any changes in its territory, borders, the status of regions within its borders. the implications of accepting russia's action and not sanctioning russia, turning a blind eye to it, are profound for every nation. for every nation that grapples with issues of ethnic minorities defineons that have to their relationship to the center of the country, for example. these are very important issues. fact andndful of the point out the fact that there are means by which individuals in crimea, working with the government in kiev, can take alterto evaluate and

their relationship with the central government. in they have to be done keeping with international law embodied inciples the constitution of ukraine. that is why it matters. referendum ise not viewed as lawful or legitimate. >> visit it our feeling the referendum was fraudulent? have --'t >> was it set up improperly? >> there is no question the way it was conducted violates the ukrainian constitution. therefore, whatever its results, recognized by the international community.

in terms of the conduct of the referendum and whether there was fraud, i don't have further information on that because the event itself was not lawful. >> if i could push you again on senator mccain's assertion that the u.s. response has been is it his contention that as time goes on, it will become more powerful? or is it his contention eight it has not --his contention it has not been timid to date? >> i have not seen his comments. i noted they have fluctuated in terms of his evaluation of the president's performance every several days. the president is focused on making sure we support the ukrainian government and people. the international

community behind support for the principles of territorial andgrity and sovereignty making sure we were together so russia pays a price for violating ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. all those things are happening. more costs will be incurred by russia should it not change its course. raisedspecific matter when it comes to other forms of assistance, we are evaluating requests and ways by which we can provide support to the ukrainian government and people. principally, the support ukraine desperately needs is economic support. working with international partners and congress so congress gets it done so the bilateral assistance can be provided. we are working with the international community to

ensure our efforts are coordinated, so they have the maximum effect in terms of the costs incurred by russia and the assistance provided to the ukrainian government and people. we are working together with partners to make sure russia understands there is a path out of this confrontation that would allow it to get right with international law and ensure its interests are acknowledged and assessed. before power structure in russia is such that the sanctions will have an effect. can you elaborate on what you mean? say in russiato there are individuals with a great deal of influence over russian governmental policy and the economy who do not hold positions in the government.

the authority in the executive order signed today expands the categories under which individuals could be targeted for sanctions. there are no individuals who fill those descriptions who have been targeted yet, but the authorities exist should those decisions be made. >> sanctions the u.s. imposed it does not go after any businesses or companies? is it possible that might change? sanctionsrue these attached to those individual individually named are targeted at the individuals, their wealth, and capacity to and avail themselves

of any property or assets in the united states. there are european sanctions as well. in terms of further sanctions answer is it is possible further steps could be taken in keeping with what i have said, that we will calibrate our response and raise the price if russia does not change course. sanctions inned place already might make some multinational conglomerates reconsider doing business with russia. is the administration talking with any of those? >> i was not attempting to imply that. is almost self-evident that kind of assessment would be ongoing because investors tend to make assessments about where to put money based on stability and countriescy in the where they are investing. this, the isolation

and sanctions, would play into any decisions an investor might make. impact in thethat economy and stock markets and currency. i think it is likely it will only get worse for russia should they continue down this path. authority,e expanded are you suggesting the administration could choose to target oligarchs in russia? >> i was pointing to the language in the executive order that notes there is the authority to impose sanctions against individuals who have influence on those in power in governmental positions but do not themselves hold positions in the government. the crony privilege? >> some have described it that

way. that is not the language in the executive order. >> one of the senior officials mentioned it. >> it is indeed. >> a follow-up to jerry's question. a senator in ukraine over the weekend said today the u.s. should target russian banks. how is the white house -- how does the white house view something like that? >> i am not going to speculate about further steps should there be further provocations from russia or refusal to change course, except to say that if you look at the authorities provided by the executive orders, you can get a sense of what is possible. but i am not going to speculate about which future targets might

exist if further action is taken. all the way back. named sense of those today how many may have assets in the united states and how much? >> i don't have that information. to the extent we would answer questions like that, i would refer you to the treasury department. i am not sure we would provide that. --over the weekend [indiscernible] the year-long delay in naming ambassadors. why is it taking so long? they are taking it as a sign of disinterest on this white house's part from dublin. >> that is not the case. i don't have updates on the process of selecting were naming -- selecting or nominating a new ambassador to ireland.

i know the president values the relationship we have with the republic of ireland. that relationship remains as strong as ever, as evidenced by the events late last week. ton we have an announcement make, we will make it. thanks, everybody. >> white house press secretary jay carney responding to a number of questions about president obama's announcement today about imposing sanctions on russian officials responsible for the situation in ukraine. this after the referendum in crimea over the weekend. president obama says the u.s. stands ready to impose more sanctions if necessary. here is a look at the president's remarks to reporters this morning.

>> good morning. we have been guided by a fundamental principle. the future of ukraine must be decided by the people of ukraine. that means ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected. international law must be upheld. decision to send troops into crimea has rightly drawn global condemnation. mobilized states has the international community in support of ukraine to isolate russia for its actions and reassure our allies and partners. international unity over the weekend when russia stood alone defending its actions in crimea. as i told president putin yesterday, the referendum was a clear violation of ukrainian

constitutions and international law. it will not be recognized by the international community. announcing a series of measures that will continue russiaease the costs on and those responsible for what is happening in ukraine. sanctionsare imposing on specific individuals responsible for undermining the ukraine.ty of we are making it clear there are consequences for their actions. second, i have signed a new executive order that expands the scope of our sanctions. as an initial step, i am authorizing sanctions on russian operating in the arms sector in russia and individuals who provide material support to senior officials of the russian government. if russia continues to interfere in ukraine, we stand ready to

impose further sanctions. third, we are continuing consultations with european partners who moved ahead with their own sanctions against russia. bident, vice president the parts for europe where he will meet with nato allies. i will be traveling to europe next week. our message will be clear. tohave a solemn commitment our collective defense and will uphold this commitment. we will continue to make clear to russia further provocations will achieve nothing except to further isolate russia and diminish its place in the world. the international community will continue to stand together to oppose violations. continued russian military intervention in ukraine will only deepen russia's isolation and exact a greater toll on the russian economy. going forward, we can calibrate

our response based on whether russia chooses to escalate or de-escalate the situation. i believe there is still a path to resolve this diplomatically in a way that addresses the interests of russia and ukraine. that includes russia pulling its forces in crimea back to their bases, supporting the deployment of additional international monitors in ukraine, and engaging in dialogue with the ukrainian government, which has indicated openness to pursuing as theytional reform move forward towards elections this spring. we will stand firm in our unwavering support for ukraine. as i told the prime minister last week, the united states stands with the people of ukraine and the right to determine their own destiny. we will keep working with congress and our international partners to offer ukraine economic support it needs to

weather this crisis and improve the daily lives of the ukrainian people. as we go forward, we will continue to look at the ways we can help our ukrainian friends achieve their universal rights and the security, prosperity, and dignity they deserve. x very much -- thanks very much. surprised it has taken this course? >> we're asking for your thoughts on the president's announcement. blake says they were held captive and there was no choice on the ballot to stay with ukraine. hawn asks why the u.s. needs to be the global police force. you can join the conversation and share your thoughts at facebook.com/cspan.

