>> he is probably the most important political figure in wisconsin history. one of the most important in the of the 20th century. hewas a reforming governor defined the term progressivism. he was a united states senator recognized by his peers in the 1950's as on of the five greatest senators. he was an opponent of world war i, stood his ground advocating for free speech. above all he was about the people. after the civil war america changed radically from a nation of small farmers and small producers and small manufacturers and by the 1880's

and 1890's we had concentrations ,f wealth, we had inequality and we had concern about the influence of money in government . we spent the better part of the 1890's giving speeches all over wisconsin. if you were not a speaker for your club or your group, he would give the speech. he went to county fairs, to every kind of event that you could imagine and he built a reputation for himself. by 1900 he was ready to run for governor. advocating on behalf of the people. he had two issues. primary.he direct no more selecting candidates for the convention. two, stock interests. >> watch all of our events for madison next saturday at noon eastern.

>> coming up next to british prime minister, david cameron, takes questions from members of the house of congress -- house of commons. later a discussion of how governing might be done between president obama and the incumbent public and controlled congress. wednesday, in the british house of commons, david cameron opened question time but acknowledging who had justroops returned from afghanistan. the prime minister and ed miller band exchanged over u.k.-eu relations. questions focused on taxes, the national health services, and immigration. this is about 35 minutes. floore british house of commons. commons. >> order. questions to the prime minister.

>> number one. >> thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, was remembered today next week i'm sure the whole house will join me in remembering all those who sacrificed their lives defending our country and the freedoms that we hold dear. this time of year once again reminds us of the incredible jobs that our armed forces due to ensure our safety and security. with combat troops coming home from afghanistan we will all want to pay particular tribute to the 453 soldiers who lost their lives, and all those who were injured during this long camping. their sacrifice will never be forgotten. >> here, here. >> mr. speaker, this morning i had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others, and in addition to my duties in this house, i shall have further such meetings later today. >> have a first associate myself with the comments prime minister made as we approach remembrance weekend? we remember the contributions so we have made from all parts of the uk and our armed forces.

two weeks ago the prime minister said that -- [inaudible] the overnight use of the failed to purchase northern -- does he believe it is in the public and national interest for the enforcement strategic -- to be sold? >> first of all let me agree with the honorable gentleman that its discipline was as happened and we will continue to work with the company concern and try to find employment opportunities for all those who work there. in terms of the stupid, it was her 90 people, it is an integral part. we took support in the budget to support heavy industry and we're working with them and with the scottish government. they say they're taking this on as a going concern. they started their due diligence. i think the right thing to do is work with them to try to make sure that the plans are to

maintain bad company. what we need over all is a situation in this country when we continue to see the steel industry grow as it has been growing under this government. >> on behalf of my constituents, and i offer my sympathy to the families of those killed and to those injured in the tragic factory fire in stafford last week and also praise the wonderful response of emergency services. uk exports to countries outside the european union have got up a remarkable 22% in the last three years, including transformers, generators and financial services i.t. systems from my own constituency. could the prime minister look at -- uk exports finance and whether this could be increased, particularly for medium enterprises the? >> first of all let me join my honorable friend and offered condolences to the families of those killed in what happened in

stafford and we must get to the bottom of exactly how that fire started. in terms of supporting exporting companies this is an important part of our long-term economic plan which is to make sure we get more small and medium-sized companies exporting. what we've done as he will know is that we've increased the budget of uk exports finance, maybe they will export contracts worth over 1 billion pounds and we will continue to work with us companies including through the great campaign which is opening up new markets for british products to make sure moreover, companies choose to export. >> ed miliband. >> [shouting] >> try to let me join the prime minister recognizing the words of remembrance sunday. this year has particular significance, the year our withdrawal from a distant and, of course, 100 years since the start of the first world war. this is a moment to remember all those who lost their lives in war and anyone who serve our country. that is why we will all be

wearing our poppies with particular pride this year. thank you, mrhe's got to get 27o agree with them. how many has he got so far? >> what we have is, we want to sort out in your, we want to sort out safeguards for the single market. we want to get out of ever closer union. we won't reform of immigration. but here's the difference. we have a plan. he has no plan. [shouting] >> and we have a plan which will be put to the british people in an in-out referendum. perhaps he can tell us when he gets to his feet why is he frightened of the british public? [shouting] >> mr. speaker, my position on the referendum is exactly the same as his was before he lost control of his party. [shouting] now i think we can take it from the answer to that question that

