it is sitting in the senate. i know you share my frustration. i wanted to ask you a couple of things about that. you talk about the duplication getting permits, the first question on that aspect, are you starting to see delays since this happened last year and states have started implementing it? second question, there is a concern that because of this, there might be pesticides used. i do not know how to say it appeared that we will not get a good it kill with pass. i think you mentioned in your testimony that we could have

problems with reestablishing in right areas. do you want to comment on those two areas? >> the use of herbicides, pesticides are essential in certain forestry operations to establish new forest. we've worked with new chemicals and found that some are just more cost-effective and environmentally safe and sound. duplication of regulation does not seem to make sense. i guess i answered number two first. what was your first question? >> since the legislation has not passed, when the have to move forward, one of the things i talked about last year was the concern that there could be

literally thousands of permit applications. are we starting to see a back log? what is happening in permitting? >> quite frankly, i cannot answer that question right now. but i can find out and i will report that to the committee. >> i'm really concerned, too. it is not just pesticides for use in the forestry, but also in the mosquito control districts. i think we'll see some very negative consequences this season. the ninth district court ruling on making forest roads point source, can you explain a little bit how to best manage

practices? what is the best workable solution? how big of an issue is this? >> serving from a neighboring state in ohio, west virginia, as you may be aware, we have an excellent program in that state and other states. surrounding states do very similar. we work with the logging community. we ensure that bmp's are installed. all states across the nation that have varying the greece of this program, it is something the state forestry agencies have handled for 35 years or more.

we recognize the importance of it. we feel that this is being handled. anything further would simply be duplication. >> would you agree that just going and in forcing, producers, stars, whatever, cloud, it doesn't really solve the problem to put extra burden some regulation on them. it is duplication, but it just adds costs and paperwork. is that true? we have a favorable impact to get where we want to be? >> i totally agree with that. >> our decide to drop a couple [unintelligible] sorry, i decide to add a little bit to that. i think in addition to creating

cost, that could be unintended consequences. we could discourage a recovering market with forestry. we do not need those regulations because this had the window that word -- the wisdom that was effective without regulation. that would be a good solution to remove the uncertainty that now remains over the head of forest landowners. i do not think regulation is needed. i think clarification of the statute would be appropriate. i fear if it were enforced, as some think it might, under the fourth circuit, there could be unintended consequence. >> it is hard for me to believe that this issue is an issue.

obviously, lots of times those are dormant. you just let me know if there's a big deal and how big a big deal is this. should the epa be focused on other areas? >> in addition focus their attention elsewhere. a properly-managed forest road is a non-event. on our farm, for example, we reestablished promptly any roads that were disturbed. a road, by definition, is to avoid random compassion. you use those roads when you need to and then you promptly

reestablished a cover on them. if you do those things, and that is what most good stewards of do, we have a non-issue as it relates to point source. >> thank you very much, mr. chairman. >> i will recognize the gentleman from colorado. >> you're running a brilliant a subcommittee hearing here. i like to thank you our panel for taking the time. it speaks directly to my heart. that should then 70% of federal state or tribal lands. a pigeon mention that falling in our forestry and now they're making an incredible challenge,

in terms of the fire threat. could you maybe speak to -- he was noting water quality issues. what kind of impact will that have on water quality? >> absolutely devastating. if you look to what happened after some of the big fires, the costs are astronomical. those individuals are paying a great deal more because they are relying on water from other parts of the state to be clean and healthy. the fact of the matter is when these trees burned and the soil is scorched, it does not hold of the water -- it does not filter the water. they fill up with sediment. >> would it be accurate to say that if we do not fall some of the prescriptions they are speaking to now to manage healthy forests, we can literally sterilize the soil

with high fire going through these areas? we talk about protecting our water. we have maybe 12 or 13 inches of rainfall and a total year. it is in the best interests of this country, the environmental protection agency, the states, the nation, to actively manage these forests. >> there is no question, sir. that is absolutely we should be doing. i would urge this committee to take a look if we could insure that the forest would get this work done. >> is the bark beetle and imminent threat? >> there is no question. >> it is an imminent threat. in the interests of this country, we should be allowing

