just asked me why i did not talk a lot about race. i was no surgeon. the color does not make them who they are prayed when are we going to understand that? ben carson takes your calls, e- mails, facebook comments, and tweets. >> potato look at the influence a first ladies -- we take look at the influence of first ladies. .e would hear from authors this is moderated by richard norton smith. it is about one hour.

>> thank you. it is great to see all of you. many of you are old friends. it is nice to come back. it feels like the homecoming. we have a great panel and a huge subject. how to know where to begin? this is about the first ladies as influence makers. that is the term that is itself subject to perhaps misunderstanding on multiple definitions. you have written among other about the book explicitly first ladies of the 20th century, which presume there is someone -- something different about them. influence?ou define >> it is a vault.

-- it has evolved. we saw the influence begin as one that was ceremonial and focus, and since the beginning of the 20th century, and since 1960, we have seen the presidential spouse assuming more influence. it goes way beyond hello talk. lady bird used to say that the first lady was the only one who could tell the president to shut up. and then, not be fired. that influence has taken various forms. sometimes, the concerns of the first lady become the concerns of the president. lady bird johnson was very devoted to the environment. the became one of the themes of the johnson presidency. what barbara bush, who we heard earlier today, she was involved with literacy and tried to bring

that emphasis to her husband's administration. they listen. they give advice. it has sometimes raise the question of who voted for her? there is the question of accountability. i think anyone who thinks that the first lady is not influential is really not being realistic. >> you have spent most of your lady,xplaining the first who perhaps more than anyone label ofre is the modern. out of that has grown a notion that she is the most influential of modern first ladies. there to that?is is there a danger in defining influence along politically

activist terms? >> i do not think eleanor roosevelt was the most influential first lady in american history. she had an norma's amount of influence when she was there. not only in terms of articulating president's -- president roosevelt's initiatives from attack and expanding the democratic party coalition. you know, having a huge role in shaping social security. the homestead pottage act. the youth administration. the federal loan oh grams. the antecedent, if you well, to be national endowment for the arts. she helped influence the administration. she and -- were profoundlyand effective party organizers. some of those students that i had who work for grassroots

organizations campus and use eleanor roosevelt's training manual for canvassing. she was influential in shaping policy. i think that nancy reagan and hillary clinton were more influential on specific across- the-board policies. >> let me interrupt you for a second, i am fascinated with what you say. i'm trying to define influence. in terms of public influence and intimate influence. >> ok. if we say that, then i will say that's at the two most critical moments of our history in the 20th century, if you look at the

great depression and world war ii -- if you will allow me to take off my first ladies hat and put on my full historians hat. we are not talking 25% unemployment, we are talking 40% unemployment. we're talking what half of every mortgage in the united states at risk of foreclosure. one out of every two mortgages in the united states. we had lost 47% of our national income. our country was in profound crisis. if you were talking about someone who could help the american people cope with that and find hope in themselves encourage and not blame themselves, but hold themselves responsible and build a huge commitment to what mr. and mrs.

roosevelt wanted to adopt, she was profoundly important. let me give you two examples. in her first seven months in office, she got more personal letters than any first lady in the history of the united states pre-computer. i'm talking on new straps. used paper towels. they were written on fine crane stationery. she organized a communication system in the white house where every person got an answer. i want you to think about this. you are writing on a scrap of newspaper that has food stains on it. one woman wrote her. they had never met. she enclosed to rings in her correspondence. her engagement ring and the ring

she inherited from her mother when her mother died. she was a republican from upstate new york who is desperately poor. she was pregnant and did not have money for diapers and put her collateral in rings, expecting elenor roosevelt to get these to rings and hold onto them until her husband's, who was an engineer, finally got a job and could regain the rings back. if you're talking about influence, she is a rock star. >> i would expect that lou hoover. some of that. -- lou hoover received some of that. >> no jewelry. >> robert, let me ask you. you have written about the young elenor roosevelt.

her immediate successor was a woman who never imagined herself in the office. is she influential? >> you are talking about bass truman. i like to look at influence in the following way. the first lady is unelected, on appointed, unpaid. itnot a job. it is without a portfolio. it is not part of the constitution. it would seem to be a liability, but it is an asset. it has allowed first ladies to pursue interests. in response to richard possible question, i look at this two ways. one is personal. the first lady lady, as myra said, i'm putting words in your mouth, is the last person that the president sees when he goes to bed at night.

he is the first person that the president sees when he wakes up in the morning, for most presidents. how many senior presidential aides can say that they knew the president well before he knew -- before he was in politics? there is a pillow influence. best truman was not a political activists. she was the opposite. every chance she got, she got back to independents. harry truman was not joking when called her the boss. he said that he never made a series decision without consulting bass. a fellow named ted heckler were speechwriters for truman. they would sit down with truman and they would have these check sessions. truman would say that he likes this or did not like that. truman would say the same thing.

boys, i'm going to run this by the boss. we will finalize it tomorrow. even best truman played a role will stop secondly, there is a social influence role. we do not have a monarch. the first lady -- they can about michelle obama -- she has been on more than kim kardashian. mrs. obama is iconic figure. all of these first ladies are. they rank in the top 10 most admired women in the world. usually number one or number two. ms. roosevelt goes out and embraces marian anderson. she was going to perform an operatic performance. the daughters of the american revolution found out that she was african-american and did not want her to perform. eleanor roosevelt goes onto to the fields and teske -- in tuskeegee and championed their cause.

mary todd lincoln collected food and clothing for slaves to move to the capital city. betty ford did more to promote breast cancer screening among women than anything before or since simply by her being the first lady. i cannot imagine have thousands of women -- there are letters from thousands of women who went out and got screened because of betty ford going public. there is a social influence that goes into the office we cannot measure as easily. >> is it too easy to dismiss, quite rightly, to condescend the fashion and style.

there are reasons why we talk about certain first ladies as having both style and substance. for some, style is substance. the president has become celebrity in chief. it is no accident that his wife has higher poll ratings, sells more books, is that because there is a a way of humanizing the white house? of universalizing, through the experiences of a mother and wife question mark >> i would disagree. >> as much as i like you. >> you are disagreeing proactively. >> i would say that the first

lady reflects the schism in the united states about what women are supposed to be today. are we supposed to be mom and in chief? are we supposed to be first mate? to navigate that's, that's -- if the president is supposed to be head of state and government, is she supposed to be mom in chief. if she is supposed to be first help mate, she has to understand what is going on in the administration and in the country. she has to understand her husband's political agenda. you cannot separate how the first lady presents herself and the conflicting expectations that the country still has four

working wives and mothers. >> let me ask you this, why is the country as smitten in its understated way with mimi eisenhower. >> mimi fudge was the only dish that she could make. >> a good one, i bet. >> she set a standard. instantly, it seems, she gave way to her opposite who became a phenomenon along with her husband. in some ways, an impossible act to follow. how can we go over night from

one extreme to the other question mark -- other? >> i have always look at that as the major breakpoint for the modern first lady. when she comes into office, she is 32 years old and has two young children. she is attractive and a fashion icon. as kennedy is speaking about the peace corps and the new frontier, she is embracing a. -- a phase of camelot. those of you who are of my vintage may recall an problem called "the first family." it made fun of kennedy. people imitated the voices of

his brother and parents, lyndon johnson, and the country laughed along with them. it was emblematic of their affection. >> this is a time when television begins to define a bud lite and journalism. likes and, on february 14, jacqueline kennedy does something that no other first lady has done, she takes the country on a tour of the white house in black and white. i show that too by students and they say, what is wrong with the color? i say, guess what? we did not have television in color until 1965. i think that that was part of it. these potion of television and really seeing what was going on

in the white house. >> jackie kennedy was still beloved for her fashion. it allowed that program to win an end -- to win an emmy and have unbelievable viewership. historic renovation and it keeping the white house as the country's house. >> built here support for our husband's administration. >> that too. that to. >> his polls were in the toilet. the white house did not want mrs. katie to do that tour. it was a bloodbath. a total bloodbath. for this tour to happen, just think about how far she was pushing that envelope. we look back at it and we think, oh, isn't this easy? isn't this gracious? it was gutsy.

>> it was. but, back to fashion. the fact that she was such a fashion icon allowed her to be successful in that tour. michelle obama, look at the sales of laura ashley or what ever stores at the mall when she buys something off the rack. the sales go off the roof. she wear american designers. ethnic designers. she puts folks on the map will stop is the above went -- she puts folks on the map. it is the equivalent of martha washington wearing homespun. my new book is called "affairs of state turco -- state." frances cleveland was a jackie kennedy figure. they wanted mrs. cleveland's

clothing. she said that she would not wear a restrictive thing. that ended the core set -- corset. nancy reagan was more than lipstick and high heels. the media portrayed her monolithically. there's is more to her fashion sense. -- there is more to her fashion sense. michelle may be a fashionable woman but, she is a ivy league attorney. she has had all. she is the image of the american woman. we look at first ladies for that. and i say, thank goodness. i would rather have them look at first ladies then lindsay lohan. their influence is hard to

measure. mamie, the bangs were an influence. they would ask her about her politics and she would say, i flip pork chops. it was a cutesy and fulks see kind of way of disarming it -- folksy kind of way of disarming it. the first lady does not have a bullet -- a bully pulpit, but a velvet glove. >> madison avenue does presidential ads with the "i like ike" campaign. >> would someone like to take a stab at the perennial question.

oh gosh. i better not say this. no, no, no. >> we can cut this. >> i know the people at c-span. they will not cut this. [laughter] >> let me regress. isn't it true, in some ways, that we are all about progress. it is immutable and it is like an escalator. there's nothing to stop it. you can define progress your own way. in some ways, unlike elenor roosevelt, can you imagine a modern first lady having a weekly column and radio show. it drew larger audiences than the fireside chats.

>> not all of them. >> it did not wear out her welcome. fdr had a sense of the dangers of overexposure. jump ahead 30 years, could a modern first lady say what eddie ford said to morley safer in 1975. with the spin doctors and media handlers, would they stand with it. >> they can stand for it when she said. >> it was already said. >> it was already said. i think they could. it depends on the circumstances and the use. i hope they would take courage from betty ford and elinor roosevelt. i hope they would take words

from laura bush -- i'll go take courage from laura bush and mary todd lincoln, who was not crazy. >> she was difficult. >> i don't care. i don't care. wait. wait. difficult is not crazy. >> let's just say that john wilkes booth shot the wrong link in -- lincoln. c-span, turn up the camera. richard i want to put you in the middle of afghanistan. i'm serious. i want you to have no anesthesia. i want you to see body parts. i want you to hold an arm while a medic with a saw cuts off the

wounded soldier's elbow. >> your indignation has been registered. >> she is not crazy. she is flirtatious. the two most powerful political men in the united states of both parties asked her to marry her. -- them. i rest my case. >> the drama for the lincoln- douglas debates were personal. >> i feel like i am in the blitz. i want to offer a different example. i really do. the question that was posed was, could someone come as betty ford did. something that came to mind was hillary clinton's speech on

human rights. many people do not want her to go. it was a last-minute decision for her to go. then, she had decided that this was going to inform where she was going to speak out when she spoke on human rights. people were uncomfortable with her particular speech. she said that women's rights are human rights. and human rights are rights once and for all. and we said, yeah, of course. they did not cover the speech in china. that was repressed. i wonder if mrs. obama want to go abroad and do that, if she

could get away with it. i don't know if we will get an answer. >> i think they can. i think laura bush did an extraordinary job. when hillary gave that speech in beijing, not only did my soul stand corrected, but the women who are in that facility who i work with and spend most my time working with, these are women who risk their lives every day in ways that 99% of you in this room can never understand, they took that speech like they took laura bush's address to afghan women and wrapped themselves in it and they went home and they still would encourage. -- and they still would -- stood in courage. tell all the women activists i know in china.

they know about that speech. asked women in africa. -- ask women in africa. they know about that speech. we think think about influence, we have to look the on our fashion magazines -- beyond our fashion magazines. we have to look at people who are struggling to find the current to get up to do their jobs and survive. they are of profound importance to them. their shrewdness comes through in ways that we do not anticipate. >> let me point out something, there is a distinction to be made. the boldness and bravery, the

farsightedness, that, for example, mrs. clinton showed in making that speech. in talking about domestic politics and the impact of first lady remarks, -- as opposed to fairly or not being perceived as weighing in on the culture wars here at home. are there still boundaries? are there still subjects? hillary clinton is an example, she got in trouble with this perception that she was overstepping. >> i am not going to stand by my man baking cookies. after the scandal, she baked cookies for the press corps. >> and one the bake-off.

>> hillary clinton, the country eventually came around and supported her. betty ford, after that interview, in the first couple of weeks, lots of letters were sent to her that were skating and critical. she talked openly about marijuana use and teenage promiscuity. that is the conversation you have to have with their kids. the country came around to the wisdom of what betty ford did and supported it. >> jimmy carter with his interview. people sought -- people saw his numbers going down. the ford administration realized they had to be proactive to

stand with mrs. ford's remarkable candor. the election was so tight in ohio just you have the three suburban cities. you have columbus, you have cincinnati, and cleveland. the question for me, that i asked before it's, as the administration -- as the election is getting tight, why would you not send baby back to the ohio suburbs will stop every time she went, her numbers spiked. both fords told me that they thought that was the single biggest tactical mistake that they made in the 1976 of election. do not look at this as a blip. blip this happens in playboy.

look at it as a continuum of how we process the information. how we process it is what richard is trying to get me to acknowledge. is that right? >> can i respond to that. i do not know what the hell you said. >> i think richard is right. she is unelected and unpaid. i think that is uncomfortable. we saw that in some of the comments that mrs. obama made during the campaign. she was proud of her country. the country came around to this. betty ford should be remembered as we are doing this program, while the supreme court is considering same-sex marriage, betty ford favored marriage equality before anyone else did. \lyndon johnson got in trouble

with his civil rights policies. people try to spit on lady bird. she was stoic and she spoke truth to power. it's controversial for these first ladies day one. what might not get a president votes day one, ultimately they are back. they're socially influential, they're moving the country down the road. weaver -- >> let me try to redeem myself with mrs. lincoln's admirers. there's a great tragedy attached to lincoln. there was unusual political partnership.

politics brought them together. she was far in advance in terms of her interest and her sophistication regarding read young ladies. she had a great admiration for henry clay. you could make the case, as a matter of fact i would make the case there never been a mary lincoln, that probably would not have been a president abraham lincoln. that said, the war comes along and consumes him. in some ways devours him and profoundly affects that partnership. it's that part of the tragedy of mary lincoln. question of what her medical diagnosis was. for get that for a moment, the fact we can all relate to this

woman who is losing a great love of her life. ironically once he achieves their common objective. >> i would agree. i just like to move it on a little bit. the presidency is a tremendous crucible for marriages. i think that part of the tragedy of some of the white house marriages has been exactly what you pointing to. i think there are other women in the white house who seen the -- trying to deal with vietnam. just watching everyday as it just ate away at him. by the way, that's when i think the first lady can be at her best because that's when she can provide the most support and can

be a soundingboard and can encourage the president. same thing by the way with herbert hoover. everyday the depression was killing this man she adored. >> we heard laura bush tell us that one of the great comfort she can provide for george w. bush was try to lift his spirits during the war. mary todd, lincoln would joke and say that the toddes needed two d's and god needed one. it was a strange marriage from the get go. they were political partner.s. abe lincoln was one of the few men that respected that mary

todd had a political opinion. when it came to judging his political enemies and men, she was right. they had that in common. they both also lost their mothers at a young age. there was some things that helped them stay together. lot of these marriage, the roosevelts, lincolns and clintons. marriage and child rearing all of this is difficult enough, of course not for me, but other things. it's difficult enough but imagine doing it in a fish bowl. mary todd is raising little children. bill clinton with the way rush limbaugh and the other people went after clinton and the bush people getting attacked for other teenagers does. some presidential marriages, some of them seem to blossom in

the white house. the reagans, some of their happiest years and they were together and certainly the president relied on his wife for more than just tea or fashion. >> i think in the case of the ford, obviously we can ask susan and see. mrs. ford was delighted. she saw more of her husband in the white house. he wasn't out on the road 200 nights a year. >> let me ask you about a conundrum facing modern first lady. they're more visible than ever and some ways they are more popular. they have mass followings. their poll ratings are often higher than their husbands. some ways because they're also seen as less protestant in their politics. >> i don't think so.