is edge is none, he has no allies. he says his admiration for angela merkel is enormous. after the last couple of days we can see the feeling is mutual, mr. speaker. if it's going so swimmingly, why do you think chancellor merkel has already rejected his proposal? >> on that is completely wrong as well. she herself this is our problems in terms of free movement that needs to be dealt with but he talks about support for european referendum. perhaps you would like to address this. the former chancellor of the exchequer who has decided to leave the house of commons, yes, about the only person on the labour bench who at any economic credibility has said that the european referendum is inevitable. he says on the quote it's a boiled that has to be lanced. if it's inevitable, why is the right audible children so frightened of the british public? >> mr. speaker, we know -- it's his divided party, mr. speaker. you should listen to what his

own mps are saying. the honorable member, the one who hasn't effected yet, he says vague promises will not work. they know his renegotiation is going nowhere. now two years ago, trying to the prime minister giving in to get to "the daily telegraph" and this is what it said and i quote, mr. cameron will not count on leaving the eu and says he would never campaign for an out vote in eu referendum. is that still his position to? >> i think britain is better off in reform european union. but the point is this. i have a plan for renegotiating our referendum and holding a referendum. he has got absolutely no plan whatsoever. he talks about, mr. speaker, he talks about the views of backbenchers. i've got the new view of one of his front benchers. this is the shadow deputy leader

oof the house, and they are goig to put on the front bench who said this, and i'm sure the house will be interested. the labour party right now is in the dreadful position. [shouting] he's been -- the honorable member, he's been silent for too long. he goes on turkey goes on, we've got to be honest about ourselves. we have very low esteem with the electorate. the electorate looks at us and is going to what our policies are. he says, he concludes, we are -- that's not the view of the common. it's not the view of the backbenchers but it's a biggie of the front benchers but it's official. it's a dead parrot. [shouting] >> let's talk about his party. defection from rebellions, that's before -- [shouting] and everyone will have heard, everyone will avert -- >> the leader of the opposite

must be heard, however long it will take. that will happen. people making those should calm themselves. ed miliband. >> andy bean edge of this fundamental question that matters to business and families. he used to say he would never be for leaving european union. that was his position two years ago. all i'm asking him, i want to say in your opinion. he can't even answer the question. that was his position been. i will just ask him to repeat the same words as he is then that he would never campaign to leave the european union. yes or no? >> what is -- i want britain to stay and reformed european union. but we need the reform. we have a plan. he has no plan. we set it's time to get out. what did they say? nothing. we say you've got to safeguard the single market. what did they say? nothing. we say the got reform immigration but what do they say? nothing. absolutely feeble.

that's why, that's why, mr. speaker, he faces a crisis in his leadership because he's got nothing to say about the deficit, nothing to say about the economy, nothing to say about welfare and nothing to say about europe. and the whole country can see they have a nothing leader in the opposition. [shouting] >> i do have to say there's no point giving us the speech. elastomer tried that he lost 26 votes to to me. that's his leadership. everyone will avert his weasel words. he won't be straight with the backbenchers and he won't be straight with the british people. he had a referendum and his position was crystal clear. he was for no. at a referendum on scotland and his position was crystal clear, no. he wants a referendum on the eu. know it's, no putts. dc-4 in or is he for out a? >> he's asking me about a referendum that he will support.

the labour party is so chicken when it comes to trusting the british people. to completely unbelievable position. we say renegotiate come hold a referendum. the british people make their choice. he won't even support a referendum. now, he also says we should listen to backbenchers. maybe you should try listening to the honorable member for dudley north who on immigration said this. on immigration said this conflict be honest about it. if you make a mistake you should say sorry. so let me ask them again. why won't you have a referendum, and we'll apologize for the mess on immigration? >> mr. speaker, british business will be holding their heads in the hands about prime minister who cannot say he wants to stay in the european union. is renegotiates is going nowhere. he is caught between his backbenchers want to lead our national interest the demands we stay. that's what on europe he dare

say yesterday just say no. he is a don't know prime minister. [shouting] >> i'm afraid, mr. speaker, this is what happens if you write your question before you listen to the answer. i couldn't be more clear. i want britain tuesday and reformed european union. and unlike the party opposite we have a plan to get that reform and hold the referendum. but mr. speaker, this comes at the end of the week when the last labour chancellor has said the tories all right over a referendum. it comes at the end of the week when the shadow deputy leader of the house has said labour isn't a dreadful position. and it comes at the end of the week when even john prescott has said they've got a problem that the cake unique in english. that is the case. [laughter] that's it. when you get a lecture from john prescott on english-language you are really in trouble. everyone can see. a leader in crisis, a party with nowhere to go. [shouting]

