need to be able to address these issues. it is a mistake for people to attack people who want to talk about these issues and who want to try to do something about it. i hope that we can have a dialogue in the country that will be constructive and will allow us to move forward on a variety of remedies to these very serious issues. ylan: you are professor at american university, washington college of law and a former >> short time ago president obama in selma alabama, getting ready to cross the edmund pettus bridge in some on the 50 -- in selma on the 50th anniversary of bloody sunday.

marchers attempting a march from selma to montgomery were stopped at this bridge by alabama state troopers and local police. many of the activists were beaten. care gas was fired i police -- teargas was fired by police. this afternoon, the president spoke at the commemoration in selma, alabama. we will show you his speech in a few moments. you will also see the speech by congressman john lewis, who introduces the president. he was a marcher and organizer in 1965 and took part in the march on that date in 1965. john lewis was eaten by police --beaten by police. you will see his remarks followed by the president in a few moments on c-span. in the meantime, we will continue to watch this commemorative walk across the edmund pettus bridge in selma. ♪ ♪

♪ i will take you there

let me take you there i will take you there i will take you there you got to help me i will take you there all right i will take you there all right i will take you there ♪ ♪ [applause] thank uyou, my dear. thank u -- sister,

my colleague, for those kind words of introduction. my beloved brothers and sisters members of the american family on this day, we as a nation have a great deal to be thankful for. jimmy lee jackson, jimmy lee jackson, whose death inspired the selma march along with so many others did not make it to see this day. but you and i are here. we can bear witness to the distance we have come and progress we have made in 50 years and we must use this moment to recommit ourselves to do all we can to finish the work that still is left to be done. get out there and push and pull

until we redeem the soul of america america. now i want to thank president barack obama and mrs. obama, president bush press george bush and mrs. bush for being here today. i want to thank all the members of the cabinet and the administration who are here my colleagues in the congress, all the elected officials including the great give robert bentley and including the phaeurmayor of selma george evans and all other american people. i would like for all members of congress in our delegation just to stand. [applause] john lewis: thank you.

i want to thank the group for bringing us together one more time and the core leaders of our delegation senator tim scott senator sherry brown, and the representatives. thank you so much. it sis good to mrs. boynton of course our first contact when we came to sell ma in 1962. she was registering people to vote long before we arrived. i'm also glad it see the daughter of governor george wallace here peggy wallace kennedy. thank you for being here, peggy. i want to thank each and every one of you who marched across the bridge on bloody sunday. you didn't have to do it but you did it.

thank you! i will tell you it is good to be in selma one more time just one more time. people often ask me why do you come back? what purpose does it serve? we come to sell ma to be renew renewed. we come to be inspired. we come to be reminded that we must do the worbgk that we are called to do. on march 7, 1965 a few innocent children of god, some carrying small things, a plain purse or a backpack were inspired to walk 50 dangerous miles from selma to montgomery to demonstrate the

need for voting rights in the state of alabama. on that day on that day, 600 people marched into history, walking two by two down the sidewalk sidewalk. not interfering with trade and commerce. not entering with traffic. it was a kind of military discipline. we were so peaceful, so quiet no one saying a word. some of us were left bloody right here on this bridge. 17 of us were hospitalized that day. but we never became bitter or

hostile. we kept believing that the truth we stood for would hold the final point. this city on the banks of the bengal -- alabama river gave birth to a move that changed it nation forever. our country will never be the same because of what happened on this bridge. eight days after bloody sunday the president of the united states lin bane -- lyndon baines johnson delivered one of the most important speeches ever made on voting ratesights. he said the time for justice has come. i believe sincerely that no force can hold it back. he went on to say it is right in

the eyes of man and god that it should come. he said at times history an fate meet at a single time in a single place to shape a turning point in man's search for freedom. he said so it was at lexington and concord, so it was at appomattox. so it was in selma, alabama. each of us must go back to our homes after this celebration and build on a legacy of the march of 1965. the selma movement exists today so we can all do something. so i say to you don't give up on saying that has great meaning. don't get lost in a sea of despair.