>> genericically. this is the balancing act. the type rope that they walk is in effect, they are the most valuable political asset the administration has. yet that asset could be damaged if they're allowed to become too overtly political. >> i think that's fair. if you look at -- i think they have their cake and eat it. if a president sits down for an interview, he will be asked about anything under the sun. there is no good answer for the type of jobs growth that this country wants to see. nine out of 10 interviews with the first lady, she'll be asked about child raring and a new dress she's worn or new dinner at the white house. those are softball questions. it's a win-win for the administration. the recent first ladies have

been extremely articulate. they've done good jobs both republican and democrat. by them getting in these interviews, they get softball questions. it's the magazine that the masses read. if they go with mrs. obama dances with jimmy fallon and goes on the view or cracks jokes with david letterman. >> i would argue that's because the american people no longer read newspapers. i would say that's because the vast majority of american people get their information about the president and the white house from nonauthoritative sources. they're not all garden. they're not all fashion.

they're not all arm muscle and they're not all child bearing. i do think, i think michelle obama is an exception. i think if you go back and you look at the, the juggling act, i mean that in a way not condescending. i mean a way of juggling the war in iraq and don't ask and don't tell. you cannot tell me laura bush got softball questions. you cannot tell me that hillary clinton got softball questions. you cannot tell me that barbara bush got softball questions. what barbara bush did she had two books about her dog and said i'm not nancy reagan. you're telling that barbara bush didn't answer questions about

iran contra. what are you smoking? >> i will disagree. nine out of 10 questions were softballs. those were exceptions and not the rule. usually when asked the first lady sidestep them. nine out of 10 political questions is something how do you handle the campaign trail or balancing of the family. first lady chooses to say no comment, it's completely acceptable whereas if a president says no comment on that issue -- beth truman for example had a press conference. the transcript goes like this, are you going to be down in mines like eleanor. she says, no comment. then they say are you going to be flying in an airplane with the tuskegee airmen. no comment. after about 20 of those, they ask if there will be another press conference, she said no.

if harry truman did that, they would have impeached him. >> i think that, that's the job of the first lady's press secretary is to control the press. if there wasn't a control press arena, they would get those questions like boom boom. >> what about in the age of the internet, also contributing to the political culture. irony has turned into a snack or turned into whatever. what are the implications for this for now and the future? >> i want to mention something i always found fascinating. i heard paul begala speak at a conversation.

he said the clintons entered the white house, there were 500 websites. probably 500 websites get set up every hour now. it wasn't an issue for the clintons right away. there's an awful lot of information out there. moving forward, i would believe every administration and the office of the first lady really have to focus on social media. >> let's not forget talk radio. >> absolutely. >> democracy in its most pernicious form. >> what raises the question, does it mean that future first ladies deal with this by choosing the most possible

causes? things that will not give offense to anyone. >> i think it's going to be tougher and tougher to control the message as it already is. with the social media there's no controlling that message. they operate from different journalistic standard than the other media. this is my expertise and i will refer to her on the details. it's a two way street, the obamas are both on social media. it allows them to connect with thousands of thousands people. obama will fill out his ncaa tournament brackets and michelle will send you information on a recipe or fitness tip. that connects with people in a profound and personal way. by the same token you can't troll it. -- control it. if you went to google image and if you typed in michelle obama, one of the pictures came out was michelle obama as an ape.

there's no controlling that. the first ladies are becoming, i think fair game for all the nastiness that richard talked about and hate radio. >> i think they've always been there. i think the new media as ratcheted it up. adam scott was eviscerated in the press. eleanor roosevelt, -- >> i thought had wanted to borrow her dress. >> i guarantee you that somebody is going to download this from c-span. they're going to edit something out to change the intent of what we say -- >> i hope they will.

>> only you richard. >> if the women and the men who inherit this position live their life by that, they will spit on the people who came before them. because the courage that it takes to live in this bubble, to assume this pressure and always feel inadequate not just in terms of how can you support your spouse but how can you support this country. is an act of heart-sucking courage. if we don't give credit for these women for accepting that responsibility and realizing that they're influential in a

variety of ways, beyond food, beyond fashion, beyond movies, beyond book reviews, beyond child rearing. the role they have to play in influencing not only our perceptions of democracy and government but the world's perception, then we do a profound disservice to our country. >> two quick examples. real quick. allida is right, there's a long history and it's worse now for social media. u.s. grant's wife had a cross eye. some of his critics attacked her for that to the point back then she contemplated corrective surgery. mckinley i believe had epilepsy. her husband's critics back to that time, we did not have an empathy or understanding, they went after her for that.

imagine how difficult that was for first families. they've been getting hit since martha washington criticized for having too many horses. there's a long history of this with them stepping up into the lime light and taking shots to the chin. >> we have just a few minutes left. i want to move to the personal if i may and ask each of you to pick a first lady about whom we don't know enough for whatever reason. presumably because you admire her or she has some relevance to this audience or even to the future of the job. bob? >> all right. the reason i wrote the first book was sarah's children's poem. presidents from number eight to martin van buren to number 15

were some of the worse presidents we ever had except for polk. polk was a pretty good president. i was going to do a book on why polk was a good president. i learned about sarah polk. there was a letter from franklin pearce who will go on to be our 15th president. he said the best political conversation i had in washington was polk. there was this old saying, mrs. polk is certainly a master of herself. what you find that sarah polk went to congressional sessions. she edited her husband's speeches. he only served one term and died short after. the margin, you see her scribbling and she cut articles out.

to the point she was unpopular among a lot of women at the time because if you won't a party and the president and the guys will go back and smoke cigars and drink bourbon and the first ladies will host teas. sarah polk would talk about politics. she was very interested in politics. i seen her kind of an eleanor roosevelt 100 years before eleanor. which is why so often seen as unpopular person. i found her absolutely inspiring. >> myra? >> well, okay. well, i always admired lady bird johnson, i will always be in debt to nancy smith who is in the audience today who helped me to learn about her at the johnson library. i admire mrs. johnson, she was the first lady that i interviewed in my work.n.

when i would finish a conversion she would say to me, now myra, you would probably know that. she knew better than what me, what i was asking. my admiration for her knows no bounds because it's something she did in 1964 and that was she got on a train in alexandria, virginia, she rode it down to new orleans during the presidential campaign gave 47 speeches over the course of four days and descended the civil rights act. it really was a gutsy thing to do. she carried that fourth rightness and those guts into the way in which she dealt with project head start and a poverty program. she was just a world wind with environmentalism and someone that i wish we knew more about. >> good. allida? >> on lady bird johnson, the

historian william documented how dynamite was placed along those tracks because it was very clear after the civil rights acts of 1964, the democratic party that the south was no longer going to be in the camp of the democratic party. it was mrs. johnson who went to lyndon to say, no southern gentlemen is going not come see me. when there was dynamite on the track, she kept going. she refused secret service protection and i can document at least a does assassinations on her. she went anyway. i think what i would like people to know -- i'm a lifelong hillary clinton democrat, i want

hillary to be president. i love eleanor roosevelt, everybody clear on that? i want the world to know what laura bush is doing with the red ribbon, pink ribbon program. as much as betty ford who was extraordinarily kind to me did for breast cancer. pat far is saving lives in ways that we cannot possibly imagine. there are millions and millions and millions of lives saved because of the emergency plan for aid relief in africa. i will go to my grave believing that laura bush was the soul behind it.

i want you to hear me say i'm a hillary clinton democrat when i say that. >> allida i never would have guessed. nothing else, we learned there are many kind of influence as there are first ladies. myra, allida, thank you very much. >> thanks guys. >> thank you. >> visit our website c- span.org/first ladies and follow us on twitter. starting next week, through august 26th, we show all the programs from the first season of first ladies influence and image. it starts next monday with a life and legacy of martha washington at 9:00 p.m. eastern here on c-span.and what's -- >> will stone years?

adams.ainly, mrs. the whiteto live in house. an opinionated and bright lady. a capable lady. the burningn, and of the house. then, you have other first ladies. -- there weren't many first ladies. i would take it up from there to harriet lane, president buchanan sinise. buchanan's nice. >> more with william seale sunday night.

>> if we turn away from the needs of others, we line ourselves to those forces which are bringing about this suffering. >> u.s. take advantage of it. >> it is a public health crisis. >> there is so much influence in the office. served as a window on the past to a was going on with american women. >> she is the chief confidant. >> many of the women who were first ladies were riders -- writers, journalists. they are more interesting

than their husbands, because they are not first and foremost to find by political ambition. thedith roosevelt is one of unsung heroes. edith's white house. >> we were breathless. i think it was too fast. ma'am. the first ladye, -- that whatever first her interest. >> she later wrote that she said i myself never made any decision . i only decided what was important, and when to present it to my husband. stop and think about how much power that is. it is a lot of power.

bauer -- battle against cancer is to fight the fear that accompanies the disease. >> she transform the way we look at these bugaboos, and made it possible for countless people to survive, and to flourish as a result. i do not know how me presidents realistically have that kind of impact on the way we live our lives. >> walking around the white house, i am constantly reminded about all of the people who have lived there before, and particularly all of the women. >> first ladies, influence and image, and original series. 9ason two premieres september as we explore the modern era, and first ladies from each roosevelt to michelle obama.

>> coming up, mitch mcconnell at a picnic. he was joined by candidates looking to challenge him in the midterm elections. pennsylvania congressman bill shuster, and anthony fox talk about the country's infrastructure needs. the nixon presidency with brian fry. never before seen >> we bring public affairs directly to you putting you in the room at congressional hearings, white house events, briefings and offering complete coverage of the u.s. house all as a public service of public industry. created by the cable tv industry and funded by your local

satellite provider. you can watch us in hd. mitchate minority leader mcconnell was at a picnic in a fancy form, kentucky. the annual event draws political figures for the opportunity to speak to local residents. speakers include the minority leader and the candidates challenging cam and 2014 including matt bevin and alison grimes and ed marksberry. it is courtesy of kentucky educational television. [applause]

>> thank you very much. thank you. >> we want mitch. we want mitch. you fort to thank another fancy farm. you are well represented. congressman ed whitfield. and commissioner of agriculture is here with us. we appreciated all. look.

, i want tot started say how nice it is to see jerry lundergan back in the game. is, the loyal democrat he he is taking orders from the obama campaign on how to run his daughter's campaign. a pitch onim to make the internet for the women's vote and he got a check from anthony weiner. [booing] over the next 15 months, we are going to decide what kind of america we want to have. what kind of kentucky want to have. there are only two answers to this question. barack obama's vision for america.

or kentucky's. ground -- crowd does not like it. kentucky's voice is often the voice of opposition. to the obama agenda. i am proud of that. that is why every liberal in america, every liberal in america have announced they will beat us next year. know, the liberals are worried because it just as i predicted obama care is a disaster for america. [applause] i fought them every step of the way, every step of the government takeover. up to their war on

coal. look, as long as i am in the senate, kentucky will have a voice. [applause] all of these liberals to come down here to push me around, they are not going to get away with it, are they? ind paul, it would fill, and -- ed whitfield, and i take the fight every single day. let me give you an example. a few months ago thomas the cannots decided that you fish below the dams below the river anymore. up the group and we got together with ed whitfield and rand paul and you

can still fish below the dams. we stopped them. [applause] in the beginning of the year monday a they tried to raise taxes on everyone. 99% ofhe charge to save kentucky's from a tax increase. they tried to bully conservatives over the irs but we call them out. [applause] vote --u cannot guinea you cannot get any votes. that is why it is important, very, very important to keep kentucky's voice strong. have got some big elections coming up. choosing, wet just are not just choosing a who is going to represent kentucky in the senate area we are going to decide who is going to run the senate.

[applause] and here is the choice. here is the choice. if the senate going to be run by a nevada yes-man from barack obama? who believes: makes you sick -- coal makes you sick? or the guy you are looking at? it is really quite simple. here is the choice. obama's nevada yes-man or a kentuckian to run the senate -- senate? thank you for all you are doing. we are going to have a lot of

fun. [applause] >> we want mitch. we want mitch. we want mitch. >> i would like to thank saint jerome for hosting the annual fancy farm picnic.

it is great to be back here in west kentucky. now i only have six minutes to speak today and i have a great piece of advice. i could take two minutes for my speech by using i instead preferring myself as alison grimes. is a long day. where else would you find a name -- [booing] my grandmother decided we would do some about my long name. with your help, come january 2015 you can call me senator. [applause] [booing] now i know senator mcconnell

will say i am not right for the job because unlike him i have not been in washington dc for 30 years. need to apologize for having more government experience than rand paul? you want to see brand poly here today. he is spending the weekend with his loved ones. that tea party members in iowa. -- i know many of you wanted to see rand paul here today. today is a special occasion. it is not every fancy farm that the republican nominee actually shows up. please join me in giving a big rousing welcome to matt bevin. [applause] now senator mcconnell is here, too. we do have our differences like when he bolted to double

medicare -- voted to double medicare premiums. his version of kentucky healthcare for our seniors would be to lop it off. let's just tell it how it is. if the doctors told senator mcconnell he a kidney stone, he would refuse to pass it. i am glad senator mcconnell is here and he actually stayed because i know it has been a tough month for him. from the republican caucus, the entire caucus around him to a college filibuster reform to the announcement of his chief of staff leaving this weekend. recent polls show senator mcconnell is the most unpopular senator among not just immigrants but republicans -- democrats but republicans as well.

[applause] you know what that means? years, atof these least he kept one campaign promise to keep both parties coming together. is there is a reason that senator mcconnell is just like not only -- not the light by kentucky or the united states is because they're the disease and washington. senator mcconnell is at the center of it. in his quest for power, he has left kentucky and its citizens behind area as long as he remains in a washington, d.c., d.c. will stand for dysfunctional capital. after years of being the leader of the republican party, the republican party, the gop has

come to stand for gridlock, obstruction, and partisanship. [applause] senior senator only understands the meaning of one word, stop. well, senator, you are running against increasing the minimum wage while you increase your pay and quadruple your network. stop now. senator, your empty rhetoric about fighting for kentucky coal while you vote against their workers in the retirees. stop now. senator, you standing up for the good women of kentucky when you vote against the paycheck fairness act. stop now. realizeare failing to the importance of labor that has put millions into poverty.

stop now. we have two different views. as we all know thomas he has used public service as a carnival game of whack a mole. easily andare neither does the rest of kentucky. after 30 years of failed leadership, it is time we have the united states senator that unites all kentuckians, democrats, wrote august thomas daschle republicans, and -- republicans, and independents. aisle reach across the and i will not forget who i represent and that is a you. so that every kentucky woman gets equal pay for equal work. that is what the kentucky women thatve, nothing less area is what a kentucky center should be fighting for.

he and not overseas area that is what a kentucky center should be fighting for. i believe and balancing our budget the right way. protecting social security area -- social security. -- i am here to advise you to join his wish. thank you. god bless you. [applause] [booing] >> thank you. thank you for having me here. fancy farm, what an amazing tradition. i will ask for my family to come up here. now that mitch mcconnell has -- and byfor leaving

leaving, we have room on the stage. come on up here, guys. i know this a good time. i know it is on. there's a lot of good food. i think the people for putting this on. this is an extra ordinary piece of american history right here. is, att of the matter the end of the day we are here because we do live in the land of the free and we do live in the home of the brave. and that means something. it is great to play games and is great to blue and makes -- boo and make snarky comments. jack was told by people in fancy clothes. i will stop there. the fact is there's a lot more at stake on this stage and in this senate race than meets the eye. it is more than just the noise. has amazinglyl

disappear. i find that shocking. it is like a flashback. -- where isware is mitch? where is mitch? where is mitch? the people of kentucky have been wondering that white a while now on both sides of the aisle of what have you know. i will tell you that mitch mcconnell was in louisville earlier this year. come a place where people to end their lives. that was his quote. i am running for u.s. senate because i am living proof of and i want people to know that kentucky is a place for its people to begin their lives and expand and improve their lives. [applause] it is ok. you want a better life. we are on the same team here am i will tell you that much.

it is easy to get up here. i could crack at alison grimes. i could do that. we will have ample time next year when did guy is gone. -- when that guy is gone. frankly with the start of her campaign, i did not have anything left after that. the fact that there will be time for that next year. beenells that have ringing, mitch mcconnell seems to wonder what was up with that. i saw him looking around. let me tell you something scurriedif you're not away yet, as the not for whom the bell tolls, they told for you. -- toll for you. you because the people of kentucky have had enough. [applause] you because the people have had enough of the

amnesty the bailouts and wall street banks being bailed out while small businesses got nothing. they had another. they had enough of you raising your own pay time and time again while people here in the commonwealth are struggling. they have had enough of that. the people of kentucky have had enough of you fighting desperately to keep your job while doing nothing to help keep jobs in kentucky with 5700 jobs in thecoal go alone last two years. it is unacceptable. we have had a note. i find it interesting why are you leaving with all of your supporters? toarently come and he wants beat the crowd. mitch mcconnell does not want people to actually hear they have an alternative.

rhetorica lot of anti- about indigo obamacare. is unpopular. stop talking about it. and start voting in the u.s. senate to kill it by defunding it. be a man. stand up and put your money where your mouth is. the people of kentucky deserve better. mitch mcconnell is known as mudslinging mitch because the only inc. he has been run on is destroying other people. there is nothing in his early year history of voting that he is proud enough of to actually run on. he talked about the money he has. he brags about it. i will tell you this, mitch , there was another guy who had a war chest. his that was king george william the third. in 1776, he had a war chest.

the people sent him packing. we will send you packing. i do not intended to run to the right or left of mitch mcconnell, i at -- i intend to run right over mitch mcconnell to the u.s. senate. thank you. god bless you. and god bless the united states of america. [applause] family.ave a beautiful and you stole half of what i was fixing to say. say it again. sometimes it you want to repeat. this speechdedicate to a good friend of mine who passed away. example of the best a grassroots candidate and he also believed like i believe that the party bosses should not pick a candidate. it should be the people.

here it is to you throwing your hat back in the ring. to run over. going i want you to stand up. i cannot say hello for five minutes. i want to give it one more shot out. if you want to know everything that is wrong with mitch mcconnell, you need to check it out. please check out our good friend. i told you to stay in the truck. one thing i want to talk about is i have in the placeholder since a december and the national media has forgotten about that. that is what happens when you are grassroots candidate. you do not have money. you do not have a shema -- behind you. -- a machine behind you. he will raise money to tell lies about alison grimes. i hope she raised $20 million to

tell the truth about mitch. [applause] a lot of people know that you but youuy ed marksberry can buy mitch. he said he has been working for kentucky. we want them to stop. -- him to stop. a lot of people want to come the turtle man. that is disrespectful to the good internal med we have. i'm a big fan of the turtle man. -- to the good turtle man we have. no ice cream for you would -- when you get home. everybody makes fun of his looks. they talk about his chin. he does not have a chin. he used to. he had one as big as jay leno. let me explain what it is.

i will explain for the media later. that is when after years of kissing the butts of the corporate elite, interrupts your channel right off. your chin right off. let's talk about his legacy. the other is henry clay who is a great compromise. we know what mitch is going to be known as, the great obstruction riser. i went to add something to rand paul. he is a grand dissolution this. issolutionist. you know it is funny. mitch sold his soul. how many more minutes do i have?

