the transition from active duty military into civilian life. i had an easy time going from illicit army into civilian life. i want to be in business management. i was so frustrated. i put down that i was involved in acquisition of real estate

specializing in beachfront property. i could do that. i was a young person and had more savings. what do you all in vision and being able to broaden opportunities -- envision in being able to broaden opportunities? would anyone like to comment? >> i might take a shot. >> the g.i. bill is an education program this time. you need to go back to what your colleagues did in 1944. the g.i. bill accomplished a whole series of things, not the least of which is getting people to start a business. you couldn't have the business if it didn't say veteran

something, often funded by small business loans going through the g.i. bill. those need to be resurrected. they need to look at some of the other aspects as well. ask a couple things. there is a proposal that would require people to go through the g.i. acquisition track. we think it is important they have the education and training opportunities. another aspect is dod is gradually moving forward with -- getting licensing in fields they are getting

that is extremely important. at least you have the option moving forward. >> if i may, may i address that? our members are addressing that. we work to upgrade. we have seen the education department is rapidly changing. the g.i. bill is it keeping up. three recommendations we made is to allow them to use remaining entitlement to repay student loans. loans are huge challenge. they ask us over and over again, is there flexibility to allow us to start a new career.

they are entrepreneurial. we would love to work on expanding and exploring that. also, other issues i want to highlight is allowing retirees to transfer their benefits. in a week where we are going to see another crop graduate, it has got to continue to be a work in progress. >> thank you. you are recognized for five minutes. prize i apologize i was temporarily away because i had to attend a legislative markup. i want to pick up on your point. i think the college affordability college loan issue is one of the paramount issues

of our time, particularly as it relates to veterans. i hope you and other members on this panel will give your views on this issue so we can make education benefits more effective. i say that as a dad who has two sons. one who served and another serving in the military now as well as two other children not in the military. i want to focus for the moment on the issue of the disability backlog. and the media there are issues du jour. the denver's facility -- denver facility is the issue. this backlog continues to be a major challenge.

i wonder if that is true and your experience and whether you could comment on whether the v.a. is doing better. the numbers say there has been some progress. we have a long way to go. we are seeing a growing appellate workload, which means we can see the backlog problem moving at a different place in the system. >> yes, i talked about that. the reason the backlog is coming down is twofold. one, the hump caused by the returning veterans of the recent wars as well as the number of

vietnam veterans applying compensation created a huge demand. that is curving downwards. the other thing is they took all of their resources and put it into initial claims. they have taken them out of the regular job. now they are not doing certifications necessary to take the veterans appeal, and they are in limbo. often for many years now. it is short-circuiting the situation. what is important to me is it is like the v.a. is considering us the enemy.

many regional offices are people not allowed to talk to anybody. you have to take it and deal with it. if i had an issue on a claim that came back to me, i could bring it to the rater. you can't do that anymore. so we don't get to see anybody.

it is not counted as a bad mark on the regional office and not counted. i pointed out we win 70% of the time. the better it -- veteran waited from three to five to seven years because the regional office screwed up and didn't do the right thing the first time. that is unconscionable. i think this thing going on because of the leadership is frankly criminal. that somebody should sit on something that should take 10 minutes to fill out. i have been trying to get a letter to go to the under secretary.

>> i thank you. >> it still a problem. they drove the car into the ditch. i would encourage you to go to thewaywecare.org. you can go to individual stories and see how long they have waited so we can go ahead and prevent it. we know they are working on it. what do veterans do in the meantime? you have emotional stress.

i would encourage you to think creatively about how to provide immediate support to those stuck waiting for years. >> i have one more thanks to those expanding choice when a local facility cannot provide a service needed. when we measure service it ought to be for medical care the veteran needs. >> i will recognize dr. abraham

for five minutes. she has to go into a premed curriculum. [applause] a quick remembrance with memorial day coming up, the surviving members of our fallen heroes they continued to carry an extreme burden. i heartfelt thanks for that. you have made the decisions.

they have their heart in the right place. we will have to lance the abscess before the healing starts. hopefully we are in the process of exposing the bad things. these things have been under the radar for years. they are just coming to the surface. hopefully we can fix it. i was a cosponsor of the apprenticeship that will allow some of these to be used in a non-collegiate funding area. certainly it will help.

give me one or two specific things we need to do. we want to fix it as quickly as we can. help us out here. i know you were saying to give us some specifics we can take that to our committees. >> i would argue one simple change is to allow the veterans appeals attorneys when they make a ruling to make it so when somebody decides something it has now become law so any other

case should be adjudicated along those lines. this is the only legal structure were that does not occur. we can get attorneys sitting next to each other making totally different rulings on the same type of case. the other thing is figuring out how to redo the whole system. it doesn't make sense. stop having the claims. she services about a dozen counties in western new york. it would solve so many issues if

we had an officer who could make a decision. >> two things to add briefly. we believe there are some low-cost measures in the claims system. the second id. we are looking into the claims process to allow them to bypass certain steps but retain the option of going into the legacy system. we believe the basic concept that put forward for a sped up

appeals process is a good one and we commend it to your attention. >> thank you. i will yield back. >> you are recognized. >> thank you. i will follow your lead and acknowledge ernesto. are you here? thank you for joining us. i am grateful he is spending a day with us here in congress. it is wonderful he gets to hear from each of you. he has been here through the entire testimony. i think that can only be good. i wanted to reflect on some of what dr. abraham said with the secretary. one thing that astounds me is there are 50,000 positions they

are seeking to hire for today. another statistic called wait times have approved approximately 0% across the country. well access has improved, more veterans are getting seen. there are more providers in the system. there is more choice. i think one of the difficult things we want to address. we need to get strategic on what we are hiring out. i am struck by your top priority, preventing suicide and

caring for those who come back with signature wounds of the most recent wars. tell me your thoughts on focusing the hiring on capacity to serve the transitioning service members and focus on those injuries sustained in combat and service. you refer out those that are not uniquely connected. there is going to be a trade-off. i would love to get your take on

this. >> i found out about another suicide on the way there. it is real and growing. no one should be thinking this problem is anywhere close to solve. i think framing it in a bigger sense, the biggest thing lacking, it was great we had a white house signing, but most americans saw that and said great, washington took care of this, and moved on. we have a shortage of mental health workers, but folks don't want to work at the v.a. right now. we have got to find ways that they could not just work at the v.a., but serve veterans. that has to be a call the president can make and say, we have a suicide problem. we need every american to step up. you can work for a private

nonprofit, go back to school, and i think the undervalued resource is us. post 9/11 veterans are standing by to help each other. >> i want to make sure i ask this as blunt as possible. what if the v.a. was the center of excellence for service issues and there is a 100% chance that when you need to see the mental health provider you are going to get in right away and it is good to be world-class care, and there is a pretty good chance were if you have the flu diabetes, or something that is comparable to what the general population sees, you are going to get referred out. when you think about that. >> this is the age-old choice put forward to veterans, that we should figure out. no one should wait. >> i don't think that is going

to fix it. >> i don't think a lot of these ideas are necessarily going to work. the bottom line is supply is growing and demand is flat or falling. we don't have enough qualified people to deal with suicide. we have got to address the supply problem, and i think we also have to address that v.a. cannot do it alone. most of the members are torn. a lot of them will never go to the v.a.. we have got to recognize that hospital networks, private nonprofits, everyone else is picking up the slack. we have got to look at it as a national healthcare priority. that is where we need to start. we are going to be around the edges. >> favored to yield back. i think we agree on almost everything. it is incredibly urgent. it is going to require everyone,

if something is going to be a priority and urgent, i think it needs to be treated that way. i think there will have to be some trade-offs. i appreciate your response. >> i will take this opportunity to recognize -- >> i have to say one thing for the record. the majority of suicides are not young folks coming home. they are us. it is the older veterans committing suicide at an incredible rate, have been for years and many because they are retiring out and getting in hot water. the v.a. needs to take people right out of school, which they won't do. i had a friend of mine. she wanted to go work for the v.a.. she got her masters degree. she was qualified. i would rather take a kid out of school i could trade -- train.

