>> 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 clarify, the

question of the chicago homecoming came up. the talk about the president and your answer was in the very short-term calculus. what do you see in the long-term future if there is a homecoming? agree with a lot of people in chicago who think that an obama presidential library should be in that city? where should it be? >> all politics is local. i am very hopeful. i have no inside information on this. i am hopeful that the presidential library will be in chicago. i think it is very important. i know that the leadership in chicago, both political and late leadership would very much like that. it would be a tremendous asset.

it would be a wonderful legacy for the city. i am hopeful that will happen. thespect the president and first lady as they decide where they want to live. all,are young -- first of i would not focus so much on where they will live afterwards. i am focused on, we have three more years. that is a long time. i am not thinking that much about everyone's future after the three years. we have a lot to do in the meantime. >> another twitter question. it says that it is good that infrastructure is a priority. the commerce department encourage that? >> we have been part of a proposal for corporate tax reform where there would be increased resources put toward infrastructure.

of dollars ofons what i call deferred maintenance in this country. we have to be investing from broadband to bridges. put in about 100,000 miles of broadband over the last several years. play a very functional role. i am working closely with the secretary on that. it is necessary for our country to stay competitive. magenta --our is a agenda -- a tour is him agenda -- tourism agenda. we want to have 100,000 visitors -- 100 million visitors to the u.s. each year.

we are doing a lot of things that do not require investments. but in order to accommodate people in the fashion they are used to, we need to invest in our airports, broadband, bridges. it is very important. >> i will come to a reporter from the chicago tribune. this question comes from twitter. help grow thefits economy and create opportunities? >> there is a great opportunity in the skills area. we created a nonprofit in chicago called deals for chicago's future. skills for chicago's future. they are working with local companies, everyone from jpmorgan to smaller businesses to help the unemployed get the skills they need in order to move into jobs at local companies.

that is a great opportunity for nonprofits to play around skills training. job opportunities through business leaders and find the individuals with the right skills. helping them get into those jobs. >> another twitter question. what role does the usc india playing? seeoes the united states india playing? >> it is playing a very important role. there is an effort where we are to identify regions regions of the country that have the best strategic plan to attract manufacturing. this would be manufacturing community partnerships. a cityr to be designated or a region as a manufacturing community partnership, you have to apply. we're going through that process now.

you are judged on your regional strategy about whether the structure of the workforce is working. there are six different criteria you will be judged on. that applies to 12 different regions. that designation gives you a preference for federal dollars, whether they come from the transportation, labor, or across 13 different agencies. it makes you eligible for about $1.3 million -- $1.3 billion. >> one more twitter question here. you have been a proponent of public education. will you be working your connections and education to help? >> it goes back to our secretary of education. we are working together. in order to have a skilled a k-orce, you have to have

12 education. he does a good job of promoting. they have been unbelievably influential in getting us to a common core standards and raise the level of art k-12 aspirations. >> yesterday we learned that another chicago president is coming to washington. the president of the chicago symphony will be taking the helm at the kennedy center. you are a former trustee of the kennedy center. what do you think of that appointment and mark -- appointment? the appointment is fantastic and i am so excited about it. hereer person from chicago is always appreciated. she is a great leader. it is a complex organization. it is a $180 -- $180 million budget.

theater,verything from opera, symphony. a big part of the agenda is also making more available to the public. there is a redevelopment of the site that will include the addition of more space that will allow performances to be shared by the public. david rubenstein, who was head of the kennedy center, is taking the lead as the lead donor to the campaign. the campaign will obviously be the number one pick priority there. it is very exciting to have another leader from chicago. >> david rubenstein's involvement in his community is amazing. what you make of the world role that he played now? the fact that he is focused on helping washington, whether it is the washington monument or the kennedy center, these are

iconic assets of our country. they need to be presented in absolute best fashion. the fact that he is willing to underwrite our support these efforts is something not just to the benefit of washington, but to the nation. >> you mentioned mentor in earlier. when you talk with young people who think of going into business, what you tell them about how to succeed? there are a lot of people who want to be you. the first thing to think about is -- i grew up in a household where my dad was starting a business, a hotel business. i thought a couple of things. one was the excitement of building something. was aher thing that i saw

real recognition, you do not do anything alone. you have to surround yourself with the best people. the thing that i would advise any person going into business is that it is fun to build a business. it is exciting and you are contributing to the economy. it is a very positive thing to do. you cannot do it alone. i do not care how good you are or how smart you are. surround yourself with really good people and aim higher than you think. you will get there faster than you think. make sure you really plan for that. greg that is good advice. what if you are on the bottom? what if you are an intern? do to getthat person ahead? >> i have had a lot of interns in my own shop. my kids have been interns. i am a huge proponent of

internships and apprenticeships. yourselves in the shoes of an intern, and this is what i have said, what is the experience you want for the intern to have? look as an see and intern and wonder if it is a place you can envision yourself growing and expanding and becoming part of? whether you will want to be in manufacturing, media, whatever. bethis is what you want to -- see if it feels right you as a young person. you will spend a lot of energy and your life trying to get ahead. patty get ahead? education. as her parents said to us, and as my father said, the only things you have in life are your education and your reputation.

get yourself the best education that you can. get ahead, it is hard work. it is a lot of work. look for people who are willing to open themselves up and mentor you. ask a lot of questions. the inquisitive and work overtime. you don't get ahead -- it is not easy. my penultimate question for you, you have a known be president and the first lady for a long time. tell us something about the president that we do not know? >> that is probably impossible. he is under the microscope, certainly throughout his presidency and far before that. here is what i would say. mind back to in my what i do -- he has a very ambitious agenda, a growth agenda.

