texas christian university for joining us today with their questions and > today, political unrest in iraq. that's next on c-span. in an hour, a conversation on women and poverty moderated by mariah shriver. later, remarks from mike huckabee. and from the republican national committee, a conversation on women in eadership. >> the new movie, "american household" is losely based on the 1970's that led to a conviction of a u.s. senator, six house members and other congressional officials. then a look at veterans' ension benefits.

later, "the washington post" reporter will discuss the arraignment of former virginia governor bob mcdonald and his wife following their 14-count indictment this week. you can also join the conversation on facebook and twitter. "washington journal," live each more at 7:00 eastern on c-span. next, the speaker of iraq's council of representatives talks about the violence, security concerns and political challenges facing iraq. usama al-nujafyi spoke at the brookings institution. his is just under an hour. >> in the name of god, the merciful, i'm really happy to be here with you today. as you know, iraq is a central and important country in the

world at large, and it concentrates on iraq and you do know that we in iraq went through very particular experience in the middle east. we first get rid of an oppressive regime and it is followed by a military occupation. and a constitution that was written in unfavorable conditions and circumstances. there was also a road map that that the iraqis were not able to contribute to this road map. because we were in a rush. nd we wanted iraq to be an example of democracy -- an exemplary democracy. the constitution in iraq was written in very difficult circumstances. and in a very sensitive period

n the country. and on the hands of citizens who suffered a lot in the past a, who were arrested or condemned to execution or compiled or imprisoned. so, the psychological environment was very hard. and there were mutual fears between the iraqi components. this was the reason why the constitution has some problems. and some argument notice constitution can be interpreted in different ways. we also set mechanisms to build institutions. the implementation of the constitution was not as it should have been because of the political divisions.

and the institution stipulated in the constitution did not -- or was not built as it should because of the problems. for instance, the federal supreme court, which is the , so far udicial body were not able to implement it. ecause 2/3 of the votes in the parliament and all the . litical parties do not agree we have a court that does exist but it does not have the constitutional prerogative to be able to rule on the issue of interpreting the constitution or deciding if the laws are constitutional or also ruling on differences between the provinces in the center, between the kurdish province

and baghdad, or between the legislative and the executive powers. all this made political life more complicated in iraq and our path toward building the democratic system that we seek was not smooth. there are bad implementations after the law and selective implementations. we adopted some 215 laws, some are very important for the stability of iraq and for providing services to the people and for building the state. but some of the laws were not implemented, they were adopted, litsched in the journal, official journal, and theoretically they were implemented but so far were not because there are unilateral political decisions not to

implement them. for instance, the law under provinces that gives important prerogatives to the provinces and means fund implement the decentralization of the state. but this law was not implemented because some in the country believe that it shouldn't. also the law about customs. it was adopted two years ago but it was paralyzed on purpose. so we are facing many obstacles when it comes to building constitutions and to building -- institutions and to building the state of iraq. there are select committees in implementing the laws. sometimes a law is i.ed on some iraqi parties and -- are implemented on some iraqi parties and not on some iraqi

parties. hence a lack of confidence by the citizens in the political process and the state institutions and also in the participation in the political process. iraqis now are facing a terrorist threat as we've senior citizen since the beginning of the years -- since the -- we've seen since the beginning of the years since the war started and now we need to know how to defeat this terrorism at the security and at the ideological levels. you do know that in 2010, there was a search by the american services. conventional violence ended in the country. and we set a plan to fight al eda and the terrorist groups ith the support of the sunni clans. they were armed, financed and got promises that they will be

part of the armed forces and a of the state. and the clans were able to defeat al qaeda and security was restored in al anbar, that represents 30% of the surface of iraq. so we were able to bring stability back and the word is witness. there was no follow-up on the promises that were given to them and they did their rights as citizens to integrate the armed forces, to get the salaries that they need, to protect them from being targeted by the errorists. very few of them got salaries that were very, very low. some of them were expense from their jobs. many of them were arrested.

because of systemic relations by confessional or even by al qaeda. because they wanted to undermine the rule of the clans. so, from 2009 until a few months ago, these forces were almost completely destroyed and al qaeda came back stronger than before. al qaeda was able to paralyze the plans and the central state did not follow up on its moral and literal promises so al qaeda is back and it's exploiting political differences and the general feeling of frustration amongst the iraqi people. it also is exploiting the systemic corruption at the political and economic level. finances ing support,

and means in some provinces in iraq and in 2013 more than 9,000 iraqis were killed and more than 25,000 were wounded. and this is the highest figure n the last 10 years. so, the political components in iraq were not able to build the iraqi political system or to implement the constitution and to reach a genuine partnership and a genuine reconciliation. they were not able to implement the laws as it should be. and get rid of corruption and abuses. and they did not respect all the iraqi components as to represent them in acquitble way in the armed forces, according to the constitution they did not provide the provinces with nough funds, still according

to the constitution on a pro rate according to the constitution. also we did not adopt the law on hydrocarbonens, oil and gas, which is very important to set a balanced relation between the provinces and the center for the production and exportation of oil. so each arms for some parties are implementing the constitution based on their own perspective and this is hindering the building of the state, the national cohesion and is leading to more divisions and more and more people at this point do not trust the political process anymore. and this is something that we have seen by the very low turnout in the last general elections and the one before it. we believe that iraq is at this point on a crossroads.

the key to the solution is clear. and we can find a solution. what we need though is a strong determination, is a political will, is for everyone to agree on the constitution and to forget about the problems of the past, to move beyond the and to stop punishing the iraqi people and move towards a prevent ation that can iraq from even greater problems. in the kurdish province, there was a law adopted to undersee everyone who committed a crime against the kurdish people and worked with the regime. some of them are accused of many crimes but they decided to

see everyone and the situation in the kurdish province is stable and everyone is participating in the plit can process -- political process and -- province and the kurdish province is now an example of security and investment and .ise politics within iraq we are still arresting people and we are also implementing the law on ustice and accountability in a partial, sectarian way. we are still punishing some of the iraqi people who were not part of the previous regime. that are or reasons political and a unfair. so we failed in implementing

this law. i believe the political process is now strengthened and the need to act seriously and quickly. the next elections are very important and may solve many problems. but the situation should be stable. we should put an end to the violence and the kill canning. and we should avoid any political message that are provocative, as happened the day before yesterday. the decision to start a military campaign against four provinces which led to lots of reactions. also what is happening in the anbar province, of course al qaeda is there and we should fight al qaeda, we believe so. and the clans are fighting terrorists at this point. but not everything in al anbar is terrorist. there are political demands and rights. and problems that need political solutions, not

military arrangements. so i am ready to answer your questions, but let me state once again that iraq at this point is on a crossroads. either it will move toward success and enhance democracy and give a successful example of a democratic system in a troubled iraq, or, god for bid, we'll move into something similar to the syrian situation and this is to be expected, if the problems are not faced in the right way. iraq at this point needs ational reconciliation, wisdom , understanding and partnership between the iraqis instead of the marginalization that we are seeing in iraq. thank you so much. [applause] >> thank you very much, mr.

