>> here on c-span, newsmakers is next with the house committee chair bob goodlatte.

that is followed nancy pelosi, and then chris christie. our campaign 2014 debate coverage begins with the texas governor's race between republican >> app it and the met abbott, andg democrat andy davis. >> our guest this week is bob goodlatte. thank you for being here. let me introduce our two reporter guests. successful, does that change your agenda? >> i'm hopeful it will

accelerate the agenda because we have an awful lot of hills let him test out of the judiciary committee that are sitting in the senate and have not been addressed. some have been completely ignored, some have been made efforts at, but have not succeeded. we have a whole host of other bills that have come out of the judiciary committee that are a part of that now more than 380 --ls that have has passed the house that are not in the senate. >> top of your list? patent litigation reform, and the pfizer litigation r fisa court reform.

these are opportunities i think that we should not miss. >> what are your thoughts on where congress will [indiscernible] military action in syria? i think that the authorization for the use of military force, there are two of them that are in existence now that are related to afghanistan and the war against terror and the activities in iraq, are very old. and circumstances have changed very considerably. givesasure that we passed the president authority to train fighters in syria. hopefully they will become for leave edited to make sure that they are supportive of the

united states and other western nations and are committed to fighting isil. i think this war against terror will be going on for a long time and i think it is important for congress to review the authority the president has. i think that is the authority atat the congress has th the president should respect. >> nancy pelosi said she wanted authority so that the president would have to go like he didporting with the resolution to arm and train the syrian rebels. what do you take -- what do you think? this is the commander-in-chief of our armed forces. he needs to have the flexibility under exigent

circumstances. sometimes emergency circumstance. you have to be very careful how you write that language. i also am not interested in giving the president of the united states a blank check. we need to make sure that we are , especially as it pertains to carrying this fight into new countries, and now the situation in syria is quite unique because of the number of different thees at work including assad government with which we have concerns as well. it is important for congress to have its input in there. to benly if we were expanded in other areas, congress should be consulted on that. >> i will to turn to immigration. are you interested in looking into some of the immigration bills that you've passed in the

past two years? >> we have passed four bills. to with regard to enforcement, and some that are dealing with enforcement in the interior which have not gotten a lot of attention. also another one that protect american workers and american verification the of employment more secure. the electronic verification is important as well. and we have two bills that deal with immigration reform. one deals the shortage of agricultural workers, than the other deals with what i perceive to be a missed opportunity when brilliant young people in have skills that are needed by u.s. companies or even want to start a business, i

want them to start it in the united is rates. so the legislation, the skills these introduced is something that a great many people are interested in seeing move forward. on ank that would pass bipartisan basis right now. i think the others would pass the house with at least some bipartisan support in each case. i'm hopeful we have a new senate, we will have the opportunity to get a fresh start on this step by's that runs that -- step-by-step approach that i have outlined. enforcement, immigration reform, and finding the appropriate status for people who are not lawfully here. things have been harmed, in my opinion, by the president's earlier actions and his threatened actions to take unilateral steps that i do not think the law in many other people do not think the law allows him to do.

none is a problem both from the standpoint of his constitutional the laws,fely execute but also a problem from the standpoint of the congress 'legislative authority. when the president says i want you to do this, but if you do not do what i will do it myself. what that says is to the people who agree with what you do -- with what he wants to do they do not have to make the hard rush for it that many americans want to see. ,nd for those who are concerned their reaction is we are not going to negotiate with the or the party that supports its unilateral actions because we cannot trust the president to enforce the laws as they just now, why would we trust him to enforce new laws that we might agree upon? >> it sounds like you would be

open to a piecemeal approach. >> we call it step-by-step because each step leads logically to the next up in terms of the problems with immigration reform. i have heard and have for many years advocated addressing each and development problem as it has come up. as that has been blocked for many years on a unless you could do everything you can to do everything, now we are the situation of trying to address many problems here. we need to do it step by step. to aunds like you are open bill that does create some sort of status for people who are here illegally. secretary johnson has frame this from a security standpoint. we can know who they are and we can focus our law enforcement resources on those who do not come forward. thee first need to assure

