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. to be always found louie unbelievably gracious every time i see him. i don't watch tv i have to admit. [laughter] but he is a good man and a great storyteller and jan was 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 work 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. justo raj shah, who is 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 servants 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. single-minded in terms of trying to help as many people as possible all around the world, and is an extraordinary representative for our country. he always makes me feel like an underachiever whenever i listen to him. [laughter] i'm thinking should have been working harder and not slouching. [laughter] dale jones and everyone else who worked on this breakfast, 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 yous, to our men and women in uniform. we pray for them. [applause] such great work to keep us safe and then there is one colleague of mine who is missing today. a great friend of mine who i came into the senate with, senator tom coburn. tom is going through some tough times right now but i love him dearly even though we are from different parties. he's closer to louie's political perspective than mine. but he is a good man. i am keeping him and his family in my prayers. 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, to pause with humility before an almighty god. to seek his grace and mindful of our own imperfections to remember the admonition of the which isof romans, especially fitting for those 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 in 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. it 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. this freedom safeguards

religion, allowing us to flourish as one of the most religious countries on earth. too,t works the other way, because religion strengthens america. brave women oh of faith have challenged our conscience and brought us closer to our founding ideals from the abolition of slavery 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 prays for rescue from the modern slavery of human trafficking, an outrage that we must all join together to end. through our office of faith base and neighborhood partnerships

led by melissa rogers, we are 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 visits to the holy land, jerusalem. sacred to jews and christians and muslims. i felt it in houses of worship whether paying my respects at the tomb in san salvador or a synagogue on the eve of rosh blue mosque in istanbul, or a buddhist temple in bangkok and i felt the compassion of so many faith 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 holiness pope francis whose

message about caring for the least of these is one that i hope 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 sustains 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 diminish our own relationship with god. extremist succumb to nihilism that shows they don't understand the faith they claim to profess, for the killing of the innocent is 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 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. in isaiah we are told to do right and seek justice and defend the oppressed. , know thecommands feelings of the stranger, having yourselves been strangers in the land of egypt. the koran instructs to stand up firmly for justice. history shows that nations that uphold the rights of their people, including the freedom of religion, are ultimately more just and peaceful and successful. nations that do not up hold these rights suffer violence and extremism.

so freedom of religion matters to our national security. [applause] [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] 2

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 extraordinarily 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 burma, 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 inorities. as we support israelis and pal palestinians we require access to holy sights for all aiths. 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 including religious minorities. in syria it means ensuring a lace for all people.

going forward we will keep standing for religious freedom around the world. and that includes by the way opposing blasphemy and efamation 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 against the ugly tide of anti-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. et'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 religion to 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 mericans of faith. we pray for den neglect, a christian missionary 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 kenneth bae deserves to be ree. >> we pray for the pastor who has been held in iran for more than 18 months. entenced to 18 years in prison

because of his christian beliefs. as we continue to work for his freedom today we call on the ranian 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 because they are affirming god. despite all they've endured,

despite all the awful punishments 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 hey 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]

♪ in the middle of the turbulence surrounding you, these trying times are so hard to endure. ♪ seems to le of what , hold fast est hour your heart and be assured. ♪

this too shall pass like every night that's gone before it. ♪ he'll never give you more than you can bear. ♪ this too shall pass. ♪ his comforted for it's in hand, this too shall pass. ♪ ther knows the tears you cry before they fall. ♪ e feels your pain, his heart

and you're the one. arefather knows that sorrow strong but with his strength, you'll overcome. ♪ for this too shall pass like every night that's gone before it. ♪ 'll never give you more than you can bear. this too shall pass. ♪ be comforted for it's in his hand. ♪ this too shall pass. ♪

so set your eyes upon the up to , lift your head the sky. d let his arms of love surround you ♪ the other e you to side. ♪ this too shall pass like every night that's gone before it. nothe ♪ , he will never give you more

than you can bear. be too shall pass so you it's in his hands, ♪is too shall pass too in his hands, this hall pass ♪ it shall pass ♪ [applause] > god bless you.

[applause] >> wow. thank you for that incredible uplifting anthem. thank you. god bless you. we're coming to the close of this great prayer breakfast. we thank you so much for being here with us today. thank you mr. president, madam first lady, mr. vice president, what a blessing this morning has you. or me and i hope for [applause] i had a rocky start when i first dime congress.

i was elected in a special election which is fast and furious. electedday before i was my dear sweet mother passed away unexpectedly. so it was with great bittersweet emotions that i came here. .ut she had voted by mail [laughter] she did all she could do. but i will tell you being apart of this weekly prayer breakfast has been my salvation in a very, very, sometimes divided and devicive congress. it's easy to pray with people you like. no offense. it's easy to pray with people

who think like you. it's easy to gather on a sunday morning or friday night or saturday night when those who think like you and have the same faith as you. but what god calls us to do i hink is to transcend our likeness. transcend our denominations. transcend what we think are the only people we can include in our prayer circle. this prayer breakfast has taught me that. and it has made me a better person, a better congresswoman and hopefully a better christian. [applause] >> our friendship won't pass. all these years i was like this too shall pass. [laughter]

