said that it seems more than coincidence up to her and she would get to the bottom of this. and ms. engelbrecht has filed ethics charges against congressman cummings. the similarity between the request being made by the irs and being made by congressman cummings and said, gee, maybe there is some improper coordination going on between the irs and congressman cummings staff. there is no question in january of 2003rd scene he did contact the irs. did requested. is provided by a deputy of lois lerner. >> let me get a quick.

be compelled to resign and should he now be included? bloodthere is some bad between congressman issa of california and congressman cummings. that is unfortunate. i view it as an unfortunate sideshow. i don't want to get into whether congressman cummings committed ethical issues. if facts come out that warned that he is somehow engaged in improper conduct, i will change my mind at that point. but for now, the committee continue its investigations, try to get the truth, and the issue whether or not ms. lerner should be prosecutors and should be settled in a court of law.

caller: three trick things -- three quick things. i was under the impression that this so-called scandal was debunked. that both parties were investigating and no one lost their status. also, why isn't darrell issa held in contempt for spending taxpayers money's holding these hearings when he knows there's

nothing there to see? also, why isn't his party and him held in contempt for shutting this government down for $24 billion? they said they couldn't help the veterans of this country, $60 million, they didn't have that many but the republicans can shut the government down and said, oh, we just wanted respect. guest: i appreciate your question in the commentary. i respect your opinion but i also respectfully disagree with it. i do not believe that this matter has been debunked. quite the contrary. it is clear that laws have been broken and confidential information was disclosed by the irs in clear violation of federal law of conservative organizations to liberal organizations.

there is a number of incidents of that. as far as your statement that this applied to both sides of the political ledger, i disagree with that. dozens, if not hundreds of conservative organizations that apply for 501(c)4 status were delayed, denied, and in some cases approved but only after two or three years and a myriad of incredibly intrusive information asked of them. with respect to progressive organizations, the evidence so far show that there were seven organizations compared to dozens if not hundreds of organizations that were tagged for further review because of they contained the word progressive. irs agents provided information to the committee that all seven of those organizations were granted their status in short order and that they were scrutinized for reasons having nothing to do with partisan political considerations and there are many of these organizations that have their tax-exempt status pending for years. host: next caller is jonathan in michigan on the line for the independents. caller: i am kind of a libertarian i am center to the left. i do like the tea party but i think they are big babies because the irs -- i am in the process of doing a 501(c)3.

irs is your partner and they are the boss over you. and they can scrutinize any activities of any group. if they found out that anyone did anything illegal, that is one thing, but the irs -- you have to tell them what entities you're doing. i have to fill out all my forms to be completely exempt and i have to fill out the activities that i tell them that i am doing and keep to that or i am in trouble. if they're doing anything illegal, think the tea party is a big baby. they have to do that with every group. with a 501(c)3, i can get a lot of benefits, but -- guest: i have never heard anybody referred to the irs as a harner -- a harner. it -- a partner.

yes, they do have to scrutinize and look for any indication of wrongdoing and have the right to scrutinize that activity and investigated, however, they are supposed to do so in a nonpartisan, apolitical manner. and that clearly did not refer here. with respect to your designation, it is incredibly important. if you are a 501(c)3, people can donate funds to your organization. they can take tax deductions for those contributions. and the organizations that receive them can use those funds. they don't have to disclose who their donors are. they don't have to pay taxes on those donations. if you are a 501(c)4 organization, the people who donate money to you cannot take that -- cannot take tax deductions but you do not report those donations as taxable income and you do not have to disclose who your donors are. if you are not a 501(c)3 or 501(c)4 organization, if you are a political organization, then either the information that you

receive -- i'm sorry, the donations you receive our taxable income to you or you have to disclose all of your donors, which of course, for some causes, maybe politically unpopular in some circles to subject those donors to harassment and that has happened. host: fran in pennsylvania for republicans. caller: thank you very much. first of all, i want to make a quick comment. i am amazed at how people are not insulted by this. the first amendment, freedom of expression, this is an attempt to shut down freedom of expression.

i simply go by the time one that has been offered to the public. all the evidence shows that this started after the citizens united case. when you. all the isaac, across all the tees, put it all together, if it walks like a duck, sounds like a duck, well then, it is a duck. i'm appalled that people don't see this as a total attempt for shutting down the freedom of expression. guest: thank you. the timeline is indeed very important.

on january 1, 2010 is when the supreme court issued its citizens united case where corporations could not contribute to campaigns and could also contribute to 501(c)4. organization's a number of media outlets immediately pointed out that the democrats felt threatened by this because of the involvement of these organizations in elections. less than a week later, during the state of the union address, president obama, in front of a number of the supreme court justices, decried the citizens united case and said what an awful decision it was. from that point on, there was a steady drumbeat from the white house in radio addresses from various people like david axelrod decrying the citizens united case, calling for investigations, calling for the disclose act that would require donor lists be publicly available for 501(c)4 organization's. by october of that year, lois lerner gave a speech at duke law school in which she said "everybody is screaming at us right now.

fix it now before the election. can't you see how much these people are spending." that steady drumbeat continued and what happened happened. which is that left-leaning 501(c)4 applications were pushed through while those of conservative organizations were denied and harassed. host: doug is on the line for >> we're going to break away from this row graham. live coverage is underway now here at uc the first lady and joe biden here. [applause] >> thank you very much.

hi. welcome to the white house. we are so honored to be here. it is a pleasure to welcome back to the white house first lady rosalyn carter. i am also pleased to be working closely on an issue that transcends party lines. and first lady michelle obama. i cannot believe it has already been three years since we started joining forces. we knew weginning wanted to work together to support our military families. he knew the american people will come out in full force. it is safe to say we have been overwhelmed by piece of work shown or our servicemembers members, veterans and our military families. it is so fitting that we market this milestone by honoring all of you are caregivers.