stand up for what you believe. because in the final analysis we are one people, one family, the human family. we all live in the same house, the american house. the world house. we are black, we are white, we are hispanic asian american, native american. but we are one people. thank you. [applause] john lewis: my beloved brothers and sisters it is a great honor for me to return to my home state of alabama to present to you not just to introduce to you

but to present to uyou the president of the united states. if someone had told me we would cross there bridge that one day i would be back here introducing the first african-american president i would have said you are crazy, you are out of your mind. you don't know what you are talking about. president barack obama. [applause] president obama: you know i love

you back. it sis a rare honor in this life to follow one of your heroes. and john lewis is one of my heroes. now, i have to imagine that when a younger john lewis woke up that morning 50 years ago and made his way to brown chapel heroics were not on his mind. a day like this was not on his mind. young folks with bed rolls and backpacks were milling about. veterans of the movement,

trained new colorado com -- new colorado comers in that. describe what tear gas does to the body for giving information to contact their loved ones. the air was thick with doubt and anticipation and fear. and they comforted themselves with the final verse of the final hymn they sung. no matter what may be the test god will take care of you. lean weary one upon his breast, god will take care of you. and then his nap sack stocked with an apple, a toothbrush and

a book on government, all you need for a night behind bars john lewis led them out of the church on a mission to change america america. president and mrs. bush, governor bentley, mayor evans congresswoman sewell reverend strong, members of congress, elected officials, foot soldiers, friends fellow americans americans, as john noted there are places and moments in america where this nation's destiny has been decided. many are sites of war. concord and lexington. appomattox. gettysburg. others are sites that symbolize

the daring of america's character. independence hall and seneca falls. kitty hawk and cape canaveral. selma is such a place. one afternoon 50 years ago so much of our turbulent history. the state of slavery and anguish of civil war. the yoke of segregation and tyranny of jim crow. the death of four little girls in birmingham and the dream of a baptist preacher. all that history met on this bridge. it was not a clash of armies but a clash of wills. a contest to determine the true

meaning of america. and because of men and women like john lewis joseph flowers, jose williams, amelia boynton diane nash, ralph abernathy andrew young fred shuttlesworth. dr. plant martin -- dr. martin luther king jr. the idea of a just america and fair america and inclusive america and generous america that idea ultimately triumphed. as is true across the landscape of american history we can not examine this moment in isolation. the march on selma was part of a broad are campaign that spanned generations

generations. the leaders that day part of a long line of heroes. we gather here to celebrate them. we gather here to honor the courage of ordinary americans willing to endure billy clubs and the chasening rods, tear gas and the trampling hoof and despite the gush of blood and splintered bone would stay truth to their north star and keep marching toward justice. they did a scripture instructed for joy and hope, be patient in tribulation. be constant in prayer. in the days to come they went back again and again. when the trumpet call sounded for more to join the people came. black and white. young and old.

christian and jew. waving the american flag singing the same anthems full of faith and hope. a white newsman, bill plant, who covered the marches then and is with us today quipped that the growing number of white people lowered the quality of singing. to those that marched those gospel songs must have never sounded so sweet. in time their chorus would well up and reach president johnson. and he would send them protection and speak to the nation echoing their call for america and the world to hear. we shall overcome.

what enormous faith these men and women had! faith in god, but also faith in america america. the americans who crossed this bridge, they were not physically imposing but they gave courage to millions. they held no elected office but they led the nation. they marched as americans who had endured hundreds of years of brutal violence, countless daily indignities. but they didn't seek special treatment, just the equal treatment. promised to them almost a century before. what they did hear will reverberate through the ages. not because the change they won was preordained.

not because their victory was complete complete. but because they proved that non nonviolent change is possible. that love and hope can conquer hate hate. as we kphrepl rate their a-- commemorate their achievement we are well served to remember at the time of the marches many in power condemned rather than praised them. back then they were called communists or half breeds or outside agitators. sexual and moral degenerates and worse. they were called everything but the name their parents gave them. their faith was questioned. their lives were threatened. their patriotism challenged. and yet what could be more american than what happened in

this place? [applause] president obama: what could more profound profoundly vindicate the idea of america than plain and humble people unsung, the down trodden the dreamers not of high stations not born to wealth or privilege, not of one religious tradition but many coming together to shape their country's course. what greater expression of faith in the american experiment than this? what greater form of patriotism is there than the belief that america is not yet finished, that we are strong enough to be self-critical and each successive generation can look upon our impression perfection -- imperfections and make it nation to more closely align with our highest ideals.

