chemical weapons. it was not, as he said, an effort to involve the united states militarily directly in the syrian civil war and not designed to precipitate regime change. it was around the question of chemical weapons. 's chemical weapons stockpiles can be secured and removed from his position absent military force, that will be a good thing. -- i know there are no specific dates you want something done by but talking about experts, this could take months or even years to carry out. don't we need to get some sort of firmer timetable for when you need to see progress? otherwise it could just drag out. >> let's be clear, this initiative has been presented only in recent days. we are deploying the secretary of state to meet with his

russian counterpart in geneva and these discussions will take place. separate from that, there are discussions in new york at the framing aions around security council resolution on this issue and on the removal from assad's control of his chemical weapons stockpile. -- i don'te clear want to suggest, because it is certainly not the case, that we are interested in delay or avoidance of accountability here. and there are steps in this process if it were to succeed, and that is obviously a demonstration of sincerity and a verifiable way to secure the weapons and remove them from assad's control, ultimately to destroy them. in the fulfillment of that process would certainly take some time. but the implementation of it could begin obviously before its completion. and we are going to work with

the russians. it would be irresponsible not to explore this potential diplomatic resolution of this very serious matter. former secretary of state clinton commented tuesday on syria's use of chemical weapons. she was at the national constitution center in philadelphia to accept their liberty medal. we will also hear from the constitution center's chairman former florida governor jeb bush. this is an hour. [applause] >> thank you. welcome and good evening, ladies and gentlemen. thank you for joining us on the spectacular occasion. this is the 25th anniversary of the liberty medal and also the 10th anniversary of the national constitution center. i could not even more thrilled to be leading this extraordinary institution in the years ahead.

the national constitution center is the only institution in america chartered by congress to disseminate information about the united states constitution on a nonpartisan basis. we are proud that our chair is governor jeb bush. we are also proud to our past chair that has included george w. bush and bill clinton.-- presidents george eight doug -- resident george h w bush and bill clinton. both are past recipients of the liberty medal. the liberty medal ceremony that we celebrate tonight exemplifies we haveadition. honoredindividuals from across perspectives that have furthered the constitutional values of liberty and equality around the at the national

constitution center,we have three goals for fulfilling our congressional mission. we are the museum, we the people, the national headquarters for civic education. our three goals can be summarized in three words -- visit, learn, debate. as the museum of we the people, starting next year, we will-- construct a magnificent new gallery of freedom to display one of the 12 original copies of the bill of rights. it will be the foundation for her years of education and debate on the meaning of the bill of rights to coincide with 225thniversary.-- anniversary. as a center for civic education, we illuminate the history and contemporary meaning. we convene constitutional conversations among people of all ages.

as america's town hall, we are the only institution in the world brings together all sides of the constitutional debate that affect american lives every day. we host the town hall events here in philadelphia, on the web, on the radio, and on television. we hope that each of you will come to think of the national constitution center as a place you can come to hear all sides of any constitutional question and make up your own mind. at the national constitution center, we focus not on political debate, but constitutional debate. we are honored to present the liberty medal tonight to secretary hilary clinton. [applause] we are here to celebrate secretary clinton's lifetime of active citizenship and her

exemplary commitment to furthering the constitutional ideals of liberty and equality. in particular, among her many achievements, secretary clinton has made the rights of women and girls a global priority. she has championed freedom of speech on the internet. we are looking forward to her canughts today on how america continue to uphold those values in the future. ladies and gentlemen, i am honored to introduce to you that 2013 liberty medal recipient, former secretary of state hillary clinton.-- hillary rodham clinton. [applause]

>> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the chairman of the national constitution center board of trustees, governor jeb bush. [applause] >> thank you all very much. i'm delighted to welcome you to this wonderful museum and the ceremony recognizing hillary clinton for her lifelong career in public service. we have had a bit more media for a liberty event. there is a lot happening right around the world.-- all around the world. secretary clinton is out of office and so am i. i'm not sure what people expect will happen tonight. [laughter] we come from different political parties and disagree on a few things, though we agree on the wisdom of the american people, especially those of iowa, new

hampshire, and south carolina. [laughter] in fact, secretary clinton might be in des moines next week.don't e,tually where the medal ther madam secretary. s, i think thenes staff for all their hard work to make the success and for their devotion everyday day to this great institution. greetings from the entire bush family, especially my dad, who also served as chairman. he thanks you. [applause] youthanks you for the good have been sending -- wishes you have been sending for his health and he wants to let you know he already has plenty of pairs of technicolor sox. do not send any more. we are drawn here today by a

common purpose -- to support and respect our constitution and elevate it among a new generation of americans and to return it to the center and the core of our political life. the reason we share this purpose is because we have seen in our own life the power and value of the constitution as our north star to guide us as a nation. day,tter the issues ofour the grievances we bear, the challenges we face, there might be differences of opinion of what the constitution means but there is no disagreement that the constitution has the final word. white simply, there has never been a more lasting, more more resilient blueprint than the american constitution. for its 226 years it has guided us through rapid social change as we gain new understandings about science and society. as america lead the world in industry and technology and building our economy.

and of course, as we endure the trauma of war and terrorism. we have seen this in our own lives. tomorrow, we mark the 12th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. we know with sorrow that for those who have lost loved ones that day, tomorrow is going to be a day of deep taint. .- pain we were all tested that day. we never lost our loyalty to the constitution, its protection and its freedoms. america has undergone many chapters, and many trials, aims the founders could not have but the constitution remains as relevant as ever and it brings clarity to the complexity of modern america. today, the constitution is one of america's great strengths. because the promise of the constitution is what brings so many americans to our shores. today, immigrants seek what the constitution promises, not just freedoms and opportunities, but also its responsibilities.

to be an american is not a one- way street. it demands a self-governing tople, it requires all of us understand how our system of government is supposed to work. and when the nation calls upon us to serve and defend the republic. it is for this reason the constitution must be the foundation for civic education. because the constitution explains not only how we must govern, but it explains why we govern. as president clinton, my predecessor as chairman of this museum said, america stands alone as the world indispensable nation him and not because of our military might -- though that is critical -- not because of our economic power, though that is considerable. no, we are instant -- indispensable because of the idea that is at the heart of our constitution, that freedom depends on the enduring rights and responsibilities of individual citizens. not on the good graces of a king or a potentate or even a president. freedom depends on individuals,

each of us. that is where freedom begins and that is where it must reside. this was a revolutionary idea in the 18th century and it is dangerously becoming and ignored one in the 21st. so today, we celebrate that idea and we recognize the efforts of it.honoree to promote we recognize the commitment of someone who has devoted her life to public service. i want to say thank you to both secretary clinton and to president clinton. thank you for your service to our country. we are united by love of country and public service. i believe that is the central goal of the constitution. i bless you all. and thank you so much for coming. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome abc news anchor and correspondent, elizabeth vargas. [applause] >> good evening.

it is a real pleasure and honor to be here tonight to emcee the awarded, ofal award. course, to men and women strive to secure it isty for people. especially good to be here tonight on the cradle of democracy on the eve of the anniversary of 9/11, and given all the hugely momentous events happening in the world even as we speak. that makes it particularly an honor to be here tonight. throughout the course of this hour, we will learn much more about secretary clinton and her commitment to human rights, liberty, and the quality. now, however, we are going to learn about the foundation of secretary clinton's commitment to public service and how it was built in her hometown of park ridge, illinois. might say hillary will's

career in public service started at age 12. >> getting the kids organize and raising nickels and dimes. >>@13, she went to work further richard nixon camp, canvassing the southside of chicago for evidence of voter fraud. >> we were given a clip board with names of we had to go from apartment to apartment to verify that that person that was registered was actually living there. an active member of the young republicans and later a goldwater girl. >> everyone seemed to be republicans, all the same. >> at 18 she went to wellesley college where she majored in political science and served as republicans young but her views were changing into multiple times. >> the civil rights movement, the beginning of the women's movement. college students were questioning everything. >> she was trying in, as we all were, to make sense of the world. of 1960 eighter

