we must pay homage to this great humanism with nelson man legal da. his phraoeutsdz was way beyond his national boshederder and inspired to fight for independence and social justice. [speaking in portugese] he left many lessons not only for his beloved african continent but for all who seek freedom, social justice and world peace.

like the south africans who mourn, we the brazilian nation proudly carry african blood in our veins and we mourn and celebrate the example of this great leader who belongs to the pantheon of human kind. the brazilian government and people bow down before the memory of nelson mandela.

i would like to convey to miss michelle and family members to president and all south africans our deepest feelings of pain and sorrow. long live mandela forever! >> thank you very much president ruse sef from brazil. we would like to welcome all of you to the world cup. we now call upon our next speaker who is the vice president of china.

>> dear members of the mandela family, your excellency lead tprerleaders from around the world, ladies and gentlemen and dear friends.

[speaking in chinese] we have travelled from different parts of the world together here today to mourn the passing of nelson mandela, the founding president of the new south africa. here on behalf of the people's republic of china and the chinese government and people, i wish to express deep condolences and pay high tribute to this figure born on the african continent whose bright smile we remember fondly.

[speaking in chinese] mr. mandela was the founding father of the new south africa with decades of strenuous efforts he led the people of south africa to victory with the fight against apartheid and laying a solid foundation for the long term growth of his country. [speaking in chinese]

mr. mandela was the pride of the african people for all his life he had strived for the liberation of african nations, championed the dignity of the african people and endeavor for the unity of africa's countries to the world. he's dedicated his entire life to the development and progress of africa. [speaking in chinese] >> mr. mandela was a fan of the chinese people and household name in china as one of the founding fathers of

china's/south africa relations he committed himself to the friendship and china/africa corporation with great passion. the chinese people will always cherish the meme riff his important contribution. [speaking in chinese] >> translator: we are deeply saddened by the loss of such a great friend. at the same time we are heartened to say that the course mr. mandela has started will be

carried forward. the south african people have made great achievements in building their nation as a major emerging country, south africa is playing a constructive rolled on the international stage and upholding the interests of developing countries. [speaking in foreign language] >> translator: may the deceased rest in peace while the living

must move on with their life. the best way to remember and commemorate mr. mandela is to advocate his spirit and carry forward his legacy. we believe that under the leadership of president zuma and the government of south africa, the south african people will continue to make big strides forward along the path of national rejuvenation. china is ready to work with south africa, bring benefits to the two countries and two peoples and make positive contribution to the noble cause of world peace and development. >> finally, i'd to say, the great manf

thank you all! ♪ ♪ mccain ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [speaking in foreign language] >> we welcome his excellency, president from niger, his

excellency, prime minister from lebanon, his excellency, president from south sudan. prime minister and secretary general of the ruling party, mr. francois from rwanda. his excellency president from chad, his excellency president michael fata from zambia. his excellency, president from ireland. his excellency, president mohammad mazuki from tunisia.

his excellency, president from guyana. his excellency, president from haiti. his excellency, prime minister and her royal highness, the prince, ofspain. honorable prime minister from jamaica. his excellency, president from finland. his excellency, president from senegal. his excellency president fromm

ilawi. -- from -- his excellency from france. his excellency prime minister from -- his excellency, president from ghana. his excellency, president from germany. his excellency, president from serbia. prime minister from ethiopia. his excellency, president from mexico. his excellency, president of

the -- his excellency, president from the european parliament. his excellency, president of the republic o slovenia, his excellency president of switzerland, his excellency, from the republic of korea. at this point we would like to call upon our neighbor, president from --

[inaudible conversations] >> your excellency, comrade zuma, the president of the republic of south africa, the mandela family, your excellency -- south africa, the people of the republic of south africa. today we are here as one family. united by a son of the africaon soil. an icon of antiapartheid. and a towering giant who gave

his life to save humanity. because he was selfless. he sacrificed his life for the dignity of others. because he believed in the world of every human being. and because he believed in one united suggest -- south africa, he chose forgiveness over retribution, reconciliation and peace. yes, madiba was south africa.

he was a reliable comrade in arms for -- for this who served with him in the prison, some of whom are here with us today, madiba is here. he was an inspiration for the people of namibia in our struggle for freedom and independence. madiba. what a simple, fundamental human right, freedom, peace, and justice.

not only for the people of south africa, but for humanity as a whole. the most fitting tribute to nelson mandela is to celebrate his life and work for the fulfillment of the ideals he sacrificed for. our brothers and sisters of south africa, we warmly share the common struggle against apartheid. we say, let us stand together in the second phase of this struggle for economic and social problems for our people, guided by the principles of democracy,

equality, and justice. we wish you -- we thank you for sharing this extraordinary human madiba, what a unique and special gift to the world. whose legacy will never be forgotten, and will live forever. may his soul rest. i thank you.

