advice. second, try to understand perspectives that are different from yours. from the diverse group of people you'll serve with to the allied partner forces you'll interact and partner with. being able to see the world through their eyes, through the eyes of others, will be critical ly important. right now there's a sailor going through the training pipeline who expects his officers to be learning officers, learning leaders, learning even struggling to understand backgrounds and careers and lives outside your own, whether they're enlisted, other officers or civilians. this will help you not only in the military, but everywhere, all the time in your personal lives. seek out allies and partners and opportunities to build relationships and engage in the world. understanding the intentions and experiences of other militaries is a skill that's vital to our

national security and america's future. my third suggestion, very simple, very clear, be humble. stay humble. by virtue of your unique experience here at the naval academy, you have much, much to be proud of and confident about. but if confidence gives way to arrogance, both your superiors and subordinates will respond, and it won't come out well for you, nor should it. humility is about respect. respect for others. give credit to others and remember you will never ever know enough, you'll never know enough or be as smart or as good as you any you are. someone else will always have something to teach you. in the wore of one petty officer, lots of enlisted have a lot of pride in what they do.

and a little bit of humility on the officer's part to be able to say every now and then, i don't know what do you think, goes a long way. these three tools, personal interaction, understanding humility, they'll all help you both personally and professionally. but always remember that the first principle of leadership is accountability. the first principle of leadership is accountability. you've been taught that. you know that. you've been raised that way. you will now practice it. accountability to those above you, to those under your command and to yourself. and maybe most importantly to yourself. once you take up your duty stations and the responsibility of leadership, you will find yourselves often under tremendous pressures you've never experienced before. at times you'll be pressured to succeed at any cost. when that

happens, it sometimes clouds the internal compass that we each have that helps us distinguish right from wrong. some people regularly check that compass, some do not. and those who do not often find themselves drifting into and resulting in ethical, moral or professional lapses that stain our force's honor, damage our institution's credibility and harm our nation's security. we've seen all too often that small actions can reverberate in large ways, whether it's sharing answers on a test, looking the other way when someone den denegrates another human being or taking the trappings of your office. remember, your actions will define you. your actions will define new the eyes of everyone around you. it's not just what you do, but how you do it. actions and inaction have

consequences. as a leader you are a role model, maybe your biggest responsibility of all. and you have the power to inspire and encourage others to do the right thing. for example, you will all be counted onto lead in helping eliminate sexual harassment and sex ultimate saul of your sisters and brothers in uniform. you've seen what these crimes do to the survivors their families institutions and communities. you know how they tear people and units apart. how they destroy the bonds of confidence and trust that lie at the very core the center, the heart of our military. take this expj do whatever you can to make sure everyone, everyone is treated with the dignity and respect they deserve. we're all accountable. from new recruits to four-star admirals and generals, from second lieutenants to the

secretary of defense we all have to step up and take action when we see something that hurts our people and our values. on a personal level i a few months ago found my brother and my commanding officer in vietnam from 1968. lieutenant jerome johnson. i talked with him for the first time since late 1968 a few months ago. he's in chicago. i want to use him briefly as an example of what i'm talking about. in 1968, first that was the worst year for america in vietnam. we sent home over 16,000 dead americans in one year, from that war. we had racial differences discipline issues the army was in trouble in 1968.

our country was in trouble in 1968. this young african-american had a lieutenant out of chicago came to our unit, and he stepped into the middle of this, and he brought everybody together, african-americans, whites, hispanics, he said no more of this. we're in this together. we're americans first. we're going to work together, we're going to get along, we're going to fight together and we're going to take care of each other. no more segregated tents, we're together. and the force of this one young second lieutenant, african-american, in a majority white unit, brought that unit together that company together like nothing i've ever seen. that's leadership. that's stepping up. that's doing the right thing. i have admired lieutenant johnson as my brother has since 1968, and i want to acknowledge

lieutenant johnson today. for what he did for all of us and just to further the point on humility his wife, of 40 years and his children and grandchildren, never knew that he received the silver star in vietnam because he was too humble to even tell his family that he had received that tremendous honor. now, that is an individual who lived something pretty special. [applause] that's what leaders do. we face challenges straight up and head on. with strength of heart strength of will, no matter how tough the test is. you're ready for those tests ahead, not only because of your education and your training but

because of the way you've banded together and pressed on in the face of tragedy. i know that as we mark this wonderful sell wherer to day -- celebratory day, recognizing accomplishments and those who helped you through your life and get you to this point, with all of that i know that today our thoughts are also turning to three midshipmen that the naval academy family lost earlier this year. we remember will mccabey, class of 2017, we remember hands loh an, class of 2016, mack allen class of 2014 and we also remember nick tarlt, class of 2014 who passed away two years ago. this community will always remember their enthusiasm and compassion that brightened the lives of all who knew them. i knew hans lohan and i know his wonderful family. his sister is here among you

today. his sister will be commissioned today as a second lieutenant. in the united states marine corps. [applause] our hearts and prayers go out to the families of all these midshipmen and their friend here at the academy. this sense of loss will be familiar to some of the sailors and marines that you will all soon command. you will lead people who may have lost friends to combat, accidents or suicide. you'll lead people who may be struggle with their own challenges like stress mental health or drug and alcohol abuse. when they come to you for help it doesn't mean they're weak. it means they're strong, because asking for help when you need it takes courage and strength. what we need to remember what

our entire country needs to remember, is that these brave individuals don't need to be avoided or stigmatized. they need to be embraced, they need to be helped be they need leaders, leaders with compassion and humility. leaders they know and trust and will go the extra mile for them. they need leaders like their parents, their friends, the instructors, the mentors here today that helped you all along your life. people who never squandered a moment or missed an opportunity to help make the world a better place. we use every fiber of their being to lift up everyone around them all the time. you will be that kind of leader. you will be the ones who lead from the bottom up, who will help bring about a renewed sense of our collective responsibilities to take care of each other, watch out for each other. if you stand together and face your challenges head on together, you and your fellow

sailors and marines will always be a force for good throughout the world. as your class motto declares, where there is unity there is victory, a few minutes ago i told you that periods of transition require great leadership. and in this particular time of change, the leadership we need can't just come from people in positions like those of us on the stage today. it has to come from you. as mall unit leaders you will have within your grasp the opportunity to do more for your people on a personal level than anyone else in the military. now you must seize that special unique privileged opportunity. that is what your sailors and marines expect from you. i recently spoke with a petty officer who helped launch and recover aircraft from the flight deck of the u.s.s. dwight d.

