i had met him twice. he was never there paying attention to me. i was in a room licking envelopes. he said, you know mr. baldwin? he said, and who was the person you came up with? i said the guy who was the subject of the antiwar film born on the fourth of july. there was a long pause and he goes, are you out of your mind? huawei he shuts down my whole program pops -- and he shuts down my whole program. i loved washington but i was given the opportunity to audition for the acting program. to be honest with you, i started working right away and i never looked back.

>> is a true when you turn 40 diu stop wearing jeans? -- 40 you stop wearing jeans? >> i might have. somebody asked me if i became more like my character. yes. when you are in washington, this is a suit and tie crowd. i used to spend more time in los angeles which is not a suit and tie crowd. i play a guy in a suit and tie every day. it wears off on you. i get a little bit of this athirst attitude. pricier for those to remember that reference. this guy was my roommate in college. i will see someone and say you cannot wear that. you cannot wear brown shoes with a gray suit. what are you thinking? this territory ahmadi's rigidity

-- sartorial frigidity of mine character has worn off on me. i do not wear jeans. i do not want to say why i do not wear jeans. that would offend all of the men in this room who do wear jeans when you're over 40. >> what person in history would you like to portray? >> that is a great question. i do not know if i want to portray him, because i do not think about it that way. i would like to see this person emperor trade. sometimes these things are the purview of literature for a reason. they do not make great films. as we live in the world we live in today, a world that is increasingly shape to, i do not want to say recklessly, but the

word this, help me out, has a world being shaped surreptitiously by the current supreme court. i would like to seem something that would bring to a new generation of people a biography of the life of william douglas. >> do you plan to run for public office? >> i have an announcement trilobite to make today. [laughter] i am glad you're here. it is today with great humility and a sense of pride and a love of my country that i announce i am running for the east hampton library historical society treasures position. [laughter] i hope you will read my literature. i will have a table outside.

>> we are almost out of time. i did to us the last question and remind you of some upcoming speakers. we have can salazar a -- ken salazar, mike rizzo, and i would like to present our guest with a traditional coffee mug. my last question for you, what is in your wallet? [laughter] >> i will give you an insight into my wallet. when i made the deal with capital one they insist that i had to carry credit cards and destroying all my other credit cards. they insist on a become a customer. the other thing i say it was my daughter made me licensed

veterinarians in the state of california. i have it when she drew it my license as a veterinarian. >> to you practice? >> yes. >> how about a round of applause for our speakers today. [applause] thank you for coming. i would also like to thank the press club staff, including the journalism institute, for organizing today's event. a reminder you can find more information about the national press club on our website. if you would like a copy of today's program, please check out our website commissure ahimsa press -- website, press.org. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2012]

>> next, christine lagarde on this weekend's meeting of the imf and the world bank. then, president obama meets with participants of the wounded warrior project. after that, the weekly addressed by president obama and roy blunt. >> this coming sunday as the anniversary of the u.s. chamber of commerce. we talk with the chamber's president tom donahue about economy, taxes, and the business community's agenda. that is sunday at 10:00 a.m. >> now, a managing director christine lagarde. she speaks at the closing news conference at the imf spring meeting. she discussed the consensus that

the struggling governments must be reformed or risk raising the economic danger. this is 35 minutes. >> good afternoon, everyone. welcome to this press conference. the governing committee of the imf, it is my pleasure to introduce you to the chairman of the committee, tharman shanmugaratnam. and to his right, the first deputy managing director of the imf. and of course the managing director of the imf, christine lagarde. we are on the record this afternoon. i will ask you to recognize yourself by name. with that, let me turn to the

minister. >> thank you. >> i will give you a quick sense of discussions yesterday and today we had a joint press conference yesterday we discussed the strengthening of the global safety net. it was an important step forward. today, beyond that announcement, in our sessions yesterday and today, we focused the real solutions to the crisis, the sustainable solutions, that the safety nets or the fire wall is meant to support.

