-- at el paso explored the specific potential of the border region in increasing the bilateral collaboration in this area. this is an area where the border will be able to help us and show us how this kind of interaction exchange is possible. on infrastructure, i'm going to speak briefly because i think you have had a conversation about that and no more than i do. but i do think one of the things i hear when we talk at meetings like this over and over again is that government does not get it on infrastructure. we are not doing enough and we do not understand as well as we should. the infrastructure deficit we have had the border. all of the efforts we have been undertaking to make the border competitive will not actually

mean much if people in vehicles and goods can't get across the border. obviously the studies we have looked at have shown the border traffic congestion and delays caused an additional $7.2 billion in gross output and more than 62,000 jobs. given where the u.s. economy is right now, we can't afford that. no economy can afford those kinds of losses. in 2010, we a college star shared increase -- we acknowledged -- it will take more effort by all of us. under that initiative, we have made progress on infrastructure at the border, we have been

coordinating a number of the port of entry projects and i know many of those are moving forward, creating headaches in the interim, but getting us to a better place at the end. obviously the biggest -- the busiest border crossing is going over -- is undergoing a renovation and that will be a boon to the region when it is completed. phase one is proceeding and we are beginning phase three construction on the mexican side of the border for the cross-border facility at the tijuana airport, which i'm excited about that one. the u.s. is nearly completing construction in mexico for the international bridge. the expansion of the bridge was completed between -- and we are working on the modernization of the mariposa port of entry. all of those capacities also

mean we need to collaborate to find other ways to reduce wait times because we are going to be helped by the additional capacity, but also that will bring greater expectations. when i started to work on mexico in 2003, i will tell you there was not, it seemed to me there were not this many projects going on. and i know that many of these had been in process for a long time, there were about three new crossings in about two or three years. it was the first time we had that in about a decade, new crossings opening. there is a sense some of the slow processes are coming to fruition or initiatives are beginning to take hold because people have demonstrated the utility of them. we have convinced the pulley

have money, whatever the reason. i think there is momentum for the direction and that is important to make up some of that deficit we face. on the security side, there has been a lot written about the pause on the security side the united states and mexico underwent at the beginning of the nieto administration. i think it has been overplayed to a great extent. it is extremely natural for any new administration to say we would like to take a look at what is going on and we would like to take a look at our own priorities and ensure that the projects that are underway fit our priorities and talk to you about making sure that the things we think are important have projects that reflect that. that was undertaken, as was

coordination changes within the mexican government, over the last couple of months. probably six months or so, we have seen a rapid movement on the bilateral security projects with the mexican government. we have moved ahead on some 85 or more projects under the initiative that were on hold. other projects were ongoing throughout this period. the pause was never a suspension of all programs. with hundreds of millions of dollars of funds moving ahead, the outline of emphasis with the mexican government remains the four pillars under the initiative, there is a focus on police professionalization at the federal and state levels, a focus on strong communities, and working to prevent crime. there is a focus on the border

and security at the border, making sure we never see security inefficiency a zero sum, but as inc. that have to be working together -- as things that have to be working together to reinforce each other in a positive way. we are in a position right now where the relationship has moved ahead very well and where the security situation, as tough as it is, for the mexican government and the mexican people, you have seen significant victories against leadership in mexico in recent months. obviously the detention of guzman being the most heralded. but very significant targets, many numbers of them, have been detained. and i do think this is the

result of years and a renewed commitment to the kinds of law enforcement cooperation that goes on every day, in particular at the border, the twin professionals on both sides. -- between professionals on both sides. the phenomenon, just as our economic and commercial relationships are intertwined, for better or worse, criminal activities are transnational. none of us can confront them alone. that is recognized on both sides of the border as well. this is a relationship that is going extremely well. obviously i'm not spoken specifically to the reforms that have been undertaken in mexico. we have seen some extraordinary movement on what have been called 20 years of reforms in mexico.

