washington, should decide the path of their child's education. they should be free to choose. they should be free to choose homeschooling, public schools, charter schools, parochial schools. it should be the parents choice because when the parents have the choice, the kids have a chance. [applause] i think of one story from greenville, south carolina, a lovely young lady named rachel lewis, born with down syndrome. tooth ands fought nail for a year to keep her in mainstream classes. unfortunately, after a year, she keeping herwin little girl in mainstream classes, but she realized the very system she had to fight with would now be in charge of educating her kids.

she decided them i cannot do that. -- he decided, i cannot do that. she found a little private school and that young lady went through school and earned her high school diploma and today, she does not have one job, she has two jobs. theeed to set free all of potential in the kids in our country through school choice. [applause] finally, there are 4 million jobs vacant today in america. 4 million jobs unfilled. we need to prepare our adult learners to fill those jobs. many to focus our attention on two facts. every child does not want to go to college. some kids can earn while they learn. we should have a dual track, one

for college and one for the skills necessary to fill the 4 million vacancies we have today in america. [applause] my opportunity agenda does that. as we unveil more about my opportunity agenda, i believe the best is yet to come. we will remain focused on the american people. god has already blessed our country. i believe it is our responsibility to make sure that blessing continues. if this was the church, i would take up an offering. and ask you to stand for the closing benediction. time,ve done so with your by getting involved in campaigns. you are the backbone of the conservative movement and men and women like myself stand on your shoulders. god has blessed us because we

have you. god bless you. [applause] ♪ >> ladies and gentlemen, these welcome host of the daily ledger . >> good afternoon, everyone. thank you for coming. like fruit of the loom, i will be brief. you are here to hear someone else. i do host a daily political television talk show called the daily ledger. i will tell you more about that on saturday when i am up here. right now, it is my honor and privilege to introduce to you the governor of the garden state , the state of new jersey, the honorable chris christie. [applause]

>> all right, all right. thank you. thank you very much. good to be here. thank you for your warm welcome. i want to start off with a story from new jersey. ago, our pensions funds and our public employee health benefit fund together with over $130 billion in debt. we put together a plan to do the things they should be doing your in washington. -- here in washington. raise the retirement age, and cost-of-living adjustments, more penalties for early retirement and more money being put into the system by the people benefiting from it. you can imagine i was popular

with the public employee unions. we decided to do what we do in new jersey, not to go to the chamber of commerce and have a lunch. i decided to go to the new jersey firefighters convention. i went to the firefighters convention i was introduced and it was a longer walk to the stage that it was appear. that entire time, i was being bathed in the love of the public and will unions. when i got up to the stage, the person running the convention said governor, i am sorry for the reception. said, come on, you can do better than that. and they did. [laughter] and then i said to them, i had a prepared remarks today and i took them and i tore them off. here is the thing, i understand that you are angry. i understand that you feel

deceived. i understand why you are brewing . -- booing. i do not understand why you are person toe first tell you the truth. the fact is, for each and every one of you, you may hate me now, but 10 years from now, after i've made the changes that need to be made and you are collecting a pension, you will be looking for my address on the enter note -- on the internet to send me a thank you note. the amazing thing happened, after i was done with those ended, i walked off the stage and two thirds of the audience was cheering. here is the reason why. the fact is, we have to start talking about what we are for and not what we are against.

[applause] the reason for that is very simple. it is exactly what i said to cpac in chicago in 2012. the reason we have to start talking about what we are for and not continuing to rail against what we are against this because of one simple reason. our ideas are better than their ideas and that is what we have to stand up for. if you need any further example of that, look at what is going on in terms of what they are for in washington. is the leaderfor of the senate democrats stands up and rails against to american entrepreneurs who have built a business, created jobs, and created wealth and philanthropy in this country. harry reid should get back to

work. that is typical. .t is typical there are lots of examples i could tell you about. governors are about getting things done. governors about making government work and keeping government out of people's lives. we have lots of examples of it. look at what has happened in wisconsin with my friend governor scott walker. [applause] scott walker stood up for collective bargaining reform. membership isnion down 60% because scott walker made a voluntary to join the union in wisconsin. people are voting with their feet. in ohio, john kasich did up against the crazy ideas the democrats had in ohio that was causing economic depression in

that state. what you have now in ohio is lower taxes and more jobs and a non-employment rate that is lower than the national average. -- and an unemployment rate that is lower than the national average. how about michigan? governor rick snyder has made michigan the home of the uaw and right to work state. florida, rick scott has taken an unemployment rate that he inherited well over 11% and brought it to under the national average and because of free market, conservative ideas, has created over 450,000 new private sector jobs in three years in florida. that is because governors, republican governors, have stood up and done things.

not just talked about them. what you see in washington is people who only want to talk. they cannot stop talking. the most dangerous 10 feet in washington is between anybody who wants to start talking and a camera. this is what they are about. you can see it in examples not only with the dysfunction in congress, but one story that i love about the president. your member when they set up this hold supercommittee thing? ash you remember when they were -- when they set up this hold supercommittee thing? after they got nothing done, what did the white house say? the white house said the president never met with the supercommittee because he knew they were doomed to failure. that is leadership, isn't it? you are the leader of the government. you see something going off the

rails and you decide to stay as far away from it as possible. your attitude, mr. president, what the hell are we paying you for? [applause] leadership is about getting in and getting something done. leadership is not about standing on this day -- the sidelines and spit balling. that is all we see all across washington. it is not what we see in the states. we have to stop letting the media define who we are and what we stand for. [applause] when we talk about what we are for, our ideas when. look at what we have done in new jersey. a state that barack obama won by 17 points. today, the fiscal year 2015 budget i've proposed a week ago

has $2.2 billion less and discretionary spending than the state was spending in 2008. if you had said a blue state would do something like that, you would have said we were crazy. government needs to be smaller. we have 6000 fewer state employees in new jersey than the day i was sworn in as governor. years, first time in 105 teacher tenure has been reform so we can finally have accountability in the classrooms. teachers who teach stay and teachers who don't go. when they said it could never be done, not twice, for the first time since roe versus wade, new jersey has elected a pro-life governor of new jersey.

this is what i mean about the media. i got asked the question mosher, governor, you are very popular in a blue state, how can you export that to the rest of the country given the intolerance on social issues in your party? let me ask you a question. you say the republicans are intolerant? what are national convention, we have had people like colin powell and condoleezza rice speak at our national even --ugh our party platform tell me the last pro-life democrats who was allowed to speak at a democratic convention. don't strain yourself because there has never been one. they're the party of intolerance, not us. [applause] we have to take these guys on directly.

