our country in the global economy. the oil and gas, mining, and forestry sectors directly employ more than three-quarters of a million canadians. they are driving economic growth across the country. they are creating good jobs not only directly but also indirectly, in manufacturing, clerical work, skilled trades, and financial services. and financial services. canada's resource industries offer huge potential to create even more jobs and growth, now and over the next generation. this potential exists in every region of the countrynatural gas in british columbia, oil and minerals on the prairies, the ring of fire in ontario, plan nord in quebec, hydro power

in atlantic canada, and mining in canada's north. recently it has become clear that we must develop new export markets for canada's energy and natural resources, to reduce our dependence on markets in the united states. the booming economies of the asia- pacific region are a huge and increasing source of demand, but canada is not the only country to which they can turn. if we fail to act now, this historic window of opportunity will close. we will implement responsible resource development and smart regulation for major economic projects, respecting provincial jurisdiction and maintaining the highest standards of environmental protection.

we will streamline the review process for such projects, according to the following principle, one project, one review, completed in a clearly defined time period. we will ensure that canada has the infrastructure we need to move our exports to new markets. beyond this, we will build on our very effective partnership with the canadian federation of independent business, to continue reducing red tape across government. our goal is to allow businesses to focus on what they do bestcreating jobs and opportunity, from coast to coast to coast. finally, as a key part of our plan for long-term prosperity, our government is undertaking the most ambitious trade expansion plan in canadian

history. experience has shown that opening new export markets provides an enormous long-term benefit to canada. it creates new opportunities for canadian businesses and good new jobs for canadian workers. on a level playing field, canadians have shown we can compete successfully with the best in the world. for this reason our government has worked hard to open new markets for canadian exports. before 2006, canada signed only three new trade agreements in 13 years. since then our government has signed new trade agreements with nine countries, and we are in negotiations with many more. in negotiations with many more. just yesterday the prime

minister returned from another trip to asia, launching negotiations on new trade agreements with thailand and japan. the united states will remain our largest and most important trading partner. still, recent events and long- term trends indicate clearly that we need to diversify canada's export markets. we need to open new export markets in the world's emerging major economies, while strengthening and expanding our existing trade relationships. we will continue working with the united states to implement our joint beyond the border plan, to strengthen and deepen the economic and security links between our two countries. at the same time, we will harmonize our duty and tax exemptions for 24- and 48-hour trips to match levels for

u.s.citizens. u.s.citizens. this measure will ease congestion at our borders. we will conclude negotiations on new trade agreements with the european union and with india. india. we will also begin entry talks with the trans-pacific partnership, and continue building our growing trade relationship with china. by gaining greater access to these vast and growing markets, we will strengthen the financial security of all canadians. we will create good jobs and long-term growth in every region of the country. region of the country. since we were first elected in

2006, our government has been focused on creating jobs and economic growth. ultimately our goal is to ensure long-term prosperity for all canadians. we are "looking a little ahead," as sir john a. macdonald advised. we can see in the distance every reason to hope. we see young canadians, confident in their future, retired canadians, secure in their senior years, aboriginal canadians, realizing their vast potential, new canadians, strengthening our country as they have done in every generation. we see every region of the country, more prosperous than ever in our history. we see canadian businesses and universities coming up with things no one has thought of before, leading to new opportunities and a better life for canadians and for people

around the world. we see canada, going from strength to strength in the 21st century. we see canada, at the centre of the worldwith a great and friendly market to the south, a continent of opportunity across the atlantic, and a world of growth across the pacific. we see canada, whose wealth, while immense, will be measured ultimately in the greater happiness and security of its people. we see canada for what it is and what it can bea great, good nation, on top of the world, the true north strong and free. our government has been inspired by this vision from the beginning. today we step forward boldly, to realize it fullyhope for our children and grandchildren, opportunity for all canadians, a

prosperous future for our beloved country. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2012] [applause] >> stephen harper visit to washington tomorrow for a meeting with president obama. he also sits down with an interview but u.s. candidates relations, concerning the economy, energy, and security. live coverage at 4:00 p.m. eastern on c-span 2. next, a discussion on ballot

issues related to women. after that, q&a. then, another chance to see the canadian finance minister a lead the government's budget proposal. the feminist majority foundation hosted an all-day forum thursday in washington, d.c. focusing on issues important to women in the next election, including a review of ballot measures affecting women. this is just over an hour. >> if everyone can take their seats, we will start the afternoon session. again, i am thrilled to be able to moderate this panel. you will be hearing from some of the many feminist leaders who have come together to fight to preserve the most

significant gains women have made that are at stake in this next election. welcome to our c-span.org audience. we are live on c-span. this is the women, money, and power forum. welcome. [applause] you will hear from key leadership about what we are doing to mobilize women for the 2012 election. in recognition of the great 1963 civil-rights march on

washington, which happened in the same month as women got the right to vote, there was the announcement of a new multi organization in his attempt to preserve the rights of health and economic rights for women at are at stake in the 2012 election. there are 52 groups that represent millions of activist women in this country that have come together to harness the growing power of women in the united states. women comprise half of the paid work force in this country. women are increasingly a powerful political force. if you are following the pulling in these elections, you know that we are witnessing

