to talk about dealing with all of these problems comprehensively that we have been coming back to this committee over and over again to talk about, rather than stove's piping them individually and playing into the hands of khartoum, which wants to buy the international community. >> on that point, there was mention the possibility of a tripartite agreement, the u.n., eric league, an african union -- the arab league and african union. the land, and the african union. is there any fear of doing the same thing in khartoum? government targets on lesson in garver -- darfur. they said at the outset of their

military operations in the mountains we are not allowing any witnesses in. there are no aid groups operating now. it is an access crisis for all those people as the clock ticks inexorably toward the preseason. in the first instance, the a.i.d. haveand u.s. worked and that is where the attention needs to be on and it is to stop the use of starvation as a weapon of war. it is a war crime and must be ended. >> thanks to all of you for your advocacy. i will -- i will turn it over to senator udall. >> thank you. i cannot tell you how important it is i think for george, for you, and john to have gone over there and brought those images

back. we would -- we should play them and have them up on the screen. i think it's been -- as painful as they are to see them, the thing that this does is allow all the american people and people around the world to get engaged with us. and say we do not want this to happen again. one of the things that you have mentioned is and that is what i wanted to question a little bit on. i think john mentioned this but i would be willing to hear from both of you. the idea that satellite sentinel could be used by prosecutors, i was a former prosecutor. i kind of relish the idea of having bad guys that know something is going to be done to them. at the hague, it will come down on the, have you visited with

prosecutors at the hague, are they interested in your technology, have you talked to them about the kinds of things that could be allies to strengthen cases, and those kinds of things. -- could be used to strengthen cases, and those kinds of things. what will prevent this happening in other places in the world as people know that we have an international justice system that will work and bring people like you described, george, terribly murderous individuals, bring them to justice. >> i will let you talk about the head for second. i do want to say one thing. there's an interesting thing that happens when you get involved in these. you think the minute people know, then it will stop. your assumption is that everyone does not know. and the truth is even when you know, it does not stop. it requires a constant drip of

information. it requires you to keep piling it on. sometimes it means it will not be effective in s -- stopping it. it will be used later as evidence in a trial. we would like to use this information at the security council. a lot of the times what happens, if the security -- the security is someone, we know the players will veto any brazing of the mandate of protection because they will say, this is rubble in fighting. we have imaging -- rebel infighting. we have imagery of plumes of smoke where it is bombing innocent villagers. this is not revel in fighting -- rebel infighting.

we hope to use this as something to pry the security council from raising the mandate to -- from 6 to 7. john can speak about talking with the hague. >> the current international criminal court mandate is only -- only involves darfur, crimes committed in darfur. an -- they are greeted internationally with a lot of skepticism. there is still a number of governments that believe a lot of this evidence is manufactured and there is still a lot of divisions internationally about whether the crimes are a terrible as they were alleged to have been. part of the purpose of having the satellite sentinel project is to create their tight evidence for future arrest

warrants and prosecutions based on the crimes committed now. these are the same kinds of crimes by the same people orchestrating them as was the case in darfur. we hope the three who have been indicted will come to justice someday. >> and now there are others who are involved with you that are your partners in -- i know if there are others who are involved with you that are your partners in this. >> the biggest gift we got was the satellites themselves. the digital globe, for no reason except the goodness of their heart, they donated millions of dollars of imagery. it is hard to explain how important that is. there is only barely one satellite company that is in that area that can do this for

us. they have been an incredible partner to us and continue to be. the evidence we have picked up, we have gotten shots of mass graves, take a moment, and troop movement and all those things. remembering and understanding part of the reason this can work is because of the topographer. this would not be as effective in the condo because it is harder to see from the sky with all the trees. -- the congo, because it is harder to see from the sky with all the trees. once you get imagery you have to have analysis. there is a team at the harvard humanitarian initiative that is dedicated to in real time analyzing the imagery, producing independent nonpartisan reports about what they're saying and what -- whether they are assessing these images to mean and does get -- reports get put out and we try to generate attention around

them to act as an -- as a deterrent. they stay up all night working. it is all heart, those kids. >> thank you, you have been very helpful. >> you have time to get over there. >> thank you. thank you for our discipline and engaged leadership and million of debt into a sustained attention. thank you for your hard work and to george and john and jonathan, thank you for what you have done. to get so much focus and engagement and at attention on challenging humanitarian mountains and in the nuba mountains and for the ongoing and strategic challenges windt -- we face in engaging people

and bringing peace and development to south sudan and the whole region. later today, senator isaacson and i will be joined by senators durbin and wicker for considering legislation that supports the efforts all of you have talked about that calls for the government of sudan to allow humanitarian access to conflict areas and calls on sudan and the north to reach mutually beneficial agreement to end their conflict. that is one of many things we in the congress can and should be doing to continue what has long been a bipartisan tradition of engagement leadership on these issues. george, you) referencing the folks to stay up all night. the energetic young people who process images from the satellite project. in a few weeks we have seen a flood of interest in joseph

kony. you have both been very effective in getting americans and folks around the world to pay attention to a grave humanitarian crisis in a fairly remote corner of the world. what advice do have for all of us who want to sustain and engage americans and folks were broadly in continuing to be concerned about a humanitarian crisis such as exists in darfur and the nuba mountains and with joseph kony. how do we keep people all ages excited and engaged? we have people calling for more american engagement with africa. >> john will have some ideas. he has been doing this a lot longer than we have. i would say that we're going to fail lot. we will fail in our attempt to help people in these difficult

reasons. we will fail in trying to keep attention in a certain area. other news stories are going to bump was off and there will be an arab spring and we will not be paying attention to what happens. a lot of these people use this as a moment to do some terrible things. the trick is going to be to find moments at -- that you can point to and say this is a turning point good or bad and let's amplify it. in finding several of those a year to be able to keep it up. you cannot have a constant drip every day on television. no one would care. there is not just donor fatigue, there is misery fatigue and people get tired of it at some point. our job is to find those moments before these people vote for referendum for their own

state. let's make it -- let's focus on that. there is an election. focus on that. there is a brand new statement. there is a good possibility of people starving to death in the next couple of months. let's focus on that. part of our job is to pick through all of those news cycles and find areas we can keep up. and -- young people and church groups have been doing hard work force. they have been keeping the message up and fundraising and keeping the pressure on all of us in this room. i would not worry too much about the sustainability and -- inside the hearts of these people and church groups. that continues it is about

funding moments we can try to move the pin forward a little bit. >> the good news is that this is such a bipartisan venture. we do not have opponents here except for indifference and often ignorance. the thing that i find exciting about the first 10 years of the 21st century of activism is that -- the chance through social media and other fora to create new partnerships, these governmental agencies that are working with these issues, they partner with groups in africa. it is on the front lines where africans in places like sudan and congo and northern uganda try to solve these problems. we come in on the margins and hope to help them. the partnerships that are created in washington between

these ngos and members of congress like yourself, senators who have taken a stand one time after another in supporting positive engagement in the world by the united states. that helps stiffen the spine and give political support to the administration. whatever party is in power. and for president obama, the way he engaged in advance of the referendum in the latter half of 2010, every south sudanese person we talked to said that was perhaps the most important along with china's support, the most important international aspect of getting a free and fair and peaceful referendum in 2011. it is that chain that starts on the ground in the region with african human-rights activists and others, women's groups and others struggling to get the word about their situation. partner with ngos who partner with you guys who give support to the administration. and engage positively.

