the speaker pro tempore: on this vote, the yeas are 393, the nays are one. 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the resolution is agreed to, without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. without objection, the title amended.

for what purpose does the gentlewoman from west virginia seek recognition? mrs. capito: i ask unanimous consent that on the engrossment of h.r. 3370 the clerk be authorized to make the corrections now at the desk. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the corrections. the clerk: on page 4, line six, , and on page 6, line rks strike implementation. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i send to the desk a privilege red port for the committee on rules for filing under the rule. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title. the clerk:ry port to accompany house resolution 497, resolution providing for consideration of

the bill h.r. 3426 to provide direction to the administrator of the environmental protection gency of standards for emissions by electricity generating units and for providing for kgs of the bill to amen the internal revenue code of 1986 to dily -- delay the implementation of the penalty for failure to comply with the individual health insurance mandate. the speaker pro tempore: referred to the house calendar and ordered printed.

he house will be in order. the chair lays before the house the following personal requests. the clerk: leave of absence requested for mr. gene green of texas for today and the balance of the week, ms. jackson lee of texas for march 4, ms. eddie bernice johnson of texas for today and tomorrow. the speaker pro tempore: without objection the requests are granted.

the house will be in order. members please remove your conversations to the back of the room or outside. the house will be in order. the chair will now recognize one-minute speeches. the gentleman from pennsylvania, for what purpose does the gentleman rise? >> i request unanimous consent to address the house for one minute & revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. the gentleman is correct, the ouse will be in order.

members are asked to remove their conversations from the floor. the gentleman is recognized. >> mr. speaker, i rise today as an original co-sponsor of h.r. 3370, the homeowner flood insurance affordability act of 2014. over the past decade the

national flood insurance program has bordered on insolvency and today is over $24 billion in debt. mr. thompson: congress in 2012 passed the biggert-waters act which created much-needed reforms to the program which were to create solsen vi. the law mandated that they perform a study before moving to the newly weighted system which they failed to do and led to flood insurance increases. there are those who think we should do nothing and let government mismanagement ruin the economic health of our communities. we cannot run away from pressing challenges. to the contrary, we must correct this policy failure in a way that strikes a balanced solution without adding one dime to the federal deficit. h.r. 3370 enables congress to develop a long-term solution that protects local economies and holds government accountable. i yield back the balance of my time.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentlelady from maine seek recognition? >> to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentlelady is recognized for one minute. ms. pin grow: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i want to talk for two girls from maine. they both celebrated their eighth birthdays last month and are in second grade. ms. pingree: since their presents are just days apart they decided to have a joint birthday present. instead of presents, they asked for people to bring the most needed items from the food pantry. there was never a suggestion from a parent or teacher to do this, they planned it all themselves. i agree with their teach whore said, these two girls have some of the biggest hearts she's ever

seen. their compassion and generosity is inspiring and i want to recognize and thank these two emerging leaders from maine, gabbie and alice, for recognizes not only that no one in their community should go hungry but also that they have the power to effect change. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, on march 2, 1836, 178 years ago, the republic of texas was born with the signing of the texas declaration of independence. mr. olson: the last paragraph of hat sacred document reads, we,

therefore, the delegates with the pows of the people of texas in solemn convention assembled, appealing to a candid world for the necessities of our condition do hereby resolve and declare that our political connection with the mexican nation has forever ended and that the people of texas do now constitute a free, sovereign, and independent republic and are fully vested to follow -- with all the rights and attributes which properly belong to independent nations and conscious of the rectitude of our intentions, we fearlessly and confidently commit to the issue of the decision of the supreme arbiter of the destinies of nations. may god always bless and never forget the republic of texas.

i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition? > i ask unanimous consent to without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. tonko: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i rise today to congratulate schenectady green market on their five-year anniversary. in the half kecked since they opened their doors to the capital region of new york, they have worked to prove that our economy and nutrition benefit when we eat local and buy local. the green market continues to find ways to bolster public health, by providing farm to table meals to our friends and neighbors in the capital region and most recently partnering with m.v.p. health care to build a healthier, nor nutrition-focused community. i had the privilege of attending their five-year anniversary last subbed and was pleased to see, again, firsthand the good work and services this nonprofit

organization provides our area. i applaud the many farmers, producers, vendors, certainly musicians and volunteers and staff who make the green market success. -- successful. again, i congratulate the green market on their anniversary and i look forward to celebrating many more milestones to come. with that, mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from michigan seek recognition? >> i rise to request permission to address the house for one minute, revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, tonight the house passed legislation addressing an issue that's near and dear to my heart and very important to michigan, involving the sleeping bear dunes national park. for years there's been a back and forth between the communities voundsing sleeping bear dunes and the national park service over the best way to make sure that this pristine treasure is accessible and protected to the public. i have personally been involved

in this process for over a decade and i am glad to see my friend and colleague who now represents the area pick up the legislative torch that my predecessor and i, as we introduced bills, to protect the sleeping bear dunes, and dan has finally been able to take it across the finishline. mr. huizenga: this solution ensures that beaches will remain open, public roads can be improved, hunting and fishing will continue to be allowed and private property rights are actually protected. tonight's legislative achievement would not be possible without the hard work and tireless efforts of local citizens, local business owners and local advocacy groups such as the coalition for access to the lake shore. i look forward to president obama signing this much-needed piece of legislation and the benefits that there will be for the visitors to the park, the local residents and small businesses throughout northern michigan. most importantly, let's see sleeping bear dunes preserved for generations to come. with that i yield back.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentlelady from wyoming seek recognition? without objection, the gentlelady is recognized. mrs. lummis: thank you, mr. speaker. later this month in the state of wyoming a coal-fired power unit is going to shut down production for the very last time. this is going to happen 10 years before its useful life has diminished. this is happening because of federal regulations. this is inexpensive, abundant coal-fired power which serves the people of this country. being cut down 10 years before the useful life of this plant is spent. this is a travesty of federal regulation, which will cost the american people more than it should for their other power. you're going to be hearing more -- for their own power. you're going to be hearing more

about this later this month from me, mr. speaker. this is not the last word. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back the balance of her time. for what purpose does the gentleman from georgia seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. kingston: thank you very much, mr. speaker. in georgia 352,000 jobs are related to the port of savannah. it is a major export facility, exporting 62% of the goods that go through there. we'd have even more jobs if we deepened the savannah river from 42 to 47 feet. in fact. the payoff cost-benefit analysis is $1 spent and a $5.50 return. yet after 14 years and $41 million worth of study, congress, the bureaucracy, just barely has said, let's go forward. congress in january signaled that we'd had enough, cut the

red tape, get the project moving, and classify -- classified it as a project under construction. the president and vice president have repeatedly said they support the project, yet to my shock and those of us in congress, in their budget, which just has come out, they have not funded this important job creating project. i do not understand it. i am astounded by an administration who claims to say this is the year of action, why would they not move forward on deepening the savannah river? 352,000 jobs are related to. this cost benefit of $1 to $ 5.50 and yet the administration continues to dither. thank you, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from illinois seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman will be recognized for one minute.

