he's worked side by side with our intelligence community and the department of homeland security to keep us safe from terrorist attacks and to counter violent extremism. on his watch, federal courts have successfully prosecuted hundreds of terror cases, proving that the world's finest justice system is fully capable of delivering justice for the world's most-wanted terrorists. he's rooted out corruption and fought violent crime. under his watch, a few years ago, the fbi successfully carried out the largest mafia takedown in american history. he's worked closely with state and local law enforcement officers to make sure that they've got the resources to get the job done. and he's managed funds under the recovery act to make sure that when budgets took a hit, thousands of cops were able to stay on the beat nationwide. he's helped safeguard our markets from manipulation, and consumers from financial fraud. since 2009, the justice department has brought more than 60 cases against financial institutions, and won some of the largest settlements in

history for practices related to the financial crisis, recovering $85 billion -- much of it returned to ordinary americans who were badly hurt. he's worked passionately to make sure our criminal justice system remains the best in the world. he knows that too many outdated policies, no matter how well-intentioned, perpetuate a destructive cycle in too many communities. so eric addressed unfair sentencing disparities, reworked mandatory minimums, and promoted alternatives to incarceration. and thanks to his efforts, since i took office, the overall crime rate and the overall incarceration rate have gone down by about 10%. that's the first time that they've declined together, at the same time, in more than 40 years.

eric's proudest achievement, though, might be reinvigorating and restoring the core mission to what he calls the conscience of the building -- and that's the civil rights division. he has been relentless against attacks on the voting rights act -- because no citizen, including our service members, should have to jump through hoops to exercise their most fundamental right. he's challenged discriminatory state immigration laws that not only risked harassment of citizens and legal immigrants, but actually made it harder for law enforcement to do its job. under his watch, the department has brought a record number of prosecutions for human trafficking, and for hate crimes -- because no one in america should be afraid to walk down the street because of the color of their skin, the love in their heart, the faith they practice, or the disabilities that they live with. he's dramatically advanced the cause of justice for native americans, working closely with their communities. and several years ago, he recommended that our government stop defending the defense of marriage act -- a decision that

was vindicated by the supreme court, and opened the door to federal recognition of same-sex marriage, and federal benefits for same-sex couples. it's a pretty good track record. eric's father was an immigrant who served in the army in world war ii only to be refused service at lunch counters in the nation he defended. but he and his wife raised their son to believe that this country's promise was real, and that son grew up to become attorney general of the united states. and that's something. and that's why eric has worked so hard -- not just in my administration, but for decades -- to open up the promise of this country to more striving, reaming kids like him. to make sure those words -- life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness -- are made real for all of us. soon, eric, sharon, and their kids will be a bit freer to pursue a little more happiness of their own. and thanks to eric's efforts, so will more americans --

regardless of race or religion, gender or creed, sexual orientation or disability, who will receive fair and equal treatment under the law. so i just want to say thank you, eric. thank you to the men and women of the justice department who work day in and out for the american people. and we could not be more grateful for everything that you've done not just for me and the administration, but for our country. [applause]

>> i come to this moment with very mixed emotions: proud of what the men and women of the department of justice have accomplished over the last six years, and at the same time, very sad that i will not be a formal part -- a formal part -- of the great things that this department and this president will accomplish over the next two. i want to thank you, mr. president, for the opportunity that you gave me to serve and for giving me the greatest honor of my professional life. we have been great colleagues, but the bonds between us are much deeper than that. in good times and in bad, in things personal and in things professional, you have been there for me. i'm proud to call you my friend. i'm also grateful for the

support you have given me and the department as we have made real the visions that you and i have always shared. i often think of those early talks between us, about our belief that we might help to craft a more perfect union. work remains to be done, but our list of accomplishments is real. over the last six years, our administration -- your administration -- has made historic gains in realizing the principles of the founding documents and fought to protect the most sacred of american rights, the right to vote. we have begun to realize the promise of equality for our lgbt brothers and sisters and their families. we have begun to significantly reform our criminal justice system and reconnect those who bravely serve in law enforcement with the communities that they protect. we have kept faith with our belief in the power of the greatest judicial system the world has ever known to fairly and effectively adjudicate any

cases that are brought before it, including those that involve the security of the nation that we both love so dearly. we have taken steps to protect the environment and make more fair the rules by which our commercial enterprises operate. and we have held accountable those who would harm the american people -- either through violent means or the misuse of economic or political power. i have loved the department of justice ever since as a young boy i watched robert kennedy prove during the civil rights movement how the department can and must always be a force for that which is right. i hope that i have done honor to the faith that you have placed in me, mr. president, and to the legacy of all those who have served before me. i would also like to thank the vice president, who i have known for so many years, and in whom i have found great wisdom, unwavering support, and a shared vision of what america can and should be.

i want to recognize my good friend valerie jarrett, whom i've been fortunate to work with from the beginning of what started as an improbable, idealistic effort by a young senator from illinois, who we were both right to believe would achieve greatness. i've had the opportunity to serve in your distinguished cabinet and worked with a white house chief of staff -- a white house staff ably led by denis mcdonough that has done much to make real the promise of our democracy. and each of the men and women who i have come to know will be lifelong friends. whatever my accomplishments, they could not have been achieved without the love, support and guidance of two people who are not here with me today. my parents, eric and miriam holder, nurtured me and my accomplished brother, william, and made us believe in the value

of individual effort and the greatness of this nation. my time in public service, which now comes to an end, would not have been possible without the sacrifices too often unfair made by the best three kids a father could ask for. thank you, maya. thank you, brooke. and thank you, buddy. and finally, i want to thank the woman who sacrificed the most and allowed me to follow my dreams. she is the foundation of all that our family is, and the basis of all that i have become. my wife, sharon, is the unsung hero. and she is my life partner. thank you for all that you have done. i love you. in the months ahead, i will leave the department of justice, but i will never -- i will never -- leave the work. i will continue to serve and try to find ways to make our nation even more true to its founding ideals.

i want to thank the dedicated public servants who form the backbone of the united states department of justice for their tireless work over the past six years, for the efforts they will continue, and for the progress that they made and that will utlast us all. and i want to thank you all for joining me on a journey that now moves in another direction, but that will always be guided by the pursuit of justice and aimed at the north star. thank you. [applause] >> eric holder is stepping down as attorney general. tomorrow morning he'll speak at

a congressional black caucus meeting. live coverage at 9:00 a.m. eastern on c-span 3. on c-span2, congressman jim jordan and senators ted cruz and rand paul will be among the speakers at the american family council's fam -- and the family research council's values voter summit. >> c-span campaign 2014 debate coverage continues. friday at 2:00, the oregon governor's debate between governor john kitzhaber and state representative dennis richardson. sunday, the debate between bruce braley and joelerness. c-span campaign 2014, more than 100 debates for the control of congress. >> the president of iran said reaching a final nuclear agreement with the u.s. and other countries would lead to more cooperation against militant groups in the mideast.

president ruhan spoke at the united nations general assembly for about 20 minutes. >> on behalf of the general assembly, i have the honor to welcome to the united nations the president of the islamic republic of iran and invite him to address the assembly. >> god the most gracious, thanks beto god the lord of the two worlds and they me prayers and peace. mr. president, excellencecies, ladies and gentlemen. t the outset i would like to extend my sincerest

congratulations on your election the president of the 69th generalcy -- assembly. i also express my thanks. it is my hope that this session of the general assembly brings the world, in its current critical situation, a step closer to the security and tranquility of human beings, which is a fundamental goal of the united nations. mr. president, i am coming from a region of the world whose many parts are currently burning. in the fire of extremism and radicalism. to the east and west of my kunzry, extremists threaten our neighbors. resort to violence. and shed blood. they, of course, do not speak a single language. they are not of a single skin

color. and not of a single nationality. they have come to the mideast from around the world. they do, however, have a single ideology, violence and extremism. hey also have a single goal. the destruction of civilization giving rise to islamaphobia and creating a fertile ground for further intervention of foreign torses -- forces in our region. i deeply regret to say that terrorism has become globalized rom new york to mosul. from damascus to baghdad. from the eastern most to the western most parts of the world. from al qaeda to others. the extremists of the world have found each other and have put extremists of the

