>> president obama's nominee to be next attorney general goals of four the senate for a hearing this week. >> potential 2016 presidential contender jeb bush gave a preview of some of the issues that his campaign might focus on. he was in san francisco last week at the national automobile dealers association convention. he gave a speech and took some questions for about an hour. [applause] >> thank you. thank you for that great introduction. since i've been here, a lot of members have asked how my family is doing. as i would give you a quick bush family update.

my mom and dad are doing well. my dad, as you know, is 90. mom is 89. they just celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary. [applause] i told my mom __ this is a true, by __ but i told her that they would be the longest lasting marriage first couple in american history. the problem is, the carters aare quite healthy, and at two years behind them. i'm encouraging mom and dad to live well and healthy. you might've seen my dad on his birthday jumped out of a helicopter. once again, proving that it __ age doesn't matter.

for all due respect to people who have great dad, i'm the greatest father in the world. a lot of people ask about my brother. he has been kind of out of the limelight. since you asked, marvin is doing spectacularly well. george and laura are doing well. he has become a painter. who would've thought? he's actually really good at it because he's a person of incredible determination. like many of you in this room, when he set the goal, he worked hard to achieve it. i admire the fact that he is self_restraint. something that would be hard for me to do. i think it's the really respectful of his successor and has not been out on the television. it might be tough for him to do that, i don't know.

i respect the fact that as the former, he has allowed the president to serve. it is a noble tradition and i hope continues in the country. i love my brother and i love his service to the country. my son george just got elected to the state office in texas __ state land commissioner. he got the highest percentage of anyone running for state office. i'm very proud of him. the other thing i say about the bush family is my dreams came true __ i have three grandchildren and one on the way. they are all spectacular. they are the joys of my life. every sunday, we get to have sunday fun day with our granddaughters. i have a blessed life. i understand i'm not the first

bush to seek to this group. i'm also not the second. or even third. i'm really glad he didn't skip over me an invite george p. to speak today. other than grandkids, there's something else i'm actively involved in. i set up a leadership pac. i did this to play an active role in supporting individuals who i believe are stored, or focus on restoring, the promise of fair and free opportunity in america. you did not come here for political ads and you will not get one. in your textbook is very safe here today as well. i do want to speak about the urgency of this cause and why am willing to learn my voice and efforts. while i've traveled around, i sense that americans are frustrated. we are in the sixth year of recovery and 60% of americans still think that we're in a recession.

they are not dumb. they are still in a recession. portfolios are strong, but paychecks are weak. millions of americans want to move forward in life, rise, but they are losing hope. family formation rate is at an all_time low. far from spreading opportunity, our government now gets in the way each and every day. another law, and other tax, another fee, and other regulation. it all stands in the way of a new business, new invention, and most importantly, income for american families. the great stories ever told here today of successful dealerships __ it's harder today to do exactly what you have done to achieve current success. we've created a complicated

society, and today in america, fewer and fewer people are rising up. i know you know what i mean because your industry has to deal with this. your industry deals with costs that are passed on to buyers. those costs of regulation could have gone for higher paid to allow people higher income, or they could have gone to create jobs. sadly, these are the rules on dealer financing. they went forward with the rule without a public hearing and without knowing how would work. the worst part of this is that unelected bureaucrats have more power than congress in this case who are trying to repeal this rule. [applause]

every day, americans don't seem leadership or dull conversation about this nation's problems. we should be promoting policies which help america move up the income ladder based on merit, hard work, and earn success. those policy should tear down the ceilings above people's aspirations. it is time to challenge every aspect of how government works __ how taxes, regulates __ in order to open up economic opportunity for all. two achieve current success, americans need to have the skills to do so. this means fixing our tired education system. in spite of the fact that we are in the fifth yearof recovery, and in the deepest downturn since the recession, throughout this entire time, there have been three and 1 million jobs unfilled because of the skills gap that exists in this country. we need to re_instill american

leadership in the world. most of all, i want to affirm that whoever leads must do so with faith in america's future, with recognition every citizen is a gift that can make a contribution and the our best days are ahead. i truly believe that this great nation is on the precipice of the best time to be alive in america. we need to begin to fix a few complicated things to allow some people to rise up. growth has made it possible for medium family incomes to grow each and every year. we have a stable and growing middle class. standards of living were rising for all americans.

opportunity for business as was the norm. in spite of the last few months which had been good economic news, the new normal is one and a half to 2% of gross. the challenge of that, if we grow at that rate __ kind of the european economic model __ we will not build to build capacity for people to realize their dreams as they see fit. if we were to grow at 2% more per year on top of the new expectations, we would create a germany of additional economic opportunity within the 10th year. no amount of exotic forms of taxation proposed by our present them or the progressives in this country comes close.

how do we create an additional germany? we need to reform our health care system. obamacare is clearly a job killer. we need to invest in the long_term things. [applause] we need to invest in infrastructure and research and development. the next generations of technology and innovation will allow the united states to continue to grow at a faster rate that we are now. ultimately, that means reforming the entitlement system. these costs will overwhelm our country. all of these things, and other things that are important to do to improve the business climate will require a climate of consistence and compromise. in addition to those, i've three suggestions.

since this is not a partisan political crowd, i'm trying to figure out things that i can talk about their not necessarily political, but couldn't help but sustain economic growth over the long haul. we need a patriotic energy model. we need an economically driven __ we need to fix our broken immigration system and make it an economically driven one. finally, we need to transform our education system. as i was on the horizon, i see great social drains if we do not get education right. on energy, we are the most energy abundant country in the world. we have over 100 years supply

of natural gas, billions of barrels of reserve oil. we are the source of conservation and development of renewable. yet last year, $300 billion left our country to empower countries that make it more difficult for foreign policy to be obtained. in great news, the united states is fastly becoming the largest producer of oil and gas in the world. [applause] we can be energy secure with north american resources and american innovation. the most transformative innovation over the last generation of time beyond the commercialization of the internet has been the combination to existing technologies.

applied together, horizontal drilling and fracking has created a revolution. for some of you, you know exactly what i mean. billions of dollars invested in our own country. job significantly higher than the medium of the country being created every day. the problem is __ this is not cool on the coast. if you walk outside, you might get a protester. on the east coast, the same thing. it's cool places like north dakota, west texas and south texas. it's cool because it creates significant economic opportunity. notwithstanding the lack of coolness, this revolution allows us to industrialize our country.

it will lessen our green house gas emissions is more power it can be powered by natural gas. it will save consumers billions of dollars in utility bills and dollars at the gas pump. the revolution is creating hundreds of thousands of jobs and hundreds of billions of dollars of investment in our country. it diminishes the need to have a heavy footprint around the world where our foreign policy can be a force for good __ our foreign_policy should be about the strategic interest of this country, not the fact that we are not secure with energy. what should we do? the first thing is to approve the xl pipeline. [applause] washington should not try to regulate hydraulic fracking.

