[captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2014] >> good friday morning, some live programming coming up on c-span. president obama set to talk about unemployment benefits from the white house. live coverage starting at about 11:30 eastern. later, it a discussion on u.s. middle eastern policy. you can watch it live here on c-span at noon eastern. been delivering their state of the state addresses. join us tonight for four of th ose.

eastern, susanna martinez. illinois democrat pat quinn. nebraska's dave heineman, finishing up with the south dakota republican governor. our program on hillary clinton saturday at 7:00 p.m. eastern on c-span. monday night, our series continues. a car wreck that i wrote about extensively in my book. the whole time i was in the hospital, not injured, i had a cut on my leg and a broken angle. -- broken ankle. i was praying that the other person in the car would be ok. the other person in the car was one of my best friend's. i did not really recognize that at the site of the crash. prayed over and over again for him to be ok and then he was not.

nobody listened, god was not listening, my prayer was not answered. i went through a very long time prayerselieving that could be answered. it took me a time and a lot -- it took me a long time and a lot growing up to come back to that. atlaura bush, monday night 9:00 eastern. on c-span, c-span3, and c-span radio. >> the president of the national congress of american indians, brian cladoosby, delivered the state of the indian nations address in washington d c, urging congress to uphold its obligation to have americans. senator jon tester of montana serves on the indian affairs committee and provided the congressional response. this is just over one hour 10 minutes.

>> thank you for being here, i am glad you could join us at the 12th annual state of the indian nations. i am the executive director of the national congress of it of americans. the oldest, largest, and most representative organization serving the broad interests of child government and communities. as part of our efforts to further the goals of indian country, we strive to bring together tribal leaders, government officials, and members of congress to discuss the challenges. opportunities and solutions. that is what we are here today and all about.

gathered here are policy makers, tribal leaders, and maybe -- and so many others dedicated to working together on issues facing indian countries. i want to thank you for attending and watching from home . there areian country, students, teachers, leaders, and businesses that have gathered to watch this event among many of the events, we have classrooms across indian countries. some guestscognize we have. from capitol hill, we are joined by congresswoman betty mccollum and congressman frank malone. ree ve wendy from senator id's office. chris from the house subcommittee on indian affairs. and staff from her present is --

from her present us -- and staff from different are presented. fromve kevin washburn department of the interior. lillian sparks robinson from the administration of native americans. bill mendoza from the white house. rayna from the white house. have, as part of indian country gathered today -- representatives from key federal agencies. the department of agriculture, commerce, defense, interior, labor, state, and epa. byare honored to be joined some of our tribal leaders. who gave ourn

indication this morning. we are joined by leaders throughout the nation and leaders from many partner organizations. nihc and many more. we have several important ncai partners outside indian country here today. dr. alice warner, -- dr. alice sandra, brian from the joint center of political and economic studies. we from the board of ncai have so many board members joining us today. we have the first vice president, michael finley. secretary robert shepherd, treasurer dennis walsh. we have the regional vice presidents.

i also want to thank senator jon tester, who will be providing the congressional response, he has been an advocate of indian country throughout his career and an important ally for tribes can't particularly in critical tribes,portant ally for particularly in critical legislation. he helped reauthorize the indian health care improvement act. looking forward to many years of working together on our shared goals. it is my pleasure to energies therman brian cladoosby, 21st president of the national congress of american indians. he will deliver his first state of the indian nations address. president cladoosby was elected last october and has served the swinomish community as chairman

since 1997. he has spent his career furthering the interests of native people and has helped create jobs and open opportunities, reinvigorated the fish and seafood industry. he is a respected leader in washington and throughout the northwest and across the nation. he is excited and ready to lead ncai in our 70th anniversary year. please join me in welcoming our president, brian cladoosby. [applause] >> excuse me for one second.

we are having technical difficulties with our prompters, bear with us. it is the 21st century, it is what it is. my fellow tribal leaders, members of congress, administration officials, friends, and partners gathered here and watching from home. i thank the creator for giving me the opportunity to stand before you today. as part of the united country. to celebrate and honor our elders, veterans, families, and use. -- and youth. to receive the blessings of those who came before us and to bestow those blessings on those who will follow us. this is an exciting time for indian country.

tribes are meeting our challenges head on. improving the lives of our people and our neighbors. and preparing the next generation for even greater achievements. ago, our elders establish a relationship with the federal government. a relationship honoring the sovereignty that is our natural birthright. and acknowledging the power of tribes to govern themselves. stood with his brothers and sisters of that great generation of tribal leaders. together, they sowed the early of indian new era self-determination. he served on the tribal council of the swinomish, my tribe. it was from him that i came to

learn about the power and possibility of our people. myself.n to realize it as the 21st president of the national congress of american indians, i am proud to carry on his legacy. the aspirations of the native --ple and have a governments and tribal governments are not like non-native people and their governments. we all want good schools and sustainable employment. safe communities and new opportunities. treatable water and breathable air -- drinkable water and breathable air. like all people, what we want is a bright future for our children. for our grandchildren.

a future of limitless possibility. we can achieve these goals only if we work together. so today, i want to share with you how tribes are strengthening their cultures, growing their economies, and contributing to a stronger america. treaty, if our federal and trust agreements are respected and honored by the yieldtribal efforts can even greater returns. during my years of service to the swinomish, i have had the chance and the opportunity to travel throughout indian country. from theka to florida, southeast to the northwest.

months as president of the national congress of american indians, i have had the opportunity to visit the homelands of the cherokee nation , i had anlos opportunity to sit down and .peak with chiefs i have come to learn that each tribe is unique, each has its own traditional territories and rich culture. go, one thing is -- native american tribes are dynamic. they post with an undeniable energy, and eagerness to seize the opportunities of tomorrow. many tribes are emerging as

capitalists for economic development, revising and .xpanding local economies creating new jobs and business opportunities. today, there are gnarly -- there 25 million native owned businesses in the u.s. companies to ecotourism in alaska to a line of energy drinks, they are proud to create jobs for their people .nd their neighbors the tide is turning, tribal nations are no longer seen as a , butote to america's past as a force for america's future. are explorings

relationships of tribal nations as the host governments of the united nations world congress on , our tribeseople can expand and deepen connections between the indigenous and nine justness -- and nonindigenous nations around the world. america's first nations are becoming some of the first to implement cutting edge technologies and business practices. they are demonstrating that when given the opportunity, tribes make better decisions for themselves than federal agencies. that is why we are so pleased that our relationship with this administration has never been .ore promising president obama created the white house council on native american affairs, delivering on a long-awaited priority of tribal leaders, his

administration has also given tribal leaders a seat at the table. especially when it comes to issues that impact our communities. progressis exciting notes on years of positive steps by presidents of both parties -- from president next would -- from president nixon onwards. democrats and republicans on capitol hill have worked together. it can be done. year, with strong leadership on both sides of the reauthorize the violence against women act. [applause] we have seen the passing of the indian health care improvement act, amending the stafford act