instarted in the 1980's doing this, that kind of thing did not happen. it is an exciting moment and having george can have -- make that larger. having the children's video in spite of the different opinions about it. this makes it a partnership -- this makes this partnership will and possible. >> i am grateful for your sustained engagement in this. there are lots of faith groups of all backgrounds, lots of non- governmental organizations in africa and around the world to keep doing the hard work on the ground, in gauging bringing in information to the light, helping that will be aware of these crises. it has been a bipartisan operation. the one challenge here is sustaining support for america's use of diplomatic and bell metal resources around the world. the u.s. has a lot of power, military, diplomatic,

developmental, but sustaining the investment and makes possible what we are doing, making sure they have the resources for us to be engaged in south sudan, providing the framework for peace and progress and development. that is something that has been hotly contested in the past year. i would urge folks who may be paying attention or tuning in to these issues for the first time to realize this is something on which there are sharp disagreements. we should continue to invest 1% of america's total budget in making sure we have the resources to be an effective voice for progress in these parts of the world. i am grateful for you for bringing these events to life. >> thank you, senator coons. think you for your tremendous commitment and your diligence as chair of the subcommittee.

you have really been terrific. >> thank you. thank you all very much for being here. i wanted to follow up a little bit on the senators' questions about how to sustain the interest and get action that will help bring that international pressure to make a difference in south sudan. whether you are contemplating or anyone you know of is contemplating a stop kony-like video or if there are other ways to get young people engaged. the kind of energy can make a difference. and for any of the three of you. >> we landed yesterday and we were gone for eight days and in that time, the kony video sort of head and everyone was asking at about us -- about it and i did not know what happened.

it is an incredibly effective tool, social media can be a big deal now. youtube and twitter are all those are elements to keep young people involved. we are putting the videos and things we got that we put together, we will make that available to people. there is -- the sudan has an infrastructure that is a lot stronger than most places for charitable organizations. there have been church groups and student groups for a long time who have been working in these areas. in some ways, it does not go away. in some ways, there is that sustained, already sustained. our job is terrible fight it as much as we can and we continue to do that. understanding that in an election year, political will is the most important thing you can get. what i think is so terrific

about being here today is that this is truly one subject matter that both sides cut -- both sides not only agree on but have actively worked hard on and have had some success on and had some failures on and understand one another. this takes a little less political will. this one is one where you do not come up on the wrong side doing the right thing. and so we feel heartened by the idea that it is senator kerry and senator lugar and both have worked real hard on the subject matter. we feel heartened that this is something that is not polarizing. you need political will and we will continue to push as much as we can to get as many people as we can involved. the letter it is the harder it is for these people to commit a crime -- to commit atrocities. we thank you here for your

sustained involvement and know that not only do we appreciate it, we are well aware that you will continue. >> thank you. i think you have all, including the first panel, made an important point that this is a bipartisan effort and it needs to be. that has been very important. i do think as the senator pointed out that the public support for international assistance, our foreign aid budget which is important to addressing what happens on the ground in sudan is not always that bipartisan and not always as robust. i guess i would urge as we're thinking about social media that is getting people to act, thinking about how to address

that foreign aid peace as part of that action because that will be critical as we sustain the efforts that we need to make on the ground. so, thank you all very much. >> thank you. >> thank you, senator shaheen. a couple of quick questions and we will close out. you talked about a couple of political reforms in the north and the potential of elections in 2015 or something, try to make a difference. just very quickly, if you can, how do you see that -- these guys are not exactly reformers, and they're not exactly listening to anybody. how do you vision that? >> thank you, mr. chairman, it is an uphill battle and i do not want to be a pollyanna about this. it is unprecedented time in sudan's history. one-third of their country voted almost unanimously to leave.

they are under unprecedented economic stress. there are signs if internal dissent within the leadership that we have not seen much in the past. those are things that could add up to some sort of change. as i said, there is not a lot of evidence of it so far. i am not certain it is going to be. i also think the alternatives are ugly. and particularly some of the talk about regime change through violence would be quite violent. >> i agree. and certainly in the conversations i have had in khartoum with members of the government, we have tried to make the point that this is a major opportunity for them to move in a different direction. i worry that the threesome that has been well named here that has asserted power for the moment seems to be moving in a

totally different direction. that, frankly, makes all this much more compelling. and so we really need to refocus in a lot of ways. if i could ask john and george quickly, you made it eloquently clear here today, compelling about the food supply it to avoid a disaster. the long run here -- they need a political solution. what do people share with you, what is the vision you come back with for the express to you about that political solution for those two areas? >> i think the difference is the people of the nuba mountains and blue nile learned if they allow their region to be

isolated and stovepiped, in the long run, it is unsustainable. there needs to be a good deal that addresses the problem, the bigger problem which is a problem as john was talking about. it is a problem of governance in the center. for the first time, we have seen in the north, in sudan a broader effort, armed and unarmed. you have the saddam revolutionary front which has formed an association of a number of these armed groups and all the darfur actors who were divided during the darfur- specific negotiations are working together. the umbrella groups have their own objective. the people want to see a difference. that is one of the things that

the u.s. can be helpful in quietly. providing support to some of the unarmed groups that are struggling every day to figure out a way, civil society groups and faith-based groups and community groups and women's organizations who are struggling to find a way to help build for the democratic transformation. that kind of support and discussion is internal, how can we be helpful here. there are a lot of things we can do to help facilitate and foster and empower some of the sudanese groups themselves to assert more definitively their democratic rights and their future. >> we are now starting on a second vote. this is only attended vote. we're going to be compelled here to try to wrap up. we're at that point anyway. let me say to you, john and

george, how much we appreciate what you have done here. i think this is a tremendous example of the best of citizen activism. obviously, george, you have lunch or celebrity star to this initiative, which has its risks. it is critical for the ability to get people to focus sometimes. we wish it were otherwise but it is not. we thank you for being prepared, nevertheless, to just engage spontaneously, take eight days and go over there, and not without its risks, i might add. i was an activist before i came here to be a senator. i vowed i am going to stay an

activist senator and i am proud to have people here on this committee who feel the same way. so, i can tell you that we're going to absolutely stay focused on this. continue to work with you. do everything we can to try to leverage the outcome that we would all like to see. i am an optimist, but i have learned around here not to be naive about it. but i still do believe, as intractable as some of this looks, and i think the ambassador believes this, too, or he would not stay at it, there is a pathway here, there is an avenue. but we do need to increase the leverage. we do need to reach out to china, qatar, saudi arabia, and others and get them to share some of the sense of urgency and frankly, humanitarians compelling rationale that is not

always a high agenda on such -- in some parts around the world. we can have great impact here. to a large measure, your sense of timing about where those moments are that you need to push against is important and well taken. so, i express the gratitude of a lot of people. i do not want to get gushy about it because we have a lot of work to do. there is a long way to go. this has been helpful, and i would say to you and others who follow this and who are interested in it, and i hope the sedan embassy, i have no doubt is falling -- following it and i hope that bashir realizes there is no easy out, that we're not going to continue to stay engaged. -- there is no way that we're not going to continue to stay engaged. it has made it impossible to

this -- do this. it is their choice. they will decide to some measure where we're going to go. it is their trees, they will decide to some measure where we are going to go. offer openred to opportunities to grow in a different direction and i know that president obama and the folks -- his security advisers and others and secretary clinton are greatly focused on this. you will have an opportunity to meet and talk with them in the next day and all less need to work as we have in a very cooperative, across party lines, across branches of government lines in a constructive way to try to get the job done. so thank you for helping us today to do our job better and we appreciate your efforts. if i could ask everybody here to let the witnesses come back. ambassador and administrator, we

thank you all for coming. we keep the record open until one week of the close of business wednesday, march 21. we stand adjourned. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2012]

