there is a specific protocol the out that are dependent on an individualized assessment of risk associated with individuals returning to the country from west africa. i do not know which category she falls into. of what sorts of policies and protocols the state of maine has adopted for monitoring her health. it is hard to answer your question, other than to say, we have been clear as an administration what policies we believe are appropriate for ensuring the safety and well-being of populations in this country. that.e been clear about we also believe it is important to not place undue burden on health officials returning from west africa, because we do not

want to hinder the efforts to stop this outbreak in west africa. >> the question is what the intervene. can do to has the white house reached out in any way to express your view? >> i will say couple things about that. is the obama administration has been in touch throughout her stay in new jersey, with new jersey officials. based on those conversations, and this is what governor christie himself said, based on their conversation, she was released from the quarantined she was placed under by local officials in new jersey. that is evidence of the coordination that takes place

that resulted in her being released from that hospital. the situationto in maine, i do not have the details of the policy that is guiding state officials who are monitoring her health. i do not have information that may or may not have taken place with officials in maine. we will try to get more information to help you with your story. >> the president has spent a lot of office in public time talking about ebola. death tie everything from to the coming election, but does the president feel it is helpful to show on a daily basis the ofinistration is on top things. >> i am sure plenty of people will say it will help the democrats, but played people will say it does not matter because democrats have their once -- have their names on

about -- name on the ballot, not the president. what i would say is that the politicalwill allow analysts to draw their own conclusions, and he will focus on the attack -- the task at hand. he ordered his government to pursue a whole government approach. >> saying yesterday that folks should not overreact. he pointed out only two people contracted the disease in the u.s. is he worried at all there is a point really could be seen as overdoing it and giving too much, spending too much presidential time, too much face time talking about it? point, that is not a concern we have. people would expect the president of the united states is focused on the matter, to ensure his administration is implementing, at a very high standard, the whole government to protectcessary

the american people. any evaluation of this policy would indicate the american people have been well served. i would point out currently in the united states, one person in the united states would currently undergo treatment in ebola. he is receiving expert medical care. our thoughts and prayers are with them. vigilant aboutbe takingsure we are precautions. risk of a widespread outbreak of ebola in the united states remains and continues to

be extraordinarily low. goldberg's pays. how far the administration on the netanyahu policy, dealing with settlements, authorizing the construction of new ones. how damaging is that to the approach? >> what we do, the view of the united states, is the israeli approach to expanding settlements, it is damaging to efforts to reinstate a solution. the united states and the leaders of the palestinian observed a two state solution is in the clear security interests of everyone involved. it has long been the view of the united states and one we have shared repeatedly. it is illegitimate and only serves to complicate the solution. are you farther apart and

that issue than ever before in your dealings with the prime minister? >> that is hard to evaluate. the position i just articulated is one we have articulated for quite some time. quite frankly, you would have to ask the israelis themselves. i do not know about what their posture is as it relates to this. announcementsn over efforts like this. this is getting worse, that the distance between this government and the israeli and thatt is widening is hurting everything you're trying to achieve. >> as a factual matter, we have seen announcements from the israeli government in expanded settlements and housing. they are, what we have long described, consistent with the

types of policies that are counterproductive and only serve to make efforts to reach a two state solution more complicated. few long held by the united states and one we have repeated many times. what i would say is if there is any more difference between the united states and israel, it would be because the israeli government is moving away from the long-held position the united states has articulated here. but again, you would have to ask them about what their policy would be in relation to these specific things. announcements we have seen our announcements we have labeled counterproductive and policies that would make the effort to reach a two state solution more complicated. >> these also suggest the administration have concluded that israel is no longer in a position to have a preemptive strike.

is that something you agree with? >> i am not in a position to their new --ent on their capability. i'm not in a position to talk about that. to underminet want jeff goldberg's reporting on this garrity said in his article that administration officials described the prime minister in these words. i want to see if you agree with any of these characterizations. don't you do them all. [laughter] >> of to's, blustering, pompous. all those colorful descriptions and they all fall into the same category of not accurately reflecting this administration's you about ever administration with israel or the president's view with his personal relationship to not and

-- netanyahu. i do not know who those officials are. it is hard for me to describe anything with those comments. think,what i would do, i the concrete actions this administration has taken at the direction of the united states to demonstrate our clear and unshakable bond with israel, whether it is standing with israel in a political dispute at the united nations or increase funding for the iron dome program that has saved many innocent israeli lives, or working aggressively side-by-side with palestinian and israeli leadership to bring both sides together for leadership solutions. it is our view and the view of

the netanyahu government that a two state solution is clearly in the interests of that nation that is our ally. have seen this administration, from the president to the secretary of state on down, has spent a significant time and resources to broker that agreement. we have long said brokering the agreement is difficult work and it requires both sides to make difficult decisions and ultimately, those decisions are by thes that can be made united states on behalf of either party. ultimately, we would need to see leaders on both sides come forward to make the difficult and courageous decisions that would be necessary, but that also would be clearly in the best interests of those they represent area -- represent. current body will never fall to isis. is this now -- there was an

interview and he discussed a wide range of issues dealing with the operation and the result and he said the kurdish -- never never will fall to isis. is that coalition policy, that at all costs, it must be defended and protected and not fall? >> is hard for me to comment. he is certainly someone intimately involved in the crafting of this coalition. he does that with the needs of the coalitions in mind and is working diligently to assess what is needed, led by general austin, and he is working closely with coalition partners to ensure that their matched up with needs. he would be in a better position than i would at this point to make an assessment like that. i have not seen the full context of his remarks. i would not pass judgment on

them. at the same time, he is in a good position to understand the situation on the ground. it would be hard for me to disagree with him based on the fact he is in a much better position to make an assessment like that. holder set out a calendar for his successful -- his successor today. comport with your understanding? has the president settled on a candidate? >> the president did not anticipate nominating someone prior to the election but we would expect that whoever that not many is would be someone who will deserve prompt consideration by the united states senate -- united states senate. we have not been any more clear about the process than that.

guess, next question, the door open to thee to be possibility this individual afterbe nominated shortly the election, and we would call the senate to act quickly and consider that nominee promptly. we will do so knowing that we firmly believe that individual is worthy of the kind of bipartisan support that is an attorney confirm nominee. i will point out i do not have the document in front of me, but this would be consistent with the strategy assumed by the previous administration, who nominated mr. gates to succeed ,he secretary of defense

shortly after midterm elections in 2006, i believe. that individual was confirmed from the late -- confirmed promptly during the lame-duck time. >> holocene ramifications of the story we have all been talking about. it concerning aspect is sounds like the obama administration and the government are not just with settlements. there is a real chasm on the iran nuclear deal. that is not totally surprising. we know those two countries come at this with different perspectives. can you at least tried to reassure us there working to do better than they are on the settlement issues? not the way i was expecting to be asked that question. i prefer to separate them out. we have been quite candid about what our differences are as it

relates to settlements. the backdrop about our differences to settlement policy is the view sale -- shared by the united states and israel, that this is clearly in the best interest of the national -- inty and israel israel. as it relates to iran, what i would say there, allowing israelis to describe their own positions themselves, is that the view of the united states, that the best way to resolve international community concern about iran's nuclear program is through the ongoing talks. the reason is simple. a diplomatic solution that extracts a commitment from iran that can be verified and will be transparent, that is the best way to ensure that iran will not nuclearssession of a

weapon. ultimately, it is the view of the united states that iran having one would be a threat not just to allies in israel, but also throughout the region. also, it is our view, and you would have to ask the israelis if they disagree, that the best broaderesolve the concerns, held not just five united states, but partners in countries around the world, about iran's nuclear program, are best resolved in this current diplomatic context. >> the odds of getting an iran nuclear deal is no better than 50-50. >> angela? i was thinking. this has been for about eight months and the agency is in the spotlight again. there is urgency on the part of the president to nominate someone in that position?