to allow tribes to directly request disaster relief funding. we have secured many other legislative achievements. year, president obama made a pledge to indian country that he will visit indian country this year. and tribes are eagerly anticipating the opportunity to share their stories and successes with him. of course, there is more work to be done. for too many native communities, living in the greatest country , prosperity remains a distant dream. tribal leaders have never been more optimistic about the future of native people. experience,ave the

to talent, and the drive succeed. now, to achieve what we know is we must encourage prosperous, vibrant, and healthy communities. expand opportunities for our children and future generations. andotect the very k -- protect the key to achieving these goals, the sovereignty of our tribal nations. in many ways and in many parts of the u.s., indian country is driving america's economy. several tribes, are partnering with the clinton global initiative to build the largest wind power production facility in the united states. the southern ute tribe in colorado has generated jobs on

and off is reservation through willow production company. tworizona, a tribe built professional baseball facilities for the diamondbacks and the rockies. they are already hosting players and fans at their beautiful resort hotels. we were delighted last year when the small business administration signed a historic partnership with of the native american contractors association , which will catalyze small business development in indian country. tribes have been integral to america's economic recovery. for example, in my home state of areington, 29 tribes

collectively contributing more than $3.5 billion to the state's overall financial well-being. while employing over 27,000 38 tribes -- 30 tribe employ 5% of the state's workforce. our ability to contribute to the prosperity of the country is threatened by the federal government's failure to keep its promises. ded lands to the u.s. in exchange, the federal government became our trustee and promised three things.

to provide funding for essential services and self sustaining prosperity. right to govern ourselves on our remaining lands. and to help manage those lands and resources in our interests. this is the basis of our government to government relationship. unfortunately, these trust and treaty obligations are often the first on the federal budget chopping block. the nation are left scrambling to provide essential services. at the same time, federal tax law makes it difficult for tribal governments to raise our own revenue. the sequester, for instance, cut already strapped tribal funds. affecting everything from tribal

courts to road maintenance. 0,000 fewern 80 outpatient visits to indian health service clinics. and affecting headstart services for 44,000 native children. on top of years of reductions. each cut compounding the effects of previous ones. tribes have made great strides in building their economies. to maintain progress, we need our federal government leaders to recommit themselves to our partnership. investing in the infrastructure required to support new developments. maintenance has been deferred on reservation schools, clinics, hospitals, roads, bridges, and

irrigation facilities. austin to the point where they are no longer safe -- often to the point where they are no longer safe. housing in many communities has been substandard for decades. 21y native communities lack st century technology. rod band service is lacking in indian country. oadband service is lacking in indian country. comes even lack basic phone services. a chief represents dozens of tribes and villages in alaska. i am appalled to tell you that many communities do not even have running water or modern sewage systems. in all of indian country, if we were a state, it would be the

fourth largest in the nation. of tribalhan 60% roads are unpaved. uphold on congress to its obligation to tribe ands -- to tribes. and to reform outdated federal tax policy, tree tribal governments the same as state and local governments. enabling them to provide services to citizens and stimulate local economies. give us that power, we will invest our revenue to help educate our children. elders and the disadvantaged. is to build strong

partnerships with federal and as we work tont improve the lives of all americans. there is no greater return on when resourcesn are devoted to our children. this is especially true in indian country. and, as much as we honor respect our ancestors, our future lies with our youth. ournations may be old, people are disproportionately young. nearly 42% of native people in the u.s. are under the age of 24. alsoe youth are disproportionately vulnerable. many grow up in communities where jobs are scarce or nonexistent.

classrooms lack of basic essentials. parents go sick because they do not have access to decent health care. and yet, whatever hardships they may face, our young people grow up surrounded by family. and enriched by our timeless traditions. the indian child welfare act was passed to keep native children with our families. our communities. guided by our elders. learning about our culture. aretaking pride in who they and where they come from. [applause] we want our young people to live

proudly asked first americans. while also embracing and being embraced by non-native america. why the mockery of native celebrations and dress in the name of sportsmanship is not just offensive, but insidious. us to accept the denigration of our heritage. he roads our children -- it e sense of children's self. that is simply acceptable. [applause] unacceptable.ply [applause] our children, our native youth -- brilliant, energized, focused -- represent indian country's brightest hopes.

that is why tribes are committed to investing in their potential. in the past 30 years, the number of american indian and alaska native students enrolled in college has more than doubled. tribes are working with tribal colleges and universities, along with other nontribal, native serving institutions of higher education. just as our ancestors never the world weagined live in today, we know we cannot predict the world our young people will have it tomorrow. -- will and have it tomorrow. but we are determined to do everything we can to make sure they are prepared for whatever the future has in store. that is the responsibility on as have taken

sovereign nations. but our success depends on the federal government respecting the sovereignty and adhering to our trust agreements. while tribal nations are prepared to fully engage the challenges of a new century, our relationship has not evolved to catch up with this reality. federal government, unfortunately, can be an impediment to progress. consider, for example, the public safety crisis confronting so many of our native communities throughout the united states. it is sad to say that indian country experiences much higher rates of violence per capita than the general population. violence very often perpetrated by non-natives. and yet, our law enforcement all too often is overworked and

underfunded. last year, the violence against and tribal courts to and non-nativee perpetrators of domestic violence on our reservations. a major victory. [applause] but, unfortunately, there is another side to the story. 226 alaskaft the tribes out of the law. this injustice must be corrected this year. [applause] like all governments, tribes have an obligation to protect their citizens, and as our

trustee, congress has an obligation to prioritize spending for tribes. it is not a budget issue. tribes are stymied by the courts as well. the supreme court's devastating decision overturned a long- precedents and arbitrarily limited federal authority to acquire land in trust for indian tribes. authority that has been central to our trust relationship. the car series decision has done more than just threaten travel economy. -- tribel economy. economy. it has raised questions about pursuee government can crimes on federal lands was of

it is time for congress to fix a follow from this terrible decision. down olde were to tear barriers, new ones continue to emerge. the trust relationship lacks adequate funding and it is ripe with restrictions, regulations, and red tape. our tribal lands are rich in timber, water resources, grass for grazing. it boasts almost a quarter of the country's onshore oil and gas resources, and one third of the west's coal. indian country contains an estimated 10% of the country's total energy resources, yet it represents less than 5% of our current national energy production. archaic laws and regulations create delays and disruptions

and makes it harder for us to develop our resources. instance, a few years back, my own tribe was approached by a large innovative retailer about signing a commercial lease that would have created jobs for tribal members. the lease required some flex ability from the bureau of indian affairs, but after a year of delays, no action taken by dia, the market changed and the developer pulled out. far too many tribes have similar stories of lost economic activity due to irrational regulations and burdensome bureaucracy. at the same time, we must have the authority to protect and preserve our national resources, which are intervals of the health and security of american indians and alaska native

peoples. communities, cultures, and economies. native people have a special relationship with our environment. indeed, for thousands of years, we have learned how to care for it. many of our people still keep the transitions of our ancestors , living off the land, respecting the life around them, to stand by what the creator with full self- determination for our own lands, our own communities, our own nations. we can secure a self-sustaining future. ofi embark on my first year president of the national congress of american indians, strengthened by your support and fortified by my fate, i share