that is why selma is not some outlier in the american experience. that is why it is not a museum or a static monument to behold from a distance. it is instead the manifestation of a creed written into our founding documents. we the paoepleople, in order to form a more perfect union we hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal. these are not just words. they are a living thing a call to action, a road map for citizenship and an insistence in the capacity of free men and women to shape our own destiny. for founders like franklin and jeff for leaders like lincoln and f.d.r., the success of our

experiment in self-governance rested on engaging all of our citizens in this work. and that is what we celebrate here in selma. that is what this movement was all about. one leg in our long journey toward freedom. american instinct that led the gunman and women to bid up the torch and cross this bridge, that is the same instinct that joe's revolution of her tyranny. the same instinct that led women to reach for the ballot, workers to organize against an unjust this -- unjust status quo. the idea held by generations of citizens who believe that america is a constant work in

progress, who believe that loving this country requires more than singing its praises or avoiding uncomfortable truths it requires the occasional disruption, the willingness to speak out for what is right, to shake up the status quo. that is america. [applause] that is what makes us unique. that is what cements our reputation as a beacon of opportunity. young people behind the iron curtain what is he selma and eventually tear down that wall. young people would hear bobby kennedy talking about ripples of hope and eventually banish easterners of apartheid. young people in burma went to prison rather than submit to military rule. they saw what john lewis had done.

this generation of young people can draw strength from this place where the powerless to change the world's greatest tower and -- power and push their leaders to expand the battery -- boundary of freedom. they saw that idea made real here in selma, alabama. they saw it manifest itself here in america. because of campaigns like this, the voting rights act was passed. political and economic and social barriers came down and the change in these men and women brought is visible here today in the presence of african americans who run boardrooms, served in elected office from the congressional black caucus all the way to the oval office. [applause] because of what they did, the

doors of opportunity's long open and not just for every american. women marched, latinos marched, asian-americans, gay americans, americans with disabilities, they all came through those doors. [applause] their endeavors gave the entire south the chance to rise against by transcending the past. what a glorious thing, dr. king might say. and what a solemn debt we o we. which leads us to ask, how might we repay that debt? first and foremost, we have to recognize that one day of commemoration, no matter how special is nowt enough.

if the selma taught us anything, it is that our work is never done. the american experiment in self-government gives purpose to each generation. selma teaches us that action requires that we shed our cynicism. when it comes to the pursuit of justice, we can afford neither complacency nor despair. just this week i was asked whether i thought whether the department of justices ferguson report shows with respect to race, little has changed in this country. i understood the question. the report narrative was sadly familiar. it evoked the kind of abuse and disregard for citizens that its bond the civil rights movement -- that spawned the civil rights

movement. but i reject the notion that nothing changed. this is no longer ascension by law or by custom and before the civil rights movement, it surely was. [applause] we do it is service to the cause of justice by intimating that bias and discrimination are immutable. that racial division is inherent in america. if you think nothing has changed in the past 50 years ask someone who lived through the selma or chicago or los angeles of the 1950's. asked the female ceo who once might have been assigned to the secretarial pool if nothing has changed. as her gay friend of his is easier to be out in american now than it was 30 years ago. to deny this progress, this hard-won progress, our progress

would be to rob us of our own agency, our capacity, our responsibility to do what we can to make america better. of course, mr mistake is these are just -- a more common mistake is the suggestion ferguson is an isolated incident that racism is banished, the work that drew men and women to selma is now complete and whatever racial tensions that remain are the consequences of those wanting to play the race card. we don't need the report to know that is not true. we just need to open our eyes and ears and hearts to know this nations racial history still casts its long shadow upon us. we know the market is not yet over. we know the race is not yet won. we know reaching that

destination requires admitting as much, facing up to the truth. we are capable of bearing a great burden. james baldwin once wrote. once we discover that the burden is reality and a live where reality is, there is nothing america cannot handle if we look squarely at the problem. this is work for all americans not just some. not just whites, not just blacks. if we want to honor the courage of those who marched that day, all of us are called to possess a moral imagination. all of us need to feel the fierce urgency of now that change depends on our action our attitudes, the things we

teach our children. if we make such an effort, no matter how hard it may sometimes seem, laws can be passed. consciences can be stirred. consensus can be built. with such an effort, we can make sure our criminal justice system serves all and not just some. we can raise the level of mutual trust that policing is built on, the idea that police officers are members of the community they risk their lives to protect it. citizens in ferguson, new york, cleveland, just what the same thing and people here marched for 50 years ago, the protection of the law. [applause] together, we can address under sentencing and overcrowded prisons and the stunted circumstances that rob to many