>> as is often the case, i did not come here to bear personal announcements today. i can tell you the administration is well aware of how important it is to have an important -- an administrator in place. agency that does a lot of work to ensure the safety of the american public. the administration is working permanentminate a administrator. >> can you give us a sense of timing on that question mark a couple of weeks? >> i do not have an update for we on timing, but as soon as have more information, we will let you know. will -- be at the events this afternoon? >> a number of meetings are on the schedule today for him. there will be press access to the events. you can look for him and see if

you can see him there. they smiley face, if it is there. >> the president is doing this incident is this event in part two promote the science narrative and the health care workers need our support narrative. the department of defense is not in line with the science that the cdc put out. they seem to be doing something not in line with the science -- the policies put in line by cdc site. is this a challenge to the government -- now in charge of? principal goal of the president's event today is to welcome health care workers to the white house who have selflessly and heroically served in west africa to stop the outbreak. they have done difficult work

under austere conditions in west africa. they did so not because it was glamorous, not because they were expecting a financial award, but because they are committed to use their medical skills to serve their common man. the president looks forward to repaying them common respect and sharing that praise later today. there is no doubt that the entire government approach this administration has pursued, is thatenging, but i do think indicated theve american people have been well served by that approach. there are a variety of ways to evaluate that. the first, there are currently in the united states only one patient being treated for ebola right now. our thoughts and prayers are

with dr. spencer. twond, there have been health care workers in the united states who have contracted the disease on american soil. you have heard from the cdc director that the transmission is unacceptable, and in light of that transmission, the cdc put out a variety of stronger guidelines, to ensure the safety of health care workers. you have also seen a regime, or at least a strategy, put in .lace by the cdc when they know it patient in their care tests positive for ebola. there have been steps that have been taken to strengthen those guidelines and strengthen that response. early indications are that those policies have been successfully implemented. at the same time, we continue to be specific about this.

the policies are complicated and i can assure you no one here is resting -- all of that said, and in part because of the steps taken by this administration, the likelihood of widespread ebola outbreak in the united remains vanishingly low. i continues to remain true today. -- that continues to remain true today. i am unaware of the policy they put in place for monitoring the health. as it relates to the department of defense policy, we had a robust discussion yesterday about the differences between it policy implemented in military context and a civilian contest. this policy announced by secretary hagel this morning for, or ate need least, the policy announced by secretary hagel today indicates

the kind of efficiency gains the military is seeking by taking who have spent time in west africa, and keeping them together and actively monitoring their health in one place. that reflects the kind of guidance we have gotten from the cdc about the need to monitor their health. it also reflects the differences between applying the policy in a civilian contest and in a military context. that bynd by saying having their health monitored in this way means our servicemen and women who are making a sacrifice to travel to west africa in the first place are further sacrificing their own personal time by spending three weeks having their health

monitored on a significant basis. this places a burden not just on them themselves, but their family who are eager to turn them home. we are appreciative of and respectful of the kinds of sacrifices like that that men and women in uniform and their on a daily basis, even when it is not publicly knowledged. -- acknowledged. coming froms different places that are not exact the same, sends a mixed message? >> no. the policies are implemented in different ways based on authorities and in one instance, wielded by a governor. thefact of the matter is, best example i can point to is the policy that governor

christie did differentiate but based on the ongoing coordination between new jersey and cdc officials, she was released from that new jersey hospital assistant with the advice from the cdc. last one. >> thanks. based on many questions you have about thethis room low-profile rollout, do you get the feeling we do not understand what the real role is? [laughter] >> i will not try to speculate on which aspects of the things i tried to describe your are clearly understood by you were not orders -- were not understood by you. or not understood by you. i would be happy to take a more

healthy shared responsibility for that. what i would point out is that start in hishe job, i was clear about as one thatis role was principally behind-the-scenes, focus on coordinating activities of a wide variety of federal government agencies involved in this response, and that the need for him to play that coordinated role would limit his ability to publiclarge number of appearances. that said, i would certainly not rule out future opportunities for him to speak to all of you or with other journalists. right now, the most important thing for him to be focused on is ensuring this whole government approach the president has pursued to respond to the ebola situation is one that meets the very high standard the president set for his team and the american

people. thanks a lot, everybody. have a good afternoon. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2014] >> you heard several reporters ask josh earnest about an incident reported in the news today where foul language was used to describe prime minister netanyahu. here is a little more about that. senior administration official's description was inappropriate and counterproductive, the white house says today. certainly, that is not the administration's view, and we think that is unproductive. house speaker john boehner said implicitnity or an reflection of president obama's views, adding that the official bleeplled him chicken--

should be fired. .he u.s. senate debate we have more now from a reporter covering the race. >> from louisiana this morning, elizabeth, the capital news euro reporter there for the advocate to talk about the senate race between democrat incumbent mary landrieu and bill cassidy, a republican who is also the , who isent candidate running as well. you have got several other candidates on the ballot. the louisiana senate race -- runoff. headed for the do you agree? >> that is what it looks like right now. that is the game plan i think

the campaign is taking. he is not the incumbent, but he is running an incumbent race. that is one of two debates he is participating in. it will be very interesting. >> i misspoke four. a republican as well. total.ndidates what is going on? what is happening with the center there? differentna is very and it has a jungle primary. week is aly, next primary. like senator lenders will get the most votes next week, most likely. nobody will have enough to crack into that 50% plus one vote. it looks like it is heading into

a runoff. it is interesting really how the campaign has been going here. you cannot watch tv without getting bombarded with campaign ads. it is really interesting. a lot of it is really, a lot of is on president barack obama. that is what we are seeing a lot of. to obama's directly his records. >> has that been impacting her ability to get over that 15%, or is it her record as a senator? >> it certainly is obama. is what every campaign event, when every commercial, all of that, is. you would think barack obama would be on the ballot with the way it is being campaigned.

time and time again, it came up as, you know, mentioning barack obama and the affordable care act and all of that. host: the former president, bill clinton wiz there and asking voters to get out and vote. would that work in the closing week? guest: that was last monday. host: sorry, misspoke. guest: that's ok. it's interesting. it was the second event that he's been out here. the first one was kind of more private fundraiser in new orleans. the people have to pay to get to. baton rouge.s in you have to respond to her site. and it was packed. it got 1,000 people there.