[applause] >> thank you. we continue with our program, and now it's my honor and my pleasure before we call the president of india, can i just remind the people sitting up there that we will wait until you finish. can we keep silent, please? right up there. [speaking in foreign language]

[speaking in foreign language] >> okay. [speaking in foreign language] >> long live the spirit of nelson mandela. long live nelson mandela. long live. we are coming to a close. we can see that the rain is not abating. we are not going to keep everyone here for too long. because you have been here for quite a while. i ask that you just be patient.

we just have three more speakers to speak, and our president is also going to be brief because he knows that you have been here for so long, and we will have the ceremony and the benediction by archbishop desmond tutu and we will be done. so, i ask for your cooperation. let us cooperate. [speaking in foreign language] [speaking in foreign language]

[speaking in foreign language] [speaking in foreign language] [speaking in foreign language] [speaking in foreign language] [speaking in foreign language] >> he was a disciplined leader of our movement, and let us send him off with great discipline. let us demonstrate to ourselves and all and sundry that we are disciplined. with that, i request let the

speakers give their input, and as i said, we have three, president of india, president of cuba, president -- and then we are done. [speaking in foreign language] >> so let us be disciplined. i now call upon the president of india. thank you very much. applause [applause]

[speaking in foreign language] >> distinguished leaders, imminent heads of state, and the world community gathered here. it is a difference that i, on behalf of the government and the people of india, join the south african nation in paying homage -- >> there's a band up there. that band, i know that you are very enthusiastic. i want you to play your music a little later when i call upon you to play. please put your instruments down. now.

[applause] [speaking in foreign language] >> you play wonderful music in a little while. and i know you play good music. please be patient with us. we only have three more speakers, and i know that we are all in celebration mood. we want to celebrate madiba's life, so put the music down, let the president of india continue, please. thank you. >> it is -- on behalf of the government of india and people of india join this south african nation in paying homage to their beloved madiba.

publish former president of south africa. ...

>> c inspired all of mankind. it was an icon. economic genuineness, the kind of transformation that is people had only dreamt of. of great compassion, and he stimulate histion message of tolerance. struggle, not only in south

reminderst all over, of the principal that the father of our nation mahatma gandhi put forth. nelson mandela continued his nonviolent struggle with dignity and pride. his -- [inaudible] reminded us in india of the revolution -- [inaudible]

because; therefore, an honor for -- to control -- [inaudible] man to -- mandela -- [inaudible] which means -- india when he visited india in 1990. he received an unprecedented public welcome and was -- [i in 1995, when he visited india as the first president of post- apartheid south africa, he said it was a homecoming, a pilgrimage. we associate south africa with gandhi's freedom struggle. he was a budding lawyer in south

africa before he took up in india his famous clothes. the six principles that madiba identified as the fundamental policies of the new south africa equal human rights, democracy, respect for law, world peace, nonviolent means, and economic cooperation in an independent world are the same principles that the founding fathers of free india have enshrined in our own policies. madiba often acknowledged the

influence of mahatma gandhi and the former prime minister nehru. it is no wonder then that we in india have great sentiment to a unique people of this great country, south africa. we stand by you in your hour of bereavement, and we share your sense of loss today. we have no doubt that the world will be honored by the history of madiba one of the most influential politicians of our century. he gave us the true meaning of forgiveness and reconciliation and spurred south africa onto the project of building a truly great nation.

thank you, ladies and gentlemen. [applause] gentlemen. [cheering and applause] thank you very much, mr. president. we now -- [inaudible] from the island. an island of people who liberated us. who fought for our liberation. the people of cuba. we will now safe speech -- receive a speech from castro, who is now coming to talk to us.

welcome. become speaking in foreign language -- [speaking in foreign language] [inaudible] [speaking in foreign language]

let us sit emotional troibt nelson mandela. the ultimate symbol of dignity and the unwavering -- to revolutionary struggle to freedom and justice. reconciliation. [speaking in spanish]

sorry alongside his struggle. mandela has lead his people in to south africa and nonracial and united south africa in its quest for happiness, equality, and the well-being of all of its children. a nation overcoming the consequences of colonialism, slavery, and racial

segregation. [speaking in spanish] setting a camp of integrity and perseverance. mandela, later head of the -- reduced inequality, and create opportunities for all. [speaking spanish]

[speaking in spanish] >> mandela has set out an intermountble example to latin america and the caribbeans, which are currently moving toward unity and integration for the benefit of their people. on the basis of respect for diversity and -- [inaudible] that it is only through dialogue and cooperation that discovered can be resolved in a civilized and civilized relationship between those who think differently. [speaking spanish]

[speaking spanish] >> translator: mandela's life teaches us only the concerted effort of all nations will empower humanity to respond to the enormous challenges that today threaten its very existence. [speaking in spanish] [speaking spanish] >> translator: cuba, a country born in the struggle for independence and for the operation of slavery and whose children have african blood in their veins has have the

privilege of fighting and building alongside the african nation. [speaking spanish] [speaking spanish] >> translator: we shall never forget mandela's home imagine to our common struggle when on the occasion of -- to our country on july 26th, 1991, he said, and i quote, the cuban people have a special place in the hearts of the people from africa. [speaking spanish]

[speaking spanish]