things that will have a positive impact on the economic relationship with the united states. we are very excited about the relationship and very positive about the relationship and believe that well, as always, be reflected and initiated at the border itself. thank you very much. [applause] >> the assistant secretary has agreed to take questions from the public here today. >> i am only taking the easy questions. >> a special thank you to those sponsoring this lunch. i hope you enjoyed it. these guys footed the bill for it. [applause] i have one question, let me say

i have studied mexico over 20 years. so often it has been a negative conversation, what is extraordinary is how positive it is and constructive. when you gave testimony in congress, the number of people who have come out -- >> that is an amazing point. i did give testimony recently on the house side, which can be the thing i am most afraid of, just saying. the committee was a full committee hearing. i have never in my career had 33 or 34 members show up for hearing. not all at once, but there were a lot of them therefore much of the time. and certainly as you know, not all from the border. everyone was interested in what was going on in mexico.

not every question was all positive, but it was terrific. >> mario lopez, thank you for your talk. what is your opinion on what the role is of order communities? it came out that we could send comments, we sent comments from san diego, but we are trying to find out what it means to border communities and the best way of communicating what is happening, high-level economic dialogue, with the local issues. thank you. >> it is a really good question. i think the most important thing is to make sure that washington

is understanding, or aware of, let me start again. washington is famous for the law of unintended consequences. for taking decisions which are not intended to hurt parties on the ground, or have effect in local communities, but do. or are intended to have x benefits, but have y affect on people. in making things more efficient, reducing paperwork, moving to electronic forms, whatever it might be we are trying to make more efficient, the effect on the local community or how a border infrastructure project may be affecting the community is far too often invisible to many of us. we try for it not to be by being

in touch with organizations and visiting, but it is not always good enough. the first answer is to be as loud as you possibly can. the second is through elected representatives who are aggressive on your behalf. i guess the other thing is -- one of the things, and i have said this before, so i apologize, one of the things that has frustrated me on occasion is i have seen common interests on the northern and southern border. it is not the same. i am well aware of that. there are some things order communities actually -- i hear echoes.

if community organizations in both places could occasionally work together on things, you would be powerful indeed because the number of congressional representatives would basically win. i have yet to see, and i don't know whether he would agree with me on this, but i have yet to see southern border caucus folks on the hill really work that effectively with northern border congresspeople. everybody, and this is part of our system, everyone sees it as zero sum. it takes it away from the southern border and vice versa. instead of saying, we have some of the same issues. we as border folk should be beating out everybody in the middle. i wonder whether some of it

could not be done, whether there might be some economies of scale on both borders. i don't know. those are some of the ways you've got to try to continue to get our attention. a fence like this are important, really important to bring -- events like this are really important, really important so you can show what you are facing. every time i go to an event like this or my folks, my staff does, we go back with something we had not heard before, honestly. that is good and bad. it is bad to be surprised because you don't like to think you have not been paying enough attention, but it is good because that is the point. and we say, wait a minute. we were not paying attention to this environmental issue, or this agricultural issue, whatever.

>> i am glad that you took the north american approach to this. we frequently do the bilateral analysis. >> he would be so proud you are channeling him. >> i am sure you're glad to hear i am doing my share of mexican students, i have three daughters at various universities in the u.s. >> well done. >> that is besides the point, what is your opinion, having worked on mexico for so many years, your pet project that has been stalled, for whatever reason, what is it that frustrate you?

the airport into one it was my pet project. the person said over my dead body. fortunately he is dead now. [laughter] >> yikes. i hope it does not take my death to do something. that is a good question. i am not sure i have seen a project i really wanted to move ahead stalled. i have a huge commitment to the education stuff. i am a little bit worried, honestly, that -- i am worried by forces outside of our control. i am a little bit concerned -- i do think this is changing. my concern had been the security perception in mexico -- and it is clear, it has inhibited u.s.

students, in some cases legally, physically prohibited them. i think that is changing a little bit with the perception there were plenty of jesus -- places where students can study in mexico and have wonderful experiences. the state department tried to do its part in that by ensuring the travel advisory were much more specific than anything we normally put out in noting where violence has been a problem and where it has not. we don't normally do that. it was somewhat controversial, but we felt like it was important enough to be sure that people did not have the impression of the whole. but i also think, and i know

this from my own teenage kids and their cohort, i work on these issues every day. so i hope i have a little bit better understanding than the front page of the american newspaper. i hope. but if you don't, if that is your perception of country x or y, then for a while you are not going to send your kids to the place where all you saw were pictures of the morning after the latest attack. in that respect i do think the changing public focus on the full range of things going on has been very good for the bilateral relationship in mexico and the potential to send students back to mexico and terse back to mexico -- and tauris -- tourists back to mexico.