world unite. but are we united against the extremists? extremism is not a regional issue that only the nations of our region have to grapple with. extremism is a global issue. certain states have helped creating it and are now failing to withstand it. currently our peoples are paying the price. today's anti-westernism is the offspring of yesterday's colonialism. today's anti-westerncism rae action to yesterday's racism. certain intelligence agencies have put blades in the hands of madmen who now spare no one. all those who have played a role

in founding and supporting these terror groups must acknowledge their errors. which have led to extremism. they need to apologize not only to the past generations but also to the next generation. to fight the underlying causes of terrorism, one must identify its roots and dry its source fountains. terrorism germinates in poverty, unemployment, discrimination, humiliation, and injustice. and it grows in the culture of violence to uproot -- of violence. to uproot exdreamism, we must spread justice and development. this allow -- and disallow the teachings of divine teachings to justify brutality and cruelty. the pain is made greater when these terrorists spill blood in the name of religion and behead

in the name of islam. they seek to keep hidden this incontrovertible truth of history, that on the basis of the teachings of all divine prophets from abraham to moses, from jesus to mohammed, peace be upon him, taking the life of a single innocent human is akin to killing the whole humanity. i am astonished that these murderous groups call themselves islamic. what is more astonishing is that the western media in line with them repeat this is false claim. which provokes the hatred of all muslims. muslim people who every day recall their god as merciful and compassionate and have learned lessons of kindness and empathy from their prophet's teachings

see this defamation as a part of an islam phobic project. -- islamophobic project. the mideast and asia and the caucases have turned this into aggression. military aggression against afghanistan and iraq and improper developments in syria are career examples of this erroneous strategic approach in the mideast. as nonpeaceful approach, aggression and occupation target the lives and livelihoods of ordinary people, they result in different adverse psychological and behavioral consequence that are man tested -- manifested in the form of violence and murder

in the mideast and north africa, even affecting citizens from ther parts of the world. violence is currently being spread to other parts of the world like a contagious disease. we have always believed that democracy cannot be transplanted from abroad. democracy is the product of growth and development, not war and aggression. democracy is not an export product that can be commercially imported from the west to the east in an under-- to the east. imported democracy leads only to a weak and vulnerable overnment. when commanding generals step into a region do not expect diplomats to greet them warmy. when war begins, diplomacy tends to end. when sanctions set in, deep

hatred for those imposing them also begins. when the atmosphere of the mideast is securetized, the answer will be of the same nature as well. the interest of the western countries in our region are tied to the recognition of beliefs and the desires of the people for democratic governance in the region. our region expects the experience of creation of al qaeda, the taliban and modern extremist groups have demonstrated that no one can use extremist groups to counter an opposing state and remain impervious to the consequences of rising extremism. the recitation of these mistakes despite many costly experiences is per flexing. -- perplexing.

let's recall that iran had invited everyone dialogue before the criminal act of september 11 and also called for a war on violence and extremeism before the current atrocities. perhaps in the past year, few people could forecast the fire that would rage today but now uninhibited violence and extremism presents an imminent threat to the world. it is self-evident that without an accurate understanding of how the current condition came about, we will not be able to find the right solutions. today again i shall warn against the strength of extremism and the danger posed by the inadequate understanding and incorrect approach to this phenomenon. the middle east longs for development and is weary of war. it is the natural right of the

peoples of the fertile lands of the middle east to live in peace and prosperity. in the past, colonialism denied them this right and today the shadow of war and violence threatens their security. there are moderate politicians and elite in our region who enjoy the confidence of their peoples. they are neither anti-western nor pro-western. while aware of the role of colonialism and the backwardness of their nation, they are not neglectful of the role of their nations in reaching the development they seek. they do not absolve the west from its misdeeds but are also aware of their own failings. these leaders can take a position of active leadership by attracting the confidence of the people in their societies and

establish the strongest national and international coalitions against violence. the voices of these leaders of the true -- are the true voices of moderation in the islamic world. the familiar sound of an afghan tired of war, an iraqi victim of extremism, a syrian fearful of terrorism. and a lebanese worried about violence and sectarianism. i believe countries claiming leadership of the coalition do so to continue their hegemony in the region. they will be making a strategic mistake. obviously, since the pain is better known by the countries in the region, better they can form a coalition and accept to shoulder the responsibility of leadership to counter violence

and terrorism. and if other nations wish to take action against terrorism, they must come to their support. i warn that if we do not muster l of our strengths against extremism and violence and fail to entrust the job to the people in the region who can deliver tomorrow this world will not be safe for anyone. mr. president, ladies and gentlemen, last year i tried to fulfill the role of my country in the realization of peace as both the regional and inter-- at both the regional and international levels by putting forward a proposal of a world against violence and extremism which was met with general support in the tumultuous and chaotic reof the middle east, iran is one of the most

tranquil, secure and stable nations. all the nations of the region have to keep in mind that we are in the same boat. thus we need broad cooperation with regard to social and political as well as security and defense issues with a view toward reaching common and durable understandings. had we had greater cooperation and coordination in the middle ast, thousands of innocent palestinians in gaza would not ave fallen victim to the zionist regime's aggressions. we in the islamic republic of iran consider interaction and confidence building among states of the region as fundamentally essential for conflict resolution. we support any measure to promote cooperation between islamic nations to combat extremism, threats and aggression and in connection with this, we are prepared to

play our permanent, constructionive and positive role. mr. president, the oppressive sanctions against iran go on. in continuation of a strategic mistake made against a moderate and independent nation under the current sensitive conditions in our region. during the last year, we have engaged in the most transparent dialogue to build confidence regarding iran's peaceful nuclear program. we plays serious and honest negotiations on the agenda, not a result of sanctions or threats but because of the will of our people. we are of the view that the nuclear issue could only be resolved through negotiation and those who may think of any other would be committing a great mistake in doing. arriving in a final agreement not only raises the costs, not only at our

expense but also at the expense of the economy and trade of other parties as well as the development and security prospects of our region. no one should doubt that compromise and agreement on this issue is in the best interest of everyone, especially that of the nations of the region. the nuclear negotiations between iran and the five plus one have continued during the past year and the past few months with seriousness and optimism on both sides, according to international observers, the islamic republic of iran has carried out its commitment in good faith. although some of the observers -- observations and actions of our counterparts have created certain doubts regarding their determination and realism, we hope that the current negotiations will lead to a

final accord in the short amount of time that we have left. we are committed to continue our peaceful nuclear program including enrichment and to enjoy our full nuclear rights on iranian soil within the framework of international law. we are determined to continue negotiations with our intlore cutors in earn -- interlo cutors in earnest. removal of concern for both sides as well as equal footing and recognized international norms and principles. i do believe mutual adherence to the strict implementation of commitment and only gailings and avoidance of accepted demands in negotiations by our count parts is the preeck zit for the success of the negotiations. iran's accord regarding peace program can serve as the

beginning of multilateral collaborations aimed at promoting security, peace and development in our reand beyond. the people of iran who have been subjected to pressures especially in the past three years as a result of continued taxes cannot place trust in any security operation between their governments with those who have had full sanctions and created obstacles in the way of satisfying even the primary needs like food and medicine. this will create impediments to future long-term cooperation. the people of iran are devoted to certain principles and values at the apex of which are independence, development, and national pride. if this fact is not understood by our negotiating partners an they commit grievous miscalculations in the process, a historic and exceptional opportunity will be lost. as you know, during the ongoing mue clear negotiations this year, the iranian government took some initiative and created favorable conditions which

resulted in a new phase in the geneva joint plan of action. we are determined to continue our if our interlocutors are equally motivated and flexible, then we can overcome the problem and reach a long-standing agreement within the time remaining. then an entirely different environment will emerge for cooperation at the regional and international levels allowing for greater focus on issues such as combating violence and extremism in the region. arriving at a final agreement will be an historic opportunity for the u.s. to show that it does not oppose the development of others and does not discriminate when it comes to international rules and

regulations. this agreement can carry a global message of peace and security, indicating that the only way to conflict resolution is through negotiation and respect and not through conflict and sanctions. mr. president, ladies and gentlemen, last year the great nation of iran participated in presidential elections with foresight and prudent moderation. thereafter, they supported their elected government in its efforts of building the country while some of the countries around iran have fallen prey to war and turmoil. iran remains secure, stable, and calm. my government's principal policy is to work toward constructive interaction with our neighbors on the basis of mutual respect

and common interest. the notion that iran seeks to control other countries in the region is a myth. band in recent years in the context of an islamic phobic project. those who may be's need imaginary enemies to sustain tension and sow division and conflict, thus pushing for the redeployment of natural resources away from development. we work toward putting an end to the delusional phobias, setting a stage for strategic partnerships with our neighbors. last year i warned against the violence of expansion and extremism. i warrant that we could become closer to a turbulent and tumultuous region with

repercussions for the whole world. the right solution to this quandary must come from international support and not from outside of the region. god the almighty has promised in the holy carron to those who have believed and unrighteous deeds that he will surely grant them succession to authority upon -- done righteous deeds that he will surely grant them succession to authority upon the earth. it is my sincere hope that our generation endeavors to leave a more secure and developed earth as its legacy for the next generation. i wish you all a great deal of success and many blessings. thank you.