>> translator: i remember of this moment his bond of affection with fidel castro, a symbol of relations between africa and cubans. fidel has said, and i quote, nelson mandela will not go down in history for the 27 consecutive years he spent incarcerated. without ever renouncing his ideas. he will go down in history because he was capable of cleaning up his soul from the poison that such an -- punishment would have there. and for his generosity and wisdom, which at the time of victory, allowed him to lead with great talent. he's selfless and heroic, people, knowing that the new south africa could not be built on hatred and venn --

vengeance. [speaking spanish] >> translator: honor and glory forever to the great nelson mandela and heroic people of south africa. [cheering and applause] [speaking spanish] >> translator: thank you. [cheering and applause] >> thank you, president castro. we thank you for all the reports and the health of the continued -- [inaudible] from the people of cuba during the years of struggle and our country's continue to be joined at the hip and the area of

development in a number of ways and the health of many other areas. we continue to recognize the heads of government that are here. we have his excellence mr. abdul hammed from bangladesh. president -- from kenya is also here. [cheering and applause] his excellent president nicholas from venezuela and also here his excellent sei prime minister from italy is here. [cheering and applause] his excellency president from pakistan is here. [cheering and applause]

his excellency president from australia. his excellency prime minister from norway is here. his excellency president from georgia is here. [cheering and applause] and his excellency acting president from argentina. friends, the president now gives me pleasure to request the president of the republic of south africa. [cheering and applause] to come forward.

[speaking in foreign language] [cheering and applause] [speaking in foreign language] [speaking in foreign language] [speaking in foreign language]

[cheering and applause] [speaking in foreign language] [cheering and applause] [speaking in foreign language]

[speaking in foreign language] [cheering and applause] ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ [cheering and applause] [speaking in foreign language] [speaking in foreign language]

your excellent sei -- [inaudible] the excellency former heads of state in government -- [inaudible] representatives of government. heads of national organization in all regions of the world. your majesty, royal hien escaladed, traditional leaders, religious leaders, the leadership of the amc, and the alliance -- [inaudible] leaders of political organizations abroad. representatives of political parties activists of the movement. the diplomatic core.

imminent persons, friends, of south africa from all over the world. [inaudible] [cheering and applause] [cheering and applause]use] [cheering and applause] [inaudible] [cheering and applause] south africans -- [inaudible] we sin that -- one of a kind.

-- who is the founding president of the -- [inaudible] south africa and also -- [inaudible] the president of the liberation movement and the continent the amc.

everyone has had a mandela moment when world icon touched their life. let us begin -- [inaudible] by thanking all heads of state and government international delegations present here today. we also ebbing tend our deepest gratitude for the messages of condolences that we continue to receive. the mandela family, the south african people, and the african continent as a whole feels stronger today because we are being supported by millions

throughout the world. south africa -- [inaudible] during his time is, of course, for great -- [inaudible]

we do so because madiba was a courageous leader. courageous leaders are able to abandon their narrow concerns for bigger and all-embracing dreams, even if those dreams come at a huge cost. madiba embodied this trait. he was a fearless freedom fighter who refused to allow the brutality of the apartheid state to stand in the way of the struggle for the liberation of his people. being a lawyer, he understood the possible consequences of his actions.

but he also knew that no unjust system could last forever. he said at an anc youth league conference in 1951, and i quote, "true, the struggle will be a bitter one. leaders will be deported, imprisoned, and even shot. the government will terrorize the people and their leaders in an effort to halt the forward march. ordinary forms of organization will be rendered impossible, but the spirit of the people cannot be crushed ntil full victory is won."

this struggle became madiba's life. he was at the forefront of the radical change in the anc in the 1940's, advancing the long walk to freedom. the -- [inaudible] abandoning "the long walk" to freedom. he became -- he became a volunteer in chief during the defiance campaign in the early 1950's and became the first commander in chief of the anc's armed wing, umkhonto we sizwe, in the early 1960's. he paid dearly for his beliefs and actions through imprisonment. he stated in 1962,

"i was made by the law a criminal, not because of what i had done, but because of what i stood for, because of what i thought, because of my conscience." arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment during the rivonia trial later in 1964, he never lost his fighting spirit. for 27 years, the south african people spoke about him in hushed tones, out of fear. in fact, if the apartheid government had its way, they would have been banned even from thinking about madiba. in fact, if they offer state government had its way, they would have been -- [inaudible] from thinking about mandela. a powerful name of nelson

mandela left off. he continued to inspire our people every single day from inside -- [inaudible] he demonstrated uniquely. inspite with the enemy. he also negotiated with the release of his his own belief. on the -- [inaudible] 1990 was one of the most remarkable and moving moments in the world history. the world came to a --

[inaudible] watching this -- walking out to the world he had left behind 27 years before. the emotions and we felt on that day are difficult to express in human language. the downtrodden people who had been dehumanize and made to feel that in the land of -- [inaudible] in their lifetime. south africa needed a leader like mandela to help us through a difficult decision from app think to free democratic

society. -- [inaudible] there are many times that brought our nation back from the brink of catastrophe. in 1993 have found of the occasion when our country faltered in "the long walk" to freedom. to the heart of -- [inaudible]