>> president obama and the first lady, mrs. obama, host their sixth state dinner tonight for british prime minister david

cameron and his wife. our coverage beginning with their rivals at 6:30 p.m. eastern. we will have live coverage. next, we go to the british prime minister's question time from the house of commons. nick clegg stood in for a premise there cameron. the main topic was the british economy. this is 35 minutes. >> the prime minister, liz kendall. >> mr. speaker, my right hon. friend, the united states station -- the united states is visiting. -- he is visiting the united states. my deepest consol -- condolences for the men who died last tuesday. private anton frenton, private

daniel wade and private daniel wilford. these are men of outstanding courage and selflessness. this tragic there will be remembered. this reminds us of what our armed forces enter to guarantee the safety and security of our country. we also id the shocked at the appalling news of the number of afghan bassem -- civilians who were wounded and killed on sunday morning. we send our sincere sympathies to the families that have been affected by this terrible incident. i shall have further such meetings today. >> i would like to ally myself with the comments about the tragic events in afghanistan. both sides of the house

expressed deep sympathy. mr. speaker, today, the prime minister is in america where unemployment is coming down. the economy is growing. in britain, and implement is at its high for 17 years. can the prime minister explain what has gone wrong? >> what went wrong was the labour government. facing the most unholy mess we have to clearer. the only way to get the economy moving is to get banks lending and make sure we have a tax and benefit system that pays people to work. >> you have to get rid of a lot

of regulations. as my hon. friend knows already , introducing a large set of measures. we would grab that with open arms. >> can i joined the deputy prime minister in paying tribute to corporal jake hartley, private christopher kershell, private daniel wilford. they died in tragic circumstances. their deaths remind us of the great sacrifice our services make on our behalf and our thoughts are with their families. i join with the deputy prime

minister in expressing our core at the appalling murder in afghanistan on sunday. the 16 civilians including nine children. we all deplore this crime and express our deepest condolences. mr. speaker, today's figures show unemployment up and the hardest hit are you get people looking for work and women being thrown out of work. the deputy prime minister said the liberal democrats are making a difference in this government. with more than 1 million women looking for work, what difference does he believe he has made to this woman? >> of course these figures come at any increase is disappointing. it is a personal tragedy for anyone who loses their job and for them and their families. you should be careful not to pretend that somehow this is a problem and vented. the unemployment of women went

up by 24% under labour. youth unemployment went up by 14% under labour. we're most displeased. we all need to work together to bring unemployment down. >> mr. speaker, when we left government, unemployment was coming down. their economic policy is not only driving up unemployment, it means there will have to borrow more. it is not working. and for all his bluster, the truth is, having five liberal democrats seated around the cabinet table has made no difference whatsoever. listen to what the secretary said. this government has no compelling vision. these days, no one agrees with me but does nick agree? >> it is worth dwelling on some

of the details which have been published this morning on the unemployment statistics. behind the headline figures, a long-term unemployment came down and very importantly, the number of new jobs created in the private sector out stripped the number of jobs in the public sector. under her government, the labour party -- we are having to remedy those mistakes and we are creating new jobs. >> he is complacent and the lib dems are making a difference on unemployment just as they are making a difference on the nhs. the deputy prime minister thinks he is doing a stunning job.

can he explain why he has failed to persuade the doctors, the nurses, the midwives, the pediatricians, the physiotherapists, and the patients? >> the labour party used to believe in -- now they believe in starving the nhs of cash. her own manifesto said in 2010 -- >> order, order, we must hear the response from the deputy prime minister. >> her own manifesto said to save nhs, we need sustained reform. the labour party was right then and it is wrong now. what happened? >> we are proud of what labour did. more doctors, more nurses, narrow waiting times, greater

patient satisfaction. nobody believes it. no wonder he cannot convince anyone to work, he cannot convince his own conference. does he not realize that people are still against this bill because it has not changed one bit? it is still a top-down organization. >> order. i said a moment ago the deputy prime minister's response must be heard. that question will be heard. that is the be all and end all that. >> this bill is still a top-down organization. it will cost a fortune and lead to a fragmentation and privatization. it is clear the deputy prime minister will not stand up for the and i just -- nhs. the only thing he stands up for

is when the prime minister walks in the room. >> mr. speaker. some of her colleagues must think the liberal democrats make a difference because they were handing out leaflets at our conference while her leader was going to watch football. she says she is proud of their record. issue price of a factor government spent to under 50 million pounds of taxpayer money on deals with the private sector which did not help a single nhs patient? issue proud of the fact that under the 2006 act, it was a privatizing charter in which her garment offered at 11% premium of the private-sector tax issue part of that? >> we will compare what our government did. >> order.

yelling -- i remind the h ousoue that the deputy prime minister does the answering. >> we will compare what our government did on the nhs with what his government is doing any day. he says the problem with this bill as doctors and nurses do not understand it. the problem is that they do. however, even at this late stage, it is within his power to stop this bill. next monday, the bill reaches its final stage in the house of lords. there are 90 lib dem peers. their votes will decide whether or not this bill becomes law. will he instruct his peers to vote to stop the bill? >> the right honorable lady has

invited me to make a comparison. let me make three comparisons. >> order. the response must be heard. that is all there is to it. >> let me make three comparisons. it is irresponsible to increase any to spending. they do not believe in money for any jazz. comparison one. they do not endorse bills that we make illegal in this bill. they decided over inequality which again we are making an obligation in this bill to deliver a more equal outcome which they fail to deliver -- failed to deliver in 13 years. >> this is absolute rubbish. and in undermining nhs, he

trashed not one but two national treasures. he did not need to sign the bill, but he did. he could not stop the bill -- he could stop the bill, but he will not. he said the lib dems make a difference, but they will not. what happened to that fine liberal tradition? they must be turning in their graves. the party of william gladstone, now the party of nick clegg. >> i know she has her pre- prepared script that she sticks to. what we're doing on this side of the house, the two parties that have come together in the coalition, is sort of the banking system which she left in a mess. to sort out the public finances which she left in a mess.