they need to do more out of that -- of that right out of school. the v.a. needs to document their efforts by specialty and report to congress who they are and where they are going to look for them. >> i am glad somebody took this kid right out of school and hired him as a doctor. you are correct. one of the problems is people do not want to work for the v.a. it is just that getting hired takes for ever. [applause] >> it is a misnomer to say people don't want to work for the v.a. they do want to work for the v.a. the problem is it takes too long. by the time they go through the system, somebody else has already hired them.

they want to work at the v.a.. let's be clear. there are veterans that want to work at the v.a., that our process is the v.a.. >> thank you for your advocacy. we do a tremendous thing pushing forward. we do have to keep it at the top of the list.

it's something we have to go forward with. you mentioned the vision problems. what is the major disease affecting them. what is the disease causing blindness? >> right now it is a tossup. how they are coming down with diabetes through agent orange. >> diabetes connected to agent orange, and the resulting vision impairment.

>> it's a fight to get the disease associated. >> we need to fix that. that's an excellent point. one of the problems we have had is there has been a problem with reimbursing local hospitals for emergency care. when that happens the agency may go after the veteran for payment if they don't receive it from the v.a. is that something you're hearing about? i have a lot of concern. not only is it a problem now but also with hospitals. if you don't pay them we are not going to participate. if we don't do it now, what is going to happen? hopefully we will see more

people as they get comfortable with that. they are going to have huge problems. the danger is if you don't pay the providers they won't participate. is anybody hearing those things out there? not so much. >> i would comment we are hearing a related challenge and problem is some veterans who are referred outside the care, often that results in a prescription of some kind by the civilian provider. that becomes a normal sleep challenging because the veteran goes to a local retail drug provider who has to pay out of

pocket. they have to say you have to come and be seen by us. this is a huge issue that really wasn't addressed. the whole prescription medication aspect is still an and or miss gap -- and norman's needs to be looked at. -- enormous gap that needs to be looked at. quite we talk about getting people stable when they are still in service. those drugs not being in the formula and changing people where you have a lot of work and attention paid to try to get

people on the right track. that's something that we need as a group. thank you for your service, we appreciate you. mr. roe: sergeant major, you are recognized for five minutes. >> thank you, chairman. thank you-all for being here. mr. walz: to folks at the table and folks behind, we are always here on challenging issues, but i believe always more optimistic than i have ever been because there is no one else i would want to be fighting these fights than you. i think that national character issue when president kennedy got asked about going to the moon, we don't do it because it's easy, we do it because it's hard. i don't think he envisioned that with the v.a. it's up to us to get this right. senator boozman is right. we harmonize the formularies between d.o.d. and the v.a., it was stripped out at the end.

again that's why you do 2.0 and 3.0 and keep at it. i know for all of you this has to feel like groundhog's day, we are back here year after year. that's the point of it. i think, though, i get the feeling on this, it's different now. it's different because the prices. anyone who throws up their hands and says who could have predicted that? some of you sitting at the table know before phoenix happened, we were talking about it with the administration and got nowhere. it's not a surprise to anyone. nor will it be a surprise on the injuries coming. john and others pointed this out. this bubble is coming. it peaks 40 years after the conflicts. turn around and look at the o.i.f. vets.

their bubble is not coming until 2050. so for us to shea, there will be some congressman sitting up here at that time saying, dang, we couldn't have predicted it. this would happen. yes you could have. it's not a false choice. we hold people accountable. we make people accountable. we swear them in. if they are a criminal, we send them where they need to do. we need to plan for the few tear and fix it. let's do both together. this is a chance to make a generational change. it has to be there. here's the alternative, no one else is going to do it. there is going to be resistance because it's the nature of bureaucracies, both public and private, to resist change. here's the good news. we can make changes. we started to and paul was right, clay hunt was a step in the right direction. as everyone said, this is about mental health parity and the view of the public sector to see that. we can change behaviors. we can change how people think about it. i want to come to a granular issue on this. we can't lose sight of this. there are things we start fixing today and make differences in people's lives on that. mr. rowan, i wonder, if you could tell me could you explain quickly what's the retionship with i.o.m. and the v.a.? what do they do together and

what's going on here? mr. rowan: the institute of medicine was brought into play back in the 91 act of the agent orange act in 1991 where basically the institute of medicine was asked on a biannual basis to report on research they would look at of agent orange related research and any diseases that they felt were identified as a result of that. that would then eventually end up on the presumptive list which unfortunately, is rather substantial through vietnam veterans. that's been the thing. the problem is one of the reasons we talk about doing research is, in fact, there is no research. the v.a. has never done research on agent orange. i.o.m. was scratching around wherever they could find stuff instead of having original research to review. it was a shame. the i.o.m. in the toxic research acts we are talking about, we are also talking about -- which would basically extend the 1991 act to include persian gulf and

more recent veterans where the institute of medicine would study them now. the one thing about the i.o.m. they were considered off to the side. it's interesting once again we see the v.a. just recently put up barriers. when the i.o.m. basically told the v.a. you guys really screwed up when it came to the c-123 crew members and pilots and crew, they agreed those planes were toxic despite the v.a. basically disavowing all knowledge. mr. walz: this is the point i want to bring up. this is what i say to my colleagues. while it may be granular issue it is a broader one because this is about research, best practice, and this is about cutting out problems before they

become as big as they are. we know we are going to see these things from burn pits to depleted uranium. they are coming. the research needs to be done now. the treatment plans need to be done now and acknowledge this. i bring this up because i think it shows, secretary assures us and i hope he continues to push on this, this insular nature of the v.a. cannot take outside experts on this in partnerships. it's a waste of resources. it ended up setting us up for another situation with agent orange claims that will come later. this is what i am talking about. we can prevent those things now if we choose to do so. thank you. keep pushing. mr. rowan: if i might continue that. the other thing was the d.o.d. very clearly had research that showed that these flames were toxic. the v.a. wouldn't talk about it and basically hid it. there is just a mindset somewhere in there that people don't think these kinds of illnesses count. mr. walz: we are going come back at it. we'll try to push that soon. thank you. mr. roe: i thank the gentleman

for yielding. mr. lamborn. mr. lamborn: it's great to be here and see all of you who served like senator boozman said in so many ways. i appreciate that. i know the issue of the denver hospital has come up. i'm from southern colorado and although it's not in my district, lots of my 100,000 veterans do need that hospital to be finished. the existing facility is just not up to par. i know it's a mess financially. and i don't know the final solution. we have to find a way to bring all or part of the hospital to

completion so it can be used. for any one of you, i'd like to ask this question. i also ask this of secretary mcdonald when he was here earlier this year. that is how can we find a better way to have a seamless transition for our active duty men and women leaving the department of defense, going into the v.a.? i know just moments ago we talked about matching formularies. that's probably one step in the right direction. what are some other ways that you would like to propose that we could work on for a better and more seamless transition? >> congressman, if i may. the one issue i can see is at this time the department of veterans affairs is only employed by 33% veterans.