>> thank you. thank you, mr. speaker. me i ask the prime minister a sensible question. [laughter] does he welcome the fact that the first time ever all those authorities and businesses in somerset have reached agreement on the improvements necessary to upgrade our transport infrastructure? will my honorable friend agree to meet with a small delegation from the financial so we can discuss this proposal and for him to help us put in place a long-term connectivity plan? >> i'm very happy to have that meeting with my right on working and i think he's right about the need to upgrade a transport to the southwest. that's why we been carrying out the rail study but even before that we spent over 31 million pounds on important rail improvements and a number of road improvements.

our roads program includes major and important work for the southwest but happy to hold that meeting. >> today's house select committee report on mental health services for children and young people describe how budgets have been frozen or cut, services are being closed and young people are being sent hundreds of miles away from their families or kept in police cells because there are no beds this is what the prime minister means speak with what else is this whole series of steps we have taken and difficult economic circumstances of which the first is parity is teen in nhs constitution. we are seeing a big expansion of talking therapies that were not a double under the last government. we've introduced for the first time a waiting time standard for young people with psychosis, and whittington stared at ever existed under the previous labour government and for the first time we have a minister with a dedicated responsibly her child and adolescent mental health services.

now, of course, there's much more that needs to be done. the debate on a mental health services are very great but these are steps not previously taken by previous governments and it's because we put the money in an because we made important reforms to get rid of bureaucracy. but all of these things only possible if you have a strong economy backing a strong nhs. >> mr. speaker, on saturday the fountains of trafalgar square were lit purple to raise awareness for cancer. can ask the prime minister to look very carefully a report produced last week with the support of cancer uk calling for more research into the dreadful disease before it becomes britain's fourth biggest killer in terms of cancer of? >> well, i pay tribute to my audible turn and the group for the work it does and and now

close this issue is to his heart and how much he feels this personally. the difficult situation here is that the one your survivor and for those diagnosed with pancreatic cancer is run 20% and the five year survival rate is only 5%. so it is not good enough. what we're doing is spending more money on research, investing record 800 million pounds over five years in a series of research centers including the liverpool pancreatic research and. what we need is the research to go in and for these new treatments to be properly tested so we can improve the cancers survival rate here as well for other cancers. >> thank you, mr. speaker. four weeks ago a 150 your industry and my district lost nine of jobs committed public of 32000 jobs in the united kingdom. will the prime minister to agree to meet with me and industry leaders to see if we can find a strategy and a way of keeping

some of those jobs in northern ireland? >> i'm happy to discuss this with the honorable gentleman, perhaps on a forthcoming visit to northern ireland we might double to meet and discuss these issues. i think the issue the first is also the plain paper packaging issue by do want us to see us make progress but i think are important health benefits you but happy to discuss the issue with him. >> mr. speaker, my right honorable friend may be aware that my constituent granddaughter died of a dreadful disease meningitis b. 30 babies diagnosed a year, much more worrying, 300 babies are severely maimed. indeed, the babies in bristol at the moment is facing amputation. there is a license unsafe vaccine available. the issue is caused. will my right honorable friend please into being to see what can be done to resolve the? >> i'm very grateful with my honorable friend for bringing this up. i am keen to help if i can.

if we were able to introduce a vaccine i think would be the first country in the world to bring any vaccine nationally but as he says the our issues and that's what following advice from the joint committee on vaccination and demonization were having discussion with the producer of this vaccine to see if we can find a cost-effective way of doing this. but the case that he praises the many other heartbreaking cases show how desirable it is to make progress on this issue. >> people in devon face been denied operations if they are overweight or smokers as well as a loss of all fertility treatment, cataract operations restricted to just one icon and the closure of the walk and senate because of the unprecedented financial crisis facing my local nhs. does he still think is massive and costly reorganization has been a success? >> what we did it by reducing the bureaucracy in the nhs is save 5 billion pounds in this parliament, and that is why nationally there are over 8000

more doctors and two and a thousand more nurses. we've only been able to do that because there are 20,000 fewer administrators in the nhs. those are the figures. you may shake his head. in terms of his local clinical commissioning group it is getting an 18 million-pound cash increase in the next year and it will also get an additional 19 million pounds through the better care fund. so locally there should be improvements in services rather than the picture he paints. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i'm concerned the criteria for exams of religious studies have yet to be published by the department of education to the whole book is in number 10. can be prime minister confirm this is not the case and that they will be public very soon? >> i will look carefully at the issue that he raises. it is important to get this issue of how religious education is carried out right. if there is a blockage in my