to sort out the economy, which she left in a mess. to stop the privatization of nhs, w which she left -- which she left in a mess. in opposition, they're running out of ideas. >> my honorable friend may be aware of figures released this week that there is some progress toward the target. 16% of women on board by 2016. what can our coalition government do to ensure that we meet this target and reach our goal to achieve growth which our country needs? >> it is excellent news that there is real progress in the short moves -- months we have been in. getting more women on to our

board. there is a consensus that having more women is good for all the companies involved. there is a woefully unrepresentative mix. i hope we continue to apply the right pressure to see that improve. >> thank you. i hope that the deputy prime minister enjoy our famous northeast hospitality and the support of the northumbria police at his conference. could he now tell the house when the 3000 extra police he promised at the general election will be in post? >> mr. speaker, as her own party acknowledges, the police need to make savings. the key thing is not exactly what the total number is, but where --

>> order. i do not know what members are having for breakfast. the deputy prime minister's answers must be heard. >> where are police officers properly deployed? o'donnell's -- last decade, far too many police officers were tied up in knots filling out paperwork rather than on the streets where they belong. >> my friend share the priorities of the constituents. promoting growth, getting people off welfare into work. we are bemused that we were to spend much of our time on discussing the reform of the house of lords. how should i explain that priority to them? i suspect in the same way he will explain that there are other priorities like changing the boundaries. changing the boundaries of

constituents which is closer to his heart and that of his party. governments and parliaments can do more than one thing at once. i also believe that it is a simple democratic principle, the people who make the laws of the land should be elected by people who have to obey the laws of the land. >> mr. speaker, my apologies. study after study shows services working closely with social care improves the people. along side the council of social services -- can i ask the deputy prime minister why he is cheerleading for a bill that scraps operations and the future health of my constituents

is at risk? >> i am backing a bill which for the first time includes new statutory obligations to integrate social and health care. he is quite right. it is one of the abiding feelings in our health service -- failings in our health services. they have not been integrated. that is what we're trying to do. also the creation of boards that will bring representatives. >> mr. speaker. can i begin by congratulating the government on its effort to tackle the irresponsible pricing of alcohol by supermarkets? i commend the government for that. does the deputy prime minister agree with me that the safest place to drink is in the community pot? community pub?

would he tell them not to put up the duty on the great british pint? >> i am sure everyone across the house agrees with this sentiment that we should support community pubs which is an important part of the fabric of our community. >> now that the gang of four tories are galavanting around america [inaudible] what does he think about this murdoch -- and the latest

development, riding around on police forces -- horses. what does he really think? come on, be a man. >> mr. speaker, let's hear the answer. >> we had to wait awhile for them to get going. we are soon going to celebrate, if that is the right firm, 42 years in this house. i am delighted to see that in that time he has not mellowed one bit. >> will the deputy prime minister join me and my krepol

friend in congratulating the citizens of -- [inaudible] to be a city? does he agree that this is appropriate in an olympic year that this city should be chosen? they're looking forward to hosting the mountain biking competition. >> i am not sure that my friend would share that sentiment. where are aware of the rivalry. i can confirm the announcement today, the results of this civic honors competition in honor of her majesty the queen's diamond jubilee. they have been awarded the right to call themselves the city and have a lord mayor. there will be disappointment in other communities who entered into this contest.

it is, indeed, another announcement which lifts the spirit of the nation in the year of the queen's diamond jubilee. >> thank you, mr. speaker. before the general election, the deputy prime minister said he was profoundly hostile to the closure of factories. 1700 disabled people are losing their jobs because of the closure of 36. >> mr. speaker, as the honorable lady will know. this is conducted -- her conclusions are supported by organizations like mine and others. i would likely disagree. they say and this is their conclusion and this what they think we should be doing. they believe segregated implement, which was stopped in the aftermath of the second world war, is not the best way

to promote the interests of disabled people in this country in the 21st century. >> thank you, mr. speaker. last weekend, the deputy prime minister spoke about the need for it tycoon tax. does that include individuals who claim they want tax raised on the rich but set up companies so they only pay part of their income? >> it is worth dwelling for minute on the explanations provided by ken livingstone for his exotic tax arrangement by quotes from an interview. "i get money from different sources and i give it to an account and the manager at." >> thank you, mr. speaker. in 2010 i raised with the prime

minister the case of a college in my constituency that lost 4 million pounds following the closure of the regional development agency. i asked for a hand up for the people in my constituency. that college was opened last week, 18 months on there is no sign of progress in addressing the shortfall. as the deputy prime minister has said, there should be no barriers to people's talent and will he helped give the people of west like a share -- west lancashire a hand up? >> colleges are important in providing skills and support to young people seeking to get the right qualifications to get into work. they have been working successfully with the government. the largest expansion of

apprenticeship sever in our country. i am happy to make sure the minister's look at the case. >> thank you. after the 2004 disaster, the authority was created. the gla has been a burden to business. can you show me that any cuts to red tape will not leave workers unprotected? >> i hear what he says. it is an important issue. it is important to get the balance right. we're working to ensure that the gang masters licensing authority works in a manner that is effective and bears down on abuse but does so in the business friendly manner to limit the amount of red tape. >> i am sure the deputy prime minister would like to congratulate the city of -- for

its restoration to city status. the -- can i thank the palace and him and his department for organizing this? >> those are the kind of questions i like. i think it is a good thing. on behalf of everyone in the house, i would like to convey my congratulations to all people of perth who worked in such a way to get this accolade, this award today. >> there is a lot of attention being attracted this week. many will be at risk if the policy planning for norv does not follow germany's example of combining economic success with tough controls to protect the

countryside. can we be assured that a truly green planning framework is still a safe bet? >> the government is publishing a planning framework surely. it is important we do everything including through the planning system to promote growth because we need growth, we need jobs, and we need new homes, particularly for young families were not able to have of homeland and calderón. of course that should be tempered by social and internment -- environmental considerations. >> on monday, the housing minister told me and the house the government has no plans or wish to introduce rent- controlled in the private sector. is the deputy prime minister aware that the rising of the private sector brands in central london, the capping of housing benefits means, in effect, many hot -- families are being forced out, it is a process of social

cleansing that is going on? will the government examined the case for private sector rent- controlled? >> we hope at the same time as announcing the restraint on the housing benefit budget which was a commitment in his own party's manifesto to bring that part of the benefit system under control, we have a company that with a major fund to deal with hard cases, and we have also unveiled a number of measures which should leave -- lead to the increase of the building of affordable homes. it is the lack of supply of affordable homes that is underlying the problem in london and elsewhere. >> changes to child benefits means that a single income family earning 43,000 pounds a year where one parent stays at home, will subsidize a couple owning -- earning over 80,000 pounds. does the prime minister think this is fair? >> i think it is fair that someone who is earning far

beyond the average should not be subsidized in receiving benefits from people of lower incomes. he does raise a perfectly valid point which is the cutoff point can create these anomalies, where you can have one earner having a child benefit removed while others will not. we will look and operatic way of implementing this in a sensitive matter. >> naomi long. >> serious incident in my constituency involving three explosive devices planted since friday and the most recent being a gift. will he join with me in condemning those records to the community on things like risk and in the absence of international monitoring commission that government will continue to monitor any link