to give my soul to the middle class families and work hard in the country. mitch has sold himself to the pharmaceutical companies out there and i am going to give my soul to senior citizens who cannot afford their prescriptions because of mitch. i would tell you one more thing. he sold his soul to the wall street bankers that caused this a big recession, not obama. i am going to give my soul into those college students who are overburdened with the high cost of going to college with their debt. [applause] i am about done. i have one minute left. edould like to talk about marksberry.com. when i was running, we cannot get traction with the media.

i came out with a song called what about us? i would love if you went to the website and click on it. -- itl tell you a loud would take a lot about what is good to be about a democrat. there was another person who taught us what democrats are. we believe and take care of the elderly, the orphans, and those who are poor. he said to go out there and visit those in prison. one more thing, he did not charge a dime. thank you. god bless. [applause] >> after the event, matt bevin spoke about his bid. here's a little of what he had to say. >> the people of kentucky want a better than the person was bent

early years and has never worked in the private sector. years ands spent 30 has never worked in the private sector. it could take to be a race until next year. >> [indiscernible] to theink it speaks exact opposite. he is great. when you have no record to stand on, you have been in washington 30 years a you have never created a private sector job in your life and you want to stand up here and talk about how you are going to help the people here in mid to keep. ask at the 5700 workers in the coal industry who lost their jobs in the last two years and ask them. >> [indiscernible] >> somebody who believes in the future of this country. i was here with my wife and nine children.

reasons,t of good wonderful reasons. i am mutually blessed man. their future matters. stakefuture is what is at and not just for my family, but every other emily. and the young people you are talking about. emily.every other the gop is not the standard of appraisals of smaller government, less taxes area that is what do you people want. they do not want to go into the future saddled that mitch mcconnell and so other politicians are heaping over them. mind, au would not little bit of what you are talking about. did you talk? >> i am an adult. the same fort everybody. i have nine children.

i am used to childish behavior. i am not shocked. i shook his hand. do thehat he wanted to position he wanted to take, you will have to ask him about it. >> you think it is childish behavior? >> i think is rather childish. people have a choice. he do not want people to know they have a choice. but they have a choice. it will be a severe underestimation. it would. i will be here until may 20. on may 21, we will start roundtable. >> [inaudible] >> my message has already been heard. it will continue to be heard. i was asked to be here. that is ok. my message will be heard loud and clear. anybody want to see this are here this, the people of kentucky are hungry for a change. they are tired of arty years of

representation by a guy that'll does not share kentucky values. we are going to give them a clear, conservative view. thank you. thank you. [bells tolling]

>> walk with me. >> i will walk with you. been asked that question by everybody so far. in would teach to be run in this fashion in a professional manner and a well fashioned manner. it will not be votes to get out there and the voices to be heard in an informed fashion. the funding is not going to be the issue. i've answered this question. there will be ample funding. least?we say hi at >> you can say hi. >> can i take a picture? >> sure. >> do you want me to take it? >> yes.

>> i hold it down? >> act like you love each other. hold it. there we go. >> thank you very much. >> you're welcome. >> is about 10 degrees cooler than he usually is. winsdo have --principal over time. this a game that everybody is playing with power over principle. crystal should trump power. this a battle for reelecting somebody to sending him back to washington area i begged him to tell the people of kentucky anything he promises to do in the next six years that he has been unable to do in the last 30 years. i challenge him to does one

thing that he is proud unknown of that data actually run on that as opposed to smearing me and alison grimes and ed marksberry and anybody else. it is beneath the office he holds. >> that was a picnic in fancy farm, kentucky. what event taking place across the country as lawmakers begin their recess. the national journal put out an article listing the summer plans for other members of congress. among the list is a las vegas energy summit with harry reid and house republican fund- raising tour with house speaker john boehner. >> former texas congressman rand

atl was the keynote speaker the young americans for liberty national convention. we will show you his remarks in their entirety tomorrow here on c-span. in the meantime, here's a preview of the former congressmen's remarks. and --biggest break -- the risk is how sluggish will they get. speaking out can be dangerous. we write laws on purpose. all of politicians want truth. they want us to know everything about government so they write to be strict laws. if you are a whistleblower, we will protect you. yeah, sure. you do that and they charge you with treason. know, theds me of you with an empire of

life. the empire, the big government is only held together by lies. these revolutions whether bradley manning or snowden, they have not heard us area they have hurt the bureaucrat. that hurt a politician. they embarrass them. you may we spy on every country in the world? we spy on them? isy probably suspected, but out in the open. they are embarrassed. treasonous to maintaining the façade they are wonderful and good and humanitarian. away frankly, they get with a lot by claiming they are the humanitarian. if you as a -- if you have an understanding for the people in the best hope for the poor, you will believe in liberty and the

free market. that is humanitarian with a result that has been proven throughout history to be the best way to feed the poor and make sure there is equity. [applause] >> you can watch on the remarks akinrmer texas congressman that you didn't at 6:30 p.m. eastern. congressman on c-span at 6:30 p.m. eastern. >> we never know what to do with our first ladies. that is particularly true in more recent times as on the one hand, they are expected to have causes. you cannot imagine one without a cause. on the other hand, those causes are not permitted to intrude upon lawmaking. or an official capacity.

it has been a tightrope. seeing how each of these women walking that tightrope tells you but toot only about them the institution and society. ourext week, we will begin presentation of original series first ladies, examining the public and private lives of the ofen served the position first lady and affluence the presidency. next week, martha washington to angelica van buren. weeknights all this month starting monday at 9:00 eastern on c-span. bill shuster and anthony foxx talked about the company's infrastructure needs. it was a guest speakers at the second day of the national governors association the summer meeting in milwaukee. the remarks lasted a half.

a half.ur and >> good morning. welcome. i am the governor of south dakota and the national resources committee. it is my pleasure to chair this meeting this morning. i hope everyone enjoys their night at harley davidson as much as i did. we did not leave much paint on the asphalt. that is the good part. thank you for arranging that. it was a great time. i am glad to see my friend. it will be 125 years since south dakota and north dakota became states. both north dakota and south dakota will be celebrating our 125th anniversary this year.

i want to take this opportunity in the celebrations from anniversaries. you always have this. and south dakota we went to our shores and department and they created a 125 and size of a circle with ribbons off. we created our logo. north dakota has offered to take suggestions for their one 25th year i have a suggestion. my wife drafted up for me -- >> i do not like being ambushed. >> i found it at walgreens. it is in the form of a t-shirt but i think it can be reduced and put on nice materials.

it says south dakota, carrying north dakota since 1989. [laughter] if you will please step forward. [applause] >> this calls for direct retaliation immediately. [laughter] we're going to develop a t-shirt and wait until you see ours. i will not be needing that. i have nothing to do but call the meeting to order. this is the economic resource committee. unfortunately, some governors

are unable to join us. i am honored to be joined by governor jay nixon is a member of the commerce committee to help facilitate this session. david is here to my left. he leads after the national resources committee. please see them if you want copies. i want to remind everyone to please put your phones on vibrate. i will do that myself. thank you. today we're going to hear from two distinguished panelists. they will be invited to ask questions. let's get started. infrastructure is in many ways a

back bone. we understand the connection between roads and bridges, locks, dams, and they serve. as such, this requires a national commitment. we are here today to review national policy on infrastructure both in terms of surface transportation and our water resources and have intergovernmental partnerships to meet the needs of our modern economy. this is by no means an easy task. they recently gave the united states infrastructure a d+ rating. they warned that if investments continue to lag behind current

needs, the u.s. economy could face 122 really -- $120 trillion in lost jobs. uncertainty at the federal level has only exacerbated this deficit. our states are finding new and innovative ways to address the challenges we face. other states have advanced public/private partnerships to complement funding. this is not negate the need for this. it depends upon fruitful intergovernmental partnerships that cooperate on shared resources. that is why the commerce

committee has been dedicated to the task of preserving innovative funding including tools like public/private partnerships. and safeguarding tax exempt bonds. it is totally in the purview of the federal government. it was authorized by the water resource development act. they require meaningful engagement with the federal entities that drive project approval and maintenance. this unique relationship was a driving force between be natural resources committee. it guides them to the water resources act.

the principles outlined the recommendations for a federal state partnership and water resources development. a hallmark is our call for increased coordination. particularly in the states where projects are located. this has not been authorized since 2007. it is my hope that congress can finish the work of passing a bill that moves forward with the project authorizations and modernizes the core relationship with governors. a national commitment to bring this into a state of good repair will not only strengthen our competitiveness but will help us meet the goals of reduced congestion and the environmental sustainability. i would like to turn things over

to governor nixon and for his remarks. >> thank you. thank you for your leadership this year. thank you for all of the fine work they're doing. i want to thank you for the incredible hospitality. it is the best beer state. the second best beer states. excuse me. we can do a lot of things here. if i get my picture taken with a miller beer it is the most dangerous thing that could occur. he is taking care of me. that does not really work

though, does it? anyway. the joint session was an important one. i've got the microphone. we have been busy. this'll be a great opportunity to explore the challenges that lie ahead. we're trying to show you helpful get along. i know you feel that way. we want businesses to go back to your brother and washington, dc and how we can argue about things as important as we're and do so in a positive vein for our country. we share the concerns for the state of our infrastructure. we agree that partnerships are extremely important.

we are ready to do that. we're doing a lot of things. in missouri, we have a nation six largest highway system. this has been identified as a key part of our strategic plan for the future. it is all connected. the auto industry does not just use new vehicles over the road but by a rail. this is often transferred to trucks. that is why an integrated solution is essential. this cannot be fixed with a one- time investment. we reduce this by a half a billion. we have completed the largest bridge improvement plan in our history.

just last week, i had the opportunity to stand on the deck of a new bridge over the mississippi river, 16 feet more to go. i could watch this go down the nation's greatest river. it was an awesome view. the people that we serve know that we need to build the next great bridges and maintain the futures that all americans drive on. we're tremendously honored. we want to hear from our first guest here, congressman bill shuster. he oversees house action on all the transportation including maritime, highway, mass transit, and railroad.

he represents pennsylvania's ninth congressional district and has searched on the committee since his first election to congress in 2000 one. welcome. >> thank you very much. thanks for that great example that i can take back to washington as to how the parties can work together. we need a good example. i really appreciate the opportunity to be here. at every state i have been to this is my first visit to wisconsin. penn state is going to prevail this year. i look at a couple of other governors. we look forward to those engagements. it is an opportunity for me to engage with governors. as i have traveled around the coeeg what other states are doing the federal government should be looking to

you to get the ideas that you are implementing. >> it is your example of putting those dollars into infrastructure. it is something we need to do more and more at the federal level. the federal government needs to be assisting. the best thing is to get out of your way seek in these forward. i've traveled the country and saw time and time again how states can move things very quickly. the federal government makes projects cost more. that is not what we want to do. i will talk about the funding. time is money. if we can reduce these objects by half or a quarter, that saves money. i was in her state and sell the crosstown expressway.

it took 15 years to build, $680 million. just from inflation alone is 10% or 12%. it is a tremendous savings we can use to invest in that. you all understand the safe, efficient, transportation system. all of us working together from the local and federal government making this what it has been throughout our history. we can continue to make those investments and make sure the stakeholders are involved as we move forward with policies that are able to drive the system. transportation is important. when i come into a room like this and they look over the crowd, everybody here has today or yesterday affected by the transportation system.

louisiana talking to a manufacturer of our masuda goals, he told me were the most important things was getting those things from the market. he stopped. i said i'm in the transportation business. we are all in a transportation business. we have to get the cereal in the milk out in the morning. she was touched by the system. it will cost more for the milk. it impacts us all. in the last congress, we made some good progress. i think there are some very good reforms. we are still slowly getting the information. secretary fox will be here later today. i am encouraged. we had dinner the other night.

he had dinner with several republicans. we had a great conversation. i look forward to it i did. it is always a positive thing. sometimes you have to leave politics at the door and get things done. i'm sure you will appreciate what the secretary has to say. they gave us a poor grade. we are at a point where we have got to figure out how to do this anyway that keeps us competitive in the world. there is a federal role. working with the state and the local governments. when you look after our our history, it is lost on some folk that the articles of confederation failed for a lot of reasons. the breaking point was the

transportation issue. they cannot navigate the potomac river and into the ohio territory. they realize if we are not able to move our goods and connect our nation we are not going to be a nation. when they went back to draw up the constitution, they talk about commerce and establishing the roads. he said something that is lost sometimes in the debate. that is government should provide three things for the will, security, maintain justice and maintain security. that is good for all of the people.

as we moved forward and as we have moved forward through this country, whether it is the transcontinental railroad or the highway system, those were all significant works that brought this country together that made this country which i believe it is the giant we had today. we had a transportation system that has physically connected this nation. we need to move forward with something. it needs to be on a bipartisan basis. there are issues that have been bipartisan. transportation is one of them. we are making sure we give you more flexibility. it is essential. our committee has mentioned the water resources development act. we are ready to mark it up in

september and has a floor action in october. the senate has already passed their version of it. we've learned a lot from watching the senate to go through that. we worked closely. we met with members of congress on both sides of the aisle. we have a bipartisan project that puts the number on the committee and said committee. we had a number of stakeholders. i cannot distinguish between a republican and democrat because they have the same kind of complaints about not having flexibility for bringing them having more influence in the process. that is a big reason we are able to have that.

there are significant reforms. i think the state will be encouraged by what they have to say. it is about trade and jobs. certainly you are going to get job when you a rebuilding locks. those are short-term jobs. if you look at the trade in the next few years, it will double and then double again. these are good jobs for americans. they cannot export their goods if it is not an efficient system. it will not be competitive. this is a jobs bill.

this sets hard deadlines on the time and cost of studies. they do not pass it up the line. we are eliminating unnecessary studies and having concurrent reviews. we are streamlining the environmental review process to make sure that it's faster. it is going to be fiscally responsible. we are the authorizing programs that have been on the rise over the last 50 years. they were going. they do not have cost benefit analysis or matches. we will de-authorize. we will not continue to have this massive backlog. it projects do not go forward,

they will sunset. we'll have to consider other projects. it authorizes indeed investment in ports. we are looking in underserved ports which the catch-22. we'll eliminate >> it increases the flexibility states and nonfederal interests, maximizing the ability to contribute their own funds. miami has had their money in the bank to dredge the poor of miami for 3-4 years. they want to make sure the federal government is responsible to maintain that port. needs to go ahead. that is where we going have that roddick move forward.

it expands the ability for federal interest to contribute funds annex but -- it can accelerate things. this is the first word that has no air marks. there are projects in it. this would be the first word. this'll have a new process. states states will be involved early on in this. there is a lot of positive things in the senate bill. after they passed the word there will be the corps of engineers. the congress has to authorize these projects. this is one of the things i am adamant about. the word is on its way.

this is very difficult to do. i believe there needs to be a passage to rail system. there are some that may not be a great ideas but there are places we need to focus on to get it done. i do not live long in the northeast quarter -- quarter i live in western pennsylvania. it is different from eastern pennsylvania. the thing that makes it should be the place the focus is that we own the lines there. the other thing is you have 18%

of our population living on 3% of our land mass where it there is the ability to get them. this is something we need to take a serious look at. the most congested airspace is above the north these core door. 70% of all that are delayed or canceled occur because of interaction with the northeast corridor. bringing the private sector to her in. as we have seen, the ridership has grown. there is a significant reforms that needs to take place in the operation.

we will continue to work across the aisle. it is made up of several state. especially if they are putting their money into the system. when we have a divided government we are figuring out the solutions together. we will be working on reauthorization of map 2001 -- matt 21. how do we find it? we need to consider everything that is out there. how do we get these dollars in net to be able to make the investments that we need? >> we are looking at that.

i know the house is committed to doing tax reform. they are looking at these types of rings. the senate is committed to doing tax reform. we are encouraging our brother and over there to move on a lot of these tax reform's. i know aviation oversight is important to many of your states. i think they are finally right size. as he me forward we need figure out a policy to encourage the airline industry to continue to work i make these investments. they do not take money. they're making the profits to jive that back in without government support. finally, i come to you today to ask for your help. certainly i cannot do it alone.

i traveled here not only learn from what you do but to help us engage your constituencies to the importance of this. i think almost everyone one of you mentioned infrastructure. it is the act phone of the economy. we are needing you to help explain to them the importance of moving a transportation bill. it is good for the business. it is to advocate for the transportation bill. working with groups like that, there is another one that has been formed in washington. mary peters who is here at us today has an very much an

advocate of america's infrastructure alliance that has an funded by the airlines, water transportation, put this together to form the alliance to mary peters who is here at us today has an very much an advocate of america's infrastructure alliance that has an funded by the airlines, water transportation, put this together to form the alliance to advocate and put the american people. you do not understand the importance of the waterway system. making sure the american people understand that is important. it is a big effort. we're all going to need to pitch

in and make sure we are involved in this for. we have an absolutely critical role in moving this agenda forward. congress needs to hear from you. i believe we can have success. i believe we will be able to do what is necessary to keep this country in a competitive state. if you have places like brazil they want to drive down the cost. these are the kind that competitive situations that are occurring out there. they have signed a deal that they will not go through the panama canal.

the world is getting smaller. we have to remain competitive. i think this is a vital area. i appreciate the opportunity. thank you very much. [applause] >> thank you very much. let's open up to questions. >> thank you very much for joining us. i to officially welcome you to the home of the last three years champions. i am sure we will have fun with that as well. i do not even mention the 45th super bowl. we appreciate your being here.

we appreciate your commitment. this is a great and rotation advocate. he has a harley in washington. it all revolves around harley one way or another. first off, he mentioned the inks on highway 31 to enter state. we understand transportation is not just about transportation. in our state we think about transportation. we think about agriculture. we think about manufacturing. we think about all of the core industries. even the things about beer, oftentimes it is not just about competing among brands.

it is about competing to see which grew grew reaching get a cold beer on the arbor. the zoo interchange is just on the way. we also have a great area. we have a transit center. we have the airport which is one of the fastest-growing airports in the past decade. these are all vital links to our data. i appreciate the focus. these are one of the few areas

where you do that. >> this is really outstanding. >> thank you. i would like to properly introduce a governor she was a former chairman of the national governors association. it is from north dakota. ed, please stand. thank you. it's good to see you. >> i guess less is saved apologies.