[applause] >> on behalf of the general assembly, i wish to thank the president of the islamic republic of iran for the statement he just made. these three main -- please remain seated while we greet the president. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2014]

>> more than 40 states have adopted the common core standards which aim to improve education. the center for american progress will hold a discussion on common core live tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. eastern on c-span. the congressional black caucus is meeting this week. they will hold a forum on policing practices and minorities. we will hear from the attorneys for trayvon martin and michael brown. live coverage at 3:00 eastern here on c-span. the braxton -- nebraska

congressman lee terry is facing brad ashford. congressman kerry is running for a nine term. brad ashford is a member of the nebraska state legislature. the district is in the eastern part of the state and includes all mahal. the omaha world herald newspaper hosted this debate. omaha.ludes all mahal >> from the campus of the university of nebraska at omaha, race for the house. sponsored by the omaha world u.n. ohnd produced by television. the candidates running for nebraska's second congressional lee or republican incumbent terry who is 52 years old and lives in omaha. he has been the second congressional district representatives since 1999, is

married, and has three children. the democratic challenger is rad ashford who lives in omaha. old. he's been -- he is married and has three children. your host and not rateor is a political reporter from the omaha herald. >> hello and welcome to this evening's race for congress. i'm a senior political reporter at the omaha world herald. thank you for joining us. we are coming to you from the university of nebraska at omaha's campus. this debate is sponsored by the world herald and produced by the staff and students of u.n.l. television. we are looking for a robust change of views between republican nominee lee terry and democratic challenger brad

ashford. we are going to rotate the order and questions the candidates will get. they're each going to get about 50 seconds to respond. in the middle of the debate, the candidates will get to ask each other a question. otherwise, i'm going to ask a question. i also will determine if a follow up is in order. this response should be no more than 30 seconds. we have a light system to keep track of time. when you see the red light, gentlemen, wrap it up. the campaigns drew numbers to determine who will begin and end, mr. ashford, you'll get the first crack at the first question. you're also going to get the last word in closing statements. if everyone is ready, let's get started. >> ready. >> you are both veteran lawmakers. tell us about your single biggest legislative accomplishment. >> first of all, thank you for being here and moderating this

debate. thanks to u.n.o. and omaha world herald. it's been a great experience for me to serve in the legislature where we have no political parties. the most important thing for me in my 16 years of scompeengs e experience is developing on how to work together on tough issues. i suppose the one thing i think was plaguing nebraska for so many years was the tough issue of juvenile justice and juvenile crime. over the last few years we in the legislature working across rty lines unanimously passed legislation regarding juveniles. the goal is to keep them out of trouble, keep them out of detention, make them -- make this state a better place to live for them. i think that would be my number one -- there's been so many wonderful experiences, but that would be the one i would think

of. >> that's great. mr. terry. >> thank you. i too want to thank the omaha orld herald for sponsoring this. i've passed a lot of bills in my time in the united states congress. in fact, currently right now i'm rated number six in the number of bills that are passed and in the two 2% of actually the bills that i've written and passed that have actually had senate co-sponsors or equal bill on the senate side and all of whom have been bipartisan bills. one of my goals is for prosperity and future of our country's energy independence. so a lot of the bills that i have passed that i'm proud of has to do with energy. making our resources accessible, but also in the world of renewable fuels as well. hydrogen -- i got to drive a hydrogen car.

it was me and a democrat that were actually able to get a bill passed that allowed for research of hydrogen vehicles as well as others. >> so the hydrogen bill was your top legislative come accomplishment? >> no i would say there were others like keystone pipeline have gotten more accomplishment. but breaking through a hydrogen barrier to get through the future energy of the world, i think that will be in the top bills. 20 years from now people will look back at that bill and how it changed the world. >> you both have had to cast some difficult votes. tell us about the vote you regret. what was the vote? why do you regret it? and what did you learn from it? >> well, that's a good point because you take so many votes and you spend the time to research and you call people and you get the feedback from the experts in your district. i think the one vote that you

look from sunday morning quarterbacking but my vote on iraq, that was one that probably if we had all of the facts, most of my colleagues and i would have done it differently. no job -- no child left behind was certainly not implemented the way it was written and we need to change that. we passed a bill in congress this year to take it back and take the burdens off of our pub public school systems that that mandated. >> mr. terry -- >> i would agree. i've had thousands and thousands of bills that i've had an opportunity to vote on. many bills we vote on -- in our system we have a nonpartisan legislature. we have three rounds of debate on every bill. there are plenty of votes that i've taken i would like to get back. >> just one. >> that's a tough question. i think maybe the one vote that

i would like to take back was l.b. 1059, that goes back a number of years. that was a bill that eventually i did vote for the amendments on it years later, but basically at l.b. 1059 did was -- it lowered property tax by broadening the tax base for school finance and had i thought more about it at that time, that was in' 92 or' 93, i think that would have been a vote i might have voted differently. >> thank you very much. we're going to turn now to foreign policy. as you both know, there's a lot going on in the world. mr. ashford, you get the pirs question. we are going to ask that you keep it kind of short, 15, 30 seconds because we are going to rro in deeper -- bureau in deeper.

what criteria should the u.s. use in determining when to risk american lives on foreign soil? >> the number one criteria would be the safety and welfare of the united states. i do support what's going on now with the air strikes in syria and iraq. isis in my view is clearly a threat to the people of the united states and building a coalition i think is the appropriate mechanism at this point. >> thank you. thank you mr. ashford. mr. terry. > it has to be in the national security interest of our nation. so if you are under threat of attack, then i think you have to respond. and certainly with isil and the meetings that i have attended, they are a clear threat. >> ok, thank you. the next question goes to mr. terry. the war in afghanistan has gone on for 13 years.

it has caused the u.s. the lives of more than 2,200 servicemen and women and the cost has stretched into the hundreds of billions. looking back, do you think a long-running ground war was the right tactic in the war on terror, why and why not? >> i would state with the premise it was in our national security after 9/11 to remove the taliban and the al qaeda that was stationed and working out of afghanistan absolutely was necessary to go into afghanistan. it's been a long process, but i think we need to stay. we need to work until afghanistan can stand on their own two legs and defend themselves from the taliban. >> so you are not for the withdrawal? >> i want the withdrawal to occur as they are able to take care of themselves. and i don't want to do what happened in iraq. i think one of the lessons learned here is that in iraq when you pulled out too fast and

you create a vacuum because the government isn't ready yet, that vacuum is going to be filled and that vacuum in iraq was filled by isil and that could happen again in afghanistan if we pull out too quickly. >> mr. ashford, i'm going to give you a few more seconds there. >> ok. what's amazing to me is the effectiveness of our military in the middle east. and i agree with lee on this. i think we should maintain our presence in afghanistan until we get -- we've made some progress on the new government that's just been elected in afghanistan . that has been a plus. but we had to act when we acted. terrorism occurred to a great extent because of what was going on in afghanistan before we invaded. i think we need to stay a little longer. i agree with lee that leaving afghanistan or the way we approached afghanistan after the invasion did create a vacuum.