right now, early voting, today's the last day for early voting. it's up a bit from past year. it's not as much as the presidential election. so i guess we'll see how much the big names are drawing out. but it being a nationally watched race, it's definitely drawing lot more attention this year. host: how much money is being spent on this race and what are the key demographic voters to watch for? guest: gosh, i haven't even looked at the last -- over the last i looked, it was the most

expensive race in the country. i mean, millions of dollars are being poured in. right now, it's hard to even are it because ads constantly running on tv. the last poll that came out that you mentioned earlier, it still shows 14% undecided, you know. so it's really funny who those undecided voters and how much do these ads that are streaming in and the rhetoric against the president actually mattered to them. host: ok. elizabeth crisp with the advocate. appreciate your time. >> thank you for having me on. >> the candidates will gather tonight for debate and c-span will have live coverage. stay in touch with our debate cover and engage. ollow us on twitter @c-span. we'll have more debate coverage

coming up at 9:00 with the main u.s. debate with susan collins seeking re-election opposed by shena bellows. and john cornyn. seeking a third term with challenger, david alameel. coming up next, a debate from the minnesota u.s. senate race. this is the second meeting between al franken running for a second term and his challenger, republican mark mcfadden. they last debated october 1. this race is likely democrat ccording to ratings. >> from minnesota's most-watched station, this is wcco-tv senate debate. >> good morning and thank you for joining us for a special

sunday morning on wcco-tv. >> we are joined for a live senate debate between democratic senator al franken and challenger mike mcfadden. thank you for joining us. >> welcome. what you will see over the next hour will be different from a traditional debate. there is no audience and i will not be timed responses. pat and i will keep things moving so we could get to as much possible. >> we flipped the coin to determine who would field the first question. mr. mcfadden, you won. we want to start with ebola. there is widespread anxiety in america about a possible outbreak of ebola and there are three states, which are enforcing mandatory quarantines. you want to go further and you would like to have a travel ban for was african countries because you say this is a

dangerous situation, but medical experts around the world say it's not effective. >> what we have seen here is another example of lack of leadership in washington, ebola is a very serious disease. people are really concerned in this country and minnesota and as i am going around the state and, al, i do not know what you're hearing, people are really concerned. as i looked into it, we are not close to being prepared for it ebola outbreak in the united states. there are only 4 state of the art centers. one in atlanta, one in nebraska and one in washington, d.c. they can take 3-10 patients at a time. if a severe outbreak, we're not ready to address. >> medical experts say a travel

ban is not effective. >> i think it is common sense. we have a way to prevent people from coming to our country, so i called for a temporary travel ban of people traveling from west africa to the united states. >> and to support the mandatory quarantine for health care workers who have -- over the weekend, that had goes into effect in new york and new jersey. >> when you saw what happened in new york when a doctor came and developed symptoms, it is scary. those poor nurses in dallas and they probably thought they were doing everything right and they contracted it. the cdc allows the nurse to get on a plane. >> let's go to senator franken. medical experts say a ban in is not effective. is it effective or not? >> obviously, it is insufficient to have a travel ban from the west african countries to the

united states because a vast majority go through other countries. there are very few flights irectly. let me tell you what i have one. >> senator franken, he said he wants a travel ban and you said it should be considered, but you are concerned about getting aid workers in and out. do support or not and also what about the mandatory quarantine that has gone into effect in hree states? >> let me tell you what i have been doing. it is a very small minority of flights that come from there. the vast majority come through third countries like europe or the middle east. i agree that the response in dallas was just unacceptable and

my work, a lot of my work has to been in minnesota that -- that s not going to happen. i have been in regular contact with the head of the hospital association and we have 4 hospitals set up. >> what about the ban? it is very controversial? > we want to do the most rational, effective thing to keep people safe in minnesota. i talked to the governor and commissioner -- from the minnesota department of health last night and i will be talking to the commissioner and he is having a meeting with experts today at 1:00 to talk about what the most effective way is. and whether that means a andatory quarantine.

>> we want to know where you stand on the travel ban? >> i have nothing against a travel ban from west africa. what i am saying is -- it is totally insufficient because what we need to do is be able to screen and i talked to the cdc and i pressed the cdc along with the governor, who makes minnesota msp, an airport where you screen and track people. all the people come in will be screened and tracked, so they have to take their temperature twice a day. that is the distinction now between mandatory quarantine. other governors have decided not to do it. i will be talking to the governor and the commissioner later today about how that eeting went.

we want to do this in the most ffective way possible. >> mr. mcfadden, let's go back. we have a doctor in new york who was self testing and was taking his temperature but he was out of bowling and riding the subway. is he a hero or irresponsible octor? >> when he talks about the cdc, there are a lot of mistakes and that was made. the administration does not seem to have a hold. >> he is a doctor with doctors without borders and he is a hero. i listen to both of you ask franken three times what his nswer was and he did not answer. hat's a problem with politics. people want straight talk. the reason people are so concerned about ebola is they see a theme in washington and there is no leadership whether isis or the economy.

people are feeling less secure and less safe and i know that because i am talking to people. >> are you satisfied with president obama's handling of the ebola crisis? >> the cdc, they apologized for what they did. right now, my number one focus is making sure that people in minnesota are safe and that is why i have worked -- i've been in constant contact with both the commissioner, the overnor. >> are you satisfied with president obama? >> no, and i do not think he is. >> that's it for this segment that will be back in a couple of minutes with questions about the affordable care act.

>> welcome back to the senate debate. the affordable care act which is known as obamacare is now in place and a year old. americans are still navigating what it is and what it means. >> we want to start with senator franken, president obama said repeatedly if you like your doctor, you can keep him or her and if you like your policy, you can keep it. would you call it the lie of the year in 2012? ave you been lying to the peak will of minnesota -- to the people of minnesota? >> i have not. i did not say those things. the president was engaged in wishful thinking. let's talk about what the affordable care act has done in minnesota. we have reduced by 40% the number of uninsured. 95% of minnesotans are insured,

n the country. mr. mcfadden wants to repeal the affordable care act, he has ran on that the whole time. he wants to repeal it. we have to fix the things that are wrong with it, but built of the things that are right. if you repeal, we would go back to square one and you would have people with pre-existing conditions being able to get coverage without paying a penalty. women would have to pay more for their health care just because they are a woman. people who have gone through their lifetime cap or annual cap would be thrown off their health care again. kate, a mom, whose daughter has cystic fibrosis said her

daughter is alive because they got rid of the caps. >> you have made it a big part of your campaign. you said you want to keep pre-existing conditions and keep 26-year-old on their parents' policies and no lifetime imits. you also say no mandate. it does not seem to work. on the health experts say that is obamacare, but for the mandate. >> we have a health care issue in this country. we have had for a long time. obamacare is not the right solution. it is a train wreck. but -- but, i have come with a plan and i want to talk about it. you started with the lie, the biggest lie of the year, if you like your doctor, you can keep

it. the biggest lie was when the president and al franken said it would make health care less expensive and that is not rue. it's absolutely not true. i know that because i am talking to people. we know that it was preferred one, the low-cost provider and they came out with the new rates and they are going up 63%. when i was in rochester last week, a woman came up to me who works at mayo clinic and her deductible is going up and she had a look of fear and anger. >> he said it is a lie you are telling minnesotans. >> let's focus on the premiums going off. three weeks from tomorrow, thousands of minnesotans will go to the website and the estimates are all over the map ranging from 4% to 11%.