[inaudible] on the "road to freedom." south africa' south africa's first democratic elections were largely peaceful because of this leadership that he displayed. indeed, there is no one like madiba. he was one of a kind. today, on international human rights day, we celebrate madiba the man of peace. today is the 20th anniversary of his being awarded the nobel peace prize on the 10th of december, 1993. this freedom fighter had always stated that the anc had resorted

to arms because of the intransigence of the apartheid regime which responded with violence, bannings, and detentions to simple demands for equal citizenship, human rights, and justice. to him, for south africa to attain peace, the armed struggle was inevitable, but it was a means to an end but not an end in itself. madiba's love for peace was also evident in the work he did in the continent. the people of burundi enjoy

peace and democracy today because of the seeds of peace planted by madiba. following the historic national elections on 27 april 1994, an unprecedented number of heads of state and government and eminent persons from around the world descended upon our shores for madiba's inauguration as the first president of a free and democratic south africa. today, the whole world is standing still again to pay tribute to this greatest son of south africa and africa. fellow mourners, there is no one like madiba, he was one of a kind. the world speaks fondly of

madiba's promotion of unity, reconciliation, and non- racialism during his presidency. [inaudible] he had declared as follows during trial in 1964, "the anc has spent half a century fighting against racism. when it triumphs it will not change that policy." thus his promotion of non- racialism and reconciliation during his tenure as president of the republic was not surprising. compatriots and friends, speaking at the adoption of a

new constitution of the republic adopted in 1996, madiba outlined the vision of the new society. he said, "let us give practical recognition to the injustices of the past by building a future based on equality and social justice. let us nurture our national unity by recognizing, with respect and joy, the languages, cultures, and religions of south africa in all their diversity. let tolerance for one another's views create the peaceful conditions which give space for the best in all of us to find

expression and to flourish. above all, let us work together in striving to banish homelessness, illiteracy, hunger and disease." with the magnitude of challenges facing the young south africa in mind, madiba set about uniting the nation. he carefully managed the anger and frustrations of both the oppressors and the oppressed, and reminded us of our common humanity that transcended racial boundaries.

he also managed both the fears of the minority and the high expectations and impatience of the majority. you he told us that the promises of democracy would not be met overnight and that the fears of the few would not be allowed to derail the newly won freedom. we all agreed with him, as madiba never hesitated to speak his mind when it was necessary to do so, regardless of how uncomfortable the words may be to recipients. many leaders, some of whom are present here, have experienced his sharp tongue.

realizing the power of sport to conquer prejudice, former president mandela embraced south africa's 1995 rugby world cup ambitions, donning the springbok jersey at a time when it was much-maligned by the majority of the population. this would be a hallmark of his presidency. our sports teams yearned for the madiba magic that his visit would bring each time they faced formidable opponents. beyond promoting reconciliation, madiba also laid a firm foundation for transformation as well as reconciliation and

development. he knew that reconciliation without transformation and reconstruction, would be meaningless. under his leadership, the new democratically elected government focused on addressing historical injustices and created new institutions to facilitate the building of a democratic society based on the principles of non-racialism and non-sexism. close to 800 racist apartheid laws were removed from the statute books in the first 10 years of democracy.

the dismantling of the legal framework of apartheid and transformation of many state institutions led to the visible improvement of the socio- economic conditions of millions of people. thus, madiba laid a foundation for a better life for all, which was the rallying cry of his presidency. madiba also laid the foundation for our country's now successful fight against one of the greatest scourges of our time, that of hiv and aids, while still in office and during his retirement.

the global 46664 campaign gave birth to mandela day, a global call to action, mobilizing people to spend at least 67 minutes helping those in need. in november 2009, the united nations general assembly declared the 18th of july as nelson mandela international day. each year on the 18th of july, the world comes together to celebrate mandela day, recognising madiba's selfless sacrifice in betterment of others. indeed, madiba was one of a kind. [speaking in foreign language]

[speaking in foreign language] compatriots and friends,

while saying madiba was one of a kind, we also remember that he believed in collective leadership and that he never wanted to be viewed as a messiah or a saint. he emphasized that all his achievements were derived from working with the anc collective, from whom in his own words, were men and women who were more capable than he was. thus, the south africa that you see today is a reflection of madiba and many others like him, who sacrificed their lives for a free nation.

as we thus remain truly grateful to his peers, walter sisulu, oliver reginald tambo, govan mbeki, raymond mhlaba, dorothy nyembe, florence mophosho, and countless others who left indelible marks in the history of our struggle. compatriots and friends, today madiba is no more. he leaves behind a nation that loves him dearly. he leaves a continent that is truly proud to call him an african. he leaves the people of the world who embraced him as their beloved icon.

most importantly, he leaves behind a deeply entrenched legacy of freedom, human rights and democracy in our country. in his honor we commit ourselves to continue building a nation based on the democratic values of human dignity, equality, and freedom. united in our diversity, we will continue working to build a nation free of poverty, hunger, homelessness, and inequality. as the african continent, led by the african union, we will continue working to fulfil his desire for a better africa and a more just, peaceful, and

equitable world. tomorrow, our people will accompany madiba on his last journey to the seat of government, the union buildings her in pretoria, where his body will lie in state for three days. i have the honor today to announce that the union buildings amphitheatre, where madiba was inaugurated as president in 1994 and where his body will lie in state, will, with effect from today, be called the nelson mandela amphitheatre.