we touched briefly on this at yesterday's press conference. it was about the theater of policy action. fiscal reforms, structural reforms. not just in europe, although that is obviously an important focus of our attention, but also on the united states. there was a very strong consensus in our discussions on the need for everything that we do to be supportive of medium- term fiscal consolidation. that applies both to europe as well as the united states. a very strong emphasis that everything we do has to be focused on achieving medium- term fiscal consolidation.

in that regard, there was also a consensus that the steps to be taken, not only the well known steps that involved fiscal adjustments, but also equally important, the need to restore growth over the medium term. growth of the short-term is weak, partly because of the adjustments, which we have to go through in the international economy. what is really critical was to get back to normal growth over the medium term. preferably sooner rather than later. in other words, within two or three years to get back to normal growth is possible in as

much of the advanced world as possible. if we do not get back to normal growth, if we do not get gdp back to its potential levels, fiscal sustainability is not possible either. it is not just the budgetary reforms, tax reforms, spending reforms that are important. but also the growth reforms. that involves the way we craft are fiscal adjustments, the way we go about our tax and spending policies, and structural reforms in order to bring confidence and investment back into our economies. there was also discussion on other parts of the world and how they can play a complementary role in this process. that was the main focus. medium-term sustainability. and about bringing growth back, bringing growth and jobs back. >> thank you very much.

i would like to begin by telling you how important it is to have a good chairman. i have to tell you that he is a superb chairman. this should be recognized, even in front of you. he was terrific. he took us through a long journey, we discussed substantial issues. as you can imagine, we talked a lot about certain countries. the euro area, the united states, the right balance between emerging market economies and other advanced economies and all of that with the perspective of that medium- term anchoring that is so needed. it is not always easy to conduct those discussions with such a large number of

constituents in the room. it worked extremely well. for those of you familiar with the imf, there are huge round tables and is relatively hostile in essence because everybody is protected. we had chairs, it was much more fluid, people were much more in each other's face and posture, which was good for the dialogue that we had. it was lively, and less of this prepared narratives. the form and substance very often interlinked. that was the case in the course of those discussions. in terms of momentum, in terms of positive signals, we had a lot to in the last day and a

half. very open and frank discussions, a very respectful, but very true to each other as well. focus on medium-term, necessary achievements. if there were two concepts that are shared across the board, structural reforms, and discipline. that underpins it. >> it is nice to have a big umbrella or a big fire wall. that was the achievement of yesterday.

finally, on more domestic and internal issues, we had a strong endorsement of the completion of the quota and governance reform that was due to be completed for the tokyo meeting, which will be in october of 2012. we have a little way to go on the quota. there was a strong consensus, and you will find it in the communique, to move on with this reform. equally, there was a strong endorsement of our determination to improve our surveillance. it is one of our missions. bilateral, and it can be

improved. there was strong endorsement from the imf to continue that and to complete the reforms that are needed to that fact. very positive. he is raising his hand, but others have, too. >> i want to began with a lady in the front. thank you. >> thank you very much. congratulations. i think the meeting proved to be a success. managing director, do you think the washington moments has been achieved? it seems to me that the bric

countries that still want to link with the governance and cultural reform. the think their strategy will be successful -- do you think there strategy will be successful? my final question about china, how would you label china? after the imf has its forecast in the next few years, thank you very much. >> one question, please, from now on. >> washington moment, yes. the dynamic that was created in the course of this meeting. we will hear more feedback because it is the spur of the moment, you tend to be quite upbeat about what has been achieved, and then you have to let it sit the bed and wait for membership feedback. we want to understand whether there were satisfied and whether they think collectively,

we have achieved what we could achieve at best. i feel that washington moment was clearly in the the room. in the course of the meetings. on the issue of the conditionality, it was never expressed as a conditionality. it was a key determination on the part of -- maybe more so from some of the emerging market economies. there was a definite commitments to participate. this is not completed yet. it is a matter that is under review. our team, both at research -- the various teams working on this initiative, that will come out later. we have not completed the work