boys of the chance to become men and the nation of too many men who could be good dads and good workers and good neighbors. [applause] with effort, we can rollback poverty at the roadblocks to opportunity. americans don't accept a free ride for anybody. nor do we believe in equality of outcomes but we do expect equal opportunity and if we really mean it, if we're not just given lip service, but if we really mean it and are willing to sacrifice for it, we can make sure every child gets an education the double to this -- suitable to this new century. one that expands imagination and gives children the skills they need. we can make sure every person willing to work as the dignity of a job and a fair wage and a real voice and sturdier rungs on the ladder to the middle class. and with effort, we can protect

the foundation stone of our democracy for which so many marched across this bridge and that is the right to vote. [applause] right now, in 2015, 50 years after selma, there are laws across this country designed to make it harder for people to vote. as we speak, more such laws are being proposed. meanwhile, the voting rights act , the culmination of so much blood, so much sweat and tears, the project of so much sacrifice in the face of want. the voting rights stance weekend. it is good your subject to political ranking. how can that be? the voting rights act was one of

the crowning achievements of our democracy, the result of republican and democratic efforts. [applause] president reagan signed its renewal when he was in office. president george w. bush side its renewal, 100 members of congress have come here today to honor people who are willing to die for the right to protect it. if we want to honor this day, let that 100 go back to washington and gather 400 more and together, planned to make it their mission to restore that law this year. that is how we honor those on this bridge. [applause] of course, our democracy is not the task of congress alone. or the courts alone. or even the president alone.

if every new voter suppression law was struck down today, we would still have in america one of the lowest voting rate among free peoples. 50 years go, registering to vote here in selma and much of the south meant guessing the number of jellybeans in a jar, the number of bubbles on a bar of soap, risking or dignity and sometimes your life. what is our excuse today for not voting? how do we so casually discard the right for which so many thought? -- fought? how do we give away our power, our voice in shaping america's future? why reported to someone else when we could take the time to go to the polling place? we give away our power.

so much has changed in 50 years. we have endured war and we fashioned piece. -- peace. we have seen technological wonders. we take for granted conveniences that our parents could have scarcely imagined. but what has not changed is the imperative of citizenship. that willingness of a 26-year-old begin or unitarian minister or a mother of five to decide they love this country so much that they would risk everything to realize its promise. that is what it means to love america. that is what it means to believe in america. that is what it means when we say america is exceptional. for we were born a change.

we broke the old aristocracies declaring ourselves not by bloodlines but endowed by our creator with certain a new n unintelligible -- unalienable rights. that is why we argue and fight with so much passion and conviction. we know our efforts matter. america is what we make of it. look at our history. we are lewis and clarke. we are pioneers who braved them familiar followed by a stampede of farmers and miners and entrepreneurs. that is our spirit. that is who we are. we are sojourner truth. women who could do as much as

any man and then some. we're susan b anthony shut the system until the lot resulted that truth. that is our character. we are immigrants stone away on ships to reach these shores, the hubble masses -- huddled masses, holocaust survivors, the lost boys of sudan. we are the hopefuls drivers across -- strivers because we want our kids to have a better life. we of the slaves who built the white house and the economy of the south. the cowboys who opened up the west, the countless laborers who laid rail and raised skyscrapers and organized for workers rights. we are the freshfaced gis who fought to liberate a continent and we are the tuskegee airmen

and the japanese-americans who fought for this country even as their own liberty had been denied. we are the firefighters who rushed into the buildings on 9/11, the volunteers who signed up to fight in afghanistan and iraq. we are the gay americans whose blood ran in the streets of san francisco and new york just the way it ran down the stretch. we are storytellers, writers poets, artists who have bore unfairness and despise' and give voice to the voiceless. we as inventors of gospel and jazz and blues, bluegrass and country and hip-hop and rock and role and our very own sound with all of the reckless joy of freedom. we are jackie robinson, enduring scorn and pitchers coming straight to his head and stealing home anyway.