unprecedented gender gaps around these issues going into the elections. the gender gap is holding true against all ages and all races and ethnic groups. it is not a small phenomenon. this is a powerful political force that can determine the outcome of the election. "her vote" has outlined the top 12 threats to women in this election. you can find out a lot more about these issues by going to hervote.us. -- hervotes.us. you can get to it from any of the coalition partners' websites. you can find the incredible information available on the

website. very quickly, and then you will hear it in more detail about the threats, but more importantly what we are doing as a collective force to mobilize women's votes going into the 2012 election. women's jobs and protection against sex discrimination. you have heard about the impact of the recent supreme court majority ruling and the attack on unions in this country. women have a lot to lose and much to save in this election. number 2, the affordable care act. as you know, it covers a broad range of preventive health services that women desperately need in these modern times.

number 3, women's right to vote is at stake in these elections. in 30 states across the country, conservative legislatures have implemented voter suppression rules and vote are id requirements. many women do not have proper documentation with their current legal name, which is going to be asked for when they go to vote. number 4, birth control and the rights to privacy. i do not have to say much about that. it is the rallying cry of this year. we have so much to say about these so-called personhood and this is is that will appear on ballots in this election. title 10. in the first time in the history, the house of

representatives voted to completely wipe out the title 10 program. many states have already done it. now-states including -- nine states including new jersey and texas. more than 1000 pieces of legislation have been introduced in the state legislatures across the country that, if passed, could threaten the constitutional basis for our right to privacy, family planning, and abortion. number 7, social security, the bedrock of older women's finance and security in this country. it has come under attack. -- women's financial security in this country. it has come under attack. medicare. number 8.

more than half of all medicare recipients, 56%, are women. you have just seen yet another budget introduced in the house by the conservative majority to end the marriage -- end medicare as we know it. number 9. medicaid. it provides 19 million women with vital health services at all stages of their lives. what you might not know about medicaid is that more than 2/30 of the elderly in nursing homes -- 2/3 of all elderly in nursing homes depend on nursing -- depend on medicaid. number 10, the violence against women act. it expired in 2011 and has yet to be authorized.

number 11, title 9, which prohibits sex discrimination in education. it is being threatened by administrative budget cuts, regulations, private school about your systems, and pressure from congressional opponents that continue to threaten to weaken its enforcement. and finally, number 12, the thymic -- the family and medical leave act, the only federal law that helps men and women meet the dueled demands of family and paid work. we just had a terrible decision in the supreme court. a favorite target of conservatives is to gut the enforcement of family and medical leave. that is the bad news. there is good news. there is an incredible

coalition coming together determined to mobilize women's votes to make sure women's the voices are heard at the ballot box and we all take for women also writes. i would like to introduce you to some of the key leaders in the her votes coalition who are mobilizing an impressive campaign within their own organizations and constituency to mobilize women's votes. first, let me introduce linda hallman, president and ceo of the american association of university women. [applause] >> aa uw, 130 years of breaking through barriers for women and girls. who would have thought that at this point in 2012 we would be talking about those barriers, much less the kinds of barriers we are seeing every day.

what we are trying to do is our major get out the vote effort. we have geared up for it and we are about to roll it out. we are putting on president of human and physical resources behind it. aauw has always done a get out the vote effort for many years. is it any wonder that women are sick and tired of being told what to do and that we are ready to make our voices heard? we are tired of our rights being used to score political points, writes? -- right? it is about time women are treated fairly and equally. they need to be respected by lawmakers. out our initiative is called, "it is my vote and i want to be heard."

use that phrase any way you would like to use and with any reflection -- with any intellection. there are many ways you can use that in flexion. it depends on how this of you are on any given day. what is the campaign going to look like? aauw state organizations have 100,000 members and owners throughout the united states. we have branches and chapters in every congressional district in the country. we are on 600 college and university campuses with our partners. we are hosting a series of nonpartisan voter education

training events across the country. we will train and support outreach volunteers who will collaborate on voter education and turn out campaign, targeting women in their states. in april, the action fund will be hiring on the ground staff to coordinate volunteer activity and education efforts. we will be producing and disturbing public service announcements, campaign materials, and other resources specifically designed to underscore the impact on the issues women care most about. in the months leading up to the election day 2012, we will be using all the resources of the action fund, our social media reach, our mailing list, our relationship with our partners, and to drive home the message that elections matter for women

and girls and to go and voted. i encourage you and your organizations. we are already having coalition partners come in with us. we want to help you in your efforts as well. we have hired a person on the staff to be targeting this now. i encourage you. we will help you. we need to be together in the coalition. women are ignored at politician's peril. in 2008, women had a higher turnout rate than men, with 64% of women turned out compared to 55% of men. this gender gap continues to hold true across all ages. women have had a long history of being the key demographic. we need to keep that going in this election year. when voters wants candidates

that will move the country forward, a short economic prosperity, and protect the health and -- ensure economic prosperity and protect the health and well-being of families. there is a list of things you can do to encourage your friends and colleagues. come to aauw.org and find out all of the different ways we can help you. vote is a habit. at the voting behavior -- voting is a habit. it is habit forming. once you all today, you are more likely to vote again. we are targeting millennial women. we need to get that

demographic, those young women, into the voting habit. we are nonpartisan. we want every woman to go out and vote and think about the things that are important to them. wittman voters cannot be underestimated by candidates, -- when men -- women voters cannot be under as delay -- under estimate did -- underestimated by candidates, both republican and democrat. [applause] >> i should have had you come to the podium. thank you, linda. i know that what the american association of university women is doing is unprecedented and need it. i would now like to welcome to the podium melanie campbell, president and ceo of the national coalition on black civic participation.

