historyat leader in the the who said i'm the way, the one goes to fe, no paradise except going through me. lewis said, he didn't give us a lot of choice. he have to either believe was a liar in essence or a who he said heas was, the lord. t reminded me of when i had kathy one day ask me louie, you supper. i said sure. what are the choices. yes or no. it is kind of the choice you get. [laughter] but a lawyer and my dad, it took him a while to get dad wanted me to go to med school and they were hearted when i went to law skl.

from s kind of recovered that. it was a lawyer that asked je s tell us what is the greatest commandment. he said love the lord. second is love one another. on those two things hang all of law.other everything. in scripture. me, it made e for , my mother was found to have a brain tumor in the late 1970's. her it could be back in a year or 20 years. before it took her. the neurologist at one point six months to ve live. woman t this brilliant ho put herself through baylor without any help she was reduced to a wheelchair and could not speak without really

struggle i struggling. all four siblings would come and spend time. four ided just the children would spend a weekend with mother. we were getting closer to the end. great.was saturday morning we sat around the breakfast table. there we were, good natured but forth, giving each other a hard time but remembering things, discussing times, laughing. we were probably there two or hree hours before mother finally was able to struggle and speak a word. a wonderfuleen such time. just laughing and enjoying mother, reminding her of great things and fun times. up and said poke got quiet.

we were he raoeeason there. "is myruggled on and said thing."e it came clear as i drove home. what were we doing? .e were loving her we were loving each other. heavenly were the parent, wouldn't that be your two favorite things as well? that is what we come together to here today. applause] remarkable he most thing about this breakfast is the international friends that have come to be with us and

experience more than 13 nations are present in this room this morning. isn't that experience more amaz. give it up. applause] too many far international dignitaries it you.duce all of but we are so grateful you are here. we are so blessed and honored to you here. thank you for coming. two extra special guests that i would like to ask them to recognize. the president of albania is here. would you stand. applause] .> and the president of haiti thank you for joining us.

especiallyall of you our special guests and your best wisheswith our and our prayers for your countries' best. >> we would like to introduce the head table. these are the folks that will lead us through scripture, inspired song. please hold your applause until we have them all introduced. down to my right is winner e grammy award adams. singer yolanda when the president doesn't hold guess it is ok for all of us. this wholee is worth trip by yourself. she is from houston, texas, and

and e point was a second third great teacher before -- before embarking music.reer in next is stephanie hamilton. deliver a reading from the scripture and share inspirational remarks. i'm pretty sure she is the ational prayer breakfast's first surfer, other than you, mr. president. courage of favorite, and resilience has inspired her book soul h surfer. admiral richard breckenridge. aerospace engineering and served on submarines. away -- we know he knows the job.

next is ray lahood. propeoria and he is former teacher who taught about the constitution. he will offer a prayer for world leaders. ext is been casey of pennsylvania. senators casey and wicker rganized the weekly senate breakfast. tomorrow morning they go to work 2015 ting together the breakfast ayer experience. god's blessing on you. anchoring our side of the table is a great champion a strong role model for us to get healthy, the first lady of the united states, michelle obama. applause]

forgetting him but i will get to introduce the president later. >> to our first lady i have been called an anchor before of the i don't n party but think it was a good thing the ay she was talking about that for you. that is a good thing. [laughter] >> by the way, we've get a lot front.ras in it probably is worth a picture only e this may be the ime you will ever see janice

hahn to my right and me to her anything. >> that is true. >> it is my honor to introduce folks on this side of the head table. the e honored to have presidents of our energetic vice president mr. joe baden. mr. joe baden. is our speaker. his spouse.troduce let me introduce shavon shaw, here. next to her is my wife.

way things go in this by , yes, we are separated three people. ok, we are separated at it breakfast. we are in the really separated. ok? rumor.start that 35 1/2 years together. option for nor year. applause] to that i get it introduce are friends. i served in the house before i ran literally ran hall.the and i really like roger and engel.like elliot and i hope it doesn't ruin your i nces for re-election that say that publicly but i really like both of you so much and i'm thrilled that you are here.

ser -- engel many serving in the house and it is here.or to have you both co-chairinger will be next year. will just get it better and better. clearly. a sing er end we've extraordinaire extraordinaire. i think the first song that i him that captured my heart was "people need the lord" has a voice like just it heart.s my so, i was so thrilled when steve this could be here morning. he was raised in south america, he speaks more than english very fluently. differentg in over 50 countries.

and his parents were america.ries in south he's always had a heart for the lo lord. the only thing that exceeds his ncredible voice is humility. ladies and gentlemen, help me steve green. [applause] [applause] black clouds across the sky, son of man lays down to die

ith every pounding blow upon rumbles all der ♪hrough hell barren wounds 's the captives cry there to free us should ♪e die door, he e becomes a enters in face the author of all sin grave, he ath at the them the key and with frees♪aptive

barren wounds 's cry, arise for our draweth nigh♪ key, he holds the he key though we've been held aptive at long last we are ♪ree, for he holds the key against the gates of hell i now

resi resist shackles that had held me now upony before to sin i am no bound barren wounds he heard my x-ray and loosed the lie♪s that bound me to a holds the key the key

though we've been held last we are ng key♪ for he holds the all the things that have you you away, that keep defeated day after day after that nobody taches soul that eats at your like a cruel disease who sets the captives free, holds e, it is he who ♪our key the key

e holds the key have been held captive last we're free, for he ♪olds the key key♪olds the applause]

representative elliot engel will come and share with us.re >> good morning, everybody. i knew they would put me on steve green, so i couldn't possibly compete with him. wonderful seeing were and wonderful seeing so many people. great song writer and singer pete seiger passed away last week. he wrote a song which has always een one of my favorites called "turn, turn, turn." echeese as based on it's chapter three.

iat is one of my favorites so would like to read the first this morning. to everything there is a season. to every purpose under the heaven. toime to be born, and a time die. a time to plant and a time to which is planted. a time to kill and a time to heal. a time to break down and a time to build up. a time to eep and laugh. a time to mourn and a time to dance. a time to cast away stones and a stones together. time to embrace and a time to retprau refrain from embracing. a time it seek and a time to lose. a time to keep and a time to consist away. a time to rend and a time to

sew. silence and a time to speak. a time to love and a time to hate. a time for war and a time for peace. thank you. he a time for war and a time for peace. thank you. [laughter]e a time for war and peace. thank you. [laughtea time for war and a ti peace. thank you. [laughtea time for war and a ti peace. thank you. [laughter] first president, madam lady, mr. vice president, ladies and gentlemen, good morning. as you have been told i'm senator roger wicker of mississippi. together with my colleague been we are pennsylvania responsible for presiding over breakfast eacher week.