eisenhower. in his words when you come to see, there will wades be sorts and sorts and different sorts of challenges, every day is a did it day. some days will be good, others days not. but all days you need to be there for them. the officers and leaders need to be there for them. so go forth, class of 2014 connect with people. understand different perspectives, stay humble. be there for your people and their families. and may you always be officers worthy, worthy not only of the people you lead, but the nation you serve. work hard, but have some fun, have some fun too. thank you on this wonderful, glorious day of achievement and accomplishment for what you've done and what you will do for our country.

god bless you all. thank you. [applause] >> the academic dean of the united states naval academy drop andrew t. phillips. [applause] >> candidates, please rise. admiral miller. on behalf of the faculty of the united states naval academy, i present these candidates for the degrees and recommend that this degree be conferred upon them. as you have successfully completed your personal study at

the united states able academy and recommended by the academic board, as superintendent and by virtue of the authority vested in me by the congress of the united states, i confer upon each of you the baccalaureate degree with the rights and privileges -- rights and privileges thereunto pertaining. [applause] please be seated. the commandant of the marine corps, united states marine corps will administer the openoffice to those being commissioned in the united states marine corps. general amos i present two hundred 65 midshipmen of the graduating class to be commissioned in the united states marine corps.

[applause] >> thank you, captain bird secretary hagel, secretary mavis. it's a wonderful day for the united states of america and its maybe entering core. admiral miller, my good friend once again, you have done a fantastic job of molding and shaping the character of these future military leaders. parents, family, friends faculty, staff of the united states naval academy. thank you for your persistent guidance and your encouragement and your faithful mentor ship over the last four years. your personal fingerprints are

all over the class of 2014. they said before us today in large part because of your great fidelity towards them. for the men and women seated on the lawn before me today i want to use this short time to talk about two simple things. first, i want you to think about character. as an officer, this single word carries with it an enormous burden of responsibility. you're are not the same person that arrived four years ago. you are different. you have been transformed both morally and ethically. the last four years at the academy have helped shape your character and defined who you are and what you stand for. you certainly remember phrases like your integrity is all you have.

are you going to standby or are you going to stand up for something echo when you arrived here the honor concept was simply an expression. today, you know it to be much more. midshipmen are persons of integrity. they stand for that which is right. the character that defines you as an individual is the same strength that enables you to hold america's safety and security in your hands during times of great adversity. theodore roosevelt wrote about the importance of character when he said character is shown in peace no less than in war. the greatest perfection of armament will not make soldiers out of cowards. no metal training and no bodily vigor will make an nation great

if it lacks the fundamental principles of honesty and moral cleanliness. soon to be ensigns and lieutenants, keep your honor clean. as you leave here today, never forget that your character lies in the soul of who you are and what you stand for. lastly, for the class of 2014, i commend you for your choice to take the high road. the more difficult path. you chose to attend annapolis four years ago and began a journey of service and sacrifice to america. and in doing so, you accepted the challenge of serving your country during a time of war. a time when our nation has seen 13 straight years of combat. your journey will be laced with uncertainty, danger, and

unfathomable challenges. your reward, however, will be the opportunity to lead the treasure of america. it's young men and women. on monday, our nation will mark another memorial day spent in conflict. as i thought about today's graduation and that sacred holiday next week, i was reminded of the character of our nation and that of its people. i thought about our indomitable spirit with the body of americans from those who sacrificed on that fateful september day over 13 years ago to the thousands of men and women who had given their lives in iraq and afghanistan. to the men and women that have come forward such as yourselves. the nation's character continues to shine brightly.

there is much to be thankful for and there is much to hope for in our future. i am mindful that most of you were in the third and fourth grade when our nation was attacked on that fateful tuesday morning. from all across america, you came. to this great institution. prospective ensigns to be, it is my extreme privilege and honor to be shoulder to shoulder with your chief of naval operations and my good friend admiral jonathan brainerd as we both wish you fair wind and following seas. graduates to be commissioned in the united states marine corps get on your feet.

raise your right hand. i have been appointed to second lieutenant to rank as such from the 23rd of may 2014. do you hereby accepts such appointment? and do you solemnly swear that you will support and defend the constitution of the united states against all enemies foreign and domestic? and that you will bear true faith and allegiance to the same? and that you take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion? and that you will faithfully discharge the duties of a second lieutenant in the united states

marine corps, so help you god? >> i do. [applause] marines, welcome to my core. -- corps. where my cloth well. take your seats, lieutenants. [applause]

>> the chief of naval operations, admiral jonathan grater to from the u.s. navy will administer the of office to those being commissioned in the united states navy. admiral greenerard, i submit them to be commissioned in the united states navy. >> i am sure glad general amos is on my team. captain burns, thank you very much. secretary hagel, secretary mavis. dean andy phillips, you are a great teammate. thank you for what you do. thank you very much.

and admiral mike miller who i have known for a long time. you have done a remarkable job throughout the career in here this institution. ladies and gentlemen, you may wonder what is it that makes mike miller such a great leader? i will tell you. barbara miller. how about a hand for barbara miller? mike, i would wish you fair winds and following seas but i will just give you fair winds. if we gave you the following seas, being a pilot, you would be seasick and it would not be pretty. class of 2014, we met earlier this week and i like you. i think you guys and gals are all right. so i will give you a bonus.

my remarks and my good advice are posted on facebook. and while you're waiting to get your diploma, you can read these words of wisdom and your parents can do that right now because 99.5% at least of you have your smartphones with you. to those of you who are now second lieutenants i want to congratulate you and welcome you. as general amos said, we are an unbeatable team. as secretary mavis said, where ever we go, there is victory. i have just a few tips in one order or you before we give this of office. number one, stated a different way but it means the same, you need to guard your integrity. it is yours alone and no one can take it from you. number two, when you are in my

navy, you need to learn to trust . unconditional trust. and you need to learn to be trustworthy. your life will depend upon it. number three, wear sunscreen. it takes 20 years for the sun damage to manifest itself. trust me on that. and one order for you. i want each and every one of you to call or write your mother once a week. you got that? [applause] there is nobody in your life up to this point that has given you more unconditional love and will do so after this then your mother. recognize that.

graduates to be commissioned in our united states navy. please rise. [applause] all that shipment entering the united states navy, raise your right hand. having been appointed an ensign in the united states navy, from 23 may of 2014, to you solemnly swear that you will support and defend the constitution of the united states against all enemies foreign and domestic? at you will bear true faith and allegiance to the same. that you take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion? and that you will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office of which you are about to enter, so help you god?