[applause] >> thank you, thank you. don't you feel good in here today? don't you feel the power? live mic. [laughter] i am at honored to be here representing the national coalition on black civic participation. we are a 35 year-old organization that started in 1976. the first exhibit director was the woman who started the black women's roundtable with dorothy

haight. they knew that when we talk about coming together as a coalition, black women were key. when you talk about the way we all today and who we all take for, who -- what we are focused on is to maximize -- and who we all day -- vote for. we have been focusing and exciting to work with the her votes coalition that to build the kind of coalition that crosses all kinds of areas, whether you are talking about race, gender, age, income, or wherever. if we thoroughly came together,

the mess that is going on as we speak would not happen. coalitions like her old days -- her votes know that we have not yet fully exercise our power. we have just had our first summit last week. we have been working for a year on a tour for the black women's roundtable focusing on economic security and system and the ability for women and girls. -- economic security and sustainability for women and girls. we are trying to get a handle on what we want to do. we left there ready to fight.

our coalition will be focusing on something called the power to vote. the kinds of attacks that have been going on when it comes to worker rights. gillibrand of acts as a partner of ours. -- gillibrand off -- the look -- phillip randolph is a partner of ours. we are all coming together when it comes to voting rights. from the family perspective, we cannot walk away from this microphone without talking about trayvon. [applause] i am from a big city in florida. i know everybody has been there.

it is 20 minutes from sanford, florida. it is an issue of criminal justice. we have our black youth vote, who are led by young leaders, who are coming together next week around the banner of the black youths voted focusing on whether young people are fully engaged around the issue of justice. our target is to focus on the issue of jobs and employment and under employment. there is a major sport -- a major focus for our target on underemployment. a big focus for us will be on the voter rights issue. those who do not believe in inclusion have done a good job studying what happened in 2008. they look at the fact that we

alternate on sunday in some places. -- that we alternate -- we voted on sunday in some places. we have to keep fighting. there are some folks who got in a room that we were not invited to. they look to see how it turned out got so high amongst women. how did it get so high among african americans and they looked at these things. the newspapers will tell you who it is. alec did a good job of finding a way to exclude. talk about the 99%. it is about those who want to have it all and those who want to get a little bit. in that kind of fight, the voting rights issues are threefold.

the lawyers are doing everything they can. we also have to have a street fight among those who have to make sure they know what to do. they do not have to go to jail. -- someone will have to go to jail to fight for our voting rights. we saw the march in selma. there were people who died. there were people who went to jail and did what they have -- they had to do. if you want the enemy to know that you are ready, we need to make some noise to say you are ready to fight. can we make some noise up in here? for us, it is about being organized. we had our round table last

week with women from penn state, who came together. we brought young ladies with us to learn how all of this works. we have our youth training last -- next week. we are getting ready for the fight. we will focus on 100,000 new black women and 100,000 youth and be able to make sure we are prepared. fay anderson is somewhere around here. we have because of freedom act we are about to launch. -- we have a cost of freedom app we are about to launch. south carolina for instance. people say, why not get an id? if you are talking about someone who is elderly or

seasoned, if you have to prove who you are, it is in the bible. not everybody had a birth certificate. when you look at issues like that, the reality is it is not that simple. we know we have got to help those who have to get an id. we are not acquiescing. the voting rights act does not impact all 50 states. we have to get started now to organize those who have to get ids and fight with the justice department when there is pushed back on the unjust laws. it is about our impact and our power and how we get out the vote with all of you.

[applause] >> melanie, thank you. our next speaker represents the moms rising organization. she is the debt -- the executive director. please welcome kristin rowe- finkbeiner. >> thank you. i am honored to be here today. i will start out by saying, i love soccer. i love watching my son and my daughter dribble the ball down the field. i love putting on my five layers of clothing and standing on the sidelines. i absolutely, 100% loved soccer. but i am not a soccer mom, as some political commentators have defined to me.