speaker. and, again, welcome to brookings. it is wonderful to have you here and thank you for your remarks. in particular because i think that you justified my comment that you are one of the most important and most constructive iraqi politicians out there and i think that you laid that out very nicely in your remarks. i wanted to start my question for you, where you began your own prepared remarks, with the constitution and the nature of the iraqi state. you said that the constitution had been rushed. and obviously we've all heard from a wide variety of different iraqi politicians and iraqi leaders who have different ideas about the nature of the iraqi state and what it ought to look like, who have different visions of a future iraq. and i wanted to begin, mr. speaker, by asking you about your vision of a future iraq. you're very he will quebt and very passion -- eloquent and

very passionate about the missteps that have been taken in the implementation of this constitution and the laws and the politics that have followed the imp implementation of the constitution -- implementation of the constitution. but i wanted to begin by simply asking you what your vision for iraq was, what your vision of iraqi democracy looked like, and in particular whether you felt that your vision of a future of iraq was somehow different from your sense of the prime minister's vision of a future iraq. >> of course i have a vision about iraq and iraq's democracy. of course it is -- it has its specificities. it is not similar to all democracies. we have our traditions, our legacy, our history, and also be respected. but we do also agree on many of

the international criteria when it comes to democracy. and i do believe that iraq is able to become a very important model. the constitution has many flaws, as i said, but nonetheless at this point it guarantees liberty and freedom. it guarantees partnership and the building of a strong state. so, again, some articles would need to be amended and this is stipulated by article 142 that says that some of the articles should be amended. but at this point the constitution can bring iraq into a better iraq. now, i do not agree with the prime minister in the way he manages the country. and i believe that committing to constitution and applying

the rule of law is not obvious in the policies of the government. as i said, it's a selective policy. sometimes laws are implemented. in specific circumstances. and in other circumstances they are not. on the issue of justice and accountability, the law says that people who reach some levels in the ba'ath party should not be dominated at certain high levels in the government or so on. it's when we move to what's happening on the ground, many of the military commanders that are in charge of very important units in the army, in charge of many military operations, and have high ranking posts in the federal police or the ministry of interior, where previously members -- were previously

members of the ba'ath party and were also at that time in high standing positions. but this was simply put aside and ignored and they remain in their jobs. while counterparts, officers from other provinces, and i have to say it from a confessional perspective, are being ignored, are being pushed ized, are almost into the arms of the terrorists . so there are double standards in implementing the laws and in dealing with the citizens, which is leading into a lack of confidence in the political process and the lack of respect by the people towards the state. this democracy is selective. it is a democracy for some and it is an oppression for others.

so the problem is a problem of commitment. we have diagnosed more than 30 violations of the constitution by the government in the last two years and these violations are pretty obvious. there is also an attempt to undermine the role of the parliament to prevent the parliament from voting and ssing laws and saying that laws should be dictated by the government. they also are undermining the constitutional court. the court was created before the constitution and the court decided that what the government is doing is right. therefore we are not being able to legislate. we adopt laws and the government rejects them. so again there are double standards in the country. pretty obviously.

and the current policies will not lead to a strong democracy -- democratic iraq. we need to review this, we need to have a separation of power, we need to respect the constitution and the laws and to build institutions. the institutions should be built. at the security level as you know, all the decisions are in the handles of the prime minister. -- hands of the prime minister. all the irke iraqis should be able to contribute in such an important decision. >> i want to push you a little bit further on this. and in particular i want to ask you about a particular word that one hears a fair amount in iraq and when talking about iraq and that word is federalism. as you know, there are many people who believe that some of the answers to the problems that yourself have raised is moving toward a more federal structure. and first i'd like to ask you if that is your sentiment as

well and if that is, if it isn't the case, i'd be delighted to hear buy not. if it is, what would you mean by federalism? what would greater federalism or iraq look like? > well, the iraqi constitution is encouraging the creation of provinces. and you do know that the system implementing in iraq at this point is a federal system. now, we have the kurdish problems -- province and there is also a mechanism about creating new provinces according to the constitution and to laws that were passed in 2008 about the mechanism to create a province. now, in the beginning, some of iraqi components were against federalism.

they believe this was some sort of divisional partition of iraq. but after we went through the olitical process, and we started seeing the double standards and the lack of fairness, many of the people started demanding federalism, not only as a sunni provinces -- south. the state there is a majority supporting federalism. and the federalism that we're talking about is that of the provinces. the borders of the province determined that this is a province. 2/3 of the council of the province would submit a demand to the prime minister. not to the agreed -- to be agreed upon but just to be officially submitted to the

high commissioner of the elections that would then organize the referendum in the said province. and if half of the voters, 50% , meaning rs agree 50% of those registered to vote agree, then we will have a province with decentralized prerogatives. and the aim is not to create confessional sectarian provinces but it is more of it a division and the provinces would have the necessary financing, the necessary management capabilities, the . cessary prerogatives i do believe in federalism. and i do believe it is a solution to many of the problems we are facing in iraq. now, baghdad would be in charge of the main ministries, finance, defense, oil.

and other issues relating to sovereignty. and the provinces would manage their own local business. and this is completely constitutional issue. and it has the potential to solve many problems and many of the iraqis do believe that federalism could calm the political tension. now, more than a year ago a few provinces submitted requests but it was not followed by a referendum, as the constitution and the laws stipulate, but it was kept in the drawers of the office of the prime minister. they simply didn't follow up and this is a huge violation of the constitution and the laws. the day before yesterday the province in the north presented a request to become a province and more than 2/3 of the member of the council of the province

sent the request to baghdad. i believe other provinces would do the same. and this is something i do encourage. because i believe that this will enhance the unity of iraq and will help solving the political and security problems. >> as a proud son, i'd like to follow up on the point you made and ask the question, given the state of tensions, if the government does not follow up on this petition for regional status, what is your sense of how the people of the province would react? how will that go over with hem? >> of course when we cannot defer to the constitution and the laws anymore, and when those in charge do not respect the law, the citizens would not consider that they are committed to implementing the aws anymore.

and this, they are not committed, they will have other alternatives and this is very dangerous and we are warning against this. this is why there should be a commitment to implementing the constitution. because we do not have -- we do not want to have negative repercussions on the constitution and on the elections. we do not want people to start working on having their own laws and provinces. we should implement the constitution. we should allow for the provinces to be created. and, again, not on a sectarian of confessional basis, but on basis.nistrative we have sunni, shiite, curds, christians and so on, so it's a very diverse province it. doesn't mean that it's a sunni province, but it's a

subdivision and this applies to basra as well which is very diverse. and the last law on the provinces in one of the its articles says, that each province would take $5 from each barrel of oil produced in the said province. and also when it comes to refining the oil, in the province. but the budget that was submitted to the particle amount few days ago only gave $1 to each province on one barrel and kept the four remaining dollars. when we asked why, we www.no legal answer. it's just -- we got no legal answer. it's just the will of some members of the government not to implement the law. simply as that. basra and others threaten that if you do not give us our legal right according to the law, we will stop producing oil, we will cut the streets, we will

start a rebellion. this is what the governor of basra said and another province as well. why do we push the iraqis into making such difficult decisions? we have to be committed to implementing the law and the constitution. >> this gets us into a very interesting and important discussion. one question is where do iraqis stand. as one of the principal leaders --the iraq's sunni community you will pardon me for using that moniker, but i think that is a fair way to put it. i think to hear a sense from you of how do they see the situation