office i will make sure that i -- i may, i will make sure i go into -- and get rid of it. >> at his party conference, the prime minister promised that if reelected he would cut income tax by seven-point bounce. that money has got to come from somewhere. so just how big an increase in vat has he got in mind that this can't? >> what i was a to the right a bullet is where demonstrated in this apartment that if you manage the economy probably it is possible to reduce spending to reduce the deficit and reduce taxes at the same time but that's exactly what we have done during this parliament we've taken the personal allowance, the amount you can earn before paying income tax to 10,500 pounds. i know the later par be -- labour party don't want to hear good news but people are paying less income tax under this

government and we've taken 3 million people out of income tax altogether. and if reelected we want to raise to 12,500 pounds the nutty buddy that people can earn before they start paying income tax. wide we want to do this? because i decided as we think people should have more of their own money to spend as they choose. >> thank you, mr. speaker yesterday's announcement by royals -- rolls-royce will devastate people and to damage a national engine skills base. will my right honorable friend meet me an employer were of rolls-royce to see if we can minimize the effect of this by finding alternative engineering jobs and to preserve our vital in getting expertise? can he reassure my constituents that he will continue to champion our defense export manufacturing? >> i can service your my audible but i'll do everything again to

champion companies like rolls-royce whether civil aerospace or in defense aerospace, i try to take what is meant a bike trade missions as possible because they are world-class were leaving company. it's disappointing they plan to reduce the number of people they employ but it's not yet clear how many of those job reductions will be here in the uk. of course, rolls-royce employs over 25,000 people here in uk. if we look at what's happened to the aerospace industry, over the last four years employment is up by 10%, exports are up by 48%, turnover is up by one-fifth. this is a successful industry that is being backed by our modern international strategy but when he did after the weekend to make sure his company and others like it continued to succeed in the years ahead. >> in 2010, there were 127 full-time equivalent gps. at the last count it had 97 come and so my constituents were waiting up to two weeks for an appointment.

[inaudible] a result of deliberate policy of is it just carelessness a? >> what i would say first of all there are thousands more gps across the country today than they were in 2010. if she wants to know what has happened in war intent under this government, when i became prime minister there were 130 people who were waiting a year for operation. today that number is zero. that is what's happened under this government. now, because we're making the money available, it is possible to have more gps coming into your area alongside the thousand we've already introduced. [shouting] >> at a time of economic crisis it was the stability of the coalition that has helped us build a stronger economy. does the prime minister agreed that in creating a more fair society can any further rise in attacks of violence should not be done on the backs of the

poor? >> what i say to the honorable, honorable friend is it has been possible in this parliament to raise the personal allowance to take some of the poorest people out of tax, 3 million people out of tax, and tax cuts for 26 million people at the same time as making decisions that are fair for all, like for instance, making sure the nhs gets an extra 1,227,000,000,000 pounds. of course, you do have to make difficult decisions and some of the difficult decisions we have made have been looking at things like a home office budget with the police are being far more efficient than they were and making changes to welfare each and everyone which has been opposed by the party opposite. the fact is the few manage the national finances carefully, get our economy to grow properly and ignore the shadow chancellor who nearly bankrupted the country, you can do these things togeth together. >> mr. speaker, after reading yesterday's front page of the times can do welcome the prime minister's late conversion to id cards and even if they are for

now virtual and without labour's biometric functionality? if the prime minister intends to keep his promise to keep our borders safe and secure, can he tell the house when the system will be in place and why it has taken him so long? >> a very interesting government that labour are now back in favor of id cards. i thought they'd even seen the folly of their ways. what we're introducing is proper border checks so we can count people in and count people out, something that was never available under labour. sadly they -- something help to get rid of and making sure we know more about those who are coming and when they left. spin my friend will recall our support for the cutting of libyan troops in my constituency. does he share my concern that the program failed to maintain discipline and the consequences of that were very serious in my local community? will he undertake the ministry

of defence will get my constituents a full accounting for the failures in the delivery of this program? we also agreed the libyan soldiers should not be repatriated to libya? and there's no basis for any of them to seek or receive asylum in this country? >> i agree with my right honorable friend on every front. what has happened in cambridgeshire is completely unacceptable. these are criminal actions of asked the chief of the defense staff to report into this but a decision was taken which ushered on the 20th of october to end this training altogether. the trainees will be returning to live in the coming days and in the meantime all unescorted visits from the camp have been stopped altogether. >> thank you, mr. speaker. which does the prime minister belief is more immoral? raising vat to 20%, or concealing the intention to do so? >> i will tell you what is immoral and that his writing of debt for our children that