the optimism of my fellow tribal leaders about what is to come. y yes, we still have a long journey ahead of us, but despite the challenges we will continue to face, i am confident that we can build on the progress we have already made and realize the potential of our nations. in this nation to nation relationship, tribes are doing our part, and we expect the federal government to do theirs. the federal government must be an ally that promotes sovereignty instead of subordination. an ally that fulfills its contracts instead of neglecting them. trusty that honors our instead of breaking it. growth that encourages

because when tribes succeed, our neighbors and our nation succeed , too. leaders, weibal have learned that together, united, we are greater than the sum of our parts. my fellow government officials, we have learned that together, working beyond the boundaries of party and state, we can improve countless lives and generate shared prosperity. agether we can build strong partnership between all of our nations, one that will secure a bright future for my grandchildren, isabella and nathaniel, and for your children and for your grandchildren and for the seventh generation. god bless our indian nations, god bless the united states of america, thank you, and go

seahawks. [laughter] [applause] thank you. t tell you what line was not in a script, but you can imagine. [laughter] i am pleased and honored to be able to introduce our congressional responder, senator jon tester. he is a champion for indian issues, a champion for veterans issues, a champion for rural america, a champion for health .are, and economic development sounds like so many things that are important to us as indian people across the nation into tribal leaders. leaders. tribal

without further ado, senator jon tester. [applause] you.ank thank you very much. thank you, jackie, for that kind introduction, and thank you, brian, for the great delivery of the speech. it is a pleasure to be here today, and i want to tell you all it is an incredible honor for me to give the congressional response. living in montana, you are never too far from indian country. but i live closer than most. right down the road from my farm is rocky boys reservation, home to about 3500 members of the chippewa tribe. i grew up playing sports against andative neighbors i work with them in the senate. i probably represents indian country in the united states senate today.

-- i probably represent indian country in the united states senate today. [applause] before i go further, i want to thank native americans for serving our military at incredibly high rates. native americans serving our nation's military -- [applause] at a higher rate than any other ethnic group, and for that, and many other reasons, you have my everlasting respect. standing up for indian country is a responsibility that i never take lightly. it is because as a resident cladoosby has said, indian country is vibrant, dynamic, but it also has talent is, and with those challenges come opportunity. opportunity to empower tribes, to improve the quality of access across indian country. thato build a foundation will strengthen indian country for our kids and our grandkids. is pushingladoosby to empower tribes, to make their own decisions and to form a real

partnership to help the tribe's research -- reach their full potential and i could not agree more. if you have heard me say before, theknow i like to share position of my friend, carl. he said we are proud people. i do not want to ask you for money. i simply want you to give me the tools to succeed and then get out of the road. that is what i heard today. self-determination and local control is good for everybody. empowering tribes is good for tribes, good for tribal members, and it is good for our nation to nation relationship. mustmly believe that we work with indian country in order to bath -- to best support indian country. detonating a lessee from washington -- dictating policy from washington simply does not work. neither does laying layer upon layer of burdensome regulations or overlapping jurisdictions. folks in government use the phrase streamlining far too

often, but in indian country, streamlining is exactly what we need. whether it is an education or health care or housing or energy , red tape and pete's progress. progress that will -- red tape impedes progress, progress that will give us more opportunity to succeed. it tells them if they work hard and follow the right, they will see the results, live healthier and more satisfying lives. as a former teacher, i know the good education can lead to a successful life. but you do not have to be a teacher to understand the far- reaching benefits of good education. that includes early childhood education. elementary and secondary school in a meaningful college degree. education is a foundation for sound like truces -- found life choices and helps us climb the ladder of success. it teaches us basic skills that we need to run a business or to serve our community. it helps us choose a smarter path. valueucation's greatest

without expand our worldview and prepares us to take on the challenges that we face every day. i will continue to seek more ways to improve tribal schools, tribal colleges. the recent cuts to native schools from the overall budget and sequestration should never have happened. [applause] because when we invest in our kids, they invest in our future. we failed to live up to our trust responsibility, we failed to give our kids be told that they need to succeed. that failure recently extended to the native health care. october's disastrous government shutdown forced tribal leaders to scramble the streets, and that cannot happen again. [applause] and that is why i have introduced bipartisan legislation to find ihs a year

ahead of time. [applause] plan for will let ihs the future and avoid last-minute budget cuts like those caused by sequestration. health care should not be the subject of last-minute whims of politicians, and when it comes to health care, i always go -- i also encourage all of you to keep learning about the affordable care act. this law takes an important step forward by personally reauthorizing the indian health care improvement act. the biggest plus for indian country may be how it encourages folks to get preventative care. by encouraging regular checkups, more travel members will stay out of emergency room's where health care is far more expensive. it will also keep families healthier, improving their quality of life, and let them focus on their jobs and their education and her family. the law also helps tribal health programs and stretch their dollars even further with its -- with increased access to third- party billing. this sort of innovation has left

es leverageet trib their billing to build a state- of-the-art health-care facility. when this new facility opens up next summer, it will serve their people with the pride and dignity that they deserve, and it was completely funded by revenues from third-party billing. [applause] but we need more victories for indian country, victories like this year's reauthorization of the violence against women act that will better protect native american women, and victories like the reform of the stafford es toto allow trib directly work with fema when disasters are declared. the stafford act represents the nation to nation partnership that we all must expect. you are resilient and you always fight the good fight. but that is the rub. it should not -- you should not have to. the federal government must

treat tribes as trusted allies and honor the contracts and treaties that we have agreed to. it must live up to his trust as possibilities but then step aside and let the tribes take the reins and determine your own fate. and as the government lives up to its trust response believes, we must make sure the tribes live up to the responsibly that we have entrusted in them. doing so will empower the next generation of indian leaders, and i will do my part. i will continue to work to make sure a native child gets a good education, to make sure that families are safe, that they have access to basic services, that they can find good jobs, and to remove the red tape that too often blocks job creation, responsible energy bill may, and prevents you from deciding your own destiny. we will not get it done tomorrow, but working together, we will strengthen and improve the quality of life in indian country. i know we can get it done. because i see hope and opportunity every time i visit

montana's indian country. whether i am walking in the shadows of glacier park, inspecting water projects at fourt peck, or visiting carl stomping grounds. i meet the men, women, and children all fighting for their communities, but they do not have it easy. there are a lot of barriers to overcome, but they are not making excuses. they're fighting to overcome those barriers, to make a difference for their communities, and to leave a legacy for future generations. i am proud to fight the good fight with you. i will keep pushing for common sense legislation that empowers indian country and honors our commitment and our partnership to native americans. with that, i just want to say thank you very much. this is an incredible opportunity. i appreciate your comment, brian. god bless you all. [applause] thank you.