and leaving -- i'm sorry, iraq left a vacuum. we see the problems of isis today. i think we need to stay in afghanistan until the democracy is set. >> ok, thank you very much. i believe this goes to mr. ashford first. some critics have blamed president obama for the current upheefl in iraq, saying he should have kept american soldiers on the ground in that country. do you agree? 20/20.sight is i think what one could say is had we left troops on the borders of syria, we could have maintained some training mission and some support mission on the border with syria theoretically in and around bag daud and other parts of iraq, that train has left the station at this point. i don't see -- i really don't see us coming back into iraq with that kind of force now or in the future. >> ok.

mr. terry. >> well, i agree that hindsight is 20/20. the reality is that foreign policy of the president into not helping with the establishment of the government and pulling our military too quickly so they weren't trained when the government started in essence pun shalling segments of their society and they left to join isil, all of that we should have been much more involved in that to prevent that from happening. if we would have been more active we may not have had isil. i do want to say as i support the president on his strikes, i think that's the right thing to do. we have to do what's in our national security interest to do that. but with we've got to make sure that this government and their military is -- they're the ones and the kurds should be armed as well. and i appreciate the germans arming the kurds. they're good fighters. i think the boots on the ground in iraq should remain iraqi

boots. >> ok. you did recently vote against arming the syrian rebels. can you explain your position on that? >> yeah, thank you for letting me do that. i was the only one in our entire delegation region that voted against that. that was to arm the free syrian army and train them. and i've seen just too many incidences where we trained a group of people and then as we're training them they turn their weapons on us. and see -- see yaw is one of those places where it's really difficult to find -- just because they're fighting assad doesn't mean they're our friends. and so i worry that they would just turn on the united states whenever they would get the chance and we would have trained them to do that. >> thank you. mr. ashford do you agree with mr. terry? >> here's what i think about this. it's impossible for me no know about the vote because i wasn't briefed. intrick ow about the

casseys of that congressional decision. what i do believe and i don't understand this, maybe lee can explain it, how congress could have left washington after four days coming back from the summer vacation and had a vote on training syrian moderate rebels without a thorough discussion and debate about where that was going to go. and i think those questions need to be asked. i think the authority needs to be discussed and debated. what authority do we have in making this move? so i would say stay in washington, debate at least for a couple days. there's only four days of congressional meeting after the summer recess. i think it should have been thoroughly debated at least over the weekend after that vote. >> ok. mr. terry, you get a chance to respond. >> >> and there were several days of discussion. the process was the president asked for congress to make the authority that the president he wanted it in the continuing

resolution and we had a deadline because of that continuing resolution. that's the answer. >> you know, i think the american public deserves deserves to understand fully what the extent, not only of that vote is, but what the further appropriations are going to be acquired and are we going to go to the 2003 resolution for the invasion of iraq or do we need a new resolution. at least that could have been debated on some basis at that time. >> i think we'll move on if that's ok. we are going to talk a little bit about jobs and the economy. mr. terry, years ago america emerge frd the recession but wages continued to stagnate. they are not keeping up with inflation. what would you pose congress to do to boost family income? >> we have to continue to expand our economy. there's a lot of things we should be doing to make sure or

economy is growing jobs. i've seen wages in our metropolitan area going up. there's open manufacturing jobs right now that are $20 where maybe a couple of years they would have been far less than that. in order to expand our economy, we've got to reform our tax code and use our energy so we don't have to spend the money to bring it in from foreign countries that don't like us. the best way to get people high paying jobs is to give them the skills necessary. our veterans have some skills and they need other skills. there was another bill in the legislature that brad ashford could have pushed providing workforce training and skills for veterans but he wouldn't allow it. >> i think mr. ashford, you're up. >> i sup sorted job training bills in the legislature. i pushed vocational -- 21st century vocational education.

have supported certainly training for veterans and disabled veterans. we passed a bill in 2014 to do that. the bill that lee is talking about talked about giving further resources directly to employers. i wanted to see the money go for training directly to our veterans. but let me say this about the question. i think that we need to unleash our economy. we have spent now at least in congress for 14 years we have not had corporate tax reform in 14 years. we have to bring the $2 trillion that is located outside of the united states, it's lodged outside of the united states, bring it back to america, get our country moving again. >> do you want to comment on the corporate tax reform? >> yeah. as a matter of fact, it has to be reformed and that's been one

of my goals in congress. we've had our president that actually talked about making our corporate tax code flatter, simpler. it has to be done. the rest of the world has gone this way. what we have is an old code for a different time. it has to be modernized. and we need our president and the senate to get engageed. the ways and means committee drafted a modern simple bill which harry reid said they would never take up. >> we will move on to the next question. mr. ashford, i think it's your question. do you think the growing income in equality is a problem in the nation, and if so, what, if anything should the federal government do about it? >> in the last 14 years, 15 years, the g.d.p. has increased by about 40% and the median family income has increased in the united states less than 8%. so there is a gap.

nd we need to push equal pay for equal work for women. i think the minimum wage is important because traditionally since the 1930's when the minimum wage was .25, congress has always worked together to increase the minimum wage so those at the lower end of the pay scale can receive a better wage. and if -- congress needs to work together to get these things passed. it's been five years since the minimum wage was passed. i think that's important. also, infrastructure is important. i worked with deb fischer to pass l.b. 84 to fund our infrastructure. you have to work together to build a coalition to do inif a structure, which creates good paying jobs. >> just a follow up here. as you know, on the ballot this

fall would be a minimum wage question, would you vote for it yes or no? >> yes. so the question is to you, do you think there's a problem with the growing income inequality in the nation? >> i think the reality more of our middle class has taken a hard hit in this economy. not only many of them had good paying jobs have to go to an underemployment situation but now because of the president's health care bill, full timers are now being put into a position where they're now part-timers. so the solution here, first of all, is we do have to strengththen our economy. but the reality is the way that people are going to get an $20 to $25 an hour job is to have the skill sets that are necessary. i don't want people to go from $7 to $10. i'm trying to figure out if you're a single mother and you're struggling as minimum wage, we want to make sure you have the skills necessary to

earn $20 an hour and those jobs are open right now in omaha, nebraska. >> minimum wage, same question to you, it's on the nebraska ballot, yes or no? >> if we have a demand on jobs, they're going no go up naturally much higher than $10 an hour. >> how will you vote? >> i am not going to support that because i think we can do a better job providing skills for them necessary to earn a much larger pay than what the minimum wage would bring. my son who is a baker at bakers as a 16-year-old, he's kind of hoping it goes up. >> thank you very much. brad, did you want to -- >> well, i think 70% of americans on minimum wage today are women. and a lot of them are single moms and, yes, they want to earn $20 an hour. i think they should. we need to do job training and have 21st century vocational

education in the schools. but the minimum wage, we are talking about low wage earners -- >> thank you. i think we are going to move on. our next question is on ss d self-defense. and i think -- is on social security. mr. terry, social security payroll taxes are currently capped at $117,000 of income. some say it's time to raise that cap or scrap it all together. would you support one of those options to help secure social security long term? >> well, social security, we have to deal with that issue. there's no doubt about it. social security is a social promise. -- the to let the

reality is by 2040 as the social security administration says, if we do nothing, then there will be a 25% automatic reduction of everyone's benefits. we have to stop that. so my goal here is to put everything on the table. so, yes, increase the cap. increase the -- we should be looking at every solution and the solution is going to be republicans and democrats working together, holding their hands together and coming up with the solution. each side is going to have to give on something and accept something else that the other side wants to get this fixed. so far, only the republican side of the aisle has been willing to move in some direction. >> so just to recap, you would raise the cap and you would raise the retirement age? >> i think everything should be on the table and negotiate those. >> thank you. mr. ashford. >> well, here's the problem. if congress does nothing, then by 2040 you're right.

i mean, the two trust funds will be left. that's the problem. congress does nothing. the only thing we get out of congress is a proposal to privatize social security. >> that's not true. >> privatizing social security doesn't make sense to me. we need to work together to find a solution. i agree with lee. as far as raising the cap -- we just raised the retirement age to 67. i don't see that as a viable option at this point, but i do think we have to take a look at all the options. but we have to take privatization of social security off the table. we don't pass anything in congress, so i think -- >> do you think -- i wanted to ask mr. ashford one quick question. do you think mr. tear terry supported privatization? >> he'll have to tell you.