on this. but we have signaled how important the variation had been and how strong a step was in the right direction. >> thank you. let's take ian's questions. >> dow jones. one question for the managing director and one question for the chairman, please. some finance ministers have said that there are additional safeguards for the use of the 04 hundred $30 billion resources -- $434 billion resources. could you say exactly what those additional safeguards are? it is my understanding there is no change to the imf rules and

regulations. secondly, the draft statement said the advanced economies should be prepared to exit expansive monetary policy. i see that has been taken out of the communique. >> the first question for the managing director. the second one for the chairman. >> you are absolutely right. there is no change to the articles. what has been clearly reminded during the course of the discussion is that number one, those bilateral loans, which are to be adjusted, do not form a special coffers that would

have a eu label on it. it must be used under the strict, nondiscriminatory, demanding terms that we have for all of our programs. you know, that is the strength of the imf. it is the conditionality, the review, the monitoring, and the sequencing of the lending that goes with it. >> you will notice that there are a number of non-european countries and non-g-20 countries that decided to participate. it is very important to all of us that any use of these funds be accompanied by the same strict conditionality that the imf has with all of its

programs. it was very important to the british, very important to all of us. we contribute into the fund to use around the world. whoever the borrowers are, whatever the cause, it has to be the same standards. the credibility of the fund is what we are attempting to bolster. on your second question, i would not be too much into the final editing that goes into the statement. the statement does emphasize there is a very important nuance -- it does not just say that monetary policies to -- remain accommodative. as long as inflation prospects remain anchored. that is an important emphasis in our discussions. it captured both sides of the atlantic as well as the emerging countries.

we spent some time discussing this. we were all pretty much of the same mind on the importance of ensuring that inflationary expectations remain in check. if there was any indications, any trends indicating we are likely to lose control of that inflation, there was a sense that monetary policy would no longer be advisable. i think there was a good meeting of the mind on that. >> thank you. the lady over on the right, thank you. >> the imf has said it is ready to adopt some of the bailout programs in case it is needed.

my question is, do you feel the need to adopt the bailout programs for portugal? if not, if you think that portugal is on the right track. thank you. >> the portuguese program has been under way for less than a year now. it works like any of our programs. the portuguese government and opposition did a fantastic job because they came together as members of the imf came together yesterday and today to endorse it. the program of portugal as negotiated with the imf, but it is their program.

we conducted regular review. we send the mission team on the ground and they work with the authorities to make sure the targets have been reached within the timetable that has been adopted and agreed between us. i do not see any reason for any change to the portuguese program. >> [inaudible] >> the review that was conducted certainly concluded that the program was on track. >> yes, sir. >> thank you. "washington post." coming from a part of the world that is reshaping the global economy through competition and productivity, do you feel the industrialized world have a realistic sense of the adjustment their societies will have to go through to take advantage of this two or three- year window that you talk about? what are the implications if

they do not get their act together? >> to be quite candid, i have a lot more sense than i did three or four years ago. across the room amongst the advanced countries, the western economies, there is a very strong resolve to get to the hearts of issues of competitiveness, a thrift, rebuilding of household and government balance sheets. frankly, it is quite courageous. politically, it is quite courageous. there have been very strong expectations built up over the years for more of the same.

it has taken tremendous political courage in the last year to begin to paint a vision that leads to a better future. we're all very supportive of that. we know this will be a long road. there will be pitfalls along the way. which is why christine's umbrella is so important. i am a lot more confident now that i was a few years ago. i would just add that one of the things we will have to watch out for in the non-western part of the world is hubris. we will have to avoid thinking that we have got it all right, whether it is fiscal policy or savings policy or

competitiveness policies, that we have discovered the new golden equilibrium. there is a lot of learning to do on both sides. >> thank you. there is a lady, yes, with your hand up. >> good afternoon. how will be the work with low income countries? do you think these countries will be able to make the reforms? >> we do not talk enough about the work the fund does with the low income countries. of the 48 programs we have, more than half of them are with low income countries. they're not for huge amounts because everything is proportional. but we do a lot of work and we did a lot of technical assistance, capacity building

