemployment rates for the age group rival those of great depression. the second thing is when we do find jobs, they're not paying as much money. it is not just in the short term. over the course of my career, i have lost tens of thousands of dollars because i started my career later. third and may be the scariest is

that all this money is going out. i am losing all of this money. my costs are going up and up because of president obama's regulations. i have more money than ever going out. i have less money than ever coming in. it will affect me next year and throughout the rest of my life. we hear these numbers and wonder why young people are still wildly liberal and in favor of a government creation of wealth programs. if you sit down with a young person dream of escaping their parents' basement nc president obama promising to take care of health care, housing, student loans and education, job and the economy, it is easy to see this as an escape and way out, a form of independence. york trading one form of dependence reduce our trade in

one form of dependence -- you are trading one form of dependence and walking into another with the federal government. if you sat down with the young person and said, would you like your parents to be responsible for your health care decisions? they would say no. do you want your parents to be responsible for saving for retirement? they would say no because they are adults. do you want your parents to be in charge of housing? they would say their only goal is to get out of the basement. you sit down with this same group of people and ask about the government in charge of health care and they say to sign me up. the say having the government in charge of retirement sounds good. housing sounds great. there is a total disconnect with

the younger generation between reality and trying to escape dependence on our parents and what we are increasing as a generation. that is more federal spending, more programs that will lead us into a perpetual state of dependence. young people crave independence. we want to be adults and have our own lives. we want to escape mom and dad's basement. what we have heard and signed up for its permanent dependence. we're just getting moved over to another basement. we will be living in a state of perpetual childhood if we cannot get out from under the federal government. [applause] >> my name is paul conway from generation opportunity peri.

we think we have one of the finest teams of grass-roots activists in the country. we have people out there signing up for bolling -- valentine's for veterans. we want to thank everybody who has participated in that. one story that is not cold enough is that within the demographic of 18 to 29, many of those are young veterans coming back. one year ago, one out of five veterans did not have a job. as of the last quarter of 2011, one out of three did not. let me talk about the larger issue. you have a demographic of 18 to 29. 77% of this demographic has already indicated to us they either have or will delay a major life decision. there is a reality behind that number. as a conservative, you must have

some empathy and understanding. we do. what does that number mean in human terms? 44% are not buying homes. people are not saving for retirement. 23% are not making a decision to have kids. 18% are not getting married. it goes on and on. the president offers solutions like this. the federal job-training program to give you the skills to go, to give you more federal aid for student tuition and employment. this week, he announced another initiative. a $1 billion program over the course of five years to employ 20,000 u.s. veterans. they announced the veterans training program. listen closely to the language. it is for transitioning returning veterans to be ready for the workforce. i can tell you this.

there are training programs and programs for transitioning into the workplace. most generals will tell you that. i am a former chief of staff to a major general in the marine corps. i would venture to say is an insult. many left the private sector and their homes to serve united states overseas m. many are in the national guard. it suggests that those in this demographic need to go through training program designed by the federal government. they need to go through this to be competitive in the workforce? i think that is an insult. [applause] in our other polling data on other programs, only 31% of those 18 to 29 think the president is doing a good job on unemployment.

recreated generation opportunity on three principles. greater economic opportunity, greater personal independence, and freedom and smaller government resonate across this demographic. this is an american issue. it is an issue of american competitor. this -- is an issue of american competitiveness. we're saying to hurry up and wait, be patient. these of the words the president says. be patient. people cannot wait. these issues must be addressed. it has to be the congress that addresses it. taxes need to be cut. there needs to be less regulations. we need to stop vilifying people who create jobs. [applause]

one other important point. we have seen this happen since 2009. everyone remembers the comments made about jumping on a plane and go into las vegas. regardless of your views on gambling, in las vegas there are hard-working folks. some are union and some are non- union. they are proud to go to work every day. stop discouraging those employers. stop telling the coal miners of west virginia that their families and what they do and have always done to pay for their families and towns, that somehow it is no longer an honorable profession to work in the coal industry. stop telling the folks on the gulf coast just getting up from katrina that somehow it is not