[applause] this is a fitting tribute to a man who transformed the union buildings from a symbol of racism and repression to one of peace, unity, democracy, and progress. compatriots, comrades, and friends, we extend yet again our deepest condolences to mama graca machel, mama winnie madikizela- mandela, the children, grandchildren, great- grandchildren, and the entire extended family.

[speaking in foreign language] our father, madiba, has run a good race. he declared in his own words in 1994. he said, "death is something inevitable. when a man has done what he considers to be his duty to his people and his country, he can rest in peace. i believe i have made that effort, and that is, therefore, why i will sleep for eternity."

[speaking in foreign language] rest in peace among our father and hero. thank you very much. you will take waste you are located in the eastern cape robbins of south africa. as many as 5000 are expected to attend the service. a smaller number compared to tuesday's memorial service at first national bank stadium which is estimated to have 90,000 attendees. tomorrow's burial will bring an end to 10 days of events that have been held since nelson mandela's death.

on newsmakers this weekend, kentucky congressman harold rogers is our guest. he is the chair of the house appropriations committee. he talks about criticism that some on capitol hill have been receiving from outside groups regarding their support of the deal. here is a preview. >> these outside groups, many of them are stirring up trouble just to raise money. to get people to sign up to pay their dues in their organizations. it is a money raising scheme for many of them. they try to influence particularly are younger, newer members of the congress to take positions on issues that they are stirring up interest in across the airwaves and in the press.

look, a members voting card belongs to that member. that is how we vote. it goes in the computer machine on the floor of the house and record your vote. no one is going to tell me how to vote my cart except my constituents. no outside group is going to dictate what i do. >> you can watch more that interview with congressman rogers tomorrow when newsmakers is at its regular time. 10:00 a.m. and 6 p.m. eastern on c-span. >> if you are a middle or high school student, c-span student kampeter competition wants to know what is the most important issue congress should address next year. they give 5-7 minute video and be sure to include c-span programming for your chance to win the grand prize of $5,000 with $100,000 in total prizes. the deadline is january 20. get more info at student campout

or. >> this past week, commerce gavetary penny pritzker positive news. the focus of the interview was on jobs and economy. it was held one day before the budget plan passed in the house. the senate is expected to vote on the legislation sometime next week. this conversation is a little less than an hour. [applause] >> thank you all for coming out on a semi-snow day. i appreciate you being here. i am mike allen, political's chief white house correspondent. thank you for joining us for this playbook breakfast. we are excited to be hosting the commerce secretary. has led azker fascinating life, starting companies, running companies, and now is bringing companies running companies here

in the u.s. before we get started, i would like to thank bank of america for this fantastic series of conversations. we have had an amazing year in different parts of the country, people from all across the spectrum talking about issues that matter most in washington. we are grateful to bank of america for making this great series possible. now, i brought along my twitter machine here. we will take your tweeted questions. first of all, good morning to you in live stream land. if you have a question for us, please tweet it to #pla ybookbreakfast, and it will pop up here and i will ask it. without further delay, commerce secretary penny pritzker. good morning. thank you so much for coming. >> thank you. of anave a little bit extra friend here. some of you know, i broke an ankle bone by working out.

am getting no sympathy from the secretary, because i found out she twisted an ankle .ne-time and ran in ironman >> yes. >> how do you do that9 unit -- do that? what's the alternative was to stop and quit, then i would have to train and do it again. or to persevere. i decided perseverance would be my objective, because otherwise i would have to spend another three months trying to train. >> very practical. after a lifetime in chicago, you moved here to washington. you to welcome washington with some news. whicheek's budget deal, may be a sign the capital is freezing. as a top member of the economic team, the lead for business in

the administration, how much hope is there that this is the start of something new? >> you know, i am an optimist. i think this is very positive news. regular order is something that is really important, and frankly it is very hard to run the government without a budget. department, how do you know what you can and can't do if you don't have a budget? so this is really positive, and i am hopeful that they can come to a resolution and we can move forward. >> what does the administration hoped to grow from this? regular ordert if really takes hold, there is so much that we have to do. we have a very full growth agenda. whether it is around immigration reform, investment and infrastructure, the trade agenda , investment in innovation, our national manufacturing

initiative, there is so much we want to get done. this is a first step. this -- assuming this deal d, we come back in 2014, what will be different about the relations between the two ends of pennsylvania avenue? >> we have a lot we want to get done, and i think there is a lot of commonality. i havefrom during -- been in office a little over five months. i have met with over 700 business leaders. what i know they want, they want more certainty from government. they are quite clear about that. that is an important part of their feeling confident in order to grow, in order to invest in this country. we know if that happens that is good for job creation. that, i think, is what is being asked of us. >> we want to welcome our c-span viewers around the world. c-span is big on front pages. this is the front page of