>> what are they like his people? in a plane, in a restaurant, behind-the-scenes? >> to me, my experience is that the president and the first lady have been warm and supportive and they care about my kids. they have been appreciative of the efforts that we have put forward to help them. to, in his job he has been very supportive of what i do. >> someone that every single person you talk to, wherever they are on the political spectrum, they will say that every indication is that they are remarkable parents under very difficult circumstances.

they are raising these daughters at this age in this crazy time -- >> i think they have a commitment to each other. we talk aboutthat the president, but the first lady is just as important to the of the presidency as the president is. she plays an extraordinarily important role. they have a really amazing commitment to each other in the way that they work. they also have a commitment to their families. and they have support that they have gotten from the first lady's mother, as well as the brothers, and the fact that they cherish their families such that they vacationed together. they see their extended family. they have found a way to protect that from everybody's inquiries. i respect that. i respect what they are trying to accomplish.

i respect the values that they are trying to instill in their children. with the kindard of public either they are in. i think that is something that we should respect. we should give them the space to be able to do it. that yous is something and your husband did together. children, whatwo would you say to people who want to integrate fitness more into their family life? >> i believe that you have to take care of your body and your -- it is the to be foundation of building a successful life. timequires creating everyday to be able to do that. it is not easy. job andt easy in your

it is not easy and my job, and it is not easy in many people lost jobs where they're working two jobs and trying to do that that.ust trying to do with our children as well, we for that is the foundation life. >> i mention the iron person before. what is the longest race you have done? >> the iron man. >> how long the run in that? >> it is a long race. i did 27 years ago, so it is not something i would do now full up i hope to do some running races that some of the folks at the commerce department and i are going to run. we signed up for a 10 mile race. we hope to do the cherry blossom race.

we are aspirational right now. , it is december, not mark. not march. >> you have been traveling a time. when do you run on the road? >> first thing in the morning. however early it needs to be to do whatever we have to do. it tends to be very early. it tends to be on a treadmill for security reasons or whatever. >> ura washingtonian now. what do you like about washington? >> i like the national archives. i went there on saturday and i think it is one of the most exciting places that we have in this the. city.-- in this i have lots of fun there. they are just opening the magna

carta today. i would go see the magna carta, the foundation of democracy. >> what is your favorite place here? isprobably my favorite place -- >> just name a place that you like. >> sweet dreams. that's what you get there? >> i like the kale salad with chicken. that is too much information, right? [laughter] like to thank c- span, our viewers around the world, and those of you who are watching. i would like to thank my politico colleagues and i would like to thank america for making this a serious conversation possible. thank you for a fantastic conversation. [applause]

>> think you so much.

-- this is one hour. today won her third and final term as houston mayor in november. she has been described by the houston chronicle as risk- averse, competent, and scandal- free. annise parker has proven to be an interesting person. she has a degree in anthropology, sociology, and

psychology, room houston's rice university. she worked for texas oil and gas. she was also a prominent gay rights advocate in houston. she served as the city controller and councilwoman for three terms before securing the city's top job. the chronicle describes the city she leaves as stuck in a drought and a global economic downturn during her first term. they describe it as supercharged with energy revenue and jobs during her second term. in the third term, the newspaper sees the mirror focusing on employment and rebuilding streets and drainage. she is the first openly gay -- of a in dash of an major american city. i am notthe chronicle, gay marriage houston, i am the mayor of houston. i support my community, but the city always comes first.

well the unemployment rate has declined to 6.1% in august, it is higher than in other metropolitan areas. parker has helped houston become the largest municipal --chaser recognizing that effort, president obama picked mayor parker for his task force on climate preparedness. she will advise the administration on how to curb pollution and prepare communities work stream weather. this panel met in washington, d.c. today, giving us a chance to hear first-hand from mayor parker. please help me give a warm national press club welcome to houston mayor annie's parker -- annise parker. [applause]

>> i appreciate the chance to be here and visit with everyone. it is nice to see some friends in the room as well. are expecting a heavy policy speech, you will not get that today. so hard to why is it get things done politically? if you thought i was going to talk about partisanship or egos or corruption, i am not going to talk about that either. although they all have their place in politics. or not. the problem is that you can do away with partisanship, you can do away with huge egos, and you can do away with what i think is a relatively small amount of corruption in public office and politics of the united states, and you would still have challenges getting things done. braved thef you who

weather today, i want to talk to difficultwhy it is so to make things happen. we will speak about the true nature of the jobs that we hold. recentlycome popular to spend a lot of time and energy on candidates' religious affiliation. there are groups that want to make things like that a litmus test. there are too many religious credence toive much that as a way of judging candidates. it is along the right tracks, but for the wrong reasons. we should be asking our candidates, or we should be finding out, what are their core beliefs and will they defend them? what do they value? how do they show it? how do they make decisions? will they stand by those decisions? are they anchored in community?

important? i will give you 10 reasons why the job of an elected official is almost impossible. the first reason is that it requires a distinct skill set to win the job. win -- to win the job and to hold the job. we make decisions in areas where we have no expertise. we depend on information provided by others. it is hard to know who our constituents are. many of our most important decisions have no right answer. result ins may unintended consequences. some things are beyond our control.

they may be in our control, but impact others in ways we do not expect. many of us will not see the results of most of our important actions. starting with the first, though skill sets. campaigning, running for office, and governing are very different activities. candidates have to be disciplined with message, they have to be disciplined and focused on raising money, they have to be outgoing, engaging, able to connect with voters. they have to be willing to take a position and ride deposition all the way through the election, even if a change their mind about that position. obvious,r you get is

that you get into office, it is collegiality,se, andit is about flexibility working with others. oftentimes, really great candidate make terrible officeholders. there are a lot of folks out there who are not great candidate but are excellent officeholders. reason, there is no instruction manual. this isn't a job one can learn or really prepare for. it is constantly changing and there isn't an endpoint. how do you prioritize your time? function 20 47 -- 24-7. they grow or they shrinking population, new technologies

come along, laws change, disaster strikes, and i have to be ready for all of that. who would i learned that from? who would i talk to to find out how to organize my time and with the priority should be? of course, if i am still campaigning for office, i have to spend so much on that other persona that has to run. we have to decide things about which we have no expertise. when i first became a council member, i had a line item for the purchase of fresh, whole bovine blood. it thing you have finished eating. thing you have finished

eating. [laughter] we always do, and that council member, i had to vote on the supplier of those objects. -- need a new paddle at the sewage treatment plant? what should it cost? how long will it last? who are the best suppliers? we are constantly asked to make those kinds of decisions. depending on information supplied by others, how do i make that information -- decision? i have to depend on those who , those the information who work for me, with me, and come in the door. the higher you are in the food chain, the less direct

information you have on which to base your decisions. the less real experience you have. you fall back on your personal experiences and your own character traits. if you are lucky enough, you depend on your team. lobbyistsly easy for to become sources of information. they are there and they have answers. who are my constituents? what do they want? well you are thinking that is not very hard -- they are people you represent. they are the people in your district. constituents regularly confront me with statements along the lines of, i supported you say you must do x or i will vote against you. annoying, thatg is not really what makes it hard to decide who your constituents are.