i just want to thank you for being here. just one question about how this will progress. there are times when politics entered into the debate. it has been delayed. in a state like ours were we have had several natural disasters in the last few years, we are in tremendous need of getting some flood protection objects moving forward. we desperately need a couple of projects to be authorized. i hope we can get through the

political challenges. one little problem for us with the bill is there are a couple of situations where we do need a reconnaissance study and to look at the entire roberval a chain. nice to be analyzed by the court of engineers. the answer to us that there is no such thing as a new project. i understand one easy way of holding down spending as to never authorize anything new. it is not really progressive when it comes to managing the

nation's infrastructure. i hope that somehow, someway there can be such a thing as a new feasibility study occasionally for a new project. >> i am cautiously optimistic. they have moved this along the way. we watched the bill go through. ifo confident we will be able to move this into confidence. there is a great thirst and hunger to get this bill. part of what i want to do is to start on the next bill. we should be going through and looking what this brings us and through a process.

it should be every year if we have to be. i know there are studies out there that need to be done, especially after you have a natural disaster with the flooding. our goal is to not only get this out but to get this on the next word of though. >> thank you. thank you for being with us. it is good to see you again. i think most of us recognize how important the interstate freeway system has been. we came together as a country and connected ourselves for better accessibility. it helps our economy. it has been a godsend. they use federal dollars to do that. they made the, unnecessary regulations.

is attached to the utilization of the money. they can build better roads for less money. they suggested they could do this for 20% or 25% less money. we understand the need for a count ability and oversight. are we over regulating to point that it has cost us money. >> i've talked to every smart person i can in the united

states and around the world to get a number to put on that. it seems to me just on interest alone it would be 8% or 10%. they were a mile apart. we are using state and local money only. it is completed when we were there. the other bridge was identical. it is going to cost between 1.21 $.3 million. they are still going through this. they are chine to get the

federal agencies to get this. it can be problematic. you're absolutely right. it was enlightening to me. this putting a lot of resources into the structure. let us help you understand some of the challenges we face. they have a hearing and say give us your suggestion. >> we had hearings and

roundtable discussions. we could get there and put into it. they are more formal. this has been very helpful to we will continue to do that. >> thank you. >> my former colleague. >> we appreciate you coming to join us in a couple things i want to mention.

a couple of things i see on the backside. there are rules and regulations. there are the projects. it is getting a bill.and knowing how much is a bailable -- available. working with environmental impact studies, the time it takes to get those studies done. the corps of engineers will say they do not have the money to do this on major projects for economic development.

there have been studies that have been done around the lake. nine a particular area. utilizing the data to go into a new study that needs to be done. you can encourage them to work. they can create jobs and investments versus taking two years. it is one of the things i see on the back side of it. anotherciate this. project,this may have happened during the time when you have it bridge, a barge hit it

and crash the bridge. on that hand we were able to work years ago to create teams and get some waivers.to speed up the construction. it has some leeway through some waivers through the federal highway administration.we incentivize that for the construction crews to get it done faster. that is the reverse side of taking the time. anytime we can allow the states more the -- flexibility the the lastor all of us. thing i want to mention, as you are on break, i know you work very hard when you're on these rates. there are these big jet

there has been talk about shutting down the federal government.that in certain uncertaintye creates uncertainty in the states to a lot of our investors and companies delaying making decisions about expansions or new jobs. the uncertainty that you have in washington, it is not your fault. us it creates problems for and our local economies. we went through the sequester. one of the things is the uncertainty does not allow us to plan out in our hiring practices and building practices, not knowing whether the money will be there.

>> this is something i here for my constituents all the time. it is a big problem. as far as streamlining map 21, we did. it makes no sense. if you're going to replace a bridge, why do you have to go through all the same processes? the corps of engineers trying to streamline their process. they are constantly dredging those rivers.there was a species of fish, and they had to do a study. the governor said to me, this is

ridiculous. we know the fish have quadrupled over the last years. why are we going to this study? it has to be maddening to you when you see your precious tax dollars in squandered on endless studies.we are going to try to reduce that. you have representatives. feel free to contact us. >> we're going to have to move along. we've got to move along. we have another guest speaker we need to give respect to. we have let the question go on a little bit beyond our allocated time. i appreciate your understanding. thank you, mr. secretary, mr. chairman, for being present. thank you all for your good questions. we appreciate your presence. [applause]

>> i have too many things i need [no audio]p me with. >> good morning. our second speaker will be the honorable anthony foxx, secretary of the department of transportation. he was sworn in july 2, 2013. he served as the mayor of charlotte from 2009 to 2013.

he served two thomas on the charlotte city council. this is a lively, bipartisan strong group. i cannot want to take more time in to your introduction. secretary foxx, i want to thank you for honoring us with your presence. >> thank you, governor. i want to thank the national governors' association, the chairs in particular. i also want to pay respects to the home state governor, governor walker. thank you for hosting this wonderful group. i also want to thank governor governor daugaard -- governor -- governor daugaard for posting this event. -- hosting this event. you know that transportation is more than the asphalt we pay for

the train to rebuild. transportation is a bridge to the opportunity. it is the highway-insurance -- it is a highway that insures that a mom gets our kids home safely. it is the freight or the cargo ship that exports american goods around the world. transportation moves america forward. when we build bridges, highways, transit systems, airports, and ports, we are putting our people to work in helping businesses expand. most importantly, we are giving the next generation the tools to compete. take a look of the golden gate bridge or the hoover dam or the transcontinental railroads. these are stumbles of america's grit and innovation.

those things were not built by us. they were built by previous generations and have been because we -- bequeathed to us. what will we bequeath to another generation? the generations before us believe in a better future for the next generation. while finding is tight, i believe we can still build a great things as a country. we can also answer president obama's call to give the middle class a better bargain. we can ensure that the rungs on the the -- ladder of opportunity are not so far apart. this is the challenge of our regeneration and we must work together across political lines, across state, federal, local lines to address it.

as secretary of transportation, my priority is to make our transportation system the safest and most efficient in the world. we will continue to work hard so that americans feel safe when they get into a car, get on a bus, board a plane or get on a bicycle. we will be working with our partners to get more from what we have so that taxpayers can trust us to make smart investments. efficiency enough is not going to get us to prosperity. over the long term, we have got to be more creative. we have got to work together. as you know, we have a lot of options in our toolbox and even more options we need to put on the table. we have seen how public-private partnerships can kickstart important projects, such as the historic millwork district in minnesota.

there has been $48 billion in infrastructure investment across america in places like illinois, california, and texas the we have seen our financing loan program helped denver, colorado finance their railroads station. those projects would not have been possible without leadership that the state and local level. frankly, governors can make it happen. you are the x-factor. you are the difference between a tahrir rating road and a 21st century highway that is -- deteriorating road and a 21st century highway that is safe and efficient. i can tell you after meeting

with members of congress on both sides of the aisle, they agree. the hard part is agreeing on a way to fund these needs. as a country, i know we can do it. map 21 was a good start. it provided states with 8 years of funding. it also -- states with 2 years of funding. it gave people a better value for their mining -- money by institutionalizing best practices and allowing them to work faster and smarter. map 21 expires next september. we are facing long-term deficits. the way we have been doing business is not sustainable.

i do not have to tell you. many are already looking at innovative ways to find your own transportation needs. this year, half of all state legislatures have considered or approved measures dealing with transportation funding. 14 states have discussed raising their fuel taxes. several have moved to protect transportation funding from fundingraided -- from being raided for general expenses. citizens have come together to figure out common-sense ways to address our transportation needs. governor o'malley in the state of maryland. they found they were driving on roads that were congested and deteriorated and its cost maryland residents $6.20 billion a year. his state has the longest average daily commute in america and his constituents could not afford more time spent in

traffic. thanks to his leadership, maryland will be able to a -- invest $4 billion in infrastructure over the next six years. in all of these states, we are not looking at infrastructure and through a partisan lands. they are looking at crowded buses, congested highways and train stations. they are looking at potholes and bridges that are so old they could qualify for medicare. they are hearing from businesses that need 21st century infrastructure to grow. when it comes to transportation, everything we do has a local impact and requires local cooperation. i know that from experience. i worked with republicans and democrats as a mayor to address these challenges facing our cities.

time after time, we put aside our differences to do what was right for our constituents. i know that you do the same in your states. today, i am reaching out to you. i want to hear your ideas and know how you would prioritize projects in your states. how you organize transportation needs. the american people are counting on all was to lead and make critical investments to move this country forward. i believe we can start by answering president obama's called for another bargained for the middle-class. his proposal would invest $50 billion in our nation's infrastructure with $40 billion target for the areas of greatest need. we would also leverage private sector investments to help communities take on infrastructure for the 21st century. that is what we need to build a strong america.

as we work to make the president's vision a reality, i hope what we do will serve as an example of how our congress can come together to help our nation's infrastructure. let's come together. less and less in the future. let's build transportation that works and is second to none. i am happy to answer your questions. thank you. [applause] >> thank you, mr. secretary. let's open it up for questions. governor? >> thank you for comment, mr. secretary. at local level and the state level in illinois, we have invested $14 billion for transportation. artful way is $12 billion. -- our tollway is $12 billion. we are also doing high-speed rail from chicago to st. louis.

we are grateful to you in the president for your commitment to transportation. just recently, we are just about finished with a bridge from east st. louis to st. louis called the stan musial memorial bridge. we would like you to come and you can see all of america from that bridge. it was done with a 26% minority work force. we worked with the federal government and it is a good symbol of what you just said. we have to make sure america knows that when we invest in infrastructure and bridges, we are putting people to work in helping our businesses expand. >> i will try to make it. it sounds like a good thing to do. i was in st. louis yesterday.

to your point, i was there to break ground on a project. it is of incredible importance to st. louis. they are capping a freeway that sits in the downtown area and the st. louis arch. we put $20 million into getting that done. there will be a $380 million public and private investment to get the work done. what it points out is what you just said. when we make the investment, it does have a return on investment and it improves communities. it improves mobility and it makes people safer. i look forward to being there. >> i would note that the project would allow you to what all the way to the train station to the stadium to watch the cardinals

play. it is an unbelievably transform into a project that would not have been possible. those of you who have been to the arch, we have literally dropped the highway and build a park over the top of it. it is going to be dramatic. we are coming up on the 50th anniversary of the arch. the cooperation between the park service and the state of illinois and everybody is incredible, the amount of private dollars that have been leveraged to a small amount of federal and state dollars. thank you very much. >> governor walter? >> i have a question. the governor is not with us right now. he will be with us to launch a different discussion. governor quinn and i just had a groundbreaking for a similar

issue, the river crossing. not only crossing state lines, but across the st. clair river. this is a 30-year process, getting the approval to do that bridge, which is 60 years past its expectancy. -- 50 beyond its expectancy. we will let you know about the ribbon cutting for that. you talked about economic impact. a question for you that you do not have to answer now. in addition to hosting all of these wonderful governors, i was at to be experimental and aviation association. it started in 1953 in the wisconsin. it is about 500,000 visitors for one week in wisconsin.

it becomes the busiest air traffic control center in the world. it has about $110 million in impact in that region. the challenges with air traffic control components, they picked up most of the costs, about $500,000 of that. there is an economic impact. since you are here, i would ask if you would take a look at that. for them, it is a major impact. there are eaa chapters all across america. it is an incredibly important component. it has a huge economic impact. >> thank you very much. >> hello to you, mr. secretary. >> aloha. i just had an opportunity to say hello to my friends, bill shuster -- my friend, bill shuster. you are a friend of ray lahood.

i bring that up to say that the governor and myself and people like bill and ray have distinct philosophical orientations as members of congress. i think i can say without reservation that we are pretty mission-oriented, particularly the transportation committee. we may have arrived -- we may have had different reasons and different motivations for voting the way we did. we move in the end to get the vote done on the basis of the project in the proposals that were in front of us. i put that forward because i would like to know from you, in

the wake of chairman rogers indicating his skepticism -- probably the wrong word -- that the spending goals, while they may have had their difficulties and challenges getting past in terms of authorization, there has been a lot of fighting over the numbers -- there has not been a lot of fighting over the numbers once they are agreed to. there were numbers within that sequestration figure that had been agreed to. i understand what has taken place is that even though there was an agreement, hands were shaking, deals were made. i do not say that in a pejorative sense. some of the members in the

congress wants to cut it further even though there has already been an agreement. my question to you is, are you aware of what this is? i assume other governors here are doing what we are doing. i have the sequestration task force. nonpartisan. i have business, labor, nonprofit, construction companies in it. paving companies, everything in it. i was working under the assumption that sequestration was sequestration and we would not weep bitter teras about it. if they are going to 0-- -- tears about it. if they are going to change the numbers, it is really going to mess us up. you have any idea that if the sequestration numbers change, what are they going to change.

i am trying to put my budget together. i am not want to argue or throw darts or rocks at anybody. i just want to know what the numbers are. >> thank you for the question, governor. i will refer to be chairman, who is on the legislative branch in terms of what the internal discussions and working have been. my understanding is that on the house side, in the process of working through what had been previously agreed upon budget caps, as they started to move a bill through, they are concerned about the impact of those caps. what i have heard and read is

that they will come back in the fall and see if they can come back to the table with something on the house side. a similar exercise occurred on the senate side. the senate bill was beyond sequestration lovell's. we, -- the senate bill was beyond sequestration levels. we, at the department, felt better about the senate bill. sequestration is a blunt instrument. pham and arithmetic perspective, it places the with- -- from an arithmetic perspective, it places caps and makes it difficult for us to accomplish the goals we have for our country across a variety of fronts.

i think there is a growing sense that there is a need to re-look at it. >> you do not have any idea of what the numbers are or some of the projects. i can live with it. >> with i am saying to you is that the situation is obviously very fluid. in our department, we happen to be ready for just about anything. >> thank you, mr. secretary. we are honored to have you with us. most governors recognize how important transportation is to their success in their states. as a former elected official, you understand that. it is economic development and the ability to expand economically. in the state of utah, we have stepped up our commitment to

transportation in a significant way. we have put 500% more state money into state highways, roads, and into a augmenting the state system. we just completed 15 miles of interstate 15, expanding the lane capacity, hov lanes. we did it all without federal dollars. we are trying to put our resources where we think they need to be in the infrastructure and road building. i would like to ask you the same question i asked chairman bill shuster. i had a group of contractors i met with a few months back. they build a lot of roads in the western part of the united states. in their laments to me was the fact that they believe regulations coming to the federal -- from the federal government are burdensome and counterproductive and the --

there are too many strings attached to the federal dollars and it is inhibiting them from building roads in the most efficient and effective way possible. they said they could build roads better for 25% less if there is regulation reform. i would like to have you respond to that issue and if that is something that is being addressed in your area of responsibility. do we have too many regulations getting in the way of effective, efficient, and cost-effective road construction? >> that is a great question. thank you for asking it. one of the first acts i have taken as transportation secretary is a notice of rule- making that pertains to truckers. right now, if a truck driver is running a route, they have to inspect the vehicle at the time

they picked the vehicle up and have to do it again when they return it. they are required to submit a piece of paper each time they do that. we have found that 95% of the time there is no problem with the vehicle. the paper work is being submitted to say there is no problem with the vehicle. we have made its proposed rule that eliminates the need to file that piece of paper. there will still be an inspection, but we do not need to be told the vehicle is ok if it is ok. we expect that rule will save the trucking industry $1.70 billion. what i want to say to you at the outset is that i am interested in ways that we can streamline and make more efficient our transportation system as long as we are not compromising safety.

i am interested in your list of any potential changes to our rules, regulations that you think will help us make the system more efficient. i have been talking to a few of your colleagues, governor malloy in connecticut, who has a big bridge project that is coming in at $280 million under budget and ahead of schedule. in transportation, time is money. if we can speed things along, i want us to do it. we have an internal initiative and map 21 allows us to look at streamlining in a big way. if you have ideas about regulation, i am interesting in partnering with you the but-i am interested in partnering with you to make things run better -- i am is interested in partnering with you to make things run better. >> secretary foxx, thank you for joining us.

i am glad you have experience working for a political subdivision. it is a good perspective for you to bring to your job. the question is on the problem of certainty of funding for states. in north dakota, we need more transportation money just like everybody else. even a bigger problem for us is the sixth month authorization, the six month funding periods clouds us a lot of problems where construction season -- cause us a lot of problems with the construction season is extremely seasonal. can you work with congress to try to create more predictability of the cash flow for at least a 12 month period?

or at least some kind of base certainty with the possibility of some enhancement later. we cannot bid projects with a federal share of less we know that money absolutely, for sure is forthcoming. the way it has been going in the last few years, we literally have to wait until the last set and -- second to be sure we have the money for a bid. the more lead time we give these contractors, the better the business that we get. it would save all of us money if we had some sense for at least a 12 month period of what is coming. >> thank you for the comment, governor. i could not agree with you more.

there is a substantial need for all of our stakeholders in the transportation industry for long-term look outs in terms of budgeting and funding availability and instability within the system. what i would also say to that is we have to see transportation in the context of what is happening globally, which is that the while i think american workers are the best workers in the world, while i think we have the best infrastructure in the world, we have a world that is quickly trying to catch up to us. we cannot afford to wait to create the 21st century infrastructure that is going to make this country continue to achieve our goals economically.