>> for st. patrick's day, we turn to the video library to see how u.s. presidents marked the holiday. >> despite all of this, tip wanted me here. marchd since it was 17, it was only fitting someone dropped by that have actually known saint patrick. [laughter] that is true. i did no saint patrick. theact, we both changed to same political party about the same time. have had a glass of guinness with a man in ireland, as i have with him, you are friends. >> ♪ [applause]

>> today, more than 35 million americans claim irish ancestry. america is richie for every murphy and o'sullivan. i should have said mccain. [laughter] [applause] well, i just did. >> happy st. patrick's day to everybody. millions of americans trace their roots back to the immobile's -- emerald isles. on st. patrick's day, many millions more claim to. [applause]

>> i have concluded. i would be glad to yield. i look to both sides. the only gentleman on that side that has even made a move. the gentleman did not stand or rise. i resent it. if anyone had stood, i would have recognized them. >> i did not mean to suggest you were not acting with fairness. i was suggesting we do have a consensus that you have worked with the united states. >> that is not what you said. you said i have a fast gavel. it was not. it was the normal procedure of this house. i would never do a thing like that. i ask for an opportunity to vote on the rule.

there was not a man on either side of the aisle that stood. >> i respectfully suggest i did not mean to offend you. >> well, you have offended me. i will accept your apology. >> i am sorry for that. >> find more highlights of house coverage on our facebook page. cabled by america's companies 35 years ago and brought to you today as a public service by your local cable or satellite provider. >> now, a discussion on hunger, obesity, and food assistance from last month. it is one hour and 15 minutes. [applause] >> your campus is amazing, pepperdine. when i was looking at colleges,

my parents suggested it because they would have loved to visit here. up, ihe road driving thought i was not sure i would get any work done. i'm highly impressed you are s till here in school. that means you're getting enough work done to stay here. i find that impressive niels lesniewski -- i find that impressive. are upset in california we are having this long drought, but it is glorious weather. it is the good and bad going together. thank you for having me here for the lecture series. i want to start with a new understanding of these issues that often seem disconnected. i want to start with the main premise. i believe we can feed the world.

statementnteresting in the global picture that suggests we cannot feed the world. the population is growing to 9 billion. we still have so many hungry people. we have these issues connected to agriculture, trade, and the many things food is connected to. many people make the statement we will not be able to feed the world. the statement was made hundreds of years ago talking about the fact we are going to run out of food and people are going to starve. there still is hunger. but if we come from the perspective we can feed the world, we have more hope in solving some of the biggest problems. assuming we have a solution is a better way to go about trying to find the solution. i think the bigger question is, can we feed the world well?

onhave plenty of calories our planet to feed everyone. as we know, there are other food -related problems that do not end with having enough calories. that is one of the biggest challenges. it is a question that has driven me to this new understanding of hunger, obesity, and the food system. i am hoping i can walk you ofough my own experience coming to the awareness of these problems. maybe you can see how i have come to this new understanding of these issues. start withhing to talking about food is that food is awesome. you go to a fundraising event for hunger, and there is a fancy or people are talking about obesity while eating junk food. there are challenges to talking about food because it is

something we have to do every day. it is something many of us do more than four times a day. it is something every major culture has come to as part of their celebration. no matter where we come from. whether it is christmas with our families, celebrating hanukkah, or one of the many cultural celebrations around the world, it is all about food. that is the same for every corner of the planet. we have to remember food is not necessarily the problem. food is something we all want to enjoy. this is not about the world going on a global diet. this is about creating a system that allows people to enjoy food in a healthier way. i will start to talk with this picture, which is super random for most of you. it has a lot to do with where i am today in my study of food. i started my career working for

the military. i studied political science and international relations. my senior year at columbia when 9/11 happened. this had a huge impact on my studies and my life. i was studying security issues and terrorism. i moved into my first job focused on these issues and working with the military. i was noticing a lot of places around the world that need these ome aret carriers to c often the same ones where there is hunger. this crystallized for me in reading about these issues around the time of the darfur crisis in 2005. it is still a major challenge today. a couple of weeks ago, there was an american health -- helicopter shot out and south sudan.

this is an area of the world where there has been chronic long-term hunger and violence. those things are incredibly connected. the other thing interesting about this aircraft carrier is i switched my career focus from terrorism to food insecurity. i noticed we use the same big ships to deliver food around the world. we're going to take these ships to those places anyway, whether we bring food or weapons. interesting this so connected to our military and physical security is also deeply connected to global food security. campus,am on a college i have to make this statement that will be reiterated throughout my talk.

the reason i connected those things is not because i got a masters or a phd in them. it is not because i have teachers who walked me through the process of seeing the linkages between food, security, and terrorism. it is because i read a lot about it. in whateveryou issue you are passionate about, a lot of the answers and new understandings can come from your own personal studies. my own reading about the crisis is what brought me to this idea and shifted my career. happened was i started working at the united nations world food program. this is the food agency, their largest humanitarian agency responsible for feeding millions of people. one of the most simple things i learned about working for them

is their school feeding initiative. it is the simple idea we have in america where if kids cannot afford a school lunch, you bring it to them. it is a way to get them to go to school and give them the nutrition to focus. it is a smart and low-cost intervention. in 2006 when i was learning about it, it was $34 to feed a child at school for a year. around the world, it can vary from $20 to $50. but it is a relatively low-cost way to make sure a kid gets to school, just provide them with the free school meals. part of my job was working with the celebrity ambassadors, which was cool. it is the balance of how you use friends who live about 15 miles south of here. how do we use them to get attention on these causes but not take attention from what needs to be talked about? i started working with one of

the celebrity ambassadors, laure n bush. she had this idea of using the fashion industry two ways -- to raise awareness about the simple solution to child hunger called school feeding. because i have done so much reading about food issues in the i thought it seemed like a moment where people are ready ortalk about child hunger how we can use fashion in a better way. around the time we were thinking about this new idea, magazines started having green issues and talking more about socially conscious things. if we could support the school feeding initiative in a simple way that a lot of people could access, we could fulfill this need for children to have enough money and food to go to school. we cofounded a business.

it was insane at the time. i had no idea how to start a company and neither did my business partner. i was working as a spokesperson at the u.n., probably the last person you would think would become an entrepreneur. it was the need to get money and awareness raised about the problem of child hunger, and the simple solution to create a product to do so. the company was founded on that mission. we could feed one child in school for one year by selling one of these bags. it turned out with a little hard , we could create these products and sell them around the world. we did this great partnership with whole foods. we had our feedbacks in every whole foods -- we had our feed bags in every whole foods. we provided 100 school meals for every bag sold. we were able to provide 430,000 school meals, which is

incredible, simple partnership sold in a store we shopped that on a regular basis. the other thing that was cool was we were able to produce the products wherever we wanted. have this amazing experience producing products in kenya. we were working with a women's co-op. we found it was mixed boys and girls who were students at a local school for the deaf. one of the most amazing experiences i had was when the guy in the picture told me what product, what the he liked about working on the project was he knew it would be sold to help provide meals for hungry kids in kenya. here's a young person who is deaf and living in what we consider to be a poor part of the world, but he was proud something he was working on would go to help children less fortunate.

about theat lesson human nature every one of us wants to make the world a better place. we are all just looking for ways we can. one of the other things interesting about running feed is there is an expectation we are producing a product -- when you are producing a product. friends 15 miles south, there is an expectation they will get those products for free. you have so much money and want me to send you one for free? no. we had this policy that they would buy it and pay for it. experiencesoolest when these products were just getting off the ground is we got weekly magazine with reese witherspoon during one of our bags that she bought. it wasn't carnival snapshot of a

moment in time -- it was an incredible snapshot of a moment in time that there were people willing to go out of the way to buy them and wear them to get photographed. we have to remember no matter what issues we are interested in, sometimes there are amazing moments when that issue's time has come. and iincredible company, am so proud to have been involved in getting it started. the number is now close to 70 million school meals we have been able to provide. that was two young girls. we started the company in my apartment. we had no idea how to start a business. those products sold around the world and provided over 70 million school mills, which is incredible. one of the weird parts about running feed is we did so much travel around the u.s. to stores and around the developing world feeding kids.