the flexibility. >> the problem is the process. >> that leads me back to an rea talking about the regulatory compliance. you may find this shocking that across the board we continue to hear about overregulation, which has been inhibiting our ability. tom actually filter water for us? is now with cleaning sources coming now? >> that is correct. if you think of the forest as our watershed, it is allowing the water to proceed to streams and rivers. on our farm, for example, we have a filter strips that are

grassy areas that filters before it reaches the streams. again, not regulatory compliance, but voluntary compliance. protect the water quality. i will second you're concerned about fire. the health of the forest on federal lands is very important to us because we are your neighbor. if there is improper forest management on an adjacent property, there can be fire risks to us. help this important across the board. these programs are set to do that. >> i appreciate that. yes and counterparts in

colorado that share your concern. in colorado, we have one milt remaining. we have 100,000 trees falling every day, creating a fire threat into our area. the you have a recommendation in regards to how to structure that? we could be working with some common sense in terms of forest management. >> i personally have worked with the stewardship contracts in system. it works really well. these year you can make it to where contractors are willing to place a bet on it close your markets and other things, the better off you are always going to be. to simplify the contract in process, to make it work for everybody, would be super.

really, the biggest hurdle we are experiencing is loggers try to bid on contracts and getting the timber sales of proved to begin with. the environmental studies, the archeological studies, just as the bureaucratic red tape that everybody has to deal with in order to put this bible resource that this country -- the valuable resources that this country owns to be able to put on the marketplace. if you could somehow increase efficiency on the governmental bureaucracy side of it, and storage of contract and is a great way to do that. -- stewardship contracts thing is a great way to do that. even getting to be told kills down. you could fall that right on to

stewardship. make it simple in giving your foresters the ability to be able to make a decision. those decisions are crucial to solve these problems. >> just to jump in very quickly, in many cases, it takes 18 months in a project done in these abele areas. we were talking just a little bit earlier and he told me that the street i have with pine beetles were at the mill before the beatles look up for the winter. that is what we need to do on our federal lands as well. >> thank you, a gentleman. i recognize the gentleman from florida. >> thank you. continuing on the note from my good friend from colorado, you mentioned in your testimony that our nation's of loggers are in trouble. in a recent study, we have lost

close to 40% of logging capacity here in the united states. i personally know many of these small, family-owned businesses. and they contribute to communities where unemployment is still hovering between 15% and 20%. we would prefer promoting job creation and economic stability here in the united states. could you quickly elaborate on the major challenges you face today in your industry? because i know your family business. i know the impact you have on your community. i know it is a sacrifice for you to be here. i certainly appreciate your presence. what are may be the top two things to you feel are the biggest threat to you and your likelihood? >> today, it is over regulation. the logging site of the forest

industry have a tremendous amount of capital investment in our equipment. today, to buy a new piece of equipment, we are spending -- just to comply with epa air regulations. what that is doing is increasing because of my equipment. and not just that, i'm not getting any more production out of that equipment. uncertainty. with the ninth circuit court ruling and calling that a point source pollution, which is an asinine, that is causing uncertainty in our industry for we have new development coming on or new markets being developed. we want to know, what is increased regulation going to cost me? what is going to happen here? if that is uncertainty. the other thing is access to the resources.

the man from colorado mentioned that he has beetles and his forest. there are regions or 80% of the land base and roll -- in our rural america is accessed by the federal government. it should be putting money into the cost. in another councilman mention in the first panel, where are we going to get the money from? gentlemen, you have the money going into the forest right now. it is time for us as americans to be able to go out there and harvest that resource that got put on that crown for us to harvest and enjoy it. most of the men at this table right here are not standing here with their hand out asking you for money. we're willing to put money into the treasury.