between such activity and organization. >> by utterly condemn the pipe bomb attacks which endangered the lives of all those in surrounding areas including young children attending school. totally represent the boat. i understand these attacks are being investigated and there's no indication as yet that there terrorist attacks and fall to the justice minister. >> but who e.u. council on changes to the rules governing state aid in these areas. the government has shown commitment by establishing an enterprise in order to attract a large business. the changes will restrict -- the prime minister assure me the

government is fighting proposals. >> deputy prime minister. i am delighted that this is now taking shape and will be a huge boost from major investors in the renewable energy sector in that part of the world. i hear what he says about the european commission reviewing how those rules will be applied for regional aid in 2014 onwards. we are extremely mindful to undermine the excellent work taking place. >> ministry of justice announced today it has given two in new contracts with thirty million pounds of public money. this company has been under investigation by the police, department of pensions and public accounts committee and since i have been raising concerns, 14 f-15 e-mails to the public alleging fraud and practice. is the government going to

continue? >> she raises a very serious issue. the police investigation into allegations of fraud, all contracts entered into by the previous government. we have launched our own audit of the existing contracts we receive from -- if there is any evidence of systematic abuse then of course we would end all contracts. >> jasonmac carney. >> the british servicemen killed last week will be repatriated next tuesday and include three of my constituents. private danny wilson and private anthony fromton. will the the the prime minister assure me that everything is being done by the government to support the families? >> i know how strongly he must feel given three of his

constituents lost their lives. i know the ministry of defense will assure the secretary of state would wish to confirm that. we're doing everything we can in quite difficult circumstances to make sure the bodies are returned to the families as soon as possible. >> has the deputy prime minister considered the implications of the treasury's plan changes and control foreign companies which will incentivize multinationals. opening this new tax loophole is estimated to cost developing countries from four billion pounds in fair and much needed revenue and the exchequer 1 billion points on much-needed revenue? as many change the correct and forthcoming budget measures. >> you raise an important issue. i know that action aid has been speaking to treasury ministers

as well like all international tax matters it is incredibly complicated once you get into the details but it is something which is not dealt with in the last 13 years. >> will my right hon. friend join me in welcoming the launch of the government's about action plan depending on how we can achieve more adoptions more quickly? making adoption work well everywhere should be the priority of all of us who have interests in people in parliament. >> it is so frustrating for couples and parents who want to adopt children and not good for the children concerned when there are it ordnance the delays and that is why it is a good thing to get general consensus of announcements made by the secretary of state of education and prime minister to the accelerated option process will indeed happen. >> is it right that constituents

of a young daughter later received a letter that that visit was inappropriate and the cost of that visit. is this going to be the future of the any chess? honorable and elderly people are going to give this kind of treatment? >> this was issued on the currency. he does touch -- he does touch on a serious issue which we face in this country. every single developed society faces. we have health care systems which were designed for an aging population. all the people have long-term chronic conditions and spend much longer in hospitals which is why we need to make sure they are in their homes and

community. >> a comprehensive school just as likely to study a level history as their private school counterparts but only half as likely to study math or physics. what is the government going to do about the social mobility issue we have? does he support the proposed sir isaac newton math school to help these issues? >> an incredibly important point and one of the reasons the new english baccalaureate does place a great deal of emphasis on those scientific disciplines and why we protected -- to send a clear signal that we value science and why we emphasize stem subjects. we need this science background taking math and science courses for collective future and the country as a whole. >> he says the health bill would

go through not amended. when he listens to people up and down the country who knows the real truth, they would not be getting this bill at all without him propping them up. >> as i said before would have thought he would welcome legislation which out forced -- >> that the prime minister and it clegg subbing for the prime minister. part of the official visit will be there at the white house was the but the president and first lady. we will have arrivals' coming up shortly for you at 6:30 live on c-span. earlier today, secretary of state hillary clinton hosted a lunch for prime minister kamen. next, you will hear remarks from the secretary, vice-president

joe biden, and the prime minister. this is 20 minutes. -- a lunch for prime minister cameron. >> ladies and gentlemen, the vice-president, dr. jill biden, and the secretary of state, accompanied by the prime minister of great britain and northern ireland and mrs. samantha cameron. [applause] >> thank you all very much.

please be seated. welcome to the state department. we are thrilled and so pleased to host this luncheon for our very special guest, prime minister and mrs. cameron. it is wonderful to see all of you celebrating spring with us and knowing that our relationship -- it is always spring. it is always being renewed. it is always curable. it is a cornerstone of both of our nation's foreign policies, and it has such a great resonance between our two people. i want to recognize our chefs today, a native of birmingham, england, not alabama. who made herself a home in new york city as the executive chef of a couple of very hip restaurants. one, the spotted paid. the other the breslin.

it is really a delight to have april with us. she was just talking with the prime minister. [applause] it was a very timely introduction because when the prime minister and president obama exchanged gifts, president obama gave the prime minister a barbeque. i mean, a real, down-home, american barbecue with a smoking compartment and everything else. april stands ready to help, prime minister. we joke about the special relationship, but that is because we are so comfortable with it. it means such a great deal, not just because of a wide range of shared interests, but our deeply-rooted history and the unbreakable relationship between our country. of course the president did remind the prime minister at the white house that we are at the

200th anniversary at the war of 1812. [laughter] i was pleased to tell my counterpart and friend, the foreign secretary, that it was my predecessor in one of my other lives who actually saved the extraordinary portraits of george and martha washington, having received word from her husband, who has truly been a commander in chief in the field, that unfortunately, the british truly were coming. so she rushed from the white house, taking some treasures with her, leaving behind e-mail that she had prepared for her husband and his officers, and the british officers ate the meal before they burned the white house. [laughter]

we are looking forward, but nevertheless, there are certain memories that are also of significance and how wonderful it is, here we are today, working together on so many important parts of the world, helping to bring peace and stability to afghanistan, helping to promote successful transitions and democratic reforms in the arab world. we worked alongside each other to end a dictator's rule in libya. we are now focused on helping the people of syria to help them realize a better future for themselves. recently, i was in london for a conference that they sponsor. no matter what the issue, we stand together. i know, prime minister and samantha, that this is just a small measure of hospitality she

tried to demonstrate our commitment and appreciation for this relationship. we were so well treated when the president and in our teams were on a state visit last year, sponsored by the government. it is now my great pleasure to welcome a dear friend, a great american, and a superb vice president, joe biden. [applause] >> madam secretary, thank you very much. mr. prime minister, mrs. cameron, like you, we host a

large number of dignitaries, but sometimes, we are greeted with challenges that require us to forge a whole new relationships, and sometimes, we are preoccupied with henry out agreements or producing what the policy wonks refer to as the liberals -- deliverables. this one is easy. the diplomatic engagement with the full agenda of critical issues, but there is also something like a family gathering with very little disagreement. we sat in the cabinet room today, and it was like a cabinet meeting, not like a meeting with foreign dignitaries. together, we the united states and great britain, have the deepest international partnership. the bond between our countries and people hast with this test

