or that information is available, i think ibm is one of the sites. >> did the hackers have access to be able to see the information regarding personal employees? >> so in 2014 is that the incident you're referring to? >> yes. >> based on the on-site assessment we weren't able to confirm that they were able to access any of the pii information. so not only so your question about seeing it there's a certain portion of the networks they were specifically focused on and they were not able to infiltrate into those portions of the network. >> ms. seymour -- let me ask ms. archiletta. responsible for safeguarding the pii in 2014, who do you hold responsible for its loss today? >> i hold all of us responsible. that's our job at the opm. we work very hard to do this. and we work with our partners

across government. i know you're perhaps tired of hearing this from me but we're facing a very aggressive attacker. we protect against 10 million attempts each month. so we're working very hard to do that. we're working extremely hard to prevent the types of things that we're seeing here today. >> i want to make sure you're going to get us some documents right? we've been requesting documents for a long time. i want to make sure what documents you're going to provide us. are those the ones we've been asking for? i can't hear you. >> i'm sorry. we're going to be addressing that letter and each of the requests that you've made to the extent that we're able to. >> okay. all right. thank you. >> it's been a long morning and into the afternoon. i thank you all. you all represent a number of people that have big -- a lot of staff so people who work hard

they're patriarch, they care about this country. to that extent please let them know how much we appreciate them and all that you're doing. but we'll have somebody help you know where the restroom is. it's been a while. again, thank you for your participation today. we stand adjourned.

also, district maps, a foldout map of capitol hill. and it look at congressional l committees. or your copy today, it is $13.95 plus shipping and handling on c-span.org. >> coming up on c-span, president obama announces changes to the u.s. hostage policy. that is followed by more on the new policy with lisa monaco assistant to the president for homeland security and counterterrorism. and then, louisiana governor bobby kindle announces his candidacy for president. on the next "washington journal," nick mulvaney discusses the charleston church shooting in the debate from removing the confederate flag from the statehouse grounds.

in michigan versus epa, paul tonko talks about whether the epa properly considered costs when considering omissions. "washington journal" live on c-span. you can join the conversation on facebook and twitter. >> this summer, but tv will cover festivals around the country. in the middle of july, we are live at the harlem book fair -- the nations flagship african-american literary event. at the beginning of september we are live from the nation's capital for the national book festival, celebrate its 15 yth year. as the june 30 deadline for nuclear negotiations approaches, c-span takes an in-depth look at

iran and views of the united states in the country. here is a look. >> the challenge with iran, iran is not a country which you can bully. it's simple doesn't work that way. if you look at what iran excels at at the olympics, it is wrestling and weightlifting. really, i am serious. this is a country that is very nationalistic. it is a very strong sense of self. when you go to iran, which i'm sure you all will at some point, your host will take you to a house of swim. people do synchronized weightlifting. it is actually very, very interesting. the point i am making, hopefully, this is not a country that does well with bullying. it has a very strong sense of

self, they are very nationalistic. there is a martial quality there. it is simply -- it simply does not work. >> an in-depth look at iran, and their views of the nine states, saturday at 8 p.m. eastern on c-span. on wednesday, president obama announced changes to the u.s. hostage policy. while the government will maintain its policy of not negotiating for hostages, the rules allow families to raise ransom payments and deal with hostage takers. without the risk of prosecution by the federal government. here are the president's remarks. president obama since 9/11, more than 80 americans have been taken hostage by murderous groups engaged in terrorism. these innocent men and women journalists, unitarians, it is a

horror and cruelty beyond description. for their families and their friends, it is a unrelenting nightmare that the rest of us cannot even begin to imagine. as a government, we should always do everything in our power to bring these americans home safe and to support their families. dedicated public servants across the government worked tirelessly to do so. our military personnel risk their lives in dangerous missions such as the operation i authorized last year that attempted to rescue americans held in syria and yemen. there have been successes. such as the rescue of captain richard phelps held by somali pirates. and jessica buchanan. of the 80 americans held hostage, more than half have ultimately come home. some after many years.