>> i do. >> very good. lower your right hand. [applause] ok, shipmates. i will see you out there in the fleet. ensigns, take your seats. >> good morning. ladies and gentlemen today we will graduate 1068 men and women that have met the many challenges of four years at the naval academy. the class of 2014 also includes 12 graduates from nine nations around the world. we invite these international graduating midshipmen to stand

when their name is called along with members of the national delegation who are in attendance today. these graduates is national flags are flying above the memorial arches will return to their countries and serve with distinction in their armed forces or enter other government service. [reading names]

[reading names] congratulations. take your seats. today's graduates join the more than 80,000 men and women that have graduated from the naval academy since its founding in 1845. as part of our graduation

ceremony today, members of the class that preceded this year's graduates by 50 years will honor this continuing chain of naval academy graduates by presenting uniform devices to the class of 2014. several members of the class are listed in your program. recognizing and applauding these graduates. [applause] finally, before we begin introductions of individual graduates, i should remind you of an important naval academy tradition. the parents and friends of each graduate are invited to stand when i graduates name is called and in that way we can recognize your contribution to the achievement of these fine young men and women.

the secretary of defense will present diplomas to those individuals regulate with distinction. those members of the class of 2014 graduating with distinction, please rise. second lieutenant david f williams stands first in the class.

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>> next, indiana governor mike pence on alternatives to medicaid. live at 7:00 a.m. your calls and comments on "washington journal." >> what i am trying to say is that fraud kills, ok? and it is nonpartisan, fraud. we have got to do something about it. we do not have unlimited budgets, and money gets wasted on a building that will never get used is money that would help another afghan and in the united states. you see this again and again and again. i am proud to work for this administration. i think it is important that

people realize i was appointed by the president. inspector general's are independent. but it's important that people see the government does care. and there are a lot of people, people in aid and state and pentagon who care about wasting money. >> john sopko on his role as inspector general and how taxpayer dollars are spent on reconstruction in afghanistan sunday night at 8:00 on c-span's "q&a." >> republican governor mike pence wants to expand health care coverage for indiana's low income earners. the plan would be paid with the heatllth care law. the american enterprise institute hosted the governor and former u.s. representative on monday. this is about 50 minutes

>> good morning, ladies and gentlemen. i am arthur rooks, president of the american enterprise institute. i am pleased to welcome you to thies event. we are looking to hear about his state's new proposal for obama care and medicaid. mike pence was elected as the 50th governor in 2012. prior to that he was the representative in the sixth district for 6 terms. he has had a huge amount of experience. he has distinguished himself in his career.

today's policy is no exception. it is my honor to welcome governor mike pence. [applause] >> thank you for that introduction and for the hospitality. i'm grateful to you, not just for your hospitality today, but for really keeping the twin lights of freedom and enterprise burning brightly. aei's mission is about keeping the hope of opportunity of a better life, more vibrant society alive and well and promoting empirically grounded

fresh ideas to make that possible. it is an honor to be with you today, and please join me again with thanking the american enterprise institute and arthur brooks for your great leadership. [applause] like many of other admirers of yours and of your work here, arthur, i have been influenced by your writings and your sense of the term earned success. and i come from a state that works. it is a state where people value hard work. and so i see the principle of really earned success lived out every day in the 92 counties of indiana. i see it in the schoolteacher

who looks at risk kids after school doubt the graduate and go to college. i see it in the entrepreneurial business owner who started the business in their living room and now employs 50 people, or the police officer who takes pride in keeping the peace in our street, each and every day. i see in cities large and small across the state of indiana that principle that you have articulated, that people are happier and more motivated when they build something on their own, when they take greater ownership in their lives and they are the success whatever level of success that is. and that principle is much of what brings me here today. i am here to talk about today is related to that point, and it concerns the future of health care in america, and particularly, how indiana has been leading the way for the

kind of reform that i would submit respect the dignity of every person regardless of their income and honors the aspiration of every person for a better life. i agree with the thinking here at american enterprise and that it made the case that reform-minded conservatives need to ensure that the safety net is well designed and strong to provide a firm basis. i cite none other than president ronald reagan, who would say in new york city in 1979 these words, "we have long since committed ourselves as a people to help those among us who cannot take care of themselves." but he added, "the federal government has proven to be the

costliest and most inefficient provider of help we could possibly have." i would submit reagan was right. the truth is the safety net does not need to be expanded as some in this town argue incessantly. it does not need to be abolished, as some also argue. it needs to be reformed. it needs to be made better. i believe that can best happen in a laboratory of innovation and democracy at the state level. think of what president reagan said so many years ago. we have long since committed ourselves to help people who cannot out themselves, but that the federal government itself was the least suited to be able to do that. and i come before you today to really say that when it comes to the issue of health care, i believe that people in my party

need to be solutions conservatives, offering real alternatives to the big-government answers of the liberal establishment, that are grounded in respect for the aspiration of every person to earn their own way, to succeed to achieve self-sufficiency, and to do that in the best way possible, with the kind of innovation that can happen all across the country, on a state-by-state level. i say all this recognizing that this is the very antithesis of the approach embodied in the affordable care act. ordering every american to buy health insurance, whether they want it or need it or not, is not the answer to expanding access to affordable health care in america. i have said it before. i will say it again. obamacare must be repealed.

and obamacare must be replaced with market-based reforms and, as i will elaborate more today with a flexible medicaid block program that allows the states to create innovative solutions at the point of the need. i have and will continue to advocate for congress and a president that has the political will to repeal obamacare so we can improve health care access and outcomes. some of you who have known me know that i was a pretty vocal opponent of obamacare when i was in congress. i said this law will not stand and i believe that more today than ever before. even obamacare's architects are breathing easier, the program is still terribly flawed and should be repealed. it is bad for families and for

america. and despite the great progress we've been making in our economy in the state of indiana, there's not a day goes by that i do not travel across the hoosier state and hear people tell me that the implementation of the affordable care act as a dampening effect hanging over indiana's economy and our nation's economy. it is truly stifling growth in america. early in our administration, i made it clear that indiana would not establish a state exchange. everyone knows the physical position of these exchanges is untenable. when the rates rise again, i predict you will see a drop in public support. it was a government takeover of health care. in the overly regulated top-down structure, the law will never allow the exchanges to operate as freely as they should, and as a result access will stay the same or get worse as costs go up.

i always thought that was the fundamental flaw of the argument on the other side. most people i talk to when i was in congress back home would say they were most concerned about the cost of health insurance. but the focus in the congress was not on lowering the cost of health insurance. it was about growing the size of government. that is how the affordable care act came to be. so obamacare needs to be repealed for all those good reasons, and i would submit to you for one more, because it is pushing a massive flawed medicaid program on the states. i believe a plan for a state-based medicaid reform is not only entirely consistent with a repeal of obamacare, but i believe it helps make the case for why repeal is needed. republicans in congress have long argued for reforming medicaid into a block grant so the states have flexibility to design better programs.