you know i am shy and retiring and i do not like to speak my mind, especially regarding the media. saying is,d to start we are not going to put any longer with them defining who we are. when we say that we are pro-life and we are probably pro-life, -- weoesn't mean we are need to be pro-life when they leave the womb as well. for every step of their lives. it means we have to be in favor of an educational system that is accountable so that child can have a world-class education. it means that we have to be in favor of a society that creates opportunity and jobs for them, not one that has the government controlled what they think is good or fair in our society. it means when those children fall victim to disease, like

drug rehabilitation, we need to rehabilitate those kids. every life is precious. no matter where they are in society. we need to make that difference. say we are probably pro-life, we are pro-life throughout their entire lives. say we are probably when we say that we want to make a difference in our society, we need to make a difference to the type of free-market reforms that avoids work in our country. opinion oneed your what income inequality is. we do not have an income inequality problem. we have a opportunity inequality problem. in the end, we have the type of people in statehouses throughout this country who can make a real

difference in our countries future. we have to stay focused on the task at hand. as i travel around the country, what i feel more than anything else is a frustration in our country with everyone who believes that government no longer works for them. government works for itself. we need leaders who are willing to say, not only that we are against obamacare, which we are, we need leaders that are going we're against higher taxes, against a bigger government, were against all of those things, but we need to talk about what we are for. when he to talk about the fact that we are four of free-market society that allows your efforts and your ingenuity -- we need to that we arehe fact

for a free-market society. [applause] we need to make sure that we say we are for america being a leader in the[applause] world and we are for a strong national defense not one that allows other countries to run us over all over the world. [applause] other people around the world are struggling for freedom, they used to look for america -- they look to an america that was an example to them as to how a free and open society could govern itself. after the last number of years of dysfunction in washington and lack of leadership in the white house, those folks are finding an american look at emulate. to

an america that is governing itself effectively and providing to its people a safe and civilized society. if we want to lead the emulate. an america that is governing world, it is not just about the might of our arms, it is about making ourselves an example of how a free open society that treasures liberty over all else can govern itself and is effective and functioning way. we are not doing not. we are -- we are not doing that. the rest of the world loses when we don't do world, it that. we need to charge out of this conference to keep the house of representatives, win back the senate, when more republican governorships, and show people that republicans know what we stand for and we know how to get things done in this country. [applause] that, i'll will remind you of one simple truth.

we do not get to govern if we do not win. when we donly bad not get to govern because we do not get to change our society. what is worse is they do. they are doing it to us right now. resolveome out here and to stand for our principles, the let us come out of this conference resolved to win elections again. thank you very much. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the honorable bobby jindal, governor of louisiana. [applause] >> thank you very much. thank you. what a great honor to be with you today.

i will restart -- i will start my remarks with a sincere apology. i mean this. i spent a lot of 2012 going around the country saying president obama was the most liberal and incompetent president in my lifetime ever since jimmy carter. having witnessed the events these last several days, as we have seen the president of russia invade a neighboring country while our president wants to downsize our military. increasedbout the spending on food stamps. to does notresident understand that a week america leads to instability. our allies and enemies alike need and want a strong america. you know, we have long thought and said this president is a smart man. it may be time to revisit that

assumption. [applause] or a lease to make a distinction between book smart and being truly wise. today, let it be heard and i hope he is watching, to president carter, i want to wish you a sincere apology. it is no longer fair to say he was the worst president in my lifetime. president obama has proven me wrong. [applause] here today to talk about foreign affairs. i want to talk about this residence assault on the american dream, his assault on poor children in louisiana and his assault on religious liberty. he has a very different idea about the american dream. this president talks about class warfare and dividing an ever shrinking economic pie. the american dream i learned about was a country where the

circumstances of your birth do not determine your outcomes as an adult. we can do better than our parents. every child is told you can be the first in her family to go to school. how many moms and dads have told their little children that anybody can grow up and become president of the united states? unfortunately, in 2012, we wonder how true that is. essential to the american dream is making sure that every child gets a great education. there are millions of american children trapped in failing schools. in louisiana, we are doing something about it. hard to put a great teacher in every classroom. the mostchers are important things we can do in the classroom to improve student learning. kids with great teachers are --

earn thousands of dollars more on average. if your fourth-grade daughter has a great teacher, she's more likely to go to college and less likely to become pregnant as a teenager. all of us can ever the great teachers that got us to where we are today. -- can't remember the great teachers that got us to where we are today. look at how we hire, fire, pay and promote our teachers today. we decided to do something about that. when the be special -- wouldn't it be special if we compensated our teachers based on how well students are doing rather than how long the teachers have been breathing in the classroom? [applause] tenure laws,ed our hiring laws, firing laws to link teacher advancement to student achievement. unions do not like that. we do not want it to

achievement. that is like going to a foot all game and saying, do not worry about the score at the end of the game. the second thing we did, we have to make the dollars follow the child instead of forcing the child to follow the dollars. every child learns differently. some children will do great in a public school, some children will do great in an online program, some children will do great in charter schools. we trust parents to make the best decisions for their children. [applause] in new orleans, 90% of our kids are in charter schools. choice sone course kids can start in public schools and take private courses throughout the day, but we have established a statewide scholarship program. kids can go to the best schools.

the unions do not like this either. they said, parents do not have a clue when it comes to making decisions for their children. clue.s do not have a i cannot think of a better summary of the disagreements between our side and their side. this president and allies, they do not trust the american people to make decisions. a group of moms told me, we make decisions for our kids every day . we know the needs of our children better than the bureaucrats. this program in double digits every year. academic scores are getting better. 90% of the parents are happy with the program. -- 98% of the parents are happy with the program. who could be against giving choices to parents? present obama and eric holder.

court toas taken us to impede this program. we have the department of justice trying to stand in the schoolhouse door to prevent minority kids, low income kids, the chance to go to better schools. over 90% of these kids are minority children. me, this is the first time their kids have brought home homework. the first time their kids are wearing uniforms. first time their kids are thinking about going to school beyond high school. hypocritical and for the attorney general and the president to deny these children the same choices and chances they would want for their own children. children only grow up once. it is cynical to use those same rules designed to protect these children to trap them in failing schools. i have a message for eric holder and for the president. we will fight them every step of the way, it even at the supreme

court. [applause] it might make you wonder how in the world does the government get to the point where it thinks he can take away the rights of children to get a better education? i would argue this is what happens. bill clinton famously said the air of big government is over. wronghas somebody been so about something so important. this is what happened -- this is what happens when government gets so big. i actually agree with david axelrod on something. he said the president could not possibly have known what was going on with the federal government because the federal government is so vast and expansive. that is exactly the point. if i could've gone back in time over five years ago and said to you that your government was can

grow the deficit from $9 trillion to $17 trillion would you have believed me? if i would've said you're government would use the irs to target conservative political groups, would you have believed me? the department of justice will be spying on reporters. if i've gone back in time and said our ambassador and other americans would be killed in libya and the administration would blame it on a you tube video, would you have believed me? if i told you the secretary of state would have grown so frustrated answering questions from the senate am a she would finally say what difference does it make? in time andback said even though we can afford these entitlement programs, the administration will create a new one, would you have believed me? it is amazing to me what we have seen in our lifetimes.

in these last few years. it is not just a government so big they can take away educational choice, the government is now infringing on our religious liberties and freedoms. about a month ago, i gave a speech at the reagan library about religious liberty and this administration's assault on our freedoms. the green family faced $1.3 million in fines because of their refusal to provide products that are contradictory to their faith. he seems to believe our religious rights start and end in the pews on sunday. i knew this administration did not like the second amendment. i thought they liked the first. make no mistake about it, their assault on religious liberty is an assault on the freedom of speech and the freedom of association and other rights that are so important to the founding of this country.