what often happens is that your constituents do not know what they want. they are divided. how do you know who the individual stakeholders are in this particular situation? how do you find them? what if they do not know that they are stakeholders. how do you include them? who contactople you? they write or call or send e- mails? happy people do not come down to a city council meeting to tell us how happy they are. only the angle -- only the angry people show up. messaged byarly those who particularly want something and they are passionate about it. or they are avery about something and they are passionate about it.

it is easy to think that those are the only voices out there. there are often situations where there are no right answers. houston is the largest unzen city in america. it has to deal with, where should we put small motels. i will not let you think too much about that one either. [laughter] cantilever, -- as a council member, i decided to wait in on the issue. the small motels use prostitutes and drug dealers and they are in minority neighborhoods. i gathered the stakeholders and we put a package together and i

discovered that the most common hotel.r hotel owners is most of them are owned by foreign nationals and that is their piece of the american trait. wherecreated a situation i had minority stakeholders in those neighborhoods who did not want them to go and minority business owners for whom that was their livelihood and children lived in those hotels and the whole family worked to build their dream. what is the right answer? i will just say that more complicated. i said, what would you rent for by the hour? then i was told what a bad idea that was. me anduckers contacted said the truckers have to stand down after sony runs. we have to be able to do multiple turns if we are to

accommodate all the truckers who come through. that was fun. [laughter] i will go on. the next issue. action, butre our beyond our control -- let me give you a great example. air quality. i am constantly asked about the on theof air quality ability of houston to grow into the future. we are home to much of the refining capacity here in the united aids. this is critical to us. .- united states this is critical to us. how are air is received and how we clean it up is important. aesthetically, commercially, and legally. most of the refineries are outside of the city borders. the state controls our implementation plan. the federal government controls the standard we have to meet. the private sector as was

possible for a significant amount of the output. nobody wants to pay for any of it. but we have to do something. issue number eight. unintended consequences. small thingsis the that cause the most grief. pass an exotic animal ordinance for the city of houston. for a while, we had a proliferation where everyone wanted to pass a big -- own a big cat. a reallyne coon, but big cat. i wanted to pass an ordinance banning dangerous big animals. they healthy work it out. we did a laundry list of lions, tigers, bears, guerrillas, things that you could have. the last item on the list was fair.

they were going to ban ferrets. i don't know if your member when york city bans ferrets, and people took to the street, marching with their pets. ferrets on this list? and snakes that are five feet too long. [laughter] there was a legitimate reason. they said there was no right -- no rabies vaccine for ferrets. it is not appropriate for people to have ferrets. i look up in an ordinance that bans ferrets and puts ferrets in the same category as tigers. we were going back and forth and back and forth. they got they found a rabies vaccine for ferrets before i had to do that. it is often hard to know. things that we do better in our , but may impact

others in ways that we don't expect. the unintended consequences. prohibition. not something that affects the city of houston, but when we put prohibition in, we jumpstarted organized crime in the united states. talk about one of the ultimate unintended consequences. before this luncheon started, one of the things that is in my control and i am trying to add a wetle piece to it, how do prevent storm damage to the infrastructure in houston? we were having a robust conversation about floodgates. where do we put them? i can place them to preserve the refining capacity, but now we

are trying to figure out how many residential areas will flood when i do that? what is the trade-off? the results may not be known for several years, but sometimes the trade-off can be positive. what if you are the government official who permit it the fukushima power plant in japan? it met every environmental standard when it passed. finally, i did not list this as one of the 10 reasons, but cut me a little slack. not one of the top 10 list, but it is important. each one of us wants to be

liked. everyone wants to be the popular kid in school. that is why some folks run for office. it takes a certain amount of character to know that you can perform perfectly. things.can do great 20% of your constituents will hate you no matter what. they are willing to vilify you with the rise of electronic media and the anonymity. , it is hardg posts for many public officials to , andit out to turn it off you recognize that even when we make a decision that we know is , but that a compromise is

necessary to move the agenda forward, he have to be able to live with ourselves afterwards. us, that is absolutely paralyzing. that iclose by saying was in a talking a while back and someone stood up and talked about the cowboy way. why couldn't government be more like the cowboy way? that is defined as, if it is not true, don't say it. it is not yours, don't take it. if it is not right, don't do it. unfortunately, there really are you cannot know what is true and what is yours. and you cannot know what is right. it matters who you play in the decision-making see in those circumstances. seat in the--

circumstances. their standards of decency and morality to which ms. all subscribed. to coax in these types of jobs, you must have faith that if you always strive to do the right , even if will work out your decisions are wrong. you need to know who you can trust and when to place that trust and you must have faith that there will be another person willing to stand up and put themselves in the arena to try to improve on what you have done. thank you for the opportunity to address you. i appreciate it. [applause] and now for the questions. remember what i just said.

>> this is the best part of the job. we have a lot of questions on a lot of topics. given the diversity of issues that you represent. i will start with energy. part in the climate strategy talks with the white house. this questioner says, the mayor of the city is considered to be the head of the city. what do you bring to that discussion on how to prepare the country for climate change. >> houston is the energy capital of the world. it is becoming the energy capital. fossil fuel will fuel america for a very long time in the future. but americans have to recognize that how we use those fuels and water consumption patterns are makes a difference, not just to the united states, but to the

world. it surprises people to know that even the headquarters of oil and gas are the largest municipal purchaser of renewable energy in america. we believe in leading by example. we do not believe it is incompatible to focus on renewable. we also strongly support our oil and gas industry. we are one of the most overt air-conditioned cities in the world as well. unbelieverse the are, we have a lot of souls to save in houston. we have focused on efficiencies and how we can drive consumption -- holdto hold and use on energy use and preserve the fossil fuels that we have. we are trying to limit our carbon footprint. this group is new. it was appointed a little over a month ago.