it should be done reasonably and thoughtfully, but not done with the intent of paralyzing environment. we should open up federal land and federal water for the purpose of energy security. our objective should be energy security with canada and mexico to allow us to grow and prosper. we should grow out the interstate system that would allow the use of natural gas for trucking. the cheapest energy that we get is the energy that we do not use. finally, we should let market forces decide where to invest. we should not resort to government sponsored venture capital. that is an oxymoron in a complete disaster. a real strategy could get us 1% of additional growth over the long call.

the second big opportunity for country is to recognize our immigration system is broken. we need to fix it and switch it to an economic driver. democracy is destiny. slow growing developing countries for the last few decades have struggled with lower fertility rates. europe, russia, and now china are feeling the impact of its one child policy. now, for the first time our fertility rate stands below even. we have this challenge of people like me getting older every day. our demographic pyramid is like this __ this will choke off long_term economic growth.

in other parts the world where immigration is a serious problem, we have a history of allowing people to come and illegally. no country can do this like america. our national identity is not based on race or some sort of exclusion i believe. historically, the unwritten contract has been commonly lead to our country, embrace our values, learn english, work, and you can be as american as anyone else. [applause] immigrants are an engine of economic vitality. according to a magazine, immigrants make two times the amount of businesses. they have hired first time homeowners rates.

in areas where there are large immigrant communities, you also know that they buy a lot of cars. there are many jobs unfilled that could be filled by illegal immigrants in create economic growth for all of us. here is what we need to do. we need to control our border. not just at the border, which is important, but also __ many people came here overstayed their visa __ we should find out where they are and ask them to leave. we need to use state and local law enforcement to make this done effectively and in a compassionate way. we need to use e_verify. we need to move to an economic

growth driven system. that means we moved back to what every other country has __ spouse and minor children as the petitioning part of the family, and not use siblings and adult parent. this crowds out economic immigrants in ways that people do not realize. if we narrow them, we could create significant economic activity for the country. it would be like we were the tennessee titans. we would be the owner of the tennessee titans and we would get the first 400,000 draft picks. we would get to do it each and every year. we would get the dreamers, investors, hard_working people who signed this unwritten

contract in order to pursue their dreams in this country. it would be a catalytic converter for growth in our country. finally, we need to find a path to legalize status for those who have come here and have languished in the shadows. no one is suggesting an organized effort to support them. we need to find a way where they pay fines, learn english, work, and get in the back of the line, but come out of the shadows to have the full productivity to be part of economic growth. the final thing __ if we are going to be successful as a nation, we need to embrace shared values that have made us unique and exceptional. today in america, i have doubts that all americans believe in the same set of values. if we are to be successful in

assimilating immigrants, we need to have a shared set of values. all across this country, we need to restore a sense of heritage and history, and why it is so important to be america. nothing would stop america if we did that. [applause] i'm not an economist, by i believe if we were to get those things right, the pessimism in this country would subside immediately. people we begin to take more risk on behalf of themselves and their family. there's one thing that we need to do to sustain us over the long cold. that is to ensure that when a child is born in this country, they have the god_given __ and they have the god_given desire

to learn, they have the chance to do so. children are left behind. with innovation exploding into our lives, and automation exploding, we are seeing increasing numbers of people who did not even have the skill to get their first job. yet, we sspend more on students than anywhere else in the world, with the exception of a couple of small countries. you have one quarter of all students taking off for elements of the act test, only one for past all four elements. universities struggle with students who do not have the skills to start taking college_level work. this is a huge challenge. there's no one watching the streets for those left behind.

i think this should be a national calling. a great nation like america needs to make sure that people have skills to rise up. when that does not happen, people feel disaffected and that the system does not work for them. we need to transform a system that is organized. in florida, we started on this journey. we challenge the status quo in this regard. we did some crazy things, like grade school a,b,c,d, f.

the net result was that every kid battered. there were rewards for a's. we start seeing rising student achievement. we eliminate social promotion in third grade. this insidious idea that self_esteem is more important than learning to read. that is what we have in america today. [applause] the tragedy of that is heartbreaking. think of it. if you cannot read going into fourth grade, he will not appeal to acquire knowledge. yet, we've done this generation after generation. too many young people __ the gaps grow and people fall out. we cut in half the functional

illiteracy rate. in fact, florida fourth grade readers went from 29th to ssix in 10 years. and hispanics in florida do better than the california average. people tell me that it is impossible, that kids in poverty or kids in color cannot learn. challenge them. it is up to us to organize ourselves and our communities to make sure that they do learn. if we get that right across the board, nothing would stop the united states of america. [applause] i'll conclude with this __ we're starving for leadership in the public realm.

each and every one of you are leaders in your families, businesses, community. without leadership, you would not be as successful as you have been. for some odd reason, there is a dearth of leadership in the public sector today. it is important to have leaders because now people believe that the function __ dysfunction is permanent in washington. in times worse than this, the civil war, vietnam war, culture wars of the 60's, this is not the worst time to be alive as an american. public leadership can change this. effective leaders come in many forms and from both political parties. president kennedy led through vision and innovation.

lyndon johnson use forceful hands_on leadership that produced the most historic civil rights legislation in our country's history, and at 25% income tax cut. he did whatever it took to get the job done. what about ronald reagan? standard 10 kennedy called reagan a good friend and gracious foe. president reagan came into office with his focus on two evil empires __ the soviet union and the federal government. he brought down the former and range in the latter by doing something that today would be considered unthinkable. he embraced his adversaries.

he had a relationship with the speaker of the house. that relationship created the possibility of saving social security, and meaningful tax reductions. democrats and republicans forge consensus and put aside the pettiness of the fight and focus on broader interests. i think that is hugely important. two people can disagree, but if they are motivated by good intentions and sincere beliefs, they can find accommodation. or how about my dad? managing the fall of the iron curtain. there were dangers as the soviet union was collapsing that it would become violent. the united states could have done a victory dance when the berlin wall fell. in fact, many people in the media were critical of my dad

to not go over and death on the wall with young berliners. my dad knew it would be the wrong thing to do. the collapse of the soviet union miraculously occurred with little bloodshed. the significant reason was because george wh bush did not do a victory dance. the unification of germany took place in spite of that because my dad but. we need that kind of leadership in washington today. leaders set goals beyond their comfort zones. leaders take responsibility when things do not work out. it is time for people to recognize responsibility. guess what __ we are not

perfect, we make mistakes. leaders show determinations and do not stop when there is a setback. leaders build on the success. when they succeed, they do not rub it in the faces of the critics. they look for the next way to build consensus for the next challenge. my passionate belief is that we are on the verge of the greatest time to be alive in this country. the amount of science will allow us to live longer than anyone imagined. the advancement of technology allows us to live life that people want decade ago could not have imagined. we have the capability of solving these problems. with leadership, we will solve these things.

when we do, it will be the greatest time to be alive as an american. i hope you join in the effort to transform our country so that our children and grandchildren will have the same opportunities that we had. god bless you. thank you. [applause] >> thank you very much for being here. >> i'm a little nervous. this is not the kind economy is to. >> a lot of people. more than we expected. governor, he formed an exploratory committee. the media is here. there are over 4000 people out there.