this country did not create religious liberty and freedom. religious freedom and liberty created this great country. [applause] you may have noticed, i got some attention for standing up and defending the duck dynasty family. [applause] you may have thought i was defending the family because they are from louisiana. you may have thought i was defending the guys because my kids are huge fans that watch every show and by every duck call and where every bandanna they can find. i stood up for their right to speak up and articulate their beliefs because i am tired of the left that claims they are for diversity. tolerant and for

diversity except when you dare to disagree with them. [applause] we must not let the silence -- we must not let them silence people of sincere religious conviction and faith across this country. i am not for lawsuits. i am not about suing people. but we have a constitutional scholar as president. it strikes me he might benefit and we might benefit if he actually reads the constitution every now and then. this president graduated from some of the best schools in the country. if you would like some free advice, i would consider suing harvard law school to get his money back. i will tell you this. i have started apologizing to president carter.

has administration assaulted our religious liberties and has assaulted the american dream and is trying to redefine the american dream so that success is defined by government assistance. that is an american nightmare. optimistic, im so am convinced our best days as a country are ahead of us, not behind us. our children and grandchildren will inherit more opportunities than we inherited from our parents. theives me confidence -- genius of the founding fathers was to trust the american people. this greatreached country with the conviction that if you worked hard, you could create a better quality of life. they were not looking for a government handout. they were looking for the opportunity to get a good job. my dad went to the yellow pages calling company after company until he could finally convince somebody to hire him.

he tells his new boss after calling, who offers him a job monday morning, that is great. i do not have a drivers license or a car, you will have to pick me up on the way to work monday morning. starts work that monday. six months later i was born. i was what you call the pre-existing condition. there were two guys that shook hands in the hospital. i want you to think about this. my dad shook hands with the doctor and he said to the doctor, i will pay you in full. i will pay every month as much as i can until i pay this bill in full. that is exactly what they did. no contracts, no paperwork. [applause] dad, i do not know if you can pay for a baby on lay

weight today. -- for a baby on lay away today. my dad would always tell my brother and me this, i am not leaving you a famous last name or inheritance, but i will make sure you get a great education. if you are willing to work hard in this great country, there is no limit to what you can accomplish. that is why we must fight so for school choice. that is why we must fight so hard for religious liberty. theave to fight to restore american dream. it is not about american programs, it is about pursuing those opportunities. there is a rebellion brewing in these united states of america. we do not want to become like europe. we're all blessed to live in the greatest country in the history of the world. thank you for fighting the good fight for the american dream.

thank you very much. [applause] [inaudible] ♪ >> good afternoon, conservatives. it?t to be here, isn't let me tell you, we all know that over the last six years, there've been plenty of things to be depressed about. sometimes when you get up, you do not even want to flip up -- flip on the tv or open of the paper to gaza destruction from this administration -- open up the paper because the destruction from this administration. as in every battle, heroes emerge.

all of us remember a few years ago what happened in florida. a senate seat opened up. most of the bigwigs i'm eagerly endorsed the city governor. what was his name? charlie crist. you remember charlie crist. they likedurprise charlie so much. he is everything they love. strong poll numbers, healthy bank account, and not a single strong conviction on policy. he was putty in their hands. one state legislator have the aurage to stand up and be conservative alternative. marco rubio thought he should lead a cousin's ideas were better. he believed -- he should lead because his ideas were better. we remember what happened. he won big. his election proved that idea still matter, that conservatism

still works, and that washington often gets it wrong. senator rubio continues to get things right. from reforming poverty programs to encourage and job creation, stopping obamacare bailout, standing up for religious liberty and human rights, marco rubio is leading on ideas that matter to conservatives. we salute you, marco rubio, and we welcome you to cpac 2014. [applause] >> thank you. thank you. thank you very much for that kind introduction. it reminded me of that race from a couple of years ago when i to speak in january

of that year and i remember after getting a left it, it is pretty impressive when you get to washington. you start looking around the room and you see so-and-so on meet the press. so-and-so. you start wondering, how did i get here? about six months later, you look around the same ring, and you say, how did they get here? we are at that phase now. thank you for this opportunity to speak to you for a moment. it is a critical moment in our countries history. i think you'll hear that from every speaker tonight. let me share with you something i hope you believe with all your heart. we are facing true challenges and real obstacles, there is not a single nation on earth that i would trade places with. there is no other country i would rather be. [applause] that doesn't mean we don't have challenges and problems to

confront. despite theed that bad leadership we are getting today, we are on the verge. cpac draws a lot of the younger americans. i want you to believe that is possible. the opportunities are extraordinary. they make possible for america its best moment ever. speakers will tell you our greatest days are yet to come. i know that to be true, but we have to overcome the challenges that we face. livingnomy today is through a moment of extraordinary economic and security. the global economy has completely transformed in our lifetime. my grandfather used to remind me that when he was born, ever not even airplanes in the sky. we for he turned 70, an american

who blocked on the moon. -- before he turned 70, an american walked on the moon. this presents real challenges for economy. it also presents real opportunities. that requires us having tax codes that encourages investments. us to sell more of the products that we have two markets around the world that can afford to buy american oil and natural gas. this administration has failed in this regard because the policies they pursue have never worked and they work less now than ever before. they love to sell big government as to way to help those trying to make it. what they don't tell you is they hurt the people trying to make it. big government, it if you are a big corporation or a multibillionaire, you may not

like the government, you can afford to deal with big government. you can hire law firms and lobbyists. if you are trying to start a business out of the spare bedroom of your home, probably in violation of the zoning code, you cannot deal with runaway regulations and complicated laws. that is why we are not getting the sort of investment and innovation that our country desperately needs. american companies have close to $4 trillion cash sitting in bank accounts. that is more than the entire size of the german economy. so long as we have runaway debt and runaway regulations and a tax code that discourages investment in america and the health care law that must be repealed. because their policies fail, they resort to what the left always resorts to. dividing people against each other.

are go to americans struggling and they tell them, the reason why you are worse off is because someone is doing too well. it is someone else's fault. the only solution is to give government more power to go after those people. unacceptable and that is holding us back. this notion that we will pit americans against each other on issue after issue is something we should never accept as a people because it is never been your we are and is and who we are right now -- never been who and it is not who we are right now. the good news is the primary cause of the challenges as a president who is done in three years. our other challenges are little more difficult. that involves the world around us. the events of the last few weeks remind us what we are talking

about. i grew up in an era where people used to tell us, college professors telling us that we had to accept the spread of communism and the existence of the soviet union as a permanent thing. perhaps, even accept the notion that they would be on the rise will be good be on the decline. fortunately, we had a leader in the hyatt -- in the white house that did not accept that notion. the second year in college, berlin wall can tumbling down and so did the soviet union. take a moment to look at the world around us today. it is truly as challenging as that. of time was. asia, china is making increasing territorial claims. they claim they control islands that do not belong to them. in north korea, they not only have nuclear weapons, it they