-- you, our caregivers. in in honor to work with you races around the world. the loyalty and devotion is truly inspiring. there is no truer example of that than two brothers we met last fall. kyle and brett are from michigan. bright is up on the stage with us today and kyle is out in the audience. kyle, an army specialist, was injured during his first deployment to afghanistan sustaining multiple ankle --uries to most of his white right leg. when he first came to the white house he was in a wheelchair. when he came to our home for a wounded warrior event a few months later, he was walking.

he will tell you that much of his progress is due to the fact that his older brother was able to serve as his primary caregiver. militaryhared by many families and many civilian families. and moreoomers age people live longer lives with chronic illnesses, the number of caregivers is only going to increase. like so many americans, we have had first hand experience caring for our parents in the final years of their lives. i was so grateful that we could either to health care for them and be with them in the last moments of life, to do what family members do out of love. i understand how isolated caregiving can be, how you can feel completely cut off from your world as you knew it.

the caregiving experiences reminds me how much you appreciate the simple things, stepping outside to see the vivid colors of the sky or fresh airhe first -- of spring. this is what i've heard from so many caregivers. you to know that we so greatly value what you do. your devotion is never taken for granted. you truly inspire us with your empathy, compassion and care. ways, you have been caregivers to our country, angels walking among us. we cannot thank you enough. that is why we're all here today. you are doing your part to meet our sacred obligation to those who serve. to give us the

support you need and rightly deserve. that i am so honored to introduce a dear friend and one of our finest first ladies who, continues aer and, lifetime of public service, some in the lisbon at the forefront of caregiving issues for decades. first lady rosalyn carter. [applause] >> i am fine. i am fine. >> thank you. that was very nice. i am so pleased to be here today with jill and michele and elizabeth. and to honor our nation's military and veteran caregivers.

caregiving is a calling very close to my heart. close to mying very heart. i've been working on the issue for more than 25 years. i became involved only got home from the white house. hadlocal state university [indiscernible] since i have been working on wanted me to, they do something with them and start a program. established rci. we are working with those. iparty had a very good mental health program.

and 1981.e for allly spread caregivers. over the years with generous support from johnson and johnson, we have taken these programs. one of which we helped develop for those caring for loved ones with alzheimer's and adapted them to the community. you cannot take a program in here just like it came from the research. you have to adapted to the community. newour country faces a challenge. they are adjusting through a new normal. as the love ones return from service bearing from visible and -- and indivisible wins. imagine how it would be

to so eagerly anticipate a love one coming home and instead of , the caregiving demands that never before were imagined. know how i feel and i know how you feel about that. demands canf these have devastating effects leading to strength in the relationships and difficulties in the workplace. one michele first announced the initiative, i wrote her an offer to help. we were already working with military families in my state. i thought the lessons we have in workingh that with other caregivers for so long, we might be able to help.

we launched operation family caregiver in 2012. it empowers caregivers by teaching problem solving and coping skills. ands evidence based tailored specifically to individual families. each family is assigned a caregiving coach. she knows firsthand what the challenges are. i am pleased to report that operation family caregiver makes a different era and amanda has told me about her experience and about how caregivers are more satisfied with their lives, have

your trips to the house at all and suffer less depression. operation family caregiver is helping create stronger, healthier families among those who have served our nation. we must honor the victims and fellow loved ones by act now to increase the support services available to them. we invite other organizations to .oin us with me here today is the direct your of the rosalyn carter institute in some of the operation family caregiver staff

are here and in the audience i suppose. we can be so much more effective working together and we welcome the opportunity to share. best things that has happened to the caregiving having citizens become involved. she knows the difficulties faced by the military families having been at walter reed hospital for 11 months while her husband was recuperating and seeing the stress and bewilderment at families, not knowing where to turn when their loved ones come home. spoke in an annual summit last -- and is a wonderful mother a wonderful, passionate leader. it is a pleasure to introduce senator elizabeth old. [applause]

>> thank you so much for the tremendous work that you have done over the years on mental health and caregiving issues. it ,s an honor indeed to join you first lady michelle obama and dr. jill biden today. united in our support in america's military caregivers. three years ago, almost to the day, i was in this room with the first lady and dr. biden for the launch of joining forces, an initiative that has done a great for to raise awareness military veterans and caregivers

and families. thank you both for your leadership and commitment to our men and women in uniform. as we gather today, i know we all hold a special place in our heart for the fort hood military families. our thoughts and prayers are surely with them. know, several years ago my beloved husband bob was hospitalized. it was almost 11 months at walter reed. i became a caregiver myself. my eyes were opened to the incredible challenges facing the caregivers of our wounded warriors. country, a quiet, untold story of her found it need is emerging. it is the story of america's hidden heroes, women and men caring for those who cared for us. their future,t often alone, if they soldier on

with incredible strength and resilience. you are noty " alone." reed 11 months at walter inspired me to establish a foundation for military caregivers. almost discovered immediately was the need for comprehensive evidence-based research. that led to my commissioning the rand corporation to undertake on largest national study caregivers and their needs. we unveiled the findings last week, providing us the evidence and showing us why support for america's hidden heroes is so important. the health, well-being and recovery is significantly enhance by a strong, well supported caregiver. he also said that there is no silver... here it -- there is no silver bullet.

most definitely bipartisan. the report is a clarion call. it is up to those of us in this room and to people of goodwill across our country to answer the call. here is my answer. i am proud to announce the heroes, anddden effort meant to inspire individuals and organizations to work together to raise awareness and support of america's military caregivers. away fromn blown leaders willing to join the coalition. now ms. nonprofits are leading the way. patty murray, richard burr, and many others. labor and the private sector is asking what can we do to help?

rich trumka is turning on his organization here in communities and work it -- reaching out to joel workers like pastor boasting -- joel olsteen. leaders anded friends are here with us. we thank you, one and all. we look forward to working with you in the weeks and months ahead here it i'm a single out several support areas. thanks to hank greenberg starr foundation, a veteran of two wars since self, he knows the concerns and has enabled our mission to raise awareness and to support military caregivers a warm thanks to the military warrior project. he served as a lead partner on

the lancet study. i know you're out there. thank you those much as a big thank you to jacqueline or her incredible support over the course of my life i have witnessed the generosity of the american people and the fact that we are a nation of problem solvers. the circumstances of our caregivers is a huge problem. and predictably heartwarming fashion, the problem-solving has begun. it is a privilege to announce some early commitments from our coalition that i believe will inspire others. we know that military caregivers are experienced goal financial issues. we just these on two fronts. first, the association of america with assistance from the u.s. a a and american bar association is launching a new

website supported by the innovation grants. serve as a public porch or for thousands of caregivers across the country to access financial, legal and social resources. this will be further enhance their innate national collaborative effort facilitated by the foundation called "lawyers for heroes." they offer free legal services. felt thanks to the leaders of these organizations for their incredible commitments. the critical need for increased caregiver education and training. i am exciting to announce that they have stepped forward to

lead a national effort. the dixon center, the national alliance for caregiving, uso, atlas research, family alliance. this collaboration will provide thousands of caregivers with valuable training across the country. who are notose currently eligible for the program. online sessions will be for those unable to make the live sessions do to their caregiving responsibilities at home. we have an organizational a team involved in this initiative. finding, get another the u.s. chamber of commerce and its foundation have made a significant commitment to military caregiver employment and work ways need. hiring theation's

itses program will leverage experience to assist caregivers who need to find employment in order to support their family and to offset additional caregiving experience. it will introduce cared givers to a myriad of virtual tools and incorporate them into an innovative ritual job there program that will soon be unveiled. the current job fair initiative will be expanded to focus on caregivers and areas near military treatment facilities. additionally, the chamber will host a major summit for the business community and partnership with my foundation is amber to promote employment september 2 promote employment. they are already committed to making a huge difference in the lives of care