when you talk about going to costa rica, you have an interesting conversation about how great costa rica is, as if nobody actually understood the geography of central america. and that is not to disparage costa rica. it is a wonderful place. there are problems that affect the entire dismiss, not just the northern triangle. this is not just spin, this is an important ability to project the reality in mexico. that is what the peña nieto administration wanted to do. there were concerns it was to spin something differently. we have helped with our partners do a better job at conveying what israel -- is real. my hope is we can advance on the educational side.

but i also hope, and this is a big enough min -- seemed of mine, if we get the same group of students who come here, whose parents and grandparents came here, if they are the same kids that keep coming, i will not have succeeded, and i don't think you will have either. we have to broaden that pool, for the kids who never thought they could come here. so the kids were not coming here, with all due respect to your daughter, the kids were not coming to stanford, but to community college. they're coming to technical schools and they're coming here because they're going to learn how to operate the computer machinery in a production plant. that is really what i am trying to expand. that is hard. we have been working with miami-dade college and others. that is hard because those kids may be older. they may have families.

they may have jobs. they are not coming for junior year in spain. they are not doing that. maybe they can come for a month, if i guarantee a job at the other end. where the private sector does. that is what i'm talking about, expanding that pool to the kids who have not had that opportunity before, in the united states and overseas. that is what i want to get at. i'm not sure what is stopping me. i'm still having trouble. >> let me give you my personal thank you, for a more formal appreciation, i'm going to hand the microphone over. >> thank you very much. i was listening to you and thanking you for attending this beautiful chat. i was just listening to roberta saying she did not come prepared. in the sense of preparation, it

is questionable, but i think it reached out in this semi circle room. i can't express how lucky we are. pro mexico wanted to express how good partners we are. and listening to your speech about security and what is it you have done, your view on security, seeing your speech, listening to your speech, nothing less than emotional because you really think when people understand the issue, you do not want to see medical doctors, you do not want to see engineers or lawyers driving taxi cabs. from time to time, in countries you see anywhere from mexico to blend assess -- to buenos aires,

that is a waste of economic resources. the education you're talking about is exactly what we are, we have to focus on. we did organize the university, which did not exist, because the industry asked for that. and the industry was the one that asked for the subjects to be taught in that university. the university which was to house aerospace business. the more i hear you, the more i am convinced education needs to be pertinent. and your emotional linkage between girls, boys coming to the states to commuter colleges is nothing but necessary.

necessary for the industry. otherwise we will continue to have people that are unsatisfied because of the lack of connection because what they think they know and what the industry or the society needs from them. i'm very happy and i thank you for coming. you have graciously supported an initiative of select usa, partnering with pro mexico to do things together so we can show the world that, yes, we can become a power plays, a place to do business together. no other words than my appreciation to you, once again. thank you. i am thrilled and we back you up on education and thank you for coming to this wonderful education, this wonderful lunch. thank you. [applause] [captions copyright national

cable satellite corp. 2014] [captioning performed by national captioning institute] >> this weekend we will be on news makers by congressman who is the chair of

democratic caucus and will talk about the impact of house leader eric cantor stepping down from leadership. that is live tomorrow on 10:00 a.m. c-span and you can watch it when it reairs tomorrow evening at 6:00 p.m. and the decisions on who will replace eric cantor when he july.down at the end of the frontrunner is kevin mccarthy of california who is the number three house wrep republican. we talked to a journalist who covers capitol hill. >> billy house is the correspondent. house will hold elections replace eric to cantor. are there any other challengers? late entryre is a

represented from idaho has he wants to challenge mccarthy for that number two house leadership roster. and mccarthy will be making their pitches on adnesday morning in closed-door session. on thursday, the full conference, 233 members will the houseat and position request mccarthy post.up to the number two >> who are the candidates running for that? three candidates, the chief deputy from illinois. challenged by who is the republican study committee. 177 is a group of conservative members that gives heavy lift. then there is a late entry from beiana and he is said to

chairmanship if he does not win this race. week bills are they next and do you expect congress to billsl 12 of the spending passed? >> it looks doubtful because break on another july 4 then they take their august break and they are out for most of september. for the first time, they will bills on theg floor. their intention is to do three wrapped into one in their version of a transportation, and urban development bill and science, criminal justice bill. have a third bill but that is not certain yet. that would be their debut of bills. the house this week, they are planning on doing the defense bill.ng that would be their fifth bill. ahead. a little