what did you say to people who are concerned not only by the increasing -- >> some people have seen their rates go up and some have seen hem go down. i spoke to a manufacturer who employees 48 people. let's make it clear. et me make this clear. what he is talking about is repealing this and it goes back to square one with a congress that is -- where there is -- there is obstruction and ridlock. all of this disappears immediately. >> we have a health care issue in this country.

obamacare is not the right solution. it is a disaster. to say it is going to lower cost is patently wrong. it will raise costs. we cannot afford. the difference is i want the states to control and you want the federal government to control. >> that has been done. >> you do what you want -- >> when al franken and i were debating in front of the audience, al said there are many problems with obamacare. >> experts have looked at your plan and said your plan will not eep costs low. you do not have the mandate. >> that is wrong. i said the states can decide if they want to implement. if minnesota said we want a mandate, we could do that.

if arkansas does not want one, they do not have to. i believe the states are laboratories for experiment. >> it does not matter. it is not going to be his plan. there are 435 members of the house and 100 members of the senate and everybody will have a plan and your plan does not get adopted because you are running for office. it immediately goes away. i have offered fixes. ok? i have bipartisan support on something called reinsurance which is the unions and businesses that sell for sure the republican of illinois is a cosponsor of my legislation. to say i have offered nothing -- >> that is a minute piece of it. what minnesotans want -- straight talk and obama care is not working.

there's a better way forward and i think the states are aboratories for experiment and it should be implemented. >> i am sorry gentlemen. that is all the time we have. >> ok. >> they are $1000 a year less per beneficiary than predicted in 2009. the cost of the kind of care we ave incentivized as opposed to -- and what we do -- >> you mentioned -- >> medicare advantage that you want to do away. >> and that is not true. >> more americans on medicare advantage now than ever before. >> gentlemen -- i am sorry for that we want to go to a lot of topics. hang on a second.

>> to say it will lower, it is a out right -- everybody getting the permits for next year are seeing staggering rises. >> we will have to take a break. we will be back in a couple of minutes. >> welcome back to the senate to debate. we have been asking viewers what s on their mind. what do they want to know from he candidates. >> we have had a lot of questions from viewers and one is from rod, who is sick and tired of america being at work for a dozen years. he is wondering, what can be done about it? he asks senator franken, what would you do about the isis threat? >> well, isis is a barbaric group.

we need to degrade and destroy sis. i voted to train and arm the moderate rebels in syria with some trepidation about how successful it could be. i have supported the president's bombing as well as in iraq. isis does not observe those borders. i do not think -- when we go back to congress, we will debate and vote at the right to use military force to ok this bombing. it will be a much more narrowly defined authorization. >> do you support the president's actions and has he done enough?

mr. mcfadden said you are missing in action and have not done enough to stop recruiting right here in minnesota. what about that? >> as soon as i got to the senate in 2009, one of the first things i did was give briefings from the fbi, both in washington and st. paul on recruitment going on at the time in our community. i met with community leaders, an organization that tries to get youth to make better choices. i met with a law enforcement and i am on record as pressing the homeland security judiciary hearings on this. i am on record as pressing the irector of the fbi on this and judiciary hearings. i have worked with the community and working with law

enforcement. we got to the recruitment down. when it was clear that isis had recruited dozens, i wrote a letter saying i want to double down on what we did to limit -- they started a new program. >> he has done a lot. this has been going on for a long time. the world has become a more dangerous place. i hear about safety and security from people all of the time. minnesota being the number one recruitment area for terrorism and that concerns me. there are things going on for a long time. al franken said since 2008. it was not until -- there are estimates that thousands of minnesotans are fighting with isis. two minnesotans were killed and

i called for a revocation of passports from people that go with terrorist organizations and i held a press conference. this was after talking with community leaders in east africa. al franken comes out and says -- he writes a letter to the department of justice. let me go back. when you talk about isis, i agree that they are barbarians. i cannot stress enough how isappointed i have been with president obama's foreign-policy or lack of it in your support of it. this leading from behind does not work. it was a president that said, i will sit down with the leaders of north korea and iran and work everything out. that is not been the case. the world is a more dangerous place today because will not show leadership. it is a president they came from vacation after there were 2 beheadings of journalists and

said we do not have a strategy and that is not acceptable. >> the president said in 2012, syria used chemical weapons and a red line would be crossed and it would be u.s. action in retaliation and that never happened. experts point to that in a series of missteps in syria and not leaving a force in iraq as being part of the reason that isis has grown so quickly. you have supported the president's foreign-policy. do you feel the president and yourself and those who have supported him are right to blame? >> in 2013 when assad used chemical weapons, i said i thought the president should use force. mr. mcfadden talks about leading from behind. in the first 10 months of his campaign, there was not a word

about foreign-policy and terrorism. then, when assad used chemical weapons, every republican candidate was asked by minnesota public radio what choices they would make, what would they do. everybody answered but mr. mcfadden. he ducked. the reason was it was a difficult political decisions. >> i did not duck. >> you did not answer the question. >> every -- >> all of the other candidates responding. >> we get asked questions all of he time. sometimes we answer and sometimes we do not. it made a situation i was at a kids -- i am in the game. as soon as you draw a redline in the sand and it's crossed, i would've had bombers immediately. done. and -- and --

>> this was a huge issue at the time. this dominated the news. when you were asked about the issue facing the country and right then and there that was the issue and it was a difficult decision at that is the job -- >> al, al -- in benghazi, we had an ambassador murdered and the president did nothing and you supported and the world watched. then what happened is the president drew a redline and nothing happened. no wonder we have a situation that happened in the ukraine gaza or syria and the world is a much more dangerous place. you supporting for president 97% of the time. you are a rubber stamp for his olicies.

>> we will talk 97%. >> at the time, i was asked what my policy was right away. as soon as assad did this, i said -- >> what should we have done -- hang on. let me answer this. >> this is a job where you have to answer questions in real time, where you have to make choices in real time. you can't take cheap shots from the bleachers. there was no -- nothing. not a word of his on foreign policy for the first 10 months. nothing on his website, nothing that he -- no speeches on it, no press release. >> you talk about diverting questions real time? i just watched pat ask you three times whether you supported travel ban from west africa and you diverted it time and time again. people are seeing here live across minnesota how you act and that's not acceptable.