>> thank you. well, now we get to open up for questions, and i would like to presse to recognize first. if you raise your hand, we have someone with a microphone that can go to you and if you could state your name and who you represent, i would appreciate that. we also will be taking some online. the first question comes from you right there in the center. >> matt laslo, public radio, you mentioned the tribes, the alaskan native tribes left out of the violence against women act. what efforts are underway to get that amended? i know it was such a battle to get that passed in the first place. do you know why that was left out? was really,n, it really sad that the alaskans were left out in this provision, and we are going to work really hard with congress, both sides

of the aisle, to make sure that this is taken care of and lord willing, our working with friends of both sides of the aisle, we will be able to get this dealt with this year. >> and i have another question on tax law. chairman baucus and chairman camp are working on tax reform. are you in consultation with them? need taxoned tribes changes. what's was a sickly are you looking for, and if they're a dialogue going on with the power players on the hill? once again,nitely, we are working with individuals on both sides of the aisle to make sure that they are aware. we currently unfortunately live 18th, 19th, and 20th century archaic laws. we are encouraging the house and senate leadership to recognize that we are 20 first

century native americans. this is what our grand parents were looking forward to when we had this opportunity to invest in our communities and create infrastructure not only for our communities but for the communities around us. so getting these archaic rules and regulations changed and to invite investment in indian country will be a step in the right direction, so yes, we are working with all of the legislators that will listen to them give us the opportunity to share a story with them. can i just talk a little bit about the tax proposal? within the tax proposals that indian country is looking forward that is putting forward, tax exempt bond financing, for example, is another place where tribes could use that authority to actually invest in their communities and develop economic development. tax proposals specifically for tribes to be able to deal with what we call the general welfare

provision to be able to do with some of the unique provisions in indian country that we need to be able to have congress clarify. and tax proposals where we have been left out, things like adoption tax credit, energy tax credit, those are all areas that we are exploring as we have these conversations with congress and are proposing solutions to deal with the economic as well as the opportunities undertaxed islands. thank you. the next question? >> yes, right here. >> hi, al jazeera english. you mentioned that foreign areuages -- foreign nations working with indian. a turkey, for example, delegate for my nation had the opportunity to travel to turkey

to explore the possibility of creating a trade relationship with foreign countries, so that is probably the best example. in turkey is continuing to reach out. they have in the past been part of our ncai organization, where they will put up a booth to let people become aware that turkey is and wants to be involved in trade with tribes, so that is a great example right there. >> i want to expand slightly on that. as we look this year toward the world conference of indigenous people, it is hosted by the united states in september of this year, it is another opportunity for indigenous tribes across the country, tribal nations within this country, to be able to come together and to collaborate, and this is one of the areas where we would like to expand more relationships in economic development and trade. other it is not only with governments. we are looking at expanding our

trade opportunities with other native peoples around the world that live in other countries. tribeample, the swinomish in washington, we do business with drives -- with tribes in the fraser lower river valley where we purchased their salmon. so it is not only looking at creating relationships with foreign countries but other indigenous peoples around the world where we can get everybody to the 21st century because it is a world market now. one more, yes. >> just going back to the cladoosby -- just going back to the violence against women act, it is not up for reauthorization until 2018, so giving all the work that goes into all the details of the violence against women act, and the alaskan tribes, how is that process going to work for trying to get something done this year to include alaskan tribes in the violence against women act?

>> number one, to educate, make sure that our legislators understand that alaska is the forgotten state now. theretive americans up should have never been left out, and so continuously -- continually educating those on both sides of the aisle that this needs to be fixed entities to be fixed immediately because it is just sad that our native american women in alaska get to that people think that they are immune from this violence when the statistics that they are impacted just as much or more than other women in the united states, so educate, educate, educate. let these educators know. we are glad they're here today to listen to us because this is one of our top priorities to make sure that this fix gets implemented as soon as possible. yes?

we have one here, then we have an online question. >> i want to go to the online question. >> go ahead, jackie. >> the question comes from one one of ourg persons, young online folks and assess specifically, how can tribal nations empower you to properly prepare them to grow into leadership roles within their own tribes? >> like i said, i am very proud of the work that all tribes are doing. we have this thing in indian country called breaking the cycle. you have got to understand that it was not that long ago that our grandparents were forced to go to boarding schools -- that is only two generations ago -- my grandfather was forced to go to a boarding school, so that experience created a culture of -- if that is the white man's education, we don't want nothing to do with it.

and so that was what my parent'' generation were taught. there was a bad taste in our grandparents' mouths for that type of education, so it was not a priority in my parents' gen eration, and fortunately, we are starting to realize -- and this is our goal at swinomish -- that defeating poverty and defeating drug and alcohol abuse for education, we have seen so many successes. in many tribes now -- many of our treaties in them have a provision for education in exchange. it is a treaty right. many of our treaties say that education, teachers will be provided in exchange for the so i thinkwe ceded,

that education should be funded as a treaty right by the federal government and not a line item. are stepping up to the play right now. yes. [applause] -- the number of children and i thank god for our youth that are in the audience today. they are our bright future that i was talking about. and tribes are taking that next step and doing whatever they can to make sure that education is a priority in their communities. many tribes, my truck, for smalle, -- we are a travel that we are doing full ride scholarship, tuition, books, fees, for our children for the school of their choice, and many tribes throughout india country have also made that commitment. proud of is, i am you know, we can go to tribal communities and gatherings and we can say -- how many of you parents are raising your parents in a drug and alcohol free home?

up the hands are going left and right. so understanding that education is the key to breaking poverty and drug and alcohol abuse. >> we want to go back to your question now. --hi, maggie dunn >> i thought that was her question. i forgot it was online. >> on june 20 6, 2013, president obama with executive order initiative the white house council on american indian affairs. i am wondering if you have seen that to be an agent of change and what progress has been made on that. over the past few months. again, i can personally say -- i have been on my council for 29 years now, chairman for 17, and i've to say that this administration has been the best administration i have ever had the opportunity to work with,

without a doubt, hands down. another greatst thing that this president has committed to doing and has done. secretary jewel has taken the initiative to make sure that the other cabinet members fall in , andand get on board they're going to, i believe, trying to make a commitment to get out into indian country, and that is very important for this group to do, so we are very pleased and very gratified that the president has taken the step in creating this council, and we look forward to working with them. we look forward to having tribal input that is meaningful. that is the key to make this successful. they cannot just like the 18th, 19th, and 20th century, come up with things that are best for us. nobody knows indian country better than us, so they need to work with us. we need to be at the table. and we need to be a team in

making this a foundation for the next president and for the next president and for the seventh generation, that this will be institutionalized, that they will know in the next administration that this is just part of the culture. anymore reporters in the room? >> i think she had another question there. if you could. of the unionte address, president obama mentioned that he pledged to connect 99% of students to high- speed broadband over the next four years, and that he he wanted tot 15,000 schools and 20 million students over the next two years. i'm quite aware that many areican indian communities not met with those services, and i was wondering if what president obama reference is going to include american indian communities, nations, or whether this is something that is

continuing to be explored. >> history shows his i firmly believe that we will be a part of that, but once again, we need to let him know that we need to be a part of it because as you heard in my speech, the old the old joke, like i said, 60% of the roads are paved in indian country. the own joke was even a blind person could tell when you went from the county road to a reservation road. you know you are on an indian reservation when you do not have cell coverage. or you do not have broadband or internet or services. so we will work with this administration to make sure that indian country, without a doubt, has the least amount of those types of services that the world comes to take for granted. question.r online it is the budget deal.