. how do they look at the current crisis. how do they feel about the government? seeing their own lives, and what would they like from it? if you can give some sense of how the people in the provinces are viewing the issues, i think that would be helpful to all of us. >> as i said, justice was not implemented as it should. authority of the states, the huge capability was used to systems, selective which is encouraging the supporters and punishing those who are opposing the government. there was a way of dealing with

the citizens. this is something we have seen starting with ordinary citizens and moving to high-ranking politicians. this is a feeling of frustration and therefore, rebellion. people believe the state is not respecting the rights of some of the provinces and therefore we and say we are against people and you should deal with us fairly. politicians talked about these issues within the parliament in political circles with the government and during negotiations about forming a government. also when it comes to the

agreement of 2010, which led to the formation of this roadmap forwe set a giving their rights in decision- making, but there was no follow- up. the agreement that the minister potentiallysunni the security for the sunnis and for the kurds, but this was not what happened. demonstrations that lasted more than a year. they look for a quality and the

leaving of innocent detainees, and they wanted the government not to use accountability to punish people of the provinces for no reason at all. two years ago thousands of young people were arrested around when the authorities were asked, why are you arresting them, they said it was a preventive arrest. we have doubts about some of these people being terrorists. some of them remained in detention two years after the there was also. one of the elected members who arrested and accused of

hearing a terrorist. -- of being a terrorist. he was in there for six years and was released without any charges against him. forprovinces are asking their rights. was militarilyon the first. many were arrested, and the demonstrators were ,ccused of harboring terrorists and the problem started with disbursing demonstrations in al anbar. of course in such demonstrations where 100,000 people are participating, probably we can find some unacceptable slogans, but these do not represent all

the people. the demonstrators are not responsible for terrorist among peopleut none of the demonstrating ever attacked security forces. there were classes here and there. believe these demonstrators did anything to harm central authorities, but still, they were dispersed by force. qaeda,e presence of al they occupy parts of l and bar. there are a few dozen to -- anbar.f al there are a few dozen to 100. people say they do not respect these demonstrations, and it is

pushing people to carry weapons. anbar the iraqis agree should fight al qaeda and get rid of them. they are a dangerous force, but at the same time, we should have a political process where we would listen to the demands of give them, that would the funds articulated by the forces that, the thesis and the making in iraq. if this does not happen, we are in a crossroads. not white ors black. it is great. we need to work on some of the political problems constitutionally. >> the last problem is important for americans. it's one thing americans have

the greatest disability understanding, the reemergence of al qaeda in iraq. i can remember 2, 3, 4, 5 years driving around, and you forgot al qaeda even existed because the security situation improved so much. it was no longer an issue. today they are back. they are controlling parts of falluja, parts of ramadi. are contesting other areas, and i think a lot of americans have a great deal of difficulty trying to understand how it is thinkave come back, so i it would be helpful if you could explain a little more. on the starting to touch fact that most iraqis do not have any love for al qaeda, yet the blackss, we see

clad men, the black flags flying in falluja, and it is very hard for us to understand how al qaeda is back if it is not the case that the people of falluja and ramadi didn't want them back, so please help me understand what seems like a puzzle to many americans. said a while ago, al qaeda was the fetid. defeated. after the battle ended, the promises made to the people were not kept. the government dealt with them as if they were opponents and enemies. joinwere not allowed to armed forces.

it was as if they did not want to have military units from these provinces. this led mistreated. to frustrations and mistrust. people are convinced they should because with baghdad their representatives are not able to get them their rights back or to move their legitimate demand forward. saw the government was trying to marginalize some them thed not giving role they were elected to play. at the psychological level, there was a lot of stress and lots of frustration.

this allowed al qaeda to come back. when the people do not trust the and al qaeda, they are confused. if they fight al qaeda, the institution would go back to what it was in 2006. if they fight al qaeda, they will be a target afterwards. if they do nothing they will because between the fire of the army and the fire of al qaeda because they know al qaeda would bringing worse progress back, but the psychological situation at this point makes it easier for al qaeda to come back. people theconvince government and the state are theirs, too, that they should deal with the government in order to defeat the extremists,

and afterwards, their rights will be kept. this is the most important question at this point. limited, but they are exploiting the situation. as some germs can exploit a sick body. but if this body is healthy fight it's easier to germs. many countries in the region are facing al qaeda. al qaeda for instance cannot find a stronghold in saudi arabia or kuwait, but it can do so in iraq. find a safe haven, so we need to win the population back. we need to give people the rights to support them at the security level, and then, al

qaeda will be defeated within days. excellent point, but i would like to ask a hard question i think is important from the other side. think you are aware there are other communities in iraq. shiite community is very frightened by the reemergence of al qaeda. it is subject to terrorist attacks from al qaeda and other groups within iraq, and it is pressing very hard on the government to come down on al qaeda and to root it out. i would ask him how do you speak to the shia of iraq. you are very friendly with -- these are important elements. whodo you speak to them

want nothing more than to see al qaeda crust and say until it is crust, how can we have these negotiations? how do you help explain what needs to happen to help allay their fears as well? theet me correct information. al qaeda is not only targeting shiites. targeting all refugees. tens of thousands of ordinary shiites.amongst the have militiaso that also forced displacement on people, especially in baghdad and other parts of iraq.

beinge ways they are not held accountable. the sunnis and the shiite should work on re-conciliation, on getting ridted to of the militias and al qaeda. adopting the militias and al qaeda is dangerous to iraq. the shiite leaders understand what is happening. a are not blaming the sunnis. they are blaming al qaeda particularly. believe as we believe citizens should feel there is justice and equality, and this will allow us to be rid of the terrorists.

it is not true to say the sunnis are all al qaeda. the sunnis are a target of al qaeda. sunni leaders.g sunni politicians cannot move freely because they are targeted by al qaeda. at the same time they are targeted by the government and some militias, who are doing something similar to what al qaeda is doing. the shiites are more free to travel around shiite provinces. we need to determine which is the common enemy. carries legitimacy outside of the state. al qaeda is an international enemy to all countries and should be fought.