>> we had our first meeting monday. i cannot fully characterize the group. citiesrefreshing to have large and small, different states, represented. we had different counties from all across the united egg. you will have a diversity of perspectives. concerne major areas of about climate preparedness and resiliency. there are things that we need to be doing long-term. we are trying to change our -- weonship with energy are trying to reduce our carbon footprint and recognize that weather patterns change and sea level rises. there is an immediate impact that we have to address. we are dividing into four major categories.

-- i don't want to have a rick perry moment here. [laughter] the natural resource aspect, the natural disaster aspect, the like on infrastructure water and sewer and other types of infrastructure, and the resiliency of our communities. recognizing that all of those are interrelated. it is not about a certain type of way of fueling americans being bad or good. -- the city ofnd houston, as i say, we purchase renewable energy and most of it comes from wind. windmills kill birds. there is a trade-off to everything. -- we have toide

have real science and real answers and then have adult conversations about what those trade-offs are and what we are willing to give up to get where we need to go? >> you focused a lot on infrastructure as a part of the solution. do you see that being a part of a federal solution? is one of theure most important things we can fund. infrastructure a hallmark of my administration. we are in the process of completely overhauling our water sewer system over the next 20 years. we will completely overhaul our street and drainage system over the next 20 years. one of the problems here is that i have launched projects in houston that i will never see the end of as a public official. that is one of the challenges. america would not be the economic powerhouse that it would be if we did not decide to

invest in the interstate highway system. we would not have grown as a country. we invested in the railway system. infrastructure moves goods. infrastructure allows businesses to operate and the federal government needs to invest in infrastructure in the same way that local and state governments do. we are not doing enough of it at the federal level. we are not doing enough at the state level. everything rolls downhill and a lot of is that the local level are spending local tax dollars to take on federal and state burdens. >> what has houston done specifically to take into ' warningsientists that texas and coastal areas are threatened by rising waters and drought in the future? 2011, texas and houston

experienced the worst drought in recorded history. the majority of the state has just crawled out of that drought. at the same time, we are experiencing more and more hurricane impacts. there is no one solution to those types of problems. houston and the coastal regions are very low lying. we are about two feet above sea level. we are concerned with rising water levels. we are a coastal community. the more and more powerful storms are coming out -- we have just gone through a drought, so we are focused on the long-term water supply. level, noting water only am i serving on the presidential tax force -- task

believer that there are things we can do by working together on the production side and the end point of consumption. we must change our relationship to fossil fuels. there is not any one answer. we are working to see if we can protect the refining infrastructure in houston by installing storm gates. but we do it with the knowledge that we will -- water has to go someplace. we will have an impact on other communities. what is critical is that we do rhetoric or in the soundbites, but we actually have real science to start from. then we make the hard decisions. my father is the increasing oil production in the u.s.,

especially texas, affect the city and its environment? >> all good. [laughter] >> really? >> we are not a production area. refining and shipment area. we are a city of this this. while shale gas and fracking operations have opportunities,ic they have enhanced america's security a buddhist in a position of being an energy exporting country. there are environmental impacts

that have to be weighed. to figure out quickly how to do a better job in recapturing the fracking operations. it is uncomfortable to use amount of water we are using in the middle of a drought area with the different needs placed on those water supplies. my area.ot in fracking, how do you see the fracking revolution affect in houston? revenue gainbs and being sustainable long-term? >> houston has gone through booms and busts. i spent years in that industry before going into politics. we have seen an uptick because of the fracking that shell gas place. those operations are not in the

houston area. the brain trust is and where the engineering place is. we have the technical expertise. of our long-s part term sustainable growth for houston. see about the possibility of the u.s. becoming an oil exporter? will that happen any time soon? we are primarily talking about natural gas rather than oil. i do not see us changing in terms of oil. if i had spoken longer, i would have fewer questions. [laughter] do you support further -- infrastructure and changers such as the keystone pipeline or having more export terminals? >> yesterday keystone pipeline and yes to more energy export

terminals. although the export terminals would probably not begin in my .urisdiction it would benefit greatly from that. >> you have a lot questions, but a lot of topics. this questionnaire quotes your line from your speech that it matters who the decision-maker is. the question asked for your andtion to governor perry his position on gay rights and what your plans are to go up against the republican party in 2016? to be mayor houston for as long as i can be. . will be going out of office i'm in a nonpartisan position. i enjoy that and i do the fact that i can draw support from across the aisle. anything beyond my current position, i would have to talk -- tight a partisan leave.

i'm a democrat. i'm not shy about that. but mayors have to make things happen. the idea of a city stopping and a government shutdown at the city level is unthinkable. water has to flow. trash has to be picked up. thingsabout making happen. i would have to think long and hard about anything i might do to stay in politics. there's no better political job in america than being a big city mayor. as to governor parise position on -- perry's position on gay rights -- >> you are a democrat in a red state. texas is a red state that has a lively race for governor. what is wendy davis's prospect for what winning the government's race?

support senator davis in her run for governor. i went to be clear that i have a good working relationship with .tate government in the event of an emergency or disaster, i have no hesitation calling perry and expecting him to respectfully respond, as with other senior state officials. again, that is one of the differences between what happens at the local level and what happens in washington. do are things where partisanship takes over. for the goodether of the states. it is still a very red state. even though big cities in texas c, blue islands in a big red -- red sea, it is possible for

senator davis to win. she has got a great team in place around her. the republican party in texas leans more and more to the right. at some point, trend lines will cross. i do not know if that will happen next year. i certainly hope it does. >> looking nationally, do you expect texas to -- not know at 2016 will be there yet. , no question it will be a battleground state. >> you talked about congressional gridlock. some of that -- if some of that gridlock could be believed, what legislation would you like to see come out of washington that would benefit houston before the 2014 election?