givers. these major commitment demonstrate the kind of measurable solutions the coalition will focus on moving forward. truly touched we're joined today by caregivers from across america including those who are part of our 50 state caregiver fellows program, advising the foundation and raising awareness by sharing their story. ofy are the heart and soul everything we do. they inspire us with their true of heroism and remind us why the work ahead is so important that i am committing a year fromvene us now to report on our collective progress. accountability to the caregivers in this room and across america. i know my partner's feel the same. falld we stand, divided we has always been a transcendent

american motto. it reminds me of what might they fret historical antidotes. it is the story of a night in 1945 when dwight eisenhower was walking along the banks of the rhine river, it in king of the crossing in which he would leave the allied armies. he met a soldier and asked why he was not slipping. the young g.i. said i guess i am a little nervous. said eisenhower. let's walk together and perhaps we will draw strength from one another. i draw strength every single day from the stories of love and devotion demonstrated i are nation's military and veteran caregivers. y the commitments to their loved ones inspire us to walk with them and together we will draw the strength and support of americans in every corner of this country.

hank you so very much. god bless you all. may god lest this great land of the free america. -- may god bless this great land of the free america. thank you. [applause] >> thank you very much. think you. you.ank thank you so much. i'm coming back. i now have the honor of introducing melissa meadows. she left her job as a nurse to serve as a full-time caregiver to her beloved and staff sergeant john meadows after his medevac from afghanistan last year. they have three sons, one daughter and a grandson. their story of love and devotion

to one another is and are racial indeed. -- are inspirational indeed. alyssa, would you come forward please? melissa, would you come forward these? d please? >> good afternoon. last january my husband was injured in a mission and was medevaced here in virginia. i was expecting to be only gone a week or so but i picked the past 14 months caring for my husband 24/7. he suffers from dramatic brain injury, pts the, autonomic nervous system function and orthopedic issues. like for him and me can be a challenge. every day i help him get up and get ready for the day and make sure he takes his medication.

managed finance and offer emotional support every step of the way. we have been blessed with a wonderful medical care team who is helped to make significant progress. had described him as an advanced alzheimer's patient. he is doing much better. he is working harder to become an independent person. is beginning to attend there be sessions alone. he's learning to work a microwave. he still has a very long way to go. 14 months later our family is forever change. i lost my job as a nurse. our son stayed home. they got a crash course in being adult in managing a home without mom. i thank god for the friends and families in our lives. cannot be more proud to call myself a military caregiver. i had the opportunity to speak

to the first lady as a small group of caregivers. intently sheat how listened to me and the other women. i thought she was someone who genuinely cared about us and our struggles. and the world to us as caregivers and women. it is my privilege to introduce her to you. would like to introduce you to first lady michelle obama. >> thank you, everyone. thank you so much. good morning. me start by thinking melissa for sharing her story with us and for all that she does for her family and for our country every single day. i also want to recognize the leaders of our military who were well as everyone

from military one source for their generosity and support of today's event. the wonderfulk women on stage with me today, senator dole, mrs. carter, and might outstanding partners. these women have shown such tremendous leadership in this effort. i am thrilled that we can all be together here today to market the herd in a brochure joining forces. today is just the first of a series of events out april that will celebrate the many ways our country is stepping up to support our military families in areas like employment, education, immunity outreach, and i am excited to kick the month off by honoring many of the folks who are here in our unanswered day.

when jill and i started joining did itthree years ago we because of people like you. i want to take a moment. and i seek at you all how emotional you are because you are here, because the country is recognizing what you do. we know you have incredible strength. we know you have sacrificed so much. so much of what you do goes unnoticed. having people on stage here is just a reflection of our respect and admiration for your sacrifice. you are some of the most unsung heroes in this country. ndknow from firstha

experience, i've seen you in action. i the chance to meet with her and four other military caregivers at intrepid spirit one. this is one of our newest and most cutting-edge facilities are at it is amazing. it helped them deal with the ptsdn rules of war like intermountain brain injuries. when i met with these women, i by howtantly impressed incredibly poised in polycystic -- and polished each and every one were. they were so incredibly articulate. they were exactly the kind of all any company want to hire an promote. i was wowed by how sharp they

were. then i heard their stories. i was just blown away. they were dealing with the daily challenges that would knock the most people to their knees. everything from helping their spouses a to adjusting their new prosthetics to battling depression, anxiety, recurring panic attack. one woman quit her job almost immediately after her husband was injured. others have gone through counseling with their loved ones just to handle these newfound family issues. they all talked about how difficult it was to relate to their friends. even family members who did not quite get what they were going through. i remember one woman shared how little those closest to us understood what it was like when her husband spent extended time in a care facility. she told us how a coworker said

it must be like your husband is out of town for a while. [laughter] story that has a stayed with me to this day. husband firsther came home, everything seemed fine. it was the joyous celebration that senator dole mentioned. it days and weeks passed and she began to notice small changes in his behavior. he had trouble remembering things. became increasingly more difficult. .heir marriage began to suffer she says slowly the husband she wants a new just seemed to seemed to-- once new disappear. she talked about feelings of loneliness and despair and isolation and fear. also talked about the love and determination that kept her there by his side. she knew her family needed help.

that is not mean that asking for it was easy. study thato the senator dole commissions, it is a common feeling among the one million caregivers of our newest caregivers of post-9/11 veterans. many caregivers do not have much of a support network for themselves and they are dealing with these emotional responsibilities largely on their own. this can take a serious toll on anyone. more strengthort on their relationships at work and at home than on caregivers. often their own health suffers. they are at higher risk for depression. there are financial consequences, too. military caregivers wind up missing as many as three or four days of work a month. they they have a job

cannot keep a job. it means lost income as well. the burden that these women in men -- and men bear for our country is real. they should not have to shoulder all of that alone. that is why i am thrilled that we have such a fraud coalition of leaders here today. we're here to show these hidden .eroes that we have their backs senator dole told us about the many new commitments from our businesses and nonprofit withizations to caregivers training programs and financial and legal resources and to workplaceat a better possibility. we cannot be more thankful for the leadership to make these reality. yes. [applause]

i am proud to say this throughout of the encounter i had with melissa and the four other caregivers at the intrepid center. that meeting was the first time that the staff had convened a group like that. it was the first time. for one of the women there, it was the first time should ever spoken with another caregiver ever. ever spoken with another caregiver ever. we could immediately be how powerful it was for these women to be talking to their peers. soon enough they forgot i was even in the room. it was so good. they were immediately problem-solving. they were connecting with each other immediately. they were solving each other's problems and directing each other to websites and resources that could help. it was phenomenal.