it's supposed to be veterans taking care of veterans. if you take the 66% that are not veterans, once they tried to transition, those folks do not understand the military health care system or even the military way of life. one of the best ways to do it is to actually higher more veterans within the v.a. health care system or even gba as well. that is one approach. >> thank you. >> we have five specific recommendations, provide oversight by monitoring development, remember that? we all stood with the president five years ago and talked about the initiation of a plan. the plan is still somewhere ongoing. automatically enroll all troops in v.a. health care with an option to opt out. get them in when they are still in and have that the more seamless. fully implement the dod plan to develop an ottoman to system to transfer the service treatment records to the v.a. and electronically, fully implement the comprehensive exit physical before service number leaves the military and improve the transition of national guard medical and service records from state units to the v.a.. those are five suggestions that we are happy to follow up in more detail. >> please do. we have had that for the last five years. we have not executed the plan. i'd love at the plan will be executed until you sit down with people from the leadership, from dod in v.a., and say, what is the malfunction?

this is where we are going, how are you going to clement and? until somebody has oversight on that and direction, it is not going to happen. >> would anybody else like to help answer? >> congressman, we suggest that more needs to be done in terms of recruitment of physicians nurses, and other professionals from dod when the eater they complete their service or when they retire. things like fellowships, postdoctoral opportunities research, even recruitment stipends to attract them into v.a. service, back especially ranking member brown's point about the long delays in the v.a. process. if somebody is certified as a physician in the department of defense, it ought to be quick, easy, and seamless to move them into the v.a. and provide opportunities for them

including reasonable incentives and for them to want to affiliate as a v.a. medical professional. dod needs to credential the and listed personnel. if you can take care of an individual while in uniform, why can't you take care while they are a veteran. >> i will speak for my treasurer who would love to jump in on this issue. his son is a major in the air

force and a neurologist. the bottom line is this, he is looking around to get out and the headhunters are telling him don't think about the v.a., they are not looking. despite the secretary having said he would go after my son, he never did. >> thank you again for your answers and the services you provide. >> i want to thank all of you for being here today and to thank all of you for your organizations and what they do for veterans and families. i will take this opportunity to yield to a ranking member brown or closing comments. >> i want to thank you all for your service and your comments. clearly we have a lot of work to do, that as we go into memorial day, thank you to all of the veterans for their service. the first president george washington said, whether or not

young people want to join the military will depend on how we treat the veterans. i am committed that we will continue to work given the service and quality care that they need. i mentioned earlier about denver. on the 24th, if we in congress have not come up with a plan to authorize -- so they can spend money, that project is going to close. that will cost $20 million. it will cost $2 million per month. that is a waste of taxpayer dollars. we can blame the v.a.. we can blame congress because we have not authorized hospitals in 15 years. the veterans should not get the service they need.

what happens when failure is not an option? we have to get it done. >> thank the gentlelady for yielding. i want to take this opportunity once again to thank all of the people who are here. one of the things you're seeing with this committee i have been here 6.5 years and she has been here for over 20. one of the things that i noticed in these hearings is the attendance of the members. in the last year it has doubled or tripled. things are not going to be hard to fix. it is a bipartisan effort. you're seeing input from both. the act is not being implemented as congress intended, will do

oversight on that but being a vietnam veteran and korea i see more emphasis toward helping veterans that i saw when i got out of the army in 1974. basically the gate didn't hit me on the way out and it was the only connection that i got. there was not cap program or anything. we are doing much better in the bill is a phenomenal benefit and if one million young people have to access that, our country is better off for it. we will get the money back in spades. on the veterans hospital in denver, i mentioned this in a hearing. they built the coliseum and roman eight years and it looks like we will exceed that. different labor issues and they did not have the epa, but it

looks like you could build a hospital for less than $1700 per square foot. i think about how much care that mr. kovac mentioned that we could be giving our veterans, it takes away from other construction projects. i didn't sign on to be the project manager. they can do better and they will do better. the oversight from our committee will do that. it is a privilege to start my comments to serve on this community -- committee and to serve those now -- i have been to afghanistan twice and i hope to go again. we have the most courageous volunteer and highly trained military in the history of this country. every time i speak, i am a fiscal conservative but there are three things i will never apologize for spending money on.

if you are a soldier in the field i want you to have whatever you do to protect you and your comrades. when you have made that service and you come home i want this country to serve you again. thirdly, i will support my agriculture community. i want to make sure my farmers are taken care of. i appreciate you being here. i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to advise and amend their -- remarks. without objection so ordered. hearing adjourned. [applause]

>> coming up on c-span, president obama speaks to coast guard graduates about the link between climate change and national defense. then senator lindsey graham on the fall of the iraqi city ramadi. on the next "washington journal," congressman smith will discuss the fight against isis and the select committee investigating the benghazi attack. then more about the fight against isis. mark rounds will talk about his legislative agenda as a freshman senator. "washington journal" live every

morning at 7:00 a.m. et on c-span. saturday, editorial cartoonists discussed their roles as satirists. the event took place three months after the terror attack on the charlie hebdo magazine in paris. >> the new congressional directory is a handy guide to the 114th congress, with color photos of every senator and house number plus i/o and photo and contact information. plus district maps, a map of capitol hill and a look at congressional committees, the president's cabinet, federal agencies and state governors. order your copy today through the c-span online store at c-span.org.

>> president obama addressed the impact of climate change on national security. when he spoke wednesday. his remarks are 30 minutes. [applause] president obama: thank you. thank you so much. thank you. everybody, please have a seat. class of 2015, ahoy. >> ahoy. president obama: there are now zero days until the class of 2015 graduates. [applause]

president obama: thank you admiral zukunft, for your kind introduction and for your leadership of our coast guardsmen on all seven continents. governor malloy, secretary johnson, ambassador, distinguished guests, faculty and staff, families and friends. and admiral stosz, as you prepare to conclude your time as superintendent, thank you for your outstanding stewardship of this academy. you made history as the first woman ever to lead one of our nation's service academies. [applause] president obama: and i know you'll keep making history because i was proud to nominate you for your third star and as

the coast guard's next deputy commandant for mission support. [applause] president obama: it is wonderful to be with all of you here today on this beautiful day. michelle sends her greetings as well. she is the proud sponsor of the coast guard cutter stratton -- which is tough to beat. but as admiral zukunft pointed out, both the coast guard and i were born on the same day. so i want you all to know, every birthday from now on i will be thinking about the coast guard. [applause] president obama: now, the coast guard may be the smallest of our services, but i have to say you may also be the loudest. whenever i visit our military

bases, there are always lots of soldiers and sailors and airmen and marines. they make a lot of noise. but wherever i am across the country or around the world, including afghanistan, nowhere near an ocean -- the most determined cheer from the crowd comes from our proud coast guardsmen, because usually there might only be one or two of them. [laughter] as paul mentioned, in my state of the union address this year i mentioned how i've seen america at its best when commissioning our new officers including here in new london. and it's true, some folks across the country didn't quite get the reference. one person tweeted that they were pretty sure i just made this up. then there was one person in town who asked, “did obama name drop new london?" so let me do it again. it is a great honor to be back in new london, at the united states coast guard academy to salute the newest ensigns of america's oldest, continuous maritime service.