and neither are the tens of millions of mothers across the country just like me. why did you take such issues -- why do i take such issue with the soccer mom? it brings an image of a mother standing on the sidelines, on the sidelines, be left out of an important game. we modern mothers are most definitely in the game. [applause] we are all of the sidelines. and like the mothers of 1996 when the soccer mom moniker was born, because of new modern technology today, we are powerful the networks. we are network moms. watch out. let me run some numbers by you to give you an idea of what i am talking about. of the 40 million moms with kids

under 18, 37 million of them will be online by the end of this year. i want to give you an idea of the reach of utilizing the mother of a framework in this upcoming election. would anyone who is a mob please stand. when everyone -- which anyone who is a mom please stand. would anyone who had a mother please stand. we are talking about everybody with bellybuttons. who are these moms? who is on line these days? 77% of blacks, 76% of whites and 72% of english-speaking hispanics are reading their news online.

we are talking about a different landscape than in 1996 when the soccer mom moniker came on the scene. our power to collect, to network and create our own news has been growing. we are an increasingly powerful force that cannot be ignored. coupled with new communication technologies like facebook, twitter, e-mail, and blogs allow women to reach hundreds of thousands, even millions, of other women with the click of a button. this has important repercussions in the upcoming election. it accelerates communication, education, organizing, and impact. we are talking about women whose issues have not been regularly addressed by the traditional media. we have created our own media. we do not have to wait for reporters to come to us and cover our issues.

we can go to the huffington post, which has more readers than the new york times. we are creating our own blogs and writing about our own priority issues. we will be doing that in the upcoming election. we can bring critical issues online that have been ignored, critical issues that can impact the impact of -- outcome of elections. we can bring up paid sick days that say, knowing where candidates stand on paid sick days will determine whether or not they votes for them. getting the word out about where a candidate stands is important. let me give you a number to back up the idea that many women are reading blogs. 36 million women are either writing or reading blogs. that is a significant number. that is a revolution. we are created a powerful media force. not only have we made our own media through the proliferation of blocks, we have made our own

powerful -- blogs, we have made our own powerful networks. that has had an impact on leaders at every level, candidates, and traditional media reporters. does this change the political landscape for the election? the answer is most definitely. take the case of the recent case of the komen almost cancellation of the funding for planned parenthood. the defunding was reversed and the komen brand will likely never be the same. [applause] take the absence of women's choices on contraceptive coverage. you could have gotten away with excluding women 10 years ago. but today, when you can put an autograph on the internet and have it spread from friend to friend and -- but able to grasp on the internet and have it spread from friend to friend and

go viral, you cannot do that anymore. ignore network women at your own peril. [applause] how does that relate to the election? moms rising is and on the ground organization that is fighting to increase economic security for families, to decrease discrimination against women and mothers, and to build a nation where families and businesses can thrive. one of the biggest hurdles for the modern feminist movement is that we have to break down the maternal wall so that women can get to the glass ceiling in the first place. it is time to break down that wall. [applause]

together we can do this. our much -- our members are young mothers and grandmothers. they recommend -- they represent the economic diversity that is our country. mom's rising is and media -- a media outlet estimated at over 3.5 million readers. forbes just named us a top website for women for the second year in a row. we are ramping up our moms vote campaign and our voter registration programs. our moms vote program will be utilizing the internet to engage voters and let women know what i did the vacation they need to bring with them to the polls. who changes their name more than any other?

it is mother's. it impacts us all. -- it is mothers. in the busy cluster and noise of modern family life, what is breaking through for us to hear each other, to hear news, and to organize? is the words and actions of our friends and family. -- it is the words and actions of our friends and family. it is an important, powerful political tool. the personal is political. that has not changed. how many of us skip reading the paper some days, but we find ourselves reading a bizarre link that leads us to take an interesting action that we never would have before?

our mission is to harness that reaction to engage voters in 2012. these efforts are more and more critical. women and mothers votes matter. our votes matter. as a reminder, i want to tell everybody that in the last presidential election, married and unmarried children helped determine who was the president by voting for obama. 51% of married women with kids voted for obama. and 71% of unmarried women with kids voted for obama. moms votes matter. with a number of groups working together, we have a fast-moving tool to unite us and to have our impact be maximized together. we are able to amp up our impact in record time. everyone here should get your own facebook page, get your own twitter handel, and to make sure you have access to -- handle, and to make sure you have access to a blog.

social mean it can engage our constituencies and grow the women's movement in ways that were previously unheard of, in ways we are doing through her vote. at mom's rising, we can seen how, -- moms rising, we can see how supporting our organization can support other organizations. we are calling on the power of american women for real economic and health justice for all in the 2012 election. i want everybody to leave this room know when you can be a media outlet. for the first time in history, you can be your own media outlet. [applause]

and i want everyone in this room to remember that some elections, particularly local elections, are won or lost by fewer boats -- votes than the average person has friends on facebook. we can bring wittman's voices forward and we can have an impact -- spring women's -- bring women's voices forward and we can have an impact. it is not time to sideline women. we do not want to be on the sidelines any more and we are not. candidates need to take note that we are rolling forward. we are often beside lines and we are getting involved in the 2012 elections. thank you. -- we are off the sidelines and we are getting involved in the 2012 elections.

thank you. [applause] >> you are hearing a lot about these voter mobilization plans on the ground, online, and in the court wrote. i would like to now introduce terry o'neill, president of the national organization for women. after her presentation, we will be able to take a couple of questions. please join me at the podium, terry o'neill. [applause] >> good afternoon, everybody. i am thrilled to be here. i would not take up a lot of time. i want to have time for questions and answers. moms rising are taking a lead in the her votes coalition. those blog carnivals are really fun.

it in days. they are really needs. you will see more of them and more things going on through her votes. the national organization for women is engaged in a massive voter education and mobilization project. we know we have to get the word out to women about what is at stake this year. this really is a pivotal year for women. somebody gave statistics about what the women's vote was in 2008.