incredibleit of the , they recognize the value of these peer-to-peer connections. they spring into action right after that meeting. they told me they would reach out to more caregivers and reconvened this group every week. in the times since that meeting, another support group was formed as well. between the two groups, membership has grown to almost 50 caregivers just at fort girl .ft. belfour they're committing to form in person, pure forms of every military installation that serves wounded warriors and their caregivers around the world. also be creating online tools and webinars so caregivers who are not able to some -- inenter

person for them can connect with their peers as well. the tragedy assistance program for survivors, elizabeth dole foundation and other organizations are committing to training 10,000 caregiving peer mentors, a commitment that will reach 50,000 caregivers nationwide. they have the added support they need. the support of a friend and mentor who understands what they're going through. someone you can help them manage everything in their lives. it is really just a tip of the ice or. everything that we are talking about today from the pure forms to all the new resources that senator dole mentioned, all of that is a supplement to the tremendous caregiver support offered by the military and by

the v.a. signedars ago my husband the health services act. thousands of caregivers have reimbursements of up to about $2300 a month. received more have comprehensive caregiver training . they have received access to insurance through the v.a. and they have received mental health care and counseling for themselves. areugh this law, caregivers eligible for up to 30 days a year of respite care for themselves which means they can may be relaxed, may be reenergized or find some time to clean the house or go grocery shopping. allant to encourage eligible caregivers to take advantage of these than the its and connect with a host of resources by visiting caregiver.va.gov.

one of the things we learned at this meeting is when you are alone and isolated, often do not even know what resources are available. people are not accessing these resources as they are alone. a nation have to find folks out there who are struggling on their own and help them to connect. that is really what today is about. is about connecting them with the resources available to them. i am so grateful for the leadership shown by everyone here today. want us to take a moment to look around this room. we have republicans and democrats. we're coming together to show

our military families how much we appreciate them. moment from me of a earlier this year when my husband shared the story of sergeant first class cory renz state of the union address. i had the chance to sit next to him as the president told his incredible story, how as an army ranger he had nearly been killed by a roadside bomb in afghanistan. he fought back valiantly to speak again. to stand again. to walk again. it was a moment that brought a to its feetress and inspired millions of americans across the country. you might also remember the man standing next to cory holding his arm as he's said to the gallery. that was his caregiver. his father, along with his wife,

have stood by cory's side since the explosion. sure cory is taking the right medications. she cooks is the meals. she helps with his morning and evening routine. cracks bends and hour or two every day managing his legal and initial paperwork and answering his correspondence. craig his secretary. their family has never been alone on this journey. they have had 18 by their side from the earliest days, from the team by their side. the support started flowing and almost immediately after the explosion when an organization called "the ranger leave be way

funds" but plane tickets and more families could fly to the hospital in germany. then there were the fisher and hishich gave craig family warm meals and beds to sleep on for 15 straight months. the nonprofit that paid to retrofit his house with wider doors at an accessible shower and the military which provides the caregiving stipend to help pay the bills. raig will tellc you about the support and flexibility yet been granted from his employers. he is an a charger at her. -- a director. the folk there told her to call them back when she was ready. when she was ready, she call them back and they hired her back.

in a better position with even more flexibility than before. today cory continues to make progress. he has been renting his own place since last june. in six months or so he will be moving into a new house, one purchased for him by the ranger lead the way funds. his story is the model. that is not true for everyone. this is his ideal. to achieve this goal we've got to follow through on these commitments we're making here today. we have to to keep asking ourselves what more can we do? that is the question for everyone watching today. those that live

in our own communities? that is what joining forces is about. that is why this month is not just a celebration but a call to action. it is a call to all of us to match the veterans and caregivers with services of our own. i want to thank all of the leaders who are here today. the men and women in this room -- in this room, i want to thank you for showing us what bravery and courage and sacrifice really means. i want you all to know that we we not going to quit until serve you as well as you served us. that is our pledge to you. joining forces is not about photo ops or white house events. is about making concrete changes you can feel in your daily lives. working witho keep

us, hold our feet to the fire. let us know that you can feel all of these things that we are doing. give us feedback and criticize us and poke access. is going to take all of us together. every time we asked, people step up. there's no one that has said no. whoant to encourage those are living in the shadows to step out. they have been waiting to help. we need to know that they are out there. that is where many of you come in.

many of these caregivers are young themselves. so many of you will be such a tremendous of war. we want you all to stay strong. remember this day. is not the exception. it will be the role. i know we will continue to work on this issue just like these wonderful leaders who hold up such a high bar. i wish you all would just slow down. keep workingng to on this issue. god bless you all. god bless the united states of america.

[captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2014] >> we're going to take you across the street with secretary jay carney with the white house e daily briefing. >> that is how the process is supposed to work. >> supposed to. >> we're optimists. that is it? >> you anticipated all my questions. first ask about health care. the president gave a speech at the lbj library yesterday. before he spoke, clinton spoke about voter id laws been said that when we deal with this -- one way to do it as may be to put a photo one the social security card.

there is some controversy. where's the president on this? >> we have not had an opportunity to review all the implications of that idea. speaking on the question of voting rights, president obama believes we should be making it easier and harder for every eligible citizens to vote. is a position has discussed on many locations. we have not seen a formal proposal or had a lot of time to review the one you mentioned. as a general principle, the president is making it easier for them to vote not harder. in public office seems to have the same perspective. >> on health care, midterm onlyions you said people care if they have a insurance coverage or not. "that isfically said what will matter." will it also matter if someone had a plan and they lost it? >> there will be a debate in

every race about this and many other issues. i might have missed it. the individuals for whom that would be the case. i do not typically use it. they fell be randa said he let out a lot of important information. doubtany event, i have no that the issue surrounding the affordable care act will be discussed in the months ahead and may be discussed in individual races. what i know for a fact is that the alternative we have seen so far from republicans is nothing.

there is no alternative. repeal, thatr means you have to make the argument that it would be better for the 7.5 million not to have been able to enroll and get affordable health insurance. it would be better for the 3 million young adults on their parents policies because of the affordable care act not to be able to do that. it would be better for women around the country to the double. insurance companies could do that and it would be allowed. it will be better for insurance companies to refuse to cover specific conditions because they were pre-existing. affordableo give you health insurance because your child has asthma or diabetes. that is the status quo. thinks the argument i that we'll be seeing play out over the next several months. >> there was a rand study

suggesting that a lot of people who signed up or not previously uninsured and there were issues the administration has taken with that one. >> >> the number of the uninsurance of the rate of uninsured has gone down significantly since the limitation of the affordable care act. >> the president said, there were glitches in the first , but that what matters is the final score of any mention mentioned the 7.5 million sign-ups that he mentioned here. is that the way the president views it evident that is the final score, or that we're still in the second quarter, or where are we? to -- he wasmes citing the first open enrollment time, which came to an include