american people that there will not be another wave of illegal immigration because we believe that what has happened at the border, which came to a head in terms of the public conscience beenthe summer but has going on for two years has been directly related to both the president's action under the deferred action for trial to arrival, and with regard to the talk about a pathway to citizenship, which i do not support because that would give people who have entered this country illegally an opportunity that the bull who have followed the law and entered legally do not even enjoy. 1986, the lastn time we did so-called immigratione reform. we should learn from those mistakes. do we need to find a way to

address the status of those people? yes. that needs to be a part of this. havecan only come after we the confidence of the american people, that enforcement of the law is truly taking place in going to take place in the future. have far 400,000 people received work permits through this. would you be interested in trying to do anything to try to strip away the privileges that those people have received under that program? >> one of the issues that congress has been addressing for about a year now, since i , isted raising it last year the president's duty to execute the law. and the concern that there are literally dozens of areas in which we believe the president has taken that pan and own and done things that the law does not allow him to do. one of those areas is a

different action for children arrival. i believe that the program should be terminated, and have so voted in the legislative package that we passed prior to the august recess. it also has been on the short that the congress and house has looked at very closely in terms of bringing a lawsuit against the president to reestablish the principle of separation of powers. and the fact that the president is exceeding his authority. the house chose a different one which is the issue related to the employer mandate in obamacare for the important correct -- for the affordable care act. i believe there are other instances to do that. if the president takes further steps as he seems to be promising to do, i'm glad he

deferred until action the election, but i want to know the significance to take this action that many think violates the law. i think that would be a strong candidate for the house seeking an injunction and taking further legal action because we do not think he has the authority under the so-called prosecutors oriel discretion provision in our immigration laws to take what is discretion inve the really tough cases and actually have it swallow the law is self i applying to hundreds of thousands of cases. this is a serious area that is harming our ability to move forward on immigration. >> really quickly back to the question about immigration. you say that republicans do not trust the president to faithfully execute the laws passed. even if the republicans to win

the senate, obama is still good to be president for two years veritable we assume that immigration will not be able to go forward until after obama leaves the presidency? i think it would afford us the opportunity to actually put legislation on me residents desk -- on the president's desk. most right now do not get past the harry reid's desk so the president does not have to take any action. secondly, if you take a step-by-step approach where you have a large number of bills we may be able to get consensus on some of those. immigration doing reform because our immigration system has many flaws in it, and enforcing the law would help a lot that it would not solve all

of the problems that we have with our current immigration laws and policy. as an at that opportunity. and the discussion about whether the senate, who have already passed a deal that the house republicans have reject did, would not be on the table. i think we'll have more openness to the step-by-step approach. >> there was a lawsuit that really came onto the scene. but we have not heard about it over the summer. it seems like you are hinting go forward with further executive actions on immigration qs bigger boehner and others are looking to do [indiscernible] . it is certainly from my standpoint very important to

immediately take action and and administrative staff that would give work authorization and other legal benefits to people who are not -- who are not lawfully here in the numbers of the millions. the 700,000 that have taken place with daca. i don't will be filed because the house is already voted to authorize moving forward on that. >> is there not a risk for republicans there? it did not seem to be voters like obamacare did last fall. it never got picked that. if republicans keep suing the president over these issues, does it not become something that seems to be very partisan?