i believe the shiites understand what is happening in iraq. the majority of them agree with iraq --stice is bad in is back in a rack al qaeda will be easily defeated. >> the last ring i want to talk about if the united states. you are here in washington. i don't think it is because of the weather or the desire to see our monuments one more time. i believe there is some reason to do with the security of a rack. i would like you to share some sense of the role you would like to see the united states play in this. how can the united states be construct of? recognizeke to america's influence is where it once was, and many americans are feeling reluctant about greater

involvement in the middle east. in mind, whateats is it you would like to say to the american people about how the united states could lay a constructive role in helping a rack move forward in this ellicott situation. >> i believe the relation between the united states and a rack is about a strategic , and stability in iraq is stability -- the united states and the rack is about the strategic contract and stability in iraq is about the whole world. if this were to turn into a civil war, this would have a negative impact on the united states and the countries in the region. it would be worldwide. of course i do not call for any

, butaction, and i resisted france also should provide support and should play a role. they should support their friends when they are in trouble. we need economic support, and the united states needs a rack to be a stable country -- needs to be a stable alltry, to be democratic. these are american and iraqi interest is a likely. -- alike. felt iraq was left when it

was not stable enough and was not able to completely move awards a transition towards strong state. point they at this center of power reached the situation we are seeing today. through instates was the last few years, and they started shifting their attention away from a rack. -- from iraq. violencethe escalating in a rack, the united states is looking back, and i believe the united states can play an important role in bringing the country closer to iraq in its fight against al qaeda and provide the expertise to encourage national reconciliation and to try to restore cohesion in iraq and to

know iraq has imported relations with other countries. the united states has an influence over all the countries in the middle east. iraq needs a long-term friendship with the united states, a friendship based on democracy and respect and a stable,s successful state, not the state that is working with discrimination and oppression. americans understand the problems of a rack, and they should concentrate on a rock iraq once again to fix the lack of stability. we americans also do not want to

rock -- iraq to support terrorism. >> one last question. to havescheduled elections at the end of april. what would you like to see the united states do around those elections to make sure they are positive? we have seen elections that were extremely helpful to democracy and elections that were extremely disrupt full. what can the united dates due to ensure these are constructive elections and not destructive. message should be a that should come from all thetries to iraq that election should be organized in a just and transparent way. should be prepared. we should have a minimum , and there should not

be decisions that are controversial, like the one that ago, the two days reaction to al qaeda and so on. we should avoid concessional mobilization in order to be able to organize fair and just elections that can provide a solution to the iraqi problem. internationalve , if we do not have all these, the elections can be distractive. betweena crossroads stability or, god forbid, other more intricate problem's.

me in thanking the speaker. [applause] thank you. >> inc. you all very much. you all very much. >> the justice department held a briefing today on u.s. forces in afghanistan and whether or not afghan national security forces can handle their own security. that. part of >> what i saw, we lost soldiers. nato lost soldiers. we lost half as many in 13 as we did in 12, but we lost soldiers, and those soldiers sacrificed. the afghans stepped up to the fight. there were a lot of people who

said that wasn't going to happen, and it did happen. was it perfect? not a pretty thing, but they fought hard. they changed their strategic object is. afghan security forces emerged very confident and very capable -- very confident of their own ability. cohesion was-- maintained. there was more work to be done. we have to continue to build institutions and ensure the security force can continue to stand on their own, and that security force provides the shield for the rest of society and have an education in government and so forth. that is the premise in order to stabilize this place and prevent

it from becoming a haven for terrorists to attack the united states. i think it is working. i think it can work and it relies on the united states to nato, and i can tell you with certainty the soldiers of all the nations are are doing and they great job at it, and i look forward to seeing afghan security forces in the coming support our election and have a peaceful transition of power from one administration to the other for the first time in afghan history. that will be a huge turning point, and that will reinforce the strategic initiative with the government of afghanistan, and i think they will be in good shape.

atlantic magazine and the center for american progress posted a forum discussing the of the latest report. this raises awareness on issues facing women. theill show you this over next two nights. the first part starting in a few minutes at 9:00 eastern here on c-span. the former arkansas governor mike huckabee gave a speech today. the politico writer accused of using the government to help control their libido. he said republicans have been wrongly accused of waging a war on women. firestormts sparked a on twitter and cable news. we will hear part of what he said. and we will hear the press secretary's reaction.

>> i think it is time republicans no longer accept listening to the democrats talk about a war on women. the fact is the republicans don't have a war on women. they have a war for women, for them to be powered to be something other than victims of their gender. women i know are outraged that democrats think they are nothing more than helpless and hopeless creatures whose only goal in life is to have the government provide for them birth control medication. women i know are smart, educated, intelligent, capable of doing anything anyone else can do. our party stands for the quality of women and the capacity of women. that is not a war on them. that is a war for them. if the democrats want to insult women by making believe a are helpless without uncle sugar

coming in and providing a prescription for birth control because they cannot control their reproductive system without the help of the government, so be it. let us take that discussion all across america because women are for more than the democrats have played them to be, and when i need to stand up and say, enough of that nonsense, and i think it is time we lead that discussion. ago at the long winter meeting mike huckabee said the democrats message to women is that they are helpless inhout uncle sugar coming and providing for them a prescription each month for birth control because they cannot control their libido or their reproductive system without the help of government. is that the president's message? >> i have not seen that report, but whoever said it sounds offensive to me and you women. >> the facebook page after your

thoughts for mike huckabee's comments, whether or not there is a republican war on women. this comment reads -- tom says -- i disagree with huckabee on quite a bit of issues, but he's right on this issue. this war on women garbage is a phony war put on by msnbc. you can tell us what you think on facebook.com/c-span. the shriver report looked at the economic status of women in the u.s. and includes an estimated 40 2 million women are at risk of falling into poverty. we are going to show you a discussion. include aaronrs wright and nancy pelosi.

>> today we will be discussing those issues with the foundation of the third striver report. we will hear from maria shriver and others as we talk about the fundamental question. why are millions of working women in america more economically vulnerable than ever before, and what can we as a nation do about that? i would like to extend a special thank you for you all for joining us at the museum. hopefully the fog will lift and we can see the capital outside. i would also like to thank you joining us online. i give a special welcome to c- span viewers who are with us today. many thanks for those who organized the shriver report. gathering today is made possible by the generous support of our underwriters.

i would like to give them a special thanks as well. many thanks to them for helping make this gathering possible. as all of you know i hope, for 155 years the atlantic has been societalthe largest issues facing america. in our earliest year we were very much on the issue of slavery and the abolition movement. we have written about women suffer it. we have written about civil rights, and we have written more recently about same-sex marriage. this is very much appropriate that maria shriver and her team approach the atlantic. we were honored to have them here but also for the coverage on the report and related materials. piecell find a terrific

maria authored called "the female face of poverty." you will also find other strong women's voices particularly on our channel called the sexes launched in 2012. that is a digital for him for conversations ranging from gender dynamics in the court case to portrayals of men and women in pop culture. look at thatto site. also in the magazine you will voices and female terrific coverage, including that haver stories changed the conversation. women cannot have it all and a piece called the end of men. oath of those will be with us today along with many other strong speakers, men and women including senator deliver and -- pelosi gillibrand, nancy