i would have these weird experiences in both environments. there was something wrong that i kept paying attention to. this is a picture from uganda. we were there to shoot pictures of the products -- projects we were supporting. i had gone into a little market and thought i would get some local food. the only things i could find cookies, soda, white bread. not to be an american snob, but i don't eat any of that junk. i am in role uganda at a little market, and i can't find something healthy to eat. i got on the plane and went back. we landed in new york. ien i got into the airport,

stopped at a little snack shop and you kind of have the same options available. soda, chips, cookies. i went, that is weird that this area of the world suffering from chronic hunger and food whererity and the city there is a major obesity crisis, but the picture of food in both places is strangely similar. to 2010.eeping up i was noticing more people were talking about the mystic food issues. 2008 got aisis in lot of people focused on hunger. there were governments toppling, all kinds of stuff going on related to the fact that so many people were hungry with rising food prices. within a few short years, the

conversation swung back to the rampant obesity epidemic. was trying to support hunger but eating in the world tried to avoid obesity, i found this incredibly ironic. around my 30th birthday, legit i wanted to make a big party but do something more meaningful considering my career. that mays crazy idea be in the last 30 years since i have been on the planet this problem of obesity and hunger have more connected than i thought. maybe the experience of uganda and the airport were what the answer is, the key to the new understanding. i have been -- i had an

opportunity to give a ted talk in new york. i made this link that maybe these food problems were a 30-your window. , where wek at 2010 were and have continued to go,, we have reduced hunger. but there is still so much hunger. in 2008, the numbers were dramatically up. but the problem overview bestie -- the problem of obesity has been created in the last 30 years. in the time most of us have been on the planet, obesity went from not existing to being a major crisis. look at these maps. it was under 15%. now almost every state is a crisis of obesity. thank goodness we are in

california where we are a little better. depending on where you are, you get the same high percentages of the deadly disease. the other thing that is crazy that i noticed in the developing world is when you are in hungry areas or rural areas, you don't see people so much overweight. as you get closer into the cities, you see obesity taking root. as more people are eating our western diet, you see the levels of obesity and disease as we have. almost everywhere you go, easy the same brands -- you see the same brands of soda and serial. instead of just ending hunger and getting people to be healthy, we are ending hunger and getting people to be overweight. we are also having this weird, never before seen problem, of

people in the same person both hungry and overweight. when you seea lot on the news people going to food banks. they look overweight but are not nursed -- malnourished. the calories they can access are the cheapest and least healthy. they are gaining weight but not nutrition. betweenthe connection how we will and hunger -- end hunger and not make them do with another problem is the question for our generation. what has happened in the last 30 years has created the obesity epidemic and not ended hunger. what are we going to do going forward? it is around 900 million people chronically hungry. 1.5 billion are overweight.

the numbers are not necessarily going in the right direction. into whatig deeper could have created these problems. that takes you back to the farm. at a basicok snapshot of farming systems, we have farming systems in america that are massive farms reducing a lot of corn, soybeans, wheat. a lot developing world, of mostly women farmers are struggling to get by. neither is just right, to use the goldilocks thing. none of that is just the way -- right way of farming. there has been so much change in the last 30 years. we have lost a lot of farmers. farms have consolidated to become bigger.

food companies have consolidated to become bigger. farmers are making less of the dollar. we have reduced agricultural aid giving more food aid. instead of sending over specialists to help people learn to grow food, we have been sending more of our food. we have reduced funding for basic public research in agriculture. arican corn production, region of the world that needs corn production, has gone down. consolidation has gone up. temperatures have changed. natural disasters have increased. so many data points have gone in the wrong direction. one of the major things that has changed in the last 30 years is our reliance on a few crops. so many of you have heard about this. corn is in everything. whether it is high fructose corn

syrup, first put in coke and pepsi in 1984. it is a product that did not exist until the 1970's. you look at the obesity epidemic starting around 1980 and increasing dramatically. we started feeding more corn to our animals. inhave this massive increase looking around the world on how we will increase the supply of animal products. maybe we are not doing it the right way. we are feeding a lot of corn to animals, increasing their fat. maybe that is also increasing hours. now we are feeding corn to our cars. we're still having so much extra we are sending it overseas to feed hungry kids, instead of helping their families to grow food for themselves. we're doing more dumping of our xcess.ccess -- e

this product has overtaken us and the ones we need have become harder to eat. prices have gone up for the consumer, so it has been ordered to -- harder to access those things. the prices of soda and junk food made of corn have gone down. at the same time, which makes a lot of economic sense, as food and -- fruit and vegetables get more expensive, less people are eating healthy foods. we have systems built on increasing the investment forever cultural products. we have the outcome of people eating more fast food and tricking more soda. -- drinking more soda. this graph is nerdy but interesting. we all go to the store with a limited amount of dollars. it makes sense we spend those on

things that have more value for the dollar. itit is cheaper to buy soda, makes economic sense. if it is more challenging to buy fresh fruits and vegetables, maybe we are not going to buy them so much. the usda is telling us to fill half of our plate with fruits and vegetables, but we don't grow anywhere near that. they onlyry stores, take up about 10% of the grocery store. you're supposed to fill up your plate with something that is only 10% of the grocery store. that does not make sense. we have dueling problems as the outcome. mississippi and india have the dubious distinction of both having the highest numbers of malnutrition and some of the highest numbers of obesity in the same populations. clearly, there is something wrong with how we are getting food for growing food in those places leading to these

problems. the other thing that is so ironic is our population of farmers are some of the most overweight people in our country. it is kind of crazy. the super bowl ads from last year, the famous farmer add with the buff looking guy in the field. the reality is different. a lot of people driving around on tractors, not getting a ton of exercise, and eating a lot of junk food in their cabs. a lot of farmers working hard and growing this food that junk food companies are demanding are not growing healthy foods close to home, so it is hard to eat garden,ght from the right from the farm we get used to in california. it is harder to eat those in our big corn and soy growing regions. we have laid out the problems.

obesity and hunger are killing us. they're killing innocent kids. they're killing people that may not realize they are eating themselves to death. then we have health care as a solution. fromer interesting fact more than 30 years but a similar trajectory is that we used to spend more on food. we spent less on health care. thetoday, we are loving fact we don't spend that much money on food. we are all looking for the cheapest option. we pay for it on the backend by spending a lot more on health care. instead of food just been an agricultural act, maybe agriculture is a health act. billfarmville" -- the farm was passed this week but many of us do not know about it. there is an uproar when health care legislation changes everything, but isn't food and

the farm bill going to affect us more? and no one is talking about it. in california, we have one of the most rich agricultural land in the world. most of us don't even know the fundamental issues affecting farmers, where the subsidies are going. eventually is going to end up in our mouse. i would argue it is time to rethink the entire system. it will hear i don't think is as complicated as you might think. the last 30 years, the food system went crazy in many of the wrong directions. will it take us another 30 years to make things change for the better? i don't think it will take that long. if you look at young people today looking into their future thinking what food system i want, if we take responsibility now, it is possible 30 years from now we will be looking back

and saying it is cool reversed the epidemic of obesity and ended hunger. i think we have to look at food as the problem and solution. we cannot tell people not to eat as a way to end obesity. we cannot just keep throwing our excess food at people around the world as a way to end hunger. i would argue to change the system we need to start basic. if we're going to change the outcome, we have to change the measurements that go into it. are we going to judge agriculture on how much it produces or how much nutrition it produces? what about waste? there's about 40% food waste in america. ,his is the first super bowl one of the largest sport events in the world, that have

composting. and this technology that is thousands of years old, it is the first time it was used in the super bowl. there is also food waste in the developing world. all of this investment that has gone to helping people grow corn or giving people our excess has not gone to helping them store it and having better roads to take it to market and better refrigeration so it does not go bad. in these places where there is hunger, maybe we should reduce waste. how about focusing on food diversity? we grow many of the same things over and over again. we forget we don't need just one thing to survive. we need a lot of different foods. rewarding diversity in agriculture could change the way the system functions. instead of thinking about growing a lot of one thing, we

think about replicating farms. we are lucky in california. we can access great farmers markets. there's a lot of great stuff growing nearby. what if that was replicated in other states? what if we grow more diverse things. i will use to be a capital of apple growing. diversewe grew more varieties. maybe the farmers would not be so overweight. i know you are not agricultural scientists, but it is important to think about what goes into growing the food we eat good most of us do not know about the our food.used to grow what if we have new goals for the system question are what if the health of farmers was the number one goal?