64% voted in 2008. in 2010, the number of women voting plummeted. that is the word that is used by the noted pollster. she said plummeted is the right word. when women did not get out and vote in 2010, what was the result? the tea party. an unprecedented war against women. tea party elected officials flooded into the united states congress and legislatures, taking over all three governing bodies, the house, the senate, and the governorship in many states. what is the result of that? we have seen the sorry and pathetic spectacle of a panel of men considering contraception and announcing to the world that contraception is not about women.

contraception is about the religious sensitivity of some extremist religious zealot men. that is what we learn from women and not voting in 2010. what else did we see? we saw a man that is so empowered that another -- that none other than david frum declares that this man is the most feared man in the republican party. that man's name is rush limbaugh. this empowered and arrogant man spent three days, three hours every day, excoriating a young law student that had the temerity to talk to the american congress about what birth control means about women. what i loved about watching sandra fluke give her testimony, she was asked, what is your qualifications for

talking about birth control. this is what she said. i am a young woman who uses birth control and that makes me an expert in my health care. [applause] the italy's, when she said that, she empowered every single -- beeping -- the thing is, which she said that, she empowered every single woman who uses birth control. it was a brilliant and amazing moment of empowerment. one of the consequences of women not voting in the 2010 is the empowerment of the tea party vote.

they are so powerful now that mitt romney has never condemned rush limbaugh's attack on sandra fluke. day after day when rush limbaugh did manage to see a videotape of sandra having sex, mitt romney says the word slut and prostitutes were not the words he would have chosen. somebody said, what would you have said, lady of the night? that would of been ok? rick santorum, the number 2 candidate this ended rush limbaugh's abuse of this young woman. -- defended rush limbaugh's abuse of this young women. either of those young men -- those men could become the nominee for president of the united states. the folks trying to defeat president obama are

exceptionally well funded and exceptionally well prepared to suppress our voted. we have to be ready not to let that happen. i want to throw in one thing about the other aspect of the war on women. today, the house is expected to vote on the rise and budget. have you heard about that? paul ryan from wisconsin, the chair of the house budget committee, has come out with a budget for 2013 that privatizes medicare, but -- forces people into for-profit insurance systems that will cost $6,000 more for everyone on medicare. that is what their health care will cost if paul ryan has his way. more than 50% of medicare dollars go to support nursing homes in this country. the majority of residents of nursing homes are women. if those cuts go through, possibly thousands of nursing

homes around the country will be forced to shut down. the rise and budget attacks social security and called for future cuts in social security. the rise in budget calls for slashing family planning clinics. all of those programs would be cut. all of these things disproportionately serve women. something we are not aware of, but need to me, all of these programs disproportionately employed women. -- but need to be, all of these programs disproportionately employ women. at the state and local levels, government are cutting back and cutting back. that means women are losing their jobs.

today, more than half of the women are needed the sole source of income for their families or an essential source of income for their families. families cannot afford for women to lose these jobs. the rhine budget does not make all of these cuts to balance the federal budget. not even close. what he wants to do is take all of the savings from cutting these programs and use those savings to increase military spending and to enhance tax breaks to corporations and the wealthiest people in this country. that is what is at stake in the 2012 election. we let another year ago by like 2010 and we will see even worse. we have got to be mobilized to stop that. two pieces of good news. i think it was the two weeks ago, the afl-cio executive committee had its annual meeting or its regular meeting and passed a resolution in support of birth control for women.

and we were thrilled. [applause] but what i was really thrilled by -- there is a sentence in their statement about birth control. the executive committee said, we know these attacks on unions around the country and these attacks on working families around the country are having a disproportionate impact on women. we are not going to stand from it -- stands for it. that is coming from the labor unions. they are with us and we are with them. we are all going to work together. the one thing i want you all to do is to go home and organize your communities and organize your friends and get them engaged in education and mobilization. talk to the candidates.

make sure the candidates know how to talk about the issues that so disproportionately impact women. if the candidates are talking about women -- if you scratch the surface of almost every issue does a little bit, what you will find is a disproportionate impact on women. get the candidates to talk about how this impacts women. you will find that women will say to themselves, that person actually cares about me and understand what is going on in my life. maybe this is someone i should all take for and someone i should volunteer for. maybe i should decide that political engagement matters in my life. it is not just a football game. the candidates are recognizing the reality of my life and recognizing the struggle i face. it cannot just be up to the women to mobilize the women. we have to get the candidates to talk about the women so that we can mobilize them.