for them. we do as much as we can to help the low-income countries. we will work a lot of the countries in transition. the arab spring countries. it is a real focus for the fund. i am confident, if you look today at where the country's in the world with double digit growth, you will find them in low income countries. of those, two-thirds in africa. >> thank you. down the front, the gentleman. >> thank you. i have two short questions. do you think about the

possibility that party is against the greek problem to have a majority in parliament on may 6? thank you very much. >> our people contact all the time all over the world. i am sure they are in discussions with anybody in the mediterranean. north, south, in between. has there been a discussion on any type of program with cyprus? not to my knowledge. i would be the last person to predict the outcome of a political election. >> thank you. i want to ask about how the imf

supports the arab countries. what about the agreement with the arab spring countries, especially egypt? thank you. >> i will share a secret with you. which i am sure will be well kept. we have a commitment to the arab countries in transition, by our annual meeting in tokyo, we will have several programs in place to help them navigate the transition. it will require other supporters, donors, partners to help financially and in trade opening as well. if i have to tell you, i think,

relative to other parts of the world, it is a part of the world where we give the highest, largest number of technical assistance, hours, days. in all sorts of matters. public finance, a taxation system. you would be surprised. dozens and dozens of missions we have fielded. >> i think we have time for a couple more. the gentleman in the pink shirt. >> you mentioned in the communique that the framework should be significantly -- does it mean that the imf would take into consideration the exchange

rate policy? >> a very pointed questions. it is one of the components that we would be looking at. there are others, but it is one of them, yes. >> ok. lady way over here. >> thank you. in the communique the members collect -- all forms are protected. the ones having problems with

the influence of the capital flows. and there is an increasing use of the exchange rate. what are you going to do? >> we discussed exchange rates yesterday and today. a year ago, we had a good meeting, pretty much a consensus among the emerging countries and advanced countries. whether we were talking about china or brazil or anyone else. we all agreed there had to be some greater flexibility in exchange rates over time. we were -- we agreed we were getting that. from time to time, capital flow will be very troublesome. the fund has shifted its

thinking on the matter. we of all shifted our thinking as to what is a sensible toolkit for emerging countries when faced with volatile flows. there was a recognition that in instances where you face severe volatility, some form of management of those capital flows could be sensible. work is not due to your own domestic policy -- where it is not due to your own domestic policy, but a global capital markets, some management is sensible. these are statements that were agreed to on all sides. i found that quite encouraging. we have moved some distance and the last year on this issue. >> there is work that will continue to be done so that we can really analyzed in-depth

the relationship between movement of capital flows and monetary policies. that was another matter that was of interest. there is evidence of a close relation between the two. since you are from mexico, let me say that we have had an extraordinary collaboration with the mexican presidency. i am sure it is due to the president's focus and supports on the g-20. this has been a great work experience for us. >> i was pointing to this gentleman in the second row. >> thank you. >> i'm sorry. right here. next to you. >> thank you. i am from singapore. a question on economic reforms. with the imf prefer to see a lift of u.s. sanctions?

what else would they be looking to do? >> [inaudible] >> just like everybody from singapore, you are really fast. your question about the advanced economy, u.s. and europe? >> myanmar. >> myanmar. funds, long term. >> we do not brag much about what we do. on this particular case, others would have. we have been behind the scenes discreetly helping the monetary authorities in relation to the most recent currency reform. we have been working with the central bank on that very actively.

it is a tribute to them that they have made this change. it was done april the first and it has been so successful. we will continue to provide assistance that they need. this is happening, you know, on a daily basis. >> [inaudible] >> some of the sanctions have been lifted already. there is a momentum that is clearly initiated. my dearest hope is that it continues. >> one last question. we bring in several journalists to washington. thank you. >> you can join the fellowship. >> good afternoon. i would like to ask you, how the euro crisis will affect the

emerging countries? macedonia has an arrangement with the imf for 480 million euros. despite that, our government is borrowing money on the commercial markets. do you think that is -- do you plan to come to visit our region in macedonia? thank you. >> i will wait until my knee is fixed. and then i will get back on the road. on the consequences in southern europe, it is more central and eastern europe.