pollution on march 31 at midnight. that's a conclusion on march 31 at midnight. by which deadline, including those who had been processed sense because they're already in line, at least 7.5 million people were able to enroll. given where we were in october , november, december, january, and fabric of it is a pretty impressive achievement. that is what he was referring to. lyrica for andke the president said today in the rose garden is that there is a lot of work to do on implementation on preparing for the next open enrollment. that work continues, and that his work that cv of burlap will be overseeing as secretary of hhs. can you give us a sense of we have the sense of

urgency -- there is a budget agreement in place, a lot of details to work out. do you have a short list of things to be done? other onot have any top of the big ones we made today. expect a transition that hhs, further we have personnel announcements to make, we will make them. on those kindent of internal deliberations when it comes to filling personnel post. >> given nomination -- >> we're not going to get into those kinds of discussions. we're focused today on the announcement about aj just come

and would we have more personnel announcements to make about or any personnel announcements to make in this regard will make them. >> what reason did the u.s. denying the ambassador? obviously expressed our views directly to the iranians as well as to the united nations. there has been a fair amount of reporting on this nominee, the , and the concerns expressed in the legislation that we talked about today reflects our concern about this selection. for those reasons, we concur with the congress and share the intent of the bill, and we will not be issuing a visa to the iranian. >> had a role in the houston station in 1979? >> i think it is fair to say

that the discussions around this and the reporting on it, the music rest in the discussions on capitol hill and in the legislation and health flecked rvs. >> are used of shorting saying stopping short of things? >> this are complex issues and that we do not get into too much deals about issuing visas and deliberations over bezos. entitled tos. withhold a visa from an ambassador? >> i would refer you to the united nations representation. >> one last question. there's a large gap in the president's schedule to new york. what are the president and mrs. obama doing? >> my colleague eric schultz will be on this trip and he will put more on the schedule, but they will be spending a little time in new york this evening.

when we have more details to divide, we will provide them. refresher,give us a a weekend update on the president's conversation with the leaders of nato regarding p utin 's ukraine, crimea, and russian left -- build up? seee continue to pro-russian separatist, with support from moscow continue in a restricted campaign of incitement and does -- to undermine and destabilize ukrainian state. we remain concerned about increased russian pressure on ukraine overall, and we saw similar protest in crimea before the russian intervention and illegal annexation. this is cause for concern.

the president and the chancellor. about the need for russia to move its troo back from the batter -- troops back from the border. they're violating ukraine's sovereignty and tutorial -- territorial integrity. begala president putin and his government to seize all efforts to destabilize ukraine of and we caution against further military intervention. remain. to impose further cost on them for their further actions or obligations. when it comes to data and -- nato and the important work underway to reassure our allies that the united states is been early july site -- stepping up on a bilateral basis to reassure our allies most concerned about this build of the military forces. these efforts have been taking advantage of existing missions, the blank extra f-16 to poland,

at augmenting our deployment to the baltic air space. the president asked those nato allies who are capable of doing similar concretions to do so as quickly as possible. we wanted to move the discussion into more formal nato channels. ministers --ional continuous have a land, air, and sea presence throughout the end of the year. in other words, moving from an ad hoc coalition at the ready approach to a more concerted and strategic approach of what nato can i should do to bolster its article five obligations in assurances. we have taken a lot of steps to ensure our nato allies have had discussions with the president when he was in europe.

and we can reassure the alliance and those nations that are understandably most concerned i russia's actions in the ukraine. >> is the president prepared to her into an active capacity if we do not get the confirmation you are no looking for? any'm not going to confirm speculation as she was confirmed 96 to nothing to the cabinet position a year ago. her she has completed a year of exemplary service in that of laws that has one from both democrats and republicans alike. we do hope for is the confirmation, as we deferred to the senate and the performance of its responsibilities with confirmation. we expect in a transition. greg even ma transition is not a

long time for there to be confirmation hearings. is there a time without an aj just -- hhs -- >> i'm not going to speculate on that because we hope raise with confirmation. she received the confirmation and unanimous confirmation a year go to her current position, and is an excellent choice as some republicans have today said publicly for this new position. >>? when what ie a time have made clear i will not speculate on what might happen if that could be the case. sayse syrian opposition that the government is using poison gas. you confirmation of this is the case? >> we are aware of these reports, but do not have any information independently to cooperate these claims at this time. we take all reports of alleged

chemical weapons use seriously which is why we are working urgently to remove and destroy the chemical weapons stockpiles. we're monitoring that situation seeking to cooperate the reports. thehe foreign minister said action is destroying the geneva convention. as we have said repeatedly, unilateral actions by either the israelis or the palestinians that do not contribute to moving , buteace process forward the opposite, are not helpful. we have made clear our view on those actions, by the palestinians and the israelis. that is certainly the case when it comes to ascension to some of

these international organizations. on this and the fact that both parties need to make difficult decisions that only they can make to move the process forward is very well known. >> the difference between settlements undermining the clinical advisors, and joining international organizations -- >> what we opposed were unilateral actions that made achieving peace harder, and we oppose them whether they are ortlement tenders, circulating ascension documents to various international treaties. the peaceey make process more difficult. the prospects of making progress in reaching a peace settlement

become more remote. we strongly believe that it is in the interest of israelis and palestinians to achieve a peace settlement. , that allows for a sovereign palestinian state, and a secure jewish democratic state of israel. did president obama alert any members of congress or any congressional leaders? >> we went through notifications in the manner that we normally do. you want to join the other? -- me up here? [laughter] >> that would liven things up . [laughter] >> it would be awesome. one day, if you're willing.

again, we went through normal notification processes, these are the kind of deliberations of the president needs to engage in directly with cap andt secretary related. the normal process. >> i apologize if you have this question already. president obama will speak later today a, he will talk about voting rights. they're suggesting the president obama should a tissue and executive action that would put xers of social security cards -- pictures on social security cards. anwe have not had opportunity to review all of the indications are that. generally speaking, on the

subject of voting rights, president obama leaves that strongly we should be making it easier not harder for every eligible citizen to vote. on this specific goals we have not had a chance to review. to characterize abuses we have not had a chance to review it. >> can you give us any type of review of his speech -- preview of his speech? >> the president will make the case that every american should have the chance to know their elections are being administered fairly and efficiently and that every eligible citizen who was to but should have the chance to vote. view thatiterated his we should be working to make it easier and not harder to vote. he will address some of the barriers that have recently erected that make it more difficult for americans to exercise one of our most fundamental rights as citizens. that init's fair to say voting is an

essential and basic right. we should be making sure that systems are in place and procedures are in place that make it easier for eligible american citizens to cast their ballot. efforts that do the opposite would seem to go at the heart of what democratic government is all about. in a bad way. the president will discuss some of those in his remarks. >> thank you very much. is he going to meet with some of previousms of the hood?ng at fort they consider it an act of terrorism, and the military is not classified it as that. those who were previously wounded, had asked to meet with them. the president did not.