>> mr. speaker, i rise today in strong support of the nuclear energy sector, not only do nuclear power plants provide affordable, reliable and clean energy, they also provide many quality high-paying jobs and are the backbone of many communities. my district is shome to a nuclear plant -- is home to a nuclear plant that employs near 700 people. nuclear energy is a secure energy source that plays a vital role in a responsible, all-of-the-above energy policy. mr. davis: it is the biggest provider of reliable, efficient, clean energy and it provides on-demand energy 24/7. the recent record cold temperatures in the midwest show the importance of energy diversification. many of my constituents saw steep increases in their electric bill. while pipes froze and transportation became difficult because of iced roads and bridges, nuclear power remained consistent. i worry that things could have become worse if nuclear power wasn't able to fill the gaps

where needed. this is why i stand here today in support of nuclear energy and all of my constituents and the hardworking taxpayers of clinton and central illinois. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. under the speaker's announced policy of january 3, 2013, the gentleman from california, mr. garamendi, is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader. mr. garamendi: mr. speaker, thank you very much for this opportunity to delve into what is a major piece of our work here in washington, and that is the budget. and the appropriation process. today's one of those very, very important days in the process of government.

today the president delivered to congress his proposed budget . it's required by the constitution. george washington did it and every president since that time has done it every year. and today we have president obama's budget before us. and i want to spend a few moments on that budget, together with my friend from new york, mr. paul tonko, in our east-west show. we have california and new york here. i'd like to start off by kind of framing my own work and how i really think we need to approach what we do here. this is from franklin delano roosevelt, during the great depression. and he laid out this test. it's on the roosevelt memorial here, it's etched into the granite stone there. and it's this. the test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much, it is whether we provide enough for those who have too

little. it's how i like to frame the issues. and i think we can frame the president's budget that way. and also this way. those of you that have seen us here on the floor, mr. tonko and myself, we often and usually talk about this issue of making it in america, rebuilding the great american middle class by rebuilding the manufacturing sector of america. 20 years ago, actually 24 years ago, it was about 20 million, 19-plus million americans were in that manufacturing sector. they were making everything from wine to automobiles and jet planes and even computers. and then we lost it. maybe 11 million right now. we're beginning to see the rebuilding of the manufacturing base and along with that we'll see the american middle class

rise up once again and be able to support their families. be able to take care of those things like food and shelter and education. and these are the seven ways that we talk about this. the president's budget picks up many of these and i want to just focus on some of them tonight. my friend, mr. tonko, will pick up the energy piece. but in the president's budget there are these key sectors, tax policy, education, research, infrastructure. let's start at the bottom and work to the top. the president's proposed a $305 billion, four-year transportation program for the united states. anybody that's driven today or east e west coast coast knows we have gridlock, we have transportation problems of all kinds. so the president comes forward with this major initiative, really a significant increase

in what we have done in the past. he wants to focus it first on repairing what we already have. the pot holes, the bridges that have fallen down, and others that might. saying, let's get do that. and then he goes about building the more modern transportation systems that we need, expanding our highway program, but also the rail systems, the inner city rail, the intercity rails nd the street cars and other kinds of mass transportation systems. very, very important. and he proposes how we pay for it. he says, we ought not give the oil companies a -- the big four -- a $5 billion annual tax break, literally giving them our money at the gas pump. but also giving them our tax money in unnecessary subsidies. e has other proposals in his -- in this part of the budget

so that this would be fully paid for. that's the infrastructure piece . one of our colleagues here op the floor just a few moments ago -- on the floor just a few moments ago was talking about deepening the savannah river port. yes, we ought to do that and the other ports. we know panama canal's going to be widen and when it's widened we're going to have larger ships, deeper draft, we need to deepen our ports. that's an infrastructure project and the president's budget directly focuses on that. why is this important for individuals? because these are jobs. these are american jobs. in construction. and if we couple it with one more thing that i've proposed and that is that these taxpayer programs buy american-made equipment. so that the steal -- steel for the bridges, concrete, so that the trains, so that the other things that will be part of this infrastructure, the pumps and all that goes with

rebuilding the levees and the san station systems and the water -- sanitation systems and the water systems, that they be american-made equipment and supplies. in doing that, we not only put people to work on the infrastructure projects, but we once again make it in america and we rebuild the american manufacturing. i'd like now to turn to my colleague, mr. tonko, who wants to pick up a special piece of this, the energy piece, in the president's budget. mr. tonko: thank you, representative garamendi, and thank you for introducing on this house floor some of the concepts that have been presented by the president in his budget presentation to congress. and certainly i've waited with great anticipation as to what the energy portion of this budget might look like. why? because i think it's a cornerstone, energy policy, energy resources are those cornerstones of rebuilding our american economy. to grow the economy and to strengthen the prospects out there for job creation in the

private sector, by creating that partnership, public-private partnership where private sector will grow those jobs. also i'm curious because of my past roles as energy chair, the energy committee chair in the new york state assembly, and also my leadership at the new york state energy research and development authority, prior to my coming to congress. and now sitting on energy and commerce, as a committee assignment, i have great, great interest in where the president wants to take us on the energy issues. and i'm very favorably impressed by some of the down payments that he wants to make. certainly with the $2.3 billion that he's offering for the department of energy and the office of energy efficiency and renewable energy. that effort i think is going to launch us into a new series of innovation that allows for job creation and the reduced cost to electricity and certainly a -- drawing us down on this

dependency on fossil-based fuels as the cornerstone of our energy economy. and so i think that this effort will within eere, the energy efficiency and renewal energy office, provide for that growing effort to promote energy efficiency. that ought to be our fuel of choice. this investment allows us to accept that notion and then also working on efforts that will enable us to strengthen the source of efforts out there that are required for promoting renewable energy, no fuel costs with the sun, the wind, the soil, the water that is part of our environment, utilizing that in a way that generates an electricity and does it in a benign way, is a very strong cornerstone advanced by the president in this effort. also the $4. 2 billion he brings forth to provide for innovation and create new outcomes for

energy purposes, not only with efficiency and generation but the transmission of that energy supply and looking at efforts to expand and make permanent the production tax credits that are so important for renewable energy in this country. so those are two good, very valuable investments. let me then just highlight a few others that i believe will be a progress i outcome if we are to accept this notion here in congress. one would be to address the clean energy research program and the president does that with a major down payment for clean energy research, he also addresses the advanced research project agency in the energy capacity, acronymed out at arpa-e. it commits a very laser sharp focus on research as it relates to innovation in the energy sector. will all those outcomes be successful?