i cannot think of a budget that i voted for during my years in congress that did not include block-granting medicaid back to the states. i'd submit that in the debate states need to lead the way, like indiana is doing. last week i announced that the state of indiana will seek to do just that, to seek flexibility from the federal government to close what is known as the coverage gap by expanding our homegrown health care solution, the healthy indiana plan. i have been talking about using the healthy indiana plan as a basis for expansion of health care coverage in indiana since before i took office in january 2013. today i'm pleased to have the opportunity to share with each one of you the details of our administration's proposal to expand the healthy indiana plan

and offer consumer-driven health care coverage to low-income hoosiers. first, background. today in indiana, we have some 350,000 low-income working hoosiers, those below 100% of the federal poverty level. or for a family of four, that is about $24,000 a year. these are hoosiers who lack access to the insurance their neighbors enjoy. experts rightly call this the coverage cap. many hoosiers up to 138% of the level, $33,000 a year in income for a family of four, also cannot access affordable coverage and they live with uncertainty in their families. last week i had the opportunity to introduce the people of our state to a number of hoosiers that fall into this coverage gap, working men and women who are out rolling their sleeves up

oftentimes in the most difficult circumstances, but courageously moving forward, providing for their families. people like becky kincaid, a proud hoosier who finds herself essentially for all intents and purposes caught in that gap, where her income does not give her the ability to purchase health insurance for herself or her families. some of our neighbors across the midwest have chosen to address the gap by expanding traditional medicaid. and i respect the decisions others have made. i'm here to talk about indiana. from the beginning of my tenure we have been saying no to obamacare in indiana. we declined a state-based exchange, and i have made it clear that we will not expand traditional medicaid on my watch. medicaid is not only broke. it is broken.

medicaid is not a program we need to expand. medicaid is a program we need to reform. it was nobly created some 50 years ago to help the poor and those with disabilities access quality health care. medicaid has morphed into a bureaucratic monstrosity that does less to help low-income people than advocates say. and obamacare advocates continue to promote medicaid expansion despite the evidence that the program does not work as it is supposed to. as an anticipated study in oregon showed, medicaid increased emergency room use by enrollees and produce health outcomes that were no better than being uninsured. other studies have shown health outcomes are no better and sometimes even worse for people that are covered by medicaid compared to those with no coverage at all. the truth is last year oregon's study should have sent shockwaves to the rank of public

health policy experts and advocates across the country. for some reason it did not do that. it should have caused people to ask themselves how expanding a program that does not improve health outcomes is the right approach for america or it is right to do that. if you care about low-income americans, why would you want to expand a program that provides such inadequate coverage? the only thing medicaid does well is make it on to the gao's risk of high-risk federal programs. we know doctors who see these individuals for free rather than dealing with medicaid. the program is prone to fraud and implicit in this gap in coverage and access. obamacare needs to be repealed for many reasons, including it is pushing a massive medicaid

program on to the states. some proponents of expansion those who helped author that underlying legislation, the affordable care act, are satisfied with covering a vulnerable population with a program that is so deeply flawed, but i am not. fortunately, hoosiers have found a better way. in indiana we have found the way to base the program on away we know how to improve health and lowers costs, consumer-driven health care, using health savings accounts. let me brag on the hoosier state for a second, and we think indiana is the birthplace of health savings accounts. some of you in the policy community remember the name j. patrick rooney.

he was an insurance executive and a visionary. in addition to his idea, which he called medical savings account, which he perhaps more than any other american popularized on capitol hill, and was able to achieve being added into the tax code as a pilot program, he also personally financed the first privately funded educational choice program in the united states of america. he was my friend, but he was a visionary hoosier, and we miss him. beginning with his vision, indiana became a centerpiece for the discussion about consumer-driven health care. today indiana has more public employees, 96% in our government enrolled with state plans, more than any other state. and our private market is has a higher percentage of people enrolled in consumer-driven

plans compared to many other states. the healthy indiana plan, as health savings accounts, makes the most sense being launched and piloted and expanded in a state where consumer-driven health care was born. six years ago against that backdrop and that progress indiana became the very first state to successfully create a consumer-driven health plan to expand quality health insurance coverage to the population covered in medicaid. it was created on a pilot basis and we call it the healthy indiana plan, and it provides health savings accounts today to some 40,000 hoosiers and empowers them to take ownership of their health decisions. it works.

the healthy indiana plan integrated the principles of consumerism within medicaid, encouraging enrollees to take charge of their health care and empowering them to act as consumers in the health care market. here are some of the facts. healthy indiana plan has lowered inappropriate emergency room use by 7% compared to traditional medicaid during the course of the program. 60% of hip enrollees use preventative care, which is similar to the rates we see in general commercial market places. hip enrollees choose generic drugs at a higher rate. when you think in a broad sense, consumer-driven health plans have been shown to decrease health care spending by 25% across the country, and those public employees i mentioned in the state of indiana who have a 96% enrollment rate in health savings plans, that saves me about $23 million a year for taxpayers in indiana, thanks to the adoptions of those programs.

we are beginning to see this downward trend in health care costs within the healthy indiana plan as well. let me say hip enrollees have a proven track record of managing their health care decisions. 93% make contributions of their savings account on time. 1/3 of them say they asked their providers about the cost of services. 98% say they would enroll in hip again if they were given a choice. in a word, indiana has proven in the last six years that consumer-driven health care works and it works for those that are starting out on the first rung of the ladder of the american dream. because of the success, last week my administration announced plans to submit a waiver to replace traditional medicaid in indiana for all able-bodied adults with an expanded version of the healthy indiana plan.

this will go for those up to 138% of the federal poverty level, and we call it hip 2.0. my kids like that. hip 2.0 would offer three options, and i would want to roll with them through with you quickly. first would be a premium assistance plan that would help working hoosiers access employer coverage, and, second, we have two health savings account-like plans with varying degrees of coverage. it is a three-legged stool. he called it hip length, hip plus, and hip basic. each of these would allow consumers to increase access to care. first off, in hip 2.0 we would

offer hip link, a program for people who have access to their health care today but may not be able to afford it. this is a defined contribution premium assistance program, and it is the first of its kind in the united states. those who qualify for hip link would receive a deposit into their account which they can use for premiums and deductibles. secondly is the first of the two health savings account-like programs. hip plus is available to all qualified hip members. those contributions will range from $3 a month to $25 a month based on income.