respectable and we will not grant a permit for gas and oil drilling. you can pick up different industries around the country. two things are going on. there is an attack on those who have the capital and employ people. there is some alignment -- malignment going on for certain jobs. the keystone pipeline jobs are union jobs. the white house wisdom, they have decided somehow it is not an honorable profession. that is why we set up generation opportunity. we're on facebook. we're across the country organizing. and notsed on principle on party. thank you very much. [applause] >> why are young people

struggling? the answer is simple. president obama's failed economic policies. [applause] the hope and change generation were promised something that was not delivered. there was a lot of hope invested that president obama would lead them to the screener pastor that he promised. the one thing he did well was marketing to that generation. organizations do great work going on to campuses to get the message out. it is a struggle. you have a generation trying to gain independence, but they are getting this constant messaging from the government that it is ok to be dependent on us. it is opaque to rely on government for basic decisions. -- it is ok to rely on government for basic decisions. we're a national federation,

1840. we focus on the young professional, post-college group of people. our numbers are struggling to find the first job and establish themselves in the world. the statistics are so scary in this economy to achieve the american dream. it is something we need to do as younger voters, educating our numbers. our number one issue is finding work and establishing ourselves. through education and getting the message out to younger voters, we will be able to enlighten them about what it means to be so dependent on the government and where it is

getting them. the answer is -- their parents' basement. >> president obama likes to make it sound cool that you can be on your parents' policy until you are 26. i wanted to get away from my parents as soon as possible. how do we communicate to young people that obamacare is not helpful to them and is hurtful? this is a demographic that was incredibly important to the obama campaign in 2008. they are making great strides to get that demographic back in 2012. two of their landmark legislative accomplishments have been student loan reform and obamacare. one tenet of obamacare is staying on your parents' health insurance until you are 26 years old. they have hailed this as an effort to reach an support young

voters. they fail to understand that young voters want a job so they can get their own health insurance. [applause] 54% of young people, according to the harvard study, [no audio] 1/4 of young people are still on injured. president obama did not fix anything. he added millions of people to a system that is still broken. [no audio]

>> we are having problems with the audio. our crew will be working on it. we will try to get back to it as soon as we can. >> i think it is important that we recognize most students probably watch comedy central more than fox news. we have to say to them, would

you want the government choosing what you can put on your ipod? bring it down to their level. another big issue for students is tuition, the rising tuition costs. can we make this an issue? it is an incredible visualizations of what we're talking about. the average student loan debt is over $22,000. they are record costs. president obama said we need to challenge universities to keep tuition costs low. he said the same thing two years ago. tuition has continued to rise across the board. when the government takes over the student loan market and says we will regulate what you pay for student loans and what

you pay for tuition, everything goes up. he came out with student loan reform. there was a study that said the average saving is about $4 to $6 a month. that is his reform. that is only applied to those making less than $40,000 a year. i found it ironic he chose to announce his program in an op-ed in the harvard student paper where the average starting salary for a harvard graduate is over $60,000, so they would not even be eligible for the reform. it is a band-aid fis to a larger problem. he is only interested in getting reelected. [applause]

>> [unintelligible] we have reached the point that is totally unsustainable. you could 0 $60,000 and cannot ever get out from under that. there is no bankruptcy where you can get rid of your house in london. you wrote it for the rest of your life. it is unbelievable to start out your live so far behind. one of the funniest articles i ever read was but a gender studies of major -- was by a

gender studies major. we work with people across the country. universities are part of social engineering. costs are increasing because colleges are spending their money on [unintelligible] everyone is aware and happy and diverse. we're spending all this money on things that are not skilled people need to get a job. [applause] >> one reason why were able to get millions of folks on

facebook is by engaging in issues like tuition. we are out there. it takes long-term education. people are savvy to the accumulating debt. why is that? if you are not able to repay loans, why is that? the most important thing about messaging is to go to the heart of the issue. if you do not have a job, you cannot make these decisions. people will choose other places to get education white community colleges and trade schools. in some cases, they decide they do not buy that everybody has to go to college. i can start here and transfer. i can go to trade school. [applause] the other thing to keep in mind is this. when you hear the president or federal governments say states need to keep it down, that is a

backdoor mandates on state governors. we will hold you accountable and penalize you if you do not adjust your state priorities. people are savvy to this. the government is trying to dictate and regulate. these young students are graduating with this debt that they will have into their 50's. i am worried that the overall effect might be less young people getting higher education because they are afraid of that they may not be able to pay back.