perhaps not. in fact, the character, the quality of research is that failure can be the down payment to success. so where the failure will be realized we'll retest, we'll recommit our energies to fine tune and come forth with a success -- with the success stories that are required. arpa-e in its short five years has proven a valuable investment in energy innovation. the president makes a major investment in his budget with arpa-e. i was just with over 2,000 representatives from the arpa-e network who came to washington to discuss the future of the program, i'm impressed with the leadership of the program in arpa-e and the president recognizes that by making commitments in his budget and finally, if i might, representative garamendi, i talk about the advanced fuels agenda where $700 million will be invested in the transportation sector so we have advanced fuels

where we can again wean us off this gluttonous dependency on fossil based fuels. these are very promising investments suggested by the president and the administration. those that will take us into a cutting edge, new millennium sort of thinking that enables taos continue with that pioneer spirit in this country that's always guided us and lifted us out of tough economic times so i'm encouraged by these commitments and look forward to the budget work we need to do in the house of representatives and working with our partners in the united states senate, i think the president has set a good tone, ushered in good thinking and he's looking at a new wave of energy concepts that will guide this nation in job production and sound energy policy and a benign outcome for our environmental resources as stewards of the environment, i think that's important for all of us. i thank you for leading this discussion this evening and i'm ims preed with the energy portion. thank you, representative

garamendi. mr. garamendi: thank you very much, mr. tonko and thank you for your service in the area of energy and moving this entire program forward. i think there's another way and another very, very important piece of this and that is that the climate is changing. the climate is changing. we know that the greenhouse gases have passed the 400 mark, which was thought to be the point of no return. hopefully that is not the case but we do know that in the president's budget, he goes after this issue of climate change with the kind of programs that you talked about, about the programs of energy, renewable energy, supporting it, putting -- making permanent the energy tax credits for renewables, very, very important in my district. i have a major wind farm that starts and stops depending on whether the production tax credit is renewed here in congress. right now, it's stopping. and that's a major part of the potential energy that we need.

the president talks about all of the above strategy and yes we ought to do that one of those strategies is the natural gas strategy, now replacing coal in our power plants and when properly managed that is, methane doesn't leak, it's clear we'll reduce our groan house gas emissions by that strategy. many, many different pieces to this. you spoke so well to it. i want to pick up a couple others verying very quickly. as part of the make in it america, the president proposes that we create more advanced manufacturing hubs. these are innovation hubs, there are several in the united states, he wants to put more of these out there. they've coupled the research with the manufacturing and that allows for the advancement here. he also does one thing that is very important in this and that is the education and re-education of our workers and our students. i was at a -- an extraordinary

manufacturing facility in ewe ba city other the weekend and they make bearings, not talking about little ball bearings you find in small appliances and like, we're talking about bearings that are huge. they weigh several tons. they are the bearings on a shaft in a hydroelectric plant, maybe two, three feet in diameter. i had no idea this existed there. and the one thing they wanted me to know was that they cannot find skilled machinists that are able and capable of doing that work. in the president's budget he has a major program to train and retrain the workers of tomorrow. men and women that will do not only the computer work but also men and women that are capable of becoming the machinists of tomorrow so that we are able to -- in america, produce these very extraordinarily important, unique, pieces of equipment like the shafts, the turbines and in

this case the bearings that are so important to make those things work. so there's this whole complex, in the president's budget, education, early childhood education, going after climate change with energy, going after infrastructure as we talked about earlier. there are many more pieces of this puzzle and as we come back in the future, i want us to pick up each individual piece, talk to the american public about what is in the president's budget and hopefully persuade our republican colleagues to go along with this pro-growth, deficit reduction budget that the president has proposed. i think with that, i'll turn it over to you and if you have any more comments, we'll call it a night. mr. tonko: thank you, representative garamendi. in closing, i would state that three very important underpinnings to a modern economy, a transitioning economy, one that drives innovation, would be the investments in research, the

investments in infrastructure, the investment in education. and we begin to see that in this budget. i think the efforts here are a good challenge and a charge to this congress to respond accordingly. that will lift us into a cutting edge thinking that enables us to compete effectively in what is a worldwide race as it relates to clean energy innovation and high tech. we need these investments in order to be strong. we won the global race on space back in the 1960's because we committed to winning that race. that was just against another nation. russia. now there are dozens of nations competing to be the kingpin of the international economy, the president rightfully sees that as the opportunity for this nation to invest accordingly so we can move forward and again with his efforts with advanced manufacturing, with the mmi, the manufacturing initiative,

there's great promise there. that gives you very sharp focus on specific needs of manufacturing, developing those sources of intellect, human infrastructure, work forest development that will give us cutting edge technology. i strongly support the nnmi initiative in the budget that the president had introduced last year. i think it shows us to be in an advanced sort of thinking and giving manufacturing a shot in the arm. our best days in manufacturing lie ahead. we need to invest so as to make that possible and this budget does that. so thank you very much and i look fwrd to many more discussions on the budget as we go fword in the ensuing weaks. >> thank you for being such a letter on these issues. as i was about to turn around to the speaker and sign off, i realized i'd left off a major piece of the infrastructure. we have a major drought in california. and we know -- mr. garamendi: and we know that for california to address this issue in the future, we're going

to have to prepare by building reservoir capacity and, well, i'm not oz -- and while i'm not supposed to speak directly to anybody on the floor but we are going to be putting forth a series of bills to build reservoirs in california. that's another critical piece of the infrastructure, maybe the pipes, maybe the plumbing, maybe the sanitation system, but we desperately need to store water in california, not only in surface storage but to store the water in the underground aquifers. if we do that, then the droughts that will come occasionally to california as they have in the past, we'll be prepeared to deal with them because we have set aside the water that we needed. somebody asked me about this is a few days ago and said, why do we need to do that? won't people just consume it? and i said, not if they listen and read the exodus in the bible. it's there. seven years of good, seven years of bad, you better put it aside

in the seven years of good. that's what we intend to do. we'll be introducing legislation later this week on building one of the major reservoirs in california. with that, mr. speaker, i look to you and say, i yield back my time. look forward to working with you on these projects. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? the chair will now recognize for a motion to adjourn. mr. garamendi: if i knew i had more time, mr. speaker, but i move to adjourn. the speaker pro tempore: the question is on the motion to adjourn. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it. the motion is adopted. accordingly the house stands adjourned until