you're trying to cut our timber on federal lands, i think that our industry to have a great chance to recovery. >> touche. i am familiar with your neck of the woods. the have some pretty nice and deer hunting up there in the black belts. my family enjoys your area. let me ask you, being from about thee've talked ninth circuit and what has occurred. it seems to me that the epa, in many ways, produces solutions federal looking for problems. tell me about your area. i know your several couple hundred miles north of los. relate to that issue and even

piggyback off of what mr. schwab said. >> yes, sir. one of the things our like to address that i think would be beneficial to you is that in the south, it has devastated is back in the 1980's. it really devastated us. he was talking iraq because of his equipment and getting things done. in florida, we have little trucks running around with people that would get out and take care of these small areas i am just wondering -- of the small areas. i am just wondering what is going to happen. we are due for another slam. what is going to happen when you

call up someone who has to bring half a million dollars of equipment and cut 20 acres of pine beetle infestation? he is going to laugh at you. i'm very worried about what is going to happen now because we had small bases that could go in and cut out these areas and attend to that. we do not have that now. it will be something to look at. as mr. burke said, i have 4,000 acres of timber on my farm. the whole family has about 18,000 acres of timberland. we maintain our own roads. when we cut timber, we try not to have large timber fail. we take out a retainer up front.

they pay us and amount of money to make sure that if there are any stream crosses the were disturbed, there to be put back the way they were. -- they are to be put back the way they were. we can handle this. being in the conservation districts, we speak of being locally-lead. it is also a volunteer movement. having guidelines to go on. i see this as a non-issue. >> many of us do as well. is that ok, mr. chairman? >> just a very briefly, you have all made excellent points. hasnation's chief forester said that voluntary forces are

doing the job. i have the resources to back up that information. >> without objection. >> i would ask that could be added to the record. >> absolutely. >> the real issue is that forest owners estimate the cost to be almost $6 billion, if this was a regulatory action that came down from the epa. windows is not missouri the epa's fault. the cards -- we know is is not necessarily the epa's faults. the courts are overzealous, etc. thank you. >> thank you. i yield back. >> one question all the panelists would like to weigh in on, you know, the purpose of regulation and the impact of overregulation, i guess, is what

my question is about. we talk about healthy forests. we talk about how you have to manage a forest for it to be healthy. that means timbering. that means preventing wildfires. that means preventing the invasive species that were mentioned here today. whether it is being declared as a point source, regulation in terms of the ninth circuit or just over regulation in general. we've talked about jobs, economic impact, those types of things. with my final question, i want to focus on a healthy forest that has to manage to be helping. how devastating is overregulation in this country? >> mr. chairman. >> is is very devastating. we have proven, this industry as

a whole, nationwide, has proven that we can police ourselves. in florida, or i am from, we are at 99% compliance. we do not need the epa to come in and tell us that our air quality coming out of our equipment that we're using to harvest is too dirty. we not need the epa or the ninth circuit court telling us that our roads -- that rain is a point source pollution running off of our roads. it is insane. what it will cause is the economic advantage of going in here are doing a clear-cut on a stand that needs to be clear-cut because it is betel infested or what ever it is. it will not be economically advantageous for us as an industry to do this. we will continue to follow.

a fire hazards will happen. then your water quality will go down. overregulation is what is stifling what we're doing as a nation. >> go ahead, please. >> just to follow up, again, you know, about a 30 years ago i was in the county with an eight- year-old child, and my son says, daddy, what is going on? i said, son, we're going to clear-cut this track of timber right here. we had an infestation of bugs. we lost a good many of the pine trees. a lot of them are over 100 years old. so, he starts crying because

that's when the places he liked to hunt. he killed his first deer there when he was 8 years old. i said, you know what, son? trees are like people. we all have a lifetime. to maintain a healthy forest and to maintain the beauty and esthetics of the wall life that you want to see, sometimes we have to remove some of this. i have seen it. i have been to alaska and the scene the beetle outbreak there. i have been to colorado and seen the outbreaks there. we have scientific proof, research and done, that shows that if we can keep the understory removed out from under some of this forest and if we can keep thinning some of these trees, that we have a healthy forests that provides an abundance of what life -- of wild life.