let's just get the toughest question right out of the way right now. [applause] what's your favorite car? >> i just bought a ford fusion. [applause] for the record, this is what you call a __ i'm excited, i love the car. for the record, i do drive. just to let everyone know. by travel so much, i don't get to use it so much. what i'm going to do is __ i'm going to this dealership so that i can get my course on technology. it should be easier. >> i would recommend you don't get a speeding ticket by the way. governor, there are 17,000 franchise dealers in this

country and they have 1 million employees. they would love to hear you make a big announcement on where you're going to be on on where you're going to be on january 17, 2017. >> i hope to be buying another car for my wife. any suggestions, my email address is jeb at jed.org. what days __ day is that anyway? i am seriously considering running. i set up a leadership pac. i feel like the next step of this. january 17 is just another day for me. understanding that you and mitt

have a secret meeting last week __ >> not so secret. >> can you tell me what you talked about? >> it was yesterday. i went to visit governor romney. i have enormous respect for him. the meeting was set up three months ago on slightly different circumstances. i was happy to continue to have the meeting. we talked about the patriots. we talked a little about politics. not as much as you might imagine. we touch of the future of the country. we talked about the need for more engaged foreign policy where the united states accepts world power status because it brings peace and stability to the world. when we pull back and consider ourselves to be a problem in the world, it creates more of a problem.

so is our top foreign_policy. we share similar view on that. i'm actually more interest in policy, so we talked about that. it was a good conversation. i respect him a lot. the awkward stuff about this, about running, was put aside. can i tell the rest of the story? >> absolutely. >> it was leaked to the "new york times" and then i was at the airport going to salt lake city, and there were literally three reporters that. i think you are going to the detroit auto show. another was there for a different reason. coincidentally, i ran in to reporters from cbs, nbc, and

the wall street journal. so, we're having this weird conversation. all of a sudden, i get overwhelmed by people asking for me to sign baseballs and pieces of paper. it turns out that this is the first day of the sundance film festival. all of these autograph hounds were there waiting for celebrities. i was locked by lake 50 people. but i got through it and it was a nice conversation. >> what is your vision for this country? >> i believe we are on the verge of restoring american greatness. it will require not just talking about it. not reacting to the overreach of this demonstration. but forging consensus on how we can create a more optimistic country by creating higher

sustained economic growth. and focus on the fact that you can have growth right now __ we are going pretty good. but there a lot of people being left behind. if you're poor in america today, you are more likely to stay poor than any time in history. the middle is getting squeezed. better policies to deal with the fact that people the top are moving up. and this needs to be fixed. you can ddo that by taking advantage of the strengths of the country, and the unique nature of our country in terms of scale, geography, immigrant heritage, vast resources that we have. all of those things executed properly will allowed to grow

at a faster rate. that should be the challenge, plus having a president that recognizes there has been a bipartisan consensus on the role of america and the world. right now we do not have a consensus. this president, with all respect, does not recognize our country is being a world power __ he thinks it is bad. with all due respect, he is wrong on that. [applause] >> on that, let me turn to foreign_policy. what are the implications of the paris attack and isis on the u. s.? >> the immediate implication is that the present them missed an opportunity to show solidarity with our oldest ally.

by not going __ i'm not quite sure why they didn't. it would have shown solidarity to encourage your to change some of their policies and continue to work with us to protect our homeland and theirs as well. this has to be a cooperative effort. the idea that __ this is an issue of leadership. i loved your speech, by the way. an example of leadership is when it is not popular to do something. if you read a poll and the information is underwater. american people are fatigued. the president has reflected that sentiment to some extent, or acted on his policies

believing it would not create any political problems. when you start beheading americans in far_off lands because the board was created because we pulled back, people's attitudes change pretty quick. you can't run foreign policy as a leader by following the polls. you have to persuade the american people, even if it is tough because of the economic situation, then we have to be engaged in the world. that doesn't mean we have boots on the ground in every instance. our presence in the world is important. our enemies even know there's a cross is in line, the u. s. will engage in a partnership with their friends. [applause] isis is the creation of that pullback. isis was called six months ago, a junior varsity team, which is ridiculous. they have solidified their

position in swaths of land. our efforts to create coalitions are nonexistent, even though there's a lot of talk about it. the president called the syrian modern forces that it was __ he had the opportunity to do it two years ago, and the likelihood of ice is growing was less than. now we have a huge problem. the implications of france should be for us that it could happen here. we have to keep our guard up. we cannot keep pulling back. the president needs to lead in this regard and show the people how important it is to protect the homeland. >> thank you. applaud

so much of our economy is deeply entwined with the tax system. a lot of dealers and __ in this room are interested in streamlining. what can we do that the tax system? >> if you could lower them to as low as they can go. it would unleash capital investment in this country that would create high wage jobs. there are two reasons why does the case. it limits the power of government. if you have to hire compliance officers and lawyers, and accountants to be able to comply with the law. instead of saying, here is my dream, i will invest in my dream, and i know i will pay in

a transparent system, x amount of taxes, it is a far better system. i was told that cvs pays 1% of all federal taxes. they basically rent their places and all us_based. there are big corporations in this country that pay no taxes. it seems to me that simplify the code and bringing equity into the system is hugely important. most of the heartbeat of our country's growth is not in the corporate world but in the llc world. jeb bush and associates is a conglomerate of four people. we went from 3 to 4 last week.

it's all passed through. getting to the personal income tax rate __ which has gotten extremely high. i think it has to be broad. let's power of the government by limiting as many loopholes as possible. [applause] in alabama, and you don't have the living tax. oh, that's in california, sorry. you think about this and it's not just a federal issue. that's a big part of it, but states that it be careful thinking that you will constantly get income by higher and higher taxes. there's a point where people move and do not risk the capital.

our federal system is really good in this regard. it is a check on the states that believe that you can pass a living tax. people will move. >> i have another really tough question for you. what you like to do for fun? >> fun. i love sundays. it is my fun day. i don't work. i play golf really fast, i.e. breakfast really fast, and i go to mass lower.

then our grandkids come and we cook out on the grill, we watch football, and talk about other things. sunday is my funding. i also like to read. >> you brought up mass. tell me how faith has affected your life. >> we were brought up in the episcopal church. i enjoyed it a lot going to mass every day. my face has changed when i transformed to my wife's face. i don't know how to describe it. it gives me a serenity that in a world of a lot of turbulence, it is really important. it gives me a moral architecture that simplifies things. there are views i have the grounded in faith that are not

negotiable. it simplifies things. i think people expect you to have thought it through. with faith, you express your views in a loving way. you stick to your guns. it is more important than politics, to be honest with you. as a governor, in tough times, and faith was incredibly important. it continues to be a huge part of my life. [applause] >> i think no one can deny that washington imposes a lot of restrictions on free enterprise. what you think that we can do now that is not being done? >> roll iit back. a lot of the presidents efforts are done by executive order. the government shutdown six years ago to think about it.