it is the immediate circle that is potentially exposed. that is why it is so important that the europeans do what they are committed to do. but they deliver on their program, the move on with the structural reform as well as sticks to the commitment to each other and to the larger community. that is what we are seeing at the moment. it is important to them, it is important to us, it is important to the likes of macedonia. the linkages between countries in the southern europe -- it is extremely important. particularly of the banking channels. there are lots of subsidiaries of euro area banks. i think there is a clear community of interest in the

euro area doing what it has to do. on the macedonian program, i am not exactly sure where they stand on the review of the program. you know more than i do, david. >> [inaudible] >> to borrow from the commercial banks? >> [inaudible] the government is spending that money for the social transfers, but not for capital investment. do you think this is the right policy at this moment? >> i do not want to pass judgment. i have not verified that with the team. i will reserve my response. we will get back to you, i promise. >> thank you, everybody.

>> to >>, president obama meets with participants of the world warrior project. then the weekly address by president obama and missouri senator roy blunt. then the transfer ceremony of the space shuttle discovery. tomorrow on "washington journal," the former chiefs of staff to first lady laura bush examines the role said the first romney play in this year's presidential elections. executive director of the pond -- project on government

oversight discusses the time and effort that goes into a congressional investigation. and robin wright has the latest developments out of the middle east, including syria and iran. "washington journal" is live at 7:00 a.m. eastern on c-span. on friday, president obama welcomed the wounded warrior project to the white house. this is the annual rite, a four day event, and to help them restore their physical and emotional well-being. it also helps to raise awareness for service members and fighting the damages of war. the president is joined by -- from the south lawn of the white house, this is about 20 minutes. >> ladies and gentleman, the president of united states. [applause]

[captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2012] >> good afternoon and welcome to the 2012 soldier ride. to our wounded warriors who have made the trip to the white house, 24 miles to go. 24 miles to go. thank you for your service. we are so very proud of what you're doing to strengthen ourselves. you learned about physical stamina and toughness and team work while you serve in uniform. all those things come into play when you take on a ride like this. this ride brings back some memories. we're all very proud of you and we are committed to your future success.

no one has demonstrated that commitment more than our president. his sense of obligation and responsibility to you and to the other men and women who serve today in uniform and have served in uniform in years past. but itthankto the assault -- >> thank you.

thank you so much. good afternoon, everybody. welcome to the white house. thank you for that introduction. thank you for your service and everything you do for our veterans and our wounded warriors. we also have senator tom udall and congresswomen korean brown with us. this is the fourth time we have had the soldier right here in the south lawn. 34 miles over the last few days and another 24-mile ride tomorrow. so i decided to give you a little break and maybe a little extra fuel to get you back on the road. the reason i ask this group to stop by every year is because this is one of the most inspiring events we have at the white house. as commander-in-chief, i can take sides. but i know the army is represented here.

the navy is represented here. we have some airforce. we have some marines in the house. and we have some coast guard. and there are some folks here who do not wear a uniform, but to work just as hard to sacrifice just as much as they do -- we have some military families in the house. [applause] i know you're all doing this ride for different reasons. maybe your athletes try to get the juices flowing again. many some of your turn to see how far you can push some of you doing for camaraderie and the bond that comes from doing together what you're going through. but all of you are here because

you believe in living your lives to the fullest. the reach of the opportunities to seize the opportunities we have been blessed with. you ride because you can and you ride for those who cannot. that is what this is all about. that is what inspired chris hani to hop on a bike to go cross- country to raise awareness for returning troops and wounded warriors. chris came up with the idea of working as a bartender in long island. that is probably the best idea to come out of bars. [laughter] at least that has been my experience. [laughter] today, there are sold derides all across the country to serve as a reminder that all of us can do our part. i see you are all decked out in the stars and stripes because i want everyone who sees this ride go by to know that they are in the presence of heroes.