i sort of agree. why can't we do something about using those monies that we as americans all have to take care of the needs that needed to be taken care of and also have a healthier forest? >> go-ahead, mr. burke. >> let me share an example where i think regulation, with respect to roads, would be negative as opposed to a more positive approach. it would not benefit the land directly. you will see why, in one minute. it would simply be an additional cost. compare that to the voluntary incentive-based leveraged issue, if you will, when farmers money

is put into the hands of private landowners. they add a sweat equity and then they do practices which will last for a long time. those give a leverage of facts and provide much better protection. that is a much better approach and then to regulate. >> did you have comments? >> regulations are meant to protect us from something, but if you looked at the list of activities in the forest and what is regulated, it has gone 180 degrees the other way. because of regulations we have increased forest fires and the blood outbreaks. a worsening economy, uncertainty for those who want to invest in businesses, which leads to

declining employment. regulations to protect ourselves from -- has gone 180 degrees of its actual intent. >> very good. >> i want to thank all the members of this second panel. thank you for your expertise, your experience, and your endurance today. hopefully, if you saw from the interests, and i would say the passion of the members of the subcommittee, this subcommittee takes its response ability very seriously. today, with had the opportunity in this final subcommittee hearing, to get some excellent input and information. our next that, really, it is to

write a farm bill using the information that we have here. we will be under the leadership of chairman lucas. we will be starting that process. certainly, any additional resources, we look forward to the data that you talk about. any invitation you have with information that will be helpful in that process, i think i speak on behalf of all of the members that we have to do our due diligence to write to the best possible farmville. given that, -- the best possible form oarm bill. this hearing of the subcommittee is adjourned.

>> congressional directory is a guide to the 112 congress with information about congress and district maps and committee assignments and information about the president paz cabinet members, supreme court justices, and the the nation's governors. pick up a copy for $12.95 plus shipping at c-span.org/shop. >> people look at happened with j.p. morgan and they say here is a company that made a stupid decision, made some big dumb, lost money, did not collapse, fire the people responsible. this is the market at work. what is government need to play a role? >> to some extent, that's true but i take some credit for it. it is because government has played a role.

if this had happened five years ago and they had lost more than $2 billion, i think you would have seen much more panic in the economy and you would have seen more concerned. what we did in the legislation we passed and through other things was to acquire the financial institutions to beat -- to require that financial institutions be better capitalized. you have to have more would have otherwise, that helped give people reassurance. >> this past weekend, congressman barney frank spoke about the over $2 billion loss by j.p. morgan chase as well as the state of the u.s. and world economies. , the dodd-frank law, and the gay marriage. what his comments on line on the cspan video library. in a few moments, president obama's commencement speech last night in joplin, missouri. "washington journal" is live in half an hour with segments on middle east diplomacy, the government's role in the housing

market, and the 2012 campaign. several live events to tell you about later today -- the senate energy and natural resources committee looks set energy innovation and government policy. that is on c-span 3 at 10:00 a.m. eastern. also at 10:00 on c-span, the head of the securities and exchange commission, mary shapiro, and head of the commodity futures trading commission, gary gensler testified before the senate banking committee about financial regulations, derivatives, and the recent losses at j.p. morgan. our road to the white house coverage of the presidential campaign continues with a new hampshire speech on the economy by vice president joe biden. you can see that live at 1:45 p.m. eastern. >> i fight this is one of those markets where people vote for -- they don't vote for the party.