>> all right. hello, everyone, including those watching on v-net. we are here to roll out the

budget. we have a couple of speakers and there will be a background call at 2:00 p.m. starting shortly after this to answer all your questions. with that, i turn it over to deputy secretary of state heather highen bot tom. -- higginbotham. >> thank you. i'm going to take a few minutes to make some remarks about the agency for ment and development. secretary -- if secretary kerry were to develop this budget request, one fact was front and center. nation's % of the budget, america's defense has never been more vital to our economic prosperity or global leadership. whether in the mideast, ukraine, europe or our own hemisphere, diplomacy is needed now more

than ever. investments in diplomacy and development are returned to us in security and jobs. this budget funds the work that is required to sustain long-term investment while regular recognizing the fiscal constraints we face as a nation. details are online, i'll just hit a few highlights here. the overall request is $46.2 billion. the base budget of $40.3 billion is consistent with the f.y. 2014 level this will enable us to carry out our global, dip lo -- ur global diplomatic and other missions, honor our commitments o allies and partners, keep up wur opiece keap -- peacekeeping activities and respond to crises such as the typhoon in the fill

peeps. it funds key programs in iraq and afghanistan and helps sustain hard-fought gains in afghanistan. the budget also enables us to respond to the ongoing humanitarian and refugee crisis in syria and its neighbors as well as unanticipated peacekeeping missions. it also allows for funding of edgestroirdnary activities that are critical to our efforts. to carry out these diverse critical missions we have to continue to invest in the diplomat and development experts who make all this work possible this ensures that we have the resources and tools to do that and deliver effective results for the american people. of course we also have an important obligation to protect our people. are investing $4 hadn't 6 billion sustain security enhancements made to new threats and recommendations made of past independent accountability review boards. at its heart this budget is

designed to protect america's national security. it supports our crucial engagement in the mideast, including our partnerships with key allies like israel and jordan and maintains robust support for partners in egypt, tunisia and lebanon. it includes $5.1 billion for programs in iraq, afghanistan, and pakistan, a reduction from prior years and part of our effort to right size our engagement. we have significantly increased funding for programs in the vital asia pacific region to $1.4 billion, up 8% since f.y. 2013 and that directly supports the president's decision to rebalance to this rejob of growing political and economic importance. the budget request of $4.8 billion to continue engagement with the united nations and other key multinational organizations such as unicef and the international atomic energy

agency. to connect directly to the people of the world the budget requests $1.1 billion for public diplomacy and citizen exchanges, dramatically increasing the deadth and reach of america in the world, laying a strong foundation of values and forging linkages that go beyond daily headlines. as raj will talk about in a moment, this budget allows us to continue fighting challenges that know no borders like disease, hunger, pofferity and climate change. these investments are not only the right thing to do but also the smartest way to promote stability and global prosperity. the administration's commitment to global health remains strong. our $ billion request will help put an end to childhood and maternal death and will sustain strategic investments in

activities that keep us on the path to an aids-free generation. as the president announced we intend to maximize the impact of pepfar by joining with other international partners to joint h.i.v. treatment goals. our contribution will continue to expand multilateral engagement and support president obama's commitment to provide $1 for every $2 pledged by other donors for replenishment ott fund. this budget also makes the investments necessary to safeguard the single biggest inheritance we will leave our children and grandchildren, the environment. million for the global exchange initiative, including nearly $200 million for the support program. as secretary kerry said, there's no longer anything sforn about foreign policy. the decisions we make today, the decisions we made in crafting in budget have a profound impact on

the lives of americans every day. our prosperity, security and values all depend on the work of dedicated diplomats and experts serving america overseas. this budget gives them the resources they need to do their job. with that, i'll turn it over to raj. >> thank you. good morning and thank you, heather. from president obama to secretary kerry to republicans and democrats in congress, we are fortunate to have had an exceptional set of leaders on both sides of the aisle who understand the importance of development to our nation's security and prosperity. by partnering with other countries to end extreme poverty and promote resilient democratic societies, we help transform developing countries into stable and prosperous nations. we open new marks for american businesses, prevent conflict and extremism from reaching our shores and help our young people build skills in science and technology, all for less than 1%

of the overall federal budget. this year's president's budget request includes $20.1 billion that the u.s.a. manages or partly manages. these critical resources allow us to advance our nation's global interests will responding to pressing national security priorities from the mideast to afghanistan to south sudan. this afternoon, i want to discuss how we are meeting these challenges through a new model of development reflected in this budget. by leveraging public and private partnerships an harnessing innovation, we're able to deliver better and more focused results. we've made tough decisions to focus our resources where we'll have the greatest impact, reducing our total number of program areas by 29% since 2010. today, all of our major programs are independently evaluated and those evaluations are available right now on an iphone app. and we have placed a new

emphasis on build logue call capacity so we can, over time, work ourselves out of a job. four years ago, just 8% of the usaid's resources were this model ofough leveraged changes. today it's bf 30 -- above 40% and we hope to increase that over time. above all this budget supports the president's commitment to global health and increased access to energy. by increasing the funds in the global health and child survival accounts, we will keep up the moment up that cut the number of children diing from malaria in half and given millions of children the nutrition they need to survive. this is a critical moment in our fight and we cannot afford to step back. that's why in this budget request, more than $1 billion is devoted to feed the future,

president obama's global food security initiative. this past year, these investments helped improve nutrition for more than 12 million children and helped more than seven million farmers transform their families' income and livelihood. this year's budget request builds on these results with a new and integrated approach to nutrition that will reduce child stunt, often known as hidden hunger, by 20% and change the lives of two million children in target partner countries. tackling one of the leading causes of child death that also undermines country and global growth. this budget maintains our nation's tremendous leadership in humanitarian response with $4.8 billion in state and usaid funding for humanitarian activities. in the last year, we have responded to an uns prekented number of crises around the world from the philippines to syria and today we face three

category three level emergencies simultaneously, a tremendous burden by historic standards. thanks to strong bipartisan support, we now have important food aid reforms that will allow us to reach an additional 800,000 hungry children every year with the same level of resources in our humanitarian programs. the need for this flexibility grows more urgent every day as crises deepen from syria to the central african republic to south sudan. that's why this budget calls for the flexibility to use up to 25% of the food for peace program resources for lifesaving efforts including vouchers and local purchase of food in order to reach two million additional children in humanitarian need at no adegreesal cost. in this budget, $8.05 billion in

usaid and pepfar funding for global health is committed to eliminating and realizing goals that once seemed unimaginable, ending preventable maternal and child death and ending the transmission of h.i.v.-aids -- of hiv-aids from others -- mothers to their infant children. to prioritize those geels wore prioritizing the countries that represent the most child death in the world while focusing on concrete targets to expand aids treatment where it's most critically needed. we're advancing the president's commitment to africa, specifically allocating nearly $115 million in this budget to specific initiatives including trade and power africa which the president launched this summer during his visit to that continent. by securing partnerships with multinational companies and local entrepreneurs, these resources as part of power africa will bring affordable, clean energy to 20 million homes

in the markets of the future. with our modest investment, we are already leveraging billions of $s in private sector commitments. we know we cannot prevent typhoons or droughts from happening but we can work harder to make sure the consequences of those climate disasters don't devastate as many families and communities. that's the goal behind a new emphasis on resilience that will help us use our resources in this budget to protect communities from future natural disasters. with $348.5 million from president obama's global climate change initiative, usaid will work to both protect and manage the environment that supports us through our resilience programs. today we're applying this new model of work across all of our work, from promoting democratic governance to sustaining our gains in frontline states, to improving the quality of education, especially for girls and children who hi in crisis.