the senate prayer breakfast is a of the week for oust. mornings wednesday for prayer, for singing and for one of our colleagues to share a thoughts and reflections. our group represents different aith traditions and away certainly represent all points on the political spectrum. we hold our policy views strongly and we often fight for senate floor. the but when you join hands and pray as we do at the end of breakfast it becomes a little easier to work ogether in the constructive spirit. it is remarkable how often i breakfast leave our with a new blessing and perspective. fellowship and camaraderie of the senate prayer breakfast to parliamentarians all

over the world. a person said he ould greatly appreciate our prayers for his country. we join in singing hymns. we seem to prefer the old traditional ones such as amazing to the world or it is well with my soul. our song leaders. until his retirement last year danny akaka of hawaii the one who always made sure our group had the right song. as he as a house member and as a senate member held this role and capacity for decad now in we miss danny his retirement but we are

chaplain to have barely black who leads us now voice, the h base closest thing to the voice of we will hear on this earth. prayer breakfast is a tradition that has endured for years.an 65 n so many ways it exemplifies behold how good and pleasant it is for breath rehn unity.l together in ladies and gentlemen, my brother casey.league senator bob [applause] , mr. president, -- michellereurbl obama and mr. vice president and distinguished guests. we are honored by your presence

and grateful to have it to rtunity and i'm grateful share leadership with roger wicker. day a week for one for about an hour for us to come prayer and fellowship but it is also a time gratitude. as my mother would say, to count blessings. for many of us it is a time when remind ed of our obligations. entitled "we hymn goesalled" and the refrain as follows. we are called it act with justi love e, we are called to tend deterly, we are -- servely, we are called to one another and walk with god. hymn go words of that as follows. come live in the life. -- i think it is true of ost weeks in the senate prayer

breakfast -- we hope the light of that breakfast lens us -- helps us all the way. the breakfast will warm hrarearts but to appreciate your blessings and go forward. god bless you and thank you. >> good morning, mr. president. lady mrs. obama. mr. vice president. congressmen. i'm chief of name operations. especially our friends and ladies round the world, and gentlemen, it is great to be here. son of kerry has a small a lobsterman from the south boston never i thought i would be able to come and lead

nation at this a setting. i want to thank each of you for here. i know many of you travel to be here. what a testimony of the fabric of our country that we're and we rely ion -- god and his good land hand upon the united states. i know security and other might have made it hard but we get the opportunity to put away the distractions of unite our hearts and spirits as we pray for our and pray for our leade leaders. leadership by example is a big deal and i can finer example than or commander in chief to be here again demonstrate his reliance on god. [applause] >> thank you mr. president.

breath, take a deep quiet our hearts and we continue blessing.od's our gracious americanly father, name.y is your great our way at d, find the sound of your great name. feel no shame at the sound of your great name. hungry souls find their strength great name. of your every fear has no place at the great name.r god, you are high and lifted up and we praise your great name morning. as we consider your glory we become mindful of the time when fall short and choose our own a apart from you living in manner contrary to image bearers

name.arry your restore us and lead us in a way reflects your kindness and your out in the power of name. ather, we are especially mindful of the poor and hard you have for them and we lift them you equipand ask that us it serve them. you e thankful that of tant firm and purposes your heart endure across generations. e see this in the way you continually bless the considers of our nation. hank you for the way you have blessed our families this past year. now we lift our national leaders. you have appointed and established them in positions of tremendous responsibility and we ray you equip and encourage them as they exercise their

duties. our are trying times for country and we need the best of them. and ed their best focus leadership. heavenly father, we confess that elected fell our leaders by becoming quick to to pray. and slow we ask you to change the nature hearts. in your word you command us to pray for all officials serving high officials for our president and vice president and ask for your blessing on their lives and families. or members of congress and the constituents they represent that you would give them more perseverance and more tenacity to do your good will. father, for leaders in our military, for the service secretaries, service chiefs, all way down the chain of command to men and women in that is a families, big number but we know as we

pray and bow before you that blessings can ripple down and spread through the military. the leaders will have security, to provide piece, order and freedom that we give them the inspiration and fortitude to ask on difficult circumstances and the compassion with a lead. we ask this with confidence, knowing that you, lord, are the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. blessing and honor come from you. you are the ruler of all things. in your hands are strength and power to resolve the gifts given to all. now, our god, we give you thanks and praise your glorious name, your great and glorious name,

and all god's people said -- >> amen. >> thank you. [applause] >> aloha. i am coming out from hawaii, where i was born and raised. i am so honored to be here with you. i will be reading two scripture passages. luke, chapter, 10, verses 29:37. "so he asked you this, and who is my neighbor? in reply, jesus said the man was going from jerusalem to jericho when he was attacked by robbers.

they stripped him of his close, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. somebody happened to be going down the same road and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. so, too, a levite when he came to the place and saw him all stop passed by on the other side. but the samaritan came where the man was and when he saw him he took pity on him. him and demanded his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. when he put the man on a donkey and brought him to an inn and took care of him. the next day he paid the innkeeper. return, i will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have. which of these three do you think was the man who fell into the hands of robbers? the expert in the law replied,

the ones who left behind. jesus told him, go and do likewise." our keynote speaker will be sharing more on this passage soon. i would like to share a second passage that speaks truth of my life. versusjoin me in reading 14:21 of ephesians. heaven andily on earth is named that according to the riches of his glory, he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his spirit so that inner being, christ made well in your heart through faith, though you being rooted and grounded in love may have faith to comprehend with all the saints what is the height, anddth, depth, and know the love of

christ that surpasses all knowledge that you may be filled with the fullness of god. we aan do far more than bluntly think according to the powers within us. to him be the glory in the church, and in christ jesus through all generations, forever and ever, amen." >> amen. >> when we face difficulties and adversity in life, many of us find it hard to comprehend the struggles. , i startedin hawaii surfing when i was about four years old. my parents pushed me in, my dad would catch me and get me back out there. i was happy go lucky and loved being in the ocean and spending time in god's creation. up, i grew these hopes and dreams of doing well in my surfing, venturing the world, learning all that i could.

and then when i was 13 years old, i faced a very difficult time and i lost my arm to a shark. time i had lost more than just my arm. i felt as though my hopes and dreams to become a pro surfer and venture the world were stripped away. faith i had in jesus christ gave me strength to comprehend and lean on him for understanding, even as a young girl. god, who is able to take my life and do much more than i could ever ask or think just beyond 13. i am now honored to be a role model and inspiration to many young girls throughout america and the world, and to people of all walks of life. ultimately, to share the hope and salvation that is in jesus christ. hasuse of what jesus

brought me, i have no regrets for the adversity god has allowed me to go through. life, i see my that, you know, maybe you could look at me and think, wow, have pity on her, she lost her arm away shark, but i look at it as something beautiful, and god has taken something that seemed awful and herded into something incredibly amazing. i just look at young girls, you know, kids facing diseases -- i was recently in hawaii and i had 10 make-a-wish kids. all of these kids are facing a tremendous amount at such a young age. i got to take them surfing and just remind them that there's hope, and remind them of the love that jesus christ has for them. for many of us, it is easy to look at the things of this world with all of our challenges and obstacles in life, but when we submit our life to christ, his grace, mercy, truth, peace, and