there's certainly a vote on rivate tiesing the budget that privatized medicare -- >> there's nothing on the table, brad. >> i'm not -- >> ok. >> during the bush administration -- >> president bush did -- >> you supported it at that time. >> you said take it off the table. it hasn't been off the -- >> it was on the table in the bush administration and you got behind it. whether you did or didn't, maybe you didn't, all i'm saying it shouldn't be on the table. >> you're telling people it's on the table and take it off. it hasn't been on the table. if the democrats would come to the table on this we could -- >> that's the problem. we've got to get rid of this animosity. >> just real quick here. >> you started the privatization. >> mr. ashford, real quick here.

what would you do to shore up social security? >> i think it has to be on the table. i don't think -- we just raised the retirement age. i think we need work year in, year out, provide the congressional overnight. it has to be done in a collaborative bipartisan matter, and that's fine. but, no, he don't think raising the retirement age at this point is necessary. i think we can take the two trust funds and -- it's the bedrock of our social system, i think, as retirees having the social security. that's what i would recommend. >> i think we are going to move now to that portion of the debate where you folks -- you two get to ask each other a question. mr. terry, you're going to get to go first. >> brad, i'm particularly curious about one area that you are deeply involved in, and that's coddling criminals.

you refuse to allow any new prisons to be built. you are the main sponsor of what is called the good time law which is simply take whatever the court sentenced and cut that in half. you fought the governor on the bill that he supported that would have done reforms to quote, unquote good time which is now just halftime. and as one of the reforms was simply you have to earn your good time and you fought the governor on that and you refused to let it come out of your committee. why don't you want reforms to good time and why would you do that to the people and violent criminals are being released? >> thanks for the question. >> thanks, lee. the question i think 20 months ago the department of corrections came to us -- to me and said, look, we're at 140% of capacity. our law provides that when we get to 140% of capacity in our department of corrections that the governor may call an

emergency, and he did not. so we took the issue and we reformed the prison system. we had no votes on a massive reform of our prison system. we did that following a significant reform in our juvenile justice system. the department of corrections did not follow the good time law that was in effect, so that instead of adding on time for inmates who miss behaved what the department of corrections was putting them in administrative segregation and not adding on additional time. the department of corrections did not follow the law. they didn't follow the law in mandatory minimum sentences that we passed either. i'll tell you what, we're nod coddling prisoners, lee, when we increase penalties for sexual predators, we increase mandatory minimum sentences for gun crimes which has resulted in a number of new inmates in our prison system. i think we've got significant

reform with unanimous approval by the legislature and signed by the governor. >> mr. terry, would you like to comment? >> the reality is there are two issues, one is the miscalculation. but the bill that you passed cut every sentence in half without having to earn that. >> no it didn't. >> yes. >> no it didn't. >> and so there's two issues here, brad, and that was some of the reforms the governor wanted. the bill that i was referring to, it was never passed out of your committee that you were the chair of. >> we have seven different -- >> may i? >> yes. >> we have seven different good time laws that have been passed over the last 25 years. the governor actually asked for a more lenient good time law a few years ago to alleviate prison overcrowding. the good time law we have now is an administrative sanction. every judge -- and you know this -- every judge in all district

judges in this state know very well what a sentence means and what it is. we have minimum and maximum sentences. they can make the sentence as harsh or as lenient as they wish. it's when they get into the prison system that good time is used as an administrative sanction. it was not used by the department of corrections. >> ok, mr. ashford. >> sorry. >> i apologize. mr. ashford, it is time for you to ask mr. terry a question. >> you know, we've had a discussion about wages and the middle class and still today, women's salaries, what they earn is not equal to men's. thein 2010 or at least 2009 lilly ledbetter act passed the house and you voted no. n 2013 the paycheck fairness

act which would have amended the equal pay act failed and you voted no. how do you justify those votes? >> well, first of all, i want women and everyone to have equal wages. we have a constitutional amendment that requires that. we have nebraska state laws that require that. we have an eeoc set up nationally and state to deal with those issues. so if there's someone that is receiving less wages for the exact same job, they have a legal route to go through through the courts and the administrative way through the government. so the remedies already exist. and the lillie led better act was to take the statute of limitations off and you know that there's reasons because you were both -- we're both lawyers and grads of law school, there's a reason why you don't do a

civil case 20 years later. and that's what that bill was allowing to do and that would open up the door on everything else. and the paycheck fairness act was another act that was just dove tailed into another democratic motion that as a procedural one that we voted against. >> mr. ashford. >> well, on lillie led better, lee, you also know when you're an employee and you are a victim of discrimination of your pay, if you're a woman and you're paid less than someone working right next to you, it's very unlikely if you need that job to feed your family, it's very unlikely during the course of your employment that you're going to threaten yourself with a lawsuit. all this does, this lillie led better act is after the final paycheck is received, they have 180 days to file suit. i don't think that's an unreasonable action. >> i think you misunderstood that because the -- there is time when you discover the point

and it wasn't 120 days after the last paycheck. this was discovered or she learned about it years later, and they wanted to remove the typical civil case statute of limitations of repose on that. if it was 120 days there wouldn't have been an issue on this. >> i think we're going to move on to health care. i believe it is mr. ashford, you are up next. >> ok. >> you are on record supporting only some of the provisions in the health care law, including the requirement that insurance companies can max -- cannot deny coverage for a preexisting condition. but you pose to mandate the new law. how can you get those provisions without the mandate? > first of all, the affordable care act has passed, i would have not have voted for it

because it was not a bipartisan bill. it's too big a bill to have it just go through with just democrats and not republicans. so having said that, no, i don't support the employer mandate because employers already have a tax benefit for providing insurance. they have the employees who receive the insurance also paying taxes on the income, and quite frankly i do agree that employers might make a full time employee, a part a tart time employee and it's not worth it. there are a150 million americans coughed by employer insurance and i think that will continue. as far as other mandates, if you don't pay your premium as an individual it much more works need to be done on that. there were amendments in the senate before the bill passed that would have triggered some relief for policy owners when

the premiums go up. i think there's a lot of work to be done. i do support preexisting coverage. >> thank you. the one thing is -- >> i'm sorry. >> that's ok. the one thing i want to burrow into is a lot of folks you can't have the preexisting without the mandate because if i'm not required to have insurance i'm going to wait until i'm sick to get hedge care -- healthth care coverage if the insurance company is required to take me on. >> i don't think you need the mand date. you have exchanges and people buy policies on the exchanges. prior to the senate bill being passed before it went to the house, there were efforts made to buy premium you have insurance you pay a tax. if the premium goes up by a large amount, 10%, 20%, whatever the amount is that there is some

trigger mechanism in place. all i'm saying is i think there's plenty of money in the system to provide the insurance for preexisting conditions. it's 17% of our economy. i don't think that one prohibits the other. >> thank you very much. mr. terry, you believe the affordable healthth care act needs to be repealed. what would you tell those people who are now able to afford health care because of the new law or those people with preexisting conditions who are also now able to purchase health care because of the law? >> first of all, i do think it was a horrible law and it's caused a lot of damage within our economy. i've met people that have an advantage from that. but narcotic more people have come up to me and said about the high cost of their insurance now. and businesses have told me about how they've changed employees from full time to part-time or that if they don't

get something done, some relief they may even actually go out of businesses. doctors, especially, i don't know how many times i've gone into doctors' offices and met with them, but it's changed the way they work with the patients and it's really changed the doctor-patient relationship. anything that is replaced it will be replaced immediately. and preexisting, i will admit if republicans would have taken the preexisting issue and worked with it instead of thinking that the states were going to do it with their high cost funds, we wouldn't have this bill today. so preexisting will be part of any replacement bill. >> ok. but picture yourself sitting there with somebody who can now afford health care because of this law, what would you tell them? >> well, that they're going to have health care. if they're low income, they're

still going to have medicare, but they may even have a better policy than what we're able to give them, and there will maybe be some type of rebates that will be allowed to make sure the next level had access. but the reality is the way that balm -- obamacare is done now, it's really driving up the cost of them. brad and i don't need maternity care but we're paying for it. so those are just one -- there's thousands of those types of things that are in there that that's driving up the cost. >> thank you. you're running over. i've got to be stricter here so -- >> can i just? >> yes, quickly. >> i mean, my point is i think, lee, you're right. there are lots of things that could be done. but voting to repeal it 56 times instead of trying to solve the problem, that's why i have an issue on with you. i think we need to solve it. we need to get it done now. we need to have certainty in the