hillary interned with house republican conference in washington and attended the republican convention in miami, but she also went to the democratic convention in chicago after hearing of a police crackdown on antiwar protesters. mayhem the chaos, the which was so contradictory to what we have been shown in the world. >> i think they were a watershed for both of us. >> by her junior year, hillary had evolved from a goldwater girl to an antiwar eugene mccarthy supporter. >> i do think that the things going on in the country and the world work adjudicatory to that. >> from wellesley, hillary went on to yale law school so she could use the lull to champion change for women and girls. to -- she took a job at the children's defense fund and did child advocacy work pro bono. >> the first time i ever heard of hillary clinton was in a list of the nation's most prominent lawyers in the late 1980s.

hillary clinton was listed because of her work with the children's sense fun. >> at yale, hillary also met bill clinton and followed him to arkansas where she became the first e-mail partner of the prestigious rose law firm. as first lady of arkansas for 12 years, she focused on childhood education and literacy. somebody who was a leader from the beginning. and she brought that leadership into her role as first lady of arkansas and as first lady of the united states. >> she was the first first lady to be voted into public office, elected twice to the u.s. senate. >> there is an old saying in washington, there are were courses and show horses. she was not a show horse. she was somebody who really tried to understand the issues. she worked across party lines all the time and was interested in getting things done.

[applause] >> madam secretary was just saying, look at all of that hair. [laughter] here are a few things you should know about secretary clinton. in the late 1980s, she chaired the american bar association commission on women in the profession. she worked to rein in gender bias in the field. shefirst lady of arkansas, pushed for statewide education reform as chair of the arkansas educational standards committee. speaking of educational pioneers, please welcome the president of the university of pennsylvania and national constitution center trustee, dr. amy gutman. [applause] >> thank you all. thank you, elizabeth. great to see all of you here all thethank you to

people on tv watching us tonight. as a member of the national constitution board, i have the honor of chairing the committee that selected this year's liberty belles recipient -- bell's recipient. our constitution was signed in 1787 just across the mall from here. but it took until the 19th amendment in 1920 to allow women the right to vote. and just -- let's hear it. and just a few decades ago when i was a child, it would have been unthinkable to imagine president of the university of pennsylvania, let alone secretary of state of the united states. can'tmething many of us

wait to celebrate, the first woman president of the united states. [cheers and applause] throughout her first four decades of public service, secretary clinton has been a trailblazer, expanding opportunities for we the people. she has been a voice for all those who have been afraid or unable to speak. in standing strong for freedom, she has inspired others to lead as well, to expand their education, to cultivate their unique talents and to find their own voices. >> her father a

conservative -- but both emphasize that being a woman should not limit her choices in life. culture of her family -- a liberal mom and conservative dad, it contributed to thinking of both sides. >> her methodist up ringing emphasize issues of so -- social justice. a youth minister brought her and her friend to hear martin luther king speak. >> reverend jones gave us the opportunity to go up and shake hands with him. it was a tremendous experience. >> when hillary went off to will essie -- wellesey college, she was interested in the students. -- she was interested in politics. used all the time, what is possible? >> as president of student government she worked with the administration to update the rules governing campus life. >> the roles were, you had to be in by midnight. if we left the campus, we had to sign out of where we were going

with the telephone number. >> young man could be in our dormitories only on sundays. >> the door had to be open 12 inches. >> hillary also convince the administration to recruit more people of color. >> hillary clinton was a game changer at wellesley college. what made her unique was that she worked within the system. >> in 1969, hillary became the first wellesley student ever to deliver a commencement speech. she would follow senator edward brooke. >> senator edward brooke of massachusetts gave a pretty of then president nixon, and that included the still ongoing war in vietnam. >> it hit the wrong chord for all of us. >> hillary departed from her prepared comments and served up an on-the-fly rebuttal. >> she got a standing ovation from the class. but those are sitting on the stage were aghast. >> the next day, hillary was on