this city votes for the candidate. you see more of that even though this is heavily republican, midwest, which is the dynamic and great but i think you are seeing more of that in the recent years here in the midwest. they are really voting a little bit more about what the person stands for. >> june 2 and 3, book-tv and american history to be exported heritage and literary culture of wichita, kan.. >> i want to show you the munger house. the only original remaining structure from 1860-8070 times. it was important in that it is a residence but it is also the headquarters of the wichita town and land company that came down here to create shall we say the city of wichita. >> was for book-tv and american history tv in wichita on june 2 and 3 on c-span 2 and 3. >> president obama delivered the

commencement address last night at joplin high school in missouri. one of the most destructive and deadly tornadoes in history hit the town one year ago. this is a little less than half an hour. >> have an outstanding governor we are proud of all the work he has done. [applause] a want to acknowledge senator cleared mccaskill who is here. [applause] representative billy long. [applause] your mayor, melodie colbert keane [applause] somebody who doesn't get a lot

of attention but does amazing work all across the country here in joplin, the head of fema, craig fugate is spent an awful lot of time here helping to rebuild. superintendent huff - [applause] principal cicada. [applause] to the faculty, the parents, family, friends, the people of joplin, and most of all the class of 2012. [applause] congratulations on your graduation and thank you for allowing me the honor of playing a small part in this

special day. >> thank you and good evening. schools have faced and overcome many obstacles. with unwavering courage and resolve, he has led the joplin schools forward. he has been an inspiration to us all. i am proud to have worked in partnership with him and proud to call him my friend. mr. president, ladies and gentlemen, please join me in thanking one of missouri's, one of america's finest leaders and educators. [applause] exactly one year ago today, i stood on the stage to address the college graduates. it was a time of optimism. at a time to market major milestone. the time to look ahead of bright horizon with full heart and soaring hopes. the next day changed everything. the next day changed us all. what a difference a year makes. and tonight we gathered together as we have so many times in the past year to celebrate another joplin milestone. the class of 2012, congratulations. we're so proud of you. all that you have achieved reflects your strength of character, hard work, and high aspirations and also reflects the character of this community. this is a community of optimism. this is a community of believers. this is a community of fighters. this is a community that never gave up. never gave in and with hope in its heart and steel in its in its spine has come back stronger and better than ever. your fight has shown the world that the spirit of joplin is unbreakable. joplin lost many things in the storm but it never lost its heart or soul. the schools are the heart and soul of joplin as they are across our great state and great nation. our schools are unifying forces, a source of identity and pride. there citadel's of shared values -- they are citadels of shared values and hopes. education is upon not only between students and teachers,

it is a bond between generations, between its leaders and the children who will one day carry-on their unfinished work. -- carry on their unfinished work. joplin became the rallying point. with each passing day, as the storms of spring gave way to the heat of summer, joplin's army gained ground and became a rallying point for much larger community, a community of people so inspired by your remarkable >> thank you and good evening. over the past year, the joplin schools have faced and overcome many obstacles. with unwavering courage and resolve, he has led the joplin schools forward. he has been an inspiration to us all. i am proud to have worked in partnership with him and proud to call him my friend. mr. president, ladies and gentlemen, please join me in thanking one of missouri's, one of america's finest leaders and educators. [applause] exactly one year ago today, i stood on the stage to address the college graduates. it was a time of optimism. at a time to market major milestone. the time to look ahead of bright horizon with full heart and soaring hopes. the next day changed everything. the next day changed us all. what a difference a year makes. and tonight we gathered together as we have so many times in the past year to celebrate another joplin milestone. the class of 2012, congratulations. we're so proud of you. all that you have achieved reflects your strength of character, hard work, and high aspirations and also reflects the character of this community. this is a community of optimism. this is a community of believers. this is a community of fighters. this is a community that never gave up. never gave in and with hope in its heart and steel in its in