tragically, too many others have not. at this very moment, americans continue to be held by terrorist groups or detained unjustly by foreign governments. for them, the nightmare goes on. and so does our work, day and night, to reunite them with their loved ones. as i have said before, the terrorist threat is evolving. the world has been appalled by myisil. the families of hostages have told me directly about their frequent frustrations in dealing with their own government. how different departments and agencies are not always coordinated, how there has been confusion and conflicting information about what the government is prepared to do to help, how they have often felt lost in the bureaucracy and how in some cases, families feel they have been threatened for

exploring certain options bring their loved ones home. that is totally acceptable. as i have got to know some of these families and heard some of the stories, it has been my solemn commitment to make sure that they feel fully supported in their efforts to get their families home. and that there is a s ynching up of government and families who obviously had one priority only -- getting their loved ones back. these families have already suffered enough and they should never feel ignored or victimized by their own government. diane foley, whose son was killed last year, said, as americans we can do better. i i totally agree. we must do better. that is why i have ordered a

comprehensive review of our hostage policy. i want to thank everybody who contributed to this review inside and outside of government, some of whom are here today. i especially want to thank the former hostages and families who contributed. i have come to know some of these families, often under the most heartbreaking of circumstances. when her son peter was being held in syria, his mother wrote me a letter, describing how on clear nights she and her husband would look up at the stars and moon and wonder if perhaps their son might be able to see them, a reminder of the bond they might still share. i have called these families to offer condolences after they receive gut-wrenching news that no parent ever wants to hear. i visited with them, i hugged them, i grieved with them. i just spent time with some of

of the families and some former hostages here at the white house. needless to say, it was a very emotional meeting. some are still grieving. i thank them for sharing their experiences and their ideas with our review team. in fact, many of the changes we are announcing today are a direct result of their recommendations. i acknowledged to them in private what i want to make policy. it is true that there are times when our government, regardless of good intentions, has let them down. i promised them that we can do better. here's how. today, i am formally issuing a new presidential policy directive to improve how we work to bring home american hostages and how we support their families. i have signed a new executive order to ensure our government is organized to do so. we are releasing the final report of our review, which

describes two dozen specific steps we are taking. broadly speaking they follow the three areas. first, i'm updating our hostage policy. i'm making it clear that our top priority is the safe and rapid recovery of american hostages. to do so we will use all elements of our national power. i am reaffirming that the united states government will not make concessions such as paying ransom to terrorist groups holding american hostages. i know this can be a subject of significant public debate. it is a difficult and emotional issue, especially for the families. as i said to the families who were gathered here today, i said that families in the past -- i look at this as a husband and president and father. if my family were at risk, i would move heaven and earth to get those loved ones back. as president, i also have to

consider our larger national security. i firmly believe that the united states government paying ransom to terrorists risks endangering more americans and funding the very terrorism we are trying to stop. and so i firmly believe that our , policy ultimately puts fewer americans at risk. at the same time, we are clarifying that our policy does not prevent communication with hostage takers by our government, the families of hostages, or third parties who help these families. and when appropriate, our government may assist these families and private efforts in those communications. in part to ensure the safety of family members and to make sure they are not defrauded. so, my message to these families is simple -- we aren't going to abandon you. we will stand by you. second, we are making changes to ensure our government is better

organized. around this mission every , department that is involved in our national security apparatus cares deeply about these hostages prioritizes them, and works really hard, but they are not always as well coordinated as they need to be. under the national security council here at the white house, we are setting up a new hostage response group, comprised of senior officials from across the government who will be responsible for ensuring that our hostage policies are consistent and coordinated and implemented rapidly and effectively. they will be accountable at the highest levels. they will be accountable to me. soon i will be designating as well a senior diplomat as my special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, who will be focused solely on leading our diplomatic efforts with other countries to bring our people home.

at the operational level, we are creating for the first time one central hub where experts from across the government will work together side-by-side as one, coordinated team to find american hostages and bring them home safely. in fact this fusion cell , located at the fbi, is already up and running and we are designating a new official in the intelligence community to be responsible for coordinating the collection, analysis, and rapid dissemination of information related to american hostages so we can act on it quickly. third, i am running through all these efforts, and fundamentally changing how are our government works with families. many of the families told us they at times felt like an afterthought or a distraction, that too often the law enforcement or military and intelligence officials they were interacting with were begrudging in giving them information.