the front pages of "the boston -- "the boston globe" and the next week, on the pages of -- magazine. >> ever since then, she has not stopped. it has become a larger and larger stage. from wellesley to the united states to the world. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, please the city ofmayor of philadelphia, the honorable michael a. nutter. >> good evening, everyone. let me at least acknowledge what is so obvious, that standing here at the national constitution center and of course directly across from we aredence hall, experiencing from everyone, their freedom of speech, and that is a good thing in the united states of america. [applause]

we get to have that. it is just an incredible honor to be able to talk about my friend, hillary rodham clinton him and from that point on, i will maintain the appropriate protocol, madam secretary. it is a friendship that has developed over 20 plus years. ae late 1980s, following little known governor in arkansas who was staring up trouble thinking about things in a very, very different way. a delegate for resident clinton in 1992, and have a great honor to work with him and beat his wife. but paying attention to her career at the same time as well. hereard about, of course, great advocacy for human rights and women's rights and children's rights, but as i look at our independence hall and think about that line in our declaration that all men are clinton,qual, hillary secretary clinton, made a

decision a long, long time ago to prove the point that all women are created more than equal. [applause] there whoery guy out would say significant other, you know exactly what i am talking about. her work, her commitment, her -- she is smart and always wanting to listen and better understand an issue. she is a friend, she is a champion, she sticks with you and gets to the bottom of issues. and as cokie roberts says, she likes to get things done. our program tells us tonight that she was the first first lady to be elected to the senate. i fully expect that she will break another barrier in four years and will be the first first lady to walk back into the white house in her own right as president of the united states of america. [applause]

and i assume that she will take president clinton along with her. we are so excited here in philadelphia. and i know you will spend a lot of time crisscrossing the country on the many issues that you care about. but i think as you can see, secretary clinton, there is a tremendous amount of love and appreciation and support for you. and alicia ann olivia and i cherish his friendship, appreciate all you do and expect to see great things in the next few years. congratulations in winning the 2013 liberty medal right here at the birthplace of freedom, liberty, and democracy. congratulations. >> thank you, mayor. as first lady of the united states, hillary clinton spearheaded a number of initiatives to improve the lives of children across the country. for example, she established the children's health insurance

program and early head start to support kids in those crucial first three years of their lives. she led bipartisan efforts to improve the adoption and foster care system and reduce teen pregnancy. she has continued that collaborative approach in her current work with the bill, hillary, and chelsea clinton foundation and that is how she met our next speaker. [applause] >> as a media adviser and communications strategist, i had the honor of working with national and international leaders, including president george w. bush, senator john mccain, governor and richards and pass liberty rest -- liberty medal recipient bono. i've also spent a better part of my career fighting for education

under various officeholders. i connected with next- generation, an organization that works to ensure a level playing field from which today's kids can build a brighter future. this past spring, secretary clinton expressed an interest in what we were doing. no surprise, given her lifelong dedication to these issues. so, we joined forces with the bill, hillary, and totally clinton foundation to launch a campaign called too small to fail -- a program that will give children the ingredients they need to develop in the first five years of life by promoting new research on children's brain iselopment, which substantial and inspiring, early learning and early health, and working with parents, businesses, and communities to improve the lives of young children. i am a proud republican and secretary clinton is a proud democrat, and we are working together to improve education and foster the next generation of active citizens. this kind of productive bipartisan collaboration is a reason i helped cofound no

labels, a citizen's movement to push politicians to reach across the aisle to solve problems. secretary clinton's steadfast support for education and kids embodies his bipartisan spirit. thank you. [applause] >> thank you, mark. as secretary of state, hillary clinton took a stand for our next speaker.roxana, raised the north dakota, was working as a when she was iran arrested in 2009 and falsely accused of spying for the united states. she was sentenced to eight years in prison, and that she is able to even share her story with us tonight is thanks, in part, to the global outcry and, of course, to the diplomatic efforts of then secretary of state hillary rodham clinton. please welcome, roxana sam