>> it's easy to pray with people who are are wrong on issues when you know you have a common heart. i know her heart. we have a common heart in jesus. we talked about dan niss and i about how extraordinary today would be. and my father and step mother are here and my brother came and of course my wife and two of my three daughters made it. as parents it is easy to see how god does want us, disagree but have a common heart. thank you for sharing that heart today. first timothy two tells us we are to pray for those in authority so that our lives will be quiet and peaceful. that is up to us. and prayer can make this nation even stronger.

and mr. president, first lady, mr. vice president, we appreciate your attendance at this where we're not talking politics because this is the true secret to the strength of the united states of america. well, at this time we're going prayer and hearts in i led the opening prayer and my dear friend with a common heart will close news prayer. let me say though, the president and first lady will be leaving. please remain in your place. you won't like your treatment if you try to do otherwise. so the secret service and everybody will treat you in a friendly spiritual way but you will be restrained. so please just remain where you

are. thank you. >> let us join our hearts in prayer. lord, you've called us to love with you all of our heart, all of our soul, all of our mind and all of our strength. our hearts this morning have been challenged to care for the poor, our sowls have been challenged to believe in spite of all the bad news around us, our mind have been challenged to listen to new voices and think in completely different ways. and now we ask for the strength to love you as we should in order to have the guts to change both ourselves and our world. in the name of jesus who united states us today, amen. [applause] go in peace, love your neighbor and thank you for being with us this morning.

>> on the next "washington journal" we'll talk with the president of the league of conservation voters for a look at the key environmental issues facing congress and the obama administration. then former governor and homeland security secretary joins to us talk about global threats to u.s. security. and with janet taking over this week as head of the federal reserve we'll examine some of the decisions on monetary policy with reporter for the "washington journal." plus your calls, tweets and facebook comments.

"washington journal" airs every morning on c-span at 7:00 a.m. eastern. >> kentucky senator rand spall our guest this weekend on "newsmakers." we talk to him about the debt ceiling. sanctions on iran and the 2016 presidential race and he spoke out against those who say republicans are waging a war on women. >> democrats can say we're the great defenders of women's rights in the workplace and we will defend you against an abusive boss that uses authority to take advantage of a woman when the leading fundraiser in the country is bill clinton who was a perpetrator of that kind of sexual harassment. they can't have it both ways. so i really think that anybody who wants to take money from bill clinton or have a fundraiser has a lot of explaining to do.

they should give the money back. if they want to take a position on women's rights by all means do, but you can't take it from a guy who is using his authority to take advantage of women in the workplace. he paid an $800,000 fine for sexual harassment. >> you can watch our interview with rand paul this sunday at 10:00 a.m. and again at 6:00 p.m. eastern right here on c-span. >> the washington press club hosted the 70th annual congressional dinner in washington d.c. they were highlighting the lighter side of capitol hill. speakers included nancy pelosi, donna edwards, and arizona senator, jeff flake. it started with the awards, including the lifetime achievement for nbc news radio correspondent ann compton. this is one hour. this is one ho.

[applause] >> thank you, david. thank you so much to my friends at the washington press club foundation for the honor of being here tonight. i want to get right into the presentation of awards, starting with the david lynch award for regional reporting. this is an award recognizing a reporter who provides coverage from a regional perspective, making sure that what happens in washington gets translated into the way real people speak. david lynch covered washington within apposite is on congress for the buffalo news. daily newspapers and new england, alaska, and south

carolina. later he ran a one-man bureau with newspaper clients and i was and alaska. his wife is here tonight. if you would give her a round of applause as she stands. [applause] she created this award and her husband's name when he passed away in 1988, and continues her great commitment to her husband's memory and his passion for regional reporting. ofore we announce the winner the david lynch award, i would like to recognize two honorable mentions. a reporter from the las vegas sun. brown of " newsday." judges loved tom's work.