and that ends today. i am making it clear that these families are to be treated like what they are -- our trusted partners and active partners in the recovery of their loved ones. we are all on the same team and nobody cares more about bringing home these americans than their own families. we have to treat them as partners. specifically, our new fusion cell will include a person dedicated to coordinating the families. this coordinator will ensure that we communicate with families better with one, clear voice and that the families get information that is timely and accurate. working with the intelligence community, we will be sharing more intelligence with families, and this coordinator will be the family's voice within government, making sure that when decisions are made about their loved ones, their concerns are front and center. everyone who deals with these families on a regular basis will be given additional training to

ensure families are treated with the dignity and compassion that they deserve. in particular, i want to point out that no family of an american hostage has ever been prosecuted for paying a ransom for the return of their loved ones. the last thing we should ever do is to add to families' pain with threats like that. so the bottom line is this -- , when it comes to how our government works to recover americans held hostage and how we work with their families, we are changing how we do business. after everything they've endured, these families have a right to be skeptical, and that is why it is so important as i told them today, that we will be setting up mechanisms to ensure accountability and implementation. i directed my national security team to the report back to me, including getting feedback from families to make sure that these reforms are being put in place

and that they are working. on the course of our review, several families told us they wanted to spare other families the frustrations they endured. some have even created a new organization to support families like there's, or to honor their loved ones, such as the memorial foundation for steven sotloff, who wrote "everyone has to wo lives, the second one begins when you realize when you only have one." as a government and as a nation we can learn from the example of the strength we have seen in all of these held hostage, including kayla mueller. kayla devoted her life to serving those in need around the world, to refugees in syria who lost everything. she was a source of comfort and hope. before her tragic death, she was held by isil in syria for a year and a half and during her activity she managed to smuggle

a letter to her family. she said "none of us could have known it would be this long, but i know i am also fighting for my side in the ways i am able and i have a lot of fight left in me. i'm not breaking in and i will give in a matter how long it takes." today, my message to anyone who harms americans is that we do not forget. our reach is long justice will , be done. my message to every american being held unjustly around the world who was fighting from the inside to survive another day, my message to their families who want to hold them once more, is that the united states of america will never stop working to reunite you with your family. we will not give up, no matter how long it takes. thank you very much, everybody. >> mr. president --

>> at wednesday's white house briefing, the assistant to the president for homeland security and counterterrorism give additional details on the change to u.s. hostage policy. lisa monaco: good afternoon. >> as i understand it, the long-standing u.s. policy against negotiating a hostage is still forbidden. no concession. but the government will facilitate issues in a ransom. if i come as a bad guy in the middle east, either way, i take an american. lisa monaco: i want to be very clear about what we said today and the president was very clear. and he was clear with the families. the united states government policy provides no concessions to those who take off to just

stands continues to be the policy. what we did today and what we have done is to clarify that no concession does not mean no communication. unfortunately, that needed clarification, and that came through loud and clear in the review that we did. with respect to your question about whether that is a distinction, i appreciate that critique and i understand that analysis, but i think what is very important and what the president said both to the families with whom he met earlier today and in the roosevelt room today is that we will not abandon families. we are going to work with them. i want to take issue with the term "facilitate." we will work with families to try and advise them, to give them the benefit of our best advice, but we will not abandoned them when we make hard

decisions and we will be guided by a focus on their security, to be sure they are not victimized further. as they are going through the most horrific situation that they will probably ever indoor. -- they will probably ever indendure. >> the president said that we are right to be skeptical -- how many families did he meet with? what did they -- what kind of reaction did they have an did he ask them to stand behind them? lisa monaco: the president met today with about 40 former hostages and families of former and current hostages. he met with them and what he ate acknowledged was a very

emotional meeting. i ended number of my colleagues spent several hours with these same families yesterday. what we did was we went through and the president continued to describe the changes we were making, the review that he ordered, and the policy directive that he signed and the executive order he signed. he fielded questions about the review, about the process, and about the accountability for making sure that we implement these changes. what is very clear is that families want to make sure they continue to be partners in this effort, and to continue to feed into the process and make sure that we are implementing. >> did he talk to the camera? lisa monaco: no, it was about hearing from them, their questions, their concerns, and he had already met with them and described his statement, then made the public statement. they were separate events. >> the president pointedly noted

that nobody has been prosecuted for pursuing a ransom option. and i'm wondering if that becomes a signal to potential hostage takers, that it is ok, that they will get some kind of remuneration if they kidnap someone. does it create this bifurcated system, where private citizens who may become hostages can pursue that path, soldiers who were captured can get -- but other government officials who are serving in dangerous ways may not have the possibility of availing themselves to that kind of exchange? lisa monaco: i think what is true is that this is an extremely complex environment that we are navigating, and what the president talked about today with the families is that we are

confronting a hostagetaking environment and the threat from terrorist actors that has changed and is not the same one that we decide our policies for. the statements about no families ever having been prosecuted -- those were made by the justice department, and it is simply a statement of fact. as the justice department said in the statement i believe they issued today, they do not intend to add to a family's pain as they are going through these ordeals. does it signal something? i can't speak to that, i can't speak to the motivation of the brutal actors we've seen. what is true is that the motivations include propaganda and sheer brutality, and it is not always about profit. >> the policy remains the same and there is a reason, and ideological reason for the policy, but will the u.s.