with the growing population in less moneytry, budgeted for services. what is the strategy to get more ? great question. it has been and always will be a tough issue for indian country. we have a unique relationship with the federal government. we find treaties. all the leaders in here signed treaties with the federal government, and that federal government became our trustee. that is one impression of i asked government officials, are you my trustee? we seated millions of acres of land to make this the most prosperous, the best, number one country in the entire world. we are second to none. unfortunately, all too often,

throughout the years, the federal government has not .pheld its trust responsibility there are provisions in our treaty that require the federal government to fund and programs for us and all too often they do not see that obligation, and so it is our job to educate them that it is a trust responsibility, not a line item in the budget. ncai is continually working with the budget writers. i want to thank brandon stevens from wisconsin. to bringhe initiative us tribal leaders together from washington and wisconsin to meet with senator patty murray and representative paul ryan, yes. i do not want to mess with that one. [laughter] but because, as you know, the

two key budget writers this last , paul ryan said to the oneida nation in wisconsin that the tribes should never have been a part of the sequester. that is part of representative tom cole being able to reach out to representative ryan to let him know how this was a big so indian country, sitting down with people from both sides of the aisle. i tell people that it is not our friends that we have to spend most of our time with, it is those perceived enemies that do not agree with our position, that we have to continually reach out and educate. after a while, friendship is created. .e might not always agree i might think they have their heads screwed on with their backwards, but at the end of the day we can communicate and talk.

it is important that we as tribes reach out to those on the other side of the aisle. it could be the democratic aisle or republican aisle, that do not agree with our positions, and to educate them on how important these budgets are to indian country. one of the things that we released today is actually the budget book. this is one of the tools that we , members of educate congress and members of the administration about our priorities. this is a collaboration from all the partner organizations in indian country, health association, the list goes on. i hope that you take a look at .hat is there another question in the audience?

>> ernie and then andy. mr. president, i just want to say quickly, first of all, your economic development, the partnership that we need in the indian countries, you are right on point. , almostslators here everyone one of them talk about economic development with and beyond gaming. the quick point i want to make leadership, youth empowering native american youth not to be future leaders with future responsibility, but native american youth are the leaders right now. is almost 20 years into the youth commission. it is time to bring the young

folks to the commission. our young people at the national conference of american indians are leading now and today. erst is important because pe listen to peers. this annual conference led by mr. abramson will take another , byron partner with ncai dorgan, unity, and every one of these young folks. young native leaders today, right now. [applause] >> thank you, ernie. >> hello and good day. i agree with everything you have nation your state of the . youth are really important

for education but i'm in the work with the health issues of our people. i would really like to congress to work on a bill that works and becomes law that indian health service be fully funded. on a terrible to be put lower level than federal penitentiary inmates in this country. serve at the highest rate -- people who served in the u.s. armed forces. ai to work onnc the indian tax board, congress with a bill that would fully fund the indian health

service so that our children are healthy enough to attend the school, and that our elders will not have to suffer. you.ank we have time for one more question. >> mike williams. i just applaud your comments on the issue of violence against women. we have the highest rates of suicide and domestic violence in alaska. i have seen the numbers in north dakota as well. feel theally restoration of indian country -- we have one indian country in alaska. 228 tribes need to be restored. herehing that i came down

depressed. change,ssue of climate it was 50 degrees up in my , training dogs in that water and ice. the issue of climate change needs to be addressed. our people are suffering from that change up there. hopefully, i will be able to get this cold weather back up to alaska and bring down the warm weather. [applause] change,issue of climate our people are suffering. the relocation and anxiety that has affected us big time, subsistence hunting and fishing has really put us in a tough spot up there.

changes and creates havoc. i wonder what your thoughts were in terms of addressing climate change? >> people here are probably not was theut swinomish first tribe in the nation to get a climate change program approved by the federal government, when only 32 out of 50 states had theirs in. swinomish is taking it personally. i have had a chance to go into alaska and hawaii and listen to their stories. it is amazing, the ones that are having the biggest impact, ground zero, is up there in the arctic area. villages are falling into the , where they had lived since time immemorial. in the pacific islands, i witnessed a video of this elder who was standing in the pacific up to his waist and he had

his two grandchildren next of kin, up to about here. they were standing in the pacific ocean. as the lens zoomed back, they were visiting their elders in their graveyard. their graveyard has been in the same place since time immemorial. now because of climate change, two times a day, that graveyard is covered up by the pacific ocean. amazing how the biggest impacts, i believe, are in alaska and near the equator, and we will all start to feel it. now we have a couple of reggie and karen were appointed to this climate change workgroup. it will be a strong push for me because my staff has made it a top priority. cai has made it a top

priority also. one last question. former tribal nation of the shinnecock tribe in new york. we were the last to be recognized in 2010. the issue is a major issue within our community. as a small land-based tribe in the northeast, it is affecting our ability to do any kind of land in the trust. congress tomplore make this fix. i want to get some ideas as to how we will move forward in an attempt to get a fix. it is extremely important, especially in light of this ninth circuit court decision that just came out the other day . it is really starting to impact not only the small tribes, but will try to have this ripple to affect all tribes,

especially with this decision. i wanted to hear from you on that issue and where we are going to move forward with that. >> the decision from the supreme court was one of the worst decisions in a long time because it impacted a lot of tribes across the nation. we are the first people of this nation, we are. -- in ouren our and homeland since time immemorial. into thatgo deep soil. our elders are in that soil. because of bureaucratic red tape and bureaucratic screw ups over the years and they make the decision that you are a try but you are not, and let me think if you are or not -- it is ridiculous. what they have created is an air of uncertainty for tribes that have been recognized after 1934,

placed-ugh they were based societies. we do not have the luxury of using of the resources in one part of the country and then moving to another part of the country. with this decision i just came down, the big lagoon, that is really scary for tribes that have had land in trusts since 1934. i believe they have had this land since 1994. we have to work really hard. it is unfortunate that many of these legislators are tying gaming to this, when it is only a small part of the big picture. we need to educate them and work with them. >> that is all the time we have today. if you have questions, send them to ncai. to collect theou

questions. thanks for joining us from across the country. we had many schools and organizations that partner with us, a lot of folks on twitter, and facebook. thank you all in and outside of indian country for being with us today for the state of indian nations. thank you. [applause] [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2014] >> president obama is scheduled to talk about unemployment benefits from the white house. we are planning live coverage 11: 30 eastern.