the plan offers enhanced coverage and a drug program that covers maternity services with no cost-sharing during pregnancy. lastly is hip basic, a default plan. it is exclusively for hoosiers below 100% of the federal poverty level who fail to make their contributions to their health savings account. members of this plan must make co-pays, they will receive fewer benefits until they can begin to contribute to their health savings account again and move back into the hip plus program. again, by way of summary, the premium assistance program helps people employed but can't afford their plan. the enhanced health savings account plan, hip plus, provide

incentives to save and use preventative care, offers a more generous set of benefits. the second health seems account plan but serves as a default for those under 100% of poverty. it contains incentives for them to reenter the hip plus program. both plans penalize inappropriate emergency room use and encourage preventative care instead. contributions are required for all hip members who choose one of the plans. those above 100% of federal poverty level risk losing their coverage entirely if they do not make contributions. those below 100%, should they stop making contributions, must make co-pays, and receive fewer benefits until they make contributions again. the amounts are reasonable and fair by income level and are designed to be that way.

as we have seen in our pilot program, low-income working hoosiers and our state take pride in managing their accounts and making their contributions to their health savings account consistently. and we are proud of that fact. a couple other elements. the plan also includes what we call a gateway to work program that will connect those who qualify for hip coverage with job training and search programs offered by the state program so they can move up and out of the program. hip 2.0 is not an entitlement. it is a safety net program that aligns incentives with human aspirations. the plan also includes high co-pays for inappropriate er use, to encourage enrollees to use primary care rather than emergency room care. and i am pleased to say that hip 2.0 will be fully funded at no

additional cost to taxpayers. hip 2.0 will be funded for a combination of federal funds an agreement with indiana's hospitals who have partnered with us to improve access to to health care coverage within indiana. this means if approved by the federal government, our waiver will allow us to expand health care coverage to hundreds of thousands of hoosiers with no new state spending and no tax increases required. now, if i have not thoroughly confused you, or if i have, you can go to our website and read about hip 2.0. hip.in.gov. learn more about this program. i think hip 2.0 maintains emphasis on the principles that animate my political career, and i think we are at the very heart of the people of our state and the people of this country.

we put the emphasis on personal responsibility. they also represent an effort in indiana to find innovative and fiscally responsible ways to get people the care they need. performing traditional medicaid through this kind of market-based consumer-driven approach i believe is essential to creating better health outcomes for the people of our state and curbing dramatic growth in medicaid spending for the people of our country. i believe that once obamacare is repealed that the plan we are proposing will serve as a model for what block-granted programs could be instituted across the country. with this i will close. i will be pleased to take some questions. i believe there are only two futures for health care in america today. there is government-driven health care, or there is consumer-driven health care.

years ago when the healthy indiana plan was adopted indiana chose the better portion by embracing consumer-driven health care, having eligible hoosiers empowered to make their own health care decisions. now we are seeking permission from the government in the form of a waiver to build on that choice by expanding the healthy indiana and for more working hoosiers. hip 2.0 takes consumer-driven medicaid reform to the next level, are replacing traditional medicaid in indiana for all nondisabled adults and offering instead a culture that is but one healthy decision-making. let me say hip 2.0 is not intended to be a long-term entitlement program. our hope is people will not be on it long at all. but will transition into the private insurance marketplace, that there opportunities will allow them to move out of the program and obtain insurance in the marketplace.

hip 2.0 is a safety net that aligns incentives with earned success, hope, and opportunity. the truth is the soft paternalism of the modern welfare state has failed to honor the dignity of the working poor in many ways. by failing to give them the benefit of the doubt, and by failing to believe in them, in indiana we believe in our people. regardless of their income among regardless of where they find themselves on the path to success, and hip 2.0 is designed and built with that faith and that confidence in the people of indiana and their ability to take hold of their futures if given the opportunity to prosper. lastly, let me close here at this policy group and surrounded

by so many think-tank people let me ground this more in the world in which i work every day. i think as we talk about policies and coverage and health care reform, the debates that take face on cable television and on the airwaves across the country, we must never forget we are talking about real people, working people, who deserve a better way. hip 2.0 and our proposal to reform traditional medicaid in indiana is about reaching out to people that are working hard to build a better future, but simply do not have the ability do not have the means in the health insurance economy that we have today to be able to provide coverage for themselves and for their families.

but they are real hoosiers. and i've talked to many of them across our state. since i have begun to serve as governor. one of them, i will close with was named diana. i met diana at a visit to a community hospital in indianapolis. just a few weeks back. she was in with a heart condition that she said it was ok if i came around anyway. she was self-conscious about how she looked, and i try to set her at ease. i told her, you look great. i sat down next to her bed, i took her by the hand. she told me her story. diana had lost her insurance when she lost her job.

shortly thereafter she started having chest pain. even though she knew she could go to the emergency room and get treatment, she waited. she actually told me sitting up in her bed, she said the doctors tell me i put off coming in a little too long. but she said i didn't want to come in because i was embarrassed. because i didn't have insurance. i thank god she is ok. and i've prayed for her more than once since that day at her bedside. but she touched my heart. i mean, here was a hard-working woman who just wanted to find a way to pay her own way and not rely on the free access of a public hospital.

i think diana is like a lot of working hoosiers. people they don't want a handout, but they need a hand up. you know, in indiana we have long cherished the principle that you should love your neighbor as yourself. and that we should never walk by on the opposite side of the road when someone is hurting and in need. i think it's what makes indiana special. and let me just say, that is what hip 2.0 is all about. respecting the dignity of every hoosier, including our working poor, to find a way to cover themselves and their families, respecting their ability to make their own health care choices, and empowering them to lead healthier and better lives.

i think the healthy indiana plan is a better way. better health, better coverage to a better health care system and better coverage for people in the state of indiana and beyond. i hope it will help other states as well and serve as yet another reason why we should start over on health care reform in america, why we should repeal obama care and replace it with a plan that includes consumer driven health care for low income americans and empowers them and their families to meet their needs and make their own way. thank you very much. i appreciate your time and attention today. [applause] >> i think we have a little time

for questions. go ahead. >> i am the head of the hsa coalition. i want to thank you for mentioning my mentor and his role in this. secondly, i want to endorse what you're doing here. i think it's incredibly innovative. i think it is incredibly courageous. you've got tremendous street credit for the 96% of state employees who are using hsc's now. in addition to that, your hip one plan is the only one in the country like it and results are clear on their face. people save money, you save money, and you bring personal responsibility and choice within a government construct under an obama construct, and that is no small trick tom a so i just want

to say thumbs up. >> thank you very much for that. i appreciate it. we are proud of our heritage of health savings accounts in indiana. we believe it is an idea that was born in the hoosier state. someone asked me last week after we now says, why are you expanding the healthy indiana plan? i said because it works. i have worked in this town for about 12 years and everybody has always got a new idea. this isn't a new idea. this has been in the field working for people eligible for medicaid in indiana. it's also working for our state employees, and that's the very practical core of why we want to expand this program. >> my name is barbara and i am a nurse and caretaker and i want