if we can work together and recognize the impact of all of this on women, we will win in 2012 and i look forward to that. thank you so much. [applause] >> i want to thank terry not only for today. she has been doing a magnificent on "the ed show." and a strong voice. we already have people lined up. let me say two thanks. 70% buttons. -- 17% buttons. get them and wear them. we are only 17% of the congress. when those votes are taken, we are only 17%. it is not enough and we want to

constantly remind people that we are terribly under represented in the halls of congress and the decision making tables. i would like to quickly say that if he wants more information on some of the key issues at stake, we have a book. you can get it on the ms. magazine website. it takes a look at all of these issues. i urge you to study up. being able to debate them and talk about them to your network -- visit the hervotes.net website. it is a wonderful resource on these key issues that are at stake in this election. we want to hear what you are doing in your communities, what obstacles you are finding when it comes to your right to vote and how we can be a larger coalition as we move forward in the 2012 election.

if you will introduce yourself if you are with an organization, and where you are from, and if you want to direct your question to a specific catalyst, we will take them now. >> kristin, i take it is wonderful what you have done. i have heard that in terms of the policy issues that moms rising cares about, but control is not one of them. women want to choose where and when they have children. the majority of americans and voters are in favor of birth control. is it a possibility that you could serve your members and find that it is critical because it is important for economic security.

>> i am proud to say that is a mess. i wrote a big article on the huffington opposed. the fact of the matter is that 99% of american women have used birth control at some point in their lives. 98% of catholic women have used birth control. mothers' use birth control. the average family -- mothers use birth control. it costs over $200,000 to raise one child to age 18, not including college. until we get family economic security policies, people are struggling to support the children they have with 1/4 of the american children living in

poverty. when to have children and how many is critical to the economic empowerment of all women and mothers. [applause] >> i guess that settles that. >> i am with unite against the war on women. i would like to thank linda and terry for supporting what we are doing. my question is for everybody in this room. who is going to join us in this war on women's rights on april 8? if he did not know about it, there are flyers on every table. we thank you for your support. if you have questions, you can go to our website, unitewomen.org. >> i know it is helping -- it is calling on all over the country. marches and rallies across the country april 28.

>> hi. i am a people person. i represent people. having been in this business since right after world war ii, i would like to know from you where is the american medical association, where are the obstetricians, where are the pediatricians, and where are our husbands, ok. i represent the people. [applause] >> i cannot tell you how many e- mails and phone calls and tweets i receive from men about the importance of birth control. one of the phone messages i had, this man said, i want to thank you for what n.o.w. is doing to protect women's access to birth control. it is not about my wife and my daughters. if we did not have access to

birth control, we would not be where we are today. the extremely good news is that the men are with us. that is demonstrated by the afl-cio statement about birth control. >> the a.m.a. only has a small amount of physicians as their members today. they have a large presence in lobbying, but their members have been going down for many years. a lot of the importance is on the states and the grass roots areas in the medical profession. we need to talk to men of good conscience, that is what i call them. some of them are in this room right now.

we need to say to men and not be worried about saying it, they need to speak up for reproductive rights. it is a health issue. it is a family issue. >> 20% of our volunteers around the country are men. >> i am 14. i would like to ask the panel -- a lot of the issues you are talking about is they don't affect us now, they will affect us in the future. i know the younger generations do care about a lot of these issues, but knew but -- but do not feel like they are boys matters because they cannot vote. -- but do not feel like their voices matter because they cannot vote. what can we do? >> you can speak up now. you can make your voices very much heard. you can if you go to the museum -- the newseum.

>> we had a youth summit that was led by a high school student from schools without walls. this past saturday, we had about 30 young women, young girls, of middle school and high-school age, who focus us on what they need for us to do, which is to remember to voted for them. they laid out the issues they are concerned about. they are concerned about their futures. engaging young women and young girls to gather around the issues they are concerned about. they are looking and worried about what is going to happen in this election.

i have a fresh understanding about what girls are thinking about from that youth summit. they are concerned about whether or not they will be able to go to school. they are concerned about health and wealth and the fact that their parents do not have the job they need. they say, you have to voted for us. we engage young girls in listening. and young boys. i mentioned trayvon because, there go i. i am, we are, any of us could be trayvon. engaging -- just because you are not of voting age does not mean you do not have a vote in your family. you have to feel what we are doing is also about you. engage young people and get

their issues. we are doing that with the national coalition. they have a theory of art, over a 600 campus network and affiliated groups. we are having a big conference this weekend. we have almost 500 collegiate leaders coming together to self organize in a campaign for this next election. people. we have them. we need to get the resources

together so they can overcome the voter repression measures targeted at young people. two more questions. >> cathy, i just want to remind everyone to do answer the question about where the american medical association is, and everything like that, but key -- there are those on our side, even if the ama is not. >> my name is andrea and i am from a small town in central new york. in 1984, the choice group organized with the idea that the perception of power is power, so we have pulled can't -- polled candidates on women's issues, and of late, we are not getting responses. then i learned that project vote smart -- democrats and republicans are telling candidates not to fill out surveys.