government first try to dissuade families from paying the ransom? or will that be the first action on that issue? and also, when you say that the government won't facilitate -- we know in the past that there was a facilitation, but you are also saying that they can assist with communication. so how do you draw the line , between not facilitating a ransom payment but facilitating communication that could be exactly for that reason? lisa monaco: i will say i am not going to get into very specific tactics. i think nobody here would want me to, and lay there a playbook for terrorist activity. what i will say is that there are very good reasons for communication and for helping a family communicate if they need it. if it is part of a plan

that the family designs together with the government. that is really the goal here. what we are trying to do is put in place a partner approach where families said quite clearly to us and have experienced at times, and the president spoke to this, that they felt neglected, abandoned, on the outside of strategies or efforts to recover their loved ones, sometimes not knowing what was happening or what that strategy was what we are trying to put in place here is an environment where they will be part of that process, where they will be able to participate in designing that recovery strategy. there will be a single government entity led by a senior official who wakes up every morning with the charge to develop those recovery strategies and is held accountable and every case will be different. >> could you address criticism that she would prefer to see --

some members of congress have asked that -- he brought someone in the white house directly answerable to him to carry out his coordinating role. why would it not have been better? that this coordinated effort the orchestrated by the white house. lisa monaco: there are valid reasons and i understand the perspective. we have worked with a number of folks in congress what i want to be very clear about the gap that we heard and saw that needed to be filled -- it was very important, where operationally , and i want to underscore operationally, all elements of the government

were coming together in one place, not stove piped in one agency there needed to be one place operationally where the expert, the investigators, the intelligence analyst all sat together and focused 100% of their time on these recovery strategies. that was not happening. that operational work is not appropriately put in the white house. it was seen that we were trying to run operations out of the white house, and you need one operational place with a senior official responsible for that, to lead it. but populated by all those experts, and making sure that we are accountable here at the white house to the president, as he said in his statement, but also to the policymakers. who are sometimes going to have to make hard calls.

the operational gap is the one that i think is the most urgent. >> this is about communications. let me just ask you directly, is it illegal for a family to make a payment to its board terrorist organization? for whatever reason. lisa monaco: i'm not going to -- i took off my prosecutor had a few years ago. as many of you know. i am not going to make legal analysis. the justice department statement that was issued today talks very clearly about the confusion that many families felt because of the material support statute which does make it illegal for anybody to provide material support in the form of money, guns, you name it, to a designated terrorist organization. the justice department also said that they have never exercised their prosecutorial discretion to use that statute to prosecute friends or family members of hostages.

>> the foley family has told us over and over again that they were threatened if they attempted to make any kind of a payment, they would be prosecuted. wouldn't that make sense is why the prosecutions were not happening. lisa monaco: i understand that the families say they were threatened and it is something that should not have happened, which is what the president said today. which is what officials from the justice department told the families yesterday, and that will not happen in the future. >> the president said that the u.s. government policy will remain the same because he said ransom risks endangering more americans and funds terrorism. but ransom money is ransom money, whether paid by the government or by individual families. so doesn't this announcement , today risking injuring more americans overseas?

lisa monaco: i understand that critique. the u.s. government policy has no concessions -- that is ransoms, other policy concessions, other issues that could be on the table. if it is an issue of the u.s. government dividing the concession, whether it is money vast resources, or a policy concession or change, not to take some action -- all those things would be in the realm of the u.s. government concessions that are simply not on the table and will not be on the table. >> that money -- the president said that it helps fund these terrorist groups, so providing that money -- doesn't that ultimately put a price tag on americans' heads? lisa monaco: there is no doubt that the payment of ransom fuels the very activity that we are trying to