love will bring true fulfillment to our lives. thank you. [applause] >> and i have to follow bethany. [laughter] this is the day the lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad. catholic,a practicing and that means many things to

me, but it also means i believe in miracles. and i won all of you here today to recognize that we all have an experience -- we all have experienced a miracle. mer has been transformed. i never thought i would see the day. [laughter] many of youh louis, have served with him, and you cannot believe this is the louie gomer you knew before you came to this room. he has been transformed! it's a miracle! [laughter] now, we have to hope and pray -- and i know there have been a lot of prayers by the organizers of this national prayer breakfast -- that america would happen for cash that a miracle would happen for louie, and it did! your prayers have been answered! let's hope this miracle

continues, louis, beyond the 9:30 meeting. let me begin by thanking all the world leaders to our here. nationalss of the prayer breakfast depends on you all being here. and we are grateful for your traveling far and wide to participate in the national prayer breakfast. it means so much to the success. thank you. [applause] and also part of the success is having president obama and mrs. obama here. i know that we all think that you all came to see us, but many inthese world leaders came the name of the lord but also, mr. president, thank you for coming every year, participating , offering your reflections. it means a lot to the national

prayer breakfast. we are grateful for you and michelle. [applause] and also the vice president has been here every year. and when he was a senator participated. so, mr. vice president, thank you for honoring us. [applause] let me read a passage from scripture, and then offer a prayer to conclude. beatitudes,ad the because i think it does reflect what world leaders need to be thinking about. these are jesus' words. " blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. , for theye the meek will inherit the earth.

blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. heart, are the pure in for they will see god. forsed are the peacemakers, they will be called children of god. blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. blessed are you when people , andt you, persecute you falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you, you are the salt of the year. its salte salt loses

lessness, how can it be made salty again? it is no longer good except to be thrown away and trampled underfoot. you are the light of the world. a town built on the hill cannot be hidden. people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. instead, they put it on a stand and it gives light to everyone in the house, in the same way let your light shine before others so they may see your good deeds and glorify your father in heaven." let us pray -- let us pray for all world leaders, that their leadership will be inspired and carried out through the grace of god and motivated by jesus' word, to help the poor, help the infirmed, help the less fortunate.

pray that all world leaders are motivated to do what is right and just for the people who provide them the privilege to serve and the honor to serve. god bless, everyone. [applause] thank you, ray. you were talking about considerable blessings, kind things about you. that is really appreciate it. and i'm not sorry that i invite you to the breakfast. you are still a class guy. i thank you. [laughter] just as we heard our dear friend elliott read from scripture, there is a time to every purpose under heaven. and there is a time when we can argue and debate the important issues in our disagreement and how to go about achieving the

best for america, and this is not it. this is the time we come together in one heart, one accord. [applause] speaker is going to eliminate that issue -- illuminate that issue. we have been encouraged by the prayers that have been prayed, instructed by the scriptures that have been red, inspired by the songs that have been said. we were going to be challenged. at is in charge of a $20 billion agency charged with the task of promoting global economic growth, health, food security and democracy. ah has earned a medical degree and masters degree in economics. he worked for the gates

foundation, was the undersecretary of agriculture, and was appointed head of the usaid, all before he was 40 years old. who hasd think a man done all of that would not be as humble as he is. and if you read one of cs lewi'' that a seniord demon is encouraging the young demon, saying, the guy you have been signed to attempt is a very humble guy. have you pointed that out to him? because that is a good way to pull the maury from being humble. and even if he catches himself being proud of being humble, it is still not all lost. point out to him he should be proud that he caught himself being proud of being humble. [laughter] speaker has not yielded to the temptation to be proud, being humble.

he is an amazing man with an iszing background, and he still humble. he has become a very good friend to a number of our senators and house breakfast groups. a couple of the senators have shared with me that they pray together regularly and have traveled abroad with him, they have seen his heart. and they have prayed with him about the issues that he is going to talk about this morning. so, friends, help me welcome dr. rajiv shah. [applause] >> thank you, representative gomer, for that incredibly generous and kind introduction. wow, this is a big room. [laughter] mr. vicedent, president, mrs. obama, secretary kerry, members of congress and established guests from around

the world, thank you. i am so happy my wife is here with me this morning. this is a great change of pace for us, as the parents of three young children, most of our breakfast conversations are about keeping toys off the table and sticky hands off each other. [laughter] here.are pleased to be president obama, thank you for the opportunity you have afforded me to serve our country. and i see my friend, senator hannah hoch, is here. we make quite an unlikely pair. at one point we were traveling in rural ethiopia when our van got stuck in the mud. the senatore, generously suggested that everyone under 70 should get out and push. [laughter] knew, i wasng i covered in mud, and once again because of congress. [laughter] [applause]

and in this city and 180 countries around the world, prayer groups like these are strengthening our heart, giving purpose to our lives, and helping all of us lead with greater moral courage. that was mike's berean's when i was invited to join a small senate prayer group -- that was my experience when i was invited to join a small senate prayer group. i saw how by remaining devoted to faith and setting high aspirations we can transform our world for the better. this morning, i want to share an overarching purpose worthy of this room that has come together to follow the teachings of jesus. let us work together to end extreme poverty in our lifetime. [applause]

because this is now achievable, but only if all of us from science, business, government, and faith come together for the poor. we can end extreme poverty for the 1.1 billion people who still live on one dollar and five cents per day -- $1.25 per day. 816 milliont for people who will go to bed hungry tonight. and we can end for the 6.6 million children who will die this year before ever reaching their fifth birthday. as terrible as these numbers are, they do not adequately describe what are pretty is and what extreme poverty does. it drains our basic human dignity. and if we are being honest, sometimes it drains our compassion for those who suffer.

news of ais good practical nature to report. one continent after continent, a smaller share of people live this way than at any other time in our history. and today we know that a condition that defined the state of humanity when jesus walked the year if and only started coming down in the last 200 years can now be completely eliminated in the next 20. jesus' teachings, like so many faiths, clearly call on us to practice our faith the hard way, by serving the least fortunate. cannot do this by themselves, businesses won't do this alone, faith communities and charitable efforts alone are not enough. but together, we are making astonishing progress.