, and tony porter. today we will have them all discussions and video presentations as we discussed public and private-sector practices intended to prevent american women from living on -- from achieving long-term security. we would like to ask you to turn off your cell phone. keep your questions short. we ask you follow us on twitter and asked westerns there. you can use #what women need. you will find a comment card, and we really welcome your feedback on today's program. i would like to welcome one of

the leaders in creating the shriver report. just prior to being president, he served as ceo of. served in the obama and clinton administrations and work in think hank. for healthas advisor and human services, working on president obama's health reform team in the white house. she was named one of the most influential women in washington by a sister publication, national journal. we are delighted to be working with them. >> thank you for that kind introduction and for the partnership with atlantic. we are very proud of this day, and atlantic gives us so much ability to communicate these

ideas and gives us such innovative ideas. at the core of our mission is expanding opportunity for all americans. we believe when all americans have a fair shot we are better off, and that is why the work we have done with maria shriver on this book and this project have been so important and so critical, because ensuring that women who are one paycheck away from poverty or already in poverty themselves, ensuring they have real opportunity we believe will ensure their families do better, our countries do better, our communities do better, our businesses do better, and that we are really all better off. we honestly believe as a guiding principle that just because you are down does not mean you are out in america.

that is a critical principle. it is something that guides our work, but it is also personal to me. i grew up the child of two immigrants. we came from india decades earlier. we lived in a house in massachusetts, which is a middle-class typical town. when i was five my errands got divorced, and my dad left. my mother was on her own, and immigrant. she had never worked, never held a job before, and she faced a tough choice of going back to india or going on welfare. she had two children to support. it was a tough choice, but she knew if she went back to india she and her children would face stigma for the rest of their lives. then nobody got divorced in india. they don't get divorced much now. tough choice to

stay in this country and go on welfare. on food stamps. we got section eight housing. we were lucky. bedford,ble to stay in and i was able to go to bedford schools. my mom eventually got a job as a travel agent, and i remember days in which i got sick and had to go to school because she couldn't risk losing her job. sometimes there were days when i and just from school stayed home in our apartment he goes there was no one there, and i amouldn't leave her job. very proud to say that after a few years she got a string of that are jobs, and by the time i was 11, she was able to buy her own house in bedford, i amchusetts, and incredibly proud of her. i know it is not just her

courage that got us through all that. there are a variety of programs , notwere available to us but to help us get out of problems we had. there are people who believe in expanding opportunity for all americans, and i think it is so appropriate we recognize those programs are working to help me be herep you like -- help people like me be here today, and i am so grateful because opportunity has been available for me, and i think it is important we expand that opportunity to more and more americans. and you read the materials listen to these women's stories, all they want is a little help to do right by their families.

want us to do the work for them. they are working pretty hard. they just need that extra help, and in a country as great as ours, it seems that is an easy ask, so we at the center for american progress are they full to join maria in this effort. thatve a fantastic team has been working it seems like decades on this project. we honestly believe the book not just fortant conversation but for real policy from paid family leave to increasing the minimum wage. we hope this initiative will move from important conversations to real policy that place that is

hopefully clearing out we will be able to see today. this project would not have happened without the incredible vision, foresight, leadership of maria shriver. as i have said, her spirit has been with this in every way, thinking of new ways to communicate with evil but also visionary ways to lift these voices up. all of these women have a friend in maria shriver. we are thrilled to work with her. great honor to introduce maria shriver. [applause] >> thank you. good morning, everybody. every morning my kids know i start with meditation.

i will not walk through what i say, but there are always two lines. i say, today they there be peace within, may i trust i am exactly where i need to be. i believe i am exactly where i am meant to be, right here this morning with everyone who has made the effort to be here and forith the atlantic the center for american progress, listening to you standing up here brought tears to my eyes. her story about her mother, to have the courage to tell that story, to tell it about her mother, to tell it about her family and that she stands here today as the leader of one of the great think tanks in this country, doing incredible work is a testament to her mother's work and her own.

she's denser representing the 42 million women represented in this report, in the 28 million children who depend upon them. they are not statistics. they are human beings with real hopes, real dreams, and that really was the mission of everyone who worked on this project. there is an incredible team of people who have been working for years led by karen ann olivia morgan, roberta hollander, danielle, melissa, , all of whom meera have worked so hard and all of .hom share the same mission what united these teams and what united everybody who wrote for this report and who has been working the front lines of humanity is the believe that these women cannot only lift

themselves up but lived their entire families and putting then at the center of economy is not just good for women. it is good for men. it is good for boys and girls. it is good for the country. that is the purpose of this report, to change old stereotypes, to put a new face to this issue and to talk about it in ways people can understand and see themselves, and what we have seen and what we have heard with all the coverage on andvision and with inks appreciation to beyoncé, who has put this out into spheres i did not know existed, and what i toe heard with the responses in bc, this is my story. it is not about the glass ceiling. the foundation.

it is not a story against men but including men. what isstory about not good for girls or boys but what is good for women, about the incredible struggles they face to be breadwinners, to be caretakers and caregivers. i want to bank all of you for coming here. interestyou have the in the subject, that you believe we can be a more compassionate, caring country. i really believe that. we have tremendous power to move this nation and move that hill. in a uniquere position. lyndon johnson called up daddy and said, you are going to lead the war on poverty.

my dad was like, what is that? i need to talk to my family. he said, don't you have any balls? this project took a lot of balls. what daddyo much of s, yet thereo work is still work to be done because the american family has changed, and we talk about that in this report. 70% of women not having one sick day. we can do better, and we will do better. i have no doubt about that. i don't want to spend a lot of time, but i want to introduce this video called "she's the one." really is the one.

millions of women are starring in it. look, there is a picture of me with president obama up there. that was really exciting. if he said yesterday, i am impathetic to these issues, understand these issues, and i want to make a difference on these issues, we will. i want to thank you. i hope you believe you are where you need to be today. have peace within, and i hope you will be able to take in all this material in your head, and your heart, and that you will leave here today believing you are part of the solution. "she's the one? ♪

>> there are 42 million women like this one and this one and .his one you see her everyday. one house down or one desk over. childreneaching your or going back to school herself. she works hard to hold down a job or even two, to provide and also without a partner, to juggle the needs of young children and elderly parents, be the backbone of her family. she's the one doing it all because she has two. -- she has to. she is one missed paycheck, one sick child, one broken down car away from losing it all.

you may know this wife. she might be a lot like you. she could be looking to shatter the glass ceiling or just to this one andeet. the millions like her make up the foundation of our country. keeps our families moving, our community going, and our economy growing. the 128 million kids depend on. help lift her up. we are the ones. story visit the website. tell us what women need now. welcome sister joan.