stop, which is why that the u.s. government has worked in urged other governments internationally to not pay ransom. at the same time, we have a responsibility to stand with families as they make the most difficult decision they can imagine. the president said they won't abandon them. >> a few quick items -- can we say how many american hostages are being held abroad right now? lisa monaco over 30. : >> this fusion cell that has been described -- you referred to it in operational terms. if this should determine the case of a hostage whether rescue is possible, will that sell have the ability to order an immediate rescue operation without getting it signed off on by the president, and under what rules of engagement will the

individuals dispatched by this cell operate? lisa monaco: i'm not going to speak to the hypotheticals about operations but what is true is that the cell, comprised of law enforcement, diplomatic, military, and intelligence personnel, will develop that strategy, will combine all the intelligence that will drive that strategy, whether it is a diplomatic or law enforcement one. whether it is centrally a military operation. a decision, depending on the nature of that operation, involves sending our military service members harm's way, then that will be done by the president on the recommendation of his military chief. >> do you acknowledge that part of the problem here, part of the reason by a review like this ultimately became necessary, was because the obama administration had been sending very bad, mixed messages? for example, hostages and the bergdahl case?

threatening families with prosecution? not others. was the obama administration, to some extent, part of the problem here? lisa monaco: i would challenge the premise of your question on some of them, with specific reference to hostage swapping. specifically with regard to officer bergdahl. what i will say -- and the president set it to the families -- we did not do right by these families. that is what we are here to set right, and to try very hard to rectify that and put in place processes where we will do better in the future. and that was his pledge today. >> ok. thank you. >> coming up on c-span, bobby jindal announces his candidacy for president.

then, rick santorum speaks. after that, senator chris murphy calls for the senate to take up gun control legislation. >> on the next washington journal, south carolina congressman mick mulvaney discusses removing the confederate flag from the south carolina statehouse grounds. congressman paul tonko is here to talk about the upcoming supreme court decision in michigan versus epa, the case looking at whether the epa properly considered commission regulations. live every morning at 7 a.m. eastern on c-span. and you can join the conversation with your calls and comments on facebook and twitter. >> while congress is out for the july 4 break, book tv takes over prime time on c-span two. featuring a different subject

each night. monday the war on terror. thursday, biographies and memoirs. friday, books on science and technology. watch our special primetime session starting monday, june 29 at 8 p.m. eastern. and tune in every weekend for the latest. television for serious readers. >> south carolina senators lindsey graham and tim scott came to the floor of the u.s. senate to talk about the victims of last week's shooting at the emmanuel ame church in charleston and the reaction in their state. nine people were killed. their remarks are about 10 minutes. >> i ask unanimous consent for

earlier today, clerk report. >> senate resolution to 12, condemning the attack controls in south carolina. >> is there an objection to the measure? without objection, let's proceed with a measure. tim scott: the preamble be agreed to, with no intervening action or debate. is there objection? thank you mr. president. i stand before you today, before the nation, not as a senator, not as an elected official, but as a humble self carolinian. the past week has been one of terrible tragedy and amazing unity. last wednesday night, we experienced an unimaginable tragedy. nine mothers, fathers brothers, sisters sons, daughters --

lost forever. the hateful and racist actions of wondering command have changed nine families forever. it has changed south carolina. forever. charleston, forever. but, what we saw from the nine families at last friday's bond hearing was simple and powerful. it absolutely was the best of who we are as americans. just a few minutes ago, i was in the cloak room, i have the opportunity to talk to one of the victim's sons. i was talking to him back there i said is or anything you want me to share when i go on the floor the senate? he said, please, share that god cares for his people.

god still lives. i was amazed. and then he said with great enthusiasm and energy, a sense of excitement, that this evil attack would lead to reconciliation restoration and unity in our nation. those are powerful words. it is with great sadness and

amazing help that our future as a nation has been changed. it has been changed because one person decided to murder nine. it has been changed because the response of those nine families has been so great is. so inspiring, if you will permit me, i will read the names of those nine individuals. we honor the reverend singleton a beloved teacher and coach at goose creek high school. her son chris has shown us how much of an amazing mother she was. his strength over the past six days, we honor cynthia herd.

whose love for education has been shared for over 30 years as a public librarian. we honor susie jackson, who at 87 years young, still offered her beautiful voice to the church and returned from visiting her family in ohio. we honor ethel lance, who served her church with pride. who's daughter called her a strong woman. we honor the woman who dedicated her life to helping the poor and helping her students as an enrollment counselor at southern wesleyan university. we honor my good friend reverend