right now, a new look at a federally backed retirement program. what is that organization? >> we are a research organization that does research on retirement security and how it impacts individuals and employers and the economy. i have worked in the pension community since i was 21 years old. i spent 28 years with a major financial services firm called tiaa-cref. i then worked for a congressman who cared about pensions. i joined three years ago. >> what got you interested in this field? to be a math teacher

but could not find a job in 19 75. a friend of mine said i should answer becoming an actuary. >> i bet you could find a job today. we are here to talk about retirement savings and the president's proposal. what is this my ra that he announced? >> he has ordered the treasury to go ahead and create something that goes back into american history. my mom and dad learned how to say when they were kids, buying savings bonds. they took me to the bank and put me into a savings account. or people that want to save a small amount of money and get started for retirement, today that is hard to find a reasonable return on their investment. ira creates a .overnment savings bond

employees get to use the federal thrift plan. there is a program in there that is just invested in government treasuries, so it is safe and secure, where government employees are defaulted into. the springs that same level of safety and security to all and hopefully, everyone can afford this. you will start buying a bond in -- $25, not at 25 thousands of dollars, which you often need to open a mutual fund, and you can make ongoing contributions for as small as five dollars. congress created a program to save for college. the states were emphatic about making sure working cameras could save. $50 initially, $20 regularly.

this is even a better deal in terms of access for especially low income people. those are the people that do not have any retirement plan through their employer. can all americans participate in this program? couple, if you earn $191,000, you cannot participate. the they are doing is using my ra as what they call a roth ira. the money that goes into the account goes in after taxes, but all the interest earnings that would accumulate over your working career gets paid tax- free when the money comes out. everything that comes out will be tax-free in retirement when you use it, but before that, the interest will acutely tax-free. basically, everyone else would be able to use it.

why limit it to people in that income bracket? >> that is the way their roth ira law is structured. toce they are using that law do this administratively without a change in the law, that is one of the reasons. you look part is when at who does not have a retirement account, individuals in the lowest quarter of the earnings bracket, 75% of them have no retirement accounts when we look at data from the federal reserve. when you look at individuals in the top quarter of the income scale, 90% of them already have a retirement account. so if you want to reach those people who have not been able to save for retirement yet, that is exactly where this my ra is targeted at. >> what is the $15,000 threshold? >> this is what the white house

is proposing, a program designed to get people to start saving for retirement, and they thought once someone accumulated $15,000 , but that would be end where they could go into the private sector and by a more diversified portfolio, again because this will only be invested in government bonds. if you are going to save 40 years, maybe you want stop, maybe bonds in your portfolio, maybe even other types of investment. this is a good way to get started. in politico yesterday, this headline. why would wall street support this? >> wall street would support this type of proposal particularly because they really do not have the scale to be able to offer these lower income individuals a product without fees that would eat up the returns in these accounts. because these account will be so

small, someone might put in only $300 in a year into this account , which were some people may seem small, but for someone making $20,000 a year or minimum wage, that is a big commitment. right now, the marketplace, the mutual fund does not have some of the scale of being able to operate these very small accounts efficiently. this builds the market eventually that is turned over to the private sector. host: diana oakley is our guest. we are talking about this new myra program. we are talking about retirement questions as well. we have divided the programs -- we have divided the numbers a little differently. there are all sorts of figures on your screen right now. our area code is 202. if you are 30 or under, (202) 585-3880.

if you are between 31 and 50, (202) 585-3881. if you are over 50, (202) 585-3882. we have divided it by age to get a sense of where you are in your retirement savings or planning. where is america generally when it comes to retirement planning and savings? guest: we are not prepared today. when we look at all working american families, the median amount of savings in a household is just $3000. of i see your -- i see your eyes bulging. we often hear from the financial industry, peoples balance in a 401(k) account. they missed the 45% who have saved nothing.

when you look at the savings of all households within 10 years of age 65, it is $12,000. their median savings is $12,000 in a retirement plan today. that is less than one year of what social security will pay on average to americans. host: what is the of -- what is the average americans receive and social security? guest: it is between 1200 and $1400 per month. host: what percentage of americans rely solely on social security in their retirement? guest: when you look at the income from households that are

not working, you will find that roughly one third of them rely almost exclusively on social security. when you look at it again, the next third rely on social security for about 50% or more of their income. it is only when you get to the top levels of income and retirement do people have a substantial source of revenue for a retirement plan today. they have traditional pensions. what we are seeing as you move forward is some people who might be calling in in the under 30 line, the option of them having a pension is very slim if they are going to get a job in the private sector. host: what percentage of people have tensions? guest: in the private sector, probably 30% of the people have pensions.

in the public sector, most of the public-sector pensions are still traditional pensions and not just 401k type of accounts. when you think about it, that was providing people a check every month. that is what we want to get in terms of retirement. one of the things we recently polled lawn was this idea of making sure they would get a paycheck every month when they retire. host: this account plan is relatively small potatoes? guest: it is an important first step. 45% of working households do not have anything to say. what keeps you from saving? they say, my salary.

the people -- people on the low-end are getting very little. hopefully people can find $20 to start. maybe they can at least doing $25. -- at least keep doing $25. then you start to see how compound interest works and i think that will encourage more people to save. host: john is our first caller on the under 30 line. how old are you? caller: i am 30 exactly. i am an iraq war vet. i was wounded and it prevents me from being able to find a job.

right now i am a single father of two. i am wondering if i will be able to participate in social security with it this -- with this disability. host: first of all, -- thank you, john. guest: first of all, thank you to your service to this country. they are focusing in on employers and doing it through people's paychecks. i think their assumptions as you as a disabled vet needs every dollar with your disability that you get from the government just to make your current ends meet.

i think it is important to do that the best you can. hopefully they will look at expanding this at some point in time. they can make it available to individuals who are self-employed or individuals like yourself who would like to say for retirement. i know most of us never want to be a burden on our kids. i don't want to be that way. i am sure a lot of kids today don't want their parents to be burdens on them to that is a sort of intergenerational piece. we know that millennial's have told us they are more concerned about retirements than any other generation we have seen at an age where most people don't even start to think about retirement. good for you for thinking about it and being concerned. hopefully this will get expended. host: ron is calling a spade do

you mind telling us your situation? -- is calling us. do you mind telling us your situation? caller: the bush depression hit our income pretty hard so we had to spend most of it just to stay afloat. host: what you consider to be significant savings? caller: a couple hundred thousand. is there an administrative fee on these accounts? if so is there something to prevent the fee from changing once the plan has turned over to the private sector? are these floating rate instruments or fixed like the treasury bonds? guest: first i would say the program that the treasury is

going to roll out is going to be a floating interest rate. it will be tied to long-term treasury rates and it will be exactly identical to the same bonds that are being used in the government plan. it means when you trade your bonds in your interest rates go down and you don't have the type of rescue would have to design a bond fund. the my ra will have no fees that will be against these at counts. the treasury department will find a bank to do this. it will be just as if you find a savings bond. when you roll the money over to a new provider, once you get to

that $15,000 limit or participate for 30 years, at that point in time whenever fees or products would be in the marketplace or when you choose to invest, we do have more disclosure and i think people are understanding the importance of that. thank you. host: a tweet. guest: that's a good question. getting this treatment out on the backend was actually equivalent to the same tax benefit one would get if you put the tax incentive on the front and. for many individuals, for that type of pretax is something we find attractive in our 401(k) plans. this plan is also targeted to the individuals having the hardest time saving.