to thank you for the work you are doing on this. does healthy indiana work through a combination of health savings accounts and sometimes a modified insurance? and does it have to work within the mandatory benefits package that sometimes gives too much of one kind of care and not enough of another and drives up cost? >> the short answer is, and i recommend that you go -- i will plug it for our c-span audience again. read all about it, but it's basically a three legged stool. the first piece of it, hip link, basically allows individuals to use what would be the state's contribution to their health savings account for premium assistance. there is a lot of people in this category. again, if you walk out of here with no other realization, this

is a program that we are designing to meet the needs of working hoosiers. these are people with jobs maybe they have fallen on hard times, but these are people who are working for a living are aspiring to work for a living. the first would be the premium assistance piece allows people to purchase health insurance they might not otherwise be able to afford through their employer. as i said, and this is for the technical people in the room it's the first of its kind in the country. it is in effect a voucher for people to use these public resources and go purchase their piece of their health insurance through their employer. the other two pieces, hip plus is very much designed after our current healthy indiana plan today and it's a true health savings account. there are consequences for nonpayment. it's open to everybody that is eligible within the population

of two 138% of the federal poverty level, but to your last point, for people under 100% of the federal poverty level, given current federal regulations, there's a certain minimum amount of coverage that within the waiver that we have today in the waiver that we are requiring cannot be denied, but the way we structured it is in effect by making the full health savings account land, the hip less, more attractive, imminently affordable, with better benefits. we have every confidence that people are going to choose the hip plus lan in increasing measure and believe we have created what we call a value proposition that will drive people to that outcome. but again, our waiver has been structured within existing federal law and regulations.

yes, right here. go ahead. >> my name is jim gandalf. chairman of the hsa council and we represent about 92% -- the words you used here today really resonated. it is one i use would the democratic center for years ago. what you're doing, i can tell you, and we're happy to share this with anyone who is interested in hearing it, we can tell you that the outcomes that derived from ownership and dignity of ownership will drive correct choice and will, over time, teach our fellow americans all the way across the country how to handle their health care expenses. so we endorse you. we thank you for what you are doing, and congratulations. >> thank you, i didn't know that when i called on you.

>> is there an appetite with other republican administrations in the state today, your fellow governors, to follow this type of example? >> i'm traveling from here on the train to go to the republican governors association. i expect there will be some conversation about this. so i will defer on that second one, but thank you for your very eloquent statement about health savings accounts and their value. the reason i'm so enthusiastic about indiana's leadership on consumer driven health care is because it's better for people tell to give people a greater opportunity to take ownership in their health care decisions there's that old saying that when you've got your health, you have lots of problem. when you don't have your health you have one problem. in my family and yours, we all

aspire to good health. what is great about consumer driven health care, and yes, there are the advantages of it. it bends the cost curve. it is slowing down the rate of inflation in the health care economy today. i get all of that. i get more excited when i talk to somebody working for a small business in indiana or in the healthy indiana plan today that says my life got better because i have incentive to take advantage of preventive medicine. i found out some things i could do in the area of smoking cessation, or losing weight, or all these different areas that a lot of people that had the opportunity to avail yourself of primary care on a regular basis, go see your own doctor, you take for granted. but for people to have greater access to and have the incentive to take greater ownership in their own health care choices,

which is the very core of that original vision for consumer driven health care and health savings accounts, is what i get most excited about. >> i was wondering, obviously wondering do you think this is a moment when you and your colleagues across the state have more leverage to ask for some of the flexibility like what you're asking for in this. and this moment when you're working towards this same goal, it seems. >> well, we haven't shaken hands on this deal yet. but i'm hopeful. what i can tell you is that right after i was elected

governor i said then that i did not believe indiana should set up a an exchange and i ruled out a traditional medicaid like i've stated earlier today. and i've stood by that. earlier we reached out to federal officials to seek to regnu our healthy indiana plan. our waiver was running out, and as i reached out to officials at health and human services and i spoke to the secretary and our team met with them, we said we have a two-step process here. first, because the healthy indiana plan had such an unambiguous success, as i said some 40,000 hoosiers enrolled in this today, 40,000 hoosiers that are all medicaid-squibble.

my first plan was i wanted to preserve the healthy indiana plan and in the wake of the 2012 elections there were some that speculated we wouldn't be able to do that with traditional medicaid available, there was skepticism if the administration would be able to extend a waiver. but we made it clear our position was if we were able to see the healthy indiana plan waiver regnued that we would then be able to continue a dialogue about using the healthy indiana plan and consumer-driven health care as a framework for further discussion. i must tell you that i continue to be very grateful for the good faith negotiations that took place between our administration and the administration in washington. over the renewal of the existing healthy indiana plan, and we secured a one-year extension the middle of last year. since that time, i would say

we've been in continues discussion. with federal officials. and the proposal that we unveiled last week has been a result of that dialogue. again, there is not agreement on it. but we remain hopeful that the administration will allow the state of indiana to continue to build on the healthy indiana plan, and in effect build on our ability to reform in indiana so that's how i would characterize those discussions. they have been ongoing. weaver in are period right now where we have unstrailed proposal. the law requires us to collect comments from across the state ofian yoon, and then we will be submitting the waiver formally next month. and then i suspect the

discussions will continue there. but we believe the proposal we unveiled last week is the right proposal for indiana and we also believe it's a good-faith proposal that i think will everybody the people of our state well for many years to come. we will seek the maximum allowible time under the law which i think is five years for that waiver. but let me say just as i close, and we will fin tissue formal program, but i can catch up with some of you afterwards. but i served 12 years in the congress, and i served the better part of the year as governor. and i become more convinced every day that the cure of what tails country is going to come more from our state capital than our nation's capital. a the core of this waiver request is my belief the issues

facing this country, including health care may best be solved by giving the state the freedom and frecksibility is that can solve the challenges the people of their state are facing in those areas. and so we will continue those discussions with federal officials. i'm hopeful that we will be able to expand the healthy indiana plan in a way that will serve the people of our state, that will close the coverage gap but do it in a way that continues to advance the principles of empower meant that our state and maybe be an example to other people around the country. thank you all very much. i'm honored to be with you today. [applause]

>> next is some of the 2014 commencement speeches from around the country. we will hear from governor bobby jindal of louisiana, governor patrick of massachusetts, and representative messer of indiana. >> company's new book includes this man talking about his lifestyle. >> i decided to take it, because whether it's an illusion or not, and i don't think it is, it helped my concentration. it stopped me being board and

stopped other people being boring to some extent. it would keep me awake and help the evening to go on long and enhance the moments. if i was asked, would i do it again, the answer is probably yes. i would have quit earlier possibly hoping to get away with the whole thing. of course it sounds irresponsible if i say yes, i do -- the truth is it would be hypocritical for me to say i would never touch stuff if i never had known. and i decided i am going to get a wager on this bit. and i can't make it come out any other way. >> read the interview with christopher hitchens ando featured conversations from our program. now available at your favorite book seller.