>> in america, it it can be easy to take for granted the constitutional rights you enjoy every day. the freedom of religion, assembly, the right to a speedy and public trial. as a journalist, the freedom of speech and of the press. in 2009, my freedom was taken from me. i have moved to iran to work as a foreign correspondent. filing reports for npr, abc radio, bbc, and fox news. i also started writing a book about iranian society. one morning in january 2009, four intelligence agents came to my apartment and forced me from it and lock me up in solitary

confinement in a tottori is risen -- in a notorious prison. weeks passed before family and friends knew where i was. in the meantime, i was interrogated and threatened with up to 20 years in prison, even execution. i felt helpless and afraid. gradually, i found her age -- found courage. other prisoners were really pursuing their human rights. friends, strangers, and political leaders were calling for my freedom. they included secretary clinton. she spoke with passion and strength and used greater diplomacy to reach out to a country that has no diplomatic ties with the u.s. i felt humbled and empowered.

i'd be less i do not have to stand up for justice by myself anymore -- i realized i did not have to stand up for justice by myself anymore. [applause] thank you. when i return to the u.s., i had the opportunity to thank her in person for her efforts on my behalf. i remember i felt deeply touched when she told me she had felt concerned for me like any mother would. as a human rights advocate, i drew inspiration from her lifelong commitment to improve the lives of women and children around the world. as a writer and journalist, i'm inspired by her dedication and giving a voice to people who stories need to be told.

she has traveled the globe. [applause] >> she has traveled to more countries than any first lady before her. virtually everywhere she went, she shined a light on issues impacting women and children. >> she represented that u.s. at beijing. >> it is time to break the silence. >> addressing delegations for more than 180 countries, she touched off a litany -- domestic violence, rape as a tactic of war. >> she claimed that wonderful phrase human rights are women's rights.

>> her words in beijing reverberated worldwide. >> delegation after delegation rose to their feet. it was extraordinary. >> in the wake of the beijing speech, then first lady clinton established an initiative to promote the advancement of women as a u.s. foreign policy goal. >> but women on the agenda and made it a centerpiece of all that we did. >> hillary clinton continue practicing her diplomacy. the most trouble secretary in u.s. history. 112 countries. covering nearly one million miles and holding an estimated 1700 meetings with global leaders. >> she was smart, concise.

>> she pushed for the creation of an ambassador for global women's issues. >> she has also pursued having women in peace negotiations. why on earth should you only have the guys with guns negotiate the peace? >> she launched the women and public service project. >> you can see the progress we are making. >> it is an organization to boost the number of women in government positions. >> i was inspired by her. >> we are very lucky to have her as a friend who will stand by us. >> as america's top of the map, she has bush relationship building -- diplomat, she has pushed relationship building. >> saving lives in making people's lives better.

[applause] >> now it is time for the presentation of that liberty medal award. please welcome back the national constitution center president and ceo, jeffrey rosen joined by hillary rodham clinton. [applause] ?

>> ladies and gentlemen, the 2013 liberty medal recipient hillary rodham clinton. [applause] >> thank you. thank you. oh. it is wonderful to be back in philadelphia. to be here at this magnificent institution, i am honored and overwhelmed by this extraordinary event. i thank all who have spoken and the kind words. thank you for this award and for being in a line of greatest awardees, nelson mandela, so many others for whom i have long admired.