are developing rockets capable of reaching the united states. in latin america, and illegitimate venezuelan government is slaughtering people in the streets. cuba continues to be a dictatorship. in the middle east, iran is trying to acquire nuclear weapons and the capability to become the dominant power in the region. celleda, which was once a hiding out in caves, has spread into five or six different cells. in europe, vladimir putin is trying to reconstitute the power and the influence of the former soviet union. i say this to you because of the number of young people here today. i want you to extrapolate what the world would look like in 10 years if this continues. if you inheriting world for the chinese get to decide who gets to ship products to the south china sea and all the countries

in that region are tributaries to them. if you inherit a world where north korea can blowup california with a nuclear weapon . if you inherit a world where iran can reach the east coast of the united states and can wipe israel off the face of the earth. if you inherit a world where russia continues to hold its because ofostage dependency on russian oil and gas. what do all of these countries have in common? these are totalitarian governments. all the problems of the world, all of the conflicts of the world are being created by totalitarian regimes who are more interested in forcing people to do what they want them to do and truly achieving peace and prosperity and respect for the rights of others. i outline all of this to you for the following reason. there is only one nation on rallying and of bringing together the free

people on this planet to stand up to the spread of totalitarianism. there is only one nation that can do that and that is ours. the united nations cannot do this. in fact, they cannot do anything. [applause] not mean we will be involved in 15 morris. mowars.-- 15 it also does not mean that we can solve every conflict. without american engagement, the world is not just a possibility, it is a real probability. i do not like to make these issues of national security partisan. it is important that our country be united in moments like this, but we cannot ignore that the flawed foreign policy has brought us to the stage. we have a president who believes

by the sheer force of his personality, he would be able to shape a global event. by going around the world and places,ey speeches and he could shape the behavior of other people. we do not have the luxury of seeing the world the way we hope it would be. we must address these issues before they grow unmanageable. they threaten not just our freedoms, but our economy. that is the true challenge that we have in the 21st century and we must confront them with a series that requires an american foreign policy deeply rooted in our moral principles. the notion that every human being has rights given to them by their government or leaders, are right it is given to you by your creator. all human beings have these rights. why the principle that any government and any leader who violates those rights is an illegitimate one. the president loves to point to

ronald reagan and says that reagan talk to russia. why can't we talk to iran? reagan dealt with the soviet union because they had nuclear weapons and he wanted peace. but he never accepted the soviet union. he called them up they were, and evil empire. he never relinquished the moral argument that what they did was wrong and unsustainable. seated -- ceded that ground. other way at these violations of human rights that occur all over the world and these countries that accept them as a normal type of government. there is nothing normal or acceptable about a government that is not allow you to worship as you please. there is nothing moral or acceptable about a government who forces women to have abortions. there is nothing acceptable about a government whose slaughters people in the streets

. there is nothing acceptable about a government that jails political opponents. there is nothing acceptable about government that sponsored terrorism. we should never accept any of those things as a legitimate form of government. [applause] what i advocate to do with that america must be involved in leading the world. have never wanted the role of telling people what to do. we would much rather the soviets -- we cannot ignore the reality of who we are. we cannot ignore the global importance of this nation and we cannot ignore the implications to our future if we fail to step up to this call. if you think high taxes and regulations are bad for economy,

so is global and stability and the threat -- and the spread of totalitarianism. if you think obama care hurting our economy, it is. so is russia -- so is china controlling the south china sea. the foreign-policy issues of our time have deep economic ramifications. in order to usurp that leadership, we need leaders that understand our role in the world . we need to be able to afford it. which means we have to have an economy that sustains it. the good news is if we have -- is we have everything we need to succeed economically except the leadership in the white house. we have been blessed by god with natural resources. we have been blessed with a hard-working and creative people. we have been blessed with a system of government that we need to reinvigorate, not undermined.

we will have a strong economy that will not only sustain and provide for people, but will make the world a safer and better place. i always quote -- do not take for granted what we have. do not fall into the trap that some of us do. taking for granted what we have in this country. what we have in america is the exception, not the rule. almost everyone who has ever lived on this planet did not get to choose their leaders. they did not get to choose their life either. you were stuck doing whatever your family and your parents were stuck doing before you. what made us exceptional in different is that anyone from any where accomplish anything. we lose that and it is so difficult to capture -- recapture that. that is something worth fighting for. every time i talk about how special america is, some commentator will roll the rise

and say that is something americans tell each other to make themselves feel good. you have the right to believe that. i do not have that option because i have seen with my own eyes. let me close with a story i have rarely told. i wanted to share with you today. when i was running against charlie crist, my dad was diagnosed with cancer. he was very sick. parties,gh he switched he was independent, now he is a democrat. i had a primary. my dad was nearing the end of his life. are member going by to see him that day. -- ira member going by to see him that day. my dad had not been out of bed for a month and a half.

he was fully dressed and sitting in the wheelchair. that night, he was going to go to my victory party. that night, by the end of the night, he could not make it. was that sosed, why important to him? the normal answer is that was your dad. it was so much more. my dad at nine years of age, his mother died and he had to go to work. he struggled, he never made a lot of money. he was never rich and was never famous. he wondered what his life was all about. do you know what gave his life purpose and meaning? seeing us being able to do the things he never could. evening us the chance to achieve the kind of life he wanted for himself. that was his american dream. that is why i know america is special. that is why i know she is worth

fighting for. that is why i know that is what we will do. god bless all of you. thank you. >> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the honorable mike lee. [applause] >> thank you very much. i want to begin my remarks by telling you a story. a story that i first heard told by a man named imo phillips. he talked about the fact that one night, he went on a walk and found himself walking across a long bridge near his home. -- walk lonely block and he was happy about that. there was no traffic, no

pedestrians, no cars on the bridge. when he got the middle of the bridge, he saw something that caught his eye. he saw a man standing on the outside edge of the bridge outside of the guard rail and as he looked over there, he could tell by the expression on the man's face coupled with the height of the bridge that this man was contemplating taking his own life. he thought, i have got to help. he started a conversation with the man. do you believe in god? the man said yes. are you a christian? what denomination? i am a baptist. are you a northern baptist or a southern baptist? i am a northern baptist. are you a northern fundamentalist baptist? are you a northern fundamentalist baptist conference of 1857? or are you a northern

fundamentalist baptist conference of 1812? he said die, you heretic, and pushed them off the bridge. i am here today to talk about the fact that we as conservatives have got to be far more engaged in finding converts than discarding heretics. [applause] it is a great honor to be back at cpac, but more than that, it is an honor to speak at this cpac. 2014 is an important year for conservatives. yes, the white house agenda is crumbling. obamacare is a disaster. president obama has lost the confidence of the american people.

with things going so badly for the left, especially in an election year, conventional wisdom in washington is the best thing conservatives can do is nothing. should be simply to sit on our hands, to keep our heads down and and let president obama's failures preserve the america -- the republican majority in the house and when one in the senate. conventional wisdom in washington, as usual, is dead wrong. unworthy of the party of reagan and lincoln. president obama and the democrats have done everything he can to deserve defeat. the republican party has not yet done what it must do to deserve victory. [applause] thank you. we have not yet won back the

trust of the american people. or explained why they should give it to us. 2014 dust be the year we change that -- must be the year we change that. most of the speakers you will hear this week will come to inspire you or flatter you or claim solidarity with you. i have come to challenge you. the work remaining before us this year and for the next three years is the most important work conservatives have faced in a generation. it is the work of redefining our movement, of redefining and rebuilding our party and rescuing our nation. that work will not be easy or fun or glamorous. most of it will not even be noticed. it is essential to our success. if conservatives do not do this work, we will lose, we will lose in 2014, and in 2016.