why was that he echo >> i do not have updates on his schedule. memorialipated in the ceremony for those were just killed at fort hood. terrorism, the department of defense has the lead on the investigation with support from the f the i, and as the dod has said there's no indication that this incident is related terrorism, although we're not ruling anything out. that investigation continues. on the schedule beyond that provided not have any info for you. >> for those who were injured in 2009 of any feeling for some what is thehange in judged as a workplace shooting? >> i do not have any info on that. fired atnybody be hhs over the website startup? >> the president, when we had the malfunction of

healthcare.gov was focused on making sure that his team was putting everything into fixing the problem. scapegoating, not finger-pointing, not blaming. that is what he got. that is why we have 7.5 million americans who are able to a role in sicily -- and role successfully into the state and local marketplaces. that is the kind of accountability that the president wants. that is what he got. i was discussing early, the debate will not end enrollment, of open 7.5 million with a change of leadership at aged just. it will continue, so we will have time to discuss it. the debate becomes a little more complicated for opponents of the affordable care act, for supporters of repeal that may that the status

quo of the 7.5 million and for the model and for the millions of seniors and for everybody who is affected by a policy in the past that discriminated against those pre-existing conditions, that that is better for them. we will not make for smell speculation here. the point i'm trying to make is that what the president wanted people to focus on had a very difficult time, was fixing the problem, not assigning blame. he got that, to the benefit of millions of americans. >> will secretary sebelius stay on until the nomination is confirmed by the senate? >> we expect in a transition, and we expect them to take a confirmation and to examine her exceptional credentials, her chandlery service, and to confirm her, hopefully unanimously as they did before. >> he knew in early much that

this president will be happening. effusive in his praise, but she was not at the podium nor mentioned when he talked about this victory lap, saying millions of americans at the time. event aboutt the the president was only with vice president behind the podium. >> members of congress who -- >> heard from the president of -- theted states president gave you plenty of sound today on his feelings service.elius' you got it pretty clearly. the want to know about

censorship in the press and the estimates about guantanamo. >> i want to refer you to the department of defense. >> angela merkel is coming to the white house in may. scheduling have any announcements on the behalf of the chancellor germany. whatever was said in the readout was 100% true, i do not have it in front of me. >> wise the president so reluctant to take executive action on the employment? >> the president believes that congress ought to pass and sent to his desk in the form of nondiscrimination act. the doctor about the executive orders can i do not have any updates for you on that.

passage as the center has already done is ready for the house today. the folks who oppose it oppose it for the reasons that the lights legislation has been opposed in the past. those reasons were wrong in the past. i think some of the people oppose this one would agree that the reasons were wrong in the past. i'm pretty confident that 10 years from now, a robber long from now, the folks will look back and knowledge that they were wrong now. they ought to just pass it. meantime, i just do not have any updates, as would be aboutn all cases, speculative orders. congress act,that but the president has been talking executive action for summer months, and he is taken

several effective actions on issues that he is still pressing congress to view more broadly. he did it with the minimum wage a few months ago, and he still pressing congress about that. it did it a couple of years ago with the dream act provision. in all those cases we have not said, prior to the issue a mexico border that we would never do it executive order. that is not speculate about potential executive orders. what we know concretely is that congress has taken up legislation that this is a strongly supports of that would ensure the rights of millions of , and that i think is clearly the right thing to do. we urge the house to take action. >> is that on the table? i think it is a great point, that in the fire, and the example that you said it is not

likely are talking about actions we would take in the future. congresslegislation in that we strongly support that we urge the house to pass. too not have anything to add the discussions about or speculation about executive orders in this arena or anything else. too not have anything to add in the realm of speculation, i do not make a lot of roles. ules. there, kind of hit income you can -- kind of hidden, you can ask your question. treaty..n.-u.s. can explain how this petition can be made while still fitting within that legal agreement that we disapprove the visa

application. >> this is such a rare case. i'm not a lawyer, so i will have to send you to the lawyers. have made you that we it clear, and communicated that we will not issue a visa. your foreign policy, which of those three does this case fall under? >> i would refer you to the experts on such things. i am not that. the week ahead, on president in -- on monday the president will host a easter prayer breakfast. they will mark the getting of passover with the seder at the white house. they will travel to the still, pennsylvania for an event on the economy. residentstails on the

and vice presidents travel to the that he will be made available in the coming days. they will both travel to leads bill pennsylvania -- lee dsville, pennsylvania. on thursday he will welcome the wounded warrior project soldier ride in cell version of the eighth annual sold all right. restore their physical and emotional well-being, and helps them raise awareness of their winter warriors who battle the physical and psychological damages of war. on friday the president will meet with the national commander and executive director of the american legion, later he will welcome the united states naval academy double-team to the white house to present them with the 2013 commander-in-chief's trophy. i hope you all have a wonderful weekend. i will see you next week. that is all the time i have for you.

-- the briefing ran about 150 minutes. if you miss something here on c-span can be can see it later at c-span.org. to new york later on this evening. earlier today in the rose garden of the white house and with the nomination of silvio burwell as the new health and human services secretary. >> good morning everybody. [applause]

everybody have a seat, everybody have a seat. good morning. in my sixth year in office. haveo grateful to some the great advisors.

my secretary of health and human services told me she would be moving on once the open rolled that time and are the affordable care act came to an end. after five years of extraordinary service to our country, and 7.5 million americans who have signed up for health coverage, she has earned that right. [applause] i will miss her advice, i will miss her friendship, i will miss your wit, but i'm proud to nominate somebody to succeed her who holds these traits in

abundance. sylvia mathews burwell. [applause] just a couple of things about kathleen. when i nominated kathleen more than five years ago, i've gotten to know her when she was governor of kansas, and showed extraordinary skills there. she was a great pirate -- supporter and my presidential campaign. i knew she was up for a tough herahead one of responsibilities would be to make sure that the countries repaired for a pandemic flu outbreak. i did not know that that would literally be her first task. sense of the sorts of daily challenges that kathleen has handled, often without fanfare, often on

acknowledged, but have been critical to the health and american -- welfare of the american people. she has fought to improve birth to-- health from kindergarten. -- brought us close to the first aids free generation. he has been a tireless advocate for women's health. of course, what kathleen will go down in history for his serving as the secretary of health and human services when the united states of america finally affordableuality of health care is not a privilege but a right of every single citizen. [applause]

kathleen has been here through the long fight to pass the portable care act. she has bonds, i got bumps, , but we did it because we knew, of all of the people that we have met all across the home,y who have lost a to put off care, had decided stay with the job instead of started business because they were uncertain about their health care situation, we have met families who had seen their children suffer because of the uncertainty of health care. we are committed to get this done. that is what we have done. and that is what kathleen has done. yes we lost the first quarter of open enrollment with the problems of healthcare.gov.