want to say thank you to everyone who spoke in person or in the video. i appreciate greatly what they have done with me and taught me in how we work together and inspiration that they had been to me. i want to say thank you to my friend, mayor nutter, for hosting us. beautiful city. i also want to acknowledge the governor and attorney general and my longtime friend who did so much as mayor and then governor to create this center right where it along. [applause] i want to say a special thank you to governor bush and to apply his commitment to the national constitution center. this is not the first time that a clinton and a bush have shared this stage. some of you a member in 2006 -- remember in 2006, my husband and

jeb's father were jointly honored for their work on behalf of tsunami victims in south east asia and residents of the gulf coast after katrina. 41 and 42 as a sometimes call each other are the classic art couple of american politics. -- odd couple of american politics. barbara sometimes refers to bill as adopted black sheep son. i know bill loves it. he has great admiration and affection for 41 and all that they have been together. today jeb and i are not just

renewing an american tradition of bipartisanship, we are keeping a family tradition as well. [applause] we also share something that is far more important than any of our political differences. we both love this country. we believe in the wisdom of our founders and the constitution. think about this -- the mission of the national constitution center is to illuminate constitutional ideals and inspire active citizenship. what a great nation and a challenge to all of us. what an opportunity to honor

that patrons who met right here in philadelphia many years ago and all those men and women from later generations who worked to make that vision real. they knew that in a democracy, citizens cannot sit on the sidelines. we have to get into the arena as tony roosevelt -- teddy roosevelt called it and participate in that debate that shapes our countries future. sometimes it can get pretty noisy. that is the american way. it is natural and right in a democracy for us to debate and for us to disagree. it is what distinguishes us from authoritarian societies where defense is forbidden. in our country today, we are

once again in the middle of some big, noisy debates. what are the demands of america's global leadership in a changing world? how do we respond when international rules of the road are violated? how do we provide all of security and liberty at home and abroad? every era faces its own questions and has to fashion its own answers. we are no different. the president will address the nation shortly about the assad regime and the human use of chemical weapons against men, women, and children. that is at the heart of our global order and demand a strong response from the international community led by the u.s. this debate is good for our democracy. as our founders knew, fervent arguments are the lifeblood of self-government. how could a republic - if

opinions of the issues of the day or were too intimidated to express them? the delegates at the cost to national convention -- at the constitutional convention did -- talked about fears of excessive executive powers. these are many of you off picking steering and were wary about national armies. he had also seen from the articles of confederation failed to provide a unified foreign policy. putting aspirations for unity and sovereignty at risk. as benjamin franklin said, we must indeed all hang together or most assuredly we will all hang separately.

in the federalist papers, teams madison argued that america that united with a handful of troops or without a single soldier exhibits a more forbidding ambition. president washington stressed the importance of national unity in his farewell address and warned us against interested groups and internal rivalries. to be sure, we have had plenty of moments of partisan combat in our past, including some that make our current squabbles sound downright delight. even had to fight a civil war to prevent the union from splitting apart.

even in our darkest periods, we have been blessed with leaders who would our nation first above partisan advantage. president lincoln, every public and, takes a southern democrat to be his running mate. he also asked his rival to be his secretary of state. imagine that. [laughter] and there is another great odd couple who i particularly admire george marshall and a republican from michigan who shared the foreign relations committee after world war ii. when the senator first heard about the treatments administration plan for rebuilding war-ravaged europe, he was deeply skeptical. why should american taxpayers who have sacrificed so much shoulder the responsibility for helping former adversaries like germany and japan? my father was looking so handsome in his uniform had

returned after the navy to small. he felt exactly the same way. so did many other americans. marshall, the war hero who served as secretary of state and secretary of defense and sat down. he listened respectfully to all of his arguments. when the general explained why america's future security and prosperity depended on having alliesho would share our interest and buy our goods, and even more part only that america haa responsibility to ad the world. he appealed to his patriotism and asked for his help. this would only work if it was truly a bipartisan, national effort.

he was not the most vocal, pre- became a champion of the marshall plan and deserves a share of the credit for its eventual success. the senator and the secretary have many more to secrete and. they debated strategy and tactics for hours on end. it was always in pursuit of shared goals. as he banner berg put it -- he put it, it is indispensable to unity. the goal is to put national security ahead of partisan advantage. those are wise words for today and for every day. as secretary of state, traveling around the globe, i saw firsthand how american unity leads to strength, but discord leads to perceived weakness.