>> i might have to hunt on that one. -- punt on that one. the most important thing washington to do is engage in comprehensive reform. i do not think it will happen. the fourth largest city in the united states. we are an amazingly diverse, international city. when i was elected mayor, we made worldwide media coverage because demeter coverage fell into two categories -- there was houston? how did this happen in houston? the reason it happened in houston is that houston is not the city that most people think it is. houstonians is foreign-born.

much about global aspect of houston is driven by our international oil and gas industry. to dubais that rotate and the factlondon that we have had tremendous growth in houston over the last 20 years from all over the world -- we have a young population and an educated population. we have a very international population. however, as part of that international flavor, we have a large number of undocumented residents. it is an economic imperative for , especiallytates border cities for comprehensive immigration reform with a path to citizenship. these people are living in our

communities in building our economy today. at houston, it is one of many cities in the u.s. that has major challenges with pension underfunding. how do you tackle that problem of underfunded retirement plans, especially with the wave of public-sector retirements coming with the baby boomers? >> you need to retire in a hurry. [laughter] government entity across the u.s. has cities, counties, states have challenges with of except her pension. -- public set -- public-sector pension. the annual budget is about $5 million. me, i have oneor

pension that is almost completely funded. it is under the ritual of the state of texas. you would think it is funded. we don't have to worry about it. it is the pension that has all of the bad government things you don't want in a pension. the reason it is fund is as the state won't let me do anything but send them a check every year. i have two other pensions that i have the ability to negotiate with. those have funding challenges. we have negotiated changes. i give full credit to my predecessor. he negotiated a package of that over time will bring us into funding and alignment. where working to get the same thing. our pension is out of control. it is not so much to focus on what the underfunding is.

it is what is in the pension today and what the trend lines are doing in the future. we will continue to chip away at it. you talked about the challenges are regulating as a city leader. a questioner says after a 16 year fight over regulating the cities top clubs, recent lee houston agreed to a preferred separation rule in exchange for payments that would fund a new department.ce how do you respond to critics that this is in exchange for strip club money? we made the right decision for a higher priority issue in the city of houston. thecurrent regulations on -- it was instituted about 17 years ago.

we have had litigation since. in an uncertain and city, there certain things. we focus on where adult clubs are and how their parents is outside. i think that is appropriate. -- and how their appearances outside. i think that is up there -- appropriate. we have had unproductive litigation for 16 years. that is the definition of insanity. doing something the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome. we know that the city of houston has a huge problem with human trafficking. we see a lot of that. that some ofvered

the and all injured him industry is reeling to work with the city eliminate to try to human trafficking in the clubs -- reset done together a tape measure to determine how far with a dancer is from the patron and what they are wearing, the adult clubs agreed to take down all of their private rooms and have line of sight and to allow free access and cooperate with the police department and educate their dancers so that we can eliminate human trafficking. >> along similar financial

lines, do you plan to replace the aging court and jail complex? a questioner says it looks like the city looks to get it done with some grated partnership. what options do you have for that? what advice would you give to other cities trying to find solutions? proud of say that i am my city council and the city that we have based our funding issues head on. the first three months in office as mayor, they had a package of could create -- we have launched a major infrastructure project. people's water rates went up.

end of my first year in office, we took to the voters and package reforms that included the imposition for the creation of a dedicated source if i was rather anti- incumbent. no new taxes. the city of euston put the drainage fee on themselves because labeled a productive adult mercedes shouldn't. this is how we're going to fund a post of these are the projects were going to do. these are the oversights. -- we will handle the money we made a commitment to the voters and said that we will no longer do debt financing for stringent inch project. i think we're the only major city in america we can get per

capita has gone down instead of up. we have invested in infrastructure and we are investing and even willing to pay for it. i still need a new police complex. payers and the sewer system on the voters for our drainage system have stepped up. i'm tried to use every tool in the toolbox. yes, i think i will need this time to use a public-private .artnership to design and build we are deep into the exploration of that. and our due diligence, thing we can avoid pitfalls.

>> looking back to texas politics, what are your immediate plans in advancing lgbt writes in the state of texas? in the state of texas? >> i do have some in the state -- city of houston. i'm a strong mayor. there certain things i have been able to do by executive order. we have a nondiscrimination policy for employment. we recognize now that all legally married spouses -- we recognize all married legal spouses. i fully expect before i leave office in the next two years to pass a comprehensive, nondiscrimination ordinance in the city of houston for housing and public accommodations. -- it is something that

i think the city needs to do. on theneed to compete .undamentals considering our future is what i city, thatthe great is something i need to take care of. >> given that same-sex marriage is not yet allowed in texas -- >> i thought your name was over. -- ipad q&a was over. over.hought q&a was [laughter] inthere was a referendum 2001. it added to our charter

provision at the city could not offer domestic partner benefits was that the reason i am able to recognize spousal benefits is the language in the charter is specific. unknownte it at a time anticipated that there would ever be legal marriage for same- sex couples. the language says they can only offer help and other benefits to legal spouses. we are recognizing spouses. not a lot of them, but we will see more. we are operating in a state with its own doma. the defense of marriage act review the recognition of same- sex marriage in texas or the granting of same-sex marriage in texas. until the supreme court sorts this out, we will nibble around

the edges on it. domestic -- i am in a 23 year domestic partnership. i've been looking forward toward the opportunity in the state of texas to mirror. i might get tired of waiting. i want to be young enough to know who i am marrying when i do it. [laughter] do you foresee same-sex marriage legal in texas? will that come through action and texas are will have to be sorted out nationally at the supreme court for that to happen? >> i think i answer that. it will have to be sorted out nationally. it is the tipping point on that. than 16 or 17 states that recognize same-sex marriage. we have -- we can't have a situation where there are folks in limbo where are marriages

recognized in some states and they drive across the border and it is not recognized. he had been there before. there is only one way that this ends. -- we have been there before. there is only one way that this ends. i think the best thing i can foror the lgbt community, my community, is to be the best mayor i can possibly be and conduct myself with dignity and and be as a aspects houston chronicle describe me as scandal free. much more exciting, but i think i can live with that -- confident and scandal free. [laughter] iere are certain areas where

think it is up to real to do so. i am one of the many years for equal marriage -- mayors for equal marriage. that has nothing to do with my normal day-to-day duties. one of the blessings of my i haven for me is that gayuch media attention as a or lesbian houston mayor. i was able to use that to talk about my city and to use it to their advantage of houston. i do not have to answer the big questions. -- gay questions. for thea spokesperson lgbt community. a spokesperson for the city of houston. i advocate for houston. with that said, i was an

activist for a long time. i have a clear public track record in support of equal marriage and in support of employment and nondiscrimination and in the passage of nondiscriminating ordinances. it is on my list that i want to check off. up, we have arap couple of questions on social media. the questioner wants to know how you have used social media to connect with supporters whether they are near or far? not much of a social media person. .on't tell anybody the staff handles the facebook page. et.o twe the first rule is to never