it's been __ they are basically maytag repairman of that, nothing gets done. the president is happy with that. the house last year passed something like 350 bills. most with bipartisan support, that sat on harry reid's desk. the thought was, don't let any democrat vote, and then i will use executive order to make carbon of pollutant, pass laws on immigration, create rules that go beyond his authority. scores of things. i think the next president has the duty to roll back things. [applause]

in some cases, roll back things where he does have constitutional authority as well, which the law allows them to do it and he does it, but the next president has every right to undo it. and appointing men and women who have practical business experience in the agencies that regulate business is important, rather than having academics and political hacks going off on ideology. i think that many of the rules that are implemented have __ there is a process of impact statements for economic cost. there is a cost_ benefit factor, and people do not take it seriously.

there are rule after rule. going through a thoughtful process, intellectually honest, and grounded in principle to deal with that. i think we need to reform the administrative procedures act __ whatever it is called in washington, that is what is called at the state level __ to speed up the process and grant permission to do things. do you honestly think that we can build the interstate highway system in america today? >> probably not a chance. >> i don't think so, but we could if we put our focus on. it's hard to build infrastructure. the standing of people have __ the cost is way too high, uncertainties to clear.

it stifles investment that creates income increases for the middle class. >> how about this __ what is a do over the you like to have in life? >> do over. i have done some stupid things in my life. i said something when i ran for governor in 1994 that __ it was taken out of context, by citizens for enough to say differently. it was in a debate and someone asked, what we do for me? i was young and rambunctious. i said, probably nothing. [laughter] that was the wrong answer. what i said __ probably

nothing, i think we need to create a society in which everyone starts at the starting line. i believe that today, but there's a better way of saying it. it's so easy to open up wounds. you can have a provocative thought, we don't have to stay in a way that hurts people, or turns them off. that's the problem today, we do not work hard to use language. frankly, the bigger the idea or more provocative the idea, the more you need to use language that does not scare people weren't sold them. i've gotten better at that. that's what happens when you get older, and life experience and trial and error. who is with me __ 61.

there are some things that we said and did 20 years ago that we all regret. >> i have two sons, so i want to ask you the family. did you ever get in a fight with your brother, and who won? >> if his podium were here, it would be that big blue one, and he would have 1000 people in the press traveling with him. let's say this for in orlando, he would always get the last word. he always used it. i've gotten my revenge in his post_presidency, but during his time as president, i learned don't defend __ he's got the bigger microphone. >> what's the most important message that republicans can

bring? >> hope. an optimistic message grounded in the greatness of the potential of our country to be great over the long haul. it has to be grounded in an optimistic message, not reactionary message. there are a lot of things to be grumpy about. things are not going well. washington is not working. affordable care act __ this monstrosity __ dodd frank has consequences the auto dealers have to deal with. there are a lot of reasons to be angry or grumpy. we are not going to win votes as republicans unless we can lay out a hopeful, optimistic message that is based in reality and grounded in a set of policies that are real, and people can believe what actually happened.

hope and a positive agenda wins out over anger and reaction every day of the week. the message should be what does the future look like. [applause] >> governor, what is something that most people do not know about you? just between a few people here. >> fortunately it is not much. i don't know. i can't say that i'm a great singer or dancer, that would surprise people __ it's not true though. i'm an introvert. >> really? >> yeah. >>you would not think that today. >> i've overcome it. who is an introvert in the crowd? most of your salesman, so by nature you are extroverts.

introverts are grinders. they identify problem and then work on it. i would rather read a book then go out in a conga line. i've learned that in order to make a case, or in order to serve, or in order to advance the cause, you had to connect with people. you can't connect with people if your back in the corner reading a book. you have to engage with people, look them in the eye, connect with them on a human level. >> from what i can tell you have connected with this crowd. >> it has been a pleasure to be with you. [applause] >> let's go back to running for president. >> haven't we been this drum?

>> no. i think i've figured out exactly __ i know you're on the fence. >> no i'm not. i'm seriously considering the possibility of running. [applause] >> well, i've got something that i think will make your decision. it's right here. [laughter] >> can you see it? >> i think we will put it up. there it is. [applause] >> the problem with this is the vice president is a better speaker. you can't upstage the candidate. >> it has been an honor. i really appreciate your time

coming. let's give a round of applause for governor jeb bush. ♪ >> coming up today, congressional budget office director will present the annual budget and economic outlook. live coverage starts at 3:00 pm eastern on c_span 2. also today, the house rules committee will be talking about the border security bill on c_span 3.

president obama's proposal to nominate loretta lynch for attorney general will be at 10:00 am in the senate judiciary committee. now, speeches from the iowa freedom summit. we hear first from wisconsin governor scott walker. [applause] ♪ >> thank you. thank you. it's an honor to be here. thank you for that introduction. congressman king and all the organizers, thank you for having us back here in iowa. it is an honor to be here. it is exciting to see all of you here. i was excited to talk to some folks on the way in. i got a chance to talk to your

new senator. i appreciate the fact that you sent somebody who is not only a midwestern, but who is a fellow harley davidson rider. that mean she knows how to castrate a hog and she knows how to ride a hog as well. she might be able to get some pork out of washington so we are honored to be with her and a whole slew of great folks today. i want to say thank you. as i look around this crowd, i want to thank you all, because i know so many of you were great heroes to my wife and i. we faced a recall. so many of you helped us out. many of you helped us again last fall when we are facing a tough election. i had people who made phone calls in the state. heck, i had people who came across the mississippi, over into wisconsin, you knocked on doors. i'm going to make these guys have a hard time because i'm going to move around a little bit here. you came over the mississippi, you helped us knock on doors you have this campaign. i want to tell you how much we

appreciated that. it was not just the grassroots activists. here, like a lot of other places around the united states, europe is a financially as well. that made a world of difference. we had to take on all the money come the tens of millions of dollars, the big union bosses. we had people in all 50 states who helped us out. there was a woman in waterloo who helped us out three times with a donation. we had people here in des moines and all across the state who helped us put up hard earned money to take on government special interest. on behalf of my wife and i, we want to say thank you. most of all, i want to say thank you because so many of you here and across the state and across the country, you prayed for us. i have to tell you on behalf of my wife and i, we can feel the power of those prayers.

we could feel them. in the darkest of the days, i can't tell you what a difference it made to us. [applause] >> so don't stop praying. we appreciate the prayers. it makes a powerful, noticeable difference in those darkest of times. we needed it. you all know about the protests. at one point, there were 100,000 or more protesters in and around our state capital. they were banging on the drums blowing the horns, signs they had banners. i almost have to apologize because the occupy movement started in madison, wisconsin four years ago. then, it went to wall street. so, my apologies for that. more than just the protests, i think the bigger challenge for us, at least for me personally were all the death threats and visits to our home. you heard about those protests but you may not know that at one point, there were literally thousands of protesters out in front of our family home in wauwatosa, where my two sons

were still going to high school and where my parents were living at the time. my kids were targeted on facebook. at one point, i remember my mother was in her 70's and my youngest son, alex, they were literally at the grocery store where protesters followed them down the aisle just to yell at them, even though it was me that was doing the policies out there. even more so than just the visits in front of our home was the fact that the threats were overwhelming. most of those death threats were pointed or directed at me. some of the worst were directed at my family. i remember one of the ones that bothered me the most was where someone literally sent me a threat that they were going to gut my wife like a deer. another time, a protester sent a threat directly to my wife that said if she did not do something to stop me, i would be the first wisconsin governor ever assassinated. he went on greater detail to

point out where exactly my children were going to school, where my wife worked, and where my father-in-law was still living at that time. you can see what they were doing. i tell you today, thanks to all of you, not just for the grassroots support and the donations, thank you for those prayers, because you can see how important they were in dark days like that. time and time again, the protesters were trying to intimidate us. but you know what? all they did was remind me how important it was to stand up for the people of my state. they reminded me to focus on why i ran for governor in the first place. [applause] years before, my wife and i had sat down and talked about, thought about, and prayed about getting in the race for governor.