what if that is the key goal in our new food system? what if another goal in the farm bill is tied to health care legislation? the only way health care legislation is successful is if food legislation is successful. what if we demanded that from congress? don't hold your breath. what if instead of focusing on food and calories and giving people vitamins, we thought about the fact that nutrients come packaged inside food? we want people to eat a diverse diet instead of a multivitamin and sugar cereal. what if we redefine a value meal? what if it was valued by some other series of metrics like nutrition? how good will this make me feel?

how much will this help prevent illness in the future? what if that is the value meal? a few more questions before we get into the fun stuff. there is so much talk about how we will feed the world and end obesity. think about future consumers. people don't focus on the fact that young people today are going to be the ones making all the decisions about our food economy in the future. if future consumers are demanding one thing, that is the best place to start looking. that is a hopeful place to start. has publicly stated they have a millennial problem. not enough millennials will go because we are too busy going to chipotle which has healthier food and treats the animals and workers better. what if that is the future consumer and future of our food system? that would be a much better

place to start. there's food on every corner, but is that a model we want to continue? around, even turn when we going to staples to buy office supplies, there are candy bars. that is weird. what if we don't want food to be every place we turn? it,re going to buy it, eat and be mad at ourselves. maybe that is a fundamental question to ask. butn't know who said it, the idea of the definition of insanity is to do the same thing over again and try to get different results. we have a food system where we keep growing more food but hopefully will end up with a population not overweight or hungry. clearly that is not working. let's talk about the future eater. when you look at the changes we have started to make, i think it

bodes well for what the future could hold. we love farmers markets. it is not just because it is the hipster thing to do on a sunday morning, which it is, so wear your skinny jeans. but also it is a great experience to go see someone who has grown your food or major cheese. we like that experience. we also like these things called csa's. the idea of buying immunity supported agriculture, buying for directly from a farmer to help the farmer have a consistent income and help you to have a consistent stream of healthy local food. the crazy word organic that people like to diss or obsess over. the sales have grown consistently. it is a smart business trend to get involved in because it is

consistently growing even as others have slowed down. the local thing is not just let's be cool and wealthy and shop in our region. it is a legitimate economic movement. people are interested in finding out where their strawberries were grown. i think people are more willing to say i don't need this type of fruit in the dead of winter. let's pretend we are in the rest of the world. people don't need fresh strawberries every day of the year. there is always this attitude about trends that suggest they are only for a certain few. the fact is these may start with a few but have moved around the country and world. thes at a meeting called world group pride a few years

ago. bogotáas a farmer from talking about how they were starting a strong farmers movement. this has been replicated from thatornia farmers markets can be built around the world as a new way to engage farmers and eaters and have them work together to create better economies. is not food in cities just for people who want to have a vertical garden or think it is cool to grow tomatoes on the roof of the restaurant. it is a major economic force. there are 800 million people living in urban environments and growing their own food, especially in the developing world. finley, and., ron unbelievable leader for this movement, has said things like growing your own food is the only way you can print your own money.

if you become a guerrilla gardener, you're saying "screw the man" just by growing vegetables near your house. if you think about turning food it is revolutionary act, incredibly needed when you look at the data for hunger and obesity around the world. it is not just for america or farmers nearby. when you go to college campuses, people are interested in fair trade coffee. places you go are offering things like fair trade. half of the bananas in switzerland and a huge percentage of sugar in the u.k. are fair trade certified. if we arelize importing things, should we make sure the farmers are not turning into hungry people later on? in america we are so concerned about agricultural

policies and immigration policies, but we are not thinking about the fact our food dollars have an impact on both. our food dollars have it huge impact on immigration policy. if people cannot stay successful small farmers where they live, they will want to look for ways to come here. likedn't we connect things how we buy fruits and vegetables with how we deal with immigration on the backend? it is something we often don't consider. but maybe the next generation will. it looks like i may be right about that. this is the national restaurant association. i could not get a cute graphic about the 2014 stuff, but it is similar. these are representatives of the major food chains. peopleey are saying is are looking for things like locally sourced meat, locally grown produce, environmental

sustainability on their menus. all of these things are not just restaurants,ncy but major chains around the country and eventually around the world realize is the way of the future. do a betterave to job of connecting our apple computers with the apples that we eat. so many times people say we can never get the whole world to eat healthy because it is impossible. it is something only the wealthy do. the reality is that is what people were saying 10 years ago about cell phones. before saying cell phones were this niche product only a few would ever have. today there are more cell phone users on the continent of africa than in america. that is the way the trend is

going. there are more people that have better access to technology but still don't have access to basic food. we have to think of the same creative destruction we used to create awesome technology products and bring that into our food supply. one thing super exciting is there are so many young entrepreneurs engaging in new food companies. atd trucks are fun to eat and also a crazy creative destruction example of innovation. i don't have money to the restaurant, but i have money to get a truck. you see a lot of app companies being developed to connect people to farmers. innovations tech , all the our lives

technologies we use to have fun with, we can also use the same technologies to snapchat a farmer. a #on instagram and farmer called selfie for selfies that is super cool. the point is, we have got all of this technology at our disposal. instead of just using it as a great way to have fun and take pictures of ourselves, we can use it to find better quality food. we have layers on google earth of where restaurants are. we have great app technologies to find the best food option or the secret underground restaurant that is a pop-up restaurant. that is something our generation is higher nearing as a way we

will connect with food better going forward. it is not just that it improves food systems for us. the food systems we build an america end up becoming the systems around the world. that is a missing link about all of these discussions. we and them -- as americans built the systems and build the brand's people have been literally around the world. an example of this is that coke is available in more countries than are recognized by the united nations. have put company we our money in and that is seen around the world. what if we could do the same things for healthy food that we have done for brown sugar water? what if we could actually be -- use the technology and our will to create a food system replicated in a way that get

others healthier and solve these challenges? it is upon us and the time is now that we could build a food system to feed the world well. there is so much energy and information around food and so much great technology available and none of us want to grow up and deal with the help roms of obesity and continue to see a world full of hunger. we are at an incredibly unique moment in time where we actually generation that helps us build a better food system. one of the most incredible things about going to food conferences and the relatively young is that i have set in so many rooms were people working on these issues for 50 years, really old dudes, stand up there and are like, how are we going to feed the world? i'm not making fun of them. not see is, they will

the world because they will not be around. if we do not continue to grab onto the conversations and own them of how we will see the world, we will not ever feed the world. the reality is, there is only one way to start doing that we're not to become a crazy food activists like me or think this will be your calling for the rest of your life. do only way to do it is to it from your table. it sounds crazy i'm linking all of these issues with something we do three or more times a day, but it is totally true. just as we build up restaurants and products and all the crazy food options available, we actually have the power to change the way we use our consumer dollars and use that as a way to change the world. my simple message out of all of this is that you could start by changing dinner. i know that sounds really