neither chamber is going to complete all 12 bills. probably going to start is the new start of the ascal year approaches is bill.up carry over >> also on capitol hill g.m. mary barra will be there to testify on wednesday. g.m.ill be testify on the ignition switch recall. she was there in april before the same committee. they want to hear from her now? hear whys they want to are things not going better over there? she came in the reputation she going to fix things and instead things seem to be a bit.ing i think they want to know details about what she has now.ed going on >> lastly, you write about other issues that congress will be looking at this year, including the release of sergeant bergdahl.

status of these investigations on capitol hill? status is theystat are long-running and never until 2016 to tell you the truth. benghazi is the focus of a special committee that has been created. bergdahl is interviewing members seen as aas long-running effort on their republicans part anyway. another aim and shot at the administration for ill conceived foreign policy. should makeere we deals like this with terrorists and whether or not this is the taliban members camel' noseamo under the tent. billy house att

house@session. your time today. >> i joa enjoyed it. you. >> for over 35 years c-span directly to you. all as a publicselves of private industry. we're c-span created by the cable tv industry 35 years ago a publicht to you as service by your local cable or sat tight provider. h.d., like us on facebook and follow us on twitter. >> next a house budget committee federalon the impact of aid programs on policy. among the witnesses, the assistant minority leader along poverty experts. hours. just under two

hearing will come to order. good morning, everybody. and welcome. th >> we've been talking about how people who have worked on the supply lines. we're going to look at how the states and federal governments can better support the fight against poverty. because if we've learned anything, it's that there's room for improvement. each year we spend nearly $800 billion on 92 different programs to fight poverty. and yet the official poverty rate hasn't budged in years. if we're going to people -- they can get help if they fall into poverty but far too many people still can't earn enough to get out of poverty and over the past three years deep poverty has been the highest since it's been recorded. clearly something's not working and we need to try something

new. and given our history i'd say we're due for an adjustment. the last time we made big changes was welfare reform in 1996. that was almost 20 years ago. we all know what happened. poverty among children of single mothers fell by double digits. we also learned and our witnesses are unanimous on this point, that work is crucial to fighting poverty. and there's another takeaway. before congress began drafting legislation, it allowed states to try out new ideas. the national evaluation of welfare-to-work strategies program tested a number of different approaches for work programs, education programs and different mixes between the two. i think that approach, with an emphasis on results, on concrete evidence, on what works, is just the mind-set that we need today. but times have changed. today the biggest means tested programs are medicaid, s.n.a.p. and the earned income tax credit. we spend more on earned income

housing, and we haven't made serious reforms in almost two decades. pofr if i is a very complex problem. and deep poverty is especially difficult. many people in deep poverty face serious challenges like addiction, homelessness, disability, and all of these challenges are interrelated. but the current system is too fragmented to give them the care that they need. if we can provide better coordinated care, we can help more people actually get out of poverty. today we will hear from two panels. on the first is our colleague, a leader here in the house, the esteemed democratic leader congressman james clyburn. he is going to brief us on the 10, 20, 30 plan that he's been discussing. and to make sure we have enough time to hear from all of our witnesses we will not take questions from mr. clyburn. on the second panel we will hear from three people who have extensive experience working with aid programs at the federal, state and local level. first we have jason turner who worked with wisconsin governor

tommy thompson to reform our state's welfare program. then we have robert doar who served as commissioner of the new york city's human resources administration under mayor michael bloomberg. finally, we have olivia golden who led the d.c. children and family services agency from 2001 to 2004. i want to thank all of our witnesses for being here today and sharing your expertise. the question i want answered today is how can we improve. what are some ideas to do a better job? how can we better focus and target, interrelate these programs? how can we make these programs better? how can we get more bang for our buck? and how can we get more people involved? i said we need to hear from people with different points of view, and from different walks of life. today we'll hear from people who have firsthand knowledge of the challenges we face, and with that i'd like to recognize the ranking member for his opening remarks. >> thank you, mr. chairman. and i'm glad to have another opportunity to talk about what additional measures we should and can take to fight poverty in america. let's begin on a point of