thanks to the leadership of president obama, and the presidents of both parties before him, and so many of you in this room. and i believe that the spirit of this prayer breakfast is essential to strengthening our hearts and uniting our purpose to finish this mission. in prayer with senate leaders is not what i ever would have expected to do in my life. detroit, in suburban where every family in our indian american community had an immigrant story to share, of hard work, sacrifice, and absolute faith in the american dream. when my grandfather gave his life savings to send my dad to america, i think he hoped but never could have imagined how this nation and its values would

lift our family. ant my mom would run award-winning montessori school, or my dad would work as an engineer on an apollo mission and at ford motor company. heritaged, my can-do was an extension of my community, a place to fit in and feel loved. growing up, the holy words of god and the wishes of my mom seemed interchangeable. for the longest time, i thought god's first two commandments were sit still and don't slouch. [laughter] the desire to connect with my family's history drew me to southern india the summer after college. to fight disease in a very remote communities. on my first day, i was exhausted from jet lag. i had taken three flights and a long bus ride deep into a jungle , but i was buzzing with nervous

energy. i was ready to make a huge contribution to humanity that very afternoon. i dropped off my bag and walked into a neighboring village, and along aid or road i stopped short. there was a child, maybe four or , rags hung off her meca body -- her emaciated body. her feet were bare and she looked at me with uncertainty with her wide eyes. i thought i had known the face of poverty, until i saw that little girl. and i have seen her again and again. i have seen her in the slums and in the hills of guatemala and the villages of eastern congo. and then, two years ago, i saw her one more time.

i was standing with dr. jill biden and dr. bill frist in the world's largest refugee camp close to the smalley border the somali border. we met mothers who had carried their children for weeks through terrorist held valets. in the dust and dirt of the camp, i knelt down next to a young woman. let me tell you her story. famine,e to escape the she began a long journey to safety with her two children by her side. her childrend on, became too weak to stay on their feet. first she carried one, then the other. eventually, the strain became so much that she struggled to continue. she looked down at her two children and she said a prayer.

and then she made the excruciating decision to leave one of them behind so she could save the other. india, that child were theymalia, somehow lesser than our sons and daughters? did their fathers love them less? did their mothers? did god? a few moments ago, bethany shared with us the parables of luke. i grew up with this teaching, and i know many of us did. what hope can listen to it with new ears today. because not only does everyone past provident people walk a man lying half dead on the side of the road, but they

actually walked over to the other side to avoid having to deal with them at all. until one good man stopped. one. go and do likewise, says jesus to us all. how do we today go into likewise? -- go and do likewise? we now know better than ever how to help. we know we have to put the power of business and science into the hands of those who live their faith and serve this common purpose. new approach at work that same day in that refugee camp, wherein the swirling dust of poor and hardship there was also -- swirling dust of horror and hardship, there was also hope. children were receiving great new vaccines that were not available if years ago. in the past decades, we have immunized 440 million kids, and

saved 6 million lives. [applause] similar efforts have cut the rate of children dying from larry and half, and we are close ia, and we are close to eliminating the transmission of hiv aids from the mother to their children. [applause] are building on this approach by including countries and faith institutions and community health workers, so that every child everywhere lives to celebrate their fifth birthday. after leaving the refugee camp, we visited agricultural scientists, developing seeds that could withstand drought and irrigation systems that poor farmers could afford. in just a few years, our partner countries have increased budgets for agriculture and made critically needed reforms, and

businesses are investing in food production. as a result, we have improved nutrition for 12 million kids, and more than 7 million farmers are moving their families out of subsistence poverty through the road hard work and enterprise. -- through their own hard work and at a price. your including university researchers and civil society leaders so that every child everywhere has been nutrition he needs to thrive. and in just the last few months, we brought this new approach to energy. in countries that have embraced reform, we have shared partnerships with multinational companies and local entrepreneurs in africa so that jobs can be created and children can read at night. exploring projects with unlikely partners to bring affordable, clean energy to 20 million homes and businesses in the markets of the future.

, these efforts are dramatically changing the face of extreme poverty. just look at tanzania. as we have beaten back diseases, that nation has cut child death by nearly 2/3. a breadbasket is emerging in the south and energy assets are allowing businesses to create jobs. the economy is growing at seven percent and a nation once defined by what widespread extreme poverty can now envision elimination its elimination before the end of the next decade. [applause] true, this story is true in country after country. six of the 10 fastest-growing economies are in sub-saharan africa. leaders from college campuses to corporate or grooms across our own country are increasingly focused on the needs of the world's poor. extremeore nations end

poverty, the challenge will narrow, allowing us to focus our energy on a smaller number of countries, until extreme poverty is gone. but the only way we will get there, the only way is with the leadership from this room. those who lead our partner countries will need to prioritize the poor, fight corruption and work with businesses to solve problems. those who lead our great nation will need to make tough decisions that keep us committed to this mission and continue our nation's proud history as the world's unquestioned humanitarian leader. [applause] >> and those who lead communities of faith need to do

just as pope francis is teaching and shine a bright light on poverty. prayer remind us of this common purpose. and this morning i'd like to tell you about a colleague for whom i have prayed. her name was tony. he was the mother of two small children whom she loved dearly. she had a passion for running marathons and learning new languages. as an office ner haiti, no challenge was too big or complex for her. last summer i stood on the rmac of dover air force base waiting for a military plane to land. it was dark and silent as a stood with tony's family.

the lights of dover i lum nating a small area in front of us. and then at 1:00 a.m. the casket of my fallen colleague came home to her family. tony was a community health specialist who had been on her way to a clinic in haiti when she was hit in an accident. she had been on the road that day to ensure that the clinic was fully stocked with the right medicines to save kids lives. she loved those kids like her own. that night at dover her mother-in-law through the pain of her loss leaned over and told me that tony had been so very proud to serve her country torks represent the best of our --, to

represent the best of our values o the world. [applause] i have learned from tony as i've learned from my colleagues and many of you that this work, like prayer, changes us as much or ore than it changes the world. tony's life had a calling and a purpose. can we don't her spirit of commitment? can we love all children like our own? and can we in whatever sphere we live embrace our faith, summon our courage and go and do like wise? thank you. [applause]

>> thank you for that amazing and inspiring challenge to us all. and now mr. president, we thank you for the privilege of having breakfast with you and the first lady. and all of us, all of you can go home and find an opportunity do a little name dropping that while in your opinion washington, d.c. you had an opportunity to have breakfast with the obama's.

mr. president, you know from the days when you were a member of the senate group that put on this breakfast that one of the core values and key purposes of this breakfast is for the citizens of this country and the citizens of the world to come around our president and to show our love and extend our support in prayer. so mr. president, madam first lady, for the challenges you take on, we admire you. for the sacrifices you make, we honor you. and for the burdens you you alone can bear for all of us we pray for you today and everyday. my daughter who volunteers and flew in from colorado last night to be with her mom this morning. while we were getting ready this morning she said did you ever think that you would have an opportunity to introduce the president of the united states and i said not in my wildest

dreams. ladies and gentlemen, it is my great pleasure and honor to introduce to you the president of the united states of america barack obama. [applause] >> thank you. thank you. thank you so much. >> please everyone have a seat. we're giving all praise and honor to god who brought us here this morning. thank you to our co-chairs and i have to say i would have enjoyed a behind the scenes look at the

two of these folks getting this breakfast organized this morning . but there does seem to be that sibling thing a little bit. they love each other but they have to go at each other a little bit. i have always found lieu to be unbelievably gracious effort i've seen him. i don't watch tv i have to admit. [laughter] >> but he is a good man and a was storyteller and jan reminding me the first time we saw each other was at one of my first events when i ran for office. it's wonderful to see all the friends who are here today to the presidents and prime ministers, the leaders of business and the non-profit