>> we have talked about the atmosphere. young americans surveyed about 200 professors. none of them put president reagan in their top-10 -- presidents. surprisingly, barack obama did not rate that high either. >> there are disaffected democrats even in the liberal professor category. we are represented on 1800 campuses around the country. most of those are in the 18 to 22 range. we need to keep in mind that there 8 million new voters who have come of age since 2008

there will be eligible to vote in 2012. that is the size of new york city. these people saw their older brothers or sisters vote for president obama in 2008 and have seen the move back into their parents' basement. [laughter] when we talk about [unintelligible] what moves the youth vote and how do you move it? all of our organizations are doing this. going to the young people where they are, we're taking a page out of their playbook. that is what president obama did so well. they are not watching fox news. they're watching comedy central.

we are engaging young people online. we bought hope and change and are sitting here unemployed. we want reform. that is what this movement offers. [applause] >> [unintelligible] american colleges are mostly liberal. [applause] in the classroom and in campus life. i went to school in north carolina. [applause] on campus, it was interesting.

problemsstill having with the sound coming to us from the cpac meeting. we still expect to hear from senator bob cornyn in about 20 minutes. while we fix the south, we're going to take a look at an earlier session from today. we will bring you back to this meeting in progress as soon as we can. >> i am here to have the pleasure to introduce the governor of my old state, the great state of florida. [applause] the greatest things happening are happening in the state capitals. we honored gov. walker last night. gov. bobby jindal is doing amazing things in louisiana. my good governor is doing very well. i am very proud of him under

very trying circumstances. it is not just how well you are doing, but how well you are doing under the climate you inherited. i would like to share a personal story about him. rick scott was born and raised in a humble family. his dad was a trucker who got jobs when he could. do you remember the old country song about how mama did everything she could? he has a great wife who is a great wife and mother who makes a great team and is a great first lady. it is her birthday. they just had their first grandchild. what a wonderful family. he met her and marry her -- married her and then went into the navy to serve his country. she became a good military wife. when he left military service and went to texas, he worked

hard while he was going to law school. he started practicing law. they put all their money into buying a hospital with other investors. after 15 years, he was the chairman of the board, founder and creator of the largest hospital chain in america's history. [applause] he quasi--retired -- quasi- retired in our state and decided to run for governor. he ran for governor without ever holding public office. he is the ultimate citizen- service. he ran in the state with the highest unemployment rate, the highest foreclosure rate, and a deficit of about $3.50 billion. the state is built primarily by construction and hospitality,

all of which have been challenged. he has done an incredible job. he will tell you about that job and his vision for our state. i am incredibly proud of rick scott. i am proud to be a floridians under his leadership. i want you to join in giving him the warm welcome he deserves, governor rick scott of florida. [applause] ♪ since he is my governor, i want to publicly give him my card as a card-carrying conservative of the union. [applause] >> thank you very much. thank you for that card. i will carry it with me every day. it is great to be here.

ms. thomas is from the great state of florida. she did a great job. we all look forward to seeing her on fox. i got to see governor general -- jindal's speech this morning. he is a great individual to emulate. he has done a great job. there are a lot of floridians here. thank all of the floridians for coming. thank you for the warm welcome. it is great to come to washington in february to be reminded how great it is to be in sunny florida in february. it is not the weather that makes d.c. different from florida, ohio, or wisconsin. states are leading the way, the governing on conservative principles. it is very different from washington, d.c., but you know that. you are the bedrock of the