you're not prepared to pay for yourself. that is what we inherited. we inherited the biggest budget deficit of any country anywhere in the world. that is the immoral inheritance we received in the labour party. to is the prime minister aware that the region with the most text started outside of london and the fastest growth in private sector business over the last quarter and highs rising value of exports is northeast of england? and see if we with me we should stick to the long-term economic plan so we all have the benefit of? >> honorable friend makes an important point, and it is notable that when we look at things like small business creation, exports investment, the growth is coming from around the country including the northeast and that is a huge contrast under 13 years of labour. our economy for every 10 jobs created in the south, they only

created one in the north. that is the record. that is the record of the last labour government. what we need to do is increase entrepreneurialism and startups in every part of our country. that's what startup loans are doing what the enterprise allowance is doing. there's a new spirit of enterprise in britain and this government is backing it. >> thank you, mr. speaker. in 2012 my constituents died whilst on the world challenge trip to morocco. he was 17. the corner was so concerned of the multiple failings -- to prevent future deaths. to our british safety standards but these are entirely voluntary. why is this not compulsory some the other parent have to suffer a? >> what i would like to do is look very carefully at the case the honorable lady mentioned and write to her about it. this is important. making sure safety standards are

upheld and trying to prevent tragedies like the one she refers to. >> it's been right to push 490% available in of broadband by next year and universal basic broadband service. but is the prime minister aware that these targets to be missed even in urban areas? will be asked ministers to make sure local delivery matches the governments ambition? >> i will survey do that. we review very regularly their performance of the broadband market because it is essential, particularly for rural areas if you left off superfast broadband it's much were difficult to take part in the market economy. i think the progress has been very, very good pickup is made a difference now the british telecom are prepared to publish all the areas that are not yet covers or other companies can come in and see what they are able to provide. we are making available broadband vouchers for small businesses which are very successful and we can look to see whether we can expand that. i'm convinced spreading broadband right around the

country is one of the most important priorities for this government. >> since the prime minister likes to bang on about labour spin the, is he aware -- [shouting] >> is he aware that in labour's 11 years before they crashed into thousand eight, the biggest deficit was 3.3% of gdp, what as the labour government racked up the deficit better than that? so who is the over spender if it's a no-brainer? >> there's only one problem with what they write audible state which is the deficit they left and we inherited was 11.5% of gdp. it was bigger than almost any other countries anywhere in the world. if you don't believe me you can

listen to your island shadow chancellor. he said this, i think the fact of the massive global financial crisis which happened on our watch been that people -- i don't think we have industry with people if we only said it was a financial crisis. it was also after 13 is in government we made some mistakes. there we have it. some mistakes but you but there were mistakes to overspend taken over barwick of overtaxing, wasteful welfare, bloated expenditure, a complete and utter failure and its extraordinary they are still sitting there on the front bench. >> the prime minister will be aware that millions of people -- design and commissioned by paul cummings. we congratulate those who make it and hundreds and hundreds of volunteers who have helped to plant them in derby to commemorate this very important

-- >> i certainly join my honorable friend in praising all those involved in this extraordinary project which has i think brought all from the bridge public a huge amount of reverence for those of given their lives and served our country. the numbers going to see this display have been truly extraordinary and it is worth remembering that as of this but a lot of good will, because us understand the poppies are being auctioned to charities and all the money for military and veterans charities will actually be there to do good in many years to come. it's an extraordinary play, one that country can be very proud of. >> in the last 12 months it is estimated that 24,000 people have died from diabetes related complications. next friday is world diabetes day. as one of the 3.2 million diabetics, cannot urge the prime minister to do all he can to raise awareness on this issue? in particular to introduce measures that will reduce the amount of sugar in our food and

drink? we can prevent the onset of type two diabetes and we can save lives. >> i think the right honorable gentleman is right to resume fourth of this issue. the consequences of diabetes in terms of leg amputation's cost the nhs livery billion billionsf pounds a year and that we can get better at preventing diabetes, and in testing and helping diabetics themselves better, we can make huge savings while improving people's quality of life. i doubt he also wants me to try and ban sugar and fizzy drinks in downtown for 24 hours but i will try to negotiate that with much of the he also wants a two light my home blue which is something i am in favor of in keeping in that for some time to come. >> hs three under improvements to rail connectivity in the northwest are important that the recent parliamentary approval