>> there were a number of democrats, not a majority, but a thisr who have approved of action. i wish there were more because really this is about separation of powers. there is always politics involved in washington dc, but this is more portly about the united states constitution and congress is article one power to write the law and there power to faithfully ask you next -- faithfully execute the law. no matter who the president is, the representatives of the people should stand up for the authority of the congress. that is the body that is closest to the electorate. you have two elected officials in the entire multimillion dollar executive branch.

you have authority stripped away if you have a president who says i will do it my way. i would definitely agree that the congress over the years have asked some bad laws, and it gives him some authority. one obamacare was not working as contemplated, and he has made 40 changes unilaterally, one of the most glaring is that if the employers are mandated to of supply insurance, the president should come back to the congress and rewrite the law or agreed to drop law and start over with new health care reforms. he has shown no willingness to do that, and he does not have the authority to do what he is doing. yesterday challenged on these issues, and they will not always

a popular issues. pickedson why we have the employer mandate is in part it ise that is an issue not likely that the employees are going to sue themselves. say if you have between fifth the or 99 or 100 employees you will be treated differently than if you have more than 100 employees. he is rewriting the law, and there's nothing in the law that gives him the authority to do that. if we do not challenge him, it will be even worse for future presidents of either party to see this as an opportunity to do what they want to do. the want to talk about crisis of children who have been coming across the border. there was a dramatic increase in the number of children crossing from central america.

i wanted to get your assessment of the president's actions so far. the administration put out a public relations campaign to try in centralilies america not to send their children here. to educate them about the dangers. also dramatically increased the number of detention beds that they have for families caught crossing the border with children. the numbers of children come across the border or down , and i am wondering what your assessment is a so far and the administration's response. we appreciate every step that they are taking to implement the at exist now. congress is not a full agreement about additional steps to take, but we agreed that there should be funding provided and we

passed a bill for that. i am pleased that the numbers are going down. that is also a cyclical thing in many years. the number seemed to go up, and that in the summer months they tend to tail off and we need to be prepared for making sure we see a new surge moving into the new year, and we stand ready to give the president .pportunity we hope many more people, part of the slowdown we're seeing now, people saying it is not worth the effort put little ofldren through the effort

exposure to human smugglers and all the dangers that exist there. they take thousands of dollars days -- tond of these hotels. when i went down to visit the border a few months ago, i saw that being taken advantage of right people as they were crossing. he saw a couple of people across a field, and by the time we got there they had disappeared into a national wildlife refuge which is largely accessible. they are greater things that could be done to address this. the chief of the border patrol hasthat entire region

stated the number one thing he wall, but not that it is hard to get to buy a road.- by a road across the entire border would allow them to connect and to mitigate it be more of. those are the kinds of things that i would like the administration to step up and get to. more immigration judges, and the obama administration's view, would help speed that up. >> it would require that in most

since insist is the people that they have before them are required to leave the country. right now they can immediately , coming into the united states from mexico. but that is not the case with people from other countries. their going to be taken, detained, and then sent back out. if you have the right public this, that isd to a good thing. but if you have the wrong policy, you will be processing into the united states, rather than telling them that this kind of entry into the country is the wrong way of doing it. the backlog is that people come in now and are released into the have adays where they court date to come back for. it is not how soon that court date is, it is whether or not they will show back up in court.

detaining them would be a part of this process, but the other part has to be the right public policy to change the losses that the same laws that applied to mexican nationals coming into the united states also applied to the other south americans. do you think the money that was allocated for this order crisis will run out? >> it is not the 2008 law. good underlying purpose which was to make sure that children were not turned back into the hands of human , subject to the very effects of mayhem and violence. it is seeing abuse.

often not one their first arrived, but when they find out they're going to be detained areey say they political asylum. >> that is it for our time. thank you very much. and newsmakers is back with afterennett and lauren our conversation with rob goodlatte. let's start with the president's plan for combating isis. what can we anticipate about the november debate? >> right now he has the authority to train and arm

moderate syrian rebels. that is with the syrian approved yesterday and the house approved the day before. that is where they will be trained, in saudi arabia. it puts a lot of responsibility on the white house. they have to report back a very frequent interval of how the troops are going, how the money spent.ng tha >> we saw tough questioning from the republican members of the senate. why do you see as framing the debate for november where they will have a more robust and older debate over authority? has said they justified the airstrikes because they are protecting u.s. personnel that are in the kurdish region of iraq. also have been acting in humanitarian interest to protect