attend national never pretend or let someone else -- the first rule is to never pretend or let someone else tweet for you. i put my initial there so people know it's mean. one of the challenges is that it is right there in your hand in the moment whether you're happy or angry. you hit that send button and it is always dangerous. mayor, they want the real you. they want to be connected to you and get a sense of what you're feeling. every time i tell them what i am really feeling, they yell at me and say, don't do that anymore. it is hard to find the right balance and to be mayoral and have that darn gadget in your hand that you want to hit send. we have been there successful. the gold standard for the use of -- as a campaign

tool, we are very successful use social media to reach out to young people and engage them and convey messages. we have worked mostly with a rational journalists and with the blogging community. sometimes if you want to go into the mainstream media, if you're out there not been the baucas peer, it ends up where we want it to be. we have use that to our advantage. , im a constituent standpoint tweeto tell people to about potholes and stuff. -- if you want that pothole fixed right away, you need to use a regular system. we are trying to catch up to this technology that is out

there. i enjoy it. i'm wary of it as well. we're almost out of time. a couple of housekeeping matters. i want to remind you about our upcoming national press club speakers. december 16, we have den ackerson, chairman and ceo of general motors. -- dan ackerson, chairman and ceo of general motors. we also have a u.s. army chief of staff. secondly, i would like to present our guest with the national press club coffee mug. [applause] >> thank you. yound one last question -- talked about the challenges and the work that goes along with governing a major city. tell us what is the best part of being in your job?

>> the best part about being a mayor is that you can make things happen immediately and directly for people. most of the levels of government and you have to -- you can talk about things and maybe put some language in a bill that might take effect at year or two from now. i can get some and water turned down -- turn on the caps on spot someone's can get water turned on or there pothole filled. >> thank you for coming. how about a round of applause? [applause] i would also like to say thank you to the national press club staff, including the nl is an institute and the broadcast center for helping organize the event. you can find more information about the national best club and

a transcript and recording -- national press club and a transcript and recording at www.pres perspective, most private insurance plans offer open enrollment for only a few weeks. we continue to be relentless in our efforts to improve healthcare.gov, and we're committed to learning and adapting, improving and acting on the feedback we received from consumers and issuers alike. as i told this committee at the end of october, the initial launch of healthcare.gov was flawed, frustrating, and unacceptable. i believe strongly in accountability and our

obligations as public servants to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars. now that the website is working more smoothly, i've determined it's the right time to begin a process a better understanding the structural and managerial policies that led to the flawed launch. so they can take action and avoided these problems in the future. today i'm announcing some initial steps i've taken. i passed out inspector general to investigate the development of healthcare.gov, including contractor acquisition, the overall management of the project, and performance and payment of our contractors. i best cms administrator marilyn tavenner to create a new position of chief risk officer at the centers for medicare and medicaid services, and to expedite the search and hiring. this will be a full-time employee charged with assessing risk management practices and developing strategies to minimize those risks. let me be specific. i will instruct this officer to look at i.t. and contracting management practices starting

with healthcare.gov, and the risk factors that impede a successful launch. outdoes for an initial report in the first 60 days with recommendations on how we can mitigate risk as we move forward. i've instructed cms to update and expand their employee training. they are required to adopt best practice for contractor and procurement management rules and procedures, including internal communications and processes. these actions build on reforms we've already made which have led to significant improvements in the website, includes the addition of the management expert and consultant, administered have any, selecting systems integrator and changing the day-to-day cms management of healthcare.gov. fixing a flawed website has proven challenging, but it's nothing compared to the challenges that american families face every day.

welcome, everyone. we would like to call the hearing to order and would like to welcome the commission here. and recognize myself for five minutes for an opening statement. we are holding the hearing today to conduct oversight of the nuclear overstory commission. chairman terry's bill reorganization plan climates act nrc's role in protecting public health and safety in the environment is vital one and take over responsibility very seriously. thank you, commissioners, for making yourself available today. earlier this year, the u.s. court of appeals for the district of colombia granted a writ say, i quote, the commission must continue with the legally mandated licensing process. close quote for uk can -- yucca mountain. three months later they issued

an order to proceed and resume the line review. while i largely agree with the order. i question why it took so long. given the commission's history on the topic, i wondered if the nrc was dragging feet on the issue. or if it's just the normal pace of operation. as it turn out, the nrc seems to be losing the schedule discipline in a number of areas like new plant licensing, line extension, and power reviews just to name a few. that seems odd given the growth of the nrc's budget and personnel over the past ten years. the reduced number of operating reactor and decrease in material licensed and the withdrawal of new plant licenses. on november 21 tion we sent you a letter asking for more information to help the committee understand how the growth in your budget and decreased workload had not fostered timely or decision

making. at this time, i would like to ask it be included in the hearing record together with the nrc's response. without objections. so ordered. thank you. going forward i will with the chairmen to bring scrutiny of the ability to manage the workload and make decisionses in a timely fashion. and with that, i would like to yield the balance of my time to congressman terry from nebraska. >> thank you, mr. chairman. the independence of the nuclear safety regulators is paramount. it's one of the primary reasons why the nuclear regulatory commission is comprised of five commissioners not a single administrator. in 1980 during consideration of help us reorganization the nrc, one congressman raced concern about how tipping the balance of power too far in favor of the chairman could have crassic

consequences. i'm going quote democratic congressman from his testimony before the senate government affairs committee, quote, there will be two situations in the future, those who are the chairman basic agreement with the majority, and those who are he or she is not. in those cases the chairman has a majority of commissioners with him or her is it's obviously that the chairman will not need the extraordinary powers tucked away in his plan to work his or her will. the chairman and the commission can move in unit sob toward their chosen regulatory policy. continuing, quote, but what about the other situation where the chairman is in the minority regardless of party aflghts within the commission when the majority of the commissioner oppose the chairman. isn't it equally obvious that if it will be at that moment that the special powers will be most appealing to the chairman?

isn't it clear that if these powers are ever to be needed and utilized at all, it is precisely bay chairman bent on going against the majority of the commissioners. during, end quote. and end of his statement. during the previous chairmanship, we witnessed that turmoil that mr. first saw. turmoil documented at length by the nrc inspector general. while i know we are glad to see the commission functioning as it is now and should be, it is incumbent upon us as legislators to do what we can to prevent this type of turmoil from recurring in the future. that concern is what prompted me to draft this bill developed in large part from the inspector general's conclusions, and with the advice and counsel of the nrc itself.

and i yield back. >> gentleman yield back his time. taking the last minute, without that. i will turn to ranking member for five minute opening statement. >> thank you. thank you, mr. chairman. good morning. and thank you to our participates at the within table. it's great to have you before the committee. we have quite a full roaster potential issues during the course of the hearing. among these is the bill to amend the reorganization plan that lays out the structure and authorities of the nuclear regulatory commission, and define the role of the chair. the commissioners and the nrc staff, that being hr3132, which is authored by our colleague, mr. terry. ..