simple. it is totally true. as we have seen, the things we we invest the things limited dollars in, are the things that change the world. it was not like every consumer was begging to have pringles and coke be the only options for them in uganda. it is because those companies have been empowered by our use of them that they were the first ones to be able to get around the world and be available. i think it is really up to us, especially the millennial's across all sectors of the world to build healthier food systems. giving and charity is awesome and i am proud to be engaged in a company and in helping people give. we have to remember how we live

is so much greater than how we give. 10% of ourl spending income on food and less than two percent on charity. if we shifted a little bit more of our food dollar to be something that helps improve the world instead of something that maybe helps degrade the world, we are doing so much more to improve the world. i know that is a crazy thing to think about. i am trying to tell you to eat differently to help feed kids around the world. right -- the way we eat on our plate does have an impact on the food available around the world. i would challenge you to think about what you eat as a way you think about innovation in your life. in the same way we think of our apple computer, think about how you're going to an apple. in not the whole breath of diversity apple could

offer us, we are making a consumer choice that is the kind of apple we want. remember, eat your values. do you value the life of the former in the developing world through the banana or is it like, i want the cheapest banana out there you go -- out there? paying a a better job fair price for those bananas, we may not have challenges like what a mullah having the fourth highest level of malnutrition around the world. it is a country we input from and we have not yet been able to neighborvery nearby out of poverty enough to feed its own people and we are partially responsible in buying every single one of the products we buy, which does not afford people the opportunity to set our own kids to school with our charity dollars. i challenge you, although it is hard in the -- in college, if you're going to occupy something, occupy your kitchen.

i found it ironic during a lot of the social movements connected to occupy, so much of the food was the same big corporate food that they were theoretically fighting against. one of the most powerful things you could do to take a stand is to control what you put in your own body. we forget about that. we view this apron as something our grandmothers were when it wore.be -- seems weird,is eating family dinner. so few of us actually eat, sit down with our friends and family, and have an share a meal. we are so focused on all the other things in the world that are so much more important than sitting there eating that we do not do it. when you eat with others, when you eat with your parents and manyand other humans, so things in your life improve.

i am sure it also means the food you eat him proves. who wants to sit there eating a family dinner when all you're doing is picking out a bag of three does. that does not sound exam and dinner. it is also a way to make it cheaper to do a better thing for your food. it is way less expensive to make a big thing for five people and share the burden than it is to try to go and individually portion these things out for yourself. also, spending a little bit of the effort cooking makes the food much more meaningful. we do not need any more reasons to try to eat a little bit less. if the food has a little bit more meaning and took a little more energy to produce, maybe we will savor it a little more and maybe that is the only diet we will ever need. i would say we do have an opportunity to feed the world well.

i encourage you to stay interested in what is going on and continue to give and continue to help the hungry. i know the work companies are importantncredibly for feeding people today. let's try to make it so tomorrow, we do not need companies like that and we do not need solutions to be sending our excess to feed hungry people. we may have helped build by that point food systems that allow people to see themselves in a better way. a revolution should be delicious because food is awesome. i will leave you there. some people have to leave for class. we will be able to take questions on microphone. [applause] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2014] [captioning performed by national captioning institute]

>> we have plenty of time for questions for alan. ellen.- if you have a question, we will bring the microphone to you. >> that was an awesome talk. my question for you is, your generation, i remember my cousins are your age. when they were schoolchildren, they fought against mcdonald's having large in their french fries. i remember signs on their walls, do not go to mcdonald's. they boycotted and mcdonald's changed what they were doing. it is terrific your chart -- targeting this generation of college students. these generations are being fed at their school's candy and soda and all kinds of things that become normal to them. that became something they rally against, you have got the next generation coming up. have you thought about how you might engage younger children and engage some of those

systems? >> a great question area what has been interesting is from where i sit looking out at the ecosystem of people involved, there is so much energy around farm to school programs, which is awesome. i did not grow up knowing -- my mom had a garden to save money, not because it was a hip thing to do. i did not grow up knowing what a tomato was and where it came from. i do not think most of my schoolmates did. i do not think most people understood the connection between the little teapot you planted in -- in kindergarten and what that ends up being later. the energy and the focus now around farm to school programs and school gardens is amazing. it is a great example of something that is done and works both here and at home and in the developing world. there are school gardening southms across asia,

asia, literally everywhere, that are helping feed those kids in their schools healthy foods. solutions apply in our schools and it is a perfect example of how the simple solutions actually help kids everywhere, no matter where they are. one thing i would say to the generation, the specific thinktion gap, is that i my generation of people, i am in my mid 30's and my friends have kids. i do not think they will ever roll back to the happy meal. we have now hit a next-generation where i do not think any of us will go feed our kids that food. we are at an amazing tipping point of radical change. mcdonald's recently has they are switching over to sustainable beef by 2020. we do not even know what that means. they are the word

is amazing. in england, mcdonald's has only used cage free eggs. that is fairly radical when you think about how many acne often they make. a -- egg mcmuffins they make. they are now serving oatmeal for breakfast. you're right. the movements work. they are proven to work. there is an interesting tool movement. and the the school school garden people. incredible work being done in .alifornia incredible people. there is also a next-generation of parents who, you do not need a cupcake party every friday. kids, we'ret having going to put our foot down and say, just because you have

soccer practice, does not mean you get a gatorade. you get an orange slice. i think there will be a shift back to more pragmatic sense of what kid food means. i hope. christ thank you for your speech. i really enjoyed it. is about how you propose changing the way we eat and that is distantly related to the problem of the protection predominant in western countries, especially the u.s. and the eu because of the need to rely on ourselves for food. is what i think from what i read, it is affecting african american countries and how their farmers are not able to sell the food they produce because of excess food being produced in america. it is being dumped in african

and american countries, that leads to lower food prices. solution toropose a getting rid of agricultural protectionism? >> you pretty much summed up a very clear and deep understanding of global food systems. congrats to you and your teachers or your reading for knowing all of that. issuemplexities of the were there and you did a good job of boiling it down. i would say, i think all of this of theown to power doorstep of our senators and congressmen. one of the key things i am theing is if we disempower companies and the groups and the lobbies that go and knock on the door and beg for that kind of protection, we disempower them i removing our dollars from their corporate offers.

they will not have as much money to pay the lobbyists. i know that sounds distant, but it is true. one thing that has been very interesting is that there has been a long time dead fellowship between the organizations that give food aid and the organizations -- the companies soy provide corn and access, and the organizations, nonprofits, that are giving the food access and food aid. there is a relationship there. the organization of nonprofits need corn to feed people. companies need the cover of the hunger organization to allow them to continue getting support from washington. the rules even in this recent farm bill for people who probably do not know this is in order for us to give most of our

help to hungry people, it has to be u.s. food, so u.s. coin -- corn and soy, on u.s. ships, sent over to the developing world. it might be good for a few people's jobs and i respect that. i do not think that is the long-term answer to getting people to feed themselves. we have been able to come already in this last farm bill, break the lobby a little bit because people are now saying, why are we not helping people in the developing world grow their own food? there is now a lot energy, conversation, money, being directed to helping people grow their own food then there was five or 10 years ago. that is because people who now know that is the system and they are trying to push it in a different -- different direction. eating thesetop foods, empowering the system,

the less power they will have to continue to spread those kinds of policies around the world. it is incredibly frustrating because we feel so disconnected. do the research how much we are really hurting our neighbors around the world by just the food policies seems so us, and it counterintuitive, why are we trying to feed people over here but actually eating in ways that kind of keep their farmers down over here, and then not allowing their imports over here? it is a circular system that does not make a lot of sense. if more and more people were able to eat more and more locally and regionally, that would not be a terrible thing. we're always going to have to import coffee and some of these foods. i do not think we are at risk of cutting off the developing world. but i think we have an