conservative movement. you are the individuals whose stay true to the core principles of conservatism. you are the ones who hold our leaders accountable. accountability is one of the primary themes of my administration in florida. i ran for governor because i believe it is critical to success. during speeches and press conferences and when talking to people, i ask them to hold me accountable for delivering on the campaign promises i made. as governor, hold me accountable for making the right decisions. there is too much at stake to pass the buck to the next generation. livelihoods are on the line. the american way of life is threatened. how many of you have seen the

potential of your job or business joked -- choked not by competition but by a government that no longer has any idea of how we've -- of how real people live? the government has forgotten it works for america. we're fed up with bailouts, tax increases come in deficits, and funded programs, regulations, frivolous lawsuits, and special interests. if you have ever created a job with your own money at risk, if you have ever imagined an idea for a business and abetted everything to turn it into a reality, if you have ever gotten satisfaction from creating change and creating opportunities for others, if you believe anything is possible in america, then you know exactly what really matters. these are the experiences and

believes that propelled our great nation to create hundreds of millions of jobs and build the mightiest economy in the history of the world. [applause] you should also know this. if you have any experience creating real jobs, you have virtually nothing in common with the current occupant of the white house. [laughter] [applause] i have been blessed. i have seen the american dream from all sides. i am the adopted son of a truck driver. i lived in public housing. by the time i was 11, i was washing dishes in the cafeteria at school to get a hot meal. even then in those difficult times, i believe in the american dream. i could sense the promise of

this great country. i had faced then -- i had faith then and the certain knowledge now that with the hard work and willingness to get up when we fall, the birthright of every american is to rise above his or her beginning. i have learned a personal failure should not be an invitation for a government bailout. [applause] just as personal success should not be an invitation for a government tax grab. [applause] after more than three years of the present administration, it is time to reacquaint ourselves with the notion that the freedom to succeed also means the freedom to fail. [applause] it is a tradeoff that is at the core of a country founded on the

sacred right of the individual, the liberty of each and every american. it is the role of government to do what it can to equip every one to succeed and offer a level playing field to the competitors, but it is not its role to predict the winners and losers. [applause] the policies of our next president will likely decide whether the united states remains the world's largest economy or whether we fall behind china and began a slow economic slide to global irrelevance. china does not have to threaten us with missiles to become a dominant economic power. they just have to threaten to cancel our national credit card. this borrowing spree cannot last.

none of us believe we can run our personal lives in the same manner politicians are running our government. why do politicians think they can run a government with no accountability? it must be the mission of the next president to have the courage to stop this insanity and put america back on the right path. in the next election, the choices could not be clearer or the stakes higher. the issues when i ran for governor in florida in 2010 were not much different from the issues this year. there is one issue that stands head and shoulders above everything else -- creating jobs for americans. [applause] i made that issue the central theme of my campaign, seven steps to 700,000 jobs in seven

years. i call it the 7-7-7 plan. [laughter] they say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. you can imagine how flattered i was when herman cain came up with his 9-9-9 plan. i was first. my plan is working in florida. unlike the obama administration that earned a downgrade in the nation's credit rating for the first time ever, the outlook for our credit rating in florida was raised because of our irresponsible budgeting. [applause] for the first time in 20 years, florida paid down its state debt. it is the first time in 20 years that we did not increase our state debt by over $1 billion

each and every year. [applause] that is only the beginning. in my first year in office, unemployment has dropped more than two percentage points, down from 12% to 9.9%, the second- largest drop in the nation. [applause] we shrank the size of government. we reduced the government payroll and appointed agency heads helping florida businesses get to work. it absolutely works. in one year, florida businesses created over 140,000 jobs, well on the way to meeting my 700,000 goal in seven years. we did not stop there. my administration eliminated burdensome regulations to make

it easier to do business in florida. we're pleased to get rid of over 1000 more regulations in 2012. -- we are placed -- poised to get rid of over 1000 more regulations in 2012. we forced government to do more with less. we balanced the budget while covering a $3.7 billion shortfall. i ignored the columnists and experts. they advised the only way to fix the problem was to raise taxes. no. most of us know that the last thing anyone needs is higher taxes. what our state budget needed was some good old-fashioned their become a force in our state to live within its means just like every family. we've bridged the budget gap. we balance our budget without