>> commerce subcommittee has focused on these and previous hearings. with the activities overseas by the commission arrived skeptical of the need of h.r. 3132 it does not address any real problems

and some of the provisions they create new ones. the primary ones is to ensure the fleet of nuclear power plants operate safely in nuclear materials are accounted for in the end of safely there's room for error. the public will not tolerate this to maintain public safety and public confidence are essential if we rely on nuclear power. as we proceed to consider h.r. 3132 that is what we should use to examine this legislation. a speedy response is oftentimes called for in addition to the central focus of safety i would observe the organizations may be productive as a test of her time and attention away from the main mission undertaking this task. i am skeptical with such a

anyhow hot diversion given before this commission and i am understand the working relationship among commissioners that is a concern short operating those rules by believe we should concentrate our efforts to solve problems such require a legislative solution. i am not convinced h.r. 3132 can pass that test. think you to use the commissioners to.

>> in addition to oversight we are here to discuss h.r. 3132 mr. terry bill to modify a overseas organizational structure are to appreciate my colleagues i have concern which have already been mentioned which leads to the ability of the commission in to respond to emergency situations. i am afraid the bill would hamper that and i would like to hear arafat is confirmed or not by the members of the commission in this speaker -- this morning also fund nrc from its facilities from yucca mountain be heard from secretary moody's said it makes is that it is important with public support and i agree

wholeheartedly we need to do discuss straight -- state technologies for storage of nuclear materials of these issues are important for idi nuclear project in the future we should take every effort to make sure they are fat as we go forward. my time is expired civic we now recognize mr. with field for five minutes tim mckyer also want to say killed and other members of the commission for being with us today and we appreciate the work that you are involved in. of a like 2.0 we try to setup this hearing beginning in august and everyone has busy schedules but i hope he will work with us in the future. we set some dates that were

not agreeable to all commissioners and your staff cutback to wes to suggest a date we were not even in session but i hope we can work together to facilitate these hearings. i also read senator boxer was critical of your travel. i would say i think it is important you do adequate travel because the expertise we have fallen the nuclear issue and safety is better than anyplace else in the world's what is important to pershare our expertise.

buses fukushima you have been focused on safety issues as you should to convince the american people that it is safe and he must have in it but i do believe in additional regulatory cost should be justified by high real safety of benefits. said general mentioned in a letter in november 2.0 staffing is 29% over the past 10 years and in the fees recovered has increased 58% and as we receive and this further be found in a duel review of a long-term safety trend to a and the

nrc reported it has not had any significant adverse trends of safety performance. that is commendable and we are pleased with that but in spite of that there is 58 new regulations pending. then the nrc received applications for new reactors and licenses for issued to build for a and 62 licenses have been withdrawn or suspended but that nrc stock continues to cite budget constraints with their review. i do agree that there seems to behalf a disconnect between the resources they and what appears to. we look forward to your comments today and we certainly look forward to use the opportunity to ask

questions and work with you as to move forward. i yield the balance of my time. >> i appreciate that. civic the minority has accepted mr. waxman shows up to give his statement. life detector does he would be given as there are competing hearings. the pronunciation of the names is a challenge so with us today children mcfarland, a the commissioner maguey david so for my colleagues we will try to get that right.

you'll how chance to europe grain testimony bill could. >> good morning. two distinguished members of the subcommittee. my colleagues and i appreciate the opportunity to appear before you today on behalf of the u.s. nuclear regulatory commission and. nrc has a full plate of responsibilities from reactors from raised in security he continues to flourish and effectively. to dale like to share a few highlights of our accomplishments. with a licensed facility of materials in means our top priority. a vast majority aha -- are

performing well while a few indians oversight to ensure the safe and secure operation but construction of the new unit is well under way under rigorous inspection in construction continues in the staff works toward the operating licence the decision. we also anticipate the first design certification applications for small modular reactors. the shares of the reactors shut down or to cease operations as these plans transmission year-old adjust oversight accordingly to insure the steps are dressed while keeping the public informed for cody nrc is in compliance with of circuit court of appeals decision to

resume the review of the licensing application. we reviewed feedback and budget deprivation from the nrc staff in the november 18 the commission issued order directing the staff to complete the safety by erasure report for the economic construction authorization in the application. project planning of the capability is now under way. on several matters to the license application my colleagues and i may not be able to come into to pending motions have participants to the education they seek relief in federal court also to make progress in the waste confidence toward the proposed storage role in statements are out for public comment until december tortillas. we have conducted 13 public

meetings in 10 states for feedback and questions. we have received over 30,000 public comments. in the interim nrc refuse all applications from we will not become final decision depended on the raised confidence decision intel it is fully addressed we continue to learn from the fukushima accidents among others things licensees to put equipment had reactor sites did have a supplemental flood barriers and to develop plans to install the instrument pool and also several rule making is. to ensure this work is to distract us from the day today nuclear safety priorities. the highest priority enhancements will be implemented by 2016. the nrc has held with the

manhattan 50 public meetings to get input of the fukushima work. the biggest of a year with the sequestration and cosseted the rapper's the impact how ability to carry out operations but if it continues it will negatively impact our new reactor were kindling divergency licensing activity among others. the recent government shutdown had a detrimental impact on the safety and security commission included ongoing inspections at emergency response capability was never in jeopardy but we were able to live that the impact of relative but even the four day for low-cost agency more than $10 million of lost productivity. we have accomplished a great deal but the challenges are still ahead for the nrc.