[applause] cadets, this is a day to celebrate all that you've achieved over these past four years. you have excelled at one of the most selective and rigorous academic institutions in america. you've held yourselves to a high code of conduct, proven yourself worthy to be called commissioned officers in the united states coast guard. you pushed yourselves physically, from swab summer to beating your officers at basketball and softball and football. you braced up, squared your meals, spent friday nights waxing the floors, maybe a little “rodeo buffing.” i saw the video. that looks dangerous, by the way. you made your mark, and you will be remembered. in chase hall. in this stadium.

and at hanafin's and bulkeley house. which reminds me, in keeping with longstanding tradition, i hereby absolve all cadets serving restrictions for minor offenses. minor offenses. you came together as one team. we are joined today by commander merle smith, the first african american graduate of this academy, class of 1966, a decorated vietnam veteran. [applause] president obama: his legacy endures in all of you because the graduating class of 2015 is the most diverse in academy history. and you took care of each other, like family. today, we honor the memory of your classmate from the republic of georgia, soso, along with

beso. their spirits will live on in the partnerships you forge with coast guards all over the world. today, you take your rightful place in the long blue line. for marina stevens and her family, it is a very long line. where is marina? just wave at me real quick. there she is right there. marina's dad is coast guard civilian. her mom, janet, an academy graduate, was a coast guard captain and will pin on marina's shoulder boards today. marina's grandfather was a coast guardsman. her great-grandfather joined the u.s. lighthouse service in 1918. that's four generations, spanning nearly the entire life of the modern coast guard.

no wonder she's named marina. it's in her blood. and, cadets, i know that none of you reached this day alone. so join me in giving a huge round of applause to your mentors and your incredible parents and your family members, so many of them, themselves, veterans as well. please give them a big round of applause. [applause] president obama: class of 2015 i'm here as your commander-in-chief, on behalf of the american people, to say thanks to each of you. thanks for choosing to serve. for stepping up, for giving up the comforts of civilian life,

for putting on that uniform. thank you for the service you are about to render. the life of purpose that you've embraced, the risks that you've accepted and the sacrifices that you will make. but i'm not here to just sing your praises. i want to speak to you about what comes next. soon, you'll fan out across the coast guard and some of you will go to sectors and shore command. some of you will start your duty aboard cutters. some of you will start flight training. america needs you. and we need the coast guard more than ever. we need you to safeguard our

ports against all threats, including terrorism. we need you to respond in times of disaster or distress and lead your rescue teams as they jump out of perfectly good helicopters. we need you in the caribbean and central america, interdicting drugs before they reach our streets and damage our kids. we need you in the middle east; in the gulf; alongside our navy; in places like west africa where you helped keep the ports open so that the world could fight a deadly disease. we need you in the asia pacific, to help our partners train their own coast guards to uphold maritime security and freedom of navigation in waters vital to our global economy. these are all demanding missions. the pace of operations is intense. and these are tight fiscal times for all our services, including the coast guard. but we are going to keep working to give you the boats and the cutters and the aircraft that you need to complete the missions we ask of you. we're moving ahead with new fast response cutters, new offshore patrol cutters.

we're on track to have a full fleet of new national security cutters -- the most advanced in history. and i've made it clear that i will not accept a budget that continues these draconian budget cuts called sequestration, because our nation and our military and our coast guard deserve better. [applause] and this brings me to the challenge i want to focus on today -- one where our coast guardsmen are already on the front lines, and that, perhaps more than any other, will shape your entire careers -- and that's the urgent need to combat and adapt to climate change. as a nation, we face many challenges, including the grave threat of terrorism. and as americans, we will always do everything in our power to protect our country.

yet even as we meet threats like terrorism, we cannot, and we must not, ignore a peril that can affect generations. now, i know there are still some folks back in washington who refuse to admit that climate change is real. and on a day like today, it's hard to get too worried about it. there are folks who will equivocate. they'll say, "you know, i'm not a scientist." well, i'm not either. but the best scientists in the world know that climate change is happening. our analysts in the intelligence community know climate change is happening. our military leaders -- generals and admirals, active duty and retired -- know it's happening. our homeland security professionals know it is happening. and our coast guard knows it's

happening. the science is indisputable. the fossil fuels we burn release carbon dioxide, which traps heat. and the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are now higher than they have been in 800,000 years. the planet is getting warmer. fourteen of the 15 hottest years on record have been in the past 15 years. last year was the planet's warmest year ever recorded. our scientists at nasa just reported that some of the sea ice around antarctica is breaking up even faster than expected. the world's glaciers are melting, pouring new water into the ocean. over the past century, the world sea level rose by about eight inches.

that was in the last century; by the end of this century, it's projected to rise another one to four feet. cadets, the threat of a changing climate cuts to the very core of your service. you've been drawn to water -- like the poet who wrote, "the heart of the great ocean sends a thrilling pulse through me." you know the beauty of the sea but you also know its unforgiving power. here at the academy, climate change -- understanding the science and the consequences -- is part of the curriculum, and rightly so, because it will affect everything that you do in your careers. some of you have already served in alaska and aboard icebreakers, and you know the effects. as america's maritime guardian,

you've pledged to remain always ready -- semper paratus -- ready for all threats. and climate change is one of those most severe threats. and this is not just a problem for countries on the coasts, or for certain regions of the world. climate change will impact every country on the planet. no nation is immune. so i'm here today to say that climate change constitutes a serious threat to global security, an immediate risk to our national security. and make no mistake, it will impact how our military defends our country. and so we need to act -- and we need to act now. after all, isn't that the true hallmark of leadership? when you're on deck, standing your watch, you stay vigilant. you plan for every contingency.

and if you see storm clouds gathering, or dangerous shoals ahead, you don't sit back and do nothing. you take action -- to protect your ship, to keep your crew safe. anything less is negligence. it is a dereliction of duty. and so, too, with climate change. denying it, or refusing to deal with it endangers our national security. it undermines the readiness of our forces. it's been said of life on the sea -- "the pessimist complains about the wind, the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails." cadets, like you, i reject pessimism. we know what we as americans can achieve when we set ourselves to

great endeavors. we are, by nature, optimists -- but we're not blind optimists. we know that wishful thinking in the face of all evidence to the contrary would set us on a course for disaster. if we are to meet this threat of climate change, we must be realists. we have to readjust the sails. that's why confronting climate change is now a key pillar of american global leadership. when i meet with leaders around the world, it's often at the top of our agenda -- a core element of our diplomacy. and you are part of the first generation of officers to begin your service in a world where the effects of climate change are so clearly upon us. it will shape how every one of our services plan, operate train, equip, and protect their infrastructure, their

capabilities, today and for the long term. so let me be specific on how your generation will have to lead the way to both prepare ourselves and how to prevent the worst effects in the future. around the world, climate change increases the risk of instability and conflict. rising seas are already swallowing low-lying lands, from bangladesh to pacific islands, forcing people from their homes. caribbean islands and central american coasts are vulnerable as well. globally, we could see a rise in climate change refugees. and i guarantee you the coast guard will have to respond. elsewhere, more intense droughts will exacerbate shortages of water and food, increase competition for resources, and create the potential for mass migrations and new tensions. all of which is why the pentagon calls climate change a "threat multiplier." understand, climate change did not cause the conflicts we see around the world.