they said atop them a lot of new things. andwork was well written covered a wide variety of stories. the judges were impressed by the ability to make the story about a bird compelling and the judicial process seem relevant. congratulations to you both. [applause] davidnner of this year's is deirdre. i should tell you this is her third time winning this award. .retty amazing her ability to explain how decisions made in washington affect local people caught attention yet again. they said that her work exemplifies the award and that she found great angles for local

stories. congratulations to deirdre. [applause] congratulations again. >> thank you so much. thank you. great. thank you very much. >> next i would like to recognize someone who is very dear to the white house press gals and particularly the in the press corps. and compton is a national correspondent for nbc news radio. [applause] she is this year's recipient of the washington press club foundation's lifetime achievement award. this is for outstanding a, transit or wrote journalism as a

profession and also for enhancing the role of women journalists. on 9/11 she was the only broadcast reporter allowed to remain on air force one when president bush was unable to return to washington. she became the first woman assigned to cover the white i ae on a full-time basis network television news organization. she was, at the time, one of the youngest to receive that assignment. she had a soft spot for newbies. and for her sister's in journalism. if you don't have the quote you need for your story, she will mail you her digital file. you had a tough briefing, maybe it stung a little? she finds it afterward and bucks you up. long days. grueling travel. they are no match for her

enthusiasm, optimism, and dedication to covering the white house. she is truly a trailblazer. whilee did it all go raising four children, two of whom are here, along with her husband. if you would, turn your attention to our video screen. [applause] >> it is red. age, she wasrly comfortable in front of a camera. today she has spent four decades there, most of it at the mountaintop, the white house. firsts.had a career of >> a bill of an unusual type --

>> hired after an internship in roanoke, she was their first a female reporter and opened the richmond bureau. ford, for example, -- 70's nbc stover away -- stole her away. she has been a floor reporter at the national convention. >> let's change the pace a little bit, mr. vice president. >> served as a panelist on two presidential debates. served on presidential campaigns and through seven presidents. >> you sound surprised? >> i am surprised. >> she had a first row seat to history. >> we have i'm compton on the scene -- and compton on the

scene. be a florida to plane. >> she is on the phone from nebraska. can you hear me? >> yes, peter, i can. >> what are you doing in nebraska? >> we did not know where we were until we landed. president bush is here at the home of strategic command. >> she was their only broadcast reporter. >> we knew that one of the most trusted journalists were on air force one. on that reporting to keep america safe. like?t was it what are you talk for a spell? >> i think the striking thing about today is -- >> and is most proud of what she has done off-camera.

she mentored young women. and she raised four children. >> she has proven that you can be incredibly successful at your job and be an incredible mother. mr. president, i'd take up of the tax returns are -- >> she is at the front row there in the white house. she is question so many presidents and press secretaries. she has earned the respect and trust of so many people. she is always the first one there and the last one to leave. she is one of the hardest working journalists i know. her body of work speaks for itself. >> saddam hussein has not turn over weapons documents. >> she is a remarkable woman. >> with the president in china. [applause]

ann compton. [applause] >> thank you. thank you. are reporterso carry a swiss army knife with our tools and it, things like curiosity, credibility, courage, and way too much self-confidence. i have got to tell you what strikes me tonight is the honor to stand here with so many of a

generation of women who had the and the luck of good timing. i came along at a time when the gates really open, the society open to moving into the mainstream. to sit here with so many speakers and members of congress, and women journalists, i am part of that generation that really served. i'm incredibly grateful for that. i'm also grateful that i worked with and for some incredible women. that includes the white house bureau chief. she was a wonderful boss. [applause] what all of us tonight need to do, all of us here need to reach that hand down to the next generation who are coming into a world of journalism that is a lot different than we knew.

forward.o bring them you so much for this impressive honor. [applause] >> our next speaker once took off her shoes to tell jokes at this dinner. i really hope she does it again. she wears very nice shoes, and i could use another pair. house minority leader, nancy pelosi. [applause] this is a wonderful might of so many happy memories. let's collect some for this evening. say thatjust want to you do not have to check any of my fax tonight. i bring greetings from the

congress of the united states on this very special occasion. there is so much to be proud of . thank you for the warmness of opening up the program. rihanna graduated five bedded kappa atphi beta berkeley. places where my conservative credentials are recognized. if you see rihanna keller and her colleagues on the move you know one thing for sure, justin bieber is on the move. thank you to ann and nbc broadcasting. she is the recipient of the

lifetime achievement award. ann may beprice for that she convinced jay carney to shave his beard. one of the many people congratulating ann is her husband, bill, a position. we are glad to hear that under obamacare, she can keep the doctor that she has. [laughter] congratulations, deidre, on the lynch award. i understand that they are working on a new paper for people who are not staying in hotels. it is always a pleasure to share friend, with my good

steny hoyer of maryland. are happy to be here with cathy mcmorris rodgers. we are so proud of her. she is here to offer rebuttal to my remarks. enter rand paul and the others. i'm so glad that we are joined by senator thune. he is an avid runner. so much so that he is been called the fastest man in congress. i am not sure that as a compliment, but nonetheless -- [laughter] i don't know what the competition is there. isnow that's up to go to famous for being the home to mount rushmore. but just because you are stonefaced at the state of the union address to not mean you're

going up there. one of tonight's else speakers , congresswomannd donna edwards of maryland. we are so proud of her. some of you may remember that donna was photographed in a speaker boehner at the congressional woman's softball game. but the real news was at the speaker was at the baseball game anduse, as you know, everybody knows, there is no crying in baseball. let's hear it for the women's softball game. don't we love that? after donna concludes her remarks, we will hear from one of our former house colleagues.