some i have had the chance to meet before. i first met max slung when he was in hospital -- max sloan when he was in a hospital recovering. he was in pretty tough shape. we hosted a dinner here recently and he had gained 40 pounds and was preparing for the wounded warriors games. i offered him to dinners after he finished the first one kind of quick and he readily excepted. after he finished the first desert kind of quick, i offered him another one. it is the most anybody has ever eaten in the white house. [laughter] we have capt. ludwig smith here today. this is our first time back on a bike. she will be riding in tandem

along megan spiker harris, who works with the wounded warrior project. it is good to have them both here. and then there are the shy brothers, eric and devon. when eric enlisted in the army, devon made a promise that, if he got hurt, he would finish with his brother started. eric was struck by a sniper and then given enlisted. now there ride a specially made tandem bike with devon leading the way. they are taking on this latest challenge the way they have done every other, together. these men and women are inspiring. and it is also inspiring to me the families behind them, the moms and dads and brothers and sisters. the sons and daughters were standing by them through good times and bad paired your heroes, too. and michele and i look forward to any time we get to spend with

military families. go out and cheer and say thanks, salute, and show your support. as commander in chief, a promise to do everything i can to make sure you get the care and benefits you deserve, that you have earned. all of you who have served your country. that is why it is now time for your country to serve you. that is what you deserve here in america, to take care of our own. we're proud of you. your country is proud of you. and now we will see how you do taking the last round around the south lawn. but you have to take it on the horn. i don't want anybody cheating. [laughter] on your marks! but said! [horn]

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>> here they come! here they come! [applause] [applause] >> i would be tired by now already.

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>> charles charcoal son has died. mr. colson was imprisoned for his role in a watergate-related case. he became a born-again christian and later founded the presenprin ministries. he was 80 years old. >> in his weekly address, president obama talks about student loans, calling on congress to extend the tuition tax credit before the loan interest rates doubled on july 1. then, republican senator roy blunt from missouri says that high grass prices are affecting economic growth and job creation. he criticizes the obama administration. >> this week, i had the chance to sit down with some impressive students in ohio.

one of them was a woman named andrea ashley. two years ago, she lost her job and today she is getting certified in the fast-growing field of electronic medical records. before enrolling at lorain, she told me she was looking everywhere to find a new job. without a degree, she said that nobody would hire her. her story is not unique. i have met so many americans were out there pounding the pavement looking for work, only to discover they need new skills. that meant -- i have met a lot of employers who are looking for workers but not those with the skills they're looking for. we should be doing a thing we can to put higher education within reach for every american. at a time when the unemployment rate for americans with at least a college degree is about half the national average, it has never been more important. here's the thing it has also never been more expensive. students to take longs to go to college graduate with a debt of $25,000.

for the first time, americans owe more debt on their student loans than on their credit cards. for many working families, the idea boeing that much money means that higher education is simple -- the idea of going that much money means that higher education is simply out of reach. it is an economic imperative that every family must be able to afford. next week, i will be visiting colleges across the country and talking to students about how we can make higher education more affordable and what is at stake right now is that congress does not do something about it. if congress does not act, on july 1, interest rates on some student loans will double. nearly 7.5 million students will end up owing more on their loan payments. that will be a tremendous blow and it is completely preventable. this issue did not come out of nowhere cared for some time now, have been calling on congress to make education more affordable, to prevent the interest rates from doubling, to extend the

education benefit. instead, over the past few years, republicans in congress have voted against new ways to make college more affordable to middle-class families while voting for huge new tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires tax cuts that would have to be paid for by cutting things like education and job- training programs that give students new training programs to work and succeed. we cannot cut our way to prosperity. making it harder for our young people to afford higher education and earn their degrees is nothing more than cutting off our own future. congress needs to keep interest rates on student loans from doubling and they need to do it now appeared it is a question of values. we cannot let america become a country where a shrinking number of people do really well while a growing number struggle to get by. we need an economy where everyone gets a fair shot, everyone does their fair share, and everybody plays the same set of rules.