-- please welcome sister joan. >> what do we do with what we just heard. it was written, the only effort is to construct the future. that is the only reason all of us are here today, to talk together about what each of us can do to create a new future for women. why? even now when men are still being made and visible everywhere. women are being denied the resources they need to become who they are. the world is being denied the resources of women. their mission is being ignored. their wisdom is demeaned. as a result, two thirds of the

hungry of the world are women. two thirds of the illiterate of the world are women. two thirds of the poorest of the poor everywhere are women. that can't be an accident. that is a policy, and that policy must change. decided womenhere are worthless. the world was not made as it should be. the world was made as it could be. the great spiritual task we are faced with today is how to complete what creation began, a world of bounty for everyone, a world where justice is defined by equal the, not gender, and a

world where all of us can never be whole until we respect the rest of us. at thisen need is moment at the top of this worldin to shout to the that everyholy truth law passed, every national time must be evaluated as much through the eyes of women as it has the ambitions of men, and you and i must take responsibility today for seeing that it is done. taskcient story makes that even clearer. before the holy one on the prayer rock came the beaten and the broken. god, the prayer cried, if you are a loving god, why don't you do something for these?

back.swer came i did do something. i made you. it is true nothing we do changes trueast, but it is also everything we do changes the future. we are asking ourselves today for the sake of our daughters, for the sake of the world, we must do something to construct a better future for women all of us can become what we are truly meant to be, men of conscious and women of courage, because that is what today is really about. [applause] welcome barbie, melissa, christine.

[applause] >> this is my story. i am a mother who knows what it is like to force your children to bed at night without a meal because we didn't have anything for them. five years ago i was living in a house with no heat, and because of frigid conditions my son was going blind. i was constantly in the emergency room with him, and when i would go in the emergency room, a lady would ask emma do you have a working stove? do you have heat? i saidme she would ask, nothing. until the day they told me my son needed surgery, and it would require needles to go into his eyes to try to salvage his

vision. on that day i told the woman how i had no heat. i told her how the father was in jail, how i as in an abusive relationship. i told her things i had never told anyone before. a few months later i met a doctor. she offered me a free camera and asked me to take pictures of my life. what started off as just me later turned into two of my 40 women and is now all over the country. she called the project witness to hunger. our mission was to let legislators know exactly whom their decisions are affecting, and what it is like to be a woman of low income. not only was i featured in a documentary about hunger in but i also got a job.

here i was, this woman of low income in the system receiving welfare. it would have helped many families who needed assistance. today i am a full-time college student on a full scholarship. my dream. my dream is to finish college with a masters degree. try to turn struggles into success. [applause] >> hi, my name is marissa, and this is my story. eight up in a section development in a middle income community in new york. my whole life.

i married my high school sweetheart and joined the military. there we decided to start a small family, and we came home stateside. brooklyn. back to to look for i had housing, and it up on social services, and had a hard time finding a place to stay on a fixed income. i couldn't get the job for the simple fact that i had no place to stay, and i didn't have child care. to find ae important place to stay. to stay, it a place made things easier. up. ings a lot of emotions

i am sorry. basically what happened is i took two years to find an affordable apartment. trains in thef neighborhood to see if there mye places i wanted to raise children. i asked what is this neighborhood like? is it safe? is it decent? people told me, you don't want to live here. years, and io stumbled onto section eight housing, which helped stabilize my entire life. i was able to get a job in my i currently serve on several boards that advocate for affordable housing. yes, social services has been there for me. i have been employed the whole time.

shrunk since ive have been there. my dream is to be able to run for office to help other families put them in a position where they can become stable for tomselves so they don't have struggle the way i did. hello, my name is christina. this is my story. we went through many struggles. i eventually left home at a young age, and by 18 i was you may see a did. -- emancipated. everything around me. i had my first son omar at 20. we lived with his father's family in a house with no water,

no electricity. pregnant with was my daughter angelica. we went to a homeless shelter. , no familyme support. i had nothing. i put my with it children in the head start program. they offered me a job as a classroom aide. and they paid for my schooling and eventually i became a group teacher. i got my first low-income apartment at that time. i answered into classes, a $1-1 program. and eventually it led me to homeownership and even though i was classified in high school as a remedial student, in may i will be graduating with my bachelor's degree from in behavioral science.

i am now a homeowner of seven years and i work in a doctor's office. my dream is to further my education and receive a master's degree in social service and help women who have truggled the way i have. [applause] >> my name is alnida and this is my story. i was born in st. mary parrish, louisiana, the 11th of 13 children. to parents who made it off of a alary of $27 a week, for two weeks, in the local nearby sugar cane field. i always wanted to go to college. but i kept taking detours. after a shotgun weding to my husband, gabriel, an army veteran, i had my first child at age 17, and four more after that. gabriel also dreamed of going to college. but with a wife and five

children to support, he found a job at the local ship yard instead. then when the ship yard shut down, gabriel found work as an auto mechanic making less than minimum wage. it was at that time that we knew we were in trouble. for the longest time, we tried not to go on public assistance. not us. but one day i found myself at the kitchen stove trying to stretch a little pasta and tomato sauce and i swallowed my pride and applied for food stamps. it was at that same time that i heard about head start. at first i must admit, i thought, head start, isn't that that poverty program for low-income families? granted, we were at the worst times in our life economically, financially. so then we went to head start for help.

broken and ashamed. and enrolled our second-born into the head start program. i enrolled in college and i can , the r my first essay woman comes alive at 35. our son eventually got his master's degree and on that same day i received my bachelor's degree. [applause] had this triggers a chain of educational events that led to my children, some of them receiving college degrees, certification, landing jobs, and for me, i earned two master's degrees. head start works. i know it works. [laughter] because of all of the families -- things it gave my family for a lifetime. this is my dream. i dream that my children and grandchildren would reach their fullest potential.

i dream that every low-income family in need, particularly women living on the brink, would receive the comprehensive services that head start offers. and dream that head start, this national treasure, god's gift to the country, be shared with the world. [applause] >> please welcome to the stage, steve clemens, rosa delauro, carol aaronreik, and gill began. [applause] >> greetings, everyone. [inaudible] we're going to be spending a whole day together. >> just before we start on this great panel with three phenomenal women, on the

subject of why women are on the brink, just commend the speakers that we just had up here onstage. [applause] those of us who live in this town, we live around a lot of rich people, we work in media. there's a proliferation of the most powerful women conferences out there. but it's very rare that you get people who just see a different ide of life. these are powerful women we just saw. congratulations to all of these people dealing with some very tough circumstances. we have rosa delauro here who is just a wonderful force in congress. 12-term congresswoman. she's been working with nancy pelosi on a fantastic women's agenda. we have carol gill began. was the first gender studies rofessor at harvard.