of time -- has stood the test of time. we have weathered the political fortunes in each of our countries, and nothing changes. mr. prime minister, we are honored to welcome you on your first official visit to washington. we are also always anxious to welcome a british prime minister back to washington, even on the anniversary of the war of 1812. i want to tell you, in my family it was not the war of 1812 that bothered anybody about the british. the biden's immigrated from liverpool in 18 05. but the other side of the family -- the senate and side of the family -- [laughter] they had a different problem. -- the then again -- the

finnigan side of the family. to my grandfather, ambrose finnigan, please, things are fine. mr. prime minister, we are truly honored that you are here. you wrote, "what makes our relationships special, unique and essential asset, is that we join hands across so many endeavors. put simply, we count on each other, and the world council on our alliance." that is absolutely true. the united states and united kingdom cooperate on a breathtaking array of issues, none more important than the six military campaigns we have waged alongside one another just in the last 20 years. as you said, the world counts on us. it was true in libya, and mr. prime minister, i would like to personally commend you for your

leadership in championing an international effort to help drive the adoptee from power and give the libyan people a better future. no country made a greater sacrifice than yours in that endeavor. it is true as well in the fight against al qaeda -- together, we have substantially degraded al qaeda, and we will continue to work toward its destruction, dismantling, and ultimate defeat. it is true that our efforts to strengthen the global economy after the deepest financial crisis since the depression had been remarkable.

i remember when we first took office, with in the first weeks when the g-8 was meeting and then the g-20 was meeting. the question was could we get an internationally coordinated effort, and i remember the president said the brits would be with us. mr. prime minister, you are always there. your country has always been there. to keep our sacred obligation to military veterans and those who have served us so well, you have been a stalwart, and we will see a strong symbol of that shared sacrifice when the british wounded warriors compete alongside american counterparts in the wounded warrior games in

colorado in may. i commend you, mr. prime minister, on the new u.s./u.k. service personnel and veterans joint task force, which is helping our troops transition to civilian life, which has been a difficult circumstance for many of our veterans who have been deployed multiple times into got awful circumstances. the quiet american said and wrote french it is something in the soul. it is a thing one feels. it is not a return for something. i think that is the simple best definition of the relationship between the united states and great britain, so to honor our friendship, please raise your glasses when you get them. please raise your glasses to the prime minister of great britain.

[applause] >> thank you so much for those speeches, and thank you for that warm welcome. of course, it is slightly embarrassing being here on the 200 anniversary of 1812, and because of that, i asked in a story and friend of mine before coming on this visit -- i said, "andrew, why is it that in britain, we do not properly commemorate and recognize this rather embarrassing episode in our history?" he said were coming up on the 200th anniversary of the battle of waterloo kim was so much more enjoy talking about defeating

the french -- and we so much more enjoy talking about defeating the french. it is great to know that the chef from birmingham, england, is here cooking our meal today. my political party did make a mistake at a recent election of putting out a leaflet, and the person who designed it took off the internet the city scene of birmingham, but not being a native, actually put the city scene of birmingham, alabama, and the big shock and surprise was when the city councilman was reelected. so anything can happen in politics. you also mentioned the exchange of gifts between president obama and i. i think we got it slightly wrong because i had given him a table tennis table and he has given me a barbecue, but when you see us standing next to each other, it is quite clear that the

person who needs the exercise is the british prime minister any person who needs a bar-b-que is the president of the united states. [applause] thank you also for putting together such an amazing guest list. we were looking through it last night in bed and looking through this guest list, and the star from my favorite movie is going to be here. ben kingsley from "ghandi"? no, it is chevy chase from "caddyshack." thank you for this wonderful reception. some of that and i are thrilled to be with you and even more thrilled to be here in the ben franklin room pyrrophyte " epitomizes so much of what is good about the character of our two countries -- passionate, diligent, a man prepared to stand up for his values and that his words with deeds. in the best tradition of our two

nations, he was also a straight talker. he once said guests are a bit like fish -- they begin to smell after three days. you will be relieved to know having a ride yesterday, i am leaving tomorrow. [laughter] -- having our ride yesterday. i want to start by paying personal tribute to the mr. -- half -- by paying personal tribute to mr. vice-president. i remember in the 1990's when you spoke out for the need of military intervention to stop the ethnic cleansing in bosnia. your right to do that, and in libya, i believe we showed we learned a lesson. we were able to intervene and act and change the course of that country's history, and we were right to do so, said today, we applaud your vision and your courage. [applause] also, a word of deep gratitude to you, madam secretary.

you have been a great friend to britain for 20 years, and no one will ever forget your contribution in northern ireland, your incredible resilience, and your conviction that he's really could be achieved after so many decades of conflict, and i hope, mr. vice-president, with your relatives are looking down, they will see that the relations between britain and the republic of ireland had never been better, and it is a testament to one woman, her majesty the queen, on her 60th year on the throne, that her visit to the republic of ireland did so much to restore relations between our two countries. [applause] in just three years, you've visited 95 countries. you have travelled over 700,000 miles. some people wondered how two british conservatives would get along with this great force of the democratic party. that is, we in britain say, quite simply, we have been bowled over.

whenever we come together to discuss the most difficult issues, whether it is afghanistan, libya, syria, somalia, you always speak with the greatest precision and the greatest power. everyone of us is in all of the passion, the intellect, and the relentless energy you bring to every aspect of international affairs, and you also bring great energy and effort to something else -- to one of the greatest pieces of unfinished business in human history. the emancipation and the empowerment of women. [applause] there are a generation of young women out there in the world today who owe you much more than they will ever know because they can live safer, more dignified, more fulfilling lives than the generations that came before them. you are also a great champion of smart power. that is why i wanted to just say a word about today. after two years of working hand

in glove with the united states, i know we are at our best when we are not just strong but we are smart, when we deploy everything we have at our disposal. in a world of complex problems, there are no simple, easy solutions. take somalia where there is a vicious circle of state failure, economic collapse, piracy, terrorism, kidnapping, famine. as our conference in london showed last month, a credible solution cannot just be about military action or even aid and isolation. we will only succeed when we bring together all of our military, diplomatic, political efforts to achieve peace and prosperity. that is also why we in britain do not just see our increased spending on aid as doing the right thing morally, although we do believe that -- we also think it is the right thing diplomatically and politically as well. it enhances our ability to get things done. this kind of smart power is one of the great strengths that

britain and america have in common, and i think it is very much on show looking around the room today. this morning, once again, british and american men and women in uniform got up to serve to get there. in the persian gulf, afghanistan, the indian ocean, and we honor their incredible service and their sacrifice, but we are not just strong because of our military alone. we are strong, too, because of the power of british and american diplomacy. as secretary clinton put it, the tide of war is receding, but its troops come home, civilians remain to carry out the critical missions of diplomacy and development. across the world, specialists are working to understand and influence countries in shaping the big issues, including in very challenging and very dangerous locations. minute by minute, hour by hour, there are phone calls between london and washington as our diplomats work together to assess the latest intelligence and work out the best ways forward. in fact, our national security advisers last year talked so