those are people on the lowest income levels. there are tax rates today and are pretty low. they don't get as much of the benefit from the tax deferral and doing a pretax. this also gives the flexibility that if the employee decides they need to take their money and their contributions out of the my ra, they can take it out without tax and without penalty. i think for a lot of individuals who are concerned about savings, that is a big benefit. host: according to the bureau of labor statistics, almost 70% of workers have access to a retirement plan and more than 50% of those workers participated. the moody percent of us have access to a retirement plan, what could that include? guest: it includes all the pension 401(k) and four of three b -- and 403(b).

sometimes there are different numbers on those statistics. if you look at all working household earning over $5,000, the numbers go down significantly for part-time and part year employees. a lot of people can only get jobs that might be part-time hours. but they might have two or three jobs to make ends meet. host: adam, how old are you? caller: good morning. i am 28 years old. i used to work for a large financial institution. a lot of people cannot afford to put money into a savings institution. this plan would be good for me. mutual funds, the most minimum

is $1000 or $3000 to start. you take on the expense ratios. that is compounding against you as well. as you know, most of the people do not have a safety net or anything that would happen, not even a three-month expense savings account. there is a lot of issues that this could start to resolve and mitigate. guest: you are right on target. maybe you should be sitting in the chair here today. one other thing about this product. one of the basics, it's real important when you say for retirement to do pay yourself first.

if you wait to save, too many households will save whatever is left over from the paycheck. there is not enough money to [applause] >> good morning. my name is eric. it is a great honor for me to be here at the white house today with the president and vice president, especially since, three years ago, i was unemployed and homeless. i am very happy to report that my story has a happy ending, but for a long time, my path forward was very unclear. i spent six years in the united states army where i proudly served my country as a combat infantryman. long,as hard, the hours

and the duty was dangerous. after my honorable discharge from the military in 2008, i tourned home from california begin a new life with my wife and daughter but was quickly met with the realization that there was no work for a skilled heavy and i wasoperator struggling to make the transition to a new career. i cannot find work in the construction industry, so i started to apply for fast food restaurants and retail stores. luck, i was motivated to , and id i wanted to work knew i could contribute to society like i had in my military service, but i felt helpless, lost, and more importantly, a disappointment and failure to my family. i was very fortunate to find online a new program started by

pacific gas & electric company in california called the power pathway program that offered job training and skills to people who had no experience in the utility industry. i quickly applied and was accepted into a 16-week program in san francisco and i'm happy to share that i graduated the power pathway program in 2010,nd was hired in where i currently work as an apprentice electrician in eureka, california. i want to thank pg&e for giving me this opportunity, and the work they provided me restore purpose in my life and gave me a sense of direction once again. i am glad that pg&e is expanding the power pathway program to address long-term unemployment and for signing on the president's initiative. let me end my remarks by thanking president obama for bringing companies together to i want to thank pg&e for giving me this opportunity,help on worf

americans who only want the opportunity to succeed. now it is my honor to introduce the president of the united states, barack obama. [applause] >> thank you. thank you so much. thank you, everybody. first of all, let me thank eric for being here and sharing his story for his service to our country. erick, everyone recognizes what a great success story this isam, but also the notion that someone with this kind of skill and talent was having this kind of y finding a job

indicates the challenges we face . i want to thank all of you, business leaders, philanthropists, elected officials, all members of my cabinet and administration, not only for coming, but for committing to more success stories for more people like erick, making sure that everyone in this country who ha wants to ark as a chance to get ahead, paycheck, and the structure that a job provides to people. i said in a state of the union, while the economy is getting stronger, businesses like yours have created 8 million new jobs in the past four years. unemployment is at the lowest it has been in five years. we all know we have more to do to build an economy where everybody who is willing to work hard and take responsibility can

get ahead. we have to do more to restore opportunity for every american. the opportunity agenda i laid out the gains with doing everything we can to create new jobs here in america, jobs in construction and manufacturing, american innovation and energy, steps we can take to streamline our tax code, incentivize companies to invest here, things we can do to make sure that we are continuing to lead the world in innovation and basic research . we have a whole lot of infrastructure we can build that can put people to work right away. we have a couple trillion dollars worth of deferred maintenance in america and the ramifications of us taking that on would be significant. we have to roll faster and put more shoulders behind the wheel of expanding economic growth. step two is making sure every

american has the skills to fill those jobs. step three is we have to guarantee every child access to a world-class education, from early childhood, to college, to a career. [applause] step four, we have to make sure the hard work pays off, with wages you can live on, savings that you can retire on, health insurance there when you need it. today we are here to focus on that second point, connecting more ready to work americans , so ready to be filled jobs folks out of work can apply the skills they have already got. getting people back on the job faster is one of our top priorities, but i have to confess, last month, congress may not harder by letting unemployed insurance expired for more than a million people. each week congress fails to

restore that insurance, roughly 72 million americans will lose their lifeline. for our fellow americans that have been laid off through no fault of their own, on implement insurance is often the only source of income they have got while they look for a new job. was out of work, it is a lot harder to look for work if you cannot put gas in the gas tank. if you are worried about whether there is food on the table for your kids. is not making the rent and paying her phone bill, it is a lot harder for her to follow up with a potential employer. on implement insurance offers that security is about losing your livelihood does not mean that you lose everything you worked so hard to build. that is true whether you have been out of work one month or six months, but those that have been unemployed the longest often have the toughest time

hitting back to work -- getting back to work. it is a cruel catch-22. the longer you are unemployed, the more unemployable you may seem. one is an illusion, but that unfortunately we know statistically is happening out .here according to one study, if you have been out of work eight you are likely to get called back for an interview only about half as often as if you were out of work one month, even with the identical resume t called back for an. so we are here tonight to say that is not right. we know there are folks like whok all across the country have enormous skills and talent and capacity, but they need a change. to -- a mother of two boys to my speech. she was employed since college,

never collected on implement benefits, never dependent on the government. when she lost her job to budget cuts, she could not find another and turn to unemployment insurance to make sure she and her husband could keep the new home they just spend their life savings to buy. as i said on tuesday, she wrote to me and said i am confident i will find a job. i will pay our taxes and raise our kids in the home that we purchased in the community we love. please give us this chance. spoke for so many americans out there, just give us a chance. they are our neighbors, friends, young and old, black and white, men and women, phd's and ged's. interestingly, the long-term timesoyed are often slightly better educated, in some cases better qualified, then folks who just lost their