even though we knew it would be difficult, we did so, we made that choice because we were worried back then. we were worried that our sons , matt and alex, were going to grow up in the state that wasn't as great as the state we grew up in. as a parent, that was just unacceptable. that was fundamentally unacceptable for me. so we got in that race, and it was important. back in that time, my state faced a $3.6 billion budget deficit. we saw a record job loss. we stop in many places where local governments were controlled by special interests. so many of our hard-working families were having to endure double-digit tax increases and we knew we had to do something. today i am proud to take you -- tell you that more than four years after, because of our reforms, my sons are growing up in a state that is even better than the state we grew up in. [applause]

because we were not afraid to go big and go bold, not only for my sons, but for their generation and countless generations yet to be born. they were growing up in a state where we are on a better path. i think people like the direction where we are headed. maybe that's why i won the race for governor three times in the last four years. [applause] three times, mind you, in a state that has not gone republican for president since i was in high school more than 30 years ago. how about that? [applause] i think that since a powerful message of -- to republicans in washington and around the country. if you are not afraid to go big and go bold, you can actually get results. you can clap for that. that is all right.

[applause] if you do that, the voters will stand up for you. one of the things that i loved best when i used to commute back and forth from the state capital to be at home and night when my kids were still going to school was in the midst of all the protests and the recall campaign. we used to see signs pop up. they worked signs that we made. -- they were not signs that we made. they were signs we would see in the farm fields between milwaukee and the state capital am madison to wauwatosa, where my home was at. they were handmade sides that would say, "we stand with walker." they would show up in places that we had never seen signs before. why? because people knew that we stood up against the powerful special interest and for the power back in their hands. they thought if they had an elected official who was actually willing to stand up maybe it was time they stood up and said they were going to stand with that candidate as well. that is what we need in america. [applause]

we knew that if you are willing to go big and go bold, the voters would stand up with you because we learned before. some of you may not know this, before i was governor, i was elected as the milwaukee county executive. i was the only republican to hold that position. in 2008, we get nearly 62% of the vote in a county that went two thirds for barack obama. you want to know why? because we did what we said we were going to do. we reformed the scandal ridden government, held the line on property taxes, and we got the job done. [applause] and now when we talk about record results, the wisconsin way is working as well. since i was elected governor, we have cut taxes in wisconsin.

we reduced spending. we balanced the budget. we took the power away from the big special interests and we put it firmly in the hands of the hard-working taxpayers. that's what we need more of in this great country. [applause] you know what? the liberals don't much like that. they don't much like that. in fact, msnbc camped out in my capital all throughout the protests, all throughout the recalls, just hoping. i would say that for me as a packers fan, it has been tough the last week. when we beat the bears after the election, i said i wanted to listen to radio next morning in chicago. i love listening to bears radio the day after the packers beat the bears. i said for a lot of us on election night, we wanted to turn into msnbc. it is like listening to the bears radio after the packers beat the bears.

msnbc did not much like our election victory back in june of 2012. they did not like it again this last fall. you know what? it was not just about a victory. it was about showing that common sense conservative reform can work. if they can work in wisconsin, they were can work anywhere in the country. right? [applause] in our state, it's the only state in the country that has a fully funded retirement system. our state has a positive bond rating. i would say that one of the things i'm most proud of is that our state can now hire the best teachers to teach our students in the classroom. that wasn't always the case. believe it or not that was not always the case. years ago in 2010, there was a young woman named megan sampson who was honored as the outstanding teacher of the year in my state. not long after she got that distinction, she was laid off by

her school district. how could that be? how could that be? one of the best and the brightest and she got laid off. years before our reforms, in her school district, her union contract said the last hired as -- was the first fired. so the last in was first out. i'm proud to take today that in -- say today that in wisconsin because of our reforms, we did not just balance the budget, we say in our schools that there is no longer tenure. you can hire and fire you want. you can pay based on performance. [applause] that's right. in my state, we can hire based on merit. we get paid based on performance. that means we can put the best and the brightest in our classrooms, and we can pay them to stay there. and you know what? as conservatives, we should not take a backseat to education reform.

we actually care about the quality of the education our classrooms, not the size of the education bureaucracy. we should not back away from that. [applause] but sometimes, the media just doesn't get that. in fact in some ways, that is why a lot of people know about the protests and the recall, but they don't know about the comprehensive, conservative, common sense agenda that we have enacted in our state. let me just give you a couple of example. since i've been governor we have passed pro-life legislation and defunded planned parenthood. [applause] since i have been governor, we hold back -- pulled back on excessive government

regulation on small businesses and family farmers. in fact, i like to say that we now enforce common sense instead of bureaucratic red tape. we take it beyond regulations. we passed some of the most aggressive reform so that farmers and other small business don't have to deal with frivolous lawsuits. [applause] we enacted legislation that allows for concealed carry and castle doctrine so that law-abiding citizens in our state can stand up and defend themselves and their families and their property. [applause] we believe it is important to protect the integrity of each and every vote cast, so we require in our state by law a photo id to vote. [applause]

on top of all that, we said no to obamacare, we fought in court, just like we are fighting in court president obama's excessive overreach when it comes to his executive authorities. we will continue to fight for those freedoms and liberties going forward. [applause] i have to tell you, we've taken on an aggressive agenda. we have not only done that, but we have cut taxes. i mentioned that before, but we went big and bold there as well. we reduced taxes by $2 billion on the hard-working taxpayers of our state. in fact, we lowered taxes on employers, individuals property. our property taxes are lower today in wisconsin than they were four years ago. how many governors can say that? [applause] we are going to keep lowering taxes because we understand it is the people's money, not the

government's money. that is the difference between the wisconsin way and the washington way. in washington, they keep trying to find ways to take more of your money. in wisconsin, we want to find ways to get more of the money back to the people who earned it. sometimes people say why do you obsess so much with taxes? i will tell you why. my wife and i and one month will celebrate our 23rd wedding anniversary. years ago as newlyweds, i made a critical mistake. i went to a department store and i bought something for the price it was marked at. [laughter] right? my wife said to me, you can never go back there again until you learn how to shop at kohl's. [laughter] so now if i'm going to pick up a new shirt, i go to that rack and

and since i am well trained, i get that insert out from the sunday newspaper and i take it up to the clerk with my kohl's credit card and get another 10% or 15% off. i get that mailer because my wife stops their lot so i know i'm going to get another 10% or 50% off. if i'm really lucky, i get the flyer with 30% off, right? when i'm about to cash out, i pull out the kohl's cash. am i right? the next thing you know, they are paying me to buy the shirt. right? [laughter] not exactly, but kind of, right? how does a company in menomonee falls, wisconsin like coals make money? they make it off of volume. that is what i think about your money.