they were problems. but the under kathleen's leadership, heard team at -- her team at hhs turns the corner, got it fixed, got the job done, and the final score speaks for itself. there are seven point five people across the 7.5 million america who have health care. most of it because of the woman standing here next to me today. it is a historic accomplishment. [applause] >> in the meantime, alongside 7.5 million people being enrolled, health-care costs under kathleen's leadership are

growing at their slowest rate in 50 years. folks keep saying, they're not doing anything about cost, except -- what do they mean? health records are moving from dogeared paper to high-tech systems. kathleen partnered with the department of justice to progressively pursue health care fraud and return billions of dollars, record sums for the medicare trust fund. kathleen's work will benefit our families in this country for decades to come. we want to thank kathleen's husband, gary, first dude of kansas. two outstanding sons, ned and john, who have been willing to share their mom with us these past five years. kathleen, your dad served as

governor of ohio and inspired you to pursue public service and he passed away last year. he would've been so proud of you today. we want to thank you once again for your service to our country. [applause] >> now, we know there is still more work to do at hhs. there is more work to do to

implement the affordable care act, there's another enrollment period coming up, there is a whole array of responsibilities to meet over at this large and very important agency. i could choose no manager as experienced and confident as my current director of the office of management and budget, sylvia. [applause] sylvia is from a small town in west virginia. she brings the common sense that you see in small towns. she brings the values of caring about your neighbor and ordinary folks to some of the biggest and most complex challenges of her time. she is a proven manager who has demonstrated her ability to feel

the great teams, forge strong relationships, and deliver results at the highest level in the public and private sectors. as c.o.o. and later president of global development at the gates foundation, she worked on the cutting edge of the world's most pressing health challenges. as head of the walmart foundation, she gained first-hand experience into how insurance markets work and how they can work better for businesses and families. here as my budget director at the white house, she has already delivered results. in the years since she arrived, the deficit has plunged by more than $400 billion. i'm just saying. [laughter] [applause] when the government was forced to shut down last october and even as most of her own team was

barred from reporting the work, sylvia was a rock, a steady hand on the wheel who helped navigate the country through very challenging time. once the government was allowed to reopen, sylvia was vital to winning the two-year budget agreement that put an end to these manufactured crises we have seen in washington so we can keep our full focus on growing the economy and creating new jobs and expanding opportunity for everybody who is seeking opportunity. all the while, she has helped advance important initiatives to bring the government into the 21st century, including efforts to speed up job creation by dramatically speeding up the permitting process for big infrastructure projects. sylvia is a proven manager, and she knows how to deliver results. and she will need to be a proven manager, because these are tough tasks. from covering more families with economic security that health insurance provides to ensuring the safety of our food and drug

supply to protecting the country from outbreaks or bioterror attacks, to keeping america at the forefront of job creating medical research, all of us rely on the dedicated servants and scientists, the researchers at hhs and the fda and cdc and nnih. all of them are in next ordinary team, and sometimes the american people take them for granted, the incredible network of outstanding public service that we have that is helping to keep us healthy and improve our lives every single day. i want to thank stephen. sylvia's husband, and matthew, and helene, for sharing wife and mom with us a little bit longer. we will miss seeing you around

the white house, but i know you will do an outstanding job as america's secretary of health and human services. i hope the senate confirms sylvia without delay. she's going to do great. last time she was confirmed unanimously. i'm assuming not that much has changed since that time. with that, i want to give them both an opportunity to say a few words, starting with kathleen. [applause] >> thank you. i want to start by thanking you, mr. president and mr. vice president, for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime to serve in this cabinet. i want to thank my hhs family, many of whom are here, at least the health leaders are here, for their incredible work. and my personal family, represented today by our oldest son ned.

my husband gary is on the bench in kansas today, doing multiple hearings, which he does each and every day. our youngest son is in equador, -- in ecuador, but they are with us in spirit. hhs is an amazing department, full of bright and talented and hard-working people who believe strongly in our important mission, providing health care and essential human services to all americans. inscribed on the walls of the humphrey building where your office will be are the words of the namesake. hubert humphrey said, the moral test of government is how that government treats those who are in the dawn of life -- the children -- those are who in the twilight of life -- the elderly -- and those who are in the shadow of life. that describes what we do at

hhs. our employees help their friends and neighbors every day. the researcher is in nih labs and scientists working to improve new drugs and devices are helping change the face of humanity by advancing new cures, research, and innovation. we are advancing public health in the u.s. and around the globe, with anti-smoking efforts and child health. finally, behavioral health and physical health issues will be considered both part of essential treatment, and that's a big step forward. our workers look out for a safe and secure food and drug supply in a global market. our smart diplomacy, sharing health expertise and advances, win the hearts and minds of nations across the globe. we have done transformational work in communities across this country.

at any point in our history, that mission would be highly rewarding and some of the most important work anybody could do. but i have had an additional amazing opportunity. no one has had this before. i got to be a leader of hhs during these most historic times. we are in the front lines of a long overdue national change, fixing a broken health system. this is the most meaningful work i have ever been a part of. it has been the cause of my life. there's a reason that no earlier president was successful in passing health reform, despite decades of attempts. throughout the legislative battles, the supreme court challenge, contentious reelection and years of votes to turn back the clock, we are making progress, tremendous

progress. critics and supporters alike are benefiting from this law. my professional work as a legislator and insurance commissioner and governor have been tremendously helpful in navigating the policy and politics of this historic change. at the end of the day, health is personal. it's personal to all of us. family illnesses and personal health challenges touch us to our core. i spent time as a daughter, navigating care for ill parents. as a mother and now grandmother, i have experienced and worried about prenatal care and healthy babies. we have had family health challenges, as all of us have, and finding the right care can be difficult even with the best contacts and the right resources. the personal reward for me at the end of the day are the folks who approach me, the strangers who approach me at a meeting or pass me a note on a plane or

hand me a phone with someone on the other end saying thank you. their stories are so heartening about finally feeling secure in knowing they can take care of themselves and their families. unfortunately, a page is missing. [laughter] so i'm just grateful for having had this wonderful opportunity. the president was in austin yesterday at the lbj library, commemorating 50 years in the civil rights efforts led by lyndon johnson. 50 years ago, my father was part of that historic congress. he served in the congress with the passage of medicare and medicaid, with head start. those programs are now in the agency i have had the honor to lead. it seems like a wonderful passing of the baton. the affordable care act is the most significant social change

in this country in that 50 year period of time. i'm so grateful to have had this opportunity. i appreciate all of the effort and support. i think my cabinet colleagues who are here on the front row, and not only are they here today, but they have been part of an all hands on deck effort making sure that seven and a half million people were able to sign up for affordable health care. thank you, mr. president. i know that sylvia is a trusted and valued friend, a great partner. i know she will be a terrific leader for hhs. [applause]