we are so proud of jeff flake. he has a large amount of family members here today. welcome to washington. they did not applaud, jeff. he is from a family of 11 children. imagine. is that not beautiful? arizonaom snowflake, which actually sees very little snow. that is why it is like the republican health care plan, with very little health care. some of you may know that jeff once spent a week alone on a desert island talking to nobody, doing nothing. it was perfect preparation for a republican in the united states senate. week the american

people heard president obama deliver the state of the union address. it was powerful. it was moving. it was inspiring. after listening to the president's beach though, it sounded as if it changed the chief"om " hail to the to " with or without you." any bono fans here? i house divided will not stand. in fact, it will not even clap. one thing i miss about being speaker is getting to sit next to vice president joe biden for one hour without him saying one word. [laughter] just kidding. just getting. there is been a lot of talk about the republican party strategy to oppose the president.

in fact, the speaker said that the house will be a brick wall if obama tries to act unilaterally. that is an odd leadership strategy, bomb fairly putting himself between barack and a hard place. laughter] i am having a good time. h too't want you to laug much because it will come out of my time. the speaker said that some of the members are not as sensitive as they ought to be, especially when they're talking to women. if the speakers looking for sensitive men, i could introduce them to some of my constituents in san francisco. [ mixed laughter]

speaking of san francisco, i had high hopes that the 49ers would win the championship game. i really did. when they lost to the seahawks, i lost my bet to my colleagues from washington state. bread.n sourdough the folks at msnbc thought only barack obama could multiply the lows the fishes. [mixed laughter] all of us believe in strong and thriving free press. it was originally the women's national press club. now they have a male president of the club. is that great? congratulations.

[laughter] now seriously. i've always maintained that of all the freedoms and the first amendment, the freedom of the press is the most important safeguard of our democracy. i think all of you for the role that you play in that. i congratulate and thank the washington press club foundation, which was originally , as i said, called the national press club, for your work, leadership, and advocacy, on behalf of reporters from the nation's capitol and across the nation as guardians of our democracy. thank you. and good night. [applause] next, another lawmaker who heels, senatorh

john then. -- thune. >> by the way, nancy, being the fastest manning congress, johnson a new once told me is like being the best surfer in kansas. it is a nice title to have, but it doesn't mean a whole lot. off and on here since i was first elected in 1997. lightwere john boehner's orange years. [laughter] it has been a busy day for us because, in the senate, where lott does not happen, we were on retreat today. both republicans and democrats had their respective retreats. i am told the democrats broke out into an argument over who had to have the president, and

campaign for them in their state. i was told that one of them drew the short straw. houseat he told the white that they had a village in northern alaska where he really ,eeded to spike the turnout that the president could come and visit. and it was somewhere from which you could see russia. [laughter] i am excited to hear from jeff flake. theas my colleague in united states senate. i served with him in the house of representatives. i did not know he was funny. [laughter] most, he was one of the actually the most beautiful person in washington, according to the list. scott brown left congress, the united states senate lost its hunk. fortunately, it just is stepping

into that role. that is a good thing. schumer was feeling really pressured. [laughter] let me get off the stage by .aying, thank you to all of you congratulations to all of you who received awards. especially congratulations to ann for the lifetime achievement award. what a wonderful career. much -- i knowo it is not often that politicians get up and celebrate the press, but you really do have an important job to do. you are the reason why the freedom of the president and the first amendment. it helps keep us and the leaders accountable. it makes for a strong democracy. thank you for what you do. congratulations. let's have a great evening. thank you. [applause]

we are getting now, in a few minutes, the main source of our entertainment. first of this is the the dinners we will go to in the washington dinner season, special because it was founded have ane that women equal place in the newsroom, but also because a congressman has wanted to provide security for us this year. that is the first time it has happened. if you see michael, make sure you tell them thank you. seriously, thank you. but do not ask him follow-up questions. i cover the white house. and one of the stories that we have seen was the whitehou se.gov where americans are petitioning for the president to the poor just an bieber.

-- did the port justin bieber. deport justin bieber. "politico" just reported that, so there is no possibility that that is an exaggeration at all. [laughter] have you heard the good news for chris christie? he has been invited to sochi to advise the team. they think that he is so good it going downhill fast. of course, the scandal he has been dealing with have a lot of people wondering if he will run for president in 2016. as chris christie himself is saying, we will close down that bridge when we come to it.