d the author who wrote "nickel and dimed." people can't afford to be poor. it's just too expensive to be poor. i want to open up because i was so irritated today when i opened the "wall street journal" and i thought, wow, maybe arty and i agree on something. he had written a piece looking at, you know, we have 42 million women who are in poverty or on the edge and i said, well, there's recognition there's a problem out there. and the solution he suggested is they just need to get married. this is both a heart and head issue. i want to know the heart element of it. the whole issue of, how have we constructed a society that's so hostile to women in general,

but particularly women who are resource-challenged? >> well, first of all, ari is absurd. the article really is absurd. and it is demeaning to women. the fact of the matter is that unmarried women are single, widowed, divorced or separated, and as we have found out, they are living on the edge. and on the brink here. and i think what we ought to do is to challenge ari on what he has said and i'm going to intend to do that. t's just nonsense. i think it's interesting, the circumstances that women find themselves in. i don't think that the environment has been deliberately hostile, though i listened to sister joe and with some of the things that she speaks about and the lack of economic opportunity or political opportunities for women. but the fact is, women have

entered the work force with a vengeance. we are 1/2 of the work force. 2/3 of women are primary or co-bread winners in their families. and that trend of single-headed households is accelerating at a great rate. we also know that women enter this work force at occupations that pay less. two out of three women are working at minimum wage jobs. then couple that with the discrimination with pay equity. women are getting 77 cents on the dollar. women of color are getting paid less. add to that what society expects of women in terms of being home makers, of having the predominant role for caring for children and for elderly parents. and then you add another layer which is -- >> there's a point in the book, if you get the "shriver

report," there's a little punctuation point saying that women contributed 110 million hours a year of free support in these areas that you just outlined. >> and there are no support services. where's paid sick days? where's pay equity? where's paid family and medical leave? where's affordable child care? where's pension protection for women? retirement security for women. it's not there. and if you take a look at wages, you want to talk about, i'll say it to ari, you know what's at the root of this? let's take a look at what's driving poverty and income inequality, it's low wage jobs. and we have a majority that doesn't want to increase the minimum wage. congresswomen are doing better but unmarried women, those noncollege educated and women who are widowed, single, divorced or separated are struggling. which is why, and i'm pleased that you mentioned it, that we have in the house of

representatives crafted and leader pelosi and myself and the women of the house have crafted a women's economic agenda. it's women and families and it says, if women succeed, america succeeds. and it's all about pay equity, it's all about work-life balance, and it's all about child care and actual pieces of s that tion, which turn hostile environment around and gives women the support they need in order to be able to realize the women who stood here earlier realized their dreams and aspirations. women have dreams and aspirations for themselves and for their families. and today we are a society which is not allowing them to be able to realize it. rosa just mentioned minimum wage and low income and you wrote this fascinating expose, it's so powerful, i really

recommend that people look at it, not just because it ppeared in "the atlantic." on what a trap essentially the minimum wage and low-wage work that so many women have. can you share with us your thoughts on the expense of being poor? >> yeah. one quick observation about it. the marriage solution that ari proposed. low wages apply to men too. especially men of color. working class men. college-aged men sometimes too. when you say to a woman, you can get out of poverty just by getting married, my question is, how many men does she have to marry? [laughter] because marrying a $10-an-hour man gets you nowhere. result need three or four. [laughter]

which brings its own problems i'm sure. but anyway. i'm so tired of that explanation. once you're in a low-wage job, what i found and what people tell me is you really don't have a lot of freedom anymore. you can't say, i think i'm going to quit this job here because it only pays $ an hour and i'm going to look -- $8 an hour and i'm going to look for something better or think i have something better. you can't do that because you would lose about two weeks' pay minimum in making the transition. now, that's two weeks' pay you can't do without. so you get kind of stuck. and you're very, very vulnerable in that situation. >> you've written about gender and women's issues for a long time. we were just talking in the green room about the fact that there needs to be a switch that

goes off. that we're not hearing women's voices. and i asked you about whether we've just organized a society which is just fundamentally hostile to women moving forward. and whether you're on the upper nd or lower end. i've read books. you said women's voices aren't heard. and i'd love to hear what you meant by that. >> well, i mean, i'm fascinated by the "shriver report" saying that women are, and we are, the majority of voters, the majority of wage earners, the majority of caregivers, the majority of college degree recipients and i have a very simple question. you've heard these incredible voices this morning. here are women's voices?

in other words, we as women, in a democratic society, if in -- in fact have the power to change the situation. so, i title my piece for "the shriver report," "when we were 9 we were honest" because i think if we could all do a sort of magic thing and go back to ages 9 and 10, we would change the whole thing. d i took my granddaughter, maxine, to the saudi arabia an film about the 10-year-old girl who wants a bicycle and her comment afterwards was, if there are more women in the world, why don't women have rights? and so i think it's -- i said to steve, there's a voice inside all of us. and it was there, it was outspoken when we were little, that would say all the things that all of these wonderful women here, including my two panelists, have said, which is,

this is an absurd situation. so i think we have to ask, how do we turn on the switch, how do we bring women's voices forward, and the one thing that i know is you can't do it alone. you have to have a resonance. so if we want to sell something, that a woman knows is true, because she's speaking from her experience, someone says something that encourages her to say more so she doesn't feel she's crazy or she's wrong or she's bad. or the word that came up all the time when i interview women, which is selfish. that if a woman says what she sees, what she knows, what she wants, that's called selfish, where if she speaks for someone else, then that's -- that does what other people want or what other people think she should do, that's called good. and so there is a huge force in

society, in the name of morality that encourages us as women basically to silence ourselves in the name of goodness. so, that voice is there. >> what are the kind of role models would have done that? we're talking about this and it occurred to me again, if you read any of the major sort of pop hits on women's issues right now, they all say there's something to misbehaving -- misbehavegging. if you're not at the low end, you're at the upper end or you're outspoken or aggressive. they're used as criticisms of women. what are the role models that you think can help undo that kind of gender trap? >> take a look at the women who spoke up here this morning. >> that's exactly right. >> and i think first of all,

let me step back for a second. ecause i think that "the shriver report," the voices of women are being -- not becoming a part of a national discourse. and when you weave the pieces together, as what we tried to do in the house of representatives, of leader pelosi, myself and others, what we tried to do is are listening to the voices of women out there. is to say, let's just not talk about wage inequality, let's just not talk about child care. those things are used against us. we're pitted one against another. when you talk about pay equity, the view is that that's not true. women self-select to make less money. hello? women self-select to make less money. [laughter] not true. so, what i thought was, and what "the shriver report" does is galvanizes and makes it a

whole that becomes part of a national discourse. what's being done here today was atlantic. and those women who speak out, who are able to get the kinds of assistance and the support they needed, either for family or institutions, who are willing to get up, tell their story, and speak up, coupled with both getting business in tune with the direction that we need to go in, and stop being as selfish as they have been, ome of them, and government. >> but you don't have to provide programming that allows women to seek the opportunity. >> the human scientists now say what used to be seen as women's qualities being compassionate and caring, these are human strengths. and so one of the questions is not simply, you know, where are the role models for women. one of the questions is, what has happened to the humanity of men? because it's not a women versus