it forces us to do a lot of research to find their positions and confronted candid to confront candidates. it is critical to do the research -- confront candidates. it is critical to do their research. women have to know who will stand up for women's rights. >> also, we put on the table the congressional voting record. please take those with you. do not throw goes away. inside, there is a poster you can take out and put up in your communities. new paris use this. it is my vote, i will be heard, but it has everyone's congressional voting record. this is how you know where the

candidates are standing. take it with you. give it to your families and friends. it does not matter how old you are. but the poster up. >> thank you for supporting that. >> yes, you will see the candidates that have been endorsed. these are very vocal supporters. but me just say that i have this wonderful fantasy, and i do not know where we will find their resources, but i really think whoever is the nominee for the presidency needs to be asked repeatedly and often to sign a pledge for birth control. rick santorum, -- promised to work to press the pass laws to declare that life begins at fertilization. whether the candidate is, we want canada to sign -- mitt romney, by the way, refused to sign the personhood pledge.

let's get them to sign a violence against women pledge, we have a lot of pledges. get them to sign the pledge or say why they will not. [applause] >> i am from cleveland, ohio, and i just want to say that i was so pleased to see the 70% pins, because i think the visual reminder to people is so important, and i am here to announce that in ohio this year we have seven women running for congress, and that, i think, is amazing. [applause] >> these seven women could be part of turning around the ski battleground state from red to blue, and also adding some many more women to the congress. thank you.

>> thank you. we will take questions and answers at the end of this one. if you had a burning question, hold on to it. first of all, i want to citywide to all of you for joining us today. [applause] >> and to be in such a key part of the coalition. we will mobilize an unprecedented turnout of women in the november elections. thank you to all of you. if i could ask the next panel to approach the stage, so we can keep on schedule. we are still on c-span. the next panel will be on c- span. for more information, do not forget -- hervote.us to keep up with what is happening in the elections as it impacts women.

[captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2012] >> on wednesday the house interrupted business to pay tribute to john sullivan. he sat down. he's the fourth parliamentarians since the jobless creighton of the 1928. his replacement has worked in the office since 1995 and has been deputy since 2005. here are the members remarks. >> it is my privilege to pay tribute to john sullivan who will retire this week after eight weeks of service. service to this house. john leaves his post with much to be proud of, starting with a first rate team of parliamentarians who will do a

fine job carrying on his legacy. the parls are the people here who are here first every morning and they're also the last ones to leave at night. they review every piece of legislation. they keep us tethered to the rules and traditions that are the house's fndation. in this way the parliamentarians are really the glue that holds this house together. and the leader of that team is john sullivan, whose devotion to the house is -- as his commitment to indiana basketball. coach bobby knight once defined discipline as doing what you have to do, doing it as well as you possibly can and doing it that way all the time. john sullivan is the most disciplined to have served this house. he's consistently shown grace

under pressure. what may be well one of the biggest pressure cookers on earth. he's strengthened and modernized the office of the parliamentariato meet a more open and transparent congress. john, who was here on 9/11, determined how the house should go forward and has spent every day preparing for the unexpected. in a body where everything can happen, he's always thinking two steps ahead, like any good coach. so, of course, john's a modest man. he would just say he was just him doing his job. like i said, disciplined. butake no mistake, for the house and the people that we serve, he's gone above and beyond the call of duty. john, we're sorry to see you go but we want to wish you and your family the best and on behalf of the whole house, we want to thank for your service.

the speaker: mr. speaker, i'm pleased to yield to the democratic leader, ms. pelosi. the speaker pro tempore: the gelelady is recognized. ms. pelosi: thank you, mr. speaker. i thk the speaker for yielding and i'm proud to join

him in honoring the long and distinguished service of the house parliamentarian, john sullivan. for 25 years, as has been said, he's served the house with distinction and integrity and intellect. he's used his keen md, excellent legal training and a commitment to public service to make nonpartisan objecve decisions. alwaysirst in his mind was the constitution and, therefore, his undying respect for the institution of congress. indeed, through his service and his example, john sullivan has become an institution himself. a source of wise counsel and parliamentary leadership. although his name rarely makes headlines and his hard work is seldom noticed in the public eye, the american people have benefited greatly from his extraordinary career. proud son of northwest indiana john sullivan was a lawyer by

training, a graduate of the air force academy and served our nation in the air force. he went on to advise the house armed services committee before joining the parliamentarian's office. he would ultimately hold the title of parliamentarian of the house of representatives, a post occupied by on three other in the past -- others in the past 75 years. wow. . he is a fair and independent voice, a professional of the highest caliber, a careful steward of the rules of the house, a true public servant. mr. speaker, as a point of personal pride, on june 2, 1987 i was sworn in as a result of a special election and i was the firsmember of congress to take the oath of office during john's tenure. he will always hold for -- for many reasons he will hold a long place of honor in the history of the house and in my personal

history as well. in a recent story on his career, john sullivan summed up the key characteristics of his success. in his own words he said, you have to be a very attentive to every syllable being uttered and able to think on your feet. as the speaker says. attention to detail, quick thinking, staying attuned to the letter of th law, these were the hallmarks of john sullivan's service. he has left a lasting legacy and i'm confident his deputy and replacement, tom wickham, will continue in the same fine traditn. we owe a debt of gratitude to all of our parliamentarians. we owe a special debt of gratitude and our heartfelt thanks on this day to our parliamentarian, john sullivan. he has earned the respect and admiration of members of congress and he will be missed. we wish him and his wife and his children our best wishes for their future endeavors. congratulations and thank you, john sullivan.