minorities in a rock. as the above administration rolls out this expansion of strikes which they telegraphed they lie onut, can the al rely on the existing authorizations? they also authorize the person to go after people who attacked us on september 11 and associated groups. the tension in the debate will be whether congress feels they have to step in and give more authority to the president. >> he would have to go back, because like he was saying, the

past authority does not extend antipolitical laws. you are seeing mamie members not feeling comfortable with how far the authority vested in from 9/11 is being stretched. how does that set up the debate with congress? >> the chairman was very firm in his stance that if the president goes forward with an administrative action, he is going to wish within the leadership of the house for a lawsuit against the president. that was striking to see how definitive he was about that. >> i agree. is ais not an issue that risk even if he says he does not really see it. continuing lawsuits against the president and this constant battle between the two of them

could degrade that relationship . an additional lawsuit could help the republicans, but if it is this i'm a it will be interesting to see if they go this,. with . split right now on whether the congress has the authority to bring forward a loss before it can have its day in court. immigration appears to be more of a hot button with the public rather than the candidates. how does this set up the incumbents and want to be's with any republican hopefuls? >> i think in the republican

primary we're going to see immigration be a very important issue. i think the republican candidates are going to be competing with each other over their stance on immigration. it will be interesting to see how the field spreads out. if you have some republicans believe it should be repealed back.lled one last quote question -- one last question. said there could be a whether cause on whether the cycle might be going down. heat summer because of the --

we will have to see if the upber goes act cap -- back as the weather cools down. >> thank you for being with us this week. can live15 student your composition is underway. open to all middle and high school students to make a five minute documentary called the three branches and you. for a list of rules how to get started go to studentcam.org. >> nancy pelosi was at the new york law school at manhattan this week she talked about her experience in congress, religious beliefs, and the current political climate in washington. this is an hour.

>> house democratic leader nancy pelosi spoke to students at new york law school about her congressional career at the political climate in washington. her remarks were an hour. >> we want to welcome everyone. it is a great honor for us to be hosting the sidney shainwald public interest featuring house to mccracken in nancy pelosi. [applause] as many of you know, one of the premier events. each one has featured a moment as national leader including supreme court justice sandra day o'connor, former senators and current cabinet members and the

late senator ted kidney. that tradition continues. his lecture series was founded by the alumni and a steamed a trustee of new york law school in honor of her late husband to let an incredibly dynamic life. this series provides a unique form for social and intellectual discussion featuring the most prominent leaders in public and judicial service. groundbreaking legal pioneer, a visionary who has made fighting for women's health her unrelenting mission for the last three decades. she received her law degree from new york law school in 1976 launching her legal practice after a successful career as a consumer advocate making her accomplishments the bunch more remarkable. she has litigated on behalf of

women over dangers and/or ugly used contraceptive and of products and has transformed the class-action litigation. her lead is inspirational to all and especially an example to normal female students and the first woman to receive the president's medal. [applause] in a year when new york law school and celebrant the achievements of women in all her impact has been global.

[applause] united states district court judge and it a former lecturer speaker. [applause] the york state appellate judge freedman. [applause] new york city deputy mayor. [applause] corporation counsel's zachary carter. [applause] former city comptroller. [applause] the former new york state attorney general. [applause] former appellate division judge. [applause] former appellant and is a judge in new york law school alumnus

and board member. [applause] last but not least arthur abbey. halfback of course there are many and others who could easily be acknowledged. we will move to our program. it is an honor. such a treasure to member of this community. proud to be led by such an inspirational leader. thank you. [applause] [inaudible conversations] >> at any rate i am honored and pleased to have really the first

woman speaker of the house of representatives here today. [applause] and to have carolyn, my great representative. i welcome you. i'm going to tell you something. could not be a better congressman. first elected to cars in 1992. the program is short. everyone has to go back to washington to vote on. [inaudible] that me tell you, the current