its spine has come back stronger and better than ever. your fight has shown the world that the spirit of joplin is unbreakable. joplin lost many things in the storm but it never lost its heart or soul. the schools are the heart and soul of joplin as they are across our great state and great nation. our schools are unifying forces, a source of identity and pride. there citadel's of shared values -- they are citadels of shared values and hopes. education is upon not only between students and teachers, it is a bond between generations, between its leaders and the children who will one day carry-on their unfinished work. -- carry on their unfinished work. joplin became the rallying point. with each passing day, as the storms of spring gave way to the heat of summer, joplin's army gained ground and became a rallying point for much larger community, a community of people so inspired by your remarkable story that they needed to be part of it. they came by the thousands from all faiths and all walks of life. from alaska to florida, sweden to japan. brick by brick and board by board. joplin rose from the rubble. the son rises and sets on a better -- sun rises and sets on a better place. the schools were opened as promised on august 17. [applause] that is the spirit of joplin and each one of you as part of it. this class, the school, and this community will forever stand as a symbol of the best in our nation and the best in us. tonight, we look toward the bright horizon stretched for the class of 2012. with full hearts and soaring hopes, we celebrate the parent'' and grandparents', the aunts and uncles, the of brothers and sisters, friends and neighbors who have loved and supported the class of 2012. the faith and values to have

instilled in these young adults are the bedrock they will build their lives on. that foundation cannot be moved. we celebrate the faculty, staff, and the administration. in a year like no other, you put your personal needs aside and always put your students first. for your abiding compassion and devotion, we will forever be in your debt. you give so selflessly and worked tirelessly to ensure a bright future for your children. you know, they will carry on your unfinished work. most of all, we celebrate you. joplin high school class of 2012. the world will never forget what you achieve your trade have been tried and tested and are stronger for it. -- will never forget your achievements. you have been tested and are stronger for it. become a doctor or a dancer, a soldier or a scientist, an engineer or an entrepreneur. you have learned, perhaps too soon, that life is a fragile thread that binds us all together. never take a single moment for granted. you know because he lived it. from grade diversity -- great adversity, great blessings flow. with tenacity and the grace of god, all things are possible. class of 2012, congratulations. [applause] >> a few days after the tornado hit, president obama came to joplin. he spoke with many of our families. folks who had lost everything. he prayed with us, remembering the courage of those who gave their lives protecting others and asked the lord to look over and died as in the days ahead. the president pledged our country would be with us and stay with us at every step. as joplin recovered and rebuild and he has kept that commitment. -- rebuilt and he has kept that commitment. [applause] as a true partner and true friend of joplin, please try me in welcoming back to joplin the

president of the united states of america, barack obama. [applause] >> thank you. thank you very much. thank you so much. thank you. have a seat. a few people i want to acknowledge. first of all, you have an outstanding governor in jay nixon, and we're proud of all the work he has done. i want to acknowledge senator mccaskell, representative billy lowell, your mayor, somebody who does not get a lot of attention but does amazing work all across the country including here. the head of fema, who spent a lot of time here helping to rebuild. superintendent huff, the principal, to the faculty and the parents, family, friends, people of joplin. most all, the class of 2012. [applause] congratulations on your graduation and thank you for allowing me the honor of playing a small part in this special day. the job of the commencement speaker primarily is to keep it short. they had given me more than two minutes. the other job -- as i look out at the class, across the city, what is clear is that you are the source of inspiration today. to me, to this state, to this country, and people all over the world. last year, the road that led you here took a turn that no one could have imagined. just hours after the class of 2011 walked across the stage, the most powerful tornado tore our path of devastation through joplin that was nearly a mile wide. it took hundreds of homes and businesses and 161 of your neighbors, friends, and family. it took a classmate, will norton, who just left the auditorium with a diplomat in his hand. and by now i expect that most of you have probably relived those 32 minutes again and again. where you work, what you saw, -- where you were, what you saw, first contact, the first phone call you had with someone you