.ob just because you have been out of work for a while does not mean that you are not a hard worker. it just means you have bad luck or were in the wrong industry or lived in a region of the country that is catching up a little slower than others in the recovery. i have heard from too many of these folks that show up early -- they will outwork anybody. they fill out 200 applications, sending out resumes, still inding time to volunteer o their community or at a church. sometimes they have more education or skill then newly employed americans, but they just need a chance. someone that will look past that stretch of unemployment, put it into context of the fact that we went through the worst financial and economic crisis in our sometimes they have more education or skill then newly employed americans, but they just need a chance. which created a group

of folks who have to work longer than normal. they just need employers to realize it does not reflect on their ability or their value. which created a group ofit just means they have been dealing with the aftermath of this really tough job market. all they need is a fair shot. and with that shot, and out of work young person can get the critical experience he needs to improve his employment prospects for the rest of his life. with that shot, someone with decades of experience could show someone with less experience the ropes. that is what today is all about. not have an alternative because giving up on the unemployed will create a drag on our economy that we cannot tolerate. giving up on any american is something that america cannot do. this really tough job made an in his remarks. often times, folks, no matter how skilled or confident you , made an important point in

his remarks. health and that affects people's physical health, it affects their mental , and over time, you can have a negative feedback where it becomes harder and harder for folks to get back in the game because they are getting so many discouraging messages. that can have long-term impact, particularly, if it is early on in a young person's career. while congress decides whether or not it will extend unemployment insurance for these americans, we are going to go ahead and act. we know it works. we're going to go ahead and see what we can do without to makeal legislation some serious dents in the long term a plumbing problem. we know what works for employers and employees alike. i spoke on tuesday about the head of the detroit manufacturing system. she was with us at the state of the union, sitting with first

lady. she worked with the local american jobs centers, early funded, to hire people that were out of a job but ready to work. on average, they were out of work for 18 months. today she says they are some of her best employees. greg is here today. greg has been working in sales for 30 years when he lost a job in december 2011 for the first time in his life, found himself struggling to capitalize on decades of work experience. after months of pounding the pavement, is on implement insurance ran out, and began, as erick described, darted to feel hopeless and useless. then last year he got hooked up with a program called skills for chicagoland's future, thanks to the work of our secretary of commerce and my former chief of this rahm emanuel, and so

intermediary trains greg with the folks -- with the skills they need to be employed in a local company. two weeks later, he was back on the job helping people get signed up for health insurance they need. he said it made him feel relevant again, like i have something to offer. so today, more than 80 of the nations largest businesses, over 200 medium and small sized businesses, are now making their commitment to set best practices like greg and misty and erick, if theyss, and feel as can have a partner in getting back on the job, making the contributions that we know they can make. so i want to thank all the companies who have made this commitment. [applause]

with the support of andrew and -- chairing sharing the business council, randall stephenson of the business roundtable, the society for human resource management, we have engaged in companies all around the country, including here today, to commit to inclusive hiring policies, for making sure screening practices do not visited it folks that have been out of work, to expand the open door policy that encourages all qualified course, it isd of only right the federal government lead by example. today i am directing every federal agency to make sure we are evaluating candidates on the level, without regard to their implement history. because every job applicant deserves a fair shot. i just had a chance to meet with some of the ceos who are making

these commitments. some of them are already participating with what is going on injured congo. they have some great ideas of what works. -- in chicago. one of the things we will need to look at is the impact of histories on the long- term unemployed. if you have been out of work 18 -- you may have met have missed some bills. that cannot be a barrier of entry to you getting to work so that you can pay the bills. unfortunately, we are setting -y up , in some cases, perverse incentives and barriers, but in some cases, what i heard was, just pay attention to this. we are doing everything we can to look at every candidate on the merits. i was really grateful to all of them for stepping up in this way

. i am up of what we did, we will see progress across the country. going back to greg, confident ta consequence his life was turned around because of a partnership, not just because he got a fair shot, but because he had advocates that helped him earn the skilled than he needed to land a job that made sense for him. that is why we are excited to have programs like chicagoland's partnershipfuture platform to i, and many others are presented in .he room as important as it is for the businesses to make this commitment, it is great to have these intermediaries and on profits who are also able to , even with folks who have been out of work for a long time. my administration will partner with the business community and the nonprofit sector. joe biden to lead an across-the-board reform of

all of our training programs, working with secretary of labor tom perez, secretary of commerce oura pritzker, to make sure job training programs have a single mission. train americans with the skills employers need, and then match them to the good jobs that need to be filled right now. [applause] that is what we have to prioritize. today, i am announcing that the department of labor will put forward $150 million in the partnershipk competition, to support more partnerships that we know work. innovative collaboration between local governments, major nonprofits, all designed to help workers get the steel they needed to build bridges to the jobs required. even though the economy is getting stronger, it will not be enough until those gains translate enough into better opportunities for ordinary folks

who have skills and .he desire, just need a chance we are going to keep knocking down barriers to reemployment so more of the nearly 4 million long-term unemployed americans can regain the stability and security that a good job brings their families. they have moreso money to spend on local businesses, which will lift the entire economy up, creating a virtuous cycle, instead of a negative one. they have more money to spend on local we will keep encouraging employers to welcome all applicants. you never know who will have the next great idea to grow your business. we will keep building ladders so that every american can join the middle class. we are stronger as i said on tuesday when americawe feels a full team.

i want to thank you for the business commitments, the nonprofits here for the work you are doing on the ground. we are going to scale this up and make it happen. most of all, i want to thank some of the other folks that have experienced success. here, i said, out when folks see him doing well, that gives them hope, and it reminds us that we cannot afford to let such incredible talent the wasting away. we have to get those folks back in the game. that is what i am committed to doing and i know joe is as well. thank you. i went outside the federal commitment. after this, i think you guys still have some more work to do. [laughter] [applause] i>> there we go.

[applause] event.ill leave this we believe valerie jarrett is about to break this out into panel discussions. you can see where the president had to say again on our website www.c-span.org. we are looking at your remarks related to what president obama talked about regarding jobless benefits. margaret says a lot of expansion in government programs under this guy. with the amount of americans out of work, who is picking up the tab to pay for this? long-term unemployment, i thought we needed jobs? id for america says, the same thing every speech. do not trust him. give jobs, not checks.

we welcome your comments on what president obama talked about on social media. go to our facebook page. coming up shortly, a discussion on the iranian nuclear deal in nuclear policy in the middle east. the hudson policy is hosting this beginning at noon eastern. while we wait for that to start, this morning on "washington journal" we spoke to the president of the mayo clinic. joining us from the mayo clinic in rochester, minnesota dr. john those worthy, president and ceo of that organization. all, is the mayo clinic hospital, a series of hospitals, clinic, who can go there? tell us about it. it is the first

integrated group practice in america, and the largest one. patients can come with or without a referral to the mayo clinic. host: how many patients do you have ever year? wet: we see about --guest: see about a million patients annually. million in other ways, virtual, and other. there are three main locations. one in phoenix, scottsdale, jacksonville, florida, and then of course, rochester, minnesota. we have a network in the upper midwest, a smaller network in arizona and florida and georgia. we are in six states and we have a large affiliate network across the country. host: how do you pay your doctors? guest: our doctors are salaried,

all of them, and have been for many years. host: why did you make that decision? guest: the decision was made to create a collegiality in the department and between departments. when a person has been on our staff 45-6 years, they reach their peak salary. most of our staff are paid the same amount every year which creates a degree of collegiality, less competitiveness, and helps us focus on the needs of the patients without financial distractions. do you accept medicare and medicaid patients at the clinic? guest: absolutely. more than 50