ratings by various interest groups, the american association of university woman gives her 100 percent. pro-choice america gives her 100. planned parenthood gives her 100. the human rights campaign gives her a hundred. the reliance for retired americans gives her 100. the voters give for an 96. what happens to the other four points? [laughter] human rights campaign gives her 100. the american public health association cancer hundred. the afl-cio gives her a hundred. the humane society, degrading campaign. the in l.a. gives her and a half. [laughter] [applause]

it is my great pleasure to have my friend and one of the most excellent congress people we can have. [applause] >> thank you for that wonderful introduction. wonderful to see so many old friends here. thank-you. new york law school. my heartfelt thanks for establishing this lecture series of course an extraordinary attorney in her own right, a heroine for thousands of women across the world in this special friend and mentor who has fought for justice on behalf of women his health was compromised, advocated for consumers, victims

of fraud, and those exposed to an vermeil toxins. a brilliant and determined that ticket who made sure their side was heard. it is a pleasure and an honor to introduce today is on a speaker. by any measure nancy pelosi is the most accomplished woman ever to serve in the united states congress. [applause] she has been a trailblazer, seeming breaker, and history maker. when she became the first woman speaker of the united states house of representatives she became the highest-ranking and most powerful woman in the 238 year history of our great country.

she made history. what now seems like an amazing accomplishment. she actually got things down. she grew up in baltimore where she learned about great political leaders from her father, the mayor. she demanded equality and fought to create a purchase it for millions for more than 26 years in congress. she became the ranking democrat on the intelligence committee, the first will into service democratic minority whip, the first woman to serve as, the first woman to lead the democratic party in congress and the first woman in history to hold the speaker's gavel. in a panic. >> and after nearly 400 years of people just talking about the

need for health care, republican than democratic president she linden was at the helm in congress when we finally passed a health care reform bill indeed some of the most abusive practices and billing millions more americans the ability to see a doctor when they is sick. she let us in the recovery that put americans back to work playing a critical role in passing the credit card holders bill of rights. saves consumers as much as 20 billion the year. and she was absolutely crucial in passing the health and compensation act which gave health care to heroes and heroines, a bill that i offered them was a top priority of the new york delegation for eight years, and chickens the house open through the hard day's run the gamut of its and making sure she was doing right by our

heroes. believe me. the elections make a difference. the bill would never have passed if you or not speaker at the time. [applause] on top of all of that she is a wonderful wife, mother of five remarkable socked, successful, and loving children which is an accomplishment. and when you look up multitasking in the dictionary you should see a picture of into pelosi. she was recently inducted into the national women's hall of fame in seneca falls, new york. when we build the national women's history museum i think she ought to have a whole wing. [applause] the are extremely fortunate to have our moderator.

he is a ground breaking scholar of american political history, widely acclaimed author and biographer whose work has been called retting, accessible, and genius. please give a warm welcome to james s. simon and the democratic leader of the house of representatives, the first speaker in history, the remarkable nancy pelosi. [applause] >> this is a wonderful honor for me.

we are going to have a conversation for a little while and then open it up to questions from the floor. i will start with this. a leader pelosi, in your book you did speak of three important influences in your life growing up in baltimore, your family, the catholic church, and the democratic party. and i would like to start with the question about your family. your mind wanted you to be in them. [laughter] how did you, a devoted daughter, tell your mother is that you had other plans? [laughter] >> thank you. reading the book it is really just a puff piece, unless

hearing that people were saying since sheila's five years old she wanted to be speaker of the house. i was a teenager in the fifties, interested in el expressly, rock around the clock, no interest in politics and never intended to run for public office. i think my parents would say that they never really wanted that for me. in and high will answer your question. thinking all of you for the option in the to be here today. honored to receive the invitation. [applause] >> to be sought -- to be part of

something. the great man. we all benefit, and i will talk more about that as we get into the conversation. my mother never wanted me to get married. this was the whole thing. it you can pray all the time, do good seats, and what could be easier. i do not know that i ever told her, but i said i would check out the world and see what was out there anyway. when i was at the dominican college in san francisco when i had written the book and had a big advance, it is not too late. in. [laughter] >> let me ask you, you are a devout catholic. early in your political career

you took very strong positions in support of gay rights and women's reproductive rights. how did you -- were you able to reconcile that with the teachings of the catholic church ? >> the church is important to me i may be less important to them. in but i think what we were taught, to assess the dignity of every person in part of that was to have a free well and take responsibility for people's lives and for a heroin lives and that the responsibility was something that women knew how to do best. whenever my thoughts might be on the subject what business is it of my to insist upon that on someone else and how they are their responsibilities in life.