yet what we also know is that severe drought helped to create the instability in nigeria that was exploited by the terrorist group boko haram. it's now believed that drought and crop failures and high food prices helped fuel the early unrest in syria, which descended into civil war in the heart of the middle east. so, increasingly, our military and our combatant commands, our services -- including the coast guard -- will need to factor climate change into plans and operations, because you need to be ready. around the world, climate change will mean more extreme storms. no single weather event can be blamed solely on climate change. but typhoon haiyan in the philippines gave us a possible glimpse of things to come -- one of the worst cyclones ever recorded; thousands killed, many more displaced, billions of dollars in damage, and a massive international relief effort that included the united states

military and its coast guard. so more extreme storms will mean more humanitarian missions to deliver lifesaving help. our forces will have to be ready. as admiral zukunft already mentioned, climate change means arctic sea ice is vanishing faster than ever. by the middle of this century, arctic summers could be essentially ice free. we're witnessing the birth of a new ocean -- new sea lanes, more shipping, more exploration, more competition for the vast natural resources below. in alaska, we have more than 1,000 miles of arctic coastline. the united states is an arctic nation, and we have a great interest in making sure that the region is peaceful, that its indigenous people and environment are protected, and that its resources are managed

responsibly in partnership with other nations. and that means all of you are going to have to step up -- because few know the arctic better than the u.s. coast guard. you've operated there across nearly 150 years. and as the arctic opens, the role that the coast guard plays will only grow. i believe that our interests in the arctic demand that we continue to invest in an enduring coast guard icebreaking capacity. i was proud to nominate your last commandant, admiral papp, as our special representative for the arctic. and as the u.s. chairs the arctic council this year, i'm committed to advancing our interests in this critical region because we have to be ready in the arctic, as well. climate change, and especially rising seas, is a threat to our homeland security, our economic infrastructure, the safety and health of the american people.

already, today, in miami and charleston, streets now flood at high tide. along our coasts, thousands of miles of highways and roads, railways, energy facilities are all vulnerable. it's estimated that a further increase in sea level of just one foot by the end of this century could cost our nation $200 billion. in new york harbor, the sea level is already a foot higher than a century ago -- which was one of the reasons superstorm sandy put so much of lower manhattan underwater. during sandy, the coast guard mounted a heroic response, along with our national guard and reserve. but rising seas and stronger storms will mean more disaster response missions. and we need the coast guard to be ready, because you are america's maritime first responder. climate change poses a threat to

the readiness of our forces. many of our military installations are on the coast including, of course, our coast guard stations. around norfolk, high tides and storms increasingly flood parts of our navy base and an airbase. in alaska, thawing permafrost is damaging military facilities. out west, deeper droughts and longer wildfires could threaten training areas our troops depend on. so politicians who say they care about military readiness ought to care about this, as well. just as we're helping american communities prepare to deal with the impacts of climate change, we have to help our bases and ports, as well. not just with stronger seawalls and natural barriers, but with smarter, more resilient infrastructure -- because when the seas rise and storms come, we all have to be ready. now, everything i've discussed

with you so far is about preparing for the impacts of climate change. but we need to be honest -- such preparation and adaptation alone will not be enough. as men and women in uniform, you know that it can be just as important, if not more important, to prevent threats before they can cause catastrophic harm. and only way -- the only way -- the world is going to prevent the worst effects of climate change is to slow down the warming of the planet. some warming is now inevitable. but there comes a point when the worst effects will be irreversible. and time is running out. and we all know what needs to happen. it's no secret. the world has to finally start reducing its carbon emissions -- now.

and that's why i've committed the united states to leading the world on this challenge. over the past six years, we've done more than ever to reduce harmful emissions, unprecedented investments to cut energy waste in our homes and building, standards to double the fuel efficiency of our vehicles. we're using more clean energy than ever before -- more solar more wind. it's all helped us reduce our carbon emissions more than any other advanced nation. and today, we can be proud that our carbon pollution is near its lowest levels in almost two decades. but we've got to do more. so, going forward, i've committed to doubling the pace at which we cut carbon pollution. and that means we all have to step up. and it will not be easy. it will require sacrifice, and the politics will be tough. but there is no other way. we have to make our homes and buildings more efficient. we have to invest in more energy research and renewable technologies. we have to move ahead with

standards to cut the amount of carbon pollution in our power plants. and working with other nations we have to achieve a strong global agreement this year to start reducing the total global emission -- because every nation must do its part. every nation. so this will be tough. but as so often is the case, our men and women in uniform show us the way. they're used to sacrifice and they are used to doing hard stuff. class of 2015, you've built new equipment that uses less energy. you've designed new vessels with fewer harmful emissions. stephen horvath, selected as a fulbright scholar, will research new technologies for renewable energies. the coast guard is building more fuel-efficient cutters. so you're already leading. and, cadets, as you go forward i challenge you to keep

imagining and building the new future we need -- and make your class motto your life's work -- "to go where few dare." this is a place where we need you. across our military, our bases and ports are using more solar and wind, which helps save money that we can use to improve readiness. the army is pursuing new lighter, more fuel-efficient vehicles. the air force f-22 broke the sound barrier using biofuels. and the navy runs an entire carrier strike group -- the green fleet -- with biofuels. our marines have deployed to afghanistan with portable solar panels, lightening their load and reducing dangerous resupply missions. so fighting climate change and using energy wisely also makes our forces more nimble and more ready. and that's something that should unite us as americans. this cannot be subject to the usual politics and the usual

rhetoric. when storms gather, we get ready. and i want to leave you with a story that captures the persistence and the patriotism that this work requires, because this is a nation made up of folks who know how to do hard things. down in the front row is dr. olivia hooker. in 1921, in tulsa, oklahoma, when she was just six years old, her african american community was attacked by white mobs -- it was a horrific racial incident. and hundreds of innocent african americans were killed. the mobs destroyed her father's clothing store. they looted her house. they even burned the little

clothes for her doll. and olivia could have given in to bitterness. she could have been pessimistic about her country. instead, she made it better. so in world war ii, she enlisted as a spar, becoming the first african american woman in the coast guard. [applause] as a yeoman in boston, she served with distinction. by the time the war was won, she was discharged, she was a petty officer second class. with the gi bill, olivia earned her master's, then her doctorate. she has been a professor and mentor to her students, a passionate advocate for americans with disabilities, a psychologist counseling young children, a caregiver at the height of the aids epidemic, a

tireless voice for justice and equality. a few months ago, olivia turned 100 years old. so, olivia, you're going to have to tell us you're secret. she's still as sharp as they come, and as fearless. in yonkers, new york, she even still volunteers as a member of the coast guard auxiliary, and was determined to be here with us today. so, dr. hooker, thank you. you're an inspiration. [applause] one hundred years old.