thworld watches cafully the decisions that wmake in washington. sometimes they watch more closely than we even do in our finest moments of any era, we achieve great things approved by a model of democracy that inspires people everywhere. when we let partisanship override citizenship, when we fail to make congress on the challenges facing our people here at home, our standing in the world suffers. two other quick points about this concept of act of citizenship. of course, i cannot celebrate good vision of our founding fathers about also saying a few words about our founding mothers. as we all know, when the cost to

sharon was first adopted, i would not have qualified as a full citizen, neither would president obama for mayor nutter many -- or many other americans. there has been a struggle to expand citizenship to more and more people. that has been a source of our dynamism and renewal for america. seven decades after that the collation of independence was signed in philadelphia, 100 citizens signed a new declaration in a place of seneca falls new york saying we hold these truths to be self evidence. there are men and women who are created equal. frederick douglas to attend and, a former slave in the great -- and great abolitionist describe the participants at seneca falls as few in number, moderate and resources, and very little known in the world. the most we had to commend wes was a firm commitment that we

were in the right and a firm faith that the right must ultimately her veil. it has been 155 years in seneca falls. we are still on our way to that more perfect union. as our nation grows more diverse and our world becomes more interconnected and interdependent, the full participation and active citizenship of all of our people is a source of such strength, as well as a moral imperative. only if we stay true to our founding hopes and values, america's democracy is not a birthright, nor is our global leadership. it must be earned and preserved by every generation. tomorrow we will pause to remember the worst attack on our country since pearl harbor.

it has been a dozen years since terrorists killed thousands of innocent americans in new york, washington, and here in pennsylvania. i will always remember walking through lower manhattan on the day after those attacks as a senator representing the people of that great state. it was like a scene out of dante's inferno. the air was acrid. the thick smoke made it hard to breathe or see. a firefighter would be covered in sit -- soot. they carried undocking spirit of a wounded nation on their tired shoulders. to keep america safe and strong in a dangerous world, we will

have to rely on a foundation that has served us for more than two centuries. the values enshrined in our founding documents. the courage and service of our citizens. let me end where i began with jeb's dad. when president george h.w. bush took the oath of office, in his inaugural address that day, president bush offered a timeless wisdom of saint augustine's. in crucial things, unity, and important things, diversity, in all things, generosity. i want to thank the national constitution center for the great honor you have given me today and for safeguarding the ideals of our founders.

we remain in their debt and now in yours. thank you all. god bless you. god bless the united states of america. thank you. [applause] [protestors shouting in background: benghazi!]

>> two, two.

>> there we are. thank you for joining us. we have aimee mann and ted performing their song "save me." once again, congratulations to secretary hillary clinton.

>> ? you look like a perfect fit for a girl in need of a ♪ourniquet ? but can you save me? come on and save me if you could save me run the ranks of the freaks who suspect they could never love anyone ?♪ cause i can tell you know what

it's like a long farewell of the hunger strike but can you save me? why don't you save me if you could save me from the ranks of the freaks who suspect they could never love anyone ?♪ you struck me dumb like radium

like peter pan or superman you have come to save the me why don't you save me if you could save me from the ranks of the freaks who suspect they could never love anyone but the freaks who suspect they could never love anyone but the freaks who suspect they could never never love anyone ♪guitar riff]

♪ come on and save me why don't you save me? from the ranks of freaks that suspect they could never love anyone ♪ without the freaks that have never loved anyone ♪

[applause] much.hank you so ladies and gentlemen, good night, and thank you for attending the national constitution center 2013 liberty ceremony. ♪ >> today on c-span, " washington journal" is next live with your phone calls, followed by live coverage of the u.s.

house as members consider a bill to stop health care subsidies under the affordable health care act. in 45 minutes, we will discuss recent developments in syria with representative gregory meeks. >> lawmakers wait and watch for a diplomatic solution on syria. and whenion is whether one can be reached. secretary of state john kerry will meet with his russian counterpart today in geneva. that amir putin is reaching out directly to the -- vladimir putin is reaching out directly to the american people. we will begi