>> gentlemen, we have to take a break because we have to move on. up next, we'll get to one of the most repeated attacks in this ace, that 97%. stay right here. >> welcome back to the u.n. senate debate between senator al franken and republican challenger mike mcfadden. the next question about something we've heard a lot in this campaign and viewers have seen this in your political ads over and over and over again, all the time. and you have repeatedly criticized senator franken in your ads for voting with president obama 97% of the time and you promised if you're elected, if you vote 97% of the time with your party, you won't run again. >> right. >> what is the proper percentage? 97%, you say. 96%? would you vote 95%?

how about 90%? he is your percentage? this is independent leadership. i won't be a rubber stamp for any president and it's an issue because i believe that this president is leading us in the wrong direction. i believe that most minnesotans believe that and al franken has been that and al franken has been a rubber stamp for this president. i haven't met anybody in minnesota that agrees with another person 97% of the time. i don't even agree with my wife 97% of the time. >> what is a good percentage al franken did not think that 87% was a good percentage. america is broken right now. congress is not working. it is not working. -- it is hyperan partisan. i believe right now that -- you mentioned there are 100 senators

. there is 535 people who have an opportunity to vote in america. what we produce from congress for a decade is friend us. >> we are talking about percentages because you are using them over and over again but that is apparently what everybody does. let me just show you this. here is what democrats vote with their parties. it is above 90%. democrats atl the 90% or more except for colin peterson. but republicans, too. republicans. everybody is voting above 90%. that 97% number is meaningless. >> it is not meaningless. it is one of the highest percentage voting with the president. he has supported the president every step of the way. minnesotans don't believe this president is leading us in the right direction. but there is a bigger issue, the extreme partisanship that is taking place in washington.

we have seen this type of partisanship -- congress right now has a 9% approval rating. what they have produced as an institution for over a decade is friend us. -- is horrendous. what bothers me as a dad, as a businessman, as a coach is that nobody pictures possibility for the outcome. >> we have to move on. votek you broke down the among the u.s. senate. we found that there were no republican senators that voted with their party 97% of the time while 37 democratic senators, including you, voted with the aesident 97% of the time in 113th congress. doesn't that make your party, the democratic party the party of gridlock? >> no, because so many of the votes that are recorded -- this has been written about so much and this is why it is misleading -- a lot of these are just

nominations. the hhs secretary, sylvia burwell, she passed 100-0. that is what this corporate they score the things that the president does. one hundred percent of the time, i vote for minnesota. i have crossed party lines. i have done legislation with lamar alexander, a republican of tennessee. assigned in july. the first reform of our workforce training system was 1998. we actually streamlined it, got rid of 15 different programs. though we are training people for jobs that exist. i worked with pat roberts on making drugs safer. fischer,with the deb onublican from nebraska,

broadband. >> we get it. you say you are working across the aisle. he disagrees. indicates that you support president obama. has be -- has he been doing a good job? >> the sun -- >> do you support president obama's job in office? >> i have voted in the interest of minnesota. president obama, i had high hopes when he came in. i have been disappointed. >> let me talk about gridlock for a minute. the republicans in the democrats, my party has to take lame for this. i can tell you as an outsider, as a businessman who was taught

to take responsibility for actions by my dad -- what i don't understand is that congress has been horrendous in terms of its outcomes for over a decade but no one takes responsibility. republicans -- we say it's not our problem. we don't control the presidency. the democrats don't. they say we can't work with the house. i believe that al franken is one of the most partisan senators in .he u.s. senate i voting record >> why have senator roger wicker , a republican of mississippi, worked with me to rein in the credit agencies on washington -- and on wall street. >> i seek common ground when i can. ground whentand my they come after the middle class.

this is where mr. mcfadden and i fundamentally disagree. i think the economy works from the middle out. i want to work with the middle-class class and those aspiring to the middle class. >> can i talk about partisanship? >> we have to move on. >> we are talking about partisanship. >> politico magazine came out with a study and write senators in one to 100 in terms of their ability to cosponsor legislation across the aisle. you were ranked last place been 100 out of 100 senators. i got always said look at actions. statistic,g to that ted cruz is one of the most bipartisan members of the senate. >> this is politico magazine. >> ted cruz voted with his party 87% of the time. i have his voting record it here. >> he is the guy who shut the government down. there is a bell curve and you

are an outlier. >> the first thing we heard from the republican minority leader mitch mcconnell was they will do everything they can to not allow a second term and to stop everything he did in office. do you agree with that? >> i don't agree with that. >> do you support him? >> i just gave you a very straight answer, unlike al franken, who continues and continues to divert from answering questions that you have asked him. i think washington is so broken and so hyper partisan and nothing gets done and nobody takes responsibility for these outcomes. this is america. we signed up for american representative moxie over 200 years ago. that means that we will always have friction. we will never have one party. we have to work together to get things done. any measurement that has been produced by congress over the last decade is around us. and you have been a part of that, al, and you have to take

responsibility for it. >> we will be right back. please join us. >> we are in a state that bleeds purple and gold. even in a trying season, the vikings are a very big drop. this next one has to do with football. who has got john written in. john is fed up with ellie and their owners getting public funding. let's start with you, senator franken. do you think it's time to revoke the nfl tax-exempt status? would you commit to sponsoring legislation to do this? >> senator franken? fromey are exempt from certain laws that i think they

should be. when they were negotiating on was couldm, really the owner hold the city hostage. i believe we should be able to go back to the green bay packers model where a community owns -- can own the team. >> what about tax-exempt status? >> i would revoke that. i would have to look into that. a two other senators have bill that would do just that. both have legislation in they shoulding revoke the tax-exempt status. that i willething look into. i have not been asked before that. i know governors get asked this all the time. >> this is a federal issue. >> i understand the tax-exempt status. i will have to look into it.

i've never been asked a question on it before. what i am asked all the time is about the direction of this country. >> this is a $10 billion institution and they have a tax-exempt status. (c) 3.not a 501 >> i am surprised that we are talking about tax-exempt status. -- let'sof minnesota's talk to something even closer to them and to has to do with football also. a week from now, the washington redskins football team comes here. too many people, including ,innesotans, native americans they believe it is racist and offensive. should they change their name? >> that is a decision that the owners of that team can make.

if it was my team, i would change the name but i don't own the. >> team>>. do you think it is racist and offensive? >> i do. nflou have written to the asking that washington state force the washington redskins to change their name because they are guilty of using a racial criticized the vikings in the peterson child abuse case. you accepted a $2500 contribution this election season from the nfl. was that the right thing to do? me, iever gives money to feel they are endorsing what i speak on. >> you have been widely criticized for turning a blind eye on the child abuse -- >> this is the first i have heard that they gave to me. >> according to this group, it is a $2500 country beeson. 25 hundrednsider --

dollar contribution. >> will you consider giving it back? >> yes. >> a lot of our viewers want to hear about this, too. talked about closing loopholes. you want to close every loophole there is. isn't this a loophole that an organization like the nfl has tax-exempt status? >> there are hundreds of loopholes since 1987. it would be an exercise in futility to sit there and say which of the 17,000 we will get rid of. the right way to do it is with a blank sheet of paper and do it in a nonpartisan way, sitting across the aisle from people and saying this is going to be revenue neutral because we have $17.5 trillion of debt. but we need to dramatically change the tax code and we need to be guided by two -- two principles. transparency and simpler city. >> this is where we have a

fundamental difference. i voted to get rid of tax loopholes for companies that .utsource jobs overseas we use that to pay for 2800 teachers in minnesota. this is at the height of the great recession. we were losing teachers right that vote. i made he criticized that vote. i have legislation to prevent inversions that i cosponsored. this company has taken advantage of inversion. franken owns stock in the parent company that he is talking about. i am so disappointed. you have spent millions of dollars attacking me on the air with patently false ads. that is one of the issues that we have in this state right now.

you ran the most negative attack-oriented campaign in 2008 against norm coleman. now you are doing it again. >> let's talk about the latest ad. you say it is absolutely false that your company negotiated a deal that resulted in a mind closing in missoula montana that resulted in 400 plus layoffs. it was on your company's website that they did that deal. didhe company that i run not do that deal. it was not involved in that transaction. >> i've got the website right here. has that deal. >> what i urge you to do is call his art on monday and asked them if we were involved. run, weompany that i sell businesses. i like to say, if you are going to sell your house, higher me.