often that i think the president was beginning to believe that there was someone called rick donovan who was just one individual rather than two working together. our smart power comes from more than our ability to defend our security. it is rooted in the intertwining of two people and two communities. britain and america continually shape the world because whether you are scientists, innovators, businessmen and women, athletes, or stars of fashion, art, or music, all of you look across the atlantic in both directions to find kindred spirits with the same big ideas and the same big ambitions. so at this, the home of smart power, in the midst of this memorable visit, let me end with a tribute to all of you -- to the people who day in and day out make this the essential relationship that it is today and what it will be tomorrow and the years to come, and let me ask all of you, please, to raise your glasses to the vice-

president, dr. baden, and the secretary of state -- the vice- president, dr. biden, and the secretary of state. [applause] [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2012] >> and our live coverage of the

prime minister's official visit to washington continues. this is the white house. this is the bookseller's area of the white house on the ground floor. guest come through here through the colonnade and through the bookseller's area. beyond those doors, if news reports are to be believed, there is a giant tent set up on the top -- south lawn of the white house for what is going to be the sixth state dinner hosted by the obamas. the guest list has just been released, and we have posted that on our web site. a number of members of congress. a moment ago, we sought justice scalia go by -- we saw justice scalie go by. and for fans of pbs' "downton," we just saw the stars of that go

by. arriving as former new york city mayor ed koch.

here on c-span, we are live at the white house awaiting the arrival for the evening's state dinner for british prime minister david cameron and his wife samantha. we will show you their arrival live on the north portico in just a minute. that should be happening shortly. david cameron with a busy day at the white house. the arrival this morning just after 9:00 eastern, midday joint news conference with the president, and as we just showed you on c-span a short while ago, the lunch at the state department, hosted by secretary hillary clinton.

tonight will be the sixth state dinner that the obamas have hosted. the "u.k. guardian" said president obama is pushing the boundaries of protocol because cameron is a mere head of government cannot be treated to a full state visit. the guardian writes that the warehouse has found a way of ground rules by designating the trip as an official visit with a state dinner. the dinner will be held on the lawn of the white house in a tent set up on the lawn. among the entertainers this

evening is john legend. this is the bookseller's area of the white house, the traditional rival area for regular visitors and, obviously, guests at the

state dinner this evening. they come through here and they will be out on the south lawn. the associated press writes that the entire menu this evening is a blend of u.s. and u.k. cuisine and that it will feature bison wellington and buffalo tenderloin from north dakota instead of beef. a number of members of congress on the list this evening. richard lugar, chuck schumer. we also previously saw ed koch, by -- come by.

waiting and watching with the reporters and others here at the booksellers' area of the white house. the state dinner this evening for british prime minister david cameron and his wife. it is traditional in the sorts

of visits that the leaders exchanged gifts. the obamas gave the prime minister and his wife and american-made in the brick grill because the visit last year, the president visited last year and at 10 downing street, they had a barbecue for members of the u.s. military and others. the camerons, meanwhile, gave the obamas -- presented them with a ping pong table. last year, the president visited a ping-pong tournament in the u.k.

this evening's state dinner at the white house with british prime minister david cameron. a couple of days of bilateral meetings which resulted in statements and agreements by both sides on a number of issues including defense and cyber security. this also the busiest day of the visit for prime minister cameron, and that included a joint news conference with the president here all of today's

events, by the way, we covered. we have them on our website in the video library at c-span.org.

>> ambassador and mrs. susman. senator chuck schumer. >> new york senator chuck schumer.

>> ms. ginni rometty. mr. mark rometty.

mr. hugh bonneville. mrs. lulu williams. >> [inaudible] i think it is symbolized in the show with me being married to an american. i think we have a special relationship.

>> british actor hugh bonneville, from the pbs "downton" series. >> mr. simon rosenberg. ms. caitlin durkovich.

dr. robert rosenwasser. dr. deborah august.

mr. timothy gill. miller.t mr. bradford collins.

ms. barbara walsh. mr. mark alderman. mrs. sue ellen alderman.

>> [inaudible]

[inaudible]

the honorable neal wolin. ms. nicole elkon. [inaudible]

[inaudible]

the honorable alan krueger. mrs. lisa krueger.

mrs leilani brown. mr. stanton brown. mr. don hinkle. ms. mimi graham. ms. debra lee. mr. londell mcmillan. ms. gwen ifill. mr. wendell pierce.

ms. gillian tett. mr. richard philip mcgregor. [inaudible]

mr. james macgilvray. mrs. janet macgilvray. ms. elizabeth lee mcgovern. mr. simon adam curtis. >> [inaudible]

da men [inaudible] >> paul tash. mrs. karyn tash.

n.. jim corw mrs. paulamr. simon wilson. mrs. wilson. [unintelligible] mr. stewart taylor ii

mrs. ivan taylor. >> hi, how are you? >> i am very excited. >> mr. stephen gilbert. mr. oliver dowden mrs. lauren mann.

mrs. smalls. mr. samuel hines. mrs. stacy mills. mrs. denise lewis.

>> i am delighted to be here. [inaudible] i cannot begin to put it into words. i am filled with anticipation. [inaudible] i do not think so. the challenge is on. >> the honorable judge.

mr. james lassiter. mrs. lassiter. mr. george tunis. mrs. ulga tunis. mrs. luiz ann rodgers. ms. hilary rosen.

mr. john jkelly. mr. and mrs. -- mr. paul shinkman. dr. john feliz austion. mrs. maggie austin. mrs. lynn kaufman.

>> we broke away there momentarily to take you out front. the president and first lady awaiting the arrival of david cameron and his wife samantha. live coverage here on c-span. >> very pretty. they look better than us.

>> present.

>> mr. george clooney. >> smiled. . mr. kerry -- mrs. dorothy --

>> great to be back. >> mrs. carrol -- mr. charlie rose. ms. amanda burden. mr. tony james.

mrs. annabelle james. mrs. meredith dewitt. mr. terry dewitt. mr. james schneider. mrs. tracy schneider. sentaor mccaskill. mr. joseph shepherd. mr. hunter biden. mrs. kathleen biden.

mrs. catherine --

the honorable hilda -- the secretary of labor. the honorable anthony miller. mrs. carol miller. mr. rory mcilroy. mr. connor ridge.

sir richard branson. >> what do you think -- >> i think it is wonderful. i think our relationship has never been stronger. we thought it was incredibly strong. it is very flattering. >> [inaudible] >> it is lettering to be invited. i'm looking forward to it. my wife is at home.

>> what expecting? -- are you expecting? >> it is my favorite. >> mr. tom bernstein. mrs. andrea bernstein. lady ruth rodgers. mr. rodgers. mrs. virginia --

mr. nick booth. the honorable matthey bargain -- matthew barden. mrs. brooke barden. the honorable heather a. higgenbottom. mr. daniel -- the honorable mark grossman. ms. mildred patterson.

mr. david phonet. mrs. deborah -- mr. lauren schneider. mr. joseph faulk. mr. mark scott. mr. chad griffin. mr. jerome fallon.

mr. andrew sullivan. mr. aaron tone. ms. april holmes. ms. courtney. mr. richard wold. f. dr. paulau cuello. mr. damien lewis.