opportunity to eat more local foods and make sure the food we do eat are imported in a fair manner. >> thank you. i do not want to sound cynical. i preface what i say with that. but i am a historian. i see some parallels to the critique you're talking about about food aid, for example. going back to the 1970's and what i want to know is what do you think is particularly different now? one thing i'm hearing is a broader consumer base movement you think could have power. i guess i am still wondering about that. not want to be cynical. i want to have hope. i love the way you presented this as hope and in generational terms. even in the past, there

was a generational energy and a andof writing about food these issues using some of the same language. there is new language. is -- there are patterns that are old to me. >> yes. there is one radical difference. the obesity epidemic. that is a radical difference is because it actually affects me. i can speak to any audience anywhere in the world and every single person is either struggling with their own weight because we now all struggle with our own way because of the food system we live in. it is much easier to be heavy than it is to be normal. everyone knows people who are deeply struggling with major health problems relating to obesity. that is a radical change. if you look at the data since

the 1980's, that has radically changed. there are always health problems, food related health problems, sickness due to food safety issues, but the radical obesity epidemic, the availability of cheap sugar, fat, and salt, every turn, is a major difference. people have an energy to protect themselves from that that i am trying to harness as a way to also improve the world. the connection is, i understand many people might come to this and come to the table because they care about their own weight or health or even the way they look, but it can be harnessed to help people round the world is done in the right way. one thing missing from a lot of die conversations is how it fits into the food system. going on a diet is just putting up -- it is a wall around yourself. i'm arguing to let's change the

system so none of us have to live like that anymore. and that we could actually assume when we go to a restaurant, the food we will go -- and eat, it is fundamentally ok to eat. many of it is not. many of the options available at mainstream restaurants are just not ok to be. thousands of calories in one dish, or fried and trans fat that are truly unhealthy. all these things that did not exist before. , can alsople's energy be harnessed to also improve these bigger global issues. >> i would like to reiterate that was a great talk thank you. there seems to be a little bit of tension between locally sourced produce and also using the capitalist system, voting

with our wallets and that kind of thing, to change a system, when there are already institutions with economies to scale that probably will not change without very pointed policy measures. what kinds of things outside of generic anticorruption lobbying changes do you think should be done? with respect to food policy and even shipping policies or something like that. what do you think are the most relevant to changes that need to be enacted at the governmental level right now? >> a great question. a very comprehensive analysis of the issues. number one, campaign finance reform. that is what is so interesting about the issues surrounding food. so many of the political tollenges are not limited what the outcomes in food are. there are a lot of challenges to our different systems that campaign finance reform could help.

food is the same. we have incredibly deep pockets. to hold that thought, the reason we have incredibly deep pocket is because we are buying meth food. really ares connected. if we do disempower the companies and the lobbies suspending -- their time to watch -- knock on doors, the great irony, but, there was a big announcement by the first lady, whose work i really respect, but she had a big announcement with subway about getting people to eat more vegetables and two days later, subway announced a new sandwich that has fritos and it. [laughter] i am like, this has got to stop. it is redundant goal -- ridiculous. not more vegetables. our dollars are pumping into the fritos sandwich. thing, and i am

glad u.s. because i do not often get to talk about this in this context, but i think there are a lot of other, memory issues that will help nudge food policy that have nothing to do with food policy. an example is urban planning. that sounds really random. you guys now live on a college campus. you're pretty much living in one of the best designed human sized human focused living environments you will ever live in unless you live in a very walkable city in europe. the fact is, college campuses aredesigned to be -- you designed to walk even though there are big hills. you probably have really strong ties and stuff. you are more or less designed to be able to walk where you need to go, there is a public transit or bus that takes you if you cannot walk. there are options for you to get snacks or food, options for you

to eat and exercise, to go to the library and the bookstore. they're all walkable. one thing that will help nudge food policy , especiallyle younger people, one more walkable environments when they leave college as well. one of the interesting things is that real estate has shown this especially in the last five years. real estate becomes tighter and the areas that have lost the most investment are the areas in the far outside of cities, the suburban areas where you cannot do anything unless you drive. i do not think most of us want to live like that. even if it means we have to have ofmaller map -- house, a lot us want to live in a place where you can at least walk to a coffee shop or a bar. that will help to shift food policy because you cannot have a major mega super walmart in a walkable environment. i think we are choosing in other of our policies or of our

lifestyles, we are choosing systems that do not fit with the current food system. i think that is actually really cool that maybe something like urban design or urban planning and maybe bike policy, which is getting more attention all around the world, not just in beifornia, where we should biking everywhere because the weather is amazing, but everywhere around the world, there are bike schemes. that is connected to food policy and it is giving people a reason to say, i actually want to be able to just bike somewhere instead of having to drive to it. maybe i will not get a buy one get one free because i cannot carry it in my bags on my bike. it seems disconnected but i think they are very connected and will help nudge policies in the right directions as well. the major policy questions, campaign finance reform, can we get the lobbyist to not be able

to decide our every move? that would be a big help. >> i have a thought. people have to learn to cook again. in school, kids can -- when i was growing up, we learned. we had home echo and we learned how to cook. something full of vegetables, you have to know what to do with them. watched the jamie oliver program, where there were these three generations of amazingly obese people. not one of the three generations knew how to cook. everything they ate was bought. with foodou do preparation and learning how to

cook? >> the question is how to get people to cooking and -- again -- to cook again? eating only things that are packaged. i think actually up on this slide is a little company i started called the apron project, and a picture of one of the immigrants was on the slide, occupy your kitchen. there is a total hipster young do-it-yourself stuff and cooking. totally just, i want to do things more cheaply. i think that is another nudging on food system change. the fundamental thing is that it is really weird and

historically, the feminist movement, it is really weird part of the feminist movement was to throw off your aprons and do not be a slave to the kitchen anymore, but be slave to a company making a product in will put you who on a course to permit obesity and make you hate your body image. i think the young feminist conversation is like, wait a minute, if i am outsourcing my food intake, and giving all the power to the man anyway. there is an energy around finding new ways to embrace and making cooking your own smoothies. these are little, easy steps a lot people take. realizationot more that it is not only because it is a cute and martha stewart

thing to do, but because it is incredibly powerful. it is power to control what actually goes into your body, instead of just taking whatever is given to you. if we, at cooking from that perspective, that may be a better way to reach the next generation it is also a men's issue. more, there is a lot of energy. there is more and more energy not just around men who are chefs but men who want to cook also control is one part of their lives that they previously were often left to other people. reframing cooking as an empowerment tool is smart and it is totally working. cook, everybody. please join me in thanking

our speaker. [applause] thank you for that great presentation. it was thought-provoking. but your example about making a difference in the world, thank you. --remember your time here, >> that is so cool. thank you. [applause] we match. click thank you all for coming. -- >> thank you all for coming. >> from overseas is afternoon, vladimir putin has signed a decree rep -- recognizing crimea as a sovereign and independent country. crimea had 90%er

approval to secede from the ukraine. president obama responded this morning by imposing sanctions against russian officials who play a role in the referendum. said they are ready to impose further sanctions if necessary. this came shortly after the european union announced travel bans and asset freezes that they have linked the situation in crimea. look at we will take a u.s. russia relations as part of book tv and cry -- prime time. edward lucas discusses his book, the new cold war,'s russia and the west. the end of russia and what it means for america. afterwards, on u.s. russia relations. patrick's -- for st.

patrick's day, we see how u.s. presidents from -- mark the holiday. all this, tip one me here. he said since it was march 17, .t was only fitting that is true. we both changed the same political party at about the end time. [laughter] a glass ofve had guinness with a man in ireland, as i have with brian, your friends. -- you are friends. ♪ [applause]