politico about the budget deal being reached. madame secretary, the lead headline in "the wall street journal" today is -- deal brings stability to the u.s. budget. we can get a little carried away with what this deal means. it is not a big deal. is, as wehat it does were talking about, it brings evidence that there can be regular order. budget is acan -- a big deal, frankly. we have been living far too long , since before i was involved the kind oft budgets and ability to predict. so imagine as a manager, which is where i come from, if you don't know what your budget is, you are not sure what your budget is for a year or two from now, how do you know exactly what you can get done? i do think it is a big deal. >> i am wearing a boot. you are wearing a button. (business -- also a sign you

have in your office, the commerce department. tommy what that means -- tell me what that means. >> when i took this job, the president asked me to be a bridge for him to the business community. it is very important to me that i signaled to the business community that we are open for business. we are there to work with them on an agenda. that led us to the open for business agenda we developed for the department of commerce, focused on trade and investment, focused on innovation, focused , as well as building all that with management platforms. we have a lot going on. the sign is a reminder to anybody who walks into my office, whether it is a ceo, a head of state, or the person cleaning my office, that this is what we have got to get done on our agenda. >> you went on the road. you took office in june, so you

have been there close to six months. cities, 12tour to 13 states. what did you learn? >> i learned so much. i learned what is on the mind of the business community, first of all. we were all over the country. said, 13 cities, but geographically quite dispersed. what i learned is that there is a commonality of what people want to see get done. implementatione of the president's growth agenda. they want to see investment in infrastructure. they want to see -- trade was the number one issue. trade and investment was the number one issue that business leaders brought up to me. they want to see us get trade agreements done. even small businesses. it was so interesting. whether you were talking to a large multinational or guys running small bicycle manufacturing shops, they all are interested in trade agreements.

because with a realizes the supply chain now is global. parts are coming from all over. in orderhat you need to create your product, whether it is a good or a service, requires integration around the world. and that requires more trade agreements. trade, immigration reform was huge. uniformly, business leaders are in favor of immigration reform. abouts, again, talking what we have to get done. we have to work with their friends on capitol hill. >> immigration is important, but there is no sign it is getting done by this house. >> well, i am an optimist. i believe that there is a recognition of how important it is, and -- >> by who? >> there is recognition on the of how important immigration reform is for our economy. there are other issues like global security and a path to immigration but

reform is worth $1.4 trillion to our economy over the next 20 years. that is huge. we cannot afford to be leaving these things on the sidelines as we move forward. we need growth in this country. >> something you heard a lot during the president's first term is we need to get a ceo, someone who knows business. you heard a lot about that during the reelection campaign. now you are here. you started five companies. you are on the board of four companies, executive chairman of trans union. what do you bring that somebody who has not worked in business would not know? what can you tell the president? >> well, i think what i can bring to the table for all the stakeholders, the president the perspective of the business community. because i have lived there. but also, i can translate back

and forth. what the president asks me to do is to be a bridge with the business to. a two-way bridge. ring to the administration the point of view of the business community and be able to explain why that is important and how it fits into a growth agenda, a jobs agenda, it outer a -- etc. but also be able to explain to the business community, we have to take into account things that are not just about business growth, but there is a bigger agenda the administration has to be responsible for. >> as you were sitting in chicago for the last four years, you must have been shaking your head about some of the things you read about. what is the biggest thing that surprised you now that you can see it from the inside? think is notwhat i well understood is how well people actually work together and get along. the cap net has been really -- cabinet has been really terrific. the partnerships throughout the cabinet.

i arecretary of labor and joined at the hip when it comes to skills and workforce development for our country. it is absolutely imperative for him. it is imperative for our business community that we have a skilled labor force that can help businesses grow. it is great for americans if we can get them the training that they need so they can take the jobs that are available. we have 4 million open jobs in this country. that is crazy in a time when we still have 7% unemployment. one of the big, surprises has been the people. the way we get along. the coordination and collaboration has been very positive for me. the second thing i'm surprised about is also -- and i'm a believer in people -- the quality of the people who work at the department of commerce. terrific. , whatevern, everybody

preconceived notions exist in the business community about people who work in government, i will say there is a lot of talent. >> what kind of boss are you? >> that is a good question. try and surround myself with people who are good at the things i am good at and good of the things i'm not good at, and i try to give them a lot --rope so that they can go so they can have funny of runway to get things done. , i believe as a leader it is very important that you support the people, that you are the bottom of the pyramid. my job is to support the key people we put in place, because their job, day in and day out, is execution against hundreds of initiatives. we had the commerce department do everything from the census to

patents and trademarks. >> and the weather. >> we are responsible for reporting information about the weather. if i was responsible for the weather, i might be doing some thing else in life. >> when you came into the commerce department at the end of june, what was the biggest thing you changed? he looked around and said, this is not -- i know from my experience, from business, there is no way we can do it this way. >> the biggest thing that i have empowering to do is to the people who actually are executing. >> what does that look like? >> what that means is we put together a strategy, our open for business strategy, and that, trade and investment, innovation, innovation being around advanced manufacturing goals and the digital economy, developing a -- what are we

going to do with all the data we have? these are ideas that came from working together with the people, meeting the various bureaus of the commerce department. it was funny. when i came in, people kept saying to me, what is your agenda? what is the secretary's agenda? we need a department agenda, and what i am going to focus on our -- are laces were i can singularly move the needle, get the word out, places where i can be effective and useful so that we can move forward all the objectives that the department of commerce. i think that has not been the way it has been done before. >> what had been done in the past? >> it tended to be very top-down as opposed to the goals and objectives being bottom-up. frankly, what we need to do -- and there is a lot of focus on what we can get done over the period we have left as an