i haven't strong belief that there is a bipartisan understanding of that -- i have a strong belief that there is a bipartisan -- bipartisan understanding of that. it is so important, not only to us, but also important to our children that we figure out a way forward that helps this country compete. >> we appreciate the historic nature of your appearance here in your first significant address. we appreciate the symbolism and the reality of that relationship. also your comments in talking historically of the things we have done over the last 100 years. the primary message of funding our roads -- a method of funding

our roads, from healed taxes. i do not -- field taxes. at the beginning of your tenure as the secretary of transportation and as you look at states and you begin your tenure, what sort of longer-term advice to you have about the discussion we need to have about what the form of the income line is? we not only talk about timing, but we invented a system where cars got 10 miles a gallon and now they get 40. we have the trucking industry that is getting ready to switch to natural gas. as you sit where you are right now, what advice to you have for us about helping to lead a national discussion about how we transition the funding models into the future the same way technology is shifting the way

people moving to the future. >> it is a great question. a couple of points. we are seeing activity in the state and local governments already today. as you go through measures and sales taxes, there are fuel taxes that have been under discussion. we want to understand what the sentiment is at the local and state levels as it relates to these different alternatives. there is no question that we have a structural funding problem. the magnitude of it is not lost on me. we have also got some shorter- term fiscal issues that also need to get undressed. -- addressed. we will be looking across a range of different options.

we will be looking to congress a lot on this. you can have the greatest idea in the world. if it has no chance of making it through, it is almost moot. i think we have got a lot of work to do with capitol hill on this question. we are seeing in states and local government a lot of things that are encouraging in terms of leadership being willing to step forward, and also citizens actually getting it and supporting some of the measures put out there in the states. >> thank you, mr. secretary for being with us and speaking so clearly to the issue. i also want to thank you for coming to connecticut as your first visit as secretary.

i have been in government a long time, as a part-timer, a full although we might reasonably expect different monetary policies and interest rates will go up, they will probably in historical terms relatively slowly. at least before they get back to the norms. there seems to be this incredible disconnect. we talk about what people say could save money if we change rules and regulations.

every governor has had that discussion. what clearly is missing -- i know the chairman mention this -- this lack of inflation in construction is an incredible opportunity that we have and that we are absolutely missing taking advantage of. you referenced a $2.50 billion project that has been underway for a number of years that is well in excess of $2 million under budget and ahead of time. thean get the resources on spot that we need to complete the project. the environment is so incredibly pro-government at the moment. the question i have -- not for you, but for my fellow governors -- are we doing everything we can to see common sense prevail on the issue of transportation in this nation? i have watched democratic and

republican congressman come back from trips to china and elsewhere and marvel at the state of the infrastructure in the countries they visited, marvel at how fast trains move in china, marvel at the rate in which new train stations are built. in a financial in climate where we could bring those projects online in connecticut and in all our states a reasonable cost- effective way, we are squandering our opportunity. is anything else we could do to be heard on this issue? and to be that bipartisan voice

that is so seldom heard in washington on this issue? >> does anyone care to respond to that? >> you want a response, governor? you mentioned common sense. i do not know if that is something that is always in the political arena, unfortunately. in utah, we have increased of spending by 500%. we wrapped up the opportunity. fortunately, we have been in a fiscal position to do that. we have limitations in our volume capacity. we do 85% of that. if we have an emergency where we have to borrow money, we can do that. we use cash and carry and we also have road construction that has binding needs. we are taking advantage of what you said.

--has bonding needs. from the standpoint of helping the private sector do what they do, they need to get to point a to point b. if they cannot do that, they will find somewhere else to grow their businesses. we are doing it in prudent ways, which is kind of the utah way. >> i want to add another point on this question of how we pay for infrastructure. two other points to get back to the governor's question. we have to look at the cost structure of projects themselves. the way we build projects in this country is like an old

pipe. we do not often go back and reflect on how we can make that process moves faster. there are modular pieces that have allowed entire bridges to be in place over a weekend. when you say that a day, it -- when you save a day, it saves money. we can also look at ways we can make the pipeline move faster by working with the construction industry. the other piece is the public- private partnership opportunities. you all know as well as anyone contour and that kind of partnership can be. we are seeing projects across

this country that are being put together and we are seeing experimentation with infrastructure banks across the country. that is another piece of the equation. i would only put an asterisk by the firm -- by the public- private partnership by saying this. there will be projects that will not be good candidates for public-private partnerships because they do not spin off or do not have the potential to spin off revenues. i do not want us to have irrational exuberance about them. they are a critical piece of the tool box we need going forward. if there are ways we can make them happen, we should be doing it. >> thank you for being here. we appreciate you joining us foret

so have been a former mayor you know the challenges of infrastructure projects. one thing i want to bring to your attention is that we are a bipartisan group that has democrat and republican governors and we actually had an gna red tape -- nga red tape committee. there were recommendations for ways that we think we can improve the nation's

infrastructure, the timeliness and cost effectiveness. we have different categories from the faa to nasa to trucks come across the mexican border to the federal highway administration to endangered species, environmental issues we have to face, funding issues. we have followed the suggestions from our governors as to how we can help with the red tape to make things more efficient within the transportation system. i would like to give this to you. i hope he will consider them. >> i would definitely consider them. >> other questions? >> we are close to of a scheduled game. i want to thank secretary foxx for making this his first public appearance, or public presentation come to the governors. thank you, sir. [applause] >> thank you. >> this is governor padilla's birthday today. happy birthday to you, governor. is there any further business? if not, the meeting is adjourned. thank you. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2013]

friday, the meeting on a number of them joined veterans on the wire -- on the ride through milwaukee to the harley- davidson museum. a few different governors took part in the activity.

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>> we will have more from the national governor association summer meeting tomorrow, when its final session is held on cyber security. matt will hear remarks from duvost. can watch that live tomorrow at 12:15 p.m. eastern here on c- span. patrick leahy of vermont is our guest this week on "newsmakers." he discusses many of the issues

from the current congressional session, including an essay surveillance programs, voting rights act, immigration, and legislation. here is a preview of some of his remarks. >> president obama held an emotional news conference with victims of newtown and said that this was just round one. at this point with the election coming up is it realistic to expect round two? >> i think that would make sense to the vast majority of americans, but it is not going to get through now. that is unfortunate. law that woulda stop the guns in this country? could you do better than we have? yes.

unfortunately, you have some on the left, like the mayor of new york city, who did not help, he actually turned off some people who might have been supporters. and you have some on the far that think you should take a machine gun to go deer hunting. there has got to be a balance in between. >> you can see of his remarks tomorrow on "newsmakers" at 10:00 a.m. and again at 6:00 p.m. eastern here on c-span. >> in a few moments, a look at the nixon presidency with brian fry, which shows never before seen footage of the president's time in the white house. and then mitch mcconnell at a picnic in fancy farm, kentucky, where he was joined by candidates looking to challenge him in the next election.

after that, a pennsylvania congressman bill schuster and transportation secretary anthony fox talk about the country's infrastructure needs. what are the milestone years for first ladies through history? >> i would certainly say mrs. adams. she was the first to live in the white house. and opinionated and bright lady. on the more social side, dolly madison and the melodrama of the burning of the house. you have other ones, but there is a period where there really are not many first ladies. toould take it from there carry a plane, president buchanan's and niece. the old people in the

20th-century would say that that was the grandest white house that ever happened. c-span, we bring public affairs events from washington directly to you, putting you in the room at congressional hearings, events, briefings, conferences, offering complete coverage of the u.s. house. c-span, created by the cable-tv industry 34 years ago and funded by your local cable satellite tv provider. now you can watch us in hd/ before seen never look at president nixon and his administration. we spoke to the film's co- producer earlier in the week. this is 40 minutes.

host: our guest now, brian frye. good morning, thank you for being with us. there is any number of movies out there about richard nixon, even recently. what makes this one different? guest: really distinctive thing about this is the vast bulk of the movie consists of home movies filmed by nixon's closest aides. these are home movies they made while make -- while working for the president that pretty much no one has ever seen before. host: how did this come about? guest: and initially the movies were and john ehrlichman of office and were confiscated during the watergate investigation and the other material that was in his office. those home movies that in the national archives for very long time. it was not like there were suppressed, just forgotten. other types of documentary the

material, they did not relate to anything of abuse of power issues. there were ignored. 2000,ally in the early the national archives pursuit of preservation effort where they took the home movies and blew them up to 16 millimeter so they would be available for a longer about of time, a preservation as it were. i learned about that from a friend of mine as a person who was making the reservation copy and really interested in the movie and was thinking about it for a long time and the possibilities. in 2008, i met penny lane and we discussed the existence of these and decided we would collaborate on making a movie out of them. we had never seen the movies before because they had been preserved but not made available to the public. we actually invested about

$20,000, a little less, in paying for the national archives to make the first of video transfers just so we could see the materials and see whether there was a movie in thankfully, there was. host: see a clip. iran's one minute 15 seconds about his trip to china. >> i found out i was gone to china from bob holtz. i was the acting chief political figure. the thing about the flight to china was -- one of the things was it was just a real. the plane is taking off to go to china and we have a television set watching us take off. wasything about that trip

televised. it was a production from start to finish. and take of the president will journey in the dead of winter, a season especially severe in the chinese capital. and the white house reemphasize the purpose to become the first american president to visit mainland china. >> as president nixon has pointed out on a number of locations, he will try in the meeting to seek a new direction in the relationship between our countries. in the isolation of our great peoples from each other. host: tell us more. guest: the scene at that you see there is from richard trip to china. pretty much the bulk of nixon's

presidency. his aides were filming throughout the time they worked for nixon, up until that time they resigned before the watergate investigation began. you see the nixon presidency through their eyes, but also through the lens of network news. host: we have a response from the deputy assistant. i think the character rescission -- characterization is very stereotyped. i think penny layne viewed it projected exactly what people are sick of seeing. what do you think? guest: well, i guess he is entitled to his opinion. we tried to be fair and represent nixon. i think it would be dishonest not to include the negative things as well as the positive things. guest: i am a law professor as well as a filmmaker. as well as his story and and academic.

i have an interest in american history, but not specifically and richard nixon. we made this more based on the fact that we realized there was an incredible treasure trove of visual material that has not been explored today -- have not been explored and we're interested to see what it had to offer for documentary material. oft: our guest is co-owner the phone company that made this product.

it is called "our nixon" and debuts tonight. as our guest mentioned, assistant professor of law at the university of kentucky, college of law. before we get to calls, a bit more about the process of making the movie. he paid $20,000 to get the material. how did you decide to put it together the way you did? guest: as i said, when we pay to get the material, we have no idea what was behind it. i had seen 10 minutes worth of those 35 hours of great

material that my friend, bill brandt, who did the preservation show to me in the process. other than that, no idea, other than the prescription provided to us. we really just sat down. we did and art this registry. atspent two weeks looking the material and asking ourselves what kind of movie does this one to be? -- does this want to be? we were really assisted by the assistant producer. he helped us. he helped us to realize the movie to make. host: is it all the material that the aids shot or did you work in any other archival? ofst: it is roughly 60-70% the movie. we realized pretty quickly the problem was it is so personal and opaque in a lot of ways

that you could not make a movie out of just that material. newsed a lot of network footage to situate the audience in particular time and explain the context in which the movies were being made. we also used retrospective footage respecting on experiences to provide their own perspective on what it was they were experiencing. host: we will see another clip later in damages depicting life in the richard nixon era. in the meantime, our calller. caller: good morning, c-span. i was a republican back in those days. i respect the presidency and am

very disappointed on how the presidency has suffered since nixon. it was not an overwhelming kingdom or nothing like that, it is just the disrespect of the presidency, as president obama has suffered with respect and decency. nixon had it, even though he was a vital person in some eyes. i am asking you to comment on two points. one, that affirmative action presentation came from richard nixon, a republican. to, i wonder if you can comment on the actual economic price freezes that nixon instituted during his term. today we have president's who lack the guts to perform as he

did. i think the china trip was a huge success. if you could please comment on the fact that republicans today reject affirmative action and economic price freezes and the fact that the presidency has lost the respect of the congressional come -- connection. host: not quite about the film but the presidency as he sees it. guest: i will do my best. i will not claim to be a policy expert, but i think a lot of people feel the way you do. i know not chomsky preferred to the last liberal president. i think it is a fair point. you say you are a republican during the nixon administration. i think that is true of a lot of people. one thing we interested in while making the movie was the which the conventional wisdom looking back at history tends to track the people who are the winners, as it were. peopleas a lot of forget, was the overwhelming winner of the 1972 presidential election. we were interested in how that

worldo be and what the that nixon was living in, the america. host: tom and wellington. caller: what is the source for your funding, and is there any way to contribute? guest: the film was founded in many different ways. the initial funding came out of my pocket. then we did a kickstart campaign, which was the source of the additional seed money. also, really got the word out

about the movie. the kickstart was the termination of the movie. subsequently we got a lot of grant money from the private and public sources. sitter reach, a great foundation. -- sinner reach. provided funding was by a number of additional organizations, including private and york, which is a foam advertising production company and impact partners. host: do you know the overall price? guest: i can't say. foamemiered the internationally in the netherlands and the u.s. premiere at self by southwest in austin, texas.

cnn and a lot of other people saw it at self by southwest. by sale was closed at fault southwest by our sales agent, joshed braun. host: one more clear. one minute, 30 seconds long. it is all of richard nixon's aides talking about their roles. >> a typical day for me, older men would pick me up around 7:15. the car would get bob and then his aid. then it would swing by my house and then to the white house. i am responsible for the scheduling and the president's daily activities. i knew my place. it really reflected a lot about richard nixon, the degree to which he wanted things

controlled. guest: it literally was from 6:00 in the morning to 9:00 at night every day of the week, saturdays and sundays, too. >> that pace was unremitting. total consuming for someone like me. close have to operate as to zero defect as you can. i was only concerned with the result the president wanted that was carried out. host: brian frye a little more perspective on how that got put

together and to the men were. guest: right. holderman was a long-time employee of richard nixon. the story goes. many of his staffers came from the advertising industry, including white tape in. he was the chief of staff throughout most of his presidency until he resigned. during the watergate investigation. john ehrlichman was a college friend who first came on as the white house counsel, and then later became chief adviser for domestic policy.

he was seen as a driving force for the clean air act, clean water act, earth day, any of modern and in our urban policies. really interesting guy who went on to become a best-selling novelist and commentator. he got out of prison after watergate. cheap bid was a special assistant to the president. basically the person who handled the president's calendar. also implicated not specifically in the watergate scandal, but another 30 scandal laid out in this. host: we of a call coming in from louisiana. independent calller. good morning, david. caller: who did nixon convince to take us off the gold

standard? guest: the film does not get into the specifics of his economic policies. so i really could not comment. democratic calller. caller: i of a question concerning the campaign in 18 -- 1968. how did you handle the coverage of those campaigns, which were extremely close? guest: the film does not cover the campaigns at all. it begins with his inauguration, which is the initial material available to us. they did not begin until the administration begins. the basis for the films being available to us, the basis being public domain is they were confiscated as materials created by employees of the white house while they were working for the president. so there is nothing in the collection that we obtained and

made the foam out of that predated the inauguration. 1972econd campaign, the campaign is very much a part of the movie because they were filming during that period. host: with the film debut in tonight, there are any number of reps in the papers. here is "the washington post" -- "the new york times" art --tion they go on to write these are private affairs. only at work, be it on the great wall of china, pacing the vatican or

conferring on air force one. what do you think? byst: i am a little puzzled it. there are several shots of parties on the white house lawn and a man dressed in a bunny suit running around. them sitting around with their shirts off by the pools. i am a little bit confused by the comment, but entitled to your opinion.

host: what seemed you think is most significant? -- scene do you think is most significant? guest: there is a really disturbing and humorous but unfortunate conversation between nixon and his aides television that show, about archie bunker in which nixon is concerned that homosexuals are ruining america. and he complains that aristotle and socrates were homosexuals and ehrlichman times and that

they did not have the influence that television has. which i find amusing. i think there is a lot of really moving sequences as well. the film closes with a conversation with all the men and the president immediately after he announced the resignation on national television. tellingit is a really moment that really makes you feel for the kind of pain that he was feeling. we really wanted to convey that these people, even though they committed criminal acts and did really bad things, they are still people. and it is worth understanding them as people to try to get a feel for why they did what they

did, what brought them to the point. host: mark calling from twin falls, idaho. good morning. caller: i wondered, watergate, i did not have any recall of that era, but was that just before an election? why did they think they need at the edge of information? guest: that is a really good question, that i think pretty much everyone is puzzled by. indid a panel discussion lexington, kentucky, where i teach. a republican who used to work for the governor, the best he could think of when you are in office and a politician you are

always in campaign mode, always looking for an edge, and maybe that was it, because in retrospect it does not make sense. byon won the 1972 election such a massive amount. he won 49 of the 50 states. the only state that he carried was massachusetts. 10the popular vote almost million votes different. crazy. really hard to understand why they thought that was necessary. in the movie, immediately after the watergate investigation or watergate break-in where the head of the democratic party, lawrence o'brien, is on tv complaining that i thought this was a law and order administration. you can almost see the grin on his face.

host: dennis now from san diego. good morning. caller: good morning. i wanted to tell you i served in the u.s. marines from august 1974-1976. the week of the marine birthday, november 1975, i was part of a group of marines had a birthday off the base, and after the ceremony, richard nixon, the former president, came in side -- inside to greet us, and he said what is the last drink?l i was 19 at the time. we were allowed to drink on base, but not off base. i said the last corporal does not drink. he looked at me real hard and said what did you say? i said sir, the last corporal will have a budweiser, sir. he slapped the bar with his hand and set to but weiser's. he and i sat together and we talked. he talked and i listened. he told me his views about china and vietnam.