that's why we've dedicated more than $150 million in central funding in this budget for science, technology, and innovation and partnership initiative. by collaborating with the world's brightest minds and company well, can develop and scale new scientific breakthroughs like climate resiliencies and mobile banking efforts that's that bend the curve of progress and give us capacity to achieve our goals at lower costs in the long run. fenally and most importantly, this budget invests in the most important aspect of our work, our own staff. with $1.4 billion in usaid operating expense, we will fund our core operations at their current level a request that represents just 8% of our total programmatic resources. as our responsibilities have grown over the last decade this particular investment in upgrading our capabilities, training, and protecting our

staff and programs and having the infrastructure to report and measure results effectively has proven esen torble maintaining and taking forward our mission. failing to invest in our people and capabilities today will cost us far more in the future. so this is an important moment, with new tools and a global community of dworse partners, we can evad wait -- eradicate extreme poverty in the next two generations, energizing the global economy and representing the best of our values around the world. the investments in the president's budget enable us to seize this moment and serve the interests of the american people by being smart, effective, and efficient in how we do our work today. thank you. >> coming up tonight on c-span, president obama releases his 2015 budget request. senate minority leader mitch mcconnel responds to the plan. and a look at the situation in

ukraine with the news conference with russian president vladimir putin followed by remarks on the senate floor from john mccain and jeff sessions. president obama released his 2015 budget request tuesday morning, it increases tax credits for the working poor and expands early childhood education. the president also commented on russia's intervention in ukraine. this is about 15 minutes. >> good morning. i am here at powell elementary school, i just had a chance to see some of the outstanding students here. i thought it was an appropriate thing for me to say a few words about the budget that i sent to congress this morning because obviously the budget is not just about numbers, it's about our values. an it's about our future and how well we are laying the groundwork for those young children that i was with just a few moments ago to be able to

succeed here in america. these kids may not be the most excited people in town on budget day, but it is designed with their generation and future generations in mind. in my state of the union address, i laid out an agenda to restore opportunity for all people, to uphold the principle that no matter who you are, no matter where you started, you can make it if you try, here in america. this opportunity agenda is built on four parts. more good jobs and good wages, taking sure we are training workers with the skills they need to get those good jobs. guaranteeing every child access to a world-class education. and making sure that our economy is one in which hard work is rewarded. the budget i sent congress this morning lays out how we will implement this agenda in a balanced and responsible way.

it is a roadmap for creating jobs, good wages, and expanding opportunity for americans. at a time when our deficit has been cut in half, it enables us to meet our obligations to future generations without a mountain of debt. this adheres to the spending principles members of both houses and both parties agreed to. it also builds on that progress with what we are calling an opportunity, growth, and security initiative, that invests in our economic priorities in a smart way that is fully paid for by making smart spending cuts and closing tax loopholes that right now only benefit the well-off and well-connected. i will give you an example. right now our tax system provides benefits to wealthy individuals who save, even after they have amassed multimillion dollar retirement accounts. by closing that loophole, we can help create jobs and grow the economy, and expand opportunity without adding a dime to the deficit. we know the country that wins the race for new technology will win the race for new jobs, so

this budget creates 45 high-tech manufacturing hubs where businesses and universities will partner to turn groundbreaking research into new industries and new jobs made in america. we know, and this is part of the reason we are here today, that education has to start at the earliest possible ages. so this budget expands access to the kind of high-quality preschool and other learning programs to give all our children the same opportunities the most wonderful children we just saw are getting right here at powell. we know that while not all of today's good jobs will require four-year college degree, more and more of them are going to require some form of higher education or specialized training, so this budget expands apprenticeships to connect more ready to work americans with ready to be filled jobs. and we know that future generations will continue to deal with the effects of the

warming planet, so this budget proposes a smarter way to address the costs of wildfires. it includes over $1 billion in funding to help communities prepare for a changing climate today, and set up incentives to build smarter and more resilient infrastructure. we also know that the most effective and historically bipartisan ways to reduce poverty and help hardworking families pull themselves up is the earned income tax credit. right now, it helps about half of all parents in america at some point in their lives. this budget gives millions more workers the opportunity to take advantage of the tax credit. and it pays for it by closing loopholes like the ones that let wealthy individuals classify themselves as a small business to avoid paying their fair share of taxes. this budget will also continue to put our fiscal house in order over the long term, not by putting the burden on folks who can least afford it, but by

reforming our tax code and our immigration system and building on the progress that we made to reduce health care costs under the affordable care act. it puts our debt on a downward path as a share of our total economy, which independent experts have said is a critical target for fiscal responsibility. as i said at the outset, our budget is about choices. it is about our values. as a country, we have to make a decision, if we are going to protect tax breaks for the wealthiest americans or if we're going to make smart investments necessary to create jobs, grow our economy and expand opportunity for every american. at a time when our deficits are falling at the fastest rate in 60 years, we have to decide if we are going to keep squeezing the middle class or if we're going to continue to reduce the deficits responsibly, while taking steps to grow and strengthen the middle class. the american people have made clear time and again which approach they prefer.

that is the approach my budget offers. that is why i am going to fight for it this year and in the years to come as president. thank you very much, everybody. michael? >> do you have any response to president putin's press conference this morning? is chancellor merkel right that he has lost touch with reality? have you spoken to him personally? >> i have not spoken to him since i spoke to him this past weekend. but obviously, me and my national security team have been watching events unfolding in ukraine very closely. i met with them again today. as many of you know, john kerry is in kiev as we speak, at my direction. he's expressing our full support for the ukrainian people. over the past several weeks, we've been working with our partners and with the i.m.f. to build international support for a package that helps to stabilize ukraine's economy. and today we announced a significant package of our own

to support the ukraine's economy and to also provide them with the technical assistance they need. it includes a plan loan guarantee package of $1 billion. it provides immediate technical expertise to ukraine to repair its economy. importantly, it provides for assistance to help ukraine plan for elections that are going to be coming up very soon. as i said yesterday, it is important that congress stand with us. i don't doubt the bipartisan concern that's been expressed about the situation in the ukraine. there is something immediate congress can do to help us. that is to help finance the economic package that could stabilize the economy in ukraine, help to make sure that fair and free elections take place very soon, and as a consequence helps to de-escalate the crisis. in the meantime, we are consulting with our international allies across the board.