we are the people like stan hughes wrote of -- langston hughes wrote of. we are the people emerson wrote of whom for truth and honor's sake stand fast and suffer long nor never tired so long as we can see far enough. that is what america is. not stock photos or airbrushed history or feeble attempts to define some of us as more american than the others. [applause] we respect the path but we don't pine for the past. we don't fear the future. we grab for it. america is not some fragile thing. we are large, containing

multitudes. we are boisterous and diverse and full of energy, perpetually young in spirit. that is why someone like john lewis at 25 could lead a march. that is what the young people here today and listening all across the country must take away from this day. you are america. unconstrained by habit and convention, unencumbered by what is because you are ready to seize what ought to be. for everywhere in this country there are first steps to be taken. there is new ground to cover. the armoire bridges to be crossed. -- are more bridges to be crossed. and it is you, the most diverse and dedicated generation in our

history who the nation is waiting to follow. selma shows us that america is not the project of any one person. because the single most powerful word in our democracy is the word "we." "we the people." "weyesd we can." what a glorious task we are given to continually tried to improve this great nation of ours. 50 years from bloody sunday from our march is not yet finished. but we are getting closer. 239 years after this nation's founding, it is not yet perfect but we are getting closer.

our job is easier because somebody already got us through that first mile, someone already got us over that bridge. when the torch feels too heavy we will remember these early travelers and draw strength from their example and hold firmly to the words of the prophet isaiah -- those who hope in the lord will renew their strength, they will store on the wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be -- we are those who walk so we could run. we must run us our children sore and we will not go where he or we believe in the power of an awesome god and we believe in this country's sacred process -- promise. blessed united states of america. thank you, everybody. [applause]

>> as we stand here, we are

convinced of the eternal truth be planted in the minds and hearts of our and justice -- ancestors when they're reminded us you were we declare to the world we still have faith in you. we have faith in ourselves.

we have faith in our system of government. we have faith in the city of selma. we come to pay our respects to those who have gone before us because we surely cannot pay the debt we owe to them. bless us now and help us to go forward in the spirit of those who stood here, worked here bled here, suffered here, but did not stop here. in the blessed name of our lord and savior and all that is holy, we pray, amen. amen and amen. [applause] ♪ >> tomorrow morning we will start with calls looking at the state of race relations 50 years

after selma. later, we talked to trevor burrus and elizabeth wydra. that is followed by molly o'toole on foreign policy and military issues. "washington journal" is live every morning at 7:00 a.m. on c-span. in his weekly address, president obama discusses his "what girls learn -- "let girls learn" initiative. senator grassley has the response and talks about legislation scheduled to be debated on the senate floor next week. president obama: hi, everybody. sunday is international women's day, a day to celebrate women

and girls worldwide and rededicate ourselves to defending the fundamental rights and dignity of all people. that's why this week, michelle and i launched a new initiative on a topic close to both of our hearts, girls education. it is called "let girls learn." the goal is to help more girls around the world go to school and stay in school. right now, 62 million girls who should be in school are not. that is not an accident. it is a direct result of barriers that stand in the way of girls who want to learn. maybe their families cannot afford the school fees. maybe the risk of being hurt or kidnapped or even killed by men who will do anything to stop girls from learning is just too great. maybe they are not in school because they are expected to get married and become mothers while they are teenagers or earlier. into many parts of the world girls are still valued more for

the bodies than for the minds. that is wrong. we all have to do more to stop it. that is the idea behind "let girls learn." we are making it clear to every country that wants to be our partner that they need to get serious about increasing the number of girls in school. our diplomats and experts are hard at work. our peace corps volunteers will play a big role, too. and we are putting our partnerships with n.g.o.'s, businesses, and foundations to work on behalf of girls everywhere. i come to this issue as the leader of the world's largest economy and the commander-in-chief of the world's most powerful military. i am convinced a world in which girls are educated is a safer more stable, more prosperous place. when girls are educated, their future children are healthier and better nourished. their future wages increase, which strengthens their family's security. test of growth gets a boost --

national growth gets a boost. places where women and girls are treated as full and equal citizens tend to be more stable and more democratic. i also come to this issue as a father of two denver for them -- two wonderful young women. i know there are girls out there who are funny, caring inquisitive, strong, and have so much to offer the world. it is a privilege to be the parent of girls. we want to make sure no girl is denied her chance to learn. that no girl is prevented from making her unique contributions to the world because every girl deserves our respect and an education. thanks, and have a great weekend. >> i am your senator chuck grassley of violent. this year, thousands of miners will be sexually trafficked in the united states.