as far as gay-rights are concerned, that was such a natural thing where i was raised miller people. you love them. there are all god's children. it was not even a question. attributes at to my upbringing in. when i went away to college he was still the manner of baltimore. catholic teachings. some people may have a different view, but some catholics may have had a different view of that, but i never saw that as a contradiction. i would hope that as time goes by people will see respecting a woman's right to choose is respecting.

it did not hear my he were know why i had to be so vocal about it, but i knew. >> in the book you describe yourself as a happy, young housewife. having given birth to five children in six years. your life revolves around changing diapers, feeding schedules, time in the park and saw one. your political career came later. what advice would you give to young who aspired to have a carrier and a family at the same time? >> since you were talking, when i bought by -- brought my baby home from the hospital is that week my

oldest daughter of five was having her sixth with the. when the church wants to talk to me about these issues and i think i have some standing. my colleague has this debate about how right they are about this, i think i have some standing. can tell you that at one point in the course of the debate sheathing she's knows more. she has been a champion in congress. oliver has to happen, the

health issues she is the top democrat on the joint economic committee. a very important place. [applause] >> as a young mother. co-parented was aspirational is it realistic today? >> of course. i have had children, as you know. ica completely different world. my four daughters are married to my son is not. but to get back to your other question, enabling women to do more and my

advice, give a lot of advice she knows the challenges being faced. i would say, the environment committee cool rights, fairness in the economy, issues that relate to peace, whenever it is that it tracks, you have to -- it is not about politics but values and priorities for our country and the world. ..

>> >> to enable women to run the show of power in the economy. success of women in our economy. when i look at what is happening in japan or latin america other places in the world. people leap this initiative

that we have we went on a bus trip all over the mideast women succeed america succeeds and for women to succeed in politics ever running for office it is important for us to do everything in our power with citizens united. [applause] >> we have a plan to do that in order to reduce money but this secret undisclosed special interest and public interests and special interest money is destructive to our democracy if we reduce the role of money and increase stability in politics, i guarantee this year will increase the number of women in politics

and that is the most wholesome thing we can do. yoga people and minorities and the rest of the people in america something that we must do. it is inevitable to happen for give before partisan words they say the problem is not money but that we don't have enough money. can you imagine they would say that? >> whatever time it takes it is inevitable if we have to shorten the distance between the two. that is what we are determined to do. >> alaska couple of questions about current legislation. last week president obama announced the coalition to

ultimately defeats isis. what are your views on the latest proposal? >> it is a consequence of going into iraq in the first place. this is going down in history as one of the most serious mistakes our country ever made a and it was a decision to free the american people. i was telling a senior democrat i have seen at all because of that gain of four or gain debate. so if they had anything else they would make the case and and the intelligence it

would not support the threat it just is not there. and of course, i voted against the war and many of my colleagues in the house voted against it because i said the intelligence does not pose the threat but it was a misrepresentation how would be eight created and hello would be interpreted it was a stunning misrepresentation and it to a daylong time and hundreds of thousands of iraqis. said now we have to deal with those consequences but the president has the authority to do what he is doing now we said we will vita future reauthorization depending on what actions the president takes.

but i will not go to for boots on the ground. i will say it another way combat troops we cannot go down that path but i salute the president for choosing diplomacy also the vice president to make sure a new government was established that is more inclusive now that the sudanese had taken over we will make up for it could curb but this would be inclusive government respected of all interest. but with the diplomacy and the politics to build a coalition but to assist in what we do there is