i was very honored for that contact with him. i remembered -- remember it always. guest: that is very cool. i think you will enjoy the movie. there are several scenes in san clemente. there is also a scene in the film in which richard nixon has a visit to vietnam and talked to soldiers there as well. you are lucky to have had a budweiser with the president. from what i understand, he was more partial to martinis. a pretty great experience. host: one thing you wanted to portray, they are human beings, despite what they were dealing with at the time. what else do what books to learn from the movie? -- want folks to learn from the

movie? guest: it is an experienced a movie. tomy experience, it is hard convey factual information in a short them. hopefully we get that in there. if you are not familiar with the nixon presidency, you will get a pretty good overview of what happened. some of, not all of, but the key accomplishments and problems that happened during the presidency. what we're learning more about is the personalities, the relationship between that nixon's staff members and nixon himself. we wanted to really capture

their experience to the best we could understand of what it was like to work for the president and what it felt like to work for the president, not from the perspective of anti-war but the perspective of square america? host: what was the biggest challenge in watching in piecing together the pieces? guest: right. of movie is made 100% archival material. we did not script anything. everything we used in the movie was historical, primary source material. frankly the biggest challenge was making it make sense. that is really hard to do. really hard to use the material. very rich material, but not material that it's easy to work and to into the foam.

it is incredibly personal information and revealing. -- and into the film. you do not ever your president's talking to each normally. would providing the context so they make sense and can understand what they're talking about was really a challenge. we were super fortunate to have our fantastic editor who helped us realize a film that does a good job of pulling together these different strains. host: duncan, you are on with brian frye, co-producer of "our nixon." caller: a secret society that richard nixon was a member of. i have considered moving to california for a lot of reasons, especially for ones like it exposing the growth. was there any mention of nixon

being a member of the bohemian grove? guest: no. the super eight domes are silent. they are ones that was made wherever they went with nixon. i do not believe there was any actual footage taken in the bohemian grove, although in the collection, there is a sequence in which nixon visits california to give an award to ladybird. concludenly able to that the minutes of the third five hours of footage, all of which is really interesting. we were able to give that to the general public.

we thought the american people should have access to it. host: john, in clarksburg, virginia. independent calller. good morning. alexandria, from virginia. wonderful. first of all, i cannot wait to see this.

i think it will be a great documentary. this is a gift that keeps on giving. i wanted to adjust by comment to what he said earlier when the call in asking about the 1972 election and the democratic headquarters. theynk in the biography pointed this out very clearly and thought it was a good reason. by 19 at 71 the nixon campaign that had begun was not sure they were going to be reelected. it was looking fairly bad

because the vietnam war strategy was not viewed as a success of pulling people out, but not being able to get the north vietnamese to seize activities. the economy was starting to go down word. was doing very well in some polls. if it were not able to do that, then there was always ted kennedy waiting in the wings. i think nixon felt concerned that a kennedy candidacy would be very difficult to overcome, a particularly with all of the division in the country, and also because of the domestic things that have happened and the first term. i think that is a very important reason for people to understand that in hindsight it looks as though it is a crazy thing to do, but at the time, and for anyone who has worked in government, you know that sometimes initiatives take a life of their own and sometimes get forgotten about, and yet, they still move forward. i think that may have been something that played into the administration. guest: that is totally a fair

point. i think it is hard to know how people were thinking. at that point i would say it is always hard for politicians to play hard but should also play fair. host: one viewer asked for more information. 9:00 tonight on cnn. midnight tonight on cnn. they will do that all over again on sunday. this will go into a broader release. guest: the film will open theatrically. it will open in san francisco in september. l.a., portland and the broader, the better so people are interested in seeing it their home town, they shall let people know there want it. host: what are you expecting? guest: i am pinching myself that it has done so well. when we started making this movie, we expected it at a museum somewhere. ruth it just exploded, which is really exciting. i am really happy we are able

to share this with some of the people. how large are the films and what else have you worked on? guest: this movie. period. penny lane is working on a new movie entitled "nuts" about john r. brinkley who gained -- gained fame in the 1920's by transplanting go testicles into men. then border radio and provided entryway for rock and roll into a mayor, and ultimately went down in the investigation from

the united states government. hilarious story. it is really great. i will be working on this pretty soon. host: republican call. thank you for waiting. you are on with bryan frye. caller: i just wanted to point out, i just joined the conversation a few minutes ago. as a student of history, a lot of things to not get told, so thank you for the film. in the book "citizen hughes" the reason richard nixon wanted to do the break-in was larry o'brien, the head of the democratic party and kennedy man was secretly on the pay roll like of -- other politicians were. it was pretty well documented. thank you very much. guest: that is very interesting. i will definitely check out the book. sound like an interesting read.

host: conway, missouri on the line. caller: i work for the nixon family in california. we hope to tear down the old market. a new dawn nixon went to work for the same company i went to work for. a family that i really respected. i sat there were a great family. they have really been taking down the road. i wanted to say something else. the three people that ran for president from california or the west coast, hoover was blamed for the economy in 1929. richard nixon, they finally got rid of him. he did some great things in my

opinion. he was in office six weeks after he got shot by hinckley. that is just my own personal theory that no one from the west coast can ever be president of the united states. thank you very much. guest: guess i will not be president, because i was born in san francisco. oh well. an interesting theory. could very well be the case. host: what else should people know about the project? >> i would like to let people know the end of the movie is really intended to be an open- ended look at the presidency. we really did try to be as fair and as a generous to nixon and his staff members as we felt materialnted by the available to us. it is really intended to have something to appeal to people whether they're coming from the left, right, center, where ever. it is not also just a serious movie. there is a lot that is funny.

a lot of using, interesting moments. people should not come to it thinking they are getting a history lesson. it is intended to be fun. host: jack from tennessee. republican. caller: hello. glad to be on with you. youe -- i was wondering if are familiar with the book, of very well-documented book that was largely ignored by the media that advance the premise that the real person who initiated the watergate break-in was really john dean and his motivation was to clear out evidence that the democrats were operating a prostitute ring of their headquarters. this book had a lot of copies of reports from employees and a lot of other information. i cannot recall the name of the book unfortunately.

it was written quite a while ago. are you familiar with the book? with: i am not familiar the book%, but i have heard that rumor -- per say, but i have heard that rumor circulated. i honestly do not have an opinion on who orchestrated the watergate break-in. i think a lot of people have come up with interesting stories and whoever knows is not talking apparently. i do not know anything anyone else does to be honest with you. host: that was our last call. final thoughts. guest: i hope people will watch the film on cnn tonight. you can find it at ournixon.com or facebook. make sure to see it on tv or go

to theaters when it opens later in august. host: the premiere tonight at thanks again, the premier on friday. >> our guest has been brian frye. andks a lot for your time explaining the projects to us. thank you guest: thank u so much. >> on the next washington journal, we talk to dan balz. after that, the u.s. senate race in kentucky. governor joins us from milwaukee were the national governors association is hosting its annual summer meeting. he will talk about the agenda and issues in colorado. calls, e-mailske and tweets live starting at 7:00

a.m. here on c-span. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2013] the first electronic computer was planned, it was estimated there could never be a market for more than two or three. today, there are more than 5000 computers. replica.s a this is a machine designed in 1890 to do the census. the 1880 census took almost two years to complete so the government knew it was in big trouble for the 1890s and this -- census. a way around this problem was to automate or mechanize the problem. the way this was solved was to ask a bunch of questions, the usual questions that census takers ask and punch the responses into small pieces of cardboard called punchcards. >> on american artifacts, the first 2000 years of computing. 7:00 p.m..even --

every weekend on c-span three. >> president obama outlined fors in his weekly address healthcare and secure retirement. senator susan collins gives the republican address. she talks about the healthcare laws impact on job creation and wages. >> this week i went down to an amazon warehouse in tennessee to talk about what needs to happen to get a bargain for the middle- to make sure that anyone who works hard can get ahead. over the past four and a half years, we fought our way back from the worst recession of our lifetimes and set the foundation for stronger economic growth. today our businesses have created more jobs. we now sell more products made in america than ever before. health-care costs are growing at the slowest rate in 50 years,

deficits are falling at the fastest rate in 60 years. as any middle-class family will tell you, we are not where we need to be yet. even before the crisis hit we were living for a decade where a few at the top were doing better and better and most families were working harder and harder to get by. reversing this trend must be the highest priority in washington. it is mine. but too often after the last few years washington has taken its eye off the ball. they have allowed posturing and scandals to distract from growing our economy and the strengthening the middle-class, which is why i am laying out my ideas for how to build on the cornerstone of the ideas of being middle-class in america. a good education, home of euro, ash -- home of your own. healthcare when you get sick, and, the most important of all, a good job in a durable growing

industry. when it comes to creating more good jobs that pay decent wages, the problem is not a lack of ideas. plenty of independent economists, business owners, and people from both parties agree on what we have to do. i proposed many of these ideas two years ago. this week to put forward more common-sense proposals to create more jobs in manufacturing by rebuilding america's infrastructure. what we are lacking is action from washington. that is why in addition to proposing ideas that we know will grow the economy, i put forward a strategy for breaking through the washington logjam. a grand bargain for the middle class. i am willing to work with republicans to simplify the tax code for businesses large and small, but only if we take the money that we say by -- we save by transitioning to a simpler tax system and make an investment in good, middle-class jobs. we can put construction workers back on the job rebuilding the

infrastructure, boosting manufacturing so that more american companies can sell their products around the world. and we can help to arm our students with the skills needed for the global economy without a dime of deficit. i will keep laying out my ideas to give the middle class a better shot, reaching out to republicans for theirs. cutting critical investments in our future and threatening national default on the bills that congress has racked up, that is not an economic plan. denying health care to millions of americans are shutting down the government because i am for keeping it open will not help the middle class. this truth is that there are no gimmicks when it comes to creating jobs. there are no tricks to growing the economy. reversing the erosion of middle- class security in this country will not be easy, t if we work together and take a few bold steps and if washington is willing to set aside politics and focus on what matters, we

can close the region grow the economy. together we can make this country a place where everyone who works hard to get ahead. thank you, and have a great weekend. >> hello, i am senator susan collins, from maine. my family founded a small business in northern maine more than 160 years ago. today it continues to be run by two of my brothers. our economy is built from millions of enterprises just like ours. it is not easy to survive in today's economy. but these employers remain our nation's job creators. we should be doing all the can to promote policies to help them survive and thrive. effective health care reform should provide americans with access to quality and affordable

care while also encouraging economic growth. that is not what is happening under obama care. instead, obama care is actually discouraging small businesses from creating jobs and hiring new employees. the law also has perverse incentives for employers to reduce the number of hours that their employees can work. while most small-business owners want to provide health insurance for their employees, many simply cannot afford to under obama care. yet even struggling businesses with 50 or more full-time employees will be required to provide health insurance or face huge fines for each employee. if you employ 49 workers, there

are no fines, but if you had just one more, you are hit with penalties. these enormous penalties are a real threat to employers that want to add jobs. they are a powerful incentive for employers to refrain from hiring additional workers. even worse, under obama care anyone working an average of 30 hours per week is considered full time, causing some businesses to reluctantly reduce the hours that their workers worked to fewer than 30 per week. it is not just the private sector that is affected. let me give you an example. a school system in my state of maine is already preparing to track and cap the number of hours that substitute teachers can work to ensure that they do not work more than 29 hours per

week. fewer hours means less money in the teachers' paychecks and more disruption for the students. recently labor leaders of led by the teamsters president warned that obama care will, and i quote, eliminate the backbone of the american middle-class. they are right to be worried. in the past, most of these jobs were full time. this year the overwhelming majority of new jobs are part- time. under this troubling trend, more workers will find their hours and earnings reduced. jobs will be lost. this is especially disturbing, as our country is still battling

high unemployment. a study from the labor center at california berkeley underscores the danger. that study found that 10 million american workers are vulnerable to having their hours cut as a direct result of obama care. 10 million workers. most vulnerable are lower income employees. in an effort to protect these millions of workers, i have introduced a bipartisan bill called the 40 hours is full-time act. my bill would change the definition of full time employee in obama care from 30 hours per week to 40 hours per week. a 40 hour work week is full time. we all know that.

this bill is just common sense. now, the obama administration has announced that it is delaying enforcement of employer mandate until 2015. but the fact is that the law remains in place and continues to discourage new jobs and full- time work. of course, fixing this one flaw will not solve the countless problems caused by obama care. it would help to ensure that millions of american workers do not have their hours and pay checks reduced. small businesses are the backbone of our nation's economy. the last thing that we need is yet another obstacle to helping them grow and create much-needed jobs.

>> if we ignore the needs of others, we align ourselves who are -- with those who are bringing about this suffering. >> obesity in this country is nothing short of a public health crisis. somebody had their own agenda. >> i think they serve as a window on the past to what was going on with american women. >> really in a way the only one in the world you can trust. >> women who were first ladies were writers.

>> journalists, they wrote books. moreey are in many cases interesting as human beings than their husbands. if only because they are not first and foremost defined and limited by political ambition. >> when you go to the white house today, it is edith roosevelt also white house. -- edith roosevelt's white house. >> not enough change. case, the in every whatever fits done her personality and interests. >> she later wrote in her memoir that, i myself never made any said -- any decisions. i only decided what was important and when to present it

to my husband. stop and think about how much power that is. >> a battle against cancer is to fight the fear that accompanies the disease. >> she transformed the way we oos and madee begab it possible for countless people to survive. as a result, i don't know how many presidents realistically have that kind of impact on the way we live our lives. >> just walking around the white remindedam constantly of all the people who have lived there before and particularly all of the women. >> first ladies, influence and image, a c-span original series produced in cooperation with the white house historical and --

first ladies from edith roosevelt to michelle obama. >> today, senate minority leader mitch mcconnell was at a picnic and fundraiser in the town of fancy farm, kentucky. the annual event draws political leaders from across the state. speakers included the minority leader and the candidates challenging him in 2014 including matt bevin and alison grimes and ed marksberry. it is courtesy of kentucky educational television. [applause]

>> thank you very much. thank you. >> we want mitch. we want mitch. >> i want to thank you for another fancy farm. you are well represented. obviously, congressman ed whitfield. and commissioner of agriculture is here with us. we appreciate it all. look.

before i get started, i want to say how nice it is to see jerry lundergan back in the game. like the loyal democrat he is, he is taking orders from the obama campaign on how to run his daughter's campaign. they told him to make a pitch on the internet for the women's vote and he sent a check to anthony weiner. [booing] over the next 15 months, we are going to decide what kind of america we want to have. what kind of kentucky we want to have. there are only two answers to this question. barack obama's vision for

america. or kentucky's. the obama crowd does not like it. kentucky's voice is often the voice of opposition to the obama agenda. i am proud of that. that is why every liberal in america, every liberal in america have announced they will beat us next year. you know, the liberals are worried because it just as i predicted, obamacare is a disaster for america. [applause] i fought them every step of the way, every step of the government takeover. and we stand up to their war on

coal. look, as long as i am in the senate, kentucky will have a voice. instead of san francisco and martha's vineyard. [applause] all of these liberals, come down here to push me around, they are not going to get away with it, are they? rand paul, ed whitfield, and i take the fight every single day. let me give you an example. a few months ago, the liberals decided that you cannot fish below the dams below the river anymore. well, i rounded up the group and we got together with ed

whitfield and rand paul and you can still fish below the dams. we stopped them. [applause] in the beginning of the year, they tried to raise taxes on everyone. i led the charge to save 99% of kentuckians from a tax increase. they tried to bully conservatives over at the irs, but we called them out. [applause] you can't get any of those things done from the back bench. that is why it is important, very, very important to keep kentucky's voice strong. we have got some big elections coming up. but we are not just choosing, we are not just choosing who is going to represent kentucky in the senate.

we are going to decide who is going to run the senate. [applause] and here is the choice. here is the choice. is the senate going to be run by a nevada yes-man for barack obama? who believes coal makes you sick? or the guy you are looking at? [applause] it is really quite simple. here is the choice. obama's nevada yes-man or a kentuckian to run the senate? thank you for all you are doing. we are going to have a lot of fun.

[applause] >> we want mitch. we want mitch. we want mitch. we want mitch. we want mitch. >> i would like to thank saint jerome for hosting the annual

fancy farm picnic. it is great to be back here in west kentucky. now i only have six minutes to speak today and i have a great piece of advice. he told me i could take two minutes for my speech by using i instead of referring to myself as alison lundergan grimes. alison lundergan grimes is a long name. where else would you find a name [booing] else can you find a name with five fouls? els.ive vow my name was so long that my grandmother decided we would do something about it. with your help, come january 2015, you can call me senator. [applause]

[booing] now i know senator mcconnell will say i am not right for the job because unlike him i have not been in washington, d.c. for 30 years. but do i really need to apologize for having more government experience than rand paul? i know many of you want to see rand paul here today. he is spending the weekend with his loved ones. the tea party members in iowa. today is a special occasion. it is not every fancy farm that the republican nominee actually shows up. please join me in giving a big rousing welcome to matt bevin. [applause] now senator mcconnell is here, too.

we do have our differences like when he voted to double medicare premiums. his version of kentucky healthcare for our seniors would be to lop it off. -- to walk it off. let's just tell it how it is. if the doctors told senator mcconnell he had a kidney stone, he would refuse to pass it. [applause] i am glad senator mcconnell is here and he actually stayed because i know it has been a tough month for him. from the republican caucus, the entire caucus around him to a filibuster reform to the announcement of his chief of staff leaving this weekend. recent polls show senator mcconnell is the most unpopular senator among not just democrats but republicans as well.