we will lose and we will deserve to lose and whether the people at this podium are willing to do that work, it depends on whether the people in this audience and conservatives in communities around the country to mandate -- the last time conservatives this challenge was 37 years ago. at the fourth annual cpac conference. was february, 1977. and that winter raying raying and his conservatives were being attacked by the washington republican establishment. president ford .n the 1976 primaries they were being blamed for handing a victory to carter and democrats. but raying on knew it was the party establishment that had election. by losing touch and losing

credibility. [applause] he knew that the future of the was not the old party of the republican insiders, it was the new party of conservative ideas. came ronaldying reagan came to cpac and called party, a republican party of principles and confidence and a positive agenda for change. aboutvatives then went the hard work of applying --eless [applause] you see, we can never forget in 1976, anti-establishment conservatives found a leader for ages, and yet they still lost. had developedhey an agenda for their time, and

won. [applause] my fellow conservatives, it's again. do it [cheers and applause] an agenda for our time must meet our time.nge of and of your generation. america'senge is growing opportunity deficit. we see this opportunity deficit the bottom of our economy, where dysfunctional welfare poor families in poverty. we see it in the middle class where washington drives up the of gas and groceries, homes and health care, of raising kids and getting a good education. and we see it at the top, where political and corporate elite rig the system to benefit themselves at the expense of businesses and working

families. taken together, these challenges represent america's real problem of inequality. income gap between the rich and poor. betweenopportunity gap washington d.c. and everybody else. [applause] progressives believe the this inequality is bigger government. but big government dysfunction the single biggest cause of all these problems. solutionsconservative to these problems. to close america's opportunity and rescue our economy governmentiety from dysfunction. but i'm here to tell you those solutions are not coming from establishment. a new generation of conservative ideas must come from a new of conservative leaders. and for the first time in a long they are.

leaders like my friend senators paul, marcond foreman, tim stock. and congressmen like mime pompeo, tom gray, and paul ryan others. are developing policies that taken together are delivering a conservative reform agenda to once again clarify and unify party.ublican you see, we have concrete, to help lowersals income families overcome welfare, improve education and job training, and rescue at-risk communities with too few jobs, few fathers, and too little hope. to end solutions welfaree and corporate and put america's political and back to work for us.

to make it more affordable to kids.and educate their and con traderda to the establishment's advice, we're not hiding pretty the people or from the media or from you. it's time for the republican talking about ronald reagan and start acting him. [cheers and applause] cab afford or expect to winner lexings by default. lex winto winner mandate. by a so we're taking our mandate to the american people and the washington establishment can us, follow us or get out of

the way. [cheers and applause] the new conservative party needs this new conservative reform agenda. you come in. this year, when candidates ask them earnote, make it. forget their personalities and policies.heir don't settle for spin. ask for specifics. kind of leaders we need who won't just tell you what they're against. you what they're for and why. my challenge to you is not simply to find and support true conservative reformers, my is to becomeyou one. become the kind of thoughtful, principled

conservative our movement wants, the establishment fears, and our needs. [applause] before conservatives can we first mustory deserve it. just as our founding generation made its way from the tea party the constitutional convention in philadelphia, just as reagan's generation made its from defeat in 1976 to vic friday from 1980, so too our must now turn from reform criticism to leadership, from division to unity. ofether this new generation reform conservatives can revive our party,t, rebuild and restore opportunity to our neighbors and prosperity to our nation. my fellow conservatives, let's work.

[cheers and applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, please wayne lapierre, n. r.a. vice president and chief executive officer. [cheers and applause] much.nk you very thank you very much. thank you. great to be here with you today and thanks to all of you for having me. really appreciate that warm welcome. hey, i'll tell you, there must n.r.a. members out there. [cheers and applause] know to each of you, i would like to thank you for being here me, and i'd like to thank you for your support and your vigilance in defending our freedom. it's really made a difference. n.r.a. members all

across the country have made a real difference in this nation safer, soour freedom thank you very much. [applause] you know, a little over a year ago, the n.r.a. offered a simple, honest and effective proposal to make our schools safer. the political and media leads responded by calling me just about every nasty name in the book. you remember. but americans responded differently. city after county after school board after state house, parents, legislators, police, agreed with us, and put armed security safeguards in place. [applause] history has proven again the truth that president obama and anti-freedom activists everywhere try to deny and suppress the truth that firearms

in the hands of good people save lives. [applause] thepolitical elite, political elite, they can't escape, and the darlings of the media can't change the god given right of good people to protect themselves. [applause] for that fundamental human right, the n.r.a. stands and unapologetic. freedom.fense of our n.r.a.'s 5 million members and owners's 100 million gun will not back down, not now, not ever. assure you that. [applause] you know, freedom has never defense more than now. look, everywhere you something has gone wrong.

heart.l it in your gut.now it, in your something in our country has wrong. the core values that we believe aboute things we care most in our lives are changing. eroding. our right to speak, our right to privacy.ur right to the freedom to work, to practice religion, and raise and protect our families the way we fit. those aren't old values. values.n't new they are core freedoms. freedoms that have always defined us as a nation. we feel them. as we are here this afternoon, we feel them.

slipping away. across america everywhere i go, people come up to me and i've never been worried about this country until now. and they say it not with anger, sadness iny it with their eyes. i've never been worried about country until now. economicried about the crisis choking our budgets and shrinking our retirement. providingied about decent health care and a college own children.our we fear for the safety of our families. it's why neighborhood streets that were once filled with skateboards and laughter in the air now sit silent.d in virtually every way forks the things we care about most, we

loss.rofound we're sad. not because we fear something is going wrong, but because we know something already has gone wrong. that's why more and more firearms are buying and ammunition. not to cause trouble. but because that america is trouble.n we know that sooner or later, wreckless government actions and policies have consequences. that when government corrupts truth and breaks faith with the american people, the entire of society, everything we on, is thennd count in jeopardy. dishonesty and media dishonesty have linked together. joined forces to

misinform and deceive the public. let's be straight about it right afternoon. the political and media elite us.lying to you know they are. they lie bills into law. they pass legislation they haven't even read. and yet eagerly go on and defend television. health care policies, economic policies, foreign affairs, all reckless.tedly a weapon. is now a weapon. to punish anyone who disagrees them. you.hat means every one of they try to regulate our religion. our cell phones and e-mail data.