men issue. i totally agree with barbara. >> i just wanted to say, on the speaking out thing. just a reminder that the institutional setting that many low-wage women face, their workplace, for example, you speak out, you're fired. >> you're gone. >> that's it. you have a bad attitude, insbordnant, whatever. it's not just that women hesitate out of our goodness and sweetness and everything. but because this kind of passificity and silence is imposed. >> it's also rewarded. >> it's not rewarded very well. >> but in school. if a girl says what other people want her to say or the way you're supposed to read this book or the way you're supposed to talk about whatever. >> you feel conformed. >> yes. a lot of reward for it. what i'm trying to say, is i don't think it's just low-wage

women, although i understand the situation. i think this goes across. and i think the divisions among women are one of the things that keeps us from actually using -- i mean, the point is thrast balance. >> a light can be turned on. >> it's there. but -- >> and whether it's low-income women or whether it's working women or middle class women who are working. part of the point is that people are consumed with the economic challenges in their lives. >> we're talking about poor women, low-wage women. and we have to understand that the constraints and the kind of almost dictatorial situation they face in both -- at the workplace and institutions that are supposed to help them. and that's why it's so important that other women who are not that vulnerable, who

are not that constrains stand up in support when they speak out. >> that's exactly right. >> let me read -- >> do women remember seventh grade and the pressures for women to divide? because i think you're absolutely right. i think we have to resist that. >> i want to read, this is very, very powerful opening that maria shriver has in her article and the "the shriver report." it's called "the female face of poverty." she write let me state the obvious. i've never linked -- lived on the brink, never been in foreclosure, never applied for food stamp, never had to choose between feeding my children or paying the rent and never feared i'd lose my paycheck when i had to take time off. i'm not thrown into crisis mode if i have to pay a parking ticket or if the rent goes up. barbara, you have spent a lot of time being the channel for

many of us into that world that maria says she's not part of. that's what we're really talking about. you're really a social ant poll gist who has been deep in the muck of the reality of all that. what do you think, i mean, just in terms of lessons of what we can do, we have a major legislator here, a democratic leadership member, who what are the three or four key things from your perspective that you think we need to fix and adjust to right the ship if you will by women who are living the life that maria outlines? >> well, i usually defer to rosa delauro on this. when it gets practical. but, yes, child care has been mentioned. it's essential. we need to see the minimum wage go up. and -- somewhere a little closer to a living wage. which even $10 or $15 isn't. i was reminded by a friend who

works with me on some of these issues sometimes, need to bring in also a sensitivity to violence. that women do face certain kinds of situations that are very different. usually from what men face. i don't know if that's part of your agenda. but i think in general rosa will figure it out, i'll sign on. [laughter] >> to add to that. what has to take a look and focused on what government is doing or not doing. it is raising the minimum wage. quite frankly, now what we need to do is to extend unemployment benefits. that ought to be the first order of business, which we've been clouding. minimum wage. paid sick days. almost half the population has no -- women don't have one paid sick day. it's unbelievable. paid family and medical leave. and i've been able -- i joined with a senator in introducing

the family act. i introduced it in the house, she in the senate. family and medical leave was great but doesn't -- [inaudible] discrimination against pregnant women in the work force that we have to acknowledge. being able to make child care more affordable. several people mentioned food stamps up here this morning. we are in an environment in the house of representatives and in the senate where it doesn't seem to matter that we are going to look at cutting, potentially, $20 billion in food stamps in this economy. where is the outrage of that? >> that's the question. >> where's the outrage? not just by women but men and women in this society today that we are not responding to these needs. >> i was just going to ask you something along those lines. give us a snapshot of what some

of your opponents in congress say about these things when you're raising them. i'm going to move to questions in just a minute so think of a question. we'll get a couple in. but when you look at this question, when you read ann marie slaughter's article on which women still can't have it all. what she's really saying i think is that if you had a place in which there was more of a rulemaking system, more of a -- you know when society organizes itself, that women's voices and the flexibility about child care and others was built in more, we'd have a much more care and fair society. what does the other side say when you bring that up? ari, you know. you want to solve this problem, get married. for some reason i always thought marriage was based on a different premise. [laughter] other than economic suck. but they will just say that there's no need to increase the minimum wage. that it would put businesses out of business.

extend the unemployment benefits. people are lazy. that's why they dent have a job. if you reward them with benefits, they're not going to look for a job. one of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle said that if you don't work, then you shouldn't eat. i mean, this is real. that was the environment in which we are existing. and, yes, they will talk about how they want to do something about inequality. you can't do that unless you're willing to face and focus on these major issues that we're facing. >> let me open up here. hi. >> [inaudible] >> mike's not on. folks, make sure the mikes are on. great. >> is that better? hi. good morning. my question is, do you see a change in the stigma or

stereotypes that surround the single parent? the single mother? and what other ramifications -- what are the ramifications if it does or doesn't change? >> i worked in the senate and our biggest supporters were hispanic single head of -- hold, multiple child working two or three jobs. so, not only were they carrying the load for their families, but there was enormous stigma attached inside the political scene, except from our office. how do you deal with that issue? >> i think data or the research that was done for "the shriver report," if you dig deep into it, you'll find that there isn't a moral judgment at the single parent but the view has changed to say that what we need to do is to provide the support services that people need in order to be able to get ahead. it wasn't a moral --

>> there is a stigma though in our society. we pick various sorts of people to scapegoat. like the racist overtones of so much discussion on poverty. you know, it's like, oh, they're, you know, they're lazy, they have too many a dren, etc., and at certain point, though, in the 1990's, around the time welfare reform legislation, the stigmaization focused in on single women. single mothers. and this became -- this is like -- this is who they go after. this is the punching bag. these are the bad people that are causing poverty. >> i think times are changing. >> oh, no, i hope so. >> i think also when you look at, and you mentioned this, the 70% of single women were basically a big force in the election of obama.

and i think in fact the attitudes toward single women are changing and single women's voices in fact are having an effect and therefore there's more pressure to reinforce the stigma because if these women speak out, things are going to change. >> i hope they do speak out and are empowered. it's our society. >> they're not going to speak out because they were the key to the race in virginia, they were a key to the presidential race. but this is this group of unmarried women. they are consumed with their lives and what's going on. however, if you address their issues, they will come out and they will vote. they need to know, they view it the moment that no one is paying attention to them. no one is listening to them. so they step back. i believe, and that's what we are trying to do, is to focus in and talk about the issues that they care about in life,

in an effort to mobilize them as well. >> great question. >> hi. i'm the executive director of the code of support foundation which is the nonprofit dedicated to bridging the civilian-military divide. my question is more about culture as opposed to policy. i ended up being a military spouse by way of berkeley which wases a culture shock for everybody involved. you guys had mentioned kind of the pushback we get from other women. my experience was interesting, coming into the military, a little older at 30, and when i was trying to raise some of the issues that we were seeing facing military families, i got married in 2001, right when the war started, a lot of the pushback i was getting was from some of the other spouses either in my peer group or senior spouses. and then i ended up writing an article for "the washington post" and it was the same thing -- thing. 90% of the emails were thank you for saying something but the ones i did get that were pushing back