human traffickers will force children and teenagers into servitude for cheap labor and as sex workers. too often, we hear this sort of thing just does not happen where i live. the cruel truth is trafficking is found in all 50 states. whether your home state is bi g, like new york, or small like my home state of iowa, it could be a hub for trafficking. turning our heads the other way because we are embarrassed or in denial will not help these underaged victims. shoving this horrific activity and the shadows only denies opportunity for a young girl or boy who deserves much better. in washington, i am chairman of the senate judiciary committee. i am working to advance legislation that would establish strong antitrafficking measures

that target predators who traffic innocent young people. at a recent hearing about how we can better protect victims of human trafficking witnesses sounded the alarm. we listened to horrific and gutwrenching stories directly from the victims and advocates. we listened to stories of children being sold into prostitution. listened to an account of girls being branded by the trafficker. we listened to stories about boys and girls who thought the only way to survive was to sell themselves for sex. then we heard when they could not -- it could get any lower for these victims, america's criminal justice system failed them by treating them like criminals. nobody should have to endure being sold into prostitution or

made to work in unlivable conditions. we must do better. through the tragedy and heartache, good ideas are emerging. we are learning directly from victims and victim are that gets -- advocates about how congress can create better policies to help those who have suffered such unimaginable pain. now it is time for action. senate republicans are committed to tackling the human trafficking problem across the country. my judiciary committee started the process and approved an anti-trafficking bill by a unanimous vote. next week, the full senate will begin debate on this legislation to ensure additional resources are available to survivors of both sex and labor trafficking. the legislation expands resources for law enforcement enhances services for victims

and increases penalties for perpetrators. our legislation focuses on helping survivors of trafficking heal and protect others from becoming victims of such a terrible crime. in addition, the bill would fight the demand for domestic sex trafficking by ensuring any person trafficking an adult or purchasing a child for sex will be punished under the full force of the law. we put forth meaningful solutions that are supported a large, bipartisan group of senators and more than 200 outside organizations. it is evidence congress can set aside partisan differences and work together to get things done for the american people. the united states senate has a real opportunity to provide survivors of trafficking with

the kind of support that is essential to their recovery and future success. working together, we can stop criminal depravity and restore dignity to survivors. with passage of bipartisan legislation, we can bring justice to a moral injustice and criminal mistreatments of our fellow human beings. the road to their recovery needs to start right now. >> keep track of the republican-led congress and follow its new members through its first session. new congress, best access on c-span. >> ashton carter was sworn in last month at the white house by vice president biden, becoming the nation's 25th defense secretary. friday, the pentagon hosted a ceremonial swearing-in.

secretary carter spoke about the global challenges america faces and how budget constraints call for new ways of operating recruiting, and innovating. this event is 30 minutes. >> ♪ o say can you see by the dawn's early light what so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming through the perilous fight o'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming and the rockets' red glare. the bombs bursting in air

gave proof through the night that our flag was still there o'say does that star-spangled banner yet wave o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave ♪ ♪ >> forward march.

>> please be seated. ladies and gentlemen the 18th chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, general martin e. dempsey. >> good afternoon, everyone. distinguish guest -- distinguished guests everyone. it is my pleasure to welcome secretary carter back to the pentagon. i feel like i just did this actually, about 12 months ago. but we are thrilled to have him back. before i say a few words about our partners, i would like you to join me in a round of

applause for the color guard and the man who performed the national anthem. he will retire either at the end of this month or the next after a distinguished career of service. we are very proud of them being here today as part of the ceremony to welcome our new secretary of defense. please join me in a round of applause. [applause] >> i would like to begin by recognizing secretary carter's wife stephanie and their two children, who were also welcoming back to the pentagon. thank you for being here today and thank you for your life of service to your country and the men and women who serve. we would like to thank stephanie for sharing him with us and we

all recognize the sacrifice we make. thank you for that. standing up here and hearing the national anthem always fills me with pride for the 2.2 million minute women serving in uniform around the world today. and with deep appreciation for their families, we support them. i am honored to speak on their behalf, and in particular, on behalf of the joint chiefs. i know that those sentiments are also in secretary carter's heart, but the truth is his appointment very nearly broke my oldest granddaughter's heart. i had to explain to her that our new secretary would be ashton carter not ashton kutcher. [laughter] that never gets old, does it? [laughter]