>> [inaudible] >> what do i want to tell them? [inaudible] there was that moment in the new york times op ed, it seemed we crossed into the cultural zeitgeist. president obama's foreign policy -- when does he watch tv? that is what i'm going to ask him. [inaudible]

>> mr. warren buffet. mrs. buffet. the honorable tina chen. mr. john w. thompson. mrs. sandy thompson.

dr. amy -- dr. michael doyle.

the honorable eric holder, attorney general. it secretary of health and human services. the honorable rajiv shaw. mrs. shaw. mr. joe lamont.

mrs. andra lamont. mr. anthony gardner. mrs. alejandra gardner. mrs. carol penske. mr. david penske. mr. raj fernando. mrs. jennifer --

the honorable martha johnson. mr. steve johnson. the honorable camilla harris. mrs. mike harris. -- maya harris. the honorable wendy sherman. mr. stokes. the honorable brooke anderson. mr. james -- ms. ann windosr.

mr. shelby bryant. mr. harvey weinstein. ms. georgina chapman. >> i have not seen her yet. [inaudible] [laughter] [inaudible] i am very excited.

>> [inaudible] >> too humble in his accomplishments. people will learn. >> i am very excited. >> [inaudible] that was a surprise. >> [inaudible]

mrs. amanda barton. mr. david ajai. mrs. ashley jasmine scott. the honorable nancy ann depearl. rm jason depearl. -- mr. jason depearl.

the honorable patrick f. kennedy. ms. elizabeth slope.

governor o'malley. judge katie o'malley.

senator richard lugar. mrs. charlene lugar.

>> we have been watching the guest arrivals at the white house for the state dinner for british prime minister, at david cameron. the dinner happening on the south lawn. we continue to follow the arrivals on our web site. coming up, at 8:15, we will bring you the coast from tonight's dinner and comments from president obama and david cameron. we will also speak to marc mardell and get his perspective. all of that coming up live this

evening. a day of activities for the president and prime minister, beginning with the official arrival ceremony this morning. >> present. ♪

♪ >> ladies and gentlemen, the president of united states and mrs. michelle obama. [applause] ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ [drumming] ♪

>> ladies and german, the national anthem of the united kingdom of great britain and northern ireland followed by the national anthem of the united states. ♪ ♪

♪

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

♪

♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

>> nice to see you.

how're you? >> nice to see you. >> how are you, sir? >> good morning. ♪ ♪ ♪

>> troops and review. -- troops in review. ♪ ♪

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>> good morning, everyone. the relationship between the united states and united kingdom exceeds tradition. last night i shared with the prime minister a uniquely american tradition of bracketology. [laughter] march madness. he has learned to appreciate one of our great national pastimes. he has told me he has decided to install a hoop. [laughter]

today we carry on another tradition. an official visit from one of our closest friends and dearest allies. from mr. cameron, mrs. cameron, members of the british delegation, on behalf of the american people it is my great honor to welcome you to the united states. [applause] david, samantha, on behalf of my shell -- on behalf of michelle and myself we welcome you to the white house. we are delighted that you have made america your first official foreign trip. [applause] it has now been 200 years since the british came here to the white house under somewhat different circumstances.

[laughter] they made quite an impression. [laughter] they really lit up the place. [laughter] but we have moved on. and today, like some of the presidents and prime ministers before us, we meet to reaffirm one of the greatest alliances the world has ever known. this visit is also an opportunity to reciprocate the extraordinary and gracious hospitality shown to us by her majesty, queen elisabeth, by david and samantha, and by the british people during our london -- during our visit to london last year. we are proud of her diamond jubilee celebrating 60 extraordinary years on the british throne.

[applause] it is remarkable to consider for decades we have seen nations rise and fall, wars fought, peace defended, the city's divided, walls come down, countries behind the iron curtain and then liberated. we have seen the demise of the cold war and the rise of threats transition from an industrial revolution to an information age where new technologies and power our citizens and our adversaries like never before. our world has been transformed over and over. and it will be again. through the grand sweep of history, through all the twists and turns, there is one

constant. the rock solid alliance between the united states and the united kingdom. [applause] the reason is simple. we stand together, we work together, we believe together, and we built together in good times and in bad because when we do, our nations are more secure. our people are more prosperous. the world is a safer, better, and more just place. our alliance is essential. it is indispensable. for the security and prosperity that we seek not only for our own citizens, but for people around the world. that is why, as president, i have made strengthening this alliances and our alliances around the world one of my highest foreign-policy -- one

of my highest foreign policies. because we have, i believe with david's agreement, this relationship between the united states and united kingdom is the strongest it has ever been. [applause] so, on the summit of this beautiful morning, with children from both nations in attendance -- [applause] we reaffirm the enduring values in which our alliance is rooted. we believe that every person, if they are willing to work hard and played by the rules, it deserves a fair shot. deserves a chance to succeed. on these tough economic times, we stand united in our determination to create the jobs that gets people back to

work and expanding trade that is both free and fair and fighting for a global economy where every nation plays by the same rules. we believe that our citizens should be able to live free from fear. so, like generations before us, we stand united against those who would terrorize our people or endanger the globe with the world's most dangerous weapons. we believe in universal rights of all people, so we stand united in our support for those who seek to choose their leaders and forged their futures, including the brave citizens of the middle east and north africa who deserved the same god-given rights and freedoms as people everywhere. we believe in the inherent dignity of every human being. we will stand united in advancing the developments that

lifts people and nations out of poverty. the vaccine that allows the child to live a long and healthy life. this is what we believe. this is who we are. this is what we do together. this is what we achieved every single day. this is the alliance we have renewed today, guided by the interest we share, grounded in the body set we cherish not just for our time, but for all time. and finally, i would just know what this is not the first official visit of my president, it is one of the few where i have not had to pause for inflation. [laughter] we americans and the brits speak the same language most of the time. so let me just say, david,

we're chopped to bits that you are here. [laughter] i am looking forward and confident that together, we will keep the relationship between our two countries -- [laughter] for the warmest of wellcome's from michelle and myself and from the american people, we are honored to have you here. [applause] >> president obama, first lady, mr. vice president, members of both cabinets, guests of honor, ladies and gentleman, thank you for such an incredibly warm welcome. i have to say, barack, with that spectacular command of our shared language, with all of

these union flags and with so many friends at home, you are really making me feel very at home here in washington. so, i am a little embarrassed that i stand here, to think that 200 years ago -- [laughter] my ancestors tried to burn this place down. [laughter] i can see you have the place a little better defended today. you clearly are not taking any risks with the brits this time. [laughter] thank you also for the lessons last night. i will leave america with some new words. alley oop. brackets. fast breaks. and who knows, maybe that hoop will be installed after all. it was a great need -- a great evening. since that unfortunate episode 200 years ago, generations of british and american servicemen have fought together.

our grandparents fought in the same campaign. my grandfather, wounded a few days after d-day, the greatest british and american operation in history, and yours, serving under general patton as the allies swept through france. whether it is through defeating the nazis, standing up to the soviets, defending the korean peninsula, for hunting down al qaeda in afghanistan, there can be no -- between our two nations defending our values and interests and the mutual sacrifice made by our service men and women. let us once again pay tribute to their valor, their courage, and their dedication here in washington today. [applause] [applause] across the world and across