community to my incredible friend and vice president joe biden to my cabinet members who are here and members of the administration who do such great ork every single day to my fellow hawaiiian, i should tell you my surfing is not that good but my buddy's surfing is pretty good. dta radge shaw who is just such an incredible young leader and is out there every day. i could not be more proud of his outstanding leadership. [applause] it's a good reminder of the dedicated public survants that i have the chance to interact with

every single day. they do great work. don't always get a lot of credit. sometimes get the criticism that you do when you are in public life. rodge is an extraordinary representative for our country. he always makes me feel like an underachiever whenever i listen to him. i'm thinking should have been rking harder and not slouching. [laughter] deal jones and everyone else who --dale jones and everyone else who worked on this breck fast, thank you. i'm thrilled to be joined by my extraordinary wife and she does

a great job every day keeping me in line. [applause] . >> just two other thank you, to our men and women in uniform. we pray for them. such great work to keep us safe and then there is one colleague of minute who is missing today. a great friend of mine who i came into the senate with, senator tom col burn. tom is going through some tough times right now but i love him dearly even though we are from different parties. he's close tore buoy's political e's perspective than mine. just a shout out to my good friend tom. [applause] . >> each time we gather it's a

chance to set aside the rush of our daily lives torks pause with humility before an all mighty god, to seek his grace and mindful of our own imperfections to remember the admonition of the book of romance which is especially fitting for those of us in washington. do not claim to be wiser than you are. here we put aside labels of party and ideology and recall what we are first, all children of a loving god, brothers and sisters called to make his work our own. but in this work, as lincoln said, our concern should not be whether god is on our side but whether we are on god's side. here we give thanks for his

guidance in our own individual faith journeys. in my life he directed my path to chicago and my work with churches who are intent on breaking the cycle of poverty and hard hit communities there. i'm grateful not only because i was broke and the church fed me but because it led to everything else. led me to embrace jesus christ as my lord and savior. it led me to michelle, the love of my life and two extraordinary daughters. it led me to public service and the longer i serve, the more thankful i am of god's guiding hand. here as americans, we affirm the freedoms endowed by our creator. among them freedom of religion.

yes, this freedom's safe guards religion allowing to us flourish one of the most religious countries on earth. religion strethens america. brave women oh of faith challenge our conscious and bring us closer to our founding ideals from the abolition of saverry and workers rights. so many of you carry on this good work today for the child who deserves a school worthy of his dreams, for the parents working overtime to pull themselves out of poverty, for the immigrants who want to step out of the shadows and become a full member of our american family, for the young girl who praise for rescue from the modern slaverry of human trafficking, an outrage that we must all join together to end.

through our office of faith base partnerships we're proud to work with you on this and many other issues. i invite you to join with us on an effort to help more young men of color overcome the odds. because so many boys in this country need that mentor to help them become a man and a good father. i felt the love that faith can instill in our lives during my sits to the holy land, jeruselem. i felt it in houses of worship whether paying my respects at in san salvador or a bud diss temp until bangkok and i felt the compassion of so many faith leaders around the world. and i'm especially looking forward to returning to the

vatican next month to meet his holleyness pope francis whose message about caring for the least of these is one that i heap all of us heed. like matthew, he has answered the call of jesus who said follow me. and he inspires us with his words and deeds, his humility and mercy and mission to serve the cause of social injustice. yet even as our faith steans us, it's also clear that around the world freedom of religion is under threat. and that's what i want to reflect on this morning. we see governments engaging in discrimination and violence against the faithful. we sometimes see religion twisted in an attempt to justify hatred and persecution against other people just because of who they are or how they pray or who they love.

old tensions are stoked fueling conflicts along religious lines as we've seen in the central african republic recently. even though to harm anyone in the name of faith is to i did anyonish our own relationship with god. extremist succumb to anihilism that shows they don't understand the faith they claim to profess, for the killing of the scientist never fulfilling god's will. in fact, it is the ultimate betrayal of god's will. today we profess the principles we know to be true. we believe that each of us is wonderfully made in the image of god. we therefore believe in the inherent dignity of every human being, dignity that no earthly power can take away. and central to that dignity is freedom m of religion. the right of every person to

practice their faith how they choose, to change their faith if they choose or to practice no faith at all and to do this free from persecution and fear. our faith teaches us that in the face of suffering we can't stand idly by and we must be that good samaritan. we are told to do right and defend the oh pressed. know the feelings of the stranger having yourselves been strangers in the land of egypt. it instructs stand up firmly for justice. history shows that nations that up hold the rights of their people including the freedom of religion are more just and more peaceful and more successful. nations that do not up hold these rights suffer violence and

extremism. so freedom of religion matters to our national security. [applause] as i've said before, there are times when we work with governments that don't always meet our highest standards but they are working with us on core interests such as the security of the american people. at the same time we also deeply believe it's in our interest seen with our partners, sometimes with our friends to stand up for universal human rights. so promoting religious freed system a key objective of u.s. foreign policy. and i'm proud that no nation on earth does more to stand up for the freedom of religion around the world than the united states of america. [applause]

it is not always comfortable to do but it is right. when i meet with chinese leaders, and we do a lot of business with the chinese and that relationship is exthe record narrowly important to our two countries and to the world. i stress realized their potential rest on up holding universal rights including christians and buddhist and muslims. [applause] when i meet with the president of ber ma, a country that is trying to emerge out of long darkness into the light of a representative government, i've said that burma's return to the international community depends on respecting basic freedoms including for christians and muslims. i've pledged our support to the people of nigeria who deserve to

worship in peace free from terror. i've put the weight of my office behind the efforts to protect the people of sudan and south sudan including religious minorities. and pal ort israelis palestinians we require access to holy sights for all faiths. i want to thank secretary for his passion and diplomacy for peace in the middle east. [applause] more broadly i've made the case that no society with truly succeed unless it guarantees the rights of all of its people . cluding religious minorities in syria it means ensuring a

. ace for all people going forward we will keep standing for religious freedom around the world. and that includes by the way opposing blasphemy and defamation of religion measures which are promoted sometimes as an expression of religion but in fact all too often can be used to you is press religious minorities. [applause] we continue to stand for the rights of all people to practice their faiths in peace and in freedom. and we will continue to stand ainst the ugly tide of nti-semitism that rears it's ugly head all too often.