we could have had taxes high and like that shirt, some of you might have been able to afford it. we can lower the cost of taxes and empower more people to work hard and make a living for themselves, and that's so we -- that is how we view things going forward. that's for me not just a buzzword. that is hard work. it is a way of living. it is something that i learned a long time ago for my parents and those around me. like many of you here, i grew up in a small town. my dad was a preacher at a local church. my mom was a part-time secretary raising my brother and i. my first job was working at the countryside restaurant. later, i flipped burgers at mcdonald's to pay my way through college. i look back now and my brother and i often laughed. i do not know it then, but we were kind of poor. we had to work hard to make a living, but we would not have had it any other way. as republicans, we need to make the case that we're going to

promote policies that promote, support, and defend hard-working people in this country once again. [applause] we need to promote policies that open the door of opportunity to live the american dream. some of you don't know this, but i actually went to school in plainfield, iowa until the middle of third grade. then, my father got called to a church in wisconsin, and that's where our family moved to and where i graduated from high school. in all the years i was in school, it doesn't matter whether it was in plainfield in iowa or in wisconsin there was never a time when i heard one of my classmates say to me, scott someday when i grow i'm going to be come -- become dependent on

the government. right? [laughter] that's not the american dream is it? that's not the american dream. i just want to end by telling you this. in america, it is one of the few places left in the world where it doesn't matter what class you are born into. it does not matter what your parents did for a living. in america, the opportunity is equal for each and every one of us. but in america the ultimate outcome is up to each and every one of us individually. [applause] you see, there is a reason why in america we take a day off to celebrate the fourth of july and not the 15th of april. because in america, we value our independence from the government not the dependence on it. we need to keep that going forward. [applause]

to keep that going forward, we need a president and leaders in washington who understand it is important not to build the economy in washington that we as americans -- we want to build the economy in cities and towns all across this great country. [applause] we need a president who doesn't sit in washington, d c when world leaders are standing together against terrorism in paris. we need a president and leaders in washington -- [applause] -- we need leaders who understand that when freedom loving people anywhere in the world are under attack, they are under attack against all of us who believe in freedom. we need leaders who will stand with our allies against radicals -- radical islamic terrorists. [applause]

we need leaders -- and we need leaders in america -- we need leaders in america who understand, who ultimately understand the measure of success in government is not how many people are dependent on the government. the measure of success and -- in government is how many people are no longer dependent on the government. [applause] we need that kind of leadership going forward. i'm pleased to be here in iowa today. i'm going to come back many more times in the future. i am hopeful to work together with you, to help us provide a kind of leadership that is new and fresh and bold and aggressive, that's been proven that commonsense conservative

reforms from outside of washington, d c can work. with your help, i have no doubt we can move this country forward. we can have our own american revival. god bless you. thank you for letting me share that with you today. [applause] ♪ >> wow. god bless the great state of iowa. i want to thank each and

everyone of you for being here. i want to thank citizens united and my good friend steve king for putting this on. you know steve and i spent all week in washington dc. it is great to be back in america. [laughter] [applause] we are living in remarkable times. just a couple weeks ago, walking down the hall the capital, i ran into a janitor who carried a screwdriver who is coming to change the sign on harry reid store. -- harry reid's door. [applause] and iowa paid -- play a big role in that i sending us joni ernst.

-- by sending us joni ernst. i for 1 am sure glad to have a farmer as chairman of the judiciary committee. today, is the 50th anniversary of winston churchill's passing. churchill stood as a lion in winter. a voice against the darkness that was sweeping the globe. i tell you 50 years later, we are facing threats every bit as ominous. and today like them, we need the clarity of thought and voice and action that churchill provided. [applause]

one of the very first asked that president obama did upon being elected was sending churchill lost back to the u.k.. i think that foreshadowed everything that was to come in the next 60 years. i will tell you that i'm very happy to be here with you today and with my wife heidi. heidi is an incredible mom. susan and -- c is a fantastic business woman in my very best friend in the entire world. [applause] we are blessed to have two little girls at home. caroline, who is six, and catherine, who is for. i will tell you that heidi and i are here for the same reason that all of you all are here. we look at what is happening in this country and we fear for our

children. we fear for our grandchildren. what i want to talk to you about today is reigniting the miracle of america. this country was built on an extraordinary medical. -- miracle. the miracle of america began within the regimen -- a revolutionary idea that our rights don't come from government, they come from god almighty. [applause] and the constitution it serves as jefferson said this changed to bind the mischief of government. [applause] this country was built on incredible opportunity that if you are a single mom waiting tables you can do anything. if you are a teenage immigrant

washing dishes, you can do anything. there has been no country in the history of world that has allowed so many millions with nothing to come and seek the unlimited dreams of their potential. and third, the miracle of america has been american exceptionalism. [applause] that we are the indispensable nation, the voice for freedom. we will back down to no face of tyranny. [applause] now how do we bring that back? how do we reignite the miracle of america? it is the most important cause

that unifies us together and iowa believes in the miracle of america. [applause] number one, we champion jobs and economic growth and opportunity. we bring back an environment where small businesses are growing and creating opportunities -- we get the simplest obstacles from washington out of the way. that means tax reform and regulatory reform. it means spending the locusts of the epa back to washington. [applause] i was once out in west texas and i sent -- said that the thing about folks from the epa is that unlike locust, you cannot use

pesticides against them. and it old farmer looked at me and said, you want to bet? [laughter] the most important regulatory reform that we can do is repeal everyone word -- every word of obamacare. [applause] we need tax reform. the most important tax reform that we can do is that we need to abolish the irs. [applause] we need a simple flat tax that is fair for every american who could file their taxes on a postcard. [applause] there are 110,000 employees at the irs. we need to padlock that

building. " everyone of those 110,000 -- and we needed to put everyone of those 110,000 on our southern border. [applause] now i say that somewhat tongue-in-cheek. but think about it for a second. imagine that you have traveled thousands of miles from central america and you swim through the heat in the first thing that you see is 110,000 irs agents. [laughter] you would turn around and go home to. [applause] the second key to reigniting the miracle of america is that we need to defend our constitutional rights. [applause] every single one of them -- the

first amendment the fourth, the fifth, the 10th amendment -- you know, no liberty has been more under salt in recent years than religious liberties. whether it is the federal government going after hobby lobby, a christian company, or going after the little sisters of the poor. by the way, here's a real good rule of thumb. if you're litigating against nuns -- [laughter] as the obama administration is you probably done something wrong. [applause] i'm sorry to say, one of the most graphic examples of the threat to religious liberties happened in my hometown of houston where the city of houston cepeda -- subpoena five