>> today, more than 35 million americans claim irish ancestry. america is richer for every murphy, and o'sullivan. i should've said mccain. [laughter] [applause] well, i just did. [laughter] >> happy st. patrick's day to everybody. tens of millions of americans trace their roots back to the islands. on st. patrick's day, many millions more claim to. [laughter] [applause]

class i have concluded -- i would be glad to yield. >> the gentleman on the floor with that. he had an opportunity be does i looked at both sides and the only gentleman on that side that has even made a move was mr. walker. the gentleman did not stand. he did not rise. i resent the statement of the gentleman. and had intended always. haveybody stands, i would recognized him. do not get political with me. >> i did not mean to suggest you did not act with fairness at all. you have a bill that work with united states. it was normal procedure. of this type, i would never do a thing like that.

there was not a man on either side of the aisle -- >> i respectively suggest i did not mean to offend you. >> you have offended me. i except your apology. >> i am sorry for that. >> find more highlights on our facebook page. c-span, created by america's cable countries -- company 35 years ago and brought to you today as a public service by your local cable or satellite provider. >> a look at the obama administration's efforts for registering young adults, african americans, and hispanics , insurance under the affordable care act. >> two weeks from today will mark the final day under the affordable care act's exchanges set up here to talk about how the process is going. kyle cheney. what's the latest we know on enrollment numbers here?

guest: it's imprecise but the white house is touting 4.2 million signups. the number is sort of the rough number that we know. host: remind us what the enrollment targets are here. guest: there's been some dispute. i think initially the projections were that 7 million would sign up by the end of march. but then we had the collapse of health care.gov so that was reduced to 6 million. the white house now says we just want millions to sign up. 6 million, 5 million, somewhere in that range is what they're shooting for. but no set number. host: and that 4.2 million that you talked about broken down by age groups, ages 18-25% represent about 10% of those, 26-34 years old represent about 45-5423 and %,

above represent 30% of those who sign up. but it seems like the most important numbers at least from the obama administration's perspective is that 18-34 range. correct? guest: exactly and you noted 26% of the total signups so far in that range which is passable i think but to the administration's point of view. but i think they're hoping closer to 40% which would really suggest robust enrollment in that age group what they really need when you have older and less healthier people signing up. host: and there's been a lot of discussion about what the numbers are needed to make the affordable care act work. this is a question that president obama was asked on friday in an interview he did with the website web mm d. here's a bit of what he had to say guest: at this point enough people are signing up that the affordable care act is going to work. the insurance companies will continue to offer these plans.

we already have 4 million people, over 4 million people signed up. it will go -- it will be a larger number than that by the end of march 31, the deadline to get insurance this year. if you miss the deadline by the way on march 31, you can get insurance but you'll have to wait until november of next year or november of this year to start signing up again. the impact in terms of the program has always been based more on the mix of people who sign up. do we have a mix of people who are gray haired like me, and may have some old basketball injuries and aches and pains along with young people who are healthy and don't really have any issues right now. do we have a good mix of gender in terms of men and women. host: president obama in his web md interview that was released on friday.

one of several different appearances he's made to promote the affordable care act and this upcoming deadline. correct? guest: yes. he's been out there in full force as the deadline gets closer to march 31. you heard him talk about the mix of enrollees which i think you're hearing more and more seems to be the act warne chief there in terms of wanting enough young people again to sign up and when he talks about the mix that's what he means, young people versus older, men versus women. that's the numbers the white house is focusing on rather than the overall 6 or 7 million these days. host: as we're talking about these enrollment deadlines that are coming up. we want to take your thoughts and questions our phones are open. democrats can call republicans can call. dependents and we have a special line set up for those ages 35 and younger who want to talk about the subject.

president obama appealing to those folks 35 and younger crowd. he went on the website funny or e to talk with comedian zasm about the health care website. here's a bit from that appearance on funny or die. >> if they get that health insurance it can really make a big difference and they've got until march 31 to sign up. >> i don't have a computer. >> well, then you can call 18003182596. >> i also don't have a phone. i don't want you people looking at my texts. >> first of all, nobody's interested. but second you can do it in person. the law means that inshurers can't discriminate against you if you have a preexisting condition. >> but what about this though?

>> that's disgusting. >> how long have you had that? >> just four months. >> really? >> spider bite. i got attacked by spieders. >> you need to get that checked right away. you need to get on health care.gov because that's one of the most disgusting things i've ever seen. >> what's been the reaction to the president's appearance with comedian zack? >> well, the white house reminds everyone that became the leading driver of traffic to health care.gov. so as far as they're concerned that was the best reaction they could have hoped for. some of the fire stomplee where you heard a lot of criticism this is beneath the office of the the president the white house countered we're going to reach young people as they always say where they are. the media they're watching is not all reading mainstream publicications any more, they're scattered. so the reaction's been across the board but i think in some sense that advance it is white house's goal because there was so much buzz around his appearance that it got a lot more traffic than otherwise.

>> making one of the header columns this week, a picture of president obama's appearance and the headline is searching for the young invisibles. the economist magazine this week. we're here talking with kyle cheney of politico. we want to take your thoughts and comments. betty in chicago, on our line for democrats. good morning. caller: good morning. you know, america some of the people in america are really petty. regardless of the rollout, every thing like that has a side good or bad. since october look how many millions of people that didn't have insurance in this country babies old people didn't have it. they're getting it now. why can't the republicans and people like you all move on and get off that enrollment? we've got people that are being signed up, people that are taken care of, can't you all

come from the past and go to the future? also, the republicans keep talking about president obama going on that show. he reached 15 million people what's wrong with that? you get people where you can. this man is trying to get people in this country to have good health insurance. is there anything wrong with hat? host: she was talking about some of the criticism that the obama administration has received on the website and its rollout. how is that -- has that continued today? guest: you don't hear much any more because health care.gov is almost completely functional. you hear scattered bits about people having problems. the criticism you're hearing from republicans now more is about costs, it's about is the law itself going to work or collapse on itself? to the caller's point, the administration and its allies

keep emphasizing that look, millions of people regardless of its 6 million or 7 million, millions of people have coverage now many of which may not have before but we don't know how many were uninsured but we still know that millions of people have enrolled or signed up. so this is the white house's point. that's what matters here the long run this is proof that this is working. host: your story in politico, the headline, how many have paid premiums? talk about the difference between paying for the premiums and enrolling? guest: this is why i mentioned earlier the 4.2 million is imprecise. that's people who go to health care.gov or state exchange or sign up for coverage. to actually be enrolled for an insurance company you have to pay your first freedomium. and the industry is very standard for a percentage of people who sign up not to actually pay and therefore never be covered. of course the goal of the affordable care act is to actually cover these people signing up. so when we talk to people in

the industry you hear more like 80% of people signing up is actually paid and so the anrollment number may be somewhere south of 4.2 million, could be in the 3's which has some bearing on whether the administration is enrolling as many people as it hoped. host: have a special line set up in this segment for those 35 and younger. that line is on your screen. in the meantime we'll go to thomas waiting in west virginia on our line for republicans. good morning. caller: it's actually kevin. no problem. host: go ahead. sorry about that. caller: that's quite all right. this segue's perfectly into my comment. because from october to now a percentage according to the numbers, people who would have normally gone for free health care relief anywhere because of the unemployment because of the economy, because of people losing jobs, it's built on a lie. 28 different speeches.