raising any taxes. [applause] we were not satisfied with just that. the plan i campaigned on called for lower property taxes and a phase-out of the business tax. i was elected to deliver on that promise. i was not going to wait for the economy to get better before taking action. last year, i signed into law a tax cut that eliminated taxes for nearly half of florida businesses and cut the property tax by more than $200 million. [applause] we understand it is businesses that create new jobs. it is not government. it is businesses who have created -- made america the number one economy in the world,

not government. that is right. [applause] it is businesses to hire individuals who with their hard work feed their families, purchase homes, and provide a safe environment for their children -- not government. [applause] our actions in florida has positioned to lead the nation in economic growth. i won my campaign because floridians were tired of politicians who played the blame game. they were tired of watching jobs go away and watching housing prices drop. they were tired of asking who would accept the responsibility for making florida the number one place in the world to start and grow a business. they asked to withhold state government accountable. who will keep a sharp eye on state spending? who will help create the number

one business environment in the world? in my state, the call was answered loudly and clearly. i stood up and said, "i will." [applause] as governor, jobe one for me is helping floridians get back to work. when the unemployment numbers come out every month, the person who should be accountable is made. they do not need to ask to will make the tough decisions to hold state government accountable. they know i will. nobody in florida wonders who will stand up to defend taxpayers against pork barrel spending. they know i will. in florida, nobody wonders who will protect the rights of the unborn or the rights of citizens to own a gun. [applause]

they know i will, and i will make sure every -- all florida children have an opportunity for a quality education, floridians have an opportunity for a job, and government does nothing to raise the cost of living in our state. that is what leadership is about. [applause] leadership is standing firm in your beliefs and convictions, not swaying in the wind subject to the latest public opinion polls. as you know, the florida -- florida has just voted in the presidential primary. you heard a lot about the candidates, and as we know, all of them have solid plans for injuring american businesses are in the best position to succeed so they can hire american workers.

many of you may differ on who your choice is for president, but i think there is one thing we can all agree on. any of these candidates have a superior plan to turn our economy around and would do a far better job than the current occupant of the white house. [applause] that is why i'm excited about our chances this year. we all should be. the american economy is in trouble. the world economy is teetering on the edge of a cliff. we need to remember how this great country was built. our president wants to grow the federal government. he has called for the creation of a gaggle of new federal agencies. there is no plan to reduce federal regulation, no plan to balance the federal budget, no plan to cut federal spending --

>> this is florida governor rick scott speaking earlier. we were having audio problems with the sound of the cpac meeting in progress. we're going to leave this now and take you to the meeting. texas senator john corn and is speaking. -- john cornyn is speaking. beholder decided to provide information to our nation's enemies and give our allies fresh cause to worry about our trustworthiness. even worse, he undercut the very patriots task with help keeping us safe, but he did not stop there. after releasing these memos, holder launched a politically motivated investigation into several cia interrogators despite the fact that career justice department officials had previously recommended against prosecuting them. now in addition to having to combat the terrorists, these

brave americans are being subjected to ideological attacks and losses. so i will ask you a third time -- is this the kind of behavior that should instill confidence in the president of the united states? i agree with you. it is very wrong. playing politics with the war on terror is absolutely unacceptable. [applause] then, in november 2009, holder announced the united states would try and 9/11 mastermind in civilian court in lower manhattan. even senator chuck schumer called it a wrongheaded idea eventually. it is hard to imagine having sleep confidence in your attorney-general when even chuck

schumer says you are wrong. trying mohamad in manhattan was a recipe for disaster and eventually, after facing public backlash, holder reversed his decision and said he should receive a military trial. i cannot say it any plainer to you today. we simply cannot afford a pre- 9/11 mentality in our attorney general for our president of the united states. [applause] ironically, holder and the president have no hesitation using drone strikes to kill terrorists without a hint of due process. yet, they wring their hands over yet, they wring their hands over