>> you can now take c-span with you wherever you go with our free c-span radio a.p. for your smartphone or tablet. listen to all three c-span channels anytime. and there's a schedule of each of our networks. so you can tune in whenever you want and tune into podcasts. take c-span with you wherever you go. download the c-span app. earlier this month, louisiana governor bobby jindal gave the commencement address at liberty university. which was founded by the evangelical pastor jerry falwell. he addressed an audience of 40,000 people at the lynchberg, virginia campus. this is 30 minutes.

[applause] >> thank you for that very generous introduction. congratulations to the class of 2014. let's give them another round of applause for this wonderful congressman. [applause] i have got to warn you in advance i have done a number of these graduations. you will bear with your parents today. you might witness them shedding a tear or two. when you see that come you might think they are replaying the years in their minds. you might think a remember when he first learned how to ride a bike when you took your first steps. you think they will be wondering where all those years have gone by. but you would be wrong about that. those tears you see are tears of joy. joy derived from knowing the tuition bills will finally stop coming. [laughter] [applause]

in fact, at that your parents are the most genuinely happy people here today. [laughter] by the way, this is probably good time to let you know i hate giving commencement addresses. i really do. the graduates and their families simply want to get on with it. the only worse thing tore only thing that's worse than having to sit there through a commencement saturdays having to sit there and listen to a commencement address bay politician. [laughter] all i can say about that is it sucks to be you right now. [laughter] i thought about lecturing you to going out into the world of working hard and all of that stuff. but i got bored with that. i thought about giving a speech about all the great things that are happening in louisiana, but i knew you would be bored with that. i thought about giving a speech telling you if you like your

health care plan, you could keep your health care plan. [laughter] but i decided i do not want to lie to you today. [laughter] i thought about telling youdebt is good? wealth is good andyou only need to know that if you're going to work for the government in d.c. instead let me start tae by telling you just few things about my personal story. my parents immigrated to this me.

i was what you would politely called a free existing condition. [laughter] my dad did look around for a handout for the government to pay the hospital bill. he worked out paying for me on an installment plan. shortly after was born, yes a half but they would take me back if you skipped a payment. -- he asked if they would take me back if he skipped a payment. they said no. [laughter] he knew the idea of america was that if you work hard, if you apply yourself, you will be successful. when he got to baton rouge, he got a job and went through the yellow pages and looked up company after company. he finally wore a guy down on the phone from the railroad company. it is pretty amazing. my dad has got an accent. not a southern accent like me, but an accent.

he not only convinces guide to high him, but he told the guy who said you could start on monday, i don't have a car drivers license. you had to pick me up on the way to work monday morning. [laughter] i could tell you lot of other amusing stories about my folks adjusting to life in america. i want to fast-forward to the most significant thing that has happened to me. it happened when i was a child. a friend i knew gave me a rather odd christmas present that year. he gained my very first copy of the bible. some can later, girl and you invited me to church. here i was looking for a date and you must use looking to save my soul. i found the gospel message intriguing good i will be honest, i was skeptical. i'm an analytical soda person. i decided to investigate all of these fanciful claims. i started reading this bible and often times hiding in my closet not sure how my parents would respond.

the short story is this -- i read the words of jesus christ and i realize that they were true. i used to say that i found god but i think it is more accurate to say that he found me. it happened because there were people brave enough to preach the gospel in my life good many years later, i became a candidate for political office. when i may 1 debates i got this question -- what was the single most important moment in your life? i had just endured endless hours of debate prep sessions with my political consultants and staff. that is wasted around and be savagely grilled by the people that you pay come you clinical consultants and staffers. i knew exactly what they hoped i would say. argan i should try to appeal to female voters and offer a touching story when i asked for my wife's hand in marriage and the birth of our first child, a

baby girl. yes, those were great moments but i decided to do something new in politics. i told the audience the truth that day, that the most significant moment in my life was a moment that i accepted jesus christ as my personal lord and savior. [applause] my political consultants began shifting uncomfortably in their seats. i have got to make, i enjoyed that moment. i thought of matthew 10:33 ss whoever denies me before men i've will also deny him before my father who is in heaven. a roman -- or roman, the power of god brings out the celebration and everyone who believes. they say college is an intellectual pursuit involving reason and logic. i went to brown university.

it is a place that prides itself on intellectual reasoning. one of the good things about going to brown as i was quickly able to become president of the college republicans on campus. the only other republican student brown became the vice president. [laughter] some kids go off to college and they lose their way. you become convinced that their faith is not intellectual pursuit. nothing could be further from the truth. reason and logic lead to truth. reason and logic lead to god. there's a general view among many elites in america that the truly enlightened folks realize that all of the state and religion stuff is just quaint and antiquated thinking from an earlier era or that it is a nice and wrestle place for those who are not as right or intellectual periods as they are. again, nothing could be further from the truth. true intellectual curiosity will lead to an understanding of our

creator. i have noticed examples of this elitist if you of faith with the national political reporters. usually from places like boston or new york or washington, d.c. they would come to interview me in my first years as governor. during his interviews, they would say something like this -- governor, you are a smart guy. we know you went to brown. tell me, how is it you call yourself pro-life? how do you say you oppose gay marriage? how do you oppose gun control? be honest. you're just saying that to get elected in the deep south, right? of course, i like to have fun with these reporters. i would lean over and whisper number 10 to confide in them and say, just between us, do me a favor -- tell your editors the bad news. tell them i absolutely believe everything i said. [applause]

those interviews ended rather abruptly. they never came back after that for some reason. i want to shift gears and talk straight with you about the world we live in and the culture to which our students are about to the into. the world is increasingly hostile to matters of faith. american culture is in many ways become a secular culture. at a minimum it you are going into world that is far more secular than the one your parents entered. a few months ago, i had the opportunity to speak at the reagan library out in california . i talked about the silent war on religious liberty in america today. the decoration independent says we are nation constituted with the laws of nature and of nature's god. we are people endowed by our creator with certain unalienable rights. let me make this explicit -- the source and justification for the very existence of the united states of america is and always

has been contingent upon the understanding of man as a created being where the greater infringes -- infused him with his rights of. for me, i'm a catholic christian. my parents are hindus. there are so many more with the rich keep the street of faith. i know men and women -- with the rich tapestry of faith. i know men and women who look to the majesty of the world and wondered and inwardly seek the author of it all. these days we think this diversity of the leaf is tolerated under our law and constitution -- believes is tolerated under our law, but that is wrong. this diversity is the foundation of our law and constitution.