given to the development and northern lincolnshire and besides imports of connections on the south train. can my right honorable friend assure me that my constituency will figure it in future proposals to improve connectivity so the very can benefit from the benefits of the government's long-term economic plan? >> i concern assure my honorable friend that we're looking at all the elements of east-west conductivity and trying to make sure that we bring the benefits of faster journey times and greater capacity and electrification to all parts of the country, and under the chancellor was listening very carefully to the statement that he made. "question time airs live on c-span 2 every weekday at 17 eastern and again on sunday

ghts at 9:00 a.m. eastern on c-span. you can find prime minister and other british public affairs programs on c-span. >> monday night on "the communicators," christopher yu, professor at the university of pennsylvania law school -- >> the people who oppose privatization should take a look at the internet, the i.p.b. foreheader, which is the guts, the magic that makes the internet work. different service classes. low lateen si services. different forms of privatization, that was designed in the internet from the gwynning. when we redesigned the internet for i.p.b. six, they not only kept that fuel, they added

another fuel called label fuel to do another privatization service. if you look at the designs that suggest that privatization was never intended tobe allowed, ainge little engineering knowledge goes a long way. it's a design feature of the network from the beginning and people are using the network today to deliver, for example, voices. i.p.-based mpletely voice servicer phone is known as votey. and a lot of video and other things work the same way. >> monday night at 8:00 eastern on "the communicators" on c-span 2. >> up next, former congressmen talk about the midterm election results, plus a discussion on how governing might be done between president obama and the incoming republican-controlled

congress. and later, a look at the election results for the house and senate. the national law journal had its day after the election conference in washington, d.c. on wednesday examining the voting results and their likely impact on congress. speakers include former senators olimpa snowe and bob bennett and former congressmen martin frost. this is about 45 minutes. >> thanks, everyone for being here. the first thing we want to discuss, the question of whether the next congress will be able to govern any better than the current one. the 113th congress has been historically unproductive, has

gotten very little done. both smaller things that have to get done and bigger, more ambitious things. the big question after last night, will this new congress more likely to come together and agree on things and get the president to sign them or less likely than the current asflimet senator snowe i'd be curious to get your thoughts. >> thank you. i think most certainly the message should have been heard in this election because it was certainly a broad and sweeping repudiation to have status quo of the dysfunction in the senate, of the presidential leadership and policies. and showed across the country, people are fearful of the political paralysis that exists in washington. so i think it's abundantly clear that congress is going to have to move forward and learn how to slate and govern.

so move from messaging to slating and goverpbt government made by compromise and bipartisan. i believe the senator mitch mcconnell underscored it last night in his own speech but also in a speech that he delivered earlier in the senate this year, where he outlined how they wanted to restore the senate to what it was intended to do, which was to govern, to deliberate, to consider legislative initiative, to be robust debates on policies. have the committees considering legislation mocking it up, reporting it to the floor and also engaging the rank and file in the united states senate on the broad issues that face this country. so it's returning to the senate to its original purpose and founding, and i believe that that is going to be his underlying objective moving forward. >> and does that mean that the house and senate republicans

will be coming together themselves on things and sending them to obama and seeing what he'll do or do you think they'll be willing to pre-agree with the white house and work out things ahead of time? >> later this week when the president will meet with the bipartisan leadership, hopefully that is the first step in the process. both the president and congress have to work together. to develop compatibility on the issues that mean to this country and synchronize that agenda. obviously there are going to be areas where they differ. they have to find areas of common ground on critical issues to move this country forward most especially when it comes to the economy and also on the budget. so i think from that standpoint it would be prudent and wise both from the republican leadership and the president to be able to work in sync any on some of these critical issues. both in the lame duck, setting the tone, laying the groundwork

for the new congress and then with the new congress beginning, establishing those areas on which they agreement perhaps they can find some areas of common ground immediately, such as repealing the medical device tax, for example. threaten developing a budget to pave the way for tax reform and programs despite issues. >> there are two big issues that people constantly wonder if they're right for a big bipartisan agreement. immigration reform and tax reform. do last night's results make either deal more likely? >> first, if i can mention that former congressman tom davis and i have written a book about the issue of partisanship in congress. it's going to be out in january and you'll hear more about it at that time. you correctly identified the two toughest issue, which will be the real test of whether you

can have bipartisan cooperation. tax reform is a very difficult issue because you have a lot of special interests who have enter to both sides, to both parties and to try and resolve this issue will be a real test. immigration reform is a horribly complex issue. i often tell people that immigration reform makes social security reform look like a walk in the park, it is so difficult to come to grips with those two will be the issues of whether you can have a test of true bipartisan. i was in congress in 19 6 when you did have the last immigration bill passed. it wasn't perfect and took a long time to get it don't i think also, the role of the president is very important here. because hopefully president obama will see these last two years as the opportunity to build whatever legacy he has as a president and that he will