system. and the way to do that is to work across the aisle and find a way to fix it, not wait four years to do it. >> in that regard the 56 times, well, i think three or four were actually repealed. the other number that you do are actually trying to make changes to those. instead of 30 hours, then the mandate on the employers you move it back to 40 because that's one of the things that is causing employers to force people to part-time. >> let's move on here. i think this one goes to mr. ashford. let's step back a little bit from this whole debate about affordable health care. the key reason the law was passed was to provide coverage from for uninsured americans. fundamentally do you think it's the federal government's job to make sure all americans have affordable access to health

care? >> yes. >> mr. terry? >> is it a right? it is something we should do, absolutely. and there's a variety of ways that we could work within the system without reshuffling all of the chairs on the titanic. one of the things i actually liked in the obamacare is a medical home that would actually reduce the cost to the patient. >> we are going to wrap up and head to the next question. mr. terry, it's your question. i'm having trouble this evening calling you mr. terry, mr. ashford, i apologize. gallup poll suggests trust in government is lower. tell me, what can congress do to regain the trust. >> well, i think you gain the trust by showing you can actually get together and work on the major issues that have to be done. every bill that i've introduced and worked on, i've worked with the democrats from the

beginning. that's why a couple years ago by my piers -- peers i was named one of the top 10 republicans to work with. my leadership style is you bring everybody in at the beginning of the process and you work through the issues. one of the most liberal members in in congress is my ranking member on my subcommittee and we worked together and came to a compromised that got to the president's desk and was signed in the law. >> the question has to do with trust and people have lost trust in their government. what do you tell those folk sns how would you regain that trust? >> i'm as equally frustrated as they are. it is so frustrating to do bills like on obamacare to just change the rule from 30 hours back to 40 where there's great bipartisan support but we have unentity that's dysfunctional right now in the senate not allowing that bill to go through

the senate. it's frustrating for all of us. >> mr. ashford. >> two wrongs don't make a right. a a.c.a. should have been bipartisan effort. it should have taken a little longer and i think the people would have had trust in the resolution of that had that occurred. but then we needed to get back to fixing it. and we haven't fixed it and four years have gone by. and trust in government has eroded because of that and other things. what i see happening is an intense partisan divide in the congress, and that's what i hear people saying to me. i don't think it was that way when tip o'neal and ronald reagan was there. i don't this was that way when johnson got together to sign the civil rights act. i don't know what the reason is. maybe it's citizens united. i think members of congress need to work extraordinarily hard to

cross that bridge and put solutions over party. that's what we've learned in the legislature. i think that's what has to happen again in the congress. i'm not saying it can't happen, but the trust is gone because there's a polarization based on bipartisan in my view. >> thank you very much. we're going to move on to immigration. and, mr. ashford, you're up. at the heart of the immigration debate is how to deal with the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants living in this country. we know both of you think more work needs to be done to secure the border but after that would you support a pathway to citizenship and if so, why? >> the state of nebraska has to pay the freight for the lack of action by the congress. we passed a bill on benefits and employer verification. we have to pay the cost of foster care. all of these things are state responsibilities and costs because congress -- this is a federal responsibility. the immigration system is a federal constitutional system

that has to be amended or reformed by congress. every time we get to a debate it's all about the borders. i think we should take the senate bill which was passed in a bipartisan manner by the senate, republicans and democrats alike passed the bill. it provides significantly more money for border security. obviously border security is the number one -- >> and then it had a pathway to citizenship? >> it had a criteria that had to be met before you obtain citizenship. it defined what legal status was, whether it was a young person, an adult, how they got here. the bill -- speaker boehner won't put the darn thing up for a vote an we're getting killed in nebraska financially because the congress would not act on that bill. so, yes, there would be citizenship is in the senate bill. t's a 13-kwleer -- year -- 13-year, there's visas and work

permits. there needs to be a debate on the floor of the house and that has not occurred for years. >> mr. terry, you get a few extra seconds on that. >>le, nirs first of all, i don't like the senate bill and i don't like the absolute reward of citizenship, a pathway to citizenship. i think there's other ways to handle that. but there's so much that we actually agree on but the senate says unless there's a pathway to citizenship, we're not even going to discuss anything else. and so when we agree onboarder and see and we agree on if they're here appropriately, we know there's repairs to the system that has to be made because even legal immigration i support and want and we need in the united states, including keeping our stem college

educated people here instead of sending them back to complete with us. why don't we get together and pass the things we can agree on and then see what we can work out a compromise to do what -- to see what we can do to help the people that are already here. >> instead of full citizenship for those folks who are living here illegally, maybe some kind of legal status where they could stay here without full citizenship. >> yes, i think that should be on the table for discussion. i'm open for the discussion. if you've been here and you haven't committed any crimes, then there may be a different way to deal with -- and a guest worker would probably be -- >> mr. ashford. >> you have to debate. we have dealt with immigration in nebraska legislature across party lines and we passed bills

on it. what i would like to see, let's deal with the children first. those that have gone through high school, going to college in nebraska that will become part of our economy hopefully, at least let's give them a pathway to citizenship first. at least let's get this on the table so we can debate it. lee, it hasn't been up for debate and i think your points can be debated, but let's get the debate going. >> ok, gentlemen, we are going to turn now to the quick uestion portion of our debate. >> it's a yes or no question. but we are asking that you keep it in kind of a 30 second range. and i believe i'll go with mr. terry. do you think the keystone pipeline will ever be built? >> it needs to be built. it's important to our national

energy security. it's important to our economy. it creates jobs here in nebraska . but i don't think it's going to be built until the -- we change presidents, until there's a new president. >> and after that will it be built? >> i think it will be. >> what do you think, mr. ashford? >> the legislate took this issue up in special session. e approved a process for the pipeline. it had environmental concerns met, i believe in the bill, l.b. 1 in the social session. and i think once the process is completed on the federal side i think it will be approved and build. >> thank you. mr. ashford, you get the next. what nation do you think poses the biggest long-term threat to the united states? >> iran. >> and why? isi think they put -- israel our strongest ally in the middle east. they've been our strongest ally in the middle east since 1948.

we've been embroiled in conflict in iraq and afghanistan for legitimate reasons because of the taliban. we've talked about that. i do think that to some extent the two state solution which prime minister net ya -- netanyahu has been retired to some extent because the american focus -- are we off the clock? >> yeah. >> all right, i apologize. but i think iran is our number one -- >> ok. i asked a follow up so i'll take that one. what nation do you think holds -- >> absolutely it's iran. now i think they're deceptively enriching uranium and plutonium and to have a nuclear iran is scary for the world. >> mr. terry, do you believe that climate change is man made? >> i believe that we have an

impact on our economy -- i mean on our environment. that's why i drive a hybrid. i want to lesson my impact on -- lessen my impact on the environment. i do believe we're in a period of climate change. i think we have a responsibility to reduce our impact on the environment when we can. >> so you believe that man may -- >> have some impact. but i've debated friends who think it's 100% man made. >> mr. ashford do you believe that climate change is man made? >> yes. >> we are moving on to mr. ashford. do you support president obama's decision to send 3,000 american soldiers to west africa to fight ebola? >> that's a tough one. i think we need -- when i first heard about that, my reaction was -- >> 30 seconds.