give us fast and furious, obamacare, massive unemployment, a debt that will choke our grandchildren, and one executive order after another right on top other. and here's the deal. expose government dishonesty and scandal like they media elite white wash it all. us, there'sy tell nothing to see here, don't worry move on. one of america's greatest threats is a national news media that fails to provide a level playing field for the truth. [applause] entertainment,

ratings, personal celebrities, next sensational story, and the deliberate spinning and purposeful use of words and truth be damned, to advance their own agenda. every day in this country. and here's how you know the lying.s they still call themselves journalists. neverell you, they've been honest about the n.r.a., they hate us. saying out loud and sticking up for what we believe, no right.ave so they try to ridicule us into oblivion or shame us into .ubmission but it should be directed right their own makeup mirrors. intentional corruption of the truth is an

nation. and n. r.a. members will never theit or surrender to national media. it's an all too common place lying, that most americans have simply stopped in this country. it's why the president's state of the union address was largely by the public. it's why, according to a recent poll, 90% of americans disapprove of washington. why a majority of americans in poll after poll, regardless trust thees it, don't white house. don't trust congress. either't much trust national political party.

trust thes heck don't national media. trust government, because government itself has trust.unworthy of our we trust ourselves, and we trust we know in our hearts to be right. our freedom. in this uncertain world, lies andd by corruption, everywhere you look, there is no greater freedom than the right to survive and protect our families with all the rifles, shotguns and handguns we want. [applause] we know, in the world that areounds us, there terrorists and there are home invaders, drug cartels, carjackers, knockout gamers, and

campusand haters and killers, airport killers, shopping mall killers, and who scheme to destroy our country with massive storms our powere against grids or vicious ways of chemicals or disease that could collapse our society that all.ins us so, i ask you, all of you here trust thisou government to protect you? >> no. own. are on our that is a certainty. theess certain than absolute truth, a fact of mediaul political and elites continue to deny, just as sure as they would deny our to save our very lives. the life or death truth that you're on your own, the surest way to stop a bad guy a good guy with a gun.

[cheers and applause] what i've just said will be ridiculed asd feverish fear mongering, by the people who produce the television shows and movies that depict and glam rise mentioned.act i just [applause] them sneer. they can't change the truth. fact that change the all over america, there are more than 100 million good guys and good gals too, good americans guns and a bunch of us are here right now. we are good americans. our country.

and we are not about to stand by as the dishonest elite try to media strip our values away. the n.r.a., all we believe in and fight for, it's really become a metaphor for the core american freedoms that all of us want preserved. with the n.r.a. is a massive declaration of rights, an unwavering determination to secure the that we of everything cherish. is noble, as like-minded people coming defendr to protect and what makes us free. what our founding fathers were and envisioned us be.lways so i'll put it to you. believe that declaration

of individual liberty? come on, let me hear you, do you it?eve you willing to stand and fight for your rights? >> yes. two things i are need you to do. first, i want to you go to the booth right here at cpac and sign your name to a individual of rights. sign that declaration today, and millions ofe to other patriotic americans like you all over this great country. and second, i want you to stand backd your declaration and it up by joining the national rifle association. [applause] needs you. as part of a larger, stronger and growing n.r.a. it's how you resist. how you tell the world that

you're going to fight, and you're going to protect you care about. dignity, honor, civic courtesy, kindness the liberty to live and believe as we choose. to be as accepted as we are accepting of others. the freedom that only comes through the second amendment and to the u.s.rights constitution. [applause] fear andithout tyranny, as responsible good people who exercise our individual right to keep and bear arms to defend our families, our communities, and our nation. n.r.a. proudly stands for the america we all want. speak and gather as we choose, unashamed of our

patriotism, unflinching in defense of one unifying principle. individual freedom for all. [applause] in thisnd amendment country separates us from every other country on earth. makes us stronger than other countries, it makes us better than other countries. [applause] to save all of our freedoms there is no nobler cause than second amendment. so this is your moment in national movement. it's your time to join us and fight.nd our opponents are shrewd and oflled at spinning webs

deceit. their coffers, and i know you this, their coffers are full. squarely on are set this fall's election, and this election, and don't let anyone oidz, it's going to be a bear knuckle street fight. after every house seat, every senate seat, every chair, every state house they can get their hands on, and they're laying the put anotherto clinton back in the white house. they fully intend to finish the job. commitment,heir their dream, of fundamentally america.ing into an america that i guarantee recognize. n.r.a.k my words, the will not go quietly into the night.

we will fight. that.ise you [applause] with millions and millions of you all overt like this country. together.oing to come this election is going to be won inlost on every street, every corner, in every coffee shop, in every store, in every in america, whereverry n.r.a. member lives and works and campaigns. those n.r.a. members, those americans, they are the real muscle of n.r.a.'s clout. of you, and everyone becomeg this out on tv, one of them.

join us and together we will fight and win back and take back our country. stand up right now, and you tell me, do you want to save that's good and all and right about america? come on. they need to hear you all the to the green rooms of msnbc and all the way over to the house. [cheers and applause] will you stand with us and defend your freedom with all your heart? are you proud of your individual ready to fight like hell to keep it this fall? n.r.a. movement to reclaim our nation and restore values. american never ever back down, and always heart together as americans let's stand and fight for freedom. very much. [cheers and applause] thank you.

a lot. >> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome donned atrump, chairman president of the trump organization. >> thank you very, very much. notice, no teleprompter. we don't have teleprompters. said, how many of these people are using teleprompters? them, so almost all of we can't do that. you know, i just left trump national dor aal in miami and

it's a great place, i just spent $250 million rebuilding it making it the best resort in the woodsy, and i saw tiger this morning, ernie els and phil mickelson and i was dressed like this. where are you going? and i said i'm going to cpac. [cheers and applause] now, i don't know if they knew what i was talking about, they so that washey did, very impressive. but i created a lot of jobs down the road,t thank you, you look so nice. road i'm down the creating jobs, we start in one month on the old post office, is an incredible building. and tremendous numbers of jobs, of money going into it, and it will be perhaps the most when we finish anywhere in the world, and we're very proud of it. right on pennsylvania avenue next to the white house. and between the white house and congress is sort of an

interesting place to be. to tell you that our seriousis in serious, trouble. $17 trillion our debt, 17 trillion?y off nobody ever heard the expression a number of years ago, the word trillion. have debt that's beyond belief, we have deficits that even comprehend. china, which i've been talking last five years, face,day right in our they just devalued their currency. now, for those that don't understand devaluation, what they're basically doing is ripping you really big league, nobody's ever done it better than us, but now we're to really do it again. and the reason they did it, and it,ybody was surprised by

so because our leadership is weak, and so pathetic, that they can get away with it. and believe me, they're taking our jobs and they're taking them big league. is not the only one. you look at other countries, they're all doing the same thing. have no respect for our leader. frankly, they frankly, they have no respect and a longer for our great country. it is so simple to solve. is a strong economy. what we need is jobs. you hear the stony job numbers, 6.7%. it is like they consider you employed. it's amazing.

they changed at this. if you had people that could not find work, they could not find work. huge number, probably like we have not had. years.re the worst in 36 look atng said and you what is going on, we have a president that just today came out with his lowest job approval rating, 38%. [applause] know, i am so torn. i would love to see him do a great job and put the country back, bring the country back, but we all know it's not going to happen. we all know it's not going to happen. is 54%.pproval rating when you think of that, it is inconceivable. we are getting into jimmy carter territory.