then want to work with the new rental leadership in congress but that's yet to be determined how successful that will be and one of the institutional problems you have is in the house of representatives you have so many safe districts where people in the district are either safely republican or safely democratic because of the way the lines are drawn and the institutional forces push people to the keepsles -- extremes in their own parties. republicans are worried about a collage from the far right. democrats worried about a challenge in the far left. people change their voting patterns because they are afraid they might lose the primary. that makes it more difficult in the center to compromise. the jury is out. we're all hopeful. we would like to see bipartisanship and cooperation but we can't tell you whether it's really going to happen. i think mitch mcconnell is a very able leader and i think

he'll want to try and get some things done. the question will be for him, just as john boehner has a similar question, how does he deal with the more extreme element in his own party, can he get them to be willing to join in this dialogue and do something that's constructive and we can't tell that yet. the extreme element, the tea party element did have a veto power over what john boehner could do in the last congress. but we're all hopeful. this is a new day. i remember the herb bloc cartoon when richard nixon was elected president in 1968 and he had a clean-shaven richard nixon sitting in a chair and said everybody should get a clean shave, everybody should start annoy and i think that's where we are right now and we'll see if, in fact, all these folks can work together. >> congressman, the idea that

the house republican majority has gotten bigger and the idea that a lot of tea-party aligned members are coming in gets a lot of press attention. but there are a lot of members who might be more sympathetic toward the mainstream partnership, the group you're affiliated with do those new members push boehner toward compromise? >> i think they do. i think if you look at syracuse and new york, and a couple of the other -- maine. you still have the tea party faction but you also have what you call pragmatists, people who want to govern and i think that's going to strengthen the speaker's hand moving forward. you're still going to have the hell-no caucus, the folks i affectionately refer to as chuckle heads. f youing -- can marge --

marginalize them. n boehner and mcconnell up traditionalists who can put together a package it's not that you have to have 218 votes out of the republican conference, but you have to have the majority of the republican congress, which is whatever, 120. if you put together 120 republicans with a like number of democrats and steny hoyer is a great deal-maker as well on the other side, you can get some of these things done. we'll see. i mean, the president has to dance. but if the president dances i think you can get a lot of stuff done. >> to follow up on that, the start of the last congress, boehner had a little bit of a scare. there were just a few members of his conference who wanted to vote for him for speaker. embarrassed him a little bit. do you see anything like that? >> you'll still see people show

up on opening day and say i think we can take him but i think the speaker's troops have sort of circled the wagons. if you look at boehner for speaker and these other leadership pacs. to the rebel rousers, they didn't get any money. also, the republican establishment did a very good job of making sure that normal people were nominated and when nuts, the minate skirls have nothing to eat and as a result, it was all about barack obama and his record rather than the nut running against in person or the nut running against this person. i think that helps both the speaker and mitch mcconnell. >> going back to the senate, you know mitch mcconnell well. he said if he became majority leader he would have a more open process, more free-wheeling debate that he

said harry reid did not allow. and the issue of what he'll do with reid's rules issues on nominees. will he revert to the old nominee rules or keep the current ones? >> i don't know what exactly he'll do with respect to the rules. do i know that he's deadly serious about returning to regular order. he made that speech almost a year before the election. i'm told from people who were in the conference that members of the congress, republicans and senators said mitch, if you do not do what you just promised to do, we'll replace you as leader. that is so essential to get the senate where it needs to be. one of the things that's been ignored, half of the senate is in their first term. you have half of the senators who have never seen legislation occur in their lives.

they've lived with continuing resolutions and am by -- omnibus bills and blocking of regular order. they've never attended a conference of any kind between the house and the senate. they don't understand how that's supposed to be done. they don't understand how amendments have been handled. when olympia and i were there, a bill was put on the floor, you had a string of amendments, which was always much too long. you spent your time it is a manager of the bill or managers because you had a republican manager and a democratic manager negotiating with all of the people who are offering the amendment saying will you please not offer that for the following reasons? or say, ok, we'll accept that and then between the two managers saying and we'll drop it in conference just so we can move ahead on this. you end up with about five or six important amendments that are raised on the floor,

debated, voted on, and then you take the bill to conference. half of the senate has never seen that activity take place. and mitch is determined to return to that kind of a world. and when you go back to that kind of a world and start to educate the people who have come in who think that all you do in the senate is make a speech and all of the legislation is cooked into the leader's office and then tucked in as a dropin to a must-pass c.r. or something of that kind so you as a senator have no input whatsoever on any legislation, the leered takes care of all of that. for all of the historical analysis with lyndon johnson and how powerful he was. lyndon johnson never had the kind of slitive power that harry -- legislative power that harry reid hasing a gated