, clementa pinckney. and amazing man of faith, a great dad, and a wonderful father. and we honor mr. sanders whose warmth and spirit kept us moving. we honor the reverend daniel simmons whose granddaughter said my granddaddy was an amazing man . and it seemed like every time he spoke with was pure witness. and we honor pastor myra thompson, who served the lord with great dignity. she loved children and grandchildren. if you would just cause for nine seconds, for each i would

one, appreciate it. [silence while pausing] >> thank you. in closing, i want to thank are of my colleagues in the senate and house for their kind words over the past week. and for the prayers continuing to come into our city from across the nation. we are charleston, we are south carolina, and we are absolutely united. and we are committed to replacing hate with love, pain with kindness, and ill will and hostility with good will and comfort. i yield to senator graham. senator lindsey graham: thank you. i want to recognize -- >> senator from south carolina. senator lindsey graham: i want

to recognize senator scott. we all know him as a man of quite faith. he does it when no one is looking. i remember standing in the room watching a basketball game, and tim is in the corner with headphones. i said, what are you doing? and he said, i am doing my bible study. tim, you have been a comfort to our state because you are truly a man of god. to the rest of you, i want to tell people in south carolina, the senate has a lot of differences, and we display them a lot. i wish you could hear what was said to me and tim. everybody in the body has come up to us in one way or another and said the most kind things. so the united states senate, we have problems, but we are still a family. so thank you all, from all over this country, for the kindness you have shown during the difficult times. very quickly, i don't know how you could sit with somebody for an hour, pray with them, and get up and shoot them. that is mideast hate. that is something i did not think we had here, but apparently, we do. i just can't imagine what it

takes of an individual to be welcomed in a church. here is what happened. he went to charleston with a plan. the people in the church had no idea who he was or what he had in mind. and he came into the church, sitting in the pews by himself. they invited him up for the bible study and spent an hour with them. he said they were so nice, i almost backed out. that says a lot about them. that says a lot about him. but tim mentioned something i could not get over. within 48 hours of having your family member murdered, they appear in a public setting looking at the guy saying, you have ruined by life. but i love you and i forgive you. that is a level of love and understanding that can only come from some higher authority. i don't have that within me. so when it comes to representing , south carolina, tim and i will do our best. but on our best day, we are nowhere close to these people. there is no politician in america that can represent the

state better than the people of mother emanuel church when they went to a public place, looked the killer in the face saying, i love and forgive you. i wish i could muster that love a little bit. what would america be? thank you all for your kindness. >> friday, president obama will be in south carolina where he will deliver the eulogy for clement to think me. a pinckney. we will bring you that event live at 1:35 eastern here on c-span. >> louisiana governor bobby jindal officially announced his candidacy for the 2016 republican residential nomination, wednesday near new orleans.

he is the 13th major candidate to enter the race and made his announcement with a video on twitter before the event. this is 30 minutes. [applause] >> thank you. thank you all so much for that warm welcome. i have the great pleasure today of introducing you to a very good friend of mine. he's a tremendous husband and father and a great leader of our state and for our country. [applause] you know i would say all of that stuff. and you knew i would mention his crazy long resume of accomplishment.

but what you may not know is why bobby is so successful. it is not because he's smart and oh, so good looking. [laughter] it is not because he's well-educated. no, the key for bobby jindal is that he's absolutely fearless. [applause] of course, the fact that a man would send his wife out on live television to say whatever she wants about him, that by itself is a little fearless. bobby was fearless when he first decided to run for governor at the young age of 31. there were already a dozen candidates. including the best-known politicians of our state. sound familiar? he knew he would start out as an asterisk in the polls and he did. but he went all over the state talking and listening and laying out detailed policy plans to move our day forward and on the day of the primary, he got more votes than anyone else in the race. [applause]

it took someone fearless to do that. and it took someone fearless to lead our state through the after math of katrina. people were moving away in droves. our largest employers contemplating closing up shop. but bobby stepped up. he was fearless in taking on the entrenched corruption. [applause] he was fearless in challenging the status quo of our broken education system. [applause] he was fearless in cutting taxes and refusing to taking the easy way out by raising taxes. [applause] most importantly, bobby takes on problems head-on. while others tap dance, he tells the truth.