-- hire me. you also talk about your restructuring prowess on your website. >> this business that i run did not touch. thatal franken has said in ad is that i was the ceo. that was bruce wasserstein. you knew bruce before he passed. he was a big donor to your campaign. >> he says that you are not telling the truth. people lost their jobs. it will do that. >> you own stock in that company. fund thata mutual lazard limited stock -- you know that i don't control -- >> these let me answer this. plant inn ad about a montana that closed and it closed because of a deal that company was's

advising on restructuring. can i answer this? thank you. mr. mcfadden's firm, lazard middle market, during this entire campaign advertised that it did the restructuring for murph it. that is the company that laid off 400 people, some who worked there for 30 or 20 years. .hey had it on their website that seems pretty incriminating. let me answer this. >> you are answering it, senator. >> this would be like me blaming you for something that general electric did when you were at "saturday night live" because they were involved in the seat. it is not just -- involved in the seadeceit.

>> on your website, they advertised that you did the restructuring. >> stay tuned. we will have much more of our debate after this. and we're joined again by senator al franken and mike mcfadden. both of you wanted to continue the conversation that we left with. >> minnesotans are so tired of negative advertising. you have met my daughter. your team, the democratic party put out an attack ad that had my daughter in it. do not roll your eyes. that is not appropriate. minnesotans are so tired of these attacks. --ave sat here as you walk

as you spend millions of dollars attacking -- >> so you don't like negative ads. >> i have not run them. >> your ads have been very negative urin. >> what about this issue about the 400 jobs that were lost? senator? >> they did the restructuring. they brag about doing the restructuring to the length of this campaign until we ran the ad. it was in politico for a year and a half. they knew his company did the restructuring on this. now they are a wholly subsidiary of a company in bermuda, lazard limited. $9 million went there. that is the whole point. >> let him finish. >> that's the whole point of having a company in bermuda. you can send the money there.

evidently, it tended to be confusing. middle-class americans end up in the tax bill. we have a fundamental difference in the way we think the economy should work. it should work from the middle out. he took a shot at a parent company that he owns stock in. your mutual fund was called the socially responsible fund. >> i know that. get to the point of tax inversions and the loss of 400 jobs. did you have something to do with it? >> the firm i had had nothing to do with it. >> your company made $10 million on an inversion deal that sent a u.s. pharmaceutical company to ireland. isn't that fair for you to be questioned about it and be held accountable? >> that his family false.

we represented the company that did the inversion. we had no operational control. >> you told "the associated press" that you did not even know that inversion was part of the deal. >> he said he had no operational control. we heard that during the campaign. >> you are the ceo and you don't take responsibility for what your company does. what will you do a senator? when you sell a company in ireland that is worth $500 million and you are representing it, you are going to represent the fact that we have a very low tax rate there in ireland. this is right for an inversion. >> we represent companies all over the world. and we don't have operational control. when you sell your house, when for 4.5 your apartment million dollars in new york last year, did your agent -- your

agent does not make operational control. the new owner comes in -- >> this is a fundamental difference. he doesn't just act as a real estate agent. he bragged in 2009 about when there is a bear market. when there is a bear market, we changed to doing restructuring and that is exactly what happened. >> i am sorry. that will have to be the last word. we want to thank mr. mcfadden and senator franken. thank you for joining us, gentlemen. >> campaign 2014 coverage continues tonight with candidates in the louisiana u.s. senate race. stay in touch with our debate coverage and engage. follow us on twitter at c-span

and i kiss on facebook. susan collins is seeking reelection opposed by shenna bellows. and 10:00, it is the texas u.s. .enate debate with john cordon you can share your reaction through twitter on c-span and like us on facebook at facebook.com/c-span. during an interview this morning, chuck hagel announced he is ordering a 21-day quarantine of you all -- of all u.s. troops returning from west africa for control monitoring. the pentagon says the secretary believes these initial steps are. even the number of military personnel transiting from their home base in west africa and the unique adjustable demands an impact that the climate has on the force. is a portion of secretary hegel's remarks this morning at

the washington idea for a. -- idea forum. >> there is a new ebola order. >> what i signed this morning was a memorandum to the chairman of joint chiefs of staff in response to the memorandum of recommendation i received from the chairman and the chiefs yesterday to go forward with a policy of essentially 21-day incubation for our men and women who would be returning from west africa. that policy was put in place by the chief of staff of the army a for generalys ago william sent 10 of his associates who are now back at their base in italy. what i said in response this morning was give me within 15

days. the operational specifics of how that would work. i believe we should review that policy within 45 days. is the military will liberiae americans in than any other department. that is number one. number two, our people, our younger cohorts are different. they are not volunteers. policy that was discussed in great detail by the communities, by the families of our military men and women. they very much wanted a safety valve on this. so that is essentially what the directive says. >> president obama is meeting with health care workers who are

fighting the ebola crisis. 15 minutesk about it from now. we will have live coverage of that when it starts. in the meantime, a segment from today's washington journal looking at millionaires in silicon valley. hour one last wednesday, take a look at recent magazine articles. today, we are putting a spotlight on "time" recent cover story. it is nearly impossible to fire bad teachers but tech millionaires may have found a way to change that good -- change that. what is the story about? guest: the story is about a court case in california. it was spearheaded and underwritten by a silicon valley tech millionaire. david welch. he was looking at the issue of teacher tenure and other job

protections in the state of california only. strict jobhas very protection that make it very difficult to fire a teacher even after he or she has been deemed incompetent. he saw that as a major problem undergirding the educational system in california. it?ow did he go after it's an interesting story actually >> -- >> it's an interesting story to my actually. he looks at the problem -- through his eyes, he thought job protection was harming students. how do we prove that this is unconstitutional? they hide a constitutional lawyer and basically made the these jobhat, because protections keep bad teachers in the classroom, students are being harmed by having bad

teachers instead of average teachers or good teachers. >> what did the judge say in his decision? guest: it was a very emotional decision. it hit the conscience. the impact on the conference. he agreed with the case and said who have a bad teacher for one year have measurable impact to their education and to their future. studies comingl out of harvard and columbia universities as evidence. host: did this set a precedence? >guessed it did not. it needs to be appealed and it will be in order to impact any california laws.