i look forward to help lead these efforts and we're move ago head with our strategy to partner more closely with religious leaders to carry forward our foreign policy. i want to thank casey for leading this work at the state department. shaun is here today and we want to thank him for the outstanding work he's doing. thank you. [applause] >> so around the world we're elevating our engagement with faith leaders and making it a regular part of our diplomacy. i invite to you join us on several challenges. let's do more together to advance human rights. let's do more to promote the development from ending extreme poverty to saving lives from hiv aids to combating climate change so we can preserve god's incredible creation. on all these issues faith leaders and organizations here

in the united states and around the world are incredible partners and we're grateful to them. in contrast to those who wield relidge on the divide us, let's nurture the dialogue between faiths that can break cycles of conflict and build true peace including in the holy land. let us never forget those who are persecuted today, among them americans of faith. we pray for den neglect, a christian misnare whose been held in north korea for 15 months, sentenced to 15 years of hard labor. his family wants him home and the united states will continue to do everything in our power to secure his release because free.h bea deserves to be >> we pray for the pastor who has been held in iran for more

than 18 months. sentenced to 18 years in prison pauf his christian beliefs. as we continue to work for his freedom today we call on the iranian government to release him so he can return to the loving arms of his wife and children in idaho. [applause] >> and as we pray for all prisoners of conscious, whatever their faiths wherever they are held, let's imagine what it must had be like for them. we may not know their names but all around the world there are people who are waking up in cold cells facing another day of confinement, another day of unspeakable treatment simply ecause they are affirming god.

despite all they've endured, despite all the awful punnishments if caught, they will wait for that moment when the guards aren't looking when they can close their eyes and bring their hand together and pray. in those moments of peace, of grace, those moment when is their faith is tested in ways that those of us who are more comfortable never experience in those faraway cells, i believe their unbroken souls are made stronger. and i hope that somehow they hear our prayers for them, that they know that along with the spirit of god, they have our spirit with them as well and that they are not alone. today we give humble thanks for the freedoms we cherish in this country. and i join you in seeking god's

grace in all of our lives. i pray that his wisdom will give us the capacity to do right and to seek justice and defend the oh pressed wherever they may dwell. i want to thank all of you for the extraordinary privilege of being here this morning. i want to ask you for your prayers as i continue in this awesome privilege and responsibility as president of the united states. may god bless the united states of america and god bless all those who seek peace and justice. thank you very much. [applause]

>> coming up on c-span congress looks into allegations that the i.r.s. targeted political groups. house speaker john boehner talks about immigration reform. and later another chance to see today's national prayer breakfast. >> on c-span tomorrow homeland at rity secretary will be the wilson center. live coverage begins at 11:30 eastern. also tomorrow president obama visits michigan where he plans to deliver remarks and sign the farm bill. >> watch our program on first

lady laura bush saturday on c-span and watch our recent interview with mrs. bush at 8030 and live monday night our series continues. >> i think it's an evolutionary process. you grow into this role and my sense is that you never get comfortable if you are always pushing for change and growth, not just in yourself but in the issues that you care about. you are never done so there is never a point in time where you feel like there, i am now here and i can do this the same way all the time. it's always changing. >> first lady michelle obama on ay night at 9:00 eastern c-span and c-span 3 and c-span radio and cspan.org. >> mitch mcconnell came to the floor on thursday calling for the i.r.s. to pull back on proposed regulations dealing with tax exempt organizations.

bernie becker part of the week in congress has been about the i.r.s. what specifically does leader mcconnell hope will happen with the regulations? >> seeing the scandal received from the headlines the last few months, it is coming back in a big way. the republicans want new rules that the obama administration rolled out last year. they would clarify what sort of counts as political ctivity. mostly the ones who have the extra scrutiny from the irs. republicans say it would codify the targeting. it would stifle these groups, which historically has been more likely to be tea party or conservative groups. likes the new irs director is walking into the storm of proposed regulations. these aren't even regulations. these are proposed regulations. what is the next step to make them take effect? >> the new commissioner has been quick about passing regulations. what is currently going on is

these rules are in the public comments area. ight now they have 21,000. they're going to do a methodical these rules are in public comment, and they have got , and0, which is a record they are going to do a methodical look at this and take it from there. there are questions such as the political activity they should be engaged in. on another related issue the

subcommittee and house oversight hearing from a number of groups. what happened in that hearing, and what were republicans looking for? >> that's interesting. the whole purpose of the hearing was there were some concerns that one of the key investigators investing in -- investigating is a political donor to obama. she wasn't allowed to come, so what happened was instead there was a tea party leader who essentially accused the top ofocrat on that committee targeting her, and she made the once he started asking what she was doing and after she started applying for tax exempt status, that is when to started getting audited, her businesses get audited, from their it snowballs.

she has suggested you would file an ethics complaint against elijah cummings. >> how did he reacted me hearing? >> he didn't take it well, and some of the republicans were also unsure of this past. what he is saying is his role is as oversight, and he was looking one of thesethat groups was from his perspective harassing voters who wanted to vote. these are mostly minority voters who would not vote for the side catherine angle bretz , and instead of letting them vote they were having challenges that were unnecessary, and he deemed them harassment. >> that is just one of the couple of congressional committees looking into the iraq. in total, how many investigat

ions are going on with this particular issue? >> i think we have heard six. air is still the ongoing fbi investigation. there are a couple of committees on each side looking into it. the house ways and means committee talk to the irs commissioner yesterday. they are hoping to get this wrapped up quickly, but if you talk to republicans recently, they are being very clear of the fact this is still ongoing and it is too early to be making any conclusions about where this could go. >> back to the issues we talked about, you mentioned the irs comment.s doing public what about congress? will they have a hearing on these regulations, or have they yet? >> there is nothing scheduled yet. i would imagine the further we get along there will be hearing specifically on this, and since

november 1 these were released, there have been a couple of hearings on the irs in general, and these have definitely come up. >> he covers tax issues. you can read his report things on thehill.com. thanks for talking to me. >> now to the hearing on the irs. committee failed to appear. members of conservative groups who said they were victims of harassment. this hearing is held by jim jordan. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2014]

applied for tax exempt status. our live coverage getting under way right here, right now, on c-span 3. >> committee will come to order. i want to welcome our witnesses today. have to put up with a couple opening statements from myself, mr. cartwright. we'll swear you in and get to your testimony. we'll get to you just as quickly

as we can. may 10th last year, lois learner with a plan in question had a meeting here in town disclosed targeting of conservative groups took place. she disclosed that even before the inspector general report was released, shde that after consulting with the chief of staff at the treasury department. put him on notice they were going to do it this way. get out in front of this story. and she said this. want to read from miss learner's comments. she disclosed the systemic targeting of tea party groups, conservative groups, have taken place. shep said, quote, they use names like tea party or patriot. simply because those application, had those names in the title.

this additional scrutiny not only delayed the processing of their applications for a period of years but also resolving intrusive questions from the irs that were far beyond the scope of legitimate inquiry. when this thursding first broke. that people were targeted and delayed for years. attorney general holder said this was outrageous and unacceptable. the president said we will not tolerate this kind of behavior in any agency. but one month after that, in a hearing in front of the judiciary committee, then fbi director mooul mueller was asked a question. can you tell me who the agent is in the case? can you tell me how many agents have been assigned to the case? can you tell me any of the victims?