so dr. hooker has led a remarkable life. but this is what she says -- "it's not about you, or me. it's about what we can give to this world." cadets, you're at the start of your careers. and we cannot know, each of us how many days we will walk this earth. we can't guarantee we're all going to live to 100. but what we can do is live each day to its fullest. what we can do is look squarely at what will make the biggest difference for future generations and be willing to tackle those challenges. and as you embark on your life of service, as you man your stations, and head to the seas and take to the skies, should

the sea begin to surge and the waves swell and the wind blows hard against your face, i want you to think back to this moment -- to feel what you feel in your hearts today. and if you remember all that you've learned here on the thames -- how you came here and came together, out of many one to achieve as a team what you could never do alone -- if you resolve to stay worthy of traditions that endure -- honor, respect, devotion to duty -- if you heed the wisdom and humility of a petty officer second class from oklahoma, to think not of yourself, but what you can give to this world -- then i'm confident that you will truly go where few dare. and you will rise to meet the challenges that not only face our country, but face our planet. and your legacy will be a nation that is stronger and safer for

generations to come. so, class of 2015 -- thank you for your service. congratulations. god bless you. god bless all our coast guardsmen. god bless our united states of america. thank you. [applause] >> on tuesday, pentagon spokesman steve warren called the fall of ramadi an iraqi city, a failure of leaders and tactics i iraqi forces. wednesday, senators john mccain and lindsey graham put the blame on president obama. they spoke on the senate floor for 25 minutes.

on president obama. they spoke on the senate floor for 25 minutes. senator mccain: since the black flags of iso-fly over -- isil fly over a city and iraq. today appears to be a sad reminder of the indecisive air campaign in iraq and syria and a broader lack of strategy to achieve its stated objective of degrading and destroying isil. equally disturbing, reports prepare there is a counter offensive in a largely sunni province. whatever success would be exceeded by the strategic damage by the sectarianism and the suspicion among sunnis. prominent role of

these militias continue to feed the perception of a baghdad government unable or unwilling to protect sunnis. this is devastating to the political reconciliation efforts that must be central to ensuring a united iraq can rid itself of isil. shiite militias and iranian meddling will only foster the conditions that gave birth to isil in the first place. liberating ram mahdi and defeating isil require empowering sunnis want to rise up and fight isil themselves including integrating them into iraq security forces providing more robust american military assistance. indeed the obama administration and its spokes persons must try to save face for its failed policies by diminishing the importance of ramadi to the campaign against isil and the future of iraq. as isil forces captured in

ramadi the pentagon's news page ran a story with a headline strategy to defeat isil is working. secretary john kerry, secretary of state said ramadi was a mere, quote, target of opportunity. white house press secretary josh errant said yesterday -- josh ernest said yesterday that we should not -- quote -- "light our hair on fire every time there is a setback in the campaign against isil." meanwhile ramadi, iraq and the region are on fire. how could anyone -- how could anyone say that we shouldn't light our hair on fire when news reports clearly indicate that the there are burning bodies in the streets of ramadi that isil are going from house to house seeking out people and executing

them. tens of thousands of people are refugees. and what does the president's spokesman say? that we shouldn't light our hair on fire every time there is a setback. the secretary of state of the united states of america said ramadi was a mere -- quote -- "target of opportunity." have we completely lost? have we completely lost our sense of any moral caring and concern about thousands and thousands of people who are murdered, who are made refugees, who are dying as we speak? and the secretary of state says that we should not light our hair on fire. and what does the president have to say today? the president of the united states today says, well, its climate change that we have to worry about.

i'm worried about climate change. do we give a damn about what's happening in the streets of ramadi and the thousands of refugees and the people and innocent men, women and children that are dying and being executed and their bodies burned in the streets? a few weeks ago as isil closed in on ramadi, the chairman of the joint chief of staffs said the city is not symbolic in any way and is -- quote -- "not central to the future of iraq," the capital of the anbar province, the place where we lost the lives of some 400 brave americans and some 1,000 wounded in the first battle of ramadi during the surge. bodies -- quote --.

from the media reports bodies burned as mass killings of iraq security forces and civilians. islamic state militants searched door to door for policemen and pro-government fighters and threw bodies in the euphrates river in a bloody purge monday after capturing the strategic city of ramadi, some 500 civilians and soldiers died in the extremists killing spree. they said isis militants were going door to door with lists of government sympathizers and were breaking into the homes of policemen and pro-government tribesmen. the chairman of the joint chief of staffs said its not symbolic in any way not central to the future of iraq. it was in response to those comments that debbie lee sent a letter to general dempsey. debbie's son mark allen lee was the first navy seal killed

in the iraq war. for his bravery, he was awarded the silver star and his comrades renamed their base in ramadi camp mark allen lee. -- quote -- "i am shaking and tears running down my throat as i watch the news and listen to the pain-inflicting comments by you in regards to the fall of ramadi" debbie wrote general dempsey. "my son and many others gave their future in ramadi. many say as goes ramadi, so goes iraq. debbie lee is right. ramadi does matter. it matters to the families of 1 187,000 brave americans and another 1,150 who were wounded. some of them still residing at

walter reed hospital. they were wounded fighting to rid ramadi of al qaeda from august 2005 to march 2007. and it matters to the hundreds of thousands of iraqis, mostly sunnis who call ramadi home, who were forced to flee their homes and feel their government cannot protect them against isil's terror. a mi didramadi's fall is a significant defeat and one that should lead our nation's leaders to reconsider an indecisive and a total lack of strategy that has done little to roll back isil and has strengthened the maligned sectarian influence of iran. you'd like toi'd like to go back -- by the way, yesterday as i meptioned press secretary josh irnan said, are we going to light our hair on fire every time there is a

setback? one of the more absurd comments i've heard a press secretary make. "the new york times" headline was, "iraq sunni strategy collapses." "the washington post," "fall of ramadi reflects failure of strategy." "u.s. rethinks strategy after setback in ramadi." "route in ramadi calls strategy into question. "islamic state victory threatens to unravel iraq strategy." there is no strategy to unravel. "isis counterpunch stuns u.s. in iraq." the united nations says it's rushing tied nearly 25,000 people fleeing ramadi for the second in the meantime a month. the u.n. reported 115,000 people fled a ramadi in april.

the u.n. says it has helped more than 130,000 people over the past. bodies some burned, literatered the streets as local officials reported mass killings of iraqi security forces and civilians. it goes on and on. i just want to, before i turn to my friend from south carolina, i just want to point out my friends, this did not have to happen. this is a result of a failed, feckless policy that called for against all reason the total and complete withdrawal from iraq after we had won with an enormous expenditure of american blood and treasure, including 187 of them in the battle of ramadi. in 2011, senator lieberman and graham and i argued that the completely pullout from iraq would, -- quote -- "needlessly put at risk all of the hard-won gains that the united states has

achieved there at enormous cost in blood and treasure and potentially be a very serious forch policy and national security mistake for our country." we vote a lopping article in "the washington post." in october 2011en the day president obama announced the total withdrawal of troops from iraq senator mccain called the decision -- quote -- "a strategic victory for ouren miss in the middle east, especially the iranian regime and warned, i fear that all of the gains made possible by these brave americans in iraq, at such brave cost are now at risk." that was in 2011. in december 2011, senator mccain and graham pre-deducted that in iraq slid back into sectarian violence due to the u.s. pullout "the consequences will be catastrophic for the iraqi people and u.s. interests in the middle east and a clear victory for al qaeda and iran." it goes on and on. time after time, senator graham and i warned exactly what was going to happen in iraq.