but it has set a precedent socially. two more cases in new york that are copycat cases. they take very similar legal theories to make cases in new york. where does the california case go next and the other cases? >> guest: in california, it will go through an appeals court. to an appeals court in the next year. they have not set a date. the state and the teachers unions have appealed it. are in the early stages of the situation. we have not even had a first trial yet. did davidmuch money welch spend on this? to gethe only tech titan involved in education policy? there are a lot of

silicon valley millionaires and billionaires becoming involved in education. on one level, that is not new. billionaires have been involved in education for some reason, for centuries. the rockefellers, carnegie's, , just lots and lots. we have seen in the last decade, bill gates has put billions of dollars into education. mark zuckerberg has sent $220 million -- has spent $220 million on public schools. we are seeing a lot of interest in public education from silicon valley. host: why? guest: that is a great question. that is one we attempt to ask in

this piece. one thing is that education affects everybody. it is something that feels like , it feels more accessible than other social problems like poverty or violence. it feels like these are kids in a classroom, surely we can do this better. host: are the goals of these millionaires in silicon valley the same? is this an effort against public schools for privatization? is it an effort against teacher unions? guest: even among the millionaires and billionaires, the founder of netflix, he is very into the charter school movement. david welch, the man who funded this case, is very into public

education. i pose that question to david welch and set us this an attack on public schools? the opposite. he wants to see public schools succeed, which is why he wants to help remake these laws. teachers unions and teachers on the other side of the debate would say that is not the case. this is a direct attack on them. host: why do they see it as a direct attack? teachers are often poorly paid. they spend long hours in the classroom. thee job protections are only thing they have going. one of those perks and a profession that does not offer many. we are talking with hailey. she is the author edwards, the author of this "time" piece

les," specifically looking at the california cases we have discussed that parents can dial in at (202) 585-3881. teachers -- (202) 585-3880. all others, you can call (202) 585-3882. let me begin with tom. you are on the air. caller: hi. i was noticing the conversation that you have -- i appreciate you putting me on the air and everything. it just seems that as a parent over a period of years, i worked many years as a school psychologist, and we talked about teachers, what about the in administration? take a look at some of the exorbitant salaries that are paid out and the friends benefits and the perks, yet when we look at evaluating, you know, their progress and how the leadership comes from the top down, yet our students are still

far behind. you know, sometimes i think we need to take a look at that and look at that area as well in know. on, you certainly there is a lot of reasons why, you know, kids, adolescents at all ages have difficulties learning, which i think sometimes we do not really addressed those as much as we should. providing the proper accommodations, recommendations, and so forth. there is a host of reasons why kids can have difficulty learning. if we did a better job really addressing those concerns and providing them with the proper accommodations to level that playing field, i think we would be better off. host: ok, tom. haley sweetland edwards, your thoughts. guest: i think tom makes a great point. there are many factors that go

into a child's education. it is not just the teacher in the classroom or the school psychologist or the principal. it is also the parents in the community and everything else that contribute to this child's acculturation and education. there have been a lot of studies recently showing that the teacher, the actual in-classics brings is affected -- in -class experience is affected most by the teacher. tom also makes the point of frustration that a lot of feelingrations are right now. wyeth-ayerst oh much focus on the teacher? the focus so much on the teacher yucca why are we not getting more support more broadly? host: anna in desoto, texas, a parent there. caller: good morning.

i have to agree with what tom was saying. i was at a school board meeting. you can tell the amount of parents that were there, there were some issues that were going on with some of the schools that parents need to be aware of. my frustration is when there is a school board election, the parents -- i in my neighborhood i had to go around and tell everybody. you have children, you need to be involved. you need to know who you are voting for because they were recommendations that would also put, like me, who i have my grandchild, i am alsoian over, but i am retired, and when we have to pay for all of these little things that have nothing to do with the school, teachers, young teachers especially coming in -- if they are coming out of college,

schools should be involved in training them. we spent $350 million here in texas on testing. i have a segregated education, and my education in a segregated school is far greater because i learned from a book, and i had a incher who had three classes the school. i came out of a country school, but guess what? i learned to read, my multiplications, and we come up with all of these stupid testing programs where there should only be one, and that was the -- host: anna, we are going to leave it there because we have a couple of issues. we have the testing issue but also training for teachers. guest: testing and the focus on testing any number of tests that students have to take nowadays, and the number of tests that teachers have to administrate -- huge controversy.

i think one of the interesting is onlybout that is it about two decades old. we did not really see standardized tests rid large s, and it mid-1990' was a slow buildup it was not until no child left behind during the bush and administration that we saw a regular testing of students on a regular basis. we have seen by part o bipartisn support about during the obama administration, and now in the last few years, we have started a see a crescendo of

peer mentor groups , we are seeing teachers being subject to many more evaluations than there used to be. a lot of administrators say this is not the money, not the time to make that happen as it should. again, that is one of the criticisms. that we should be focusing more on -- host: it takes tens of thousands of dollars and sometimes years

to fire a bad teacher. what is the due process like for teachers? i have teacher unions demanded this process? guest: you use this term due process. it is right. set ineacher tenure place in order to protect for,ers from being fired say, teaching evolution in a conservative neighborhood or just forgetting old and requiring higher salaries than maybe the younger teachers to protect them from political , you know,reas states that could replace conservative teachers with liberal ones and vice versa. there are a lot of reasons to protect teachers and to have protections in place. the due process here says you have to prove that a teacher has committed a certain wrong.

then there is a trial. i am not sure what the national averages or how long this takes. joe klein's book when he was the chief of schools in new york -- [applause]

>> ladies and him and, the president of the united states accompanied by dr. kent brantly. [applause] >> in december of 2013, a young child in the remote part of guinea became the first unfortunate soul to suffer the scourge of ebola virus disease in west africa. since that time, more than 10,000 people have contracted the virus and more than 5000

have died in eight countries. professionals in the hardest hit countries like guinea, liberia, and sierra leone have fought with great effort. but they need the help of the international community to turn the tide of this devastating outbreak. many members of this audience have already offered themselves in sacrificial service to the people of west africa. others are preparing to go very -- to go. it is my distinct honor today to thank these brave individuals for the gift of their love to their fellow human beings, for putting the needs of others above their own. the world owes them a debt of gratitude. but the struggle is far from over. more medical personnel are desperately needed. at this time, perhaps more than any other, we feel the impact of

of notition as citizens only the united states of america, but as citizens of the world. we must strive together for the good of all mankind to put an end to this disease. changingof world tragedy, we have often recognize the office of the president of the united states of america as not only the leader of this, our own, country but as an international leader representing the best interest of us all as global citizens. it is my privilege at this time to introduce president barack obama who will share some remarks. [applause] >> good afternoon, everybody. and thank you, dr. brantley, not just for the introduction, but

for your extraordinary work to help save lives in africa and here at home. as many of you know, i welcomed and his beautiful wife amber to the white house last month. deep so moved by their faith, their unwavering commitment to service that i thought it would be a good idea to have them back. he has gained a bit of weight since i last saw him. [laughter] they are making sure he is eating properly. you are and amber, inspiration to me and to people around the world and we thank you so much. [applause] as i said yesterday, we know that the best way to protect is to stoprom ebola

the outbreak at its source. and we are honored to be joined today by some of the extraordinary american health workers who were on the front lines of the fight in west africa. an opportunity to meet, talk, for me to hear about their service and truly challenging conditions. some of these men and women have recently returned. others are heading there shortly. but all of them have signed up to leave their homes and their loved ones to head straight into the heart of the ebola epidemic. like our military men and women deployed to west africa, they do this for no other reason than their own sense of duty, their sense of purpose, their sense of serving a cause raider than themselves. -- greater than themselves. they deserve our gratitude.