i am sure that we got the better end of the deal. as we know from secretary carter's long experience in the department, he is the right person to leave the department of defense at this point in our history. not just for what he has none, but in particular, how he has done it. secretary carter is known for bringing judgment and candor to his decisions and explaining those decisions in clear and honest language. this is something those of us in the armed forces very much appreciate. our men and women and their families are willing to bear great hardship and do anything. they just ask for clarity and honesty in return. and that secretary carter's credentials are absolutely unquestioned. it is a trait that the congress and the american people appreciate as well. secretary carter, it is a great pleasure to work aside you again, and i say beside you even if that means quite literally in

countless congressional hearings. we have teed up under our belt this week with many more such opportunities to come. on behalf of the joint chiefs thank you, mr. secretary for yet again your willingness to serve our nation. with that, i have the pleasure of introducing our leader who we all admire and has served his country for nearly 70 years ever since he first enlisted as a soldier in 1946, ladies, the 19th secretary of defense the honorable william j. perry. [applause] >> thank you. thank you. since 1947, there have been 24 people sworn in as secretary of defense. none of them, none of them are

better qualified for this job thenan ash carter. qualified by temperament and experience. ash carter is a supersmart genius. some will argue with that description, but none will argue with the value of the vast experience he brings to the job. he was the assistant secretary for policy in charge of the former soviet union. he has been the undersecretary of defense responsible for acquisition, technology and logistics, and he has been the deputy secretary and basically ran the pentagon for three different secretaries of defense. that is what i would call experience. he did not just occupy those jobs. he achieved remarkable results.

indeed i believe in each of those positions his tenure will be the standard by which all other occupants' positions will be measured. early in the 1990's, we were both at universities and we took on some track to diplomacy. and then in 19 93, he became the assistant secretary of defense responsible for exercising that job. under his tenure, he was responsible for dismantling 4000 nuclear weapons -- in ukraine cut six done, and belarus. when he retired as assistant secretary, i spoke at his retirement ceremony and i said there will never come an end to the good he has done. when he became undersecretary he galvanized the pentagon into

real action, real action. he supplied the troops in afghanistan with the protective equipment and the surveillance equipment they desperately needed, and he did it on accelerated schedules. his actions in my judgment saved countless lives of our soldiers. when the casualties did come in back to the hospitals here, he countless times when out to visit the wounded warriors, for which i thank both ash and stephanie. his tireless dedication in these visits was an example for all of us. he will be a secretary who cares for his troops. so his prudent actions, i believe, uniquely qualify him for this job. but he is going to be severely tested. because of the major security problems we are facing today.

during the 1990's, ash and i and others worked very hard to bring russia into be western security circle. we had a chance to do that. we tried hard. our successors tried hard. obviously we failed. russians at that time signed an agreement which ash and i had a big hand in negotiating, by which they agreed to respect the territorial integrity of the ukraine. they have violated that agreement. they have threatened their neighbors with nuclear weapons and they have threaten the united states -- the top official of the russian media announced that russia is the only country that can turn the united states into radioactive ash. a wonderful statement from a government official. and to back up this kind of threat, they are investing billions and billions into

rebuilding their nuclear arsenal. ash and i also worked very hard trying to deem nuclear eyes -- d enuclearize north korea. they are building an arsenal and making threats about its use. these are just some of the dangerous problems he faces, not to mention iran and isis and afghanistan. when the president called on ash to take this job he believed that he was the most qualified person to face these problems. at the time, however ash was back in stanford california pursuing a new career. an academic career at stanford and a business careered in silicon valley.

he was reluctant to leave. but he answered the call. here he is today. ash speaking for myself and i hope speaking for a grateful nation, we thank you, your willingness to take on this demanding task at this very difficult time for the country. in a few minutes associate justice elena kagan is going to swear in dr. carter for the position of the 26th secretary of defense. justice kagan does not know this, but she is my favorite one on the supreme court. both because of her court decisions and her amazing really amazing academic record. degrees from oxford, harvard law secretary for thurgood marshall, secretary at harvard law school, eventually becoming the dean of the harvard law school.