loved, the first day you woke up in a world that would never be the same. and yet, the story of joplin is not just what happened that day. it is the story of what happened the next day and a day after that. and all the days and weeks and months that followed. as your city manager has said, the people here chose to define the tragedy not by what has happened to us but how we responded. class of 2012, that story is yours. it is part of you now. as others have mentioned, you have had to grow quickly -- up quickly. you have learned cannot always predict what life has in store. life can bring some heartaches. at some point, life will bring loss. but here in joplin, you have also learned we have the power to grow through these experiences. we can define our lives not by what happens to us but how we respond. we can choose to carry on. we can to estimate the difference in the world. in doing so, we can make true what is written in scripture, tribulation produces perseverance. perseverance, character. and character, hope. of all that has come from this tragedy, let this be the central lesson that guides us, let it be the lesson that sustains you through whatever challenges lie ahead. as you begin the next stage in your journey, wherever your going, what ever you are doing, whenever you encounter greed and selfishness and ignorance and cruelty, sometimes just bad luck, you will meet people who tried to build themselves up by tearing others down. you will meet people who believe that looking after others is only for suckers. you are from joplin, so you will remember, you will know just how many people there are who see life differently. those who are guided by

kindness and generosity, by service. you will remember in that town of 50,000 people, nearly 50,000 more came in to help the weeks after the tornado. perfect strangers who never met you and never asked for anything in return. one of those was one man who traveled all the way from japan. because he remembered that americans were there for his country after last year's tsunami and he wanted the chance, he said, to move forward. there were americorps volunteers who left their homes and chose to stay here until the work is done. and there was the day the football team rolled into town with an 18 wheeler full of donated supplies. there were assigned to help out on -- of all places, they were assigned to help out on kansas avenue. [laughter] [applause] they met a woman named carol

mann who had lost the house she lived in for 18 years. she works part-time at mcdonald's. she struggles with seizures and she told the players that she had even lost her change purse that held her lunch money. so one of them, one of the players went back to the house, and dug through the rubble and returned with the purse with $5 inside. and her sister said so much of the news that you hear is so negative, these boys renewed my faith that there is so many good people in the world. that is what you will remember.

because you are from joplin. you will remember that half million dollar donation that came from angelina jolie and an up-and-coming actor named brad pitt. [laughter] you also remember the $360 that was delivered by a 9-year-old boy who organized his own car wash. you will remember the school supplies donated by our neighboring towns. you will remember that laptops that were sent by the united arab emirates. when it came time for your prom, melissa blake donated 1000 prom dresses and cupcakes were donated for the occasion.

they were good cupcakes. [laughter] there are so many good people in the world. there is such a decency. a bigness of spirit in this country of ours. so class of 2012, you got to remember that. remember what people did here and like that man who came all the way from japan to joplin, make sure in your own life that you. forward. -- you pay it forward. as you have learned the goodness of people, you have learned to the power of community. you learned from the other speakers how powerful that is, and as you take on the roles of

co-worker and business owner, neighbor, a citizen, you will encounter all kinds of divisions between groups, divisions of race and religion, ideology. you will meet people who like to disagree for the sake of being disagreeable. it will make people who prefer to play of their differences instead of -- you will meet people who prefer to play of their differences. -- instead of focusing what they have in common. to cooperate. but, you are from joplin, so you will always know it is always possible for community to come together when it matters most. after all, you could have spent her senior year scattered throughout different schools from home.

-- far from home. dr. huff asked everyone to pitch in so school can start on time. he understood the power of this community and he understood the power of place. these teachers worked extra hours, coaches put in extra time. that mall was turned into a classroom and the food court was turned into a cafeteria which may be some of you thought was an improvement. [laughter] the arrangements may have been a little noisy and improvised but you hunkered down and you made it work together. you made it work together. that is the power of community. together, you decided the city was not about to spend the next year arguing over every detail of the recovery effort. every citizen was handed a post-it note and asked to write

down their goal for joplin's future. more than 1000 notes cover the wall and became the blueprint that architects are following for this day. i am thinking about trying this with congress, giving them post- it notes. [laughter] [applause] together, the businesses that were destroyed in the tornado decided they were not about to walk away from the community that made their success possible. even if it would have been easier, more profitable to go someplace else. and so today, more than half the stores that were damaged are up and running again. 11 more plan on joining them. every time a company reopens its stores, people cheer the cutting of the ribbon that bears