i never thought i would see anything like that again. i lived through that time and it was not a good time. we are pretty close. maybe by next month we will have surpassed the late, great, jimmy carter. is and that isit the way the country is. know, i want to see something happen that brings the country back. i went to see the potential that this country has on working so hard and i will do these things. al has done an amazing job with cpac. he really has. he's around here someplace. he is really done an amazing job . everybody wants to be here. when he calls, you come here, and we get our point across. the people in this room are people that want to see this country be great again.

it's very simple. somebody said, who is your says, who isebody your audience? who are they? i actually said these are people who love the country and want to see it be great again. it's very simple. it's just one of those things. now, we have a big election coming up. i believe the republicans -- conservative republicans, because the word conservative to me is very important. conservative republicans are going to take the senate. i believe that. i think it's going to happen. [applause] i think in 2016 you will probably be running against hillary clinton. it's going to be a tough race so by that time, it will be bad that the republicans will likewise take that and then you could actually end obama care which is a total catastrophe. [applause]

the problem is that in 2016, if you look and study it like i do, all of the problems are being 2016, afterthe year the election. i don't know how the republican leadership has allowed that to happen, but it's happening. i have read a lot of report saying we're going to drift along. just keep drifting. 2016, 2017, 28 team are going to be an economic disaster. you know, whoever is president -- good luck. you're going to have to be very smart, very sharp. they say 2016 after the election 2018, economic disaster. some say economic catastrophe.

we have so many issues if you think about this country. we have so many problems and we have so little leadership. so little leadership. it is all about the leadership and she agrees with me. i love her. she agrees with everything i'm saying. i like her. know, if you look at just what has been happening over the last couple of days, russia and putin -- i was in moscow a few weeks ago. they treated me so great. he even sent me a beautiful present with a beautiful note. i spoke to all of his people. you know, you look at what he's doing with president obama, he is like toying with him. the dayhe olympics and after the olympics, he starts with ukraine. the day after. he did not want to do it during the olympics and boom, the day

after. our athletes leave, we all leave, and the day after. you know, he goes in and he takes crimea, he is taking the heart and soul because that is where all the money is. i heard that the other day and they were saying that most of the wealth comes right from that area. that the rest of ukraine will fall landed his predicted the fall fairly quickly because without the money -- like this country, if we do not make this country great, it's going to fall. it's already falling. airports, look at our bridges, our roadways. becoming a third world country. when you see what they are doing in ukraine, it's just a question of time. now, putin is very friendly with iran.

iran is causing us tremendous problems. iraq. afghanistan, iran is now selling to iraq its weapons. iran has already taken over, essentially, iraq. it's amazing. we lost tremendous lives, so many wounded warriors. these are great people and i know so many of them. so many are just so badly wounded. in these incredible people come back to this country and what have we gotten for it? iraq and$2 trillion in then we pull out. i took a lot of heat, except from conservative people, when we went over there and i said i assume we are taking the oil. are we taking the oil? people said, what a horrible thing to do.

special into the victor belongs the spoils? cpac. at take the oil.ing, at least pay us back. i come out front page news about trump yang a horrible human being wants to take the oil from a sovereign country. sovereign? give me a break. [laughter] [applause] unbelievable. so you know who's taking the oil now? iran. and what people don't know is has the second-largest oil reserves in the world. who knew that? i did. trillion isple of peanuts and $18 trillion on the ground. trillion, just two,

maybe three? but people went nuts. now you look at what's going on with afghanistan. you have karzai treating our president like you does not even exist so they make a deal, and i am not advocating staying because, frankly, i went to build this country. i don't want to build a school in afghanistan. up andhe road get built blown up four times and they keep rebuilding and rebuilding. the go to brooklyn and you cannot have schools. you go wherever he and you cannot have schools because we don't have any money because we are spending it in other places where, frankly, they don't want us and i don't want them. it's amazing. [applause]

so in afghanistan, they make a deal and karzai said, i'm not signing that deal. the stupid americans. they give me bundles of cash. who is the soldier -- think of this. maybe i have a couple hundred bucks in my pocket. soldier that carries satchels of $50 million to take care of these people? have you heard this? who is this soldier. i guarantee you unless he's a really honest, he's really rich, ok? [laughter] we give all of this money and it was just revealed the other day that are friends again from area were for -- we fighting the war here and on the other side of the mountain, a lot of people don't realize this but afghanistan, they did not think it had wealth. it has tremendous wealth and minerals.

and fighting,ng getting blown up, all sorts of crap happening and on the other side of the mountain, you have china taking out all of their minerals. this was reported the other day but i said it two years ago. by the way, i don't dislike china. businessweek did an article the chineseings most want, different elements. they had 10 of them. the top 10 things. friends respect me for it. they actually say, you are right. they live in china. gettingt believe we are away with it either. the thing they most want, anything trump. you believe it? my apartments, my ties. they love me. i have the largest bank in the

world from china, the chinese , theyiggest bank in china are my tenant in one of my buildings and they said we will never leave. we love you. we love the building. smart and they respect you. they don't respect stupid people. they are dealing with. ok? obama care has to be changed. immigration, we are either a country or we are not. we either have borders or we don't. we either have borders or we don't. [applause] you know, you have a border, you have a contrary. whatu don't have a border are we doing acting nothing? i feel strongly about that. as conservative people and does

some are so conservative you don't even want to be republican and i understand that, too. [laughter] as conservative people and does republicans, when you let 11 million -- which will grow to 30 million -- i don't care who stands up whether it is marco rubio who talk about letting getyone in, you will not one vote. every one of those votes goes to the democrats. you have to do what's right. those 11 million potential voters, which will go to 30 million in the not too far off future. you will not get any of those votes no matter what you do, no matter how many times you say to rip down the fence and let everyone in the, you will not get the votes. you better beon,

smart and tough. they are taking our jobs. you better be careful. i just say one other thing. medicare, medicaid, social security. i listen the people come in and say we are going to dismantle it and we're just going to knock the hell out of it. i'm a friend of paul ryan. i like him very much. but i don't like what they are saying. i want to make this country so strong and so rich, so powerful, we have so much energy and so much money under our feet. [applause] to take away peoples social security, medicare, medicaid. you want to stop the fraud and abuse? believe me there is plenty. they had a vote recently of tea , 79% said do not my medicaid,care, my social security.

how the hell do you get elected when you want to do that? i want to make the country so strong and you can do it. we are sitting on top of something that is so amazing, such incredible wealth. the way you solve all of these problems is tremendous wealth, of ourous strengthening military. they want to cut our military. [applause] listened to vladimir putin about what we are going to get. we don't want you to use those missiles. hard to believe. the bottom line is very simple. make america strong again. make america great again. unbelievableuch potential. we have to use it. we need the right leaders. thank you all very much. thank you. [applause] thank you.