>> my reaction was that the african yoonyoon should be primarily responsible for security and for keeping track of what's going on and sending medical help is what i would support and the african union providing security. that would be my initial reaction without looking further into it. >> mr. terry. >> i think the ebola crisis is real and we have to deal with that before it spreads into europe and the united states. so i support the president's effort to send 3,000 troops to build the facilities. mr. terry, name a president admire. >> john dingle, democrat from a drot area. he is the consummate legislate lateor. we don't always agree, but i love how he works with everybody, republican or

democrat. i'm working with him on a data security bill right now and he's just such a base of knowledge and a really decent guy. >> thank you very much. >> a member of congress? name a congressman, past or present do you admire. >> without question it's chip o'neal. ve always admired ronald reagan and tip o'neal because he had the ability to work with president rage and -- president reagan and do amazing things. that whole way of business is gone. my hope is should i be so fortunate to be elected is to hopefully go back to those days when tip o'neal and ronald reagan made things happen in the congress. >> thank you. it's time now for closing statements. prior to the debate and after drawing cards it was determined that mr. terry would go first. mr. terry. >> well, i think the reason why

i'm running for congress again is because i want to secure the future for our children and grandchildren. and to do that, we need to do some basic things to make sure that our economy stays strong and that we can be competitive in a global world in a data driven world. the first is realize that we have a real asset in the united states with our energy and we need to be energy independent. taxes are next. taxes we absolutely have to reform our tax code. we have to lower it so we're competitive with the rest of the world. then we solve the inversion problems. we don't have to worry about headquarters going overseas. my opponent has raised taxes and fees 12 times. so obviously we have a different -- in just the last four years. we need to teach the skills necessary so that people earn good middle wage -- middle income wages. the other is rules and regulations and in my hearings, i hear about the stifling rules

on small businesses and gallup even says that there's less startups and shut downs downs in the first time of american history. obviously we've got to deal with our debt. i've been hit by my opponent for voting for the republican budget and not voting for the democratic budget. but we are the only budget that said we will balance it within 10 years. i made sure we had a balance budget amendment. i'm still working for that. at least i'm going to vote for a budget that's going to get us there. >> mr. ashford. >> thanks. this has been fun. thank you, lee for this discussion. i'm running for congress because i believe congress has failed the american public. it is so polar rizzed that we

can't make -- polarized, we can't decide immigration issues and fix the health care bill. we don't have an environmental policy. we need a comprehensive energy policy for our country. it's time for a change. it's time to get back to tip o'neal. it's time to do things the way they were done 25 years ago. it's time for a change. here are my promises. number one, i will never ever vote to shut the government down. i will never asked to be paid if and when the government is shut down. i will always put real solutions over political positions. and the day i get elected to congress, i will find 25 friends. i could care less what political party anybody is, i would find 25 friends. with 25 friends we will pick priorities and make change. we will decide real issues. we will pledge that politics has to take a back seat to solutions.

that's why i'm running and i respectfully request your vote. thank you very much. >> thank you both. >> thank you. >> that will have to be the last word. thanks to both candidates for participating tonight and for your willingness to serve in an elected office. thanks to our sponsors the world herald and u.n.l. television. thanks -- and thanks especially to you, our viewers and listeners to tuning in. look for analysis on the debate of omaha.com as well as in friday's world harold. the debate will be available to watch again in the coming days on omaha.com. we encourage you >> oregon governor john kitzhaber is being challenged by republican dennis richardson.

on l have that debate friday. -- friday. here's some ads airing in that race. >> john kitzhaber took office as oregon faced an economic crisis. he's fought to get our state back on track. he's improved access to health care for hundreds of thousands while closing the budget gap and balancing the books. but we're not done yet. we can improve our schools to give every oregonian a chance to get ahead and fulfill the promise of oregon for everyone. >> the same independent spirit that drove oregon's pioneers drives dennis richardson today. his father was union carpenter. his mother taught him to serve others. a decorated helicopter pilot he, carried fallen soldiers off the battlefields of vietnam and returned home to oregon to start a family, succeed in business and become a bipartisan leader in the oregon state house.

oregon oregon's road to eat behr future begins with leaders. ennis richardson for governor. >> my brother-in-law was shot and killed. the worst moment of my life was having to tell alex his dad was dad. i'm a gun owners. we want -- the majority of gun owners want background checks in place. haber pporting john kitz for governor.

>> c-span campaign 2014 debate coverage continues friday afternoon at 2:00, the oregon governor' december bait between incumbent democratic governor john kitzhaber and republican dennis richardson. sunday, the iowa u.s. senate debate between bruce braley and erness. an >> up next a discussion about voting rights and the mid term elections from the congressional black caucus. then president obama calling on world leaders to do more to fight the ebola outbreak. and we'll bring you an frevpbt georgetown university on the ebola virus. on the next "washington journal"

an update on the military campaign against isis in sir yasm we'll talk to kevin baron of defense one. then a look at a census report on poverty which found that 45 million americans live below the poverty line. robert doar; and olivia golden will join us. we'll be taking your phone calls on the resignation of attorney general eric holder. "washington journal" is live every morning at 7:00 a.m. eastern on c-span. you can also join the conversation on facebook and twitter. next, the congressional black caucus is holding a town hall meeting to talk about voting rights and the mid term elections. part of their annual legislative conference. we'll hear from georgia congressman john lewis and house minority leader nancy pelosi who talks about the resignation of attorney general eric holder. this is two hours. [applause]

>> good morning. here withonor to be this distinguished panel, with the leadership of the foundation . it is an honor and pleasure to be here with each and every one of you. we are about to hear a presentation, and exchange of ideas, about something so fundamental, the right to vote. i will be brief. said one of the most significant steps we could take is a short walk to the voting booth. dot is what we all have to in the election. a few weeks ago we had the

privilege of bestowing the .ongressional gold medal it was so remarkable because it becauseverdue, but also of the very same time we were appealing to our colleagues to pass a bipartisan voting rights act to correct the shelby decision. that has still not happened but we must make it happen. in order to make it happen, we all must vote. as i said, it is a privilege to be here. to accept the invitation of the congressional black caucus foundation. another privilege i had more than year ago was standing on the steps with the congressional >> members of cbc on the steps of the supreme court. they were there calling upon the

court to make the right decision. that very day we were meeting in the house of representatives to dedicate the statue of rosa parks. are strange, dedicating a statute to rosa parks, people turn out in a bipartisan way to salute her, and yet we have to appeal to the court to do the right thing. when they don't, they sing the praises of dr. martin luther king but don't pass the voting rights act. we have important work to do. we have important people doing it. the distinguished chair of the foundation has been working for , for cities, for the american people. he is a great leader. a very strong leader and fighter for opportunity for all in our country. taking the lead on fighting for food stamps and the rest in a very tough battle, but who better than she to lead.

ranking -- assistant leaders , a champion on the vote writing act. they are working so hard to get that pass. chairman and -- working very hard to make sure asset the record straight some in congress would be consommé on the attack of president barack obama. art ranking -- our ranking security the homeland committee, keep americans safe. our distinct chair looking out for consumers and our financial system so that it is fair to everyone. all this talk we have heard about science, technology, math, she is the chair of the science

and technology committee. the congressional black caucus has provided such tremendous leadership to our country. >> the have a new member top -- following up when his important work for young people. this caucus is making a valuable contribution to our country, even some who are not chairs of cleaver andemmanuel congresswoman clay, they were there in ferguson and they made us also proud as a represented us in a way that was appropriate and respectful of the very serious nature of what happened there. , the along with john lewis

conscious of the congress , he was part of that. so much needs to be done. the word conjures up so much that needs to be done. voting rights act, freeing people so they have the right to vote with respect to who they are. i thank jeff johnson for his leadership. so many people who are making today possible. as i said, it is an honor for me to be here to salute the members of the congressional black caucus led by marcia fudge. how about those fellows that we met? how about that some of those publishers were named for donald payne >> that beautiful lovely and chairman stokes.

the tradition goes on. education, which is key to the fulfillment of the junk people, which is also necessary to keep america number one. i leave you with one thought, one way we hope to turn out a big vote in all communities and the vote in the congressional black caucus leadership community is so important is goodjeff said, keeping jobs, jumpstarting the middle class, investing in education to keep america number one. that means we have to invest well asin colleges as reduce the cost of loans. [applause] a very important part of it to the community is when women succeed, america succeeds. that is how we are going to turn

out a big vote. thank you for the honor of having a chance to say a few words. good luck in your deliberation. we all all caps in on you. -- we are all counting on you. the success of this caucus is the success of our country. thank you very much. [applause] >> thank you congresswoman. she said it right. the panel we are getting ready to go into is going to cover ambitiously three key areas. the the state of african-american vote moving into 2014, the necessity to look at both voting and law enforcement reform as it relates to policy, where we are going and how the black vote of effects of us socioeconomically. that is a lot to cover in a short amount of time, but we have a brilliant panel that is going to do that. i am going to be introducing folks that are in the audience every now and again good you know how we are.