>> we ask students to submit a video telling us what part of the constitution was most important to them and why. today we're visiting tennessee to this and eighth grader from the middle school. good morning. >> good morning. your video was on the right to bear arms. i did come to this amendment? >> my partner and i thought it was a very controversial issue

that many people were talking about. it is supposed to make a very big documentary that applied. >> why did you choose to focus on can still weapons on college campuses that ? you interviewed several people. added they help you understand the site? >> they had unique perspectives. it helped it gain enough information we can formulate our own opinions on the controversy surrounding the issue. >> did the research affect your opinion? >> it is about having an of opinion. it is up to the viewer and the reader to understand what side they will go far.

>> what is your favorite part about making the did you? >> probably traveling to all the different locations to film. >> what was the most important lesson you took away? >> probably that hard work and dedication can get you anywhere. >> what do you want others to learn after they what your video? >> whether it is jobs or school or college, what ever you do, hard work and dedication will be rewarded. >> thank you and congratulations for your wind. here is a portion of his video. >> this has been a controversial topic since the virginia tech shooting 2007. 23 students were killed and 25 wounded. >> you look at mass shootings. something like the virginia tech shooting on campus which meant there was nobody there with a

gun. >> if there was an instance like of virginia tech that happened a few years ago, i would be able to protect myself and classmates even if i did not have a gun on me, maybe someone else who had taken the carrying permit class could stand up and do something. >> those people could help protect against that people who are trying to on our campus. while it sounds good in theory, it does not work that way. not everyone wants to carry a gun. most people are not trained adequately in firearms. >> you too much is video in entirety as well as all other winning entries at our website studentcam.org. >> this year's studentcam competition ask them what part of the constitution was

appointed them and why. the third prize winner chose the second amendment. >> guns, we have seen them in movies, television shows, and video games. what if we saw or did not see guns in a whole new place? without legislation, a concealed weapons could be carried on a college campus. >> one of the arguments that i have heard about it in favor is its faculty members have guns and a student goes crazy and tries to kill, you have a weapon to fight them off. personally, i think that most people are not trained well enough in how to use weapons in combat situations. >> i would have no way of knowing who has a gun, if they are well trained about the gun. >> on one hand, you have the right to defend yourself. on the other hand, there is a

huge safety issue. >> carrying weapons and having them stored in their rooms loaded. >> the majority of our students are not the legal aid to carry a gun. you have to be 21. you have to be 21 to carry concealed weapon. >> i do not see any reason for an 18-21 year old to be walking around with weapons on their persons merely to go from class to class in learning parts of the university. >> it does not mix of a college education. >> it has the potential to make a bad position wars. >> people are still fighting for their right to bear arms. >> a recent piece of legislation was how to allow them to carry it.

that sort of legislation would be a little more impact fall. >> last year, the supreme court reaffirms that possessing a gun for self-defense is a fundamental right. >> it means the right to bear arms will not be infringed upon in any fashion ever again. >> it is the second amendment. without it, we cannot protect the first. >> it is advocated by some as a against their first amendment right. >> i feel like it is another place where i should be able to carry this back. >> when i go to college, i want to make sure i have a safe and

rewarding experience. >> people who obey these laws are the good law-abiding citizens to turn in their guns after the band's goal in effect. they register their guns. -- bans go into affeect. they register their guns. tothey are no less likely commit a crime them police officers. >> campuses are a temple. people do not like guns in a place that allows them is to defile their turf. i think that is really what it is about. it is a culture war more than a question. >> this has been a very controversial topics as the virginia tech shooting 2007. 32 students were killed and 25 were wounded. >> when you look at where mass shootings occurred, people are

about to carry guns. [inaudible] there is nobody there with a gun. >> if there was an instant at virginia tech that happened a couple of years ago, i protect myself and my fellow classmates. even if i did not have a gun on me that day, and there would be someone else to a stake in the handgun permit carrying cost is stand up and do something. >> people could help protect against back people who are trying to do this on our campus. while it sounds good in theory it does not work that way. not everybody wants to carry a gun. second of all, most people are not trained adequately in fire arms. >> some people like the vice president of the national rifle association feel strongly about this issue. >> when the authorities cannot protect you, and they have no

business and no authority to try to deny you the right to protect yourself. >> it is not right. >> this is a heated issue with tensions running high. >> we have an 18 year-old girl walking home alone on a street where attacks have occurred. >> there is very little defense that is driven by the rule of law. we have little defense against crazy people. >> carrying weapons without a permit or anything. if i ever needed to defend myself or my loved ones, i could. >> this topic is highly contested. i believe it will remain that way for many years to come until clear legislation is decided upon. >> good to studentcam.org to watch all the winning videos. you could also visit our