within his office and his staff. and mitch is determined to change that. i think when that begins to happen, all kinds of good things will begin to happen. again, if you have two managers on the floor, republican and democrat, you have to get together. olympia's done it. she's managed on the floor as a republican. i've done it. you can't be mad at your democratic counterpart when you're trying to move a bill across the floor. all kinds of wonderful things begin to happen and that is mitch's number one goal. mitch has an enormous advantage that is not available to most senators. he knows he's not going to be president of the united states some day. [laughter] consequently, he will focus on the institution and making it work. one other thing -- if i were

advising him at this point, i of d say do this to get rid some of the difficulties that grip the senate and i think the house. eliminate the sequester. o back to the days when apro rators made decisions based on what needed to be done instead of being locked in the straitjacket of a sequester that says we're going to lower the spending across the board without regard to any needs. all we're thinking about is the top line number and we're going to force everything to that bent. if he can restore regular order and convince boehner to convince his troops, let's get rid of the sequester and go back to slating intelligently, i think it will be enormously powerful and i think it is the best thing the republicans could possibly do in

preparation for 2016 because in 2016, the question will be which party is capable of governing? and right now, the answer is neither one. and if the republicans, by controlling both houses of the congress and tamping down -- i loved your comment -- tamping down the chuckle heads, it can establish itself as the party that can win. i leave you with this one piece of history. i'm older than you are. yeah, i remember the clean shave for nicksen and so on. 1964. the analysis after 1964 was that the republican party was doomed. and it was only a question of how quickly a new party would be form told replace it because

of the tremendous sell lacking, to use president obama's word, the republicans had received in the 1964 election. four years later, the republicans won the presidency because of all to have difficulties that were there and the inability of the democrats to deal with their biggest problem, which was the vietnam war. so i don't think the republicans are doomed for the future. i don't think they're going to disappear, but if they're going to come back, they have to demonstrate that they can zpwoverpb that means in the congress, they have to demonstrate that they can slate and that it is mitch mcconnell's number one priority. >> congressman cramer, following up on what bennett said, i'm old enough to remember even when bills used to pass in order one by one and

each considered separately by each chamber. do you think that all-republican control of congress means we're going to go back to that? >> we'll see. i sure hope we'll go back to that. there's a tendency for each oaf us to look back at our service. iffles 18 years in the house of representatives and it seemed like an eternity. i was there when we had the blue dog coalition after the devastation of the 1984-1985 election cycle. i was fairly new then. i had a career-threatening night that night. looked around me and saw a lot of blood on the table. a lot of my colleagues, democrats around the south that were kicked out from their positions. we put that centrist coalition together because we wanted to work across the aisle and project that we were working legislators, that we were there not to carry party labels or leadership agendas or the president's agenda. the president then was bill

clinton and there was a reaction there, but to pick up the pieces and say we're serious about this we intended this to be a by partisan group that maybe we could have 10, 15 house dems come together with 0, 15 republicans. we had committee assignments and things that they threatened us with and i remember some interesting conversations about that they tried to dodge. but we did come together, unfortunately, as a democratic group but then i made it to the appropriations committee. a serious appropriator with serious issues that affected my district. getting those bills done was important to me. i know that senator mcconnell, shelby, the aproators over there that i know are serious about returning to the day when those bills could be passed,

the junk -- job can be accomplished and not done by c.r. next week we'll see. the dust will begin to settle. what harry reid's attitude now is coming off of this very bad night that the democrats had and how they begin to pick up the pieces there. but quickly, because i want to involve the audience in this too. we will see if the next two years -- the message of last night is translated by new members and members coming back from the trenches. this is the time to fight the president, this is the time to repeal obamacare, repeal obamacare. we have serious legislative issues that need to be addressed. the apro races process certainly but then you have a depth limit. can tax reform be addressed in a bipartisan way? i chair a board now called center forward. mainstream partnership and we

try to bring senate members across the aisle, house members s' the aisle together over specific topics to show what kind of give and take is going >> could i make one brief observation? we have had a six nation of ofakers -- succession speakers all who said they wanted to return to regular order and none who were able to do it. they decided they needed leadership bills. returning to regular order may be is possible in the senate. it is hard to do. with leaders of the house are not inclined to go to regular order. they are inclined to have a strong speakership and have a top-down operation.