[applause] you know what that means? after all of these years, at least he kept one campaign promise, to keep both parties coming together. the truth is there is a reason that senator mcconnell is not liked by kentucky or the united states, and that is because there is a disease in washington. senator mcconnell is at the center of it. in his quest for power, he has left kentucky and its citizens behind. as long as he remains in a washington, d.c., d.c. will stand for dysfunctional capital. after years of being the leader of the republican party, the republican party, the gop has

come to stand for gridlock, obstruction, and partisanship. [applause] it seems our senior senator only understands the meaning of one word, stop. voting timer your after time against increasing the minimum wage while increasing your pay stops now. senator, your empty rhetoric about fighting for kentucky coal while you vote against their workers and the retirees. stop now. and senator, you're failing to stand up for the good women of kentucky when you vote against the paycheck fairness act stops now. and you are failing to realize the importance of labor that has put millions into poverty.

stop now. we have two different views. as we all know, he has used public service as a carnival game of whack-a-mole. i do not scare easily and neither does the rest of kentucky. [applause] after 30 years of failed leadership, it is time we have the united states senator that unites all kentuckians, democrats, republicans, and independents. i will reach across the aisle and i will not forget who i represent and that is you. i will work so that every kentucky woman gets equal pay for equal work. that is what the kentucky women deserve, nothing less. that is what a kentucky senator should be fighting for.

i will work to keep our jobs here and not overseas. that is what a kentucky senator should be fighting for. i believe in balancing our budget the right way. cutting spending while protecting social security. he talks about -- i am here to advise you to join his wish. thank you. god bless you. [applause] [booing] >> thank you. thank you for having me here. fancy farm, what an amazing tradition. i will ask for my family to come up here. now that mitch mcconnell has made room by leaving, we have room on the stage.

come on up here, guys. i know this a good time. i know it is fun. there's a lot of good food. i thank the people for putting this on. this is an extraordinary piece of american history right here. the fact of the matter is, at the end of the day we are here because we do live in the land of the free and we do live in the home of the brave. and that means something. it is great to play games and is great to boo and make snarky comments. jacknd it interesting that on my was talking about people in fancy clothes. i will stop there. the fact is there's a lot more at stake on this stage and in this senate race than meets the eye. it is more than just the noise.

mitch mcconnell has amazingly disappeared. i find that shocking. it is like a flashback. instead of where is -- where is mitch? where is mitch? where is mitch? the people of kentucky have been wondering that awhile now on both sides of the aisle. i will tell you that mitch mcconnell was in louisville earlier this year. he said, it is a place where people come to end their lives. that was his quote. i am running for u.s. senate because i am living proof of and i want people to know that kentucky is a place for its people to begin their lives and expand and improve their lives. [applause] you can cheer for this to.

it is ok. you want a better life. we are on the same team here, i will tell you that much. it is easy to get up here. i could crack at alison grimes. i am not going to do that. we will have ample time next year when that guy is gone. frankly with the start of her campaign, i did not have anything left after that. the fact that there will be time for that next year. the bells that have been ringing, mitch mcconnell seems to wonder what was up with that. i saw him looking around. let me tell you something senator, if you're not scurried away yet, ask not for whom the bell tolls, they toll for you. they toll for you because the people of kentucky have had enough. [applause] they toll for you because the

people have had enough of the amnesty, the bailouts, and wall street banks being bailed out while small businesses got nothing. they have had enough. they had enough of you raising your own pay time and time again while people here in the commonwealth are struggling. they have had enough of that. the people of kentucky have had enough of you fighting desperately to keep your job while doing nothing to help keep jobs in kentucky with 5700 jobs in the coal gone alone in the last two years. it is unacceptable. we have had enough. i find it interesting why are you leaving with all of your supporters here? apparently, he wants to beat the crowd. mitch mcconnell does not want people to actually hear they have an alternative.

we hear a lot of anti-rhetoric about ending obamacare. obamacare is unpopular. stop talking about it. and start voting in the u.s. senate to kill it by defunding it. be a man. stand up and put your money where your mouth is. the people of kentucky deserve better. mitch mcconnell is known as mudslinging mitch because the only thing he has been running on is destroying other people. there is nothing in his 30 year history of voting that he is proud enough of to actually run on. he talked about the money he has. he brags about it. i will tell you this, mitch mcconnell, there was another guy who had a war chest. his that was king george william

frederick the third. in 1776, he had a war chest. the people sent him packing. we will send you packing. i do not intend to run to the right or left of mitch mcconnell, i intend to run right over mitch mcconnell to the u.s. senate. thank you. god bless you. and god bless the united states of america. [applause] >> you have a beautiful family. and you stole half of what i was fixing to say. say it again. sometimes you want to repeat. i wanted to dedicate this speech to a good friend of mine who passed away. gaywood was the best example of a grassroots candidate and he also believed like i believe that the party bosses should not

pick a candidate. it should be the people. here it is to you throwing your hat back in the ring. i am probably going to run over. i want you to stand up. i cannot say hello for five minutes. i want to give it one more shout out. if you want to know everything that is wrong with mitch mcconnell, you need to check it out. please check out our good friend. i told you to stay in the truck. one thing i want to talk about is i have been the placeholder since december and the national media has forgotten about that. that is what happens when you are grassroots candidate. you do not have money. you do not have a machine behind you.

mitch mcconnell will raise millions of dollars to tell lies about allison grimes. i hope she raised $20 million to tell the truth about mitch. [applause] a lot of people know that you cannot buy ed marksberry but you can buy mitch. he said he has been working for kentucky. if that is what you call working for kentucky, we want him to stop. a lot of people call him the turtle man. that is disrespectful to the good turtle man we have. i'm a big fan of the turtle man. no ice cream for you when you get home. everybody makes fun of his looks. they talk about his chin. he does not have a chin. he used to. when he first was a judge executive in louisville, he had a chin as big as jay leno. he suffers from the kissmeitis.

let me explain what it is. i will explain for the media later. that is when after years of kissing the butts of the corporate elite, it rubs your chin right off. let's talk about his legacy. the other is henry clay who is a -- twokentucky state flag has pioneers. one was daniel boone. the other is henry clay who is a great compromiser. we know what mitch is going to be known as, the great obstructioner. i want to add something to rand paul. he is a grand dissolutionist. [booing]

you know it is funny. mitch sold his soul. how many more minutes do i have? i am going to give my soul to the middle class families and work hard in the country. mitch has sold himself to the pharmaceutical companies out there and i am going to give my soul to senior citizens who cannot afford their prescriptions because of mitch. i would tell you one more thing. he sold his soul to the wall street bankers that caused this big recession, not obama. i am going to give my soul into those college students who are overburdened with the high cost of going to college with their debt. [applause] i am about done. i have one minute left. i would like to talk about

my website marksberry2014.com. when i was running, we could not get traction with the media. i came out with a song called "what about us?" i would love if you went to the website and click on it. it will tell you a lot about what is good to be about a democrat. there was another person who taught us what democrats are. we believe in taking care of the elderly, the orphans, and those who are poor. he said to go out there and visit those in prison. one more thing, he did not charge a dime. thank you. god bless. marksberry2014.com [applause] >> after the event, matt bevin spoke about his bid. here's a little of what he had to say.

>> the people of kentucky want a better person than the one that has spent 30 years in office and has never worked in the private sector. it will continue to be a race until may of next year. >> [indiscernible] >> i think it speaks to the he has a reason to be afraid. he has been in washington for 30 years. he has never held a private sector job, and yet you want to stand up here and talk about how you're going to help the people back in kentucky. ask about the 5700 workers in the coal industry who lost their jobs in the last two years and ask them. >> [indiscernible] >> somebody who believes in the future of this country.

i was here with my wife and nine children. i've a lot of good reasons, wonderful reasons. i am a very blessed man. their future matters. their future is what is at stake and not just for my family, but every other family. and the young people you are talking about. because disillusioned the gop is not standing on the principle of smaller government, less taxes. that is what the people want. they do not want to go into the future saddled that mitch -- saddled with the debt that mitch mcconnell and other politicians are heaping on their heads. >> if you would not mind, a little bit of what you are talking about. the way he treated you today. did you shake hands? did you talk? >> i greeted him when he came in. i am an adult. i would expect the same for everybody.

i have nine children. i am used to childish behavior. i am not shocked. i shook his hand. as to what he wanted to do or the position he wanted to take, you will have to ask him about it. >> you think it is childish behavior? >> i think is rather childish. people have a choice. he does not want people to know they have a choice. but they have a choice. it will be a severe underestimation. it would. i will be here until may 20. on may 21, we will start round two. >> [inaudible] >> my message has already been heard. it will continue to be heard. i was asked to be here. it is the only place in the family farm arena i was asked to be. that is ok. my message will be heard loud and clear. anybody want to see this are

here, the people of kentucky are hungry for a change. they are tired of 30 years of representation by a guy that does not share kentucky values. we are going to give them a clear, conservative choice. thank you. thank you. [bells tolling]

>> i will walk with you. i've been asked that question by everybody so far. it will be run in this fashion, in a professional manner and a well fashioned manner. it will be votes to get out there and the voices to be heard in an informed fashion. the funding is not going to be the issue. i've answered this question. there will be ample funding. >> can we say hi at least? >> can i take a picture? >> sure. >> do you want me to take it? >> yes.

>> i hold it down? >> act like you love each other. hold it. there we go. >> thank you very much. >> you're welcome. >> it's about 10 degrees cooler >> peoplesually is. have said this is a david and goliath campaign. do you have david's kate? faith?id's dait >> i do. i begged him to tell the people

of kentucky anything he promises to do in the next six years that he has been unable to do in the last 30 years. i challenge him to do one thing that he is proud of and actually run on that as opposed to smearing me and alison grimes and ed marksberry and anybody else. it is beneath the office he holds. i am asking him to be a man, run on his record. david will end. -- david will win. >> that was a picnic in fancy farm, kentucky. one event taking place across the country as lawmakers begin their recess. the national journal put out an article listing the summer plans for other members of congress. among the list is a las vegas energy summit with harry reid and house republican fund- raising tour with house speaker john boehner.

>> former texas congressman rand in virginiawas yesterday. he was the keynote speaker at the young americans for liberty national convention. we will show you his remarks in their entirety tomorrow here on c-span. in the meantime, here's a preview of the former congressmen's remarks. >> the biggest risk is how sluggish will they get. speaking out can be dangerous. we write laws on purpose. all of politicians want truth. they want us to know everything about government so they write strict laws. if you are a whistleblower, we will protect you. yeah, sure. you do that and they charge you with treason.

this reminds me of you know, the dictatorship with an empire of lies. the empire, the big government is only held together by lies. these revolutions whether bradley manning or snowden, they have not hurt us. they have hurt the bureaucrat. they have heard the politician. they embarrass them. you mean we spy on every country in the world? we spy on them? they probably suspected, but it is out in the open. they are embarrassed. that becomes treasonous to maintaining the façade that they are wonderful and good and humanitarian. quite frankly, they get away with a lot by claiming they are the humanitarian. if you have an understanding for

the people and the best hope for the poor, you will believe in liberty and the free market. that is humanitarian with a result that has been proven throughout history to be the best way to feed the poor and make sure there is equity. [applause] of thecan watch all remarks by former texas congressman ron paul at that event tomorrow at 630 eastern on c-span. >> we have never really known what to do with our first ladies and that is particularly true in more recent times. on the one hand, they are expected to have causes. you can't imagine a first lady without a cause. on the other hand, those causes are not permitted to intrude

upon lawmaking or an official capacity. it has always been a tightrope. seeing how each of these women walk that tightrope tells you a lot not only about them, but about the institution and about the society. >> next week, we begin our encore presentation of our original series "risk ladies, influence and image -- "first ladies, influence and image." -- next week, martha washington to van buren. all this month starting monday at 9:00 eastern on c-span. >> house transportation committee bill shuster and anthony foxx talked with governors about the country's infrastructure needs. they were guest speakers at the second day of the national governors association meeting in

milwaukee. the remarks lasted a little over an hour and a half. >> good morning. welcome. i am the governor of south dakota and the national resources committee. it is my pleasure to chair this meeting this morning. i hope everyone enjoys their night at harley davidson as much as i did. we did not leave much paint on the asphalt. that is the good part. governor walker, thank you for arranging that. it was a great time. i am glad to see my friend.jack dalrymple from north dakota is here. next year, it will be 125 years

since south dakota and north dakota became states. both north dakota and south dakota will be celebrating our 125th anniversary this year. i want to take this opportunity in the celebrations from anniversaries. you always have a logo of some kind. in south dakota, we went to our tourism department and they created a 125 inside of a circle with ribbons streaming off. we created our logo. north dakota has offered to take suggestions for their 125th. i have a suggestion. my wife drafted it up for me. >> i do not like being ambushed. >> i found it at walgreens. it is in the form of a t-shirt

but i think it can be reduced and put on nice materials. it says south dakota, carrying north dakota since 1989. [laughter] if you will please step forward. >> this calls for direct retaliation immediately. we're going to develop a t-shirt t-shirt and wait until ucr's. -- until you see ours. i will not be needing that. i've nothing to do but call the meeting to order. theome to this session of

national resources committee. unfortunately, governors brown, corbett are unable to join us. i am honored to be joined by governor jay nixon is a member of the commerce committee to help facilitate this session. david is here to my left. he leads after the national gregurces committee. sundstrom is to my right. please see them if you have any materials or want copies. before we get started, i want to remind everyone to put their phones on vibrate. i will do that myself. thank you. today we're going to hear from two distinct panelists. they will be invited to ask questions. infrastructureted.

is in many ways a backbone to our states. sustaining the quality of life and promoting commerce. as governors, we understand the connection between roads and bridges, blocks and dams and the communities they serve. insmed -- infrastructure connects us. as such, this requires a national commitment. we are here today to review national policy on infrastructure both in terms of surface transportation and our water resources and have intergovernmental partnerships to meet the needs of our modern economy. this is by no means an easy task. the american society of civil engineers recently gave the committee a d+ rating.

warned2013 report, they that if investments in infrastructure continue to lag behind current needs, the u.s. economy could face $1 trillion in lost business. uncertainty at the federal level has only exacerbated this deficit. our states are finding new and innovative ways to address the challenges we face. many states have implemented changes to their motor fuels taxes. other states have advanced public/private partnerships to, meant funding. success on the state level does not negate the need for federal engagement. it depends upon fruitful intergovernmental partnerships that cooperate on shared resources.

that is why the commerce committee has been dedicated to the task of preserving innovative funding including tools like public/private safeguarding public financing, notably tax exempt bonds. in any discussion with congress on total tax reform. in some instances projects are in the purview of the federal government. in the case of the army corps engineer projects authorized by the water resource of element act, states require meaningful engagement with the entities that try project approval. this unique relationship between the federal government and the states was a driving force behind the focus of the nga national resources committee this year. our committee released principles aimed at finding

congresses -- guiding congresses action to reauthorize the water sources development act. these principles can be found in your briefing books. they outline government recommendations for a federal state partnership and water resources development. a hallmark is our call for increased coordination. particularly in the states where projects are located. water resources act development legislation has not been reauthorize since 2007. it is my hope that congress can finish the work of passing a bill that moves forward with the project authorizations and modernizes the core relationship with governors. a national commitment to bring this into a state of good repair with not only strengthen our competitiveness but will help us meet the goals of reduced congestion and the environmental sustainability.

i would like to turn things over to governor next and for his remarks. >> thank you. thank you for your leadership this year. thank you for all of the fine work they're doing. i want to thank you for the incredible hot tablets he. hospitality. it is the best beer state. the second best beer states. excuse me. we can do a lot of things here. i get my picture taken with a miller beer it is the most dangerous thing that could occur. he is taking care of me.

workdoes not really though, doesn't it? anyway. the joint session was an important one. i've got the mark -- microphone. we have been busy. this'll be a great opportunity to explore the challenges that that lie ahead. we're trying to show you helpful get along. i know you feel that way. we want businesses to go back in the long term, integrated

solution is essential. this is not a problem that can be fixed but the onetime investment. here in missouri, we have reduced overhead in the department transportation by half a billion dollars and redirect those funds towards roads and bridges. largestcompleted the

bridge improvement plan in state history. just last week had had the opportunity to stand on the deck of a new bridge over the mississippi river, 16 feet board to go. i could watch this go down the nations greatest river. it was an awesome view. the people that we serve know that we need to build the next great bridges and maintain the futures that all americans drive on. we're tremendously honored. we want to hear from our first guest here, congressman bill shuster. he oversees house action on all the transportation including maritime, highway, mass transit, and railroad. he represents is obeying his ninth congressional district and has searched on the

committee since his first election to congress in 2000 one. welcome. >> thank you very much. thanks for that great example tot i can take back washington as to how the parties can work together. we need a good example. i really appreciate the opportunity to be here. to washington as to how the partiesat every state i have beo this is my first visit to wisconsin. prevailte is going to this year. other at a couple of governors. we look forward to those engagements.

it is an opportunity for me to engage with governors. as i have traveled around the country, seeing what other states are doing the federal government should be looking to you to get the ideas that to engage with governors. as i have traveled around the country, seeing what other states are doing the federal government should be looking to you to get the ideas that you are implementing. >> it is your example of putting those dollars into infrastructure. more and more at the federal level. the federal government needs to be assisting. the best thing is to get out of your way seek in these forward. i've traveled the country and salt time and time again how states can move things very quickly. the federal government makes projects cost more. that is not what we want to do. i will talk about the funding. time is money. if we can reduce these objects by half or a quarter, that saves money.

i was in her state and sell the crosstown expressway. it took 15 years to build $680 million. just from inflation alone is 10% or 12%. it is a tremendous savings we can use to invest in that. he could understand the save, efficient, transportation system. all of us working together from the local and federal government making this what it has been throughout our history. we can continue to make those investments and make sure the stakeholders are involved as we move forward with policies that are able to drive the system. transportation is important. when i come into a room like this and they look over the crowd, everybody here has today

or yesterday affected by the transportation system. in louisiana talking to a manufacturer of our masuda goals, he told me were the most important things was getting those things from the market. -- a manufacturer of pharmaceuticals. he stopped. i can pull this out. i said i'm in the transportation business. we are all in a transportation business. we have to get the serial in the milk out in the morning. she was touched by the system. it will cost more for the milk. it impacts us all. we made some good progress. i think there are some very reforms. we are still slowly getting the

information. secretary fox will be here later today. i am encouraged. we had dinner the other night. i didn't know was several republicans. we had a great conversation. i look forward to it i did. it is always a positive thing. it sometimes you have to leave politics at the door and get things done. information. i'm sure you will appreciate with the signature has to say. they gave us a poor grade. we are at a point where we have got to figure out how to do this anyway that keeps us competitive in the world. there is a federal role. working with the state and the local governments. when you look after our our history, it is lost on some folk that the articles of

confederation failed for a lot of reasons. the bringing -- the breaking point was the transportation issue. they cannot navigate the potomac river and into the ohio territory. they realize if we are not able to move our goods and connect our nation we are not going to be a nation. when they went back to draw up the constitution, they talk about commerce and establishing the roads. he said something that is lost sometimes in the debate. should government provide three things for the will, security, maintain justice and maintain security. that is good for all of the people. wehe moved forward and as have moved forward through this

country, whether it is the transcontinental railroad or the highway system, those were all significant works that brought this country together that made this country which i believe it is the giant we had today. systema transportation that has physically connected this nation. we need to me forward with something. it needs to be on a bipartisan basis. been are issues that have bipartisan. transportation is one of them. youre making sure we give more flexibility. it is essential. thecommittee has mentioned development act. we are ready to mark it up in september and has an floor action in october.