i am confident we can address these issues in the country goods and i would be pleased to easier questions. -- answer your question. >> al breaking them for waxman will give his opening statement. >> apologized for being late the other committee midinettes the same time started late. they keeled and especially to chairman macfarlane for being here today and which use my opening remark to comment on a really bad idea of the bill of today a laundry list of changes 40 internal procedures of all disputes the commission has worked through. after the three mile island will tell congress and the

carter of the industry should recognize the importance to centralize in emergency authority of domestic nuclear crisis. the planned 1980 addresses is concerned to establish basic responsibilities. the cherubim and the commissioners of the nrc. but to codify the plan every since the plan to from the three mile island put tickets states needs as seeing gold clear decision maker to reap -- during a nuclear in urgency. the bill takes the opposite approach the requires the nrc to befall the other commissioners it either prevents the chairman from taking in the emergency action until she did a price of four commissioners and the general public and the

congressional committee. i figure that is a troublesome idea if a nuclear meltdown is happening we don't need bureaucracy be need to the chair to act quickly and decisively. we should now required to call congress and commissioners along with the web site of the illustrator of public affairs officer for exercising a birch's the authority the impact of this bill could be proving disastrous in the nuclear crisis. that is not feel the change. not long ago struggling with a nasty personal conflict while the commission seems to of moved past that with the leadership of chairman -- chairman macfarlane. but the republicans cannot let it go. and schuster the pot to reopen past disputes read the nrc focused on this 80

not refer id procedures. hit every proposed changes to shift authority from the chair to the commissioners even to the president or congress with any perceived violations by the chair. there is one nrc internal procedure that should be changed. the commission revised policy for how handles the congressional request for non-public documents. previously. >> host: and provided documents from the oversight committees or with nuclear facilities in the district. as a policy of another fight on public documents to individual berbers and they withhold sensitive documents

from chairman its drinking grabbers as well. this is misguided and dangerous if there is say document dated two b.c. then they should get a. they want and probation and they should get it is not partisan issue but institutional oversight responsibilities. i encourage all five commissioners to brief the of the flawed policy and i look forward to discuss this issue today. i have to apologize in advance because i have another subcommittee at the same time that has fought and patience to sufficiently to be both places at one. >> genscher a lot of people are glad you're not able to be cloned to yet. [laughter] we will miss you. and i am sure mr. terry

appreciates the ability to competent and his bill. [laughter] so return back to the commissioners again. you are recognized for five minutes. spectate year chairman and ranking member of the subcommittee for the opportunity to appear before you today on nrc braddish rick the potential need for legislative reform. the chairman chairman macfarlane has provided a comprehensive description of key aegis your accomplishments in challenges to carry out the important mission of public health and safety of every nation and the circumstances that may carry out his mission in is constant patience of our approach this was a message said from

the senior career official. to all nrc employees it was as follows our future will be dynamic and unpredictable the agency will need to remain highly flexible as we respond to events in the external pressures. we've got to fight the work we're doing giving careful consideration how to use resources than safety and security. i agree. as senator organization that embraces the precepts were burning nrc seeks to improve the internal organizational effectiveness parker as the number i will for quebec colleagues in staff to support the agency to accomplish the work efficiently and effectively with the circumstances we face today. i am confident it the nrc

members are up to the task as they have proven time and again. i think and pour their sustained commitment. i appreciate the opportunity to appear today in the live forever to questions. >> commissioner you're recognized for five minutes. >> good morning. chairman of a raging rivers and distinguished members of the subcommittee's. of a bite to offer a few cuban live regulation. addressing concerns of cumulative effects for example, the nrc staff acheson in its midst of the rulemaking process for this

is in addition to chitin's as well as specific solicitation of public common stock and cumulative effects with the publish proposed rules. aside from the enhancements to the staff is open to industry proposals for fukushima action when they testified. ended to shinri were directed to come up with options to have their prioritizes has eat integrative set on a plan specific basis. the nrc staff are exploring in public duties the idea of this proposal. the rationale behind the first nuclear power plant

risk is very specific and to focus on just one area are of regulation such as safety enhancements ignores other work of the agencies to me such as fire protection in closing we reviewed focused on the security mission in a way to of the greatest impact on safety. think you very much. >> al commissioner backward -- teeeighteen. we appreciate your oversight because we think it is important we have to choose to share our thoughts about these issues. our printed comments capture the activities so i will much well of that but it has

been a busy time for the nrc. evade progress and receivers including waste issues, and updating standards the first fukushima a plan -- the first player since the '70s but today attention is placed after the fukushima response. march 2011 nrc harris learned important lessons from this tragedy as it takes action to enhance safety. we did not overreact or underreact and i think we have right. at the same time nuclear energy and fukushima has responded with strategies have will provide safety benefits beyond requirements. reported the -- more

importantly, the two months ago all the officers of utilities travel to japan as a group to inspect the fukushima's site to talk with those of the disaster. there were big gains made on this trip. cover challenge now is to a absorb the post activity into our normal work and prioritize. requires how with fellow probability extreme defense to protect against other areas. commissioner apostolakis talks this morning that we see growth of the resurrection but it is a big challenge. the steps we take one of significant implications for the years to come. the university bill have the benefit of us half than the

highly experienced people this is too vast a pair of the commission has afflicted and do general counsel. by the ford to continue to work with you. i look forward to your questions. >> commissioner you're recognized for five minutes. >> 8q. commissioner, ricky members in the rivers of the committee, the chance to be before you today to ted looks at the safety oversight role to ensure proper safe operations on a pledge hundred operating reactors across the country. nrc only seeks to have the experience is the guy right lessons learned and as initiated by the chair read

where appropriate. i am confident of the decisions nrc has made it is functioning properly as a body intended by congress ian the frustration. others talk about po-faced told its i will talk briefly about the process that of every team in order issued has sought and deliberation of the commissioners at his table happily there is some solid effort put out everywhere have sufficient funds to complete the safety reports which i think our report change. and he will keep them updated with of the reports. the nuclear power plants today operate under challenging conditions in the past. a cost of repairs in the low price of natural gas of lead

of -- to the shutdown of four plates of this year and more have announced for next year because they are not economically viable proprietress of new reactors has weighed in the current economic climate. that said nrc will be made diligent the plans are operated safely to keep oversight with the activities. as others have noted we also look to change our workload a and to insure our staff is the right size. i appreciate this hearing and the committee's role and i will answer your questions. . .