pastors and demand of those pastors hand over their sermon notes. let me tell you is story that is going to lift up your hearts. when that happened that wednesday, i decided that we are going to try to bring a group of pastors to have a rally in defense of religious liberty. heidi and i are members of first baptist in houston and we called our pastor. i said, pastor, you have seen what happened with the subpoenas. he said, i've been praying about it all morning. i said that we want to hold a rally and do it tomorrow, thursday at 11 a.m.. i want to ask if we can do it at the church and if you are willing to host at the church? pastor greg begins laughing. he said, you know ted? god sometimes moves in ways that we cannot understand long before we have any awareness. he said that months ago god put

on my heart to begin praying for a city. a month ago, he said i reached out to pastors across the city of houston and invited them to come to my office to pray for my city. he said that we have 50 pastors from around the city coming to my office tomorrow. at 10 a.m.. [applause] i tally -- i tell you, it's a both -- it took both of our breath away. and tomorrow at 10 a.m., we both spent our knees on prayers. we also rallied with people across racial lines, ethnic lines, and denominational baptist lines. we even have first baptist and we had second baptist. and that a museum.

-- and that ain't easy. [applause] and we stood and that rally and said that caesar has no jurisdiction over the pulpit. [applause] when you subpoena one pastor you subpoena every pastor. now i tell you, believers all over taxes and all of the country who spoke out and the heat pressure was so great that the city full that the city folded under and withdrew the subpoena. [applause] we have got to defend our constitutional liberties. third, we need to restore america's leadership in the world. [applause] over the past six years, we have seen the fruits of the

obama-clinton foreign-policy of proceeding leadership in the world leading from behind doesn't work. just a couple of weeks ago, we were horrified at terrorist attacks in the streets of paris. then, we were horrified again went over 40 world leaders came in solidarity and yet, missing from that rally, graphically was the united states of america. you cannot fight and win a war on radical islamic terrorism if you're unwilling to utter the words "radical islamic terrorist." [applause] i would note that the men who flew the planes into the twin towers and the pentagon and pennsylvania, they were not a bunch of ticked off

presbyterians. [laughter] i think some of the presbyterians like that. [laughter] you know, paris also illustrates that a big ocean does it mean -- does not mean that we are protected from radical islamic terrorism. it is one of the reasons why i've joined with steve king to introduce the expatriate terrorist act that says if an american takes up arms with isis, he loses his citizenship. [applause] now iowa -- iowa plays a unique

and special role in the political process. the men and women gathered here today and across the state -- you have a responsibility that you take various -- very seriously to scrutinize any national candidate for office. to look them in the eye and hold them to account. i have to say that a lot of people have the reaction -- i do not trust politicians. and that is worth applauding because i agree with you. [laughter] [applause] you know, and a republican primary, every candidate is going to come in front of you and say that i'm the most conservative guy that ever lived. gosh darn it, i am truly conservative. will you know what, talk is cheap. the word says that we shall no

him by his fruit. one of the most important roles that the men and women in iowa will play is to look the candidate in the eye and say, do not talk, show me. if you say that you support liberty, show me where you stood up and fought for it. if you say you support religious liberty, show me where you stood up and fought for it. if you say that you oppose the obamacare, show me where you stood up and fought against it. [applause] if you say that you post the president's unconstitutional executive amnesty, show up me -- show me where you stood up and fought. [applause] if you say that you support life

and that you support marriage, show me where you stood up and fought. [applause] if you say that you will stand up to washington establishment and the career politicians of both parties that i've gotten us into this mess, show me where you stood up and fought. [applause] if you say that you oppose common core, show me where you stood up and fought. [applause] and if you say that you stand with our friend and ally, the nation of israel, show me where you stood up and fought. [applause]

together, we need to reassemble the reagan coalition. we need to unify. we need to bring together conservatives and evangelicals and libertarians and republican women and reagan democrats and young people. we need to bring together a coalition of americans who want to believe again in the miracle of america. [applause] now, some might say, this is hard. this is really hard. the media tells us it can't be done. the media says give up, abandon hope, go on home. [laughter] but you know? each of us has seen your goals

every day. we have seen miracles in our own lives and in our own families. many of you know my father pastor rafael cruz. [applause] my dad has been my hero my entire life. when he fled cuba with nothing as a teenager after being imprisoned and tortured, he was full of hope and opportunity. let me tell you a different aspect of the story that you may not have heard. he and my mother moved to canada in the oil and gas business. [laughter] the kenexa in the room are giving us some love. -- the canadians in the room are giving us some love. [laughter] when i was born and i was a little boy, neither my parents knew christ. both of them were living fast

lives and both of them were drinking too much. when i was three years old, my dad decided that he did not want to be married anymore. he did not want to be a dad to his three-year-old son. so, my father got on a plane and flew back to houston. back in houston, he was working in the oil and gas business when a friend and colleague invited him to a volley it -- bible study and invited him to a baptist church. and he gave his life to jesus. [applause] and it transformed his heart and he went to the airport and he bought a plane ticket and flew back to calgary and flew back to my mother and he flew back to me. [applause] you know, some people ask if faith is real. i can tell you firsthand, and my

family and in my life, if it were not for the redeeming love if you're not for faith in jesus christ, i would have been raised by single mom without the love of my father in the house. [applause] men and women all throughout here have experienced miracles just like that in our lives transforming the amazing grace. how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. compared to that the challenge of faith in this country, they are nothing. from the beginning of this country, god's providential blessing has been on the united states of america. [applause] when we stood up against the mightiest army on the face of the earth and want a revolution

as a ragtag bunch of columnist it was only with god's blessing that we did so. [applause] when we survived the horrible civil war that ripped us a part and ask bunch -- expunge the original sin of slavery, it was only god's blessing that we came back and stitched together as a nation. [applause] when we stood with winston churchill to stand up against the nazis and defeat the scourge of evil, it was only with god's blessing that we saved freedom on this planet. [applause] and when president reagan stood before the brandenburg gate and said, "mr. gorbachev, tear down this wall," it was only with god's grace and blessing. [applause]

that we won the cold war. we have done it before over and over again. we can do it again. we can come together and the answer -- the reason that i'm hopeful and the reason that i am optimistic is because of each and every one of you. the answer is the grassroots and the american people. we are working to build a grassroots army. all across this country the answer will not come from washington. it will only come from the american people. so i would ask everyone of you that has a cell phone, i would ask you to text the word "constitution" to the number 33733. i'm going to give you that again. the word "constitution" to the number 33733. what we are going to do is to bring that same coalition of men and women across iowa and across

this country to say that we do not accept losing this country. we will together reignite the miracle of america. we will together bring back that shining city on the hill. that is the united states of america. [applause] thank you and god bless you. [applause] ♪ >> awesome job. >> the associated press is reporting that more than 5000 flights in and out of east coast airports have been canceled as a major snow storm packing up to three feet of snow barrels down on the region. they canceled all flights and jetblue has already cut about a

third of its entire schedule. it could have an impact on today's how schedule. right now, the u.s. house is said to gaveling at noon eastern. they will again legislative work at 3:30 p.m. this afternoon. they plan to deal with six beals decibels with human trafficking. you can see that debate here on c-span. the house gaveling in at noon eastern. this afternoon, on c-span2 congressional budget office director will give the annual budget and economic outlook. it includes updates and projections from this year through 2025. that starts at three eastern on c-span2. and coming up, house rules committee will debate the border security bill. it will decide which amendments will be allowed. that is on c-span3. president obama's nominee to be

the next attorney general loretta lynch, goes before the senate for her confirmation hearing. we will have coverage of that on c-span3 at 10 eastern. the iowa freedom summit was cohosted by citizens united. i was voters can see here that the congressman's boat -- spoke for about 10 minutes. [applause] crux what an outstanding -- quite what outstanding welcome. >> what an outstanding welcome. thank you so much. thank you for coming all over america to join with our friends and neighbors, the i once -- the iowans. we have got a whole day.