passedate has artie their version of it. from learned a lot watching the senate to go through that. we worked closely. we met with members of congress on both sides of the aisle. we have a bipartisan project that puts the number on the committee and said committee. when a number of stakeholders. i cannot distinguish between a republican and democrat because they have the same kind of complaints about not having flexibility for bringing them having more influence in the process. that is a big reason we are able to have that.

there are significant reforms. i think the state will be encouraged by what they have to say. it is about trade and jobs. certainly you are going to get job when you a rebuilding locks. those are short-term jobs. if you look at the trade in the next few years it will double and then double again. these are good jobs for americans. they cannot export their goods if it is not an efficient system. it will not be competitive.

this is a jobs bill. this sets hard deadlines on the time and cost of studies. they do not pass it up the line. we have concurrent reviews. we're she mining the environmental review process. it'll be a responsible though. we are authorizing programs that have been authorized over the past 40 or 50 years. they will not continue to build this massive backlog.

we're looking at some of the smaller underserved perks. we need to make the investment they need to do. it maximizes the ability to contribute their own funds. miami has had their money in the bank to do this for about three or four years. the do not have authorization. a this extensibility. people want to put tin mix.

it can accelerate things. this is the first word that has no air marks. there are projects in it. this would be the first word. this'll have a new process. involvedates will be early on in this. there is a lot of positive things in the senate bill. after they passed the word will be the corps of engineers. the congress has to authorize

these projects. ams is one of the things i adamant about. the word is on its way. this is very difficult to do. i believe there needs to be a passage to rail system. there are some that may not be a great ideas but there are places we need to focus on to get it done. i do not live long in the northeast quarter -- quarter were. corridor. the thing that makes it should be the place the focus is that we own the lines there.

the other thing is you have 18% of our population living on 3% of our land mass where it there is the ability to get them. this is something we need to take a serious look at. is most congested airspace above the north these core door. 70% of all that are delayed or canceled occur because of interaction with the northeast corridor.

bringing the private sector to her in. as we have seen, the ridership has grown. there is a significant reforms that needs to take place in the operation. we will continue to work across the aisle. it is made up of several state. especially if they are putting their money into the system. when we have a divided government we are figuring out the solutions together. we will be working on reauthorization of map 2001 -- matt 21. how do we find it? we need to consider everything that is out there. how do we get these dollars in net to be able to make the investments that we need? >> we are looking at that.

i know the house is committed to doing tax reform. typesre looking at these of rings. the senate is committed to doing tax reform. we are encouraging our brother and over there to move on a lot of these tax reform's. i know aviation oversight is important to many of your states. i think they are finally right size. as he me forward we need figure out a policy to encourage the airline industry to continue to work i make these investments. they do not take money. toy're making the profits jive that back in without

government support. finally, i come to you today to ask for your help. certainly i cannot do it alone. learneled here not only from what you do but to help us engage your constituencies to the importance of this. i think almost everyone one of you mentioned infrastructure. it is the act phone of the economy. -- backbone of the economy. we are needing you to help explain to them the importance of moving a transportation bill. it is good for the business.

it is to advocate for the transportation bill. working with groups like that, there is another one that has been formed in washington. mary peters who is here at us today has an very much an advocate of america's infrastructure alliance that has an funded by the airlines, transportation, put this

together to form the alliance to advocate and put the american people. you do not understand the importance of the waterway system. making sure the american people understand that is important. it is a big effort. we're all going to need to pitch in and make sure we are involved in this for. we have an absolutely critical role in moving this agenda forward. congress needs to hear from you. i believe we can have success. i believe we will be able to do what is necessary to keep this country in a competitive state. if you have places like brazil they want to drive down the cost. these are the kind that competitive situations that are occurring out there. they have signed a deal that

they will not go through the panama canal. the world is getting smaller. we have to remain competitive. i think this is a vital area. i appreciate the opportunity. thank you very much. [applause] >> thank you very much. let's open up to questions. >> thank you very much for joining us. i to officially welcome you to the home of the last three years champions. i am sure we will have fun with that as well. i do not even mention the 45th super bowl.

we appreciate your being here. we appreciate your commitment. this is a great and rotation advocate. he has a harley in washington. it all revolves around harley one way or another. first off, he mentioned the inks on highway 31 to enter state. we understand transportation is not just about transportation. in our state we think about transportation. we think about agriculture. we think about manufacturing. coreink about all of the

industries. even the things about beer, oftentimes it is not just about competing among brands. it is about competing to see which grew grew reaching get a cold beer on the arbor. the zoo interchange is just on the way. we also have a great area. we have a transit center. we have the airport which is one of the fastest-growing airports in the past decade. these are all vital links to our data.

i appreciate the focus. these are one of the few areas where you do that. >> this is really outstanding. >> thank you. i would like to properly introduce a governor she was a former chairman of the national governors association. it is from north dakota. ed, please stand. thank you. it's good to see you. >> i guess less is saved

apologies. forst want to thank you being here. just one question about how this will progress. there are times when politics entered into the debate. it has been delayed. in a state like ours were we have had several natural disasters in the last few years, we are in tremendous need getting some flood protection objects moving forward.

ofdesperately need a couple projects to be authorized. thepe we can get through political challenges. one little problem for us with the bill is there are a couple of situations where we do need a reconnaissance study and to at the entire roberval a chain. nice to be analyzed by the court of engineers. is answer to us that there no such thing as a new project. i understand one easy way of holding down spending as to

never authorize anything new. progressiveally when it comes to managing the nation's infrastructure. somewayhat somehow, there can be such a thing as a new feasibility study occasionally for a new project. >> i am cautiously optimistic. they have moved this along the way. we watched the bill go through. ifo confident we will be able to move this into confidence. there is a great thirst and hunger to get this bill. part of what i want to do is to start on the next bill.

we should be going through and looking what this brings us and through a process. weshould be every year if have to be. i know there are studies out there that need to be done, especially after you have a natural disaster with the flooding. our goal is to not only get this out but to get this on the next word of though. >> thank you. thank you for being with us. it is good to see you again. i think most of us recognize how important the interstate freeway system has been. we came together as a country and connected ourselves for better accessibility. it helps our economy. it has been a godsend.

they use federal dollars to do that. they made the, unnecessary regulations. is attached to the utilization of the money. for can build better roads less money. doy suggested they could this for 20% or 25% less money. we understand the need for a count ability and oversight. are we over regulating to point that it has cost us money.

smarte talked to every person i can in the united states and around the world to get a number to put on that. interestto me just on alone it would be 8% or 10%. they were a mile apart. we are using state and local money only. it is completed when we were there. the other bridge was identical. it is going to cost between 1.21

$.3 million. they are still going through this. they are chine to get the federal agencies to get this. it can be problematic. you're absolutely right. it was enlightening to me. this putting a lot of resources into the structure. let us help you understand some of the challenges we face. they have a hearing and say give us your suggestion. ande had hearings

roundtable discussions. they are more formal. this has been very helpful to we could get there and put into us. >> thank you. it. >> my former colleague. >> we appreciate you coming to join us in a couple things i want to mention. a couple of things i see on the

backside. there are rules and regulations. there are the projects. it is getting a bill. this is the time it takes to get those studies done. they do not have the money to do this on some major projects for economic development. there have been studies that have been done around the lake.

they go into this new one. some flexibility would occur. you can encourage them to work. and can create jobs investments versus taking two years. it is one of the things i see on the back side of it. i appreciate this. this may have happened during the time when you have it here. a barge hit it. on that hand we were able to work years ago to create teams

and get some waivers. it has some leeway through some waivers through the federal highway administration. they get this to be done faster. anytime we can allow the states more the -- flexibility the better for all of us. as you are on break, i know you work very hard when you're on these rates. there are these big jet negotiations.

they're talking about shutting down the federal government. it creates insurgency in the states. there is a delay making decisions about creating new jobs. in insurgency that you have washington. -- uncertainty in washington. it is the local economies. one of the things is the uncertainty does not allow us to plan out in our hiring practices and building practices, not knowing whether the money will be there.

>> this is something i here for my constituents all the time. it is a big problem. as far as streamlining map 21, we did. we did that. they are trying to streamline this. dredgingconstantly those rivers. they had to do a three-year study. they have quadrupled over the last couple of years.

youas to be maddening to when you see your precious tax dollars in squandered on endless studies. you have representatives. feel free to contact us. >> we're going to have to move along. we've got to move along. we have another guest speaker we need to give respect to. we have let the question go on beyond our allocated time. i appreciate your understanding, and thank you, mr. chairman, for being present and thank you for all your good questions. [applause]

>> secretary fox was sworn in on july 2 of 2013 and joined the department after serving as mayor of charlotte, north carolina from 2009-2013. prior to being elected mayor, he served two terms in the

charlotte city council. the group is focused on exactly what you do and i don't want to take any more time and your intro. thank you for ordering us with your presence and we look forward to your presentation. i want to thank the national governors' association, the chair in particular, and i want to pay respects to the home state governor, governor walker. thank you very much for hosting this wonderful group. this is my first address since becoming secretary of transportation, and forbid reason. our governors know first hand the power of transportation you know that transportation is more the just the asphalt or

trains that we build. transportation is a bridge toit is the highway-insurance -- it is a highway that insures that a mom gets our kids home safely. it is the freight or the cargo ship that exports american goodstransportation moves america forward. when we build bridges, highways, transit systems, airports, and ports, we are putting our people to work in helping businesses expand. most importantly, we are giving the next generation the tools to compete. take a look of the golden gate thege or the hoover dam or transcontinental railroads. these are stumbles of america's

grit and innovation. those things were not built by us. they were built by previous generations and have been because we -- bequeathed to us. what will we bequeath to another generation? us generations before believe in a better future for the next generation. while finding is tight, i believe we can still build a great things as a country. we can also answer president obama's call to give the middle class a better bargain. we can ensure that the rungs on the the -- ladder of opportunity are not so far apart. this is the challenge of our regeneration and we must work te together across political lines, across state, federal, local lines to address it. transportation,

my priority is to make our transportation system the safest and most efficient in the world. we will continue to work hard so that americans feel safe when they get into a car, get on a bus, board a plane or get on a bicycle. we will be working with our partners to get more from what we have so that taxpayers can trust us to make smart investments. efficiency enough is not going to get us to prosperity. over the long term, we have got to be more creative. we have got to work together. as you know, we have a lot of options in our toolbox and even more options we need to put on the table. private seen how public- partnerships can kickstart important projects, such as the historic millwork district in minnesota.

there has been $48 billion in infrastructure investment across america in places like illinois, california, and texas the we have seen our financing loan program helped denver, colorado finance their railroads station. those projects would not have been possible without leadership that the state and local level. frankly, governors can make it happen. you are the x-factor. you are the difference between a tahrir rating road and a 21st century highway that is -- deteriorating road and a 21st century highway that is safe and efficient. we all agree that transportation is important to our economy and

our way of life. i can tell you after meeting with members of congress on both sides of the aisle, they agree. the hard part is agreeing on a way to fund these needs. it. map 21 was a good start. yearsvided states with 8 of funding. it also -- states with 2 years of funding. it gave people a better value for their mining -- money by institutionalizing best practices and allowing them to work faster and smarter. map 21 expires next september. we are facing long-term deficits. the way we have been doing business is not sustainable.

i do not have to tell you. many are already looking at innovative ways to find your own transportation needs. this year, half of all state legislatures have considered or approved measures dealing with transportation funding. 14 states have discussed raising their fuel taxes. several have moved to protect transportation funding from fundingraided -- from being raided for general expenses. citizens have come together to figure out common-sense ways to address our transportation needs. stateor o'malley in the of maryland. they found they were driving on roads that were congested and deteriorated and its cost maryland residents $6.20 billion a year. his state has the longest average daily commute in america and his constituents could not afford more time spent in traffic. leadership,s

maryland will be able to a -- invest $4 billion in infrastructure over the next six years. in all of these states, we are not looking at infrastructure and through a partisan lands. they are looking at crowded buses, congested highways and train stations. they are looking at potholes and bridges that are so old they could qualify for medicare. they are hearing from businesses that need 21st century infrastructure to grow. when it comes to transportation, everything we do has a local impact and requires local cooperation. i know that from experience. i worked with republicans and democrats as a mayor to address these challenges facing our cities. asidefter time, we put our differences to do what was right for our constituents. i know that you do the same in

your states. today, i am reaching out to you. i want to hear your ideas and know how you would prioritize projects in your states. how you organize transportation needs. the american people are counting on all was to lead and make critical investments to move this country forward. i believe we can start by answering president obama's called for another bargained for the middle-class. $50proposal would invest billion in our nation's infrastructure with $40 billion target for the areas of greatest need. private also leverage sector investments to help communities take on infrastructure for the 21st century. that is what we need to build a strong america. as we work to make the president's vision a reality, i hope what we do will serve as an example of how our congress can come together to help our

nation's infrastructure. let's come together. less and less in the future. let's build transportation that works and is second to none. i am happy to answer your questions. thank you. [applause] >> thank you, mr. secretary. let's open it up for questions. governor? secretary. at local level and the state level in illinois, we have transportation. artful way is $12 billion. -- our tollway is $12 billion. we are also doing high-speed rail from chicago to st. louis. we are grateful to you in the

president for your commitment to transportation. just recently, we are just about finished with a bridge from east st. louis to st. louis called the stan musial memorial bridge. we would like you to come and you can see all of america from that bridge. minorityne with a 26% work force. federald with the government and it is a good symbol of what you just said. we have to make sure america knows that when we invest in infrastructure and bridges, we are putting people to work in helping our businesses expand. >> i will try to make it. it sounds like a good thing to do. i was in st. louis yesterday. to your point, i was there to break ground on a project.

it is of incredible importance to st. louis. thatare capping a freeway sits in the downtown area and the st. louis arch. we put $20 million into getting that done. there will be a $380 million public and private investment to get the work done. you it points out is what just said. when we make the investment, it does have a return on investment and it improves communities. it improves mobility and it makes people safer. i look forward to being there. >> i would note that the project would allow you to what all the way to the train station to the stadium to watch the cardinals play.

it is an unbelievably transform into a project that would not have been possible. tose of you who have been the arch, we have literally dropped the highway and build a park over the top of it. we are coming up on the 50th anniversary of the arch. the cooperation between the park service and the state of illinois and everybody is incredible, the amount of private dollars that have been leveraged to a small amount of federal and state dollars. thank you very much. >> governor walter? >> i have a question. the governor is not with us right now. he will be with us to launch a different discussion. governor quinn and i just had a groundbreaking for a similar issue, the river crossing.

lines,y crossing state but across the st. clair river. this is a 30-year process, getting the approval to do that bridge, which is 60 years past its expectancy. -- 50 beyond its expectancy. theill let you know about ribbon cutting for that. economicd about impact. a question for you that you do not have to answer now. ofaddition to hosting all these wonderful governors, i at to be experimental and aviation association. it started in 1953 in the wisconsin. it is about 500,000 visitors for one week in wisconsin. it becomes the busiest air traffic control center in the world. it has about $110 million in

impact in that region. the challenges with air traffic control components, they picked up most of the costs, about $500,000 of that. there is an economic impact. aske you are here, i would if you would take a look at that. for them, it is a major impact. alle are eaa chapters across america. it is an incredibly important component. it has a huge economic impact. >> thank you very much. >> hello to you, mr. secretary. >> aloha. i just had an opportunity to say hello to my friends, bill shuster -- my friend, bill shuster.

you are a friend of ray lahood. i bring that up to say that the governor and myself and people like bill and ray have distinct philosophical orientations as members of congress. i think i can say without reservation that we are pretty mission-oriented, particularly the transportation committee. we may have arrived -- we may have had different reasons and different motivations for voting the way we did. theove in the end to get vote done on the basis of the project in the proposals that were in front of us. i put that forward because i would like to know from you, in the wake of chairman rogers

indicating his skepticism -- probably the wrong word -- that the spending goals, while they may have had their difficulties and challenges getting past in terms of authorization, there has been a lot of fighting over the numbers -- there has not been a lot of fighting over the numbers once they are agreed to. there were numbers within that sequestration figure that had been agreed to. i understand what has taken place is that even though there was an agreement, hands were shaking, deals were made. i do not say that in a pejorative sense. the of the members in congress wants to cut it further even though there has already been an agreement.

my question to you is, are you aware of what this is? hereume other governors are doing what we are doing. i have the sequestration task force. nonpartisan. i have business, labor, nonprofit, construction companies in it. paving companies, everything in it. i was working under the assumption that sequestration was sequestration and we would not weep bitter teras about it. if they are going to 0-- -- tears about it. if they are going to change the numbers, it is really going to mess us up. you have any idea that if the sequestration numbers change, what are they going to change. i am trying to put my i am trying to put my budget together.

i am not want to argue or throw darts or rocks at anybody. i just want to know what the numbers are. >> thank you for the question, governor. i will refer to be chairman, who is on the legislative branch in terms of what the internal discussions and working have been. my understanding is that on the house side, in the process of working through what had been previously agreed upon budget caps, as they started to move a bill through, they are concerned about the impact of those caps.