together, the international community has condemned russia's violation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of ukraine. he have condemned their intervention in crimea. and we are calling for a de-escalation of the situation, and international monitors that can go into the country right away. and above all, we believe that the ukrainian people should be able to decide their own future, which is why the world should be focused on helping them stabilize the situation economically and move towards the fair and free elections that are currently scheduled to take place in may. there have been some reports that president putin is pausing for a moment, reflecting on what's happened. i think we've all seen that, from the perspective of the european union, the united states, allies like canada and japan and allies

and friends and partners around the world, there is a strong belief that russia's action is violating international law. i know president putin seems to have a different set of lawyers, maybe a different set of interpretations. but i do not think that is fooling anybody. i think everybody recognizes that, although russia has legitimate interests in what happens in a neighboring state, that does not give it the right to use force as a means of exerting influence inside of that state. we have said that if, in fact, there is any evidence out there that russian speakers, russian natives, russian nationals are in any way being threatened, there are ways of dealing with that through international mechanisms. and we are prepared to make sure that the rights of all ukrainians are upheld. and in fact, in conversations we have had with the government in

kiev, they have been more than willing to work with the international community and with russia to provide such assurances. the fact that we are still seeing soldiers out of their barracks in crimea is an indication to which what is happening there is not based on actual concern for russian nationals or russian speakers inside of ukraine, but is based on russia seeking, through force, to exert influence on a neighboring country. that is not how international law is supposed to operate. i would also note just the way that some of this has been reported -- there is a suggestion somehow that the russian actions have been clever strategically. i actually think this has not

been a sign of strength, but rather is a reflection that countries near russia have deep concerns and suspicions about this kind of meddling. if anything, it will push many countries further away from russia. there is the ability for ukraine to be a friend of the west and a friend of russia's, as long as none of us are in ukraine, trying to meddle and intervene, certainly not militarily, with decisions that properly belong to the ukrainian people. that is the principle that john kerry is going to be speaking to during his visit. i will be making additional calls today to some of our key foreign partners, and i suspect i will be doing that all week and through the weekend. as i indicated yesterday, the course of history is for people

to want to be free to make their own decisions about their own futures. the international community, i think, is unified in believing that it is not the role of an outside force, where there has been no evidence of serious violence. where there's been no rationale under international law to intervene and people trying to determine their own destiny. so we stand on the side of history that i think more and more people around the world deeply believe in the principle that a sovereign people, independent people, are able to make their own decisions about their own lives. mr. putin can throw a lot of words out there, but the facts on the ground indicate that right now he is not abiding by that principle. there is still the opportunity for russia to do so, working with the international community to help stabilize the situation.

we have sent a clear message that we are prepared to work with anybody, if they're genuine interest is making sure that ukraine is able to govern itself. as i indicated before, something i think is not an -- has not been emphasized enough, they are currently scheduled to have elections in may. everybody in the international community should be invested in making sure that the economic deterioration that's happened in the ukraine stops, but also that these elections are perceived in a fair and free way, in which all ukrainians, including russian speakers, inside of ukraine, are able to express their choice of who should lead them. if we have a strong, robust, legitimate election, there should not be any question as to whether the ukrainian people govern themselves without the

kinds of outside interference we see russia exert. all right? thank you very much, everybody. >> mitch mcconnell spoke on the senate floor criticizing the president's budget. here are his remarks three >> the release of the budget is usually a pretty big deal. budgetnt obama's latest -- has not created much excitement. people are not taking it seriously because it is not a serious document. first of all, they could probably never even passed the democratic led senate. it could probably not even

passed the democratic led senate . rather than using it as a jumping off point to get our the president, has opted for a political stunt. a budget that is about firing at the base in an election year, not solving the long-term challenges. it would increase taxes by over a trillion dollars. in the worst economic slowdown anyone can remember. explode spending by $790 billion, forcing us to borrow more money. towould do almost nothing address the most serious threats facing our children's threats. it doesn't even come close to balancing this year. president felt the left would love it. here is my question for the

president. what about the middle class? what is in it for them? it seemed like the president has given up on folks were in the middle. folks who think washington doesn't take their concerns and anxieties into consideration. what hope is he giving them? that their wages will start going up instead of down? let's in this budget -- what is in this budget except the nagging feeling of getting squeezed? spent sixent has years trying to fix the economy and tax and spend and regulate our way to prosperity. just as his yell at you demands. -- ideology demands. this doesn't work. 009 -- allowing them to

get by. sameing down on the policies that will not work. that is exactly what the budget proposes to do. what is needed is a new approach . a positive strategy that focuses on helping the middle class instead of appeasing the far left. has twot obama still years left in his presidency. it is not too late for him to try to make a positive difference for folks struggling to pay their bills. he has to let go of the left and reach out to the middle. he has to decide that bipartisan solutions are worth fighting for. if he does, he is going to fight significant support on the side of the aisle. want to work with him to get porton things done for our country. we always have.

we went to expand opportunity for the middle class and build ladders of opportunity for those who aspire into it. we are eager to enact policies that create jobs. new trade legislation, just to name a few things that we could do together. we're eager to find ways to control spending and put the debt on a path to elimination. we're eager to reform the regulatory state so that the rules coming out of washington actually work for people other than the bureaucrat class that rights them. there are bipartisan solutions to be had on these types of issues if only the president can put politics aside for a few minutes and actually work with us, really work with us, because the kind of unserious budget he put out today, that's just the type of silly politicking we need to get past. after all, why would we want a budget that grows the federal

budget while the middle class continues to shrink? washington is doing just fine in the obama economy. but real americans deserve a lot better, and we can give it to them if we work together. what i'm saying is this, mr. president. you've got two years left in office. work with us >> next a look at the situation in news -- the ukraine.ituation first, a news conference with russian president vladimir putin. foreign secretary william hague updates lawmakers on meetings in the ukraine. coming up on the next washington journal, we examine the president's 2015 budget request.

washington journal is live every morning at 7:00 a.m. eastern. you can join the conversation on facebook and twitter. transit -- treasury secretary jack lew heads to capitol hill to testify on the 3.9 trillion dollar budget request. he appears before the senate finance committee. threeoverage on c-span and you can begin the come -- join the conversation on twitter and facebook. >> the new c-span.org website gives you access to an incredible library of events more is added each day through the non-scott -- nonstop coverage. the daily coverage or -- thousandshan

of hours of video. our video is all searchable and viewable on your desktop computer, tablet, or smartphone. just look for the search bar at the top of the page. the new c-span.org makes it easy to watch what is happening today in washington and find people and events from the past 25 days -- years. it is the most comprehensive video library and politics. ukrainekerry was in tuesday in a show of support for the people of the country. story, itork times was noted that his visit was mostly symbolic. the loan guarantee it is intended to cushion ukrainian

households as they undertake economic changes. president obama spoke to the german chancellor this evening about events in the ukraine. they expressed concern over what they call a violation of ukrainian sovereignty. a news conference with russian president vladimir putin at his home. he spoke with reporters saying if russia made the decision to use force, it would be humanitarian. this is just over one hour.