the new slogan, remember, rejoice, and rebuild. that is community. i have been told, class of 2012, that before the tornado, many of you could not wait to leave here wants high school was finally over. so the student council president, julie lewis. she is too embarrassed to raise your hand. [laughter] she said, "we never thought joplin was all that special -- seeing how we responded to something that tore our community apart has brought us together. everyone has a lot more pride in our town." it is no surprise that many of you decided to stick around. going to community colleges

that are not too far from home. that is the power of community, the power of shared effort and shared memory. some of life's strongest bonds are the ones that we forge when everything around seems broken. even though i expect that some of you will ultimately end up leaving joplin, i am pretty confident that joplin will never leave you. the people who went through this with you, the people who you once thought of as simply neighbors or acquaintances, classmates, the people in this auditorium tonight, you are family now. they are your family. my deepest hope for all of you

is as you begin this new chapter in your life, you will bring that spirit of joplin to every place you travel, to everything you do. you can serve as a reminder that we are not meant to walk this road alone. we are not expected to face down adversity by ourselves. we need god, we need each other, we are important to each other and we are stronger together than we are on our own. that is the spirit that has brought all of you to rebuild this city, and that is the same spare we need right now to help rebuild america. and you, class of 2012, you're going to help lead this effort. it will build an economy where every child can count on -- you will build an economy where

every child can count on an education. [applause] you will make sure this country can find a job for anyone who puts in an effort and supports the family. [applause] you are the ones who will make sure our country controls our energy future where we lead the world in science and technology and innovation. america only succeeds when we all pitch in and pull together. and i am counting on you to be leaders in that effort. because you are from joplin, and you have already defined -- defied the odds. there are a lot of stories here in joplin of unthinkable

courage and resilience over the last year, but still, there are some that stand out especially on the stage. by now, most of you know quentin anderson. he is already looking embarrassed. someone is talking about you again. i will talk about you anyway. quentin's journey has been joplin's journey. he was across the street from his house. the young man who found him could not imagine quentin would survive his injuries. he woke up in a hospital bed three days later and it was then that his sister grace told him both their parents have been lost in the storm. quentin went on to face over five weeks of treatment

including emergency surgery but he left the hospital determined to carry on and live his life and be there for his sister. over the past year, he has been a football captain who cheered from the sidelines when he could not play. he worked that much harder so he could be ready for baseball in the spring. he won a national scholarship for the national football awards and planned to study molecular biology at harding university this fall. [applause] quentin has said that his model in life is always take that extra step. and today, after a long and improbable journey for quentin,

and for joplin, and for the entire class of 2012, that extra step is about to take you towards whatever future you both for and what ever dreamed you hold in your hearts. yes, you will encounter obstacles along the way. i guarantee you that you will face setbacks and you will face disappointments. but you are from joplin. and you are from america. and no matter how tough times get, you will always be tougher. no matter what life throws at you, you will be ready. you will not be defined by the difficulties you face but by how you respond, with grace, and strength, and a commitment to others.

langston hughes, a poet and civil rights activist news in tough times, he was born here in joplin. in a poem called "youth" he youth"we have tomorrow bright before us like a flame. yesterday, a sundown name and dawn today brought park above the road weekend and we march. " to the people of joplin and the class of 2012, the road has been hard and the day has been long but we have tomorrow so we march. we marched together and you are leading the way because you are from joplin. congratulations. may god bless you. may god bless the class of 2012 and magaw bless the united states of america.

[cheers and applause] [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2012] [cheers and applause]

>> the senate energy and natural resources committee is looking for energy innovation and policy this morning. you can see that on our companion network, cspan 3 at 10:00 eastern. in a few moments, today's headlines and your calls, live on "washington journal." also at 10:00, right after a show performer session of the house, the head of the securities and exchange commission and the commodities futures trading commission testified before the senate banking committee about financial regulations, derivatives, and the recent loss of taste -- of j.p. morgan chase. our road to the white house coverage continues with the new venture speech on the economy by vice president joe biden. you can see that live