[laughter] senator kay hagan is here tonight. we told her that president obama would not be. he wanted to be here. he really did. started to gethe dressed, bill o'reilly interrupted him. this isn't really a friendly town for the president, president obama, and not a family town for smokers in general. cvs will be-- banning tobacco. there's a group that is pushing for the stopping of e cigarettes in washington dc. if you want to smoke legally in this town, you are just going to have to light a joint. [laughter] we also have cory gardner here from colorado. he is in the audience. run.ust got back from a

so sorry about the broncos. it was rough. they started with a safety, interception, and a fumble. or as head coach kathleen sebelius said, i thought they did great. [laughter] and did you see the red hot chili peppers play the halftime , or play, i guess we should say, because we are learning today that they were pretending to play their guitars? apparently, it is big news when guys fake it. [laughter] conclusion. oh wait, i wasn't supposed to say that. fact, i would like you to please welcome congresswoman donna edwards. she will take up members of her own party to prevent them from

getting on base. she entered congress by defeating a democratic incumbent that she once worked for, so imagine what she will do if you do not laugh at her jokes. [applause] >> i think we are waiting for video. on " scandal." .> it is a secure line i wish you just be honest with me. >> i don't know how many other ways i can tell you this. i am not having an affair, not with anyone else. why do you keep calling me? >> so i should just back off. back off with who? my relationship with him is professional. even if i wanted to, there are not enough hours in the day to

do my job, spend time with you, and keep up with majoring in, and you think i have time for another affair? [laughter] fitz, i have never given you a reason not to trust me. [laughter] >> did you see it? >> it is not even mean. your paranoia is eating you alive. [phone rings] i need to take this. unit to get a grip on it. -- you need to get a grip on it. have a good night. we have been found out. there is a picture. that shortly did not pull anyone. we need to call me to do damage

control. stop sighing. it is such a turn off. [laughter] [applause] >> thank you so much. as you can tell, it is great to be here with you this evening. "u can see that i am a huge scandal" fan. i have the sultry voice this evening just for that. i don't get a lot of free time. i have been preparing for season three. it is so much fun to watch them though you and i both know that it is completely unrealistic. the fact is if you want to do a realistic view of washington these days, all you need are two props. you need a keyboard. and you need a champ who can ghazi,nghazi, and benghazi over and over and over

again. if you don't believe me, ask hillary? i'm glad to see all of my colleagues from the house this evening? . i'm surprised to see so many of my friends on the other side of the aisle. i did not realize that you guys had time to finish up the rebuttals from the state of the union to get prepared for this. kathy, did you finish yours? we get the privilege of being here with our friends, and our republican friends are here. said jim clyburn back there from the black caucus. i suffered from the progressive caucus. wanted to give a very special shout out this evening. help me, y'all. i want to give a shout out to

nancy pelosi and all of my sisters. holla. i really thought i saw jeff. is he here this evening? sugar, if you are out there, i will meet up after party. drinks, and i the don't want any pill packs. in congress, we try to put our differences aside for one night. we like to get dressed up and have a little fun. all of you all are dressed up. do you see my dress? take a look at it. thing ireally special got it at a maureen mcdonnell clothing swap. got my j.c. penney and i got her oscar deller and the. it looks good on me don't you think?

i realized that bernie williams went out wandering the streets handing out rolex watches and designer evening gowns. he was really trying to satisfy the neediest people in northern virginia. bet mitt romney 10,000 dollars on that particular deal. all seriousness, i want to get to the bottom of this. i am sure we will get to the bottom of the virginia scandal. i know that i saw chairman ice out there, because i think he is going to call a hearing in just about a day or two. congress is broken. i know it is pretty funny. i'm having fun. congress is broken. do you all agree with that?

it is a little bit broken. it needs to be fixed. have you see the numbers? i'm not talking another democrat members. i am talking about the republican numbers. you are at nine percent. had not been legalized in two states, you guys would be at zero right now. jeff knows this, because we've been really good friends, we have to put our differences aside. we have become together. we then all of the shenanigans. jeff, did you have a problem with that word " shenanigans" in a spelling bee. ? got it now? yeah. well, we do have to put our differences aside.

when they asked me to do this, i thought, well, i was a little bit nervous. and i was uncomfortable. and then i found out that it was against this guy, and i thought, if i can't improve my odds against a guy named flake. f-l-a-k-e. did you guys see that spelling bee? bee whenon a spelling i was in fifth grade. you are just really bad, aren't you? i really like jeff flake. he was a little worried we had this video. we traveled together to cuba. ofknows that i have pictures him. jeff likes to show himself from the waist up and water. jeff, i did not use those pictures this evening because we're like family. we are colleagues.

just like family, we get a little tired of each other. isn't that right, senator? we get a little tired of each other. it doesn't matter. there are times when we find time to work together. , i mean i say together in a commercial kind of way. laughter] right about midnight we do the negotiation dance. then we flirt with compromise. suddenly the entire room gets all fuzzy and it morphs into this creepy carnival kind of thing. and then, just when we are going is deal, we endl up in separate bathtubs.