that is have the middle class gets stronger. that is an economy that is built to last year. -- the last. -- built to last. thank you. have a great weekend. >> i am roy blunt and i represent missouri in the united states senate. with the election less than seven months away, we have heard plenty from president obama about the so-called economic fairness. one of the most pressing economic issues facing families, seniors and job creators in missouri and across america is the strain of skyrocketing agas prices. it will reach $4 per gallon by summertime good that is more than doubled than when president obama took office and it marks a record high for the last two months. perhaps we should not be surprised, as a candidate, the president said that energy costs "would necessarily skyrocket"

under his plan. that is probably one promise the american people wished he had not kept. unfortunately, instead of working together to pass bipartisan solutions to relieve pain at the pump, this administration has focused on the wrong things. the latest is the so-called buffet tax that will do nothing to jump-start? or low -- or lower -- jump- start tax or lower fuel prices at the pump. in fact, the lead sponsor admitted this week that, according to him, "the aim to this bill is not to lower the unemployment rate or the price of gasoline." the real question that americans should be asking is why not? why would the senate be talking about things that would not have

impact on energy prices for our economy? why would we have wasted the week on something like that? there's really no excuse for not doing things that would lower grass -- lower gas prices and encourage job creation. with nearly $13 million -- with nearly 13 million americans unemployed, the last thing you need to do is raise taxes or create greater uncertainty for our nation's job creators. more than half of all small businesses said they were not hiring because they said they were not confident in the recovery. a third said they were not hiring due to the uncertainty driven by washington. we did not do anything this week about either of those problems and some of them can only be solved by a government doing its job. meanwhile, only some -- only a

quarter of small businesses said that gas prices were their top concern. this administration, democrats in the senate continued to dismiss bipartisan solutions that would help put people back to work and encourage more economic energy development. 10 years ago, when gas prices averaged $1.45 per gallon, senate democrats blocked legislation that would have produced more domestic energy here in the united states and lowered the price today. they said the reason was that we would not have that energy for 10 years. 10 years later, that is a pretty hollow excuse. in addition, the administration continues to block the keystone xl pipeline. that is the nation's largest schauble-ready project. no taxpayer money involved. it would create thousands of american jobs and deliver more than 800,000 barrels of oil per day to our refineries from our best trading partner and our closest neighbor, canada, all without costing the taxpayers.

the keystone pipeline is one common-sense steps in the right direction to help put more people back to work, reduce prices at the pump, and position our nation for greater energy security now and in the future. jobs, jobs and jobs should be the no. 1, no. 2, and number three priorities of the american government. we should do the right thing for american jobs and american families. and by the way, we should do it now. >> the oversight hearing looking into the practices of the general services administration. that is sunday at 10:30 a.m. eastern on c-span. >> for this year's student can competition, we asked students to submit a video telling is was part of the constitution was the most important to them and why. today, we will go to birmingham, alabama to visit with natalia

more at john phillips academy. good morning. >> good morning. >> what did you choose -- why did you choose to focus on the first amendment? >> i thought it would be great to delve into my history and what better place than birmingham, alabama for the civil rights movement? >> what role did it have been birmingham? >> -- with african-americans and school board left out of their classrooms. in terms of the foot soldiers, they really used their freedom of speech when they chose to go out and march. they help martin luther king. he thought that bringing speech

and religion against government would help us. >> what about the other side? >> the birmingham commissioner in the 1960's the up laws said that there were laws against boycotts and that african- americans could not do this' and could not do that. he also petitioned them saying that they should not be able to have the same rights as caucasians. i honestly believe that, if the first amendment had not been part of the bill of rights, we would not have civil rights voting passed in 1965 or we would not have the civil rights act of 1964. i think that the first amendment truly is the best amendment there is in the constitution. otherwise, we would