>> first i like to thank you, mr. president and mr. vice president for the trust you placed in me in my role at omb and your confidence in nominating me for this new role. as we all honor kathleen's accomplishments today, i also want to personally thank her for her support and friendship through this year. i want to express my heartfelt thanks to the team at the office of management and budget and to our congressional counterparts with whom i've had the privilege to work closely throughout this year. omb is an extraordinary institution. it's a credit to the professionalism and commitment of omb's people that we have been able to meaningfully improve our nation's fiscal policy over the past year. i want to thank my family, especially my husband, stephen. i'm humbled and honored and

excited for the opportunity to build on the achievement that kathleen, the president, and so many others have put in place. if confirmed by the senate, i look forward to carrying on the important work of ensuring that children, families, and seniors have the building blocks of healthy and productive lives, whether it's through implementing the affordable care act, supporting affordable childcare, or finding new frontiers to prevent and treat disease. thank you, mr. president. [applause] >> give these extraordinary women one more round of applause. thank you, sylvia and kathleen, for your service. [applause]

>> when the items the senate will get to it soon as they return from their spring break will be the nomination of silvio burwell. we had a chance a bit earlier today to speak with a capitol hill reporter on that subject. with is on the line, jennifer from politico. tell us about the nomination of silvio burwell, president obama nominating the office of budget director. what is your background, and what does she know about health. issues? at ther one year serving office of management and budget and the obama administration, and she can get foundation.

prior to that she worked at walmart and the gates foundation, and she worked the entire clinton administration. this is a big economic --agement that ground background. management is more her thing been health care. hs needs rightt hsh now. they need to write the ship on healthcare.gov and the of and will addition of the affordable care act. >> and she gets through the senate, what committees will be holding hearings? when do you expect to see those hearings held? >> shall have to go through the senate finance committee, with overseas and the addition of the entire -- the implementation of the entire staff.

ais is probably going to be very different process. the republicans are going to use the confirmation hearing at her vote on the senate floor to litigate the health care law. one significant point that is expected to come up is that this adds a lot of authority to the aged to secretary on how it gets it of the method -- hhs secretary on how it gets and implemented. she is likely to have wide support among democrats. she can afford to lose five democratic votes and still win the process. >> would you expect these hearings will get underway? >> it is out for the next two weeks for spring recess, and it will happen shortly after that. the for the record -- the

further we go toward the november election, the heart of this process will be to get through. it will be pretty early in may. >> what key senators do you see will be involved in her confirmation process? theenator ron white who is chairman of the senate finance committee, and he put out a statement today praising her as an excellent choice. the republican on that panel put out a statement lee that she is that shehave to prove is willing to work with republicans on the law. moderate democrats who are facing tougher election races in states. >> who are going to be the ones you're keeping any eye on? they are not going to be anxious to vote for anyone who is going to be a cheap and will mentor of obamacare -- eight

a chief and will mentor of obamacare. >> will she win approval in the senate? >> at this point, this too early to say. i would say that she would get through, i think the rest of the democrats are going to align really strongly behind her. the republicans are going to use this vote against them if they vote for. we appreciate your time, as always. >> thank you. >> we have some reaction from senators, they are tweeting out there thoughts.

this sunday and q&a we will have be ogled the senator tom coburn. here's a look ahead. director of omb and her are thet for management real deal. we finally have some real professional business people with real experience in the real world working for the obama administration. omb as.us with the >> the office of management and budget. >> how does that fit?

>> they have power. they write the budget committee have authority over the agencies for compliance and transparency, and also reporting. they have, if you are a president, yorkie area beside your cabinet, is having the strongest person possible in omb because that is where the teeth are for the administration to cause agencies to become compliant with what the administration would will. >> you say she is the real deal. give us the reason why. >> number one as she is transparent. she is not a turf protector. silvio burwell is her name. she is -- communicates and does not hold back. there's nothing about her rather than what you see is what you get.

the management arer-secretary and director 18 who have great experience outside of government and private sector. is applyinge doing the private sector knowledge and structure to the office of management and budget which then will bleed out. my compliments to the president for his judgment in selecting those two individuals, that will make a big difference. >> there you go, a look ahead at tom coburn. that is sunday at an :00 to -- 8:00 p.m. on facebook --

coming up later today on c-span, live at the clock p.m. it is treasury secretary tackle and who will hold a news conference following a meeting with the g 20 finance ministers here in washington dc. that is right here at 6 p.m. eastern. the ryan will headline republican dinner in cedar rapids. he is a number of -- one of a number of speakers, and we will have that live for you on c-span. assembled today in federal hall, we are reminded of the ones who served before us, and those who served first. it is a humbling experience to stand on the site where the first congress met in were the first president was sworn for the bill of rights is introduced. every member of the house and the senate and every citizen of this country can draw a straight

line from the events and federal hall to the life we all know today. when congress convened here, amerco was a nation of scarcely 4 million souls are the tallest structure in the that he was trinity church, which still stands at the corner rod we and wall street -- broadway and wall street. the roll call included designers of the declaration of independence, and then who and -- man who in march and george washington's army. thatf the members knew great responsibilities had come to them. as vice president john adams observed, a trust of the greatest magnitude is committed to the legislature, in the eyes of the world are upon you. in their actions the members of the first congress met that test, and although the city was the nation's capital for only a short time, from those early

days the eyes of the world have continued to be on new york. one year ago, this great center showedory, enterprise, an itself to be a place of valor, generosity, and grace after a great attack. of kindness i ask and heroism that will be remembered forever. when president bush introduced mayor giuliani and the governor at the joint session last september, it was, as said one new yorker, as if the members of congress had recognized these two men had come directly off the battlefield. today congress gathers knew that battlefield to honor the characters shown, and the courage shown in new york these last 360 days. to remember every innocent life

taken in the attacks of september 11. >> find more highlights of 35 years of house floor coverage on our c-span page. brought to you today as a public service by your local cable or satellite provider. the senate foreign relations committee on thursday looked at the president ajit request for the u.s. agency for international development. testifiedstrator about efforts to fight global poverty and hunger, as well as his agencies social media prep warming give up that platform in cuba. this is 90 minutes. we will come to order. welcome back to the committee. when u.s.t a time

ideas making headlines for doing nothing more than the job you're pointed to when it comes to the issue of cuba or your work in any closed society, i do not believe usaid's actions, as clearly articulated in your mission statement to promote "resilient democratic societies that are able to realize their potential," are in any way a cockamamie idea. i believe it is exactly what the people of cuba, iran, burma, belarus, north korea, and other authoritarian nations need to help them communicate with each other. to help them achieve the usaid's stated mission of a "free, peaceful, and self-reliant society with an effective, legitimate government." so i commend you for helping people have a less control platform to talk to each other,