it was not necessary to happen. it's because of this president's refusal to leave a force behind. and now my friends i just, before i turn to my friend from south carolina, what w's said at the same time that senator graham and senator lieberman and i were warning of this catastrophe? february 2010, vice president biden, "i'm very optimistic about iraq. i think it's going to be one of the great achievement of this administration. you're going to see a stable government in iraq that is actually moving toured a representative government." december 230111 at a fort bragg events be, marking the end of iraq war, president obama said, "we're leaving behind a sovereign, stable, and self-reliant iraq. this is an extraordinary achievement nearly nine years in the making." march 2012, this is perhaps my

favorite "tony blinken then national security advisor to the vice president biden stated, "iraq today -- this is march 2012. -- "iraq today is less violent and more prosperous than at any time in recent history." november 2012, president obama on the presidential campaign trail, "the war in iraq is over. the war in afghanistan is winding down. al qaeda has been decimated. osama bin laden is dead, so we've made real progress these last four years." january 2014, president obama -- i guess this is my favorite. january 2014, president obama on isis -- this is january 2014 -- "the analogy we use around here sometimes, and i think it is accurate is if a j.v. team puts

on lakers' uniform that doesn't make them qobe bryon." he was talking about isis, the analogy we use around here stiernlings and i think it is accurate is if a j.v. team puts on lakers' uniform that doesn't make them kobe bryon." we are seeing a dark chapter in american history. and it's getting darker, because in response to a slaughter in rama -- the answer seems to be, "let's not set our hair on fire by the president's statesman that ramadi isn't important at all for the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. this is a -- quote -- "temporary setback." this is a, cog according to the secretary of state a target of opportunity. where is our morality? where is our decency? where is our concern? -- where is our concern about these thousands of people that are being slaughterrered and displaced and their lives

destroyed, and we shouldn't set our hair on fire? outrageous. i ask my friend, senator graham, what we should do next. mr. graham: wlg, we should understand that the direct threat to the homeland is growing by the day. if you want to be indifferent to what's going on to iraq and say people are dying all over the world, that's no reason for us to care and get involved because we can't be everywhere all the time doing everything for everybody, i would suggest to you that isil in syria and iraq represents a growing threat to our homeland, but you don't have to believe me. ask our intelligence community. over 10,000 foreign fighters have gone into syria in support of isil over the last few months. their goal is to hit the american homeland. so this jayvee team is becoming

an extensiona real threat to the american homeland. ramaramadi is a big victory for them. they've been able to stawnldz to constant air assault by the american forces and and they're surviving and thriving. if you want to stop the flow of foreign fighters into the arms of isil, you have to deliver a stinging defeat on the battlefield. not only are they stronger today in syria and iraq than they have been in quite a while, they are expanding their influence to libya, afghanistan and throughout the region. all i can tell you is their agenda includes three things. the purification of their religion which means 3-year-old little girls are executed. just hear what i said. they executed a 3-year-old little girl. they're enslaving women by the

thousands as sex slaves under some twisted version of islam. what they're doing to people, we can't really talk about on the floor because i think it would just be beyond our ability to comprehend. the second thing they want to do is drive out all western influence and create a caliphate where our allies have no place. the king of jordan would be deposed. all of the friends of the united states and people who could live in peace with israel, they fall. and in their place becomes the most radical islamic regime known in the history of the world who will destroy israel if they can. purify their religion, destroy israel and come after us. president obama -- president bush made mistakes. he adjusted. you're not. president bush had a defining moment in his presidency in 2006. the iraq war was going very

poorly. we had just gotten beaten on the republican side and the iraq war was one of the reasons we lost at the ballot box. mr. mccain: could i interrupt my friend and point out that both of us, because of our perception that we were losing in iraq, under our republican president called for the resignation of the secretary of defense and a new strategy because we saw with our own party in the white house that we were failing in iraq and we could not succeed. mr. graham: i remember very vividly going to the white house after ultimate many visits to iraq and telling president bush, when wu'er people tell you this is just a few dead enders and it is the result of bad reporting by the media, they are a wrong. it wasn't stuff happens, it was that we had it wrong. the strategy we had in place up to 2006 was failing and the wait you know it was failing is that you go there often enough.

i remember the first trip we took in iraq after baghdad fell. we were in three s.u.v.'s,ence with downtown shopping, met with some leaders and every time we went thereafter, it was always a bit worse to the point that we were inside of a tank virtually to go outside the wire. and it was clear to anybody who was paying any attention at all in iraq that it was not working and i remember talking to a sergeant at one of the mess halls and asked him sergeant, how is it going over here? and he says, well, not very well. we just drive around getting our ass shot o about a year later maybe two years later we went back to the same unit, different sergeant after the surge and i asked another sergeant, how is it going? sir, we're kicking their ass. so at the bottom line here, i think senator mccain an i have been more right than wrong but we're willing to tell our own

president it wasn't working. he did make mistakes. we all have. it's not about the mistakes you make. it's about how you correct your own mistakes. this president, president obama you're at a defining moment in your presidency. if you don't change your strategy regarding isil in iraq and syria -- because it's one in the same -- then this country is very likely to get attacked in another 9/11 fashion. you need to listen to the people in the intelligence community and those in the military who've been in iraq for a very long time. you're about to make a huge mistake if you don't change your strategy. i know americans are war-weary but let me just say this to the american people: the current strategy is going to fail and one of the consequences of failure is the likelihood of our country or a lice getting hit and hit hard. we don't have enough american forces in iraq to change the tide of battle. we need more american trainers, advisors special forces forces units

afford air controllers to make sure the iraqi army can wing any engagement against isil. if we keep the configuration we have today, it is just going to result in more losses over time. why do we need thousands of soldiers over there? to protect millions of us here. and the only reason i would ever ask any soldier to go back overseas for any purpose is if i believed it was important to protect our homeland, and i do. so this strategy that we have in place is a complete failure inside of syria particularly, and it is not working inside of iraq and we're on borrowed time senator mccain. president obama you need to listen to sound military advice. you need to build up the iraqi military by having more of us on the ground to help them and turn the tide of battle before isil gets even stronger and when they hit us here. if you don't adjust, the price that we're going to pay as a nation is, i believe another

attack on the homeland. so, at the end of the day, you can blame bush, you can blame obama, you can blame me, you can blame senator mccannes. we are where we are. and i am convincinged, if we left a residual force in iraq, we would not be here today. president bush, like every other leader in the world had certain information, some of which proved to be faulty. he maudehe made his fair share of mistakes but adjusted. president obama had good, sound advice in front of him to leave a residual force behind. decided to go in a different direction. when they tell you at the white house, well, the iraqis didn't want us to stay, that is complete absolutely fabrication and rewriting of history. president obama, vice president biden got the answer they wanted. they made a campaign promise to end the war in iraq. they fulfilled that promise. but what they actually have done is lost the war in iraq.