>> good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. proposal. let's not have an interview but a conversation. i would like you to give you as many questions -- i will write them down. try to respond to them. later on, we will talk in detail. on some of the issues that you are interested in specifically. >> mr. pruden, i would like to mr. putin, how do you assess the events in kiev?

you believe that the government or president are legitimate? under what conditions are you willing to support them? is it possible to go back to the agreements of february 21 which were mentioned often here? hold on a second. russia promised financial support to crimea. of atre an understanding what source and what conditions -- >>: the second. just wait a while. -- hold on a second. just wait a while. when and what conditions, i am from interfax. add one numbers will be military first use in ukraine and how does it match the international agreements?

military -- are the military exercises that just took place related to the use of military force? i would like to ask about crimea. are they still a threat to russian citizens ? it is -- is a developing for the better or for the worse? >reuters. if you make a decision to bring such asorces -- economic and global security or a wider isolation of russia, which the russian -- western politicians have been voicing. >> please do not hurry. do not rush it. on the decision -- did you

whatt as your response -- were the consequences for the economics? what kind of emergency measures are required? also do you believe the central bank decisions -- perhaps you need to cancel that decision or suspended? >> i will start replying to these questions. i will reply in as detail as possible. what is my assessment of what happened in the ukraine and key have -- kiev? inassessment is it unconstitutional overthrow and arms seizure of power. seizure of power. no one has challenge that.

for me, there is a big question. colleagues cany reply to it. i have been discussing the ukrainian crisis over the phone with a lot of western partners. why has this been done? president yanukovych with the mediation of foreign mission servers -- ministers in european countries, in the presence of mira distances -- my signedntative, vladimir, between the opposition and president jan vukovic --

yanukovych -- he has lost almost all of his power. to almost anything that the opposition wanted. he agreed to early parliamentary elections, early presidential elections. he agreed to return to the 2004 constitution. he responded to our proposal and the proposal of western countries positively. he said he would not use force. he never issued any commands to shoot at the protesters. there was no such order. he ordered to pull out all of the interior troops, police troops, out of the capital. aswent to a conference -- soon as he left, the power was seized.

they seized his residence. why was that done? he is giving away all of his power. he had no chance of reelection. everyone agreed, all of my partners agreed with that. -- did he need to engage what you need to engage in those unconstitutional activities? still some radical extremist and arms on the streets of kiev. they want to show their power and force, to undermine someone's dignity. these were silly actions. it fires back. led to the

escalation of tension in the east of ukraine. to why it all happened, it was i believe a revolutionary situation. i think the root cause goes back to the early days of ukrainian statehood. sufferedukrainians ,hen we had czar nicholas indiana code which. -- and president jan vukovich. yanokoych. nothing has really changed. the gap between the rich and poor has widened.

these problems have gone on to an unprecedented scale in ukraine. of course people wanted change. but it cannot encourage you legal change. -- illegal change. politicalragile arrangements where economies are still burgeoning. . you need to use only constitutional ways. mistake to breach the constitutional rules. --nderstand those people although i don't welcome the facts of regime change in this way -- i do understand those not someo still demand

facelift changes. they are demanding drastic changes. they are accustomed to the fact that one scoundrel is replaced by another scoundrel. people in the region don't take part in the formation of their regional power. when thestage president proposed some regional heads. they were approved. what we saw on the east, billionaires were installed as governor's. s. they believe these

oligarchs have achieved their wealth through loans and shares. cheated -- he let him down, as they say. he framed him. they signed a contract. they transferred several billion dollars. he pocketed the money. didn't the liver on his commitment. i asked him, why did he do that? he said, i never knew that could happen. i didn't know what the outcome of that kendall was. that -- outcome of that scandal was. conman is the governor of

the trust. people were angry and are still angry. if those who claim they are the legal power are acting in this way. the main thing is to give the onple the right to decide the fate of families in the region. to participate on an equitable basis. part ind to take shaping the future of the country. while the current authorities -- of course the interim president is not legitimate. there's only one legitimate president. of course there is no power that is clear, but i told you about

that earlier. from a legal point of view, it is mr. jacob which -- yanokovych. there are three legal ways to remove a president. death, resignation, and impeachment. the is part of constitution. is the constitution. the parliament needs to take part in it. we have not seen that. perspective, it cannot be challenged. i think the interim authorities the decided to solve constitutional court. illegal to think of it.

they have issued an instruction to the prosecutor general to open a criminal cases against the judges of because as usual court. is that justice question mark how can you instruct someone to open criminal cases? it doesn't comply or is not in line with european standards. situationse criminal , a crime has been committed, then the prosecutor general's office has to step in. as to the financial aids, which could be provided to crimea, askia took the decision to - russian regions to raise the funds for financial aid. that is for the sources. i can't give you the details.

the government is now working with the governors of the regions which border ukraine, .ut that will be done as for the use of military force, there is no reason to do that. is not necessary at the moment. the exercise that took place recently -- they are not related to the situation in ukraine. we have land these exercises earlier. it is a surprise exercise of combat readiness. agoas planned a long time with the defense ministry -- they told me about it earlier. he had all the orders ready. exercise has been finished.

yesterday, i ordered the troops to return to their military bases. what could trigger a possible use of military force? it is only an extreme case. the legitimate president requested russia to use the military force to defend the lives and health of ukrainians. --major concern is the situation that is happening. so many nationalists and radical rampant on the streets of kiev. the news media was chained on a square.

handcuffed to some fixture. it was freezing cold. he was holed up in a basement and tortured. how do you define that? is this democracy? is this an expression of democracy? if all authorities are corrupt -- he has not been able to rob anything. there was none there. there was just one technical guide their -- there. i am an i.t. guy. could you let a woman out? he was shot dead right there.

second i.t. guy was forced into the basement. he was burned alive. what we see that, we realize what the major concerns are for the ukrainians. whoian speaking peoples reside in the southern and eastern regions of ukraine. this is their concern. this lawlessness. when we see that this kind of lawlessness starts in eastern ukraine -- we do have the official request by the legitimate president. we reserve the right to use the means to defend these people. we believe that this is legitimate. we believeextreme -- and we will believe that ukraine is not our closest neighbor, it

is our fraternal nation. armed forces,ur brothers in arms and friends. that ukrainian personnel and the russian defendingill not be different sites. they will stand on one side of the barricades. is takingof unity place in crimea. fortunately, there have been no shots or victims. aside from the incident which took based on the square a week ago. what happened there? will --oured in, they block to the military units. they agreed that they needed to

take the oath of allegiance to the ukrainian people to read -- people. there was not a shot heard, fired in crimea. the tense situation in crimea related to the possibility of the use of force has been exhausted. there was no a necessity for that. the only necessity we had was we ourforced the defense of armed facilities. we saw that some of the extremists radical were moving over to crimea. we did that ended that properly. -- and it did that properly. that weed from the fact will not be forced to do

anything like that in eastern ukraine. interfere, buto we believe all ukrainian citizens, wherever they live, they need to ensure the equal rights in terms of -- shaping the future of the country. if i were those who consider themselves legitimate authorities, i would hurry to take all the necessary steps. they don't have a mandate to foreignt ukraine's policies and internal policies. especially deciding ukraine's future. a few words about the markets. know,ards markets, you

even before nervous the events in ukraine. even before the situation escalated. due to the steps taken by the fed in the u.s. they madeed that investments into the u.s. economy attractive. people started withdrawing money from developing economies and moving their money to the u.s. economy. this is a general trend. russia, but also india suffered. this is the fundamental and underlying reason. ukraine,rds to politics always has some effects on the markets.