his answer to those three questions, i don't know, i don't know, i don't know. not exactly inspiring much confidence in the type of investigation the fbi and the justice tent were engaged in. just recently, we learned that the person heading the investigation, barbara boxerman, gave $6,750 to the obama campaign and to the democrat national committee. again, we learned this not because the fbi told us, not because the justice department told us. current and former irs employees told us that she was the one leading the investigations. a lady who's invested in the president's success. and we're supposed to believe

this investigation is possible. we wanted her to be sitting there with the people who were victimized by the irs. i sent a letter -- i sent two letters. mrs. wasserman didn't respond back to me. he sent me two letters within five days. within the last ten days, we got those letters. in fact, mr. cole was in front of the investigating committee. and asked him those same three questions. you say it's a team. and not miss wasserman as we understand it to be. can you tell me who's on the team? his answers were the same as mr. mueller's clear back in the summer of 2013. in those two letters, mr. cole said this was an ongoing investigation. in fact, he said it seven times. ongoing investigation.

and yet to my knowledge no victims have been interviewed by the justice department. ongoing investigation. and yet "the wall street journal," through leaked sources, has reported that no one's going to be recommended for prosecution. ongoing investigation. the president of the united states can go on national television on a day when a lot of people watch television and say, quote, there's not a smidgen of corruption in the irs targeting scandal. here we are today. miss wasserman won't come. the fbi won't answer any questions. the president said it's over. "the wall street journal" report said it's over. we thought what we'd do today is allow people who were victimized by the internal revenue service to come tell their story. the fbi may not want to interview you, miss engelbrecht and miss garrettson, but this

committee does. our witnesses this morning experienced the irs targeting firsthand in the form of trying to exercise their first amendment rights to make our country a better place for their neighbors and friends. they were harassed at the hands of their very government. in addition to the irs, miss engelbrecht was scrutinized by the fbi, the bureau of alcohol, tobacco and firearms and osha. we recognize and we deeply appreciate the courage it takes for you to come here and testify today. both miss engelbrecht and miss garrettson have counsel. these fine attorneys are also experts in the nonprofit field and represent dozens of clients that were mistreated by the internal revenue service. in this capacity, they were able to shed light on the process and the abnormalities of the treatment fashioned by conservative groups. hopefully, this morning's hearing advances the committee's interest in getting closer to the truth.

which is what -- when i'm out and about, ohio, across the country, i get that question more than anything else. we want to know the truth and we want people held accountable. i get it all the time. is that going to happen? i tell those people we're going to do everything we can to get to the truth and hold people accountable. here's why it's so important. i'll finish here and recognize mr. cartwrite. when the founders put together the first amendment and all the rights that are contained. freedom of speech. when they talked about freedom of speech, the most important aspect of freedom of speech is your right to political speech. your right to criticize your government. and that is the very thing that the irs attacked. and that is why this hearing and this subject is so important. and that's why i'm pleased to have the witnesses we have today. with that, i would yield to the ranking member, mr. cartwright.

>> thank you, mr. chairman. as i have noted in previous hearings of this committee, i also am deeply troubled regarding irs employees improper handling of application for tax exempt status. a handling that pervades the american political spectrum. it includes obviously right wing groups and also left wing groups. and we'll talk about that in a moment. since the chairman has just raised it, including allegations about attorney barbara wasserman. part of the premise of this hearing is that the witnesses have concerns about the department of justice's investigation of the irs for the improper treatment of tax excemt organizations. has, quote, the appearance of substantial and material conflict of interest, end quote. he has made that claim because a career prosecutor who is one of at least 13 doj and fbi employees involved in the

investigation made political donations to the dnc and the president's campaign. i'm here to tell you we have consulted with legal experts. they have flatly rejected chairman jordan's interpretation of the law. one such expert is professor bruce green of fordham university law school who for the last 27 years has taught courses related to legal ethics and criminal law and procedure, including a seminar on ethics. professor green also served as social counsel in the independent office. who prosecuted individuals in the iran/contra affair. and later served as appointee of then new york city mayor rudy giuliani for the new york city conflicts of interest board. quote, this scenario does not constitute a conflict of interest, unquote. professor green added more

pointedly, quote, a career prosecutor assigned to investigate a federal official would not have a conflict of interest simply because the prosecutor contributed to one or the other party or to one or the other presidential candidate. unquote. professor green furthermore explained, quote, because political donations are not a relevant consideration in making assignments, that is case assignments, it would not be appropriate for the department of justice leadership to check career prosecutors political donations before assigning them to investigation. i asked unanimous consent to enter the responses from professor green, as well as statement of columbia university professor daniel richman into the record. >> without objection. >> i would remind committee members that the hatch act is within this committee's jurisdiction. and that it is -- and that in it congress explicitly states,

quote, it is the policy of is congress that employees should be encouraged to exercise fully, freely and without fear of penalty or reprisal. and to the extend not expressly prohibited by law, their right to participate or to refrain from participating in the political processes of this nation, unquote. calling this attorney not a political appointee but a career civil servant in to testify in public about an ongoing investigation and to accuse her of being politically biased because she was exercising her right to participate in the democratic process of this nation is unacceptable. i will be happy to hear from the appropriate person at the department of justice after the investigation is completed. and i thank you, mr. chairman, and i yield back. >>cy thai think the gentleman. put into the record csr 22.

disqualification arising from political or personal relations. from the department of justice rule, ethical rules. i'll just quote. the employee's participation should not create an appearance. i would just remind my friend from pennsylvania that says likely to create public perception, affect the public perception of the integrity. less than, significantly less than 1% of the population contributes that kind of money to a political campaign. there are 10,000 employees of the justice department. you would think they could find someone else. you would think miss wasserman would look at this and say maybe i should recuse myself and not head up the investigation. i would ask this be entered into the record as well. >> without objection. texas, mr i need to do unanimous consent

that our colleague from texas, mr. powe be allowed to participate in today's hearing. mr. powe is recognized. >> i thank the chairman. katherine ingram burke is a friend of mine from houston. king street patriots is in my district. i have come to know her because her and her husband are small business owners. they're just trying to make a living in america. she started king street patriots and she also started true to vote because she was very concerned about voter corruption in texas. she found it through the use of public records and started those two programs, citizen active. as soon as she gets active in these two programs, true the vote, trying to make our voter process fair with integrity, she gets harassed by the federal government of the united states. harassment, what does that mean? first the fbi came to see her, questioned her about some of the

people that are attending her meetings. she had numerous meetings with the fbi including the fact that fbi would sit in the king street patriot meetings. that wasn't all. she was visited by osha. she was visited by the epa or the texas equivalent to the epa doing an investigation. she was visited by the atf and harassed by the atf. of course, she was harassed by the irs on numerous occasions. all she wanted was what every other organization that's trying to exercise the first amendment wants and deserves as a tax-exempt. because of that, as the chairman has said, the right to exercise the first amendment is there primarily so citizens can criticize government and not be afraid of government harassing them through their use of government administrative bureaucrats. all of these things happened to