we got to do shout outs. congresswoman beatty said that i am no stranger to the congressional black caucus. if i could take a point of personal privilege, it is not just for me about supporting the jobs to her of the congressional black caucus, or getting on the road to be able to support different members in certain parts of the country. it is that before me, when i was a senior -- senior in high by the there was a woman name of stephanie tubbs jones, she came into my high school government class and blew me away. i said to myself that i need to work for her. i asked my teacher if i could walk her to her car as she was leaving the classroom. , said to her at that time prosecutor doug jones, you are going to hire me. anybody that knows her knows what you talking

about, i don't know you. she said, are you a lawyer? >> i said, no. x he said, i only hire lawyers. you have a file room were those files appear cheese at yes. you need somebody to get files or lawyers in a file room. she said you're funny. monday. me on she hired me in the file room of the county prosecutor's office in cleveland, ohio. that set up a trajectory for me to be where i am. we talk about honoring those that come before, and stephanie tubbs jones was one of the most powerful black women that we have seen in the halls of congress. on days like today, i remember her so much and want the letter of. it is my honor and privilege to

introduce those are will lead us in our discussion today. please hold your applause till the end. wade henderson is president and and the leadership conference education fund. a tireless civil rights leader, he is a member of the bar in colombia and the united states of in court. was the firsts female president, a legal powerhouse who was elected to the american bar association board of governors in 1989. the first african-american to do so. president clinton presented her with a eleanor roosevelt human rights award. john lewis was elected to congress in 1986 and represents georgia. a acivil rights leader was member of the march on washington. he also received the presidential medal of freedom. barbara r. arnwine president and

executive director otherwise committee for civil rights. a graduate of duke university law school. she continues to campaign for civil rights and sable justice issues. civil justice issues. she specializes in housing and lending, community developing, and pointed, voting rights, education, and environment of justice. is a formerra deputy attorney general of the california apartment of justice who was first elected to the house of representatives in 1992. he is a member of the congressional hispanic caucus where he served as chaired in the hundreds and that congress. he is also a member of the executive committee of the congressional asian pacific american caucus. ast but certainly not least, leader who i met while i was working in that file room in cleveland, ohio. [laughter] she was chief of staff at that time to energy is a non-believable public service

from my home state, representing the 11th congressional district in such an unbelievable way, she chairs the congressional black caucus and is continuing on every single level to be an unbelievable freedom fighter, even as she is a powerful it is later. ladies and gentlemen, representative marcia fudge. [applause] now, i have to ask an unbelievable favor. threeare a dressing these major themes of the state of the black vote, the necessity to look at reform of voting and law enforcement policy, and how the --ing is affecting american

african-american socioeconomically. 92 to be mindful that this panel in's today -- i need to remind you that this panel in today. need to remind you to be sure any responses. we will have a great panel. i would like to start with representative lewis if i can. , is theren lewis clearly an impact that recent legislation in particular, and civil -- supreme court cases have had on voting rights and voting rights for african-americans. what have the last two years done for the african-american electorate. more importantly, if there was one thing we all need to be doing moving into november, what is that one thing? else isthan anything

the decision of the united ,tates supreme court and local state officials across america. not just in the southern states. they have made a deliberate effort to take us back to another. period. we must stand up and fight and push. we must go to the polls and vote like we never voted before. our vote is precious. it is sacred. it controls everything that we do. everything. bea minority, whether it black, latino, asian-american, native american, or whether we are right, we must understand that 50 years ago, this year, three young men that i knew gave their lives trying to make it possible for all our citizens to become dissidents in a democratic process.

we want to respond to ferguson, you have to vote. it is powerful. we must do it. if not, we will go back. even as >> many in this room have been consistent engaged to make sure that we are registered in the votes are educated, and making sure there is robust efforts. as we are looking at what happened with the supreme court decision, do we continue to laws orr federal voter do we more focus on state laws that we are losing in many cases all over the country. ? is it at both and proposition question mark -- proposition? is it due to lack a lack of , even when we has some

federal protection? >> let me say two things. first off, let me say thank you. he is a little modest. when he came to work in the prosecutor's office, he was a world-class track athlete. he was not only bright, he was doing all the right things, the things we want our young people to do. i thank you. to -- it's not an either or. would sayre kids, we i can walk into bubblegum at the same times. we can. if we don't, we make a huge mistake. the reason we are in the shape we are in, is because of redistricting. we lost the state houses. if we had not lost the state houses, we would be in a better position today. that is the thing people need to understand. we know that we need to vote. and we know why we need to vote.

let me say a few things, if i may. believe it or not, they are going to file articles of a pitchman against our president -- articles of impeachment against our president great if we don't bow, your street when i get the experience if you don't bow, we will have hungry german across his country. we have to understand that this election is about us. it is not about the people who are running. it is about the policies that we need to be supporting. if you don't vote, i would say you are selfish and saar. people need to go out and vote. -- selfish and sorry. [applause] isto congresswoman fudge point, we can walk into gum at the same time. even those of us who are inside the political bubble are looking around -- i hear conversation every day about the need to secure the seats in the house and potentially moves and seats forward.

i hear about securing the senate and ensuring that immigrants stay on the front in their, for those earthling party politics. i don't hear the same level of fervor and enthusiasm about down that willdidates drastically affect the quality of life in states all over the country. as we talk about walking and chewing gum at the same time, how can we ensure that we are doing the kind of work that leads people to the polls, that pushed for the kind of represented as we want in the house and senate, but not at the folksf poorly educating on those down ballot seats, many of whom still have an opportunity to win certain states? >> let me say thank you for being here and allowing me to be with these great leaders here. to the point, i think that marcia fudge hit it on the money there. what we find that is after 2000 and eight -- 2008, when the their set historic

numbers, republicans went on the offense and said, we have to stop this. they have been playing offense for the last four years. they have been going after that persuade,by trying to by not making a possible to vote. we have to stop playing defense. we are fighting the supreme court decision. we are fighting to change laws of state and federal levels. we should do is take the offense. i don't think you're going to take the offense only if you concentrate on the federal or local level. you have to do both. jeff, i think the response here is we have to teach our young folks that voting is a right. it is not just a right, it is a right of passage. if you don't vote, you will to learn how to drive? it is a right of passage. you have to show me that you deserve to drive that car. you want to be a man? you want to be a leader question

mark you would be a woman leading this country question mark you have to show me that you know the importance of voting. is a right of passage for our young folks to vote. we have to teach them. it makes any difference if the city council seat or if it's a congressional seat orchids for the president the united states. our young folks have to understand the value of voting for that little town hall, city council person or the president united states. when we knew that -- do that, when these anti-voters want to push us, we will be on the offense and we will win. >> thank you. barbara, i am concerned. but as someonee, who has worked at the naacp, even worked at the pop-culture side to engage young voters, i hear the language of

voting being important, and i hear specifically during targeted periods, but if we are talking about offense. in many cases the enemy that we are fighting never takes a day off. when do we move beyond this notion that fighting for the vote starts and innings somewhere around the time campaigning starts. whether it is our churches, civic organizations, our leadership, begin to have messages and movement that don't turn on and off. so thatengage funders funders are only funding during -- utterly-- periods create a movement that is larger, more comprehensive, and more 360 than we have seen in several decades? >> thank you for that question. >> i figured you would like that. >> listen everyone, boating has to be 365oting has

days a year. about showing be up for an election, although that is key, the guys that is a you manifest it. if you don't give a gift on christmas, you know what happens. know that for every one of us who knows that november 4 is the election day that for other people have no idea, not a clue. not a clue. create the to to get therophone word out to every single person we know. my mother is 83 years old. she will be on the phone calling andybody in our family

asking them if they are registered, because registration is going to start cutting off for some states as early as october 7. it is very important that we get that word out. be on the phone calling all of my family saying, you better get ready. you have to get to those polls. we have to do that. that just by talking. i want to make sure that everybody here knows that we come here today to bring you tools to help you do that. committee, the leadership conference, the naacp, all of us work together. the national coalition for black civic dissipation plate we put out toolkits that every community group can use good we have a new when it just comes out.