money likes calm. i think this is a temporary thing. next question. expect such a tough response to russia's actions from your western partners? would you give some details with -- of your phone conversations with your western partners? and will the g-8 take place in sochi? it takes place, and our phone conversations are confidential. sometimes we even talk on secret lines. i cannot tell you what we said with our partners. how we discussed. i will mention some public statements by my western counterparts.

one thing we noticed is we are often accused of being a legitimate and what we do. -- he legitimate illegitimate in what we do. let us remember what the u.s. did it in iraq, afghanistan, libya. any went there without sanction of the security council or the distorted the meaning of the security council resolution. the resolution only spoke about a no-fly zone in libya. it eventually ended with air raids, airstrikes, and special forces participating in ground operations. alwaystners in the u.s. make it very clear what their

geopolitical and national interests are. they pursue those interests. with much determination. they use that phrase, whoever is not with us is against us. they use this to make their other countries -- the other countries comply with there will. they attack the other countries if they do not comply and make those countries regret. our position is different to read we believe we are completely the regiment in what we are doing. legitimate and what we are doing. i have supported international law. use armeddecide to forces, it will be fully in line with international law. we have written -- received a request from a legitimate president. it will be in line with our commitments and interests.

we will be protecting the people we consider closely associated with us, both historically and culturally. closely related to us economically. our national interest. protecting these people. this is a humanitarian mission. it is not our goal to conquer somebody or dictate to somebody. not remainwe will indifferent if we see these people are being destroyed, i hope it will never come to this. >> on the whole, what you think about the western reaction? russia being kicked out of the g-8?

ok, but this lady leave with her cell phone. a few words about sanctions. tois those who are going introduce those sanctions who should think about consequences. in the modern world, where everything is interrelated and all countries depend on each can causecourse you some damage. this damage will be mutual. number two, this is the most like i saidint, earlier, i explained our motives . what are the motives of our

counterparts? they have supporters. in anti-constitutional coup. an armed seizure of power. they declared those people legitimate and support them now. actually, even in the situation, we are open to quad operation like i said earlier. cooperation like i said earlier. we do our vast tang dashed -- we do our vest thing to continue cooperation. we think our actions are well-founded and all threats against russia counterproductive. we are preparing for the g-8 summit and will be ready to receive our colleagues.

if they don't want to come, it is up to them. i would like to add a few words about contact. correct me if i'm wrong. you said the prime minister in crimea is a legitimate leader. are you willing to have contact with the people who consider themselves legitimate authorities? >> at the top level, they don't have a president. there can be no president. .ntil the general elections with regard to crimea, the crimean parliament was formed in 2010. as far as i can remember. i think it was december, 2010. 100 deputies, six parties. the previous prime minister resigned, the parliament, according to

-- at the then lost meeting of the supreme council, elected the new prime minister. he is legitimate. they have followed all the procedures. there was not a single violation. ago, a group of armed people try to seize the building of the crimean supreme council. it caused a lot of concern for crimean's. it seems a like they would like to do the same thing in crimea as they did in kiev. they would like to start a series of terrorist attacks. that is why they set up the self-defense committees. assumed control over all the forces. at all theed military facilities that they

now control, it looks like a huge military installation. a lot of anti-air defenses. a large number of troops, 300, so on and so forth. all of this is now being controlled by the people of crimea. blockaded military installations worrying uniforms that look like russian uniforms. with a russian soldiers? -- were they russian soldiers? >> there are a lot of uniforms that look like -- you can go to the store and buy a uniform. these were not russian soldiers. these were local self-defense self-defense- forces. they were very well-trained. look at the people who operated in crimea.

i mean in kiev. they were well-trained. they were trained at special camps in neighboring countries, poland and lithuania. they were trained by special instructors. they were trained in long time. they have divisions. they are divided in hundred and 10's. -- were well coordinated. why should self-defense forces in crimea the less trained? >> did russia dissipate in training these forces? no . do you consider the possibility -- >> is up to the people living in a certain territory. if they can exercise their free will.

they can determine their future. example, if albanians were --owed to do that in albania self-determination, the right to self-determination -- this is part of the u.n. documents -- this right is still there. instigate, we will never support such trends. only people who live in a certain territory have the right to decide their own future. >> to questions -- two questions. you said these are extreme measures, the possibility of deploying troops. you don't rule this out.

if you deploy troops, a war may break out. does this concern you? my second question, you said the ukrainian president did not give orders to shoot at people. but somebody shot at them. these were professional snipers. -- actually some of the protesters say they may have been probably could -- provocateurs from the opposition party. look it up. it is available in open sources. we all saw when riot police officers with shields -- people used firearms on them. shields andhit pierced them. who gave those orders? i don't know. there ukrainian president told me he never gave the orders.

agreement,gned the he ordered to remove riot police units from kia. -- kiev. i told him, you have anarchy and chaos. don't do it. he still did it. his office was seized. the government office. wantchaos wrote out like i -- broke out like a warned him. >> are you concerned that he war may break out? >> we will not go to war with ukrainian people. there is the ukrainian army. listen. closely. i want you to understand what i am saying. we will make the decision to protect the people of ukraine. how can an army shoot at their own people? -- soldiers will be did

standing in front of them. who can give such an order? day, my colleagues say that the situation with the riot police gets worse and worse. there's one officer who was wounded and is not being treated read he is not even being fed. there are families living in dormitories that cannot leave their house because people are around them. how can russia help the families of these officers? >> this issue concerns us to read -- concerns us. these are not russian police officers. we are not in charge of the situation. from humanitarian communis kit -- considerations, it would be

right. he worked on this agreement of february 21. from his colleagues from poland, france, germany. maybe they can go and see what is happening with those officers. they did not violate any rules. they performed their duty. they were standing there under fire, gunfire. they are at the hospital. -- even at the time of war, wounded people are being treated and fed. now they don't treat them or feed them. the surrounding buildings of dormitories. i think law enforcement agencies

should do something about this. we would be willing to receive them in russia for treatment. -- counsel action suggested that in response to that statement by the secretary of state, the russian ambassador -- the state secretary is an important official. but not the top-level official in the u.s. we saw statements by various politicians and various political forces. if we have to do it, we will do it. i would prefer not to do that. international cooperation, economic cooperation, security cooperation -- it is not just russia who is interested in all that. i think our western partners are equally interested in that. it is easy to destroy the

instruments of cooperation. it would be difficult to recover and restore them. what you think will happen to the ukrainian president? >> it is hard for me to say anything. i don't think he has a political future. at i told him about that and , we will help him. if we only did this out of humanitarian considerations. death is the simplest way to get rid of his legitimate -- get rid of a legitimate president, i think. they would just kill him, i think. the question is, why, what for? how did this all start? what triggered this entire chaotic situation? it was that he refused to