her. fbi, osha, epa, atf, irs harassed her because of exercising her first amendment right, and i appreciate the fact that the witnesses are here to tell us how government oppressed them for exercising that. i would yield back to the chairman. thank you. we'll move to our witnesses. we have with us today katherine engelbrecht, found. mrs. cleat that mitchell. ms. becky gerritson, president of the wah tum ka tea party and mr. jay psych low, chief council of the american center for justice. please stand up, raise your right hand. do you solemnly swear or affirm that the testimony you're about to give will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the

truth, so help you god. let the record reflect the witnesses answered in the affirmative. i think you know how this works. you get approximately five minutes to make your statement. we'll be a little bit flexible. we'll start with you katherine. you're recognized. katherine, hit the -- >> thank you. good morning mr. chairman. my name is katherine engelbrecht, i'm the chairman of true the vote, a non-profit election integrity group, the founder of king street patriots and president of engelbrecht manufacturing. thank you for this opportunity to share my story with you today, though at the outset it must be said that it is a story with a central theme that is shared by countless thousands of other americans who have not yet been heard from, though i pray that they will be. it must be made publicly known

that across this country, citizens just like me are being targeted by an administration willing to take any action necessary to silence opposition. i am an average american who prior to 2009 had never been active in the processes of government. but after volunteering to work in the polls in texas in the 2009 elections, i saw fundamental procedural problems that i felt couldn't go unaddressed. so i started true the vote, an organization that grew into a national movement to ensure every american voter has an opportunity to participate in elections that are free and fair. my life before i got involved and spoke out for good government stands in stark contrast to the life i now lead. as a wife, a mother, a small business woman working with my husband, raising our children and participating in my church and pta, the government collected my taxes and left me and my family in peace. but once i helped found true the

vote and king street patriots, i found myself a target of this federal government. shortly after filing irs forms to establish 501(c)(3) andc 4 tax-exempt organizations an assortment of federal entities including law enforcement agencies and congressman cummings came knocking at my door. in nearly two decades of running our small business my husband and i never dealt with any government agency outside of filing our annual tax returns. we had never been audited. we had never been investigated. but all that changed upon submitting applications for the non-profit statuses of true the vote and king street. since that filing in 2010 my private businesses, my non-profit organizations, my family and i have been subjected to more than 15 instances of audit or inquiry by federal agencies. in 2011 my personal and business tax returns were audited by the internal revenue service, each audit going back for a number of years. in 2012 my business was

subjected to inspection by osha on a select occasion when neither my husband nor i were present. though the agency wrote it found nothing serious it still issued fines in excess of $20,000. in 2012 and 2013, the bureau of alcohol tobacco and firearms conducted comprehensive audits in my place of business. beginning in 2010, the fbi contacted my non-profit organization on six separate occasions wanting to cull through membership monday fests in conjunction with domestic terrorism cases. they eventually dropped all matters and have redacted nearly all my files. all of these incursions into my affairs began after filing applications for tax exemption. there is no other remarkable event. there's no other reason to explain how for decades i went unnoticed but now find myself on the receiving end of interagency coordination into and against all facets of my life, both personal and private. bear in mind, distinguished ladies and gentlemen of this subcommittee, these events were

occurring while the irs was sun jekting me with multiple rounds of abusive inquiries, asking about facebook and twitter, questions about my political aspirations and demands to know the names of groups i had spoken with, the content of what i said and everywhere i intended to speak. the answer to these sorts of questions are not of interest to the typical irs analysts but certainly of interest to a political machine that would put its own survival against the civil liberties for a private citizen. this government attacked me because of my political beliefs, but i refused to be cast as a victim, not to the irs, not to the fbi, not to osha, not to asf or any other government agency, i am not a victim because a victim has no options. i do have options, and i intend to use them to the fullest extent of my capabilities. as an american citizen i'm part of a country that still believes in freedom of speech, and so i

will continue to speak out here in congress and all across this country,ly continue to press in every legal way possible as i did by filing suit against the internal revenue service. no american citizen should be willing to accept a government that uses its power against its own people. after all the tyranny and all the things that have been done to my organizations, my family and me, many people would quit. and, mr. chairman, many americans have quit. i have heard over and over that people are afraid to tell their stories. but know this, my experience at the hands of this government in the last five years have made me more determined ever than before to stand before you and to all of americans and say i will not retreat, i will not surrender. i will not be intimidated and i will not ask for permission to exercise my constitutional rights. i've come before you today, mr. chairman, on behalf of americans just like me asking for a solution to end this ugly

chapter of political intimidation. there was a time when people of good will were encouraged to participate in the processes of government, not targeted because of it. i applaud your request of the internal revenue service to withdraw a proposed regulation limiting political speech by non-profit organizations that action should be taken quickly and without fail because if it is not, it will codify into law the very thing that brings me here today. if those regulations pass, non-profit organizations across the country will be destroyed. no american regardless of their political affiliation should support the silencing of political speech. beyond ending the proposed irs regulations, i ask you, i implore you as representatives to the people of this great nation to pass a law that protects all citizens of this country from the increasing use of such abusive practices, pass a law that exposing government

officials who trample on the rights of ordinary citizens. do not allow them to continue to cower behind avail of secrecy of use of unethical and unfair behavior. send the president a bill that makes public persons agencies regulated, no restricted selectively released files. give us a truly transparent process. protect the people, restore liberty to the people because we will not be silenced. thank you for this opportunity, mr. chairman and committee members. >> thank you ms. engelbrecht and god bless you, we appreciate you being here today. i would like to enter into the record a letter that chairman issa and i sent to the new commissioner of the irs, john cosco anyone two days ago where we highlight some of the things you reference in your testimony, specifically how this rule was

being prepared long before the tig nah report came into existence and how lois lerner was intricately involved in putting this rule together. i would ask for unanimous consent to enter this into the record. without objection that will take place. ms. mitchell, you are now recognized. >> thank you, mr. chairman, members of the subcommittee. thank you very much for the opportunity to appear here today. i'm a practicing attorney, and i deal with the irs and have dealt with the irs on a daily basis for many, many years. what i do is i help people obtain the tax-exempt status or to fit their activities within the proper section of the tax code depending on what it is they want to do. i want to make three primary points here today. i'll be happy to answer questions at the appropriate time. first, the irs scandal is real. it's not pretend. it's real. number two, the irs scandal is not just a boneheaded bunch of

bureaucrats in some remote office contrary to what the president of the united states told the american people on sunday. and number three, the irs scandal is not over. it is continuing to this day, and the department of justice investigation is a sham. it is a non-existent investigation. with regard to point number one, let me tell you in one sentence what the irs scandal is. the irs at the direction of some political elites in washington, not in cincinnati, but washington, took what had been for decades a process of reviewing applications for exempt status that a 5013c company would expect to take three to four weeks and they converted the p