you want your doctor you can keep -- the whole thing was constructed under a wicked, cruel man iptive lie to gain control of aff sixesth of the economy no matter how much ky it takes. it's a lie. host: talk about how that what the caller was talking about the statement that the president made if you like your health care you can keep it is going to play in the 2014 elections. guest: that's been coming back to haunt him since around november when people or october when people started getting these cancellation notices that basically said their old health plan didn't meet the requirements therefore you have to select a new plan or you're out of luck. if you like your health care plan you can keep it line is a staple already at this point and it's not going anywhere any time soon. and there is actually some concern we might see another wave of cancellations right on the eve of the elections this year, although the administration has made some

maneuvers to prevent that from happening. but that's going to be a potent line again it's a fixture of the special election campaign in florida last week, that was that played front and center an a republican won there. so that was a bell weather in some analyst's minds for what we might see. >> on twitter. guest: i think the closer we get you're going to hear more of that. but the idea was always is that you don't want people to be able to sign up the second they get sick. there is there has to be a window where they have to make a decision and so the goal for the administration is to get the word out and educate people but you need that deadline for insurers in particular for this to work for their bottom line and make sure they're sustainable. they need people signing up for insurance for the possibility that they're going to get sick not when they actually are sick and picking and choosing. host: let's go to dan waiting

on that line. he's in new hampshire this morning. dan, you're on the "washington journal." guest: calling in lee sponse to the woman from illinois who qualed. as to why it's just republicans that are bashing obama care and why young americans aren't signing up. i'm a young american and i'm an independent. and i live in new hampshire. and we're told that we are going to have all the choices in the world and we're stuck with one inshurens company now. i live in a major city, and it has enormous hospitals, and i would not be able to go to that hospital. and that's for the majority of the major cities in new hampshire. which only have 1.4 million people in the whole state. so i mean, personally i'm not going to sign up. -- all the the part enrollee numbers coming out are

skewed. they're not really enrollees. they're based on how many people selected a plan. so i think it's going to be a huge disappointment when it comes time to have these numbers actually come out the real numbers on how many people actually are enrolled and purchased a plan is going to be way lower than what everybody has been projecting and how many people have been enrolled. host: when do we know that those numbers, that the caller is talking about, when are those numbers come out? guest: it may be months. there are still components that aren't built yet and the administration says they may not be built until the summer when we see that data. so it could be a few months at the least. although you can get a rough estimate around 80 to 85% of the people signing up are paying so you sort of ball park it. the caller is correct we don't know how many people have been

enrolled at this point. host: another question on enrollments. guest: that's another one of the mysteries we would like to know. we have seen some surveys that suggest started out earlier at 10%, gone up to 25% of people who are again enrolled are new newly enrolled or newly insured. and again that's what strikes part of the heart of the law is to get people who were uninsured into coverage. so knowing that number will be a big help but one of the mysteries we don't know yet. host: on our line for democrats. good morning. caller: thank you for take mig call. way stion is, with the the government has been with the health care, with obamacare started, we had a crash with the obamacare. and my question is, how can we

avoid that from happening again? thank you. guest: talking about the website itself? when you're talking about that? caller: yes. the website itself. guest: and again, i mentioned earlier that the website is now for the most part up and running. i think one of the things that that laid bare was part of the problem with the way the federal government contracts with these massive it companies and hands out these massive contracts and the president has spoken to this and says this speaks to the need for contracting reform and the way we select our vendors and the ability to be nimble and flexible when it comes to how we contract and with whom we contract. so i think for any other large undertaking like this, which again this is an undertaking probably larger than any the federal government has ever undertaken, you probably see some kind of reform on the it side in the way the government contracts. host: as we talk about this upcoming deadline we should probably note that there is a

difference at what's happening at the end of the month and then signups for medicaid. correct? guest: exactly the march 31 deadline is the deadline for enrollment in exchanges which is the new market places available for people who are above depending on which state you live in above 133% of the poverty level. many are eligible for tax credits. that's the key component for the new law. for those people who don't have affordable coverage offered by their employers. you signed up for medicaid but medicaid you can enroll in all year. host: a question on twitter. guest: and that was one of the things we heard especially in january when coverage first went live and there were gaps and the insurers hadn't been receiving information from the website and feeding incorrect information from the website. so that is definitely a fear i think the administration has made some maneuvers using

regulations and urging insurers to be reasonable and treat each case with care and not deny someone important coverage that they need. and then they would sort it out later when they actually correct and reconcile the data. so the idea is that nobody would ever appear in the emergency room or somewhere or be told you're not covered. but again, it's been imperfect and we have heard aneck dotes where people have run into that problem. host: a special line this morning set up for those 35 and younger. we'll go to that line now. pennsylvania. good morning. caller: i was just curious. do you think the president dreamed too big? guest: when it came to the affordable care act here? caller: yes. do you think he saw something that he wants it, he saw something that would be great for this nation. but it just wasn't in reach yet? he just dreamed too big.

guest: host: how would you answer your own question? caller: i think that's what happened. the country's not ready for it. we have other thing that is we need to get handled. i mean, our foreign policy's gone to crap. i mean, to hear about it, to hear certain stories, it sounds like the greatest thing ever. yet i mean, have you looked at minimum wage and maybe raised that? giving us the money and the ability to pay some of these premiums and so forth, would that have helped? guest: i think your point is an interesting one because a lot of democrats and his allies in particular say he didn't dream big enough on this law, i think on the left and among democrats the single pair system was always the ideal. which is something that doesn't really have a lot of political traction. but it would eliminate the whole notion of private insurance, which is -- can be

very messy and complicated. and it is in part the push to preserve that private insurance system that again occasionally runs up against what democrats really would prefer, that has created some of the complexities of this and some of the problems that we've seen. so in some sense some people would say he tried to be too -- thread the needle too much to preserve the private system but advance health care to all. and when you do that it creates such a thicket of rules and complicated processes, that that actually is the root of the issues that we've seen so far. rather than reaching too far. host: talk about some of the back and forth on the political side. there was another house vote that had to do with part of the affordable care act, a major part on friday. what was that? guest: the house vote on friday just remind me. there's a vote every week on elements. host: to delay.

>> right. my mind is going because we have a different repeal vote every week. this one in particular again you mentioned the doc fix, a major change to the medicare physician formula the way they're paid. it's interesting because there's been a bipartisan push in health care you don't see that too often these days among democrats and republicanses in the house and senate to craft a solution to this decades old problem of the way medicare doctors get paid. and it was cruising along and then republicans in the house and the senate actually decide it had way we're going to pay for this change is by delaying the individual mandate which again sort of guts big piece of the affordable care act. and democrats can't support that. it has no traction in the senate. so in a sense it derailed what was actually a bright spot of bipartisanship in the health care arena for the first time in a long time. and so it's unclear if that

kills the doc fix for the year, which again is a huge goal in terms of a realigning the way medicare pays its physicians. host: what are the chance force this vote that happened in the house this week in the senate guest: they're nill. the senate won't entertain something that guts a major funding implement. they're back to square one. the policy is still there if they can come up with a pay for it. but delaying the individual mandate will never pass. host: 20 minutes left talking about the looming deadlines for the affordable care act to sign up on those insurance exchanges with kyle cheney, a health care reporter of politico. we're taking your comments on twitter. ou can also e-mail us as well. kevin writes on our twitter page.

et's go to diane in texas. caller: good morning. yesterday the president was saying that he has given the green light on the affordable care act. what i would like to know is how could anybody trust that man? he said admittedly on jay leno that he doesn't know math. he couldn't even help his daughter with math. how could he possibly fix an economy and get jobs created when he doesn't know math? he's ill lit rat in it. he should come out right now and explain to us the truth about what's going on. tell us that -- host: can i ask you what's your health care situation and does any of the affordable care act has it affected you? guest: oh, yes. host: how so? caller: you could ask cast row here . host: how has it impacted you personally? caller: for 2-1/2 months al