and the war in iraq and what happens in syria is directly tied to our own national security. so i hope the president will seize this opportunity to come up with a new strategy that will protect the homeland and reset order. radical islam is running wild in the mideast. and as it runs wild over there as they rape and murder, plunder and kill and crucify, to think that those people will not eventually harm us, i think is naive. the only way we're going to stop isil and people like isil to come up with a strategy that will allow us to win. the strategy we have in place today will ensure the existence of isil as far as the eye can see. the fracturing of ironing -- fracturing of iraq and syria all of this is preventable with

a new strategy. the presiding strategy. -- mr. mccain: senator graham and i and many others have a message for the mother of the first navy seal killed in the iraq war who for bravery was awarded the silver star. and 186 other mothers who lost their sons in the battle for ramadi. i will never stop. i will never stop until we have avenged their deaths, and we will bring freedom and democracy to iraq. but more importantly than that is the threat that this radical islam and the iranians holds to our nation and the young men and women who are serving in the military. as a result of this president's feckless policies, we have put the lives of the men and women

who are serving in the military in much greater danger. and my highest obligation is to do everything in my power to see that this situation is reversed and they get the support and they get the equipment and most of all they get a policy and a strategy that will succeed and defeat isis and iran in their hegemonic ambitions. >> coming up on c-span, the release of a report on retaliation against military sex assault victims. then, fbi director james connie discusses cyber security. that is followed by assistant attorney general leslie caldwell on preventing cyber attacks. coming today, a confirmation hearing for the assistant secretary of homeland security for the tsa. vice admiral peter neffenger has

been nominated. you can see his testimony live at 10:00 a.m. eastern on c-span 3. saturday, editorial cartoonist discuss their roles as satirists. the event took place just three months after the terrorist attack at the "charlie hebdo" magazine in paris. that is this saturday at 8:00 p.m. eastern on c-span. >> here are a few of the book festivals we will be covering this spring. we will close out may at book expo america in new york city, where the publishing industry showcases upcoming books. in june, we are live for the chicago tribune lit fest, including our three-hour live in depth program with lawrence wright and your phone calls. that is this spring on c-span 2's book tv.

>> the human rights watch and protect our defenders organization released a new report on military sexual assault last week, focused on retaliation against victims. this briefing on the report is 40 minutes. >> i guess we will get started. thank you so much for coming today for the release of our report embattled retaliation against sexual assault survivors in the u.s. military. we appreciate you coming today. i would give you an idea what to expect. we will start with the video

which will be five-minute and then make inroads, researchers and the human rights division will summarize nine and a member randa peterson his program and post policy there will give a few remarks after that phipps from the time he would get her perspective as someone who is a commander and also witness retaliation herself and at the end we have sharon urges who will do most of her speaking in this video but also be available to as the pressure about her experiences in the air force. >> and i'm sarah, senior counsel. >> reporting sexual assault in the military is not easy. you hear the stories. they all have the same ending. and never a well. join the military in 2008. before all this happened, my initial goal was to outbreak by

father who served for 33 years >> we interviewed 150 servicemembers and veterans across bridges that the bill thanks there is retaliation their reporting sexual assault. we are talking about serious threats, harassment, job opportunities, promotions, disciplinary actions, criminal charges, for many people they found reportedly said he gained enough to get her career. >> often times when you report sexual assault, the person who committed the crime is somebody who also you were quiet and also you live when. so you share the same ground cumin same acquaintances come as a player come as a manager. there is no escape. >> there were rumors going

around in my squadron that as a troublemaker, that i was a liar and i was isolated from my squadron. i didn't feel comfortable going to squadron functions. i could hear the whispers. "she said so and so touched her." >> once the air force realized that sierra was not going to give up, they should continue to pursue this, i absolutely feel our daughter was retaliated against. one of the supervisors sent out an e-mail to the other workers within their area under a -- and they were telling those individuals to not communicate with her. >> we have this concept of team. >> retaliation can mean more sexual harassment. >> it escalated to the point

where i thought they were purposely putting me on ships with the individuals assaulting me. there was an incident where fortunately i had to go over to the jungle's office to return -- to the general's office to return some keys and he forced me on top of his desk. he started rubbing against me, masturbating. >> a number of survivors alike they started looking for things they've done wrong and were writing them up for performance evaluation which was used to create a record to discharge you from the military. >> previously he had gotten an award for being an outstanding worker. these infractions were kind of hard to disprove. she was late for work but she had permission.

she did leave her post but this was stuff that was commonly done. >> i was relieved to finally be leaving what i considered to be my herll, but i was also sad. i felt like a failure. i had a lot of goals, and it just hurt to see all that go down the drain. >> we know that 62% of our survivors who report are retaliated against yet there was nobody prosecuted, nobody punished for retaliation last year or the year before. when no one is held accountable for retaliation, it sends out a horrible message. the message is, keep going. >> the military needs to demonstrate that it takes retaliation seriously.

they need to show the people who retaliate against survivors will be held to account. for many people retaliation is far worse than sexual assault itself because they have faith that the military would support that and to have their peers and supervisors whom they would give their life for treat them this way is devastating. >> good morning. last month, defense secretary ashton carter dressed officers in training about the estimated 18,900 sexual assault in the military last year. he describes sexual assault is a disgrace in any form any particular challenge in a particular disgrace to the u.s. military. today we are here to talk about soldiers on the frontlines of that challenge. the servicemen and women who bravely come forward and report that they've sexual assault and harassment. without question reporting sexual assault of the u.s. military is an act of valor.

that is an act of tremendous courage in the face of danger. reporting is an act that can have servicemember putting careers on the line have exposed themselves to skirt the appears on leadership and lay in a profound and personal drama. it is an act of valor for many is motivated by a deep motivation -- deep devotion to the military values and safety of brothers and sisters in arms. however research shows the act of valor is not rewarded or -- not rewarded, but punished. our analysis finds military service members who reported sexual assault are 12 times as likely to suffer retaliation for doing so they had to see their neighbor is also a servicemember can make it.

in order to focus on the current context and account for recent reforms, the report released today is based primarily on the accounts of 75 survivors currently serving, or who left service since fiscal year 2012. the picture of retaliation is stark. threats and bullying by peers and supervisors including threats, vandalism, attacks via social media. the verbal abuse would be intolerable in any context. the all-encompassing military environment, it is on is capable. military retaliation is not limited to a 9-to-5 workday and cannot be escaped with two weeks notice. servicemembers are not mere coworkers. they live together. especially for junior enlisted servicemembers, the military controls every minute of their time and aspect of their lives. many servicemembers are bound by contracts.

the retaliation we documented was not limited to servicemembers. survivors were labeled trevor makers -- troublemakers by their superiors. supervisors moved victims to poor work assignments, removed them from their career track and caused them to miss out on training and deployments. survivors who had been on career fasttrack and received accolades for outstanding performance were denied metals or given poor performance reviews. this made it more likely that they would not have their enlistment renewed. in interview after interview service members told us that reporting sexual assault marked the beginning of the end of their careers. some survivors faced court-martial or discipline for minor misconduct like underage drinking or adultery that only gained the military's attention

as a result of their coming forward to report sexual assault. this is not how a military that wants to end sexual assault treats the soldiers that are coming forward to put a stop to a problem that is plaguing the institution. congress and the defense department made numerous reforms to the military justice system to protect victims' rights. over 200 provisions of law and independent recommendations have been undertaken in the last three years. the defense department sites increase rates of supporting sexual assault as evidence of progress. reporting rates have improved in recent years. servicemembers consistently cite fear of retaliation from the perpetrator for the perpetrators friends, or concern about their careers as reasons for not reporting. our research indicates that those fears are well grounded. the positive trend in reporting will not continue if victims see that those who report sexual

assaults experience retaliation and no action is taken to address the problem. any retaliation is critical to >> good morning. my name is brenda peterson. i'm the policy director. i would like to recognize the incredible work of human rights watch human rights watch and shining the light of this devastated issue. we been honored to work with them on this report. i'd also like to acknowledge survivors spoke here today who contributed to the report for demonstrating so much strength and shared stories of retaliation in reprisal. this report exposes the grave reality for the majority of survivors of sexual assault in the military. retaliation is the norm and is often severe. superiors either looked the other way or are engaged in retaliation as well.