and they deserve to be treated with dignity and with respect. over the past few weeks, i met and have spoken with doctors and notice -- and nurses who have treated patients with a bowl of virus, including some who have ebolacted and beaten themselves, like dr. brantley. i want to say to all the doctors and nurses out there that i have told the doctors and nurses here today. each of you studied medicine because you wanted to save lives. the world needs you more than ever. the medical professionals and public health workers serving in africa are a shining example of what america means to the world, of what is possible when america leads. i said this at the u n general assembly. when disease or disaster strikes anywhere in the world, the world calls us.

they call us is because the men and women like the ones who are here today, they respond with skill and professionalism and courage and dedication. it's because of the determination and skill and dedication and patriotism of folks like this that i am confident we will contain and ultimately snuff out this outbreak of ebola. because that is what we do. aboutof people talk american exceptionalism. i am a firm believer in american exceptionalism. it is because of folks like this. is because we don't run and hide when there is a problem. is because we don't react through our feelers -- through our fears but instead respond

with common sense and skill and courage. that is the best of our history. not stereo, not misinformation. not hysteria, not misinformation. it is part of the reason why people look to us. and because of the work that is being done by folks like this and i folks who are right now as we speak in the three affected countries, we are already seeing a difference. i just had a chance to be in a situate -- in the situation room n.th samantha power, our u. ambassador who has been there

see what is on the ground. she was describing how, because of our military, we are already setting up ebola treatment units ahead of schedule. we are already setting up supply lines. she described how a chinese airplane was landing in facilities that we had helped and liberia and chinese were thecan folks ploy because we had set up the infrastructure and gotten there early. the world is now starting to respond. some of the labs that we set up our cutting the test to see if anybody is positive for ebola from what was as long as seven days to less than a day. that means people know sooner if they have it. they are isolated quicker. they are less likely to spread it.

if they don't have it, they are back with her family faster which means less fear and exide he. -- fear and anxiety. the way folks were treating the disease -- the deceased was a major contributor to spreading the disease. of the leadership we have shown on the ground, the mood in liberia has changed. people have a greater sense of confidence that this can be dealt with. suddenly, you see liberian nationals who are increasingly theing to work as part of public health teams. having not just effect by what we do directly but also by a change in mindset in the countries affected and around the globe. becausewhat's happening

of american leadership. it is not abstract. it is because of people who were willing to go there at significant sacrifice to make a difference. that is american exceptionalism. that is what we should be proud of. that is who we are. none of this means that the problem has been solved. i don't want anybody to lose their sense of urgency. in those countries that are affected, this is still a severe, significant outbreak and it will take some time for these countries to battle back. we have a long way to go. americans to understand why this is so important. this is not just charity. faith iskent's driving him to do that and i that like to think that sense of faith and grace motivates all of us. but this is also practical.

it has to do with our own self-interest. we are not dealing with this problem there, it will come here. we have a responsibility to look out for our health workers as well as they look out or us. -- look out for us. cdc's why on monday, the announced new monitoring and wereent guidelines that crafted in consultation with the people who actually go in there to do the work and they are tailored to the unique circumstances of each health care worker. minde have to keep in that, if we are discouraging our health care workers who are prepared to make the sacrifices from traveling to these places

of need, then we are not doing our job in terms of looking after our own public safety. what we need right now are these troops out there leading globally. we cannot discourage them. we have got to encourage them and applaud it. understand,ca to the truth is, until we stop this outbreak in west africa, we may continue to see individual cases in america in the weeks and months ahead. because that is the nature of today's world. we can't hermetically seal ourselves off. the nature of international travel and movement means that the only way to assure that we that we is to make sure have dealt with the disease

where right now it is most acute. a, yes, we are likely to see possible case elsewhere outside of these countries. notthat is true whether or we adopt a travel ban, whether or not we adopt a quarantine. it is the nature of diseases. as long as a bullet exists in the world, no one can promise there will not be any more cases in america or anywhere else. spread andits ultimately to keep americans safe, we have to go to the source while preparing for the few cases that we see here. and protecting our health care workers who are treating patients both here at home and abroad. that ournews is medical system is better prepared for any additional

cases and we will continue to work with hospitals and and state and local public health agencies to help prepare every single day. thatugh coordinating all nationally as well as andrnationally is a process there are constant tweaks and modifications as lessons are learned, it is all based on 40 years of experience in dealing with this disease. . it is not all new. . and it will get done. guess my biggest message is and i am pretty sure this is the message of all the folks behind me, including the ones in the , it is critical that we remain focused on the facts and on the science. mind that, of the seven

americans treated for ebola so far, most of them while serving in west africa, all seven have survived. right now, the only american still undergoing treatment is dr. craig spencer who contracted the disease abroad while working to serve others. we are getting him the best care as well. we know how to treat this disease. african the west nations of senegal and nigeria have been declared invalid-free, we know that this disease can be contained and if -- declared ebola-free, we know that this disease can be contained. we have hundreds of americans across the country, nurses, doctors, public health workers, soldiers, engineers, mechanics who are putting themselves on the front lines of this fight. represent citizenship and patriotism and public service at its best. they make huge sacrifices to protect this country that we love.

and when they come home, they deserve to be treated properly. they deserve to be treated like the heroes that they are. there are americans like dr. venture taboo is here today who took a leave from his position at the national institutes of health to volunteer with doctors without borders in liberia where he cared for over 200 ebola patients. thank you. [applause] we are very proud of you. they are americans like katie couric. her father was the head of the whenask force on hiv aids that broke. she decided to chart her own course, most recently in a canoe. we recently wrote about how she

detectionc diseases team went to an area so remote they had to use canoes to reach it. and what they -- and when they met them, the chief or a pittsburgh steelers cap. [applause] [laughter] today, katie has completed her mission. she is on her way home. team, to katie and her our legacy for future generations there will go far beyond sports teams. we are talk about americans like captain calvin edwards, father of four who works with the fda harrisburg, pennsylvania. he is also an officer in the u.s. public health service. his 29thbout how, on wedding anniversary, carrying a pillow from home and a copy of the new testament, he takes on deployment. he left for training to oversee a team in liberia.

made sure to, he buy his wife a dozen roses. as he boarded the plane captain ofard reminded his team their commitment to defend the country and they responded with a rousing rendition of " the star-spangled banner." they are there now making us. -- proud. officers public health chosen for this mission, not a single one declined. they all stepped forward. that with all the headlines and all the news, people are scared. i know ebola is concerning. but the reason i am so proud of this country is