we can do this the whole day. this is the iowa freedom summit. you know, i wanted from -- to get all my ship's and break a bottle of champagne to launch the next era of american exceptionalism together. [applause] that is what we are doing and it is what we must do. it is what we must do after we watched the degradation of american exceptionalism over the last six years and two long years ahead to go. they are going to go a lot slower than the state of the union address last night. four years ago, we held an event in des moines. it was called the conservatives principles congress. we had a lot of opinion leaders there. the place was jammed all day long. the reward for that was great and the idea for this group from the success of that.

we sat down about six months ago and decided that we need to do this. let us just imagine that all possible presidential candidates would come. that would be a big event. that was too big of an imagination. we thought we would dilute down. we dialed it down to a practical application and began to go to work. his planning and organization and his staff is excellent. hats off to david bosley and his team and citizens united. they did the lion share of the work. [applause] so it's a reality and went to work on that. then it grew on its own. do you believe that the next president of the united states is going to be speaking from the stage to you today? [applause] as do i.

i am hopeful that as this process goes along here in iowa and to south carolina and beyond you will have these conversations with the potential candidates. i would like to give them take that pledge. are you ready to on january 20 2017, from the podium of the portico the unit by the state's capital, and take the oath and rip out the roots of obamacare? [applause] that is what is ahead for us. we elect a president with that conviction and we lay the foundation. it is one of the planks for the platform that we want to offer to everyone of those potential candidates. here's the plane for the repeal of obamacare. it is 40 words.

i wrote the bill and introduced in this congress and it will be like it was never enacted. [applause] we can reap out -- read about 2700 pages of legislation and tens of thousands of roaches laois and -- of pages of legislation and 40 words and that will be sweet when it comes. now, we have a president as an adjunct professor at the university of chicago, for 10 years lectured on the constitution. i would want my money back if i pay tuition. as president, he lectured us on the constitution the appropriate in the right way too. he said that i do not have the constitutional authority to make law. congress does that. the courts decide what the law said and they interpret it. his job is to execute it and to take care that the laws be faithfully executed.

now, i think you must've misinterpreted that. did he want to execute the law or carry out the law as designed question mark we know what he has done. i will say this several dozen times. maybe two or three dozen times he has decided that he can change the law that hasn't -- that has his name on tom and signature on the bottom. the darkest of which was when he could do -- the lay the employer mandate. he said that i'm going to change that to 2014. and america was not nearly enough outrage. we do not rise up enough to defend our constitution and he stepped across the line and's article one and took on legislative authority. that has happened multiple times. it is happen on recess appointments and endorsement issues. we must defend the constitution and we must restore the rule of law. [applause]

by the way, that is another potential plank for the platform of the next president of the united states. we need to elect a full spectrum constitutional conservative who makes the pledge to america and to posterity that from the of office, his task will be to restore that separation of powers the between the legislation -- legislative executive, and judicial branches of government. [applause] and in doing so, our next president can unleash the greatness of america. we are great people. we are -- we have a vitality that is unequaled on this planet. we come from every possible continent. they are across the street those people who come from another planet. [laughter] every donor civilization that

sends a legal people to come to america says that we have the vitality of their solution. people that have imagination and want to take god-given american liberty and turn it into the development of their potential and contribute to this country. they have god-given liberty and the foundation was laid down by our founding father. they have the pillars of american exceptionalism to build on and strengthen the furnish and now, we have a president who has eroded them. it is got to turn around. one of the issues that does concern me is our national defense. i've watched as around the world -- i challenge some people. is any country in the world that we have a stronger relationship with today than we had six years ago? i said that too. i was corrected. summary of said iran and some of the l said cuba. it is that bad.

in egypt, they said that 98% of our threads have been severed by the foreign policy of this president. there are good people that we can work it -- work with. there are great muslims. he is a man that we can work with and we need to do so. that is a piece of what we need to do to put america back into safety and security. i want to challenge those who aspire to be oval office. layout a plan for us. lay out a plan to defeat radical islamic jihad. [applause] layout that plan so that it is not some kind of a struggle that will go on for the next hundred years. lay out a plan that defeats them in the next four to eight years and defeat them for the next 100 years. it can be done. [applause]

i'm going to hold my plan back on that and see what they have to say. but i do have a plan. another plan to move a balanced budget amendment to the united states constitution and get our spending back in line. [applause] perhaps, it could be a plank in the next platform for the next president of the united states. here's another one. abolish the irs. [applause] right now, the federal government, uncle sam, has a first lien on all productivity in america. we can take that lean off of america and have people earn and save and invest all they want to earn and save and invest. we have a policy to do that. this is the foundation. then, as i look at this, while leg and -- ronald reagan lay

this out for us. he described a shining city on a hill. it was strong and had pillars that went down into the granite. and never was a destination that we can arrive. we could wash her hands and put our feet up. it always was a struggle to continue by on -- beyond. ronald reagan sought an ascending destiny for america. that ascending destiny for america is determined by who emerges as president of the united states and how the culture here in iowa, new hampshire, south carolina, and across this great country it's how we support the planks and the policies and the presidential candidates that we nominate. the destiny of america is in our hands. let us get to work and do this together. [applause] i will ask you to do what i do. on a daily basis, i will ask you to ask god to do this.

to identify that individual whom he will use to restore the soul of america. [applause] will you stand with me on that? [applause] let us stand together. we will stand together and we are going to ask god. and i'm going to inject this prayer right now. our gracious and merciful heavenly father, you watch this nascent struggle and you lifted us to greatness. he watched his suffering and the blood and the treasure that has been spilled to defend this god-given liberty. and i pray that out of this process, you will identify and lift up the individual whom you will use to restore the soul of this great country. thank you, lord. god bless america. [applause]

quite the u.s. house is about to gavilan for morning out for -- >> the u.s. house is about to gavilan for morning hour. legislative work is set for 3:30 p.m. eastern. the bills will be on human trafficking. any votes will take place at 6 p.m. eastern. the clerk: the speaker's rooms washington, d.c. january 26, 2015. i hereby appoint the honorable rick w. allen to act as speaker pro temre on this day. signed john a. boehner, speaker of the house of reprve the speaker pro tempo