jeff knows. i mean, i'm just talking about budgets. but we are family. and like family, we like to make a little time for fun. i decided recently, in the spirit of bipartisanship that i was going to travel to egypt with the conference. it included michele bachmann. and steve king. and my invisible friend, steak stop in -- steve. being on a reality show called the muslim big brotherhood. trust me, i was there. big brother" they created this really weird

confession room video for the people of egypt. have you all seen this? i mean, it was crazy. and then i thought, well, was a really crazy? or was it a covert operation to make us think the entire region was stable? to travel withun these folks because you learn a lot about people when you are away with them. the road trip really was a blast. egyptamily trips go, the adventure went on a little too long. that is my fault. if i had done even a little bit of research, i would have found that if you spend more than five days with members of the tea party caucus, pretty soon you develop the condition. stockmanown as

syndrome. have you heard of it? you can find it on webmd. syndrome, after you with steveal days stockman. jeff, there is nothing wrong with that. those are your people. but it was really bad for me. jeff and i have been fighting. we have been fighting really hard because when i developed stockman syndrome i wanted to do something about it. you guys are always complaining that we don't work across the aisle. we wanted to make sure that we would fight very hard for

stockman syndrome to be covered under obamacare. we wanted to make sure that every single american, that every american has access to free birth control. take that in. [mixed laughter] work with a just a little bit. on the same trip, and this was the longest trip in my entire life that i have ever taken, that tells you how clueless i was to take this trip. they thought it was foolish to take this trip. there i was with michele bachmann. i discovered that we had something in common. decided that we are both really big fans of " downton abbey." michelle loves it so much that she sent me a family portrait

she had made over christmas. take it in. these are the people i was with. it is a little odd. i did not really want to tell my girlfriend, michelle, and i'm looking at her there with that thing that she has on -- i didn't want to tell her that in this economy flaunting your wealth like that is a little bit tone deaf. but it is true that the kitchen " downton abbey" make more than most people do. she is showing it all off in this portrait she said to me. when i came here this evening, and i wasn't certain i wanted to be here with this voice i have going on, the one of the things that is really true about you, and i so much value the

foundation, is that we are here because of you, because of the role that you play in keeping us honest. i truly have come to value your truth seeking, your astute lyrical analysis, your amazing courage and your threatened by members of congress with dismemberment. i wanted to make a commitment to you. i notice the kind of promised that jeff is going to make, as well. that is that i will never answer all of your questions ever. pitch you will never over a balcony either. all of you very much for inviting me this evening. it has been a lot of fun. it has been really challenging. [applause] those are my friends clapping.

so mucho say thank you to the entire washington press club foundation for all that you do to elevate women and minorities and offer outstanding opportunities. it really speaks to the diversity of our great country. i want to thank you for including me. i want to thank you jeff flake for being a special republican friend. you really are. thank you to the team at revolution messaging. i could not have done this without them. thank you very much. [applause] as you already know, our next speaker went on another survivor trip on a deserted island this past year. it proves that, even members of congress, will take extraordinary members to get away from members of congress.

ladies and gentlemen, the senator. >> thank you. good to be here. great show. what a great event. ann, congratulations for this great award. it is wonderful to be here. that rand paul was butg to give her a bottle, then the organizers remember that most of you have access to wikipedia. i bet it encouraging that last jason from utah, which tells me that i might have found an audience who appreciates good mormon humor. i thought mitt romney might've killed your taste for it. are known for our

tireless outreach efforts. that is kind of how i view tonight. best of all, i am already inside. there is no door you can slam while i say, if i could just have a minute of your time. [laughter] it is nice to share this experience. it is comforting to see nancy pelosi here. when i was getting nervous, i went to nancy and said, what can i do? like wisdom of hers she said, embrace the foc lock. speaking of donna edwards -- no. no. that was not -- no.

i just hope that donna does not have higher political divisions as we all know that donna was a community organizer. and we all know that that background does not lead anywhere. what you may not know is that donna used to work for nasa. she wants proposed that we establish a national park on the moon. true story. i have to tell you that is a big mistake. during the next government just one more is part the republicans will get blamed for closing. i don't want to be part of it. i was a word about not being funny that i sent a note to a friend asking how i could be the only speaker tonight. create a traffic jam so that done i cannot get there. keep it real.