administration -- from my standpoint there is a lot we can get done. take the advanced manufacturing agenda. bicameral bipartisan, bill on the hill to support something called the national do not -- network of manufacturing innovation. this is a great idea. this is where federal dollars are matched by local dollars. the local dollars or a strategy, create a reasonably -- regionally around innovative manufacturing. what is called pre-competitive innovation. before; dr. companies or 3-d printing -- semiconductor companies or 3-d printing companies compete against each other, they need to get together with the academic community and the supply chain and trainers, come together to move forward innovation. for example, we have done one in youngstown, ohio.

there are three more institutes that are being competed for right now. they will get announced either by the end of the year or the -- in january. this is great return on investment for the taxpayer dollar. >> we are not short of ideas. what is the thing you are most excited about doing? most, becausesay there are many things, but let me take one. the skilled workforce agenda here he >> give people context. this is something you are very passionate about. i remember talking to you about this at the aspen institute. talk about how this came to be your passion. 2009 when thein chief of staff, rahm emanuel, and i were sitting around and talking about how i could be of assistance to the administration. at that time, i was part of the

economic recovery board. i said, i wanted to focus on something, get something done. it was the area of skills mismatch that exists in the country. we have 4 million open jobs and obviously too many people who want jobs and don't have one. this is an area where we don't need congressional action, but what we do need is take best practices, where business is leading. business needs to play a leadership role in what the skills are that they need locally and regionally in order for them to grow their businesses. thater area of opportunity doesn't need congressional action is around the national asked or initiative -- national export initiative. we are really thinking about what we can do. we export. 95% of customers and consumers are outside the united states. only 1% of american businesses export, and 60% of them to one

country. there is a huge marketplace out there. we need to help. that is right in the wheelhouse of the department of commerce. we have our foreign commercial service. we can help you locally as a business to figure out where your product is competitive around the world and introduce you in those markets to the right distributors or suppliers or financers, etc. so this is the kind of thing we are going to get done. >> as i talked to your colleagues about your agenda, the topic that was most exciting to me is unlocking data. the first company you started. tell us about that. >> the data agenda. my first company was in senior living. we needed all kinds of information about where seniors live. >> you had grown up in business, work with your father, your uncle, a large, successful

family corporation. when you started senior living, you started it with -- >> myself and a secretary. it was a start up business. this was before, senior living today is an industry. but 25 years ago there was no industry. there were a few of us around trying to figure out, there is a marketplace of aging americans. what kind of housing and services might service them? i got almost all my data from the census. i didn't really know it was coming from the census department, but it was about who lived where, what their age was, what their age was, whether income was, what kind of housing they had, etc. struck me things that coming into this job was that the department of commerce is a treasure trove of data. just to give you, to refer to the national weather service, terabyteswe create 19 of data at the national weather service. a day. use two terabytes

what is in that other 17 terabytes of data that could, industries or businesses or decisions that could be made based on that? that is just one part. we have census data, american community service survey data. economic data that we collect. we are full of information that is not easily available to the public. so we are trying to figure out what we do with that, because what we know from the weather data is, a multibillion dollar industry is built using our data. so what should we be doing? this is an asset, a taxpayer asset that we should figure out how to make more available so we can get more return for it. >> in just a minute i will call on someone from politico with a question. first, i would ask you what the biggest impediment in government

?o smart decisions is >> i think that you have to have a real will to move forward. you have to bring a lot of people with you. but that is what government is. that is what a democracy is. it takes a group. it sometimes takes a very large group, called congress or the president and congress, to get something done. i think that is not always appreciated that when you want to get these connotative things done you have to really convince a lot of people. having said that, that is the best kind of government that any country could have. so that is what we do. some otherere consulting firm coming in and looking at the u.s. government, the executive branch, what would you say needs to be changed or

fixed to be smarter, more efficient, more effective? them i sure if i were would have thousands of ideas. , what isuld say actually functioning well that has been very positive for me has been -- communication is really pretty good. in other words, we are communicating well. it is complicated. think about the fact that you have 15 or 20 cabinet secretaries. many of these issues cross many boundaries. when i get up in the morning, my job is to worry about how we grow the economy, how we achieve opportunity in this country through economic growth. that is what i am supposed to do. in the department of commerce, 45 thousand people working on various aspects of that, whether it happens or the

weather service, weather information. at the department of the defense, much larger, much different, but we have issues that overlap. we have countries we work with that overlap. the challenge -- government exists in a very three dimensional aspect. the challenge, i think the biggest challenge is making sure we are coordinated. i think we are doing a pretty good job of it. that is the part. i am sure there are lots of things we could fix, but we also have to remember that we have a limited budget. >> how optimistic are you that something will happen on tax presidentore the leaves office? >> i am optimistic that we have a good shot at corporate tax reform. >> how could you be? >> the reason i say that is, to me the first ingredient