in 2009, president obama asked her to -- and a year later associate justice of the supreme court. that is a brief summary of a truly spectacular career. i am very proud to introduce you eat -- to interest -- to introduce to you today justice elena kagan. [applause] >> thank you so much, secretary kerry. -- secretary perry. i promise not to tell any of my colleagues you said that. most of all, thank you secretary carter for asking me to be here. it is a wonderful honor to be here to express my admiration and gratitude to you for your

service and all of the men and women who make this department work, and most of all to all of the men in women in uniform who sacrifice for us on a daily basis. thank you for giving me an opportunity to be part of this day. if you walk around this town and talk to people, what everybody says is exactly what the general and former secretary said about ash carter, which is he is the perfect man for this job. the consummate public servants the person who by virtue of his experience and judgment and good sense and his brilliance will be able to deal with the challenges that this current office has. and so i feel very privileged to be able to swear you win today. but beyond all of that, i know that secretary carter cares so deeply about the men and women in his charge. the men and women in uniform. and maybe above everything else

that kind of commitment that kind of concern, that kind of caring, that kind of deep devotion will make him a great secretary of defense. so, thank you for asking me to swear u.n., secretary carter. why don't -- to swear you in, secretary carter. why don't we do that? >> the carters will now join justice kagan for the oath of office. >> i, ashton b/. carter do solemnly swear i will support and defend the constitution of the united states -- against all enemies foreign and domestic -- that i will bear true faith and allegiance to the same

that i take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion and that i will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which i am about to enter so help me god. >> congratulations. [applause] >> thank you justice kagan and mrs. carter. ladies in german, -- ladies and gentlemen, ash carter.

>> thank you, chairman dempsey secretary perry justice kagan thank you for your kind words. distinguished guest's, so many distinguished guests, members of the administration, friends and family -- thank you for being here today. the bastide of weeks have been an opportunity to reconnect with the many fine public servants at the pentagon and you're in washington. -- and here in washington. and there are few finer than chairman dempsey. i sleep better at night with him on the job. i'm sure we all do. marty, our men and women in uniform are fortunate for your leadership, and our country is stronger and safer for it. thank you. justice kagan after two days of congressional testimony, it is nice to spend some quality time

with a different branch of government. [laughter] you have made remarkable contributions in academia, policy, and on the bench. and i also know as the dean of harvard law, you were a fierce advocate for the school's veterans community. thank you for that leadership and for doing me the honor of being here today. there are three mentors whom i want to recognize today. two are here, and one, sadly isn't. secretary perry, you will help to write a more peaceful cold war period and establish the model for the secretary of defense. bill, used up for me early my

career. you stood in for my father. and here you are, again today. our nation and the world are safer because of your leadership and intellect and also because of your civility. thank you always for standing by me and thank you for your help. we do not have enough time to talk about all the history in which briscoe kroft figures. with a cool head he steered the ship of state through tumultuous waters and with a warm hearts, he helped countless men and women, including me, strengthen their faith in the book life. brent reminds us all to look at today's dangers with a modern perspective, to see opportunity where so many see crises, to remember our strengths when so many focus on our challenges.

brent, thank you. and jim is less injured -- who i am sorry did not live to see today. jim always surrounded himself with the best people, wherever they came from. he relished strenuous, but always constructive debate, and he followed the evidence wherever it took him. i was a beneficiary of his openness to new people and new thinking and from him, i learned to do the same. my fantastic family is here as well. my daughter ava and my son will are -- do not make any mistake about this guys -- are the pride of my life. and my perfect wife stephanie.

my partner in life and service to this great institution and especially to these military families who we love so much. serving as the secretary of defense is the highest honor and i am grateful to president of obama for his trust and confidence into the u.s. senate for my confirmation and to all of you for your friendship and support, without which, i know i would not be here. being back, i am reminded how easy it is in washington and in this building to focus solely on our challenges and it is indeed a turbulent, rough world out there. but as a nation and as a department this is also a moment to continue to shine the beacon of american leadership and to seize the many bright opportunities in front of us.

the men and women of this department will not only continue to protect our country but also make sure we leave a more peaceful, promising, and prosperous world to our children to dream their dreams. we are standing for our shared values in europe facing those who would turn back the clock. we are standing with our friends and allies to turn back savagery in the middle east. in the asia-pacific where new powers rise and old tensions simmer and where half of humanity survive -- half of humanity resides, we are standing for the continuation of a decade-long miracle underwritten by the united states. in cyberspace, we are standing for those who create and innovate against