--chris christie. new yorkt see the " headline now, if this was obama, brilliant plan. i have no illusions that i am a big washington a lister, or any choice.first but if you view can look forward next month and to the correspondents dinner after that. for some of us prom season ends here tonight. this is all we have got. [laughter] speaking of the gridiron dinner, ted cruz is headlining that affair. i just hope the organizers have secured that room for 21 hours.

i wish ted well. with the filibuster references to dr. susan star wars, i cannot help but wonder if he has not used up all his comedic material. just to tell you little bit about myself, i was born in a town of snowflake, arizona. i know you're thinking. does it even snow there? occasionally. the name was taken for my ancestors who founded the town. talk about a sheltered childhood. i grew up not knowing that flake was a term of disparagement. nobody made fun of us there. it was a safe haven for flakes. true story. ella onceroduced to a f who knew somebody from snowflake. i said, was this guy a flake? he said, no, he seemed normal to

me. it has been downhill from there. my campaign slogan was, another flake for congress. sandra decided not to run for congress. i'm a bit upset. i was wanted there to be a fluk e/flake bill. i've stand from coffee, tea, tobacco, and gambling. that is my family out there, i think. the sober ones. [laughter] senator onceow that i was going to celebrate my birthday. he said, how? [laughter] my wife, who is here, my only --e

[applause] i have five children. among mormons that can be summed up in three words. " a good start." mormon families are so big that counting them is called a census. there are political parts of coming from a large mormon family. you've all heard the polls that said that popularity of members of congress is down to blood relatives. kids, 10 siblings, and 69 first cousins, i am going to ride that popularity wave for all that i can. let me tell you, growing up in northern arizona was not all fun and games. i grew up on a ranch. early on, i lost the end of my index finger. democrats of been trying to help out.

they have been giving me the finger for years. it is just the wrong one. prior to my election in the house, i ran the goldwater institute in arizona. our mission was to call republicans back, if only they will listen to ideas that once commanded majorities in seven of the 50 states. we did it once, and we can do it again. [laughter] frankly, i like my democratic colleagues. and i find a lot to admire in president obama. man with a vision to see things that others simply cannot, the evidence of economic , the benefits of losing 2.3 million jobs. the humility of john kerry. biden.ius of joe here, in the senate, as you

know, they lower the bar for just about everything. lotddenly feel a heck of a younger. i notice my hair looks fuller. i've gone from being a mediocre athlete to an all-star. my jokes are a lot funnier. i am kind of testing the premise tonight. but part of this was mentioned by senator thune. it was the most beautiful people. finestism had its empirical focus. pulitzer stuff. senator thune hit it just right. i know what my dominance means. scott brown has left town. the republican congress is equally deserving. terms were noted in special categories. aszabeth moran was singled

capitol hill's most read taking cherokee indian. [laughter] we are all thinking mitch mcconnell for keeping the washington beauty quotient exactly where it is. and for scaring people out of the senate race. thank you, mitch. good luck. the washington scene. who is up? who is down? it is also shallow, anyway. that is why, as you heard, when i was a member of the house, i set out on a lonely odyssey that you may have heard about. four week i lived in the marshall islands. coral, sand, and jungle, completely under -- uninhabited. even a court has not been able to register any democrats there.

let me just reiterate. this was not a metaphorical hike on the appalachian trail either. i did nottell you, appreciate the " huffington post" headline. " flake goes on vacation. catches crabs." was a way of escaping the igor be eaten atmosphere. eaten atmosphere. i asked one of the islanders how i could tell if the fish that i plan to spirit he would be poisonous. the answer was not very comforting, but it was eerily familiar. to padded might have to find out what is in it.

pass it to find out what is in it. [laughter] like i said, not very comforting. before i return, i made the mistake of releasing a photo. i will not be doing that again. believe me. each time i do, my twitter feed named up, and some guy carlos danger gets royalties. [laughter] washington, back in the junior senator from arizona, just one step away from my lifelong dream to be senior senator from arizona. there's just one guy left in my way. [laughter] i've been trying to find out how to give him, you know, the gentle push.

put the old maverick out to pasture. how do you cut loose a louisiana and? cannon. john is not one to take can't. i decided to -- hints. i decided to raise the retirement issue directly. i gave him a dose of history talk. it was right between the geriatric -- and the nap room. just to help you get your bearings, that is beyond the counter with the essentials, bslumns soaking -- com soaking, fixadent.

i told them, look my friend, we can do this the hard way or the easy way. suddenly, i got the feeling he had heard those words before long ago. something told me to back off a little. i asked senator mccain if he would consider removing his name from my throat. [laughter] i guess i will have to accept my lot in life. there are, after all, worse things than being a junior senator with a six-year membership in the most exclusive club in the world, where you get to associate with firms like donna edwards, where you get to play even a minor role in the best new government ever somehowhed, one that withstands the daily foibles of the men and the women who serve in it. i appreciate the good work of those assembled here, including those like ann compton who keep

this town were honest than it would otherwise be. it is been a pleasure being with all. -- you all. [applause] least a ground for the after dinner reception sponsored by the hill. and have a good night. [applause]

>> the senate begins work on a mill -- bill dealing with military pensions. a one percente adjustment to the cost of living. that was part of the budget agreement. you can watch the house and senate on c-span1 and c-span2. >> on the next washington journal, we will talk to the president of the league of conservation voters. then former goal or -- governor us to talk about threats to security. and with janet yellen taking over as the head of the fed, we upcoming some of the decisions. with the torilla mcgrane. , a reporter for

the washington journal. >> the chair of the fed, is scheduled to appear before congress several times this week to testify about monetary policy. we will have live coverage on c-span three of her herbs -- first hearing. that starts at 10:00 eastern. we will have it live on c-span three. donovan says freddie mac of -- the government backing home loans is unsustainable. originate loans but they do buy them from lenders to increase the amount of money. conference hosted

by the national association of hispanic real estate professionals. he spoke for about 25 minutes. >> thank you so much for an incredibly generous introduction. in particular, i want to say thank you for your tribute to ernie. i know i am joined by all of you here. outgoing president juan martinez, all the great contributions he has made.