america does not sustain and create things. faith created and sustained america. [applause] america did not have been religious freedom amended america. president john adams in 1798 road to the massachusetts militia meant to remind them that our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. it is wholly inadequate to the government than any other unit in 1798, this is simple, commonsense. in 2014, were forced to confront a question that would have been on thinkable to president adams and many others throughout history. what happens when our government decides it no longer needs a moral and religious people?

today the american people are mired in a silent war. it is a war against the propositions on the declaration of independence. it is a war against the spirit that motivated abolitionism. it is a war against the soul of countless acts of charity. it is a work as a conscience that drives social change. there is the war against the heart that binds our neighborhood together. it is a war against america's best self and best moments. it is a war. a silent war against religious liberty. this war has been waged in our sports and the halls of political power. it is pursued with graham and relentless determination a group of like-minded elites determined to transform our country from a man sustained by faith and where faith is silenced and privatized and circumscribed.

their vision of america is not the vision of the founders. it is not even a vision of 10 years ago. it is a vision in which individuals devotion to almighty god is afforded about as much respect as a casual hobby and is not as many rights and protections. these elites faced little opposition. my question to our graduates is -- would you be a part of that? margaret thatcher famously said this -- america was created by philosophy. the secular elite understands this just as well as she did. they know that to take over america, they must make war on this philosophy. a real undercurrent dropping fraction debate in a number of areas of policy. why is this happening? what does it mean for the

country and the people of faith. it is a representative fundamental challenge for our american identity and exceptional history that makes our nation great? incident three storylines playing out in our state and the highest -- all of them have overlapping effects. first, the freedom to exercise your religion the way you run your business large or small is under assault. you likely heard obama demonstration's take in a hobby lobby. their battle against present obama's contraception mandate will end up at the supreme court decision. they filed suit after being told they would be fined $1.3 million per day if they didn't pay for this type of insurance. hobby lobby is nothing less than an all american success story. the sound of the company was launching oklahoma in 1970 with nothing more than a $600 loan and a workshop in a garage.

today they have 588 stores and 47 -- in 47 states. they have many full-time employees. they have expanded to have a christian supply shop that sells bibles and opening up another 35 stores in seven states of the most 400 more employees. as his entrepreneurship at its best. a family-owned business that went from $600 in a garage to do companies that employ almost 14,000 people full-time across the country. through it all, hobby lobby has retained the guiding principles of the devout founders. the statement begins with a bible verse and they are closed every sunday. they're committed to honoring the lord by being generous players and paying well above minimum wage and increasing the salaries for years in a row even in the middle of a recession. none of this it to the obama administration. they say that fateful business

owners cannot operate under the assumption in which they can use their moral principles to guide the way their places of business spend money. according to administration legal argument, the family that owns hobby lobby is not protected by the first amendments are free use of exercise. that is part of the amendment tested congress will make no law prohibiting the free exercise religion. the obama administration and attorney general eric holder argue that hobby lobby is a for-profit secular employer and a second entity by definition is not exercisable religion reared a federal judge agrees. does he have the lobby is a secular corporation in which there are no right to be guided by the religious belief of their ownership. keep in mind that hobby lobby was arguing that so-called morning-after pill should be illegal or banned for doing anything to prevent their employees from being the small cost of such bills. they just have a moral problem

paying for something they view as inherently against the deeply held beliefs. the obama administration ignored these beliefs and treats them as little more than an inconvenience to their ever-expanding regulatory state. let's be clear that this is bigger than hobby lobby. the administration argument strikes at the core of our understanding of free exercise of religion. this could have enormous from vacations for religious business owners across the country. under the obama regime come you the protection of the worst amendment as an individual you see, but instance you start a business, you lose those protections. that brings us to the second front in the silent war. the assault on our freedom of people of faith to form organizations work alongside others who share our views. this brings us to another case but evolved around a lutheran

academy fired teacher. the obama administration does that she margaret claiming that job regulations prevented the academy from being able to fire anyone over a year friends in beliefs. the lawyers of the vomitus ration and far beyond issues of that case and advanced a legally absurd position that there is no general exception. thankfully administration's extreme position had a 9-0 decision opposing its perspective. [applause] for the time being, the government doesn't get to decide who gets to preach the gospel. the important thing to note is that the government wanted to make that decision.

i do not know but you, but that is truly offensive and frightening. administration advance that extreme argument because it is consistent with the view of many on the left, particularly legal scholars. the government must worship first is government. that our rights are filled by washington as they see fit shared this is the big inning. there's a bigger threat -- the assault of your freedom expression in all areas of life. they propose altering the definition of marriage. it would require churches and other congregations to essentially close their doors to outsiders and stop providing services to the community and close off their facilities so that other nonprofits and church groups in order to to prevent being provided to have same-sex ceremonies. they would drive churches to

have to eliminate classes and day schools and counseling and fellowship hall meetings and soup kitchens and much more. in other words, this law and others like it would require believers to essentially choose to break their deeply held illogical beliefs or to give up their daily activities of evangelism and retreat from public life and sacrifice the property rights. this is the next stage of the assault and it is only getting in over one majority of those in religious denominations in america is more than half the country. members of organizations -- all of those two nominations would be targeted in large and small decrease in the coming years. churches in america, would they be able to remain in a public square at a time when their views on sin are in direct conflict with the culture? when expressing those views

would be seen as "hateful speech behind religious protections"? this war on your freedom to express will only to continue. it will continue because of a wrong concept. the concept that religious freedom means that you have the -- it is is begun that you're right only begin and end in the pew. this is absolutely ridiculous. we as christians and americans have the right to practice our faith and to protect our conscience no matter where we happen to be. [applause] but it is also important that we must keep paper spec on the silent war. it is certainly a challenging

time to be a believer in america, but we must also consider the plight of levers around the world today. christians are being slaughtered by radical islamist for their beliefs. it is a time of enormous a pupil where they can leave the church been burned or they can put you on the wrong side of a gun. the cross is laid on every christian. it begins with a call to abandon the attachments of the world. when christ calls a man, he bids them to come and i. around the world, many christians are living out that call. that is a shooting war over religion and not a silent one. in america we should be grateful that the laws and principles put in place by the founders, men like george mason and james madison and patrick henry who understood the importance of religious liberty have endured for so long. they a