♪ coverage of the conservative political action conference begins tomorrow starting at 10:00 a.m. eastern and a lineup includes rand paul, mike huckabee, and texas governor rick perry. on saturday, newt gingrich, and coulter, sarah palin. we will bring you the results of the presidential straw poll at 1230 p.m. eastern on c-span.

join the conversation and on twitter with #cspanchat. coming up on c-span, president obama announces sanctions against russia. a house committee hearing on ukraine. condemnedse democrats chairman there'll issa for his actions and highlights from cpac , the conservative political action conference. >> c-span. we bring public affairs offense from washington directly to you putting you in the room with congressional hearings, white house events, briefings and offering complete gavel-to-gavel coverage of the u.s. house as a public service of private industry. we are c-span created by the industry 35 years ago and funded by her local cable or satellite

provider. follow us on twitter. like us on facebook. voted 385-23today for $1 billion in loan guarantees for the ukrainian government. also today, president obama ordered limited sanctions against russia announcing this at the beginning of the white house daily news briefing. >> good afternoon, everybody. i want to provide an update on our efforts to address the crisis in the ukraine. since the russian intervention, we have been mobilizing the community to condemn this violation of international law and support the people of ukraine. this morning i signed an order that authorizes sanctions on individuals and entities responsible for violating the sovereignty of ukraine or for

stealing the assets of the ukrainian people. the state department has put in place restrictions on the travel of certain individuals. these decisions continue our efforts to impose a cost on russia and those responsible for the situation in crimea. they give us the flexibility to adjust a response going forward based on russia's actions. we took the steps in coordination with our european allies. i have spoken to several of our friends around the world, and i am pleased our unity is on display at this moment. we have moved to announce substantial assistance for the government in kiev, and in brussels today our allies took similar steps. i am confident we are moving together, united in our determination to oppose actions that violate international law and to support the government and people of ukraine. that includes standing up for

the principle of state sovereignty. the proposed referendum would violate the ukrainian constitution and international law. any discussion about the future of ukraine must include the legitimate government of ukraine. in 2014, we are beyond the days where borders can be redrawn over the heads of democratic leaders. i want to make sure there is a way to resolve this crisis that respects the interest of the russian federation as well as the ukrainian people. let international monitors into all of ukraine, including crimea, to ensure the rights that all ukrainians are being respected, including ethnic russians, consultations between russia and ukraine with the participation of the international community, and russia would maintain its bases in crimea provided it abides by its agreements.

the world should support the people of ukraine as they move to elections in may. that is the path of de-escalation. secretary kerry is engaged with discussions with all parties to pursue that path. but if this violation of international law continues, it will result in the united states and our allies and the international community's resolve being firm. we support the people of ukraine. one last point, there has been talking in congress about these issues. today i call on congress to follow up on these words with actions, to support the imf's capacity to lend resources to ukraine and provide assistance for the ukrainian government so they can weather this storm and

stabilize the economy, make needed reforms, deliver for their people, all of which will provide a smoother pathway for the elections that have been scheduled in may. today the world can see the united states is united with our allies in upholding international law and pursuing a just outcome that advances global security and the future of ukrainian people. that is what we will continue to do in the days to come until we have seen the resolution to this crisis. thanks very much. jay and ben and others will be happy to take your questions. in addition to loan guarantees for the government, the house is considering a variety of sanctions against resolutionuding a

condemning the military invasion. this part of the hearing is just over one hour beginning with committee chairman ed royce. ment. >> ukraine is facing not one crisis but a number of them. they are facing a crisis wrought on by years of mismanagement, years of corruption by previous government officials. this while under military invasion and economic coercion by neighboring russia. world has been speaking up sending a clear message and that message is not moscow's actions over the past week are out of bounds. the new government in kiev

cannot succeed without strong therapid support by international community. working in close cooperation with our european allies, the u.s. is crafting an immediate assistance package. is crafting an immediate assistance package. but this help must be accompanied by fundamental economic reforms if ukraine is to stabilize its economy. only ukraine can help us help them. i'll also mention that later this month, prior to the elections in ukraine, i will be leading a co-del to the country because we must also help ensure the elections scheduled for may will be fair, will be free and reflect the true voice of the ukrainian people in all regions of the country. a country that is becoming

increasingly divided. i think our oversight and engagement is important. a successful election is essential to ukraine's ability to resolve the many issues it's got on its plate and to advance towards democracy and long-tinge prosperity. addressing ukraine's energy security must be part of our response. russia has repeatedly used it y supply of natural gas to pressure ukraine. and has announced it will significantly increase its costs in a deliberate effort to squeeze ukraine. fortunately, we have an option to help counter this threat. namely, reducing the current impediments to exports of american gas to the ukraine. the administration has it within its power to do this by removing the current bureaucratic obstacles that only empower putin. they should do so rapidly.

this committee is working to provide appropriate assistance to all ukrainian people and also to pressure russia to withdraw its forces and cease its efforts to destabilize ukraine. as part of that effort, immediately following this hearing, we will mark up a resolution that the ranking member and i have introduced that condemns russia's aggression and outlines these steps. i strongly encourage the administration to increase efforts to isolate russia diplomatically. there is much that can be done. such as introducing a resolution at the u.n. security council that condemns russian aggression. isolating moscow. the rest of the international community will support such a resolution. moscow alone will veto it. but it will increase the pressure. the treasury department should also make clear that the u.s. is also on the lookout for russia banks that involved in illicit

activities such as the transfer of stolen ukrainian assets, especially those banks that are primarily owned by the government or by the oligarchs. we also in our resolution laid out other steps that should be taken. such as the limitation on travel. many of us have been calling for action and last evening the administration called me to indicate that it was going to take steps on precisely these issues. the visa and the asset bans here. so we will look forward to that statement from the administration, i think further elaborating the executive order announced early this morning. but we must remember that the purpose of our pressure on russia is not simply to punish

aggression and certainly it is not to escalate the confrontation, but instead to move putin toward a resolution that protects the territorial integrity of ukraine. that was our april business here. as we look forward, we have with us today three administration witnesses to answer questions from members regarding the current situation in ukraine and the administration's ongoing efforts to provide assistance to kiev and to pressure russia. the ranking member will be here shortly. and while he's en route, i'll also take this opportunity to introduce our witnesses. we have limited time this morning. so before i introduce the witnesses, we're honored to have with us today ambassador mossic from the embassy of ukraine. mr. ambassador, we know that it is a very difficult time for

your country, and we want to extend a very warm welcome to you. as you can see, ukraine hasp friends on this committee. this morning, we're pleased to be joined by representatives from the department of state, the u.s. agency for international development and the department of treasury. a career foreign service officer, he previously served as deputy chief of mission at the u.s. epbase mbassy in moscow be assuming his duties in the bureau of european and ur raeur asian affairs. mr. singh is the deputy assistant secretary for europe and eurasia at the u.s. department of the treasury. he advises the leadership at the department of the treasury and the white house on global markets. and without objection, the

witnesses full prepared statements are going to be part of the record. i'm going to encourage you all to summarize and use your time to present your viewpoints. afterwards, the members will have five calendar days to submit statements and questions and materials for the record. without objection, as member offices were notified last night, in light of our time constraint, mr. engel and i are suggesting we limit to three minutes per member to help maximize participation of all the members this morning. if i could now go to our ranking member, mr. engel, whose family is originally from the ukraine, mr. engel from new york. >> thank you very much, mr. chairman. deputy assistant rubinrubin. thank you for appearing before the committee today. and for your t