necessary to get corporate tax reform done is the business community. you say the business community, there are thousands of industries in this country, right? everything from bicycle manufacturers to semi conductor manufacturers to songwriters. think of the brats. /f you step back and -- breadth , . we talk about the american company like it is -- the american economy like it is a whole. it is a lot of pieces. to get tax reform, all the pieces have to come together and get compromise. otherwise they will go to capitol hill and fight it, and why would you do it if the business community is not in favor? this seems to be agreement that in order for america to be more competitive we need to ring our corporate tax rate down and we need to change the deductions. to pay for it. existed, at really

least that i can tell, for sure over the debt -- last decade, and probably much longer than that. so i think that, therefore i am optimistic because it requires all those different industries to realize we are going to have, some people are going to have a better deal and some people are not going to have such a good deal, but they all see it as a positive. >> as someone who is a cabinet member, a key member of the economic team, the face of business for the president, somebody with a lot of friends in business, what can you personally do to help make that happen? >> what i can do is a couple of things. be very clear with the business community. what you are asking for is not for free, right? we have to pay for, if we want to bring rates down we have to

find ways to pay for it. the rules are going to change. so you think that needs to be sad -- said. a pretty to be straightforward person. i tend to approach things in that fashion. >> excuse me, but did business not get that? remember, when we say business, it is not a monolith. so i think we need to make it clear so that, and that is something i can do. that is an important communication role that i can clay -- play. it depends on who you talk to, whether they have completely internalized the indications of what they want and how it will effect -- a fact. different people have their parochial interest, and then

they have the better good interest. some tilt more to one place, and others more to the other. if you are a ceo you have a duty to your business. toy say, ok, i am willing sacrifice this because i think it is better in the long run for competitiveness. >> would you like to grow that? >> i think it is a growing view and we have to keep growing it. >> ok. a question. to more of your personal background. you're a very prominent chicago an. in a recent interview they mentioned they may not move back to chicago after their time in the white house based on their

>> she worked for the abc and fox affiliates in chicago. >> i will start with myself. my husband and i are thrilled to be here. we are all in here in washington for our tenure here. of the at the pleasure president. i will be here as long as he wants. we have livedre for 27 years. i have every intention at this point of going back to chicago and being a part of that great community. i really love chicago. it is a great honor to be here and do this job. the president and the first lady -- i am a mother. i appreciate the stresses that come when you have a busy life. you love your children. you are trying to balance what is in the best interest of your own activities and your children's. i respect the fact that they see their daughters -- they want to

make sure they get through high school. understand the calculus that they are going through. second, i will ask about something that is on the front page of your hometown paper, the chicago tribune. gm named its first female ceo. what is the important symbolism of that? >> she is obviously very qualified. she came up through the company, 33 years. she knows the company inside and out. for any business to promote from within is an incredible statement about the strength within the corporation.

you are able to grow your own leadership. i think that is wonderful. it is not just a statement about her, but about where the company is at. they were in serious trouble five years ago. this is good news. judy woodruff said something that rings true to me. we have an extraordinary country with great talent. we need to use 100% of our talent. we have to make more women all different fields, particularly in the business community. that is something that is really important. >> 23 fortune 500 companies have women ceos. is that a lot or a little? >> that is too few. greater than 50% of college graduates today. we are at least half the

population. we are less than 5.0% of the leadership that the fortune 500 come knees. what is wrong -- companies. what is wrong? >> there was a study that came out from pew. it was about closing the wage gap for women. younger women, millennial's, make 93% of what men make. it is much closer to closing that gap. what accounts for this? how will we make it 100%? exit should be 100%. let's go to fairness. it absolutely needs to be that way. i do not understand how you can run any kind of business and not pay equal wage for an equal job. certainly i have done that throughout my lifetime. it is extremely important.

women are just as capable of , ofing, if not more capable leading and running any kind of organization. -- in business, we are not getting enough women into the senior leadership positions of our largest companies. why is that? i women given the opportunities to run divisions that have serious responsibilities? are they being channeled into that is not a path to ceo-ship? there are many organizations that have taken a look at this. the other issue is mentorship. frankly, i was very fortunate. i was mentored by members of my family. a were very successful. they held leadership positions of their own. as you might imagine, i was a bit persistent and tenacious about it.

i wanted them to help me. i sought out there mentorship. that is a big part of it. opportunities, mentorship, equal pay, all are important to achieving our goals. >> some twitter questions that are coming in. let's hear from you. this is from eric, will be aeting with china lead to timetable for the bilateral treaty talks? >> it is an upcoming meeting we have next week. thes between the u.s. and u.s. trade. we have a very robust agenda. the bilateral trade agreement is on that agenda. push manyking to different issues forward. >> what is the biggest thing that you hope the joint commission will, was?

-- will accomplish? >> we have many issues back and forth. it is a negotiation. i am not going to pick one thing that we will try to get done. >> when will you be nominating someone is permanent rector of the u.s. patent and trademark office? >> very soon. >> i do not nominate, the president nominates. sure.ot let me just say, we are in the process with the white house. i am hoping very shortly. >> have you recommended someone? >> we are in that process. >> [inaudible] >> good morning. i want to follow-up on the question before to