[applause] all the board of directors and, in particular, gary acosta who has just given remarkable service over so many years. i know all of us join you in remembering the great life and the great work of ernie reyes. i was deeply saddened to learn of his passing over the weekend and i first want to send my best wishes to his family. i also want to make sure that we not only remember with sadness today his life, but the enormous vision that he brought, the indelible mark that he made on his community and on an entire industry. we were talking with my team over the weekend about him and

one of his great sayings i was reminded of was that he said, "ideas are great, but they don't mean a darn thing without some action behind them." in other words, it is one thing to talk about progress, it's another thing to fight for it. throughout his life, ernie reyes fought for progress. he fought to highlight issues too often overlooked. he fought to expand opportunity for those too often denied it. i am proud to be with you today to say two simple words -- thank you. thank you, ernie, for your work. it will be long remembered. [applause] i pledge, all of us in the

administration pledge to continue the fight for fairness and opportunity because our nation is at its best when everyone has a fair shot. president obama once said, "whether our ancestors arrived on the mayflower, signed in at ellis island, or crossed the rio grande, their diversity has not only enriched our country, it helped build the greatest economic engine the world has ever known." the members of nahrep embody this spirit. in doing so, you have not only strengthened the hispanic community, you have strengthened our entire nation. i thank you for this work, thank ernie for his work, and tell you how much i appreciate the chance to be with you today. let's remember what brings us together is that fundamental

value that housing plays in our nation. homes are the foundation of our lives. they are where we raise our families. homes are at the center of healthy and thriving communities. we all know that owning a home is what helps families build wealth, start businesses, put their kids through college, and save for a decent retirement. that is why we have to ensure our housing market is healthy and provides opportunity to all responsible families. this work has not been easy in recent times. just a few years ago, our nation endured a once-in-a-lifetime crisis that devastated americans across the nation. when president obama took office in 2009, the housing market was literally in freefall. home prices had fallen nearly 20% from the year before -- the largest one-year drop ever measured. both new and existing home sales were near all-time lows.

3 million borrowers were seriously delinquent. i could go on with the statistics, but i don't have to because all of you saw this pain up close. the thing that perhaps more than anything else though that you saw that the statistics bear out is that from 2005 to 2009, the household wealth of the median hispanic family dropped by two thirds. think about that -- two thirds of hispanic wealth wiped out in just four years before president obama stepped into the oval office. you all know these numbers represent more than just figures on a spreadsheet.

they represent people's dreams turning into nightmares. it was clear to the president and to me that when we took office we needed to address this crisis head on, both for the hispanic community and for our nation's future. that is why we have helped about 8 million responsible families modify their mortgages. that is why we have put $7 billion to work helping rebuild foreclosed and abandoned properties in all 50 states to our neighborhood stabilization program. that is why hud-approved housing counselors have helped 9.5 million families get through these difficult times. as a result of these and other efforts, all of your efforts, the market is healing. from the beginning of 2012 to the third quarter of last year, the number of underwater borrowers fell by nearly half, lifting 5.7 million families above water. during that same time, homeowners have seen $3.4 trillion in home equity restored.

existing home sales in 2013 were the strongest they have been in seven years. bottom line -- progress is occurring across the country. you all can be proud of the work you have done to help that progress happen. we also know, all of us here today, there is still so much work to do. access to credit for responsible families is still too limited. underwater borrowers are still too common. too many families are still struggling. that is why the administration is committed to accelerating the housing market recovery in a number of ways. specifically, we are working to empower families with the tools they need to become homebuyers, ensure that these families can access credit when they are ready to buy and lastly, build a rocksolid housing finance system for the future by getting reform done. let me talk a little bit about the work we are doing to help

families strengthen their financial positions. at the heart of this effort is working with the private sector to create more jobs. the good news is that our economy has experienced 46 consecutive months of private sector job growth. that is over 8 million new jobs. as the president said in his state of the union address, he is determined to build on this progress by making 2014 a year of action. specifically, he put forth a series of concrete proposals to be taken both with and without congress to strengthen the middle class and to build ladders of opportunity for those trying to get into the middle class. he did not waste any time. he announced that he was raising the minimum wage for federal contract workers. he is enhancing training programs to help americans get