while others worry, he leads. bobby's courage has changed louisiana for the better. [applause] of course, i have to tell you a little bit about month the more personal side of his fearlessness. you see i got to know bobby in , high school. he was impressive even then. smart and ambitious. but when he asked me out i told him no. [laughter] rejection did not deter him. he was fearless. he did not stop. and years later, i finally said yes. and like the state of louisiana, i am oh, so glad i did say yes to bobby jindal. [applause] bobby knows that our nation has great problems. but that our people are greater still. where others see obstacles bobby sees opportunity.

where others see division, bobby sees a path to unity. bobby jindal is the right person to do the hard things and to fight for what is right. [applause] he is the right person to solve problems, not just talk about them. [applause] i am very proud of my husband. on behalf of our daughter sealia, or son sean and slade, i'm so proud to introduce him to you today. please join me in welcoming my husband and my best friend bobby jindal. [applause] ♪

bobby jindal: my name is bobby jindal. i am governor of the great state of louisiana, and i'm running for president of the greatest country in the world, the united states of america! [cheers and applause] 44 years ago a young couple who had never before been on an airplane, they left their home

on the other side of the world to come to a place called america. they had never seen it. there was no internet to search, but they had heard the legend. there was a place in this world where people were free, and the opportunities were real. they weren't really coming to a geographical place. they were coming to an idea, and that idea is america. [applause] to them, america represented all that was good in the world where you could get ahead if you worked hard and played by the rules. a place where what matters is the content of your character, not the color of your skin, the zip code you were born in or your family's last name. my dad grew up in a house without electricity, without running water. it was the only person in the family to get past the fifth grade. he and mom came to louisiana because they believed in america

and when they got here they found that the legend was true. they found that the people of louisiana accepted them and they found america is indeed the land of the free and the home of the brave. [cheers and applause] 37 years later, my parents' eldest son became governor of louisiana. it was the aftermath of katrina. our economy was locked in a downward spiral. our biggest city was reeling for 25 straight years, more people had left this state than had moved into it. louisiana was in big trouble. so we had to make big changes. we had to believe in louisiana again, and that is exactly what we did. [applause]

we reformed our ethics laws. we went from one of the worst states to one of the best states in the country. [applause] we privatized our outdated government-run hospital system. we reformed education with nearly 100% charter schools in new orleans and now we have statewide school choice, because every child deserves an equal opportunity for a great education. [applause] instead of a child following the dollars, we made the dollars follow the child, because we trust the parents, not the bureaucrats, to make the best decisions for their kids. [applause] we did what they said could not be done. we shrank our government.

we cut our budget by 26%. we cut the number of government bureaucrats by more than 30,000. that wasn't easy. the big government crowd fought us every step of the way. they protested. they filibustered. they even took us to court but in the end we won. [applause] today, we have more people moving into louisiana than out of it. our highest population in history, our kids are coming home. [applause] and now, we have more people working than at any time in our state's history, with the highest incomes in our state's history. a job for your family. a paycheck in your mailbox. they're the ultimate proof that

your state is doing things right. [applause] but of course there's another side to the story. the big government crowd, they hate what we have done. they say that we have cut the government more than anyone. the government budgets are always running low on funds with me and the governor's office. my response to the big government crowd is simply this. yes. i am guilty as charged and our state is better off for it today. [applause] it's time for the folks in washington to admit the truth. you can't grow the economy and the government at the same time. it is an either/or choice. hillary clinton, she wants to grow the government in washington. [booing]

we want to grow the real economy out here in america. [cheering] here's the key difference. democrats evaluate success in terms of the prosperity of government. we define success in terms of the prosperity of our people. [applause] my approach is different from most of the other people running for president. the united states of america was made great by people who get things done, not lots of talk or entertaining speeches. oh, to be sure, there are a lot of great talkers running for president already, but none of them, not one can match our record of actually shrinking the size of government. if great speeches helped our country, we'd be on easy street right now. the guy in the white house

today, he's a great talker. we have a bunch of great talkers running for president. we've had enough of talkers. it is time for a do-er. [applause] i'm not running for president to be somebody. i'm running for president to do something. [applause] oh it's easy to talk about the mess that obama has made of our country. every american knows about it. every republican candidate talks about it. that's not even half of what we should expect from our next president. we owe voters more than just a tirade about the problem. we owe them honesty about our solution. i will do the things that you cannot do in washington. i will say the things you cannot

say. [applause] i served two terms in congress. i can tell you how it works in washington. if you want to be with the cool kids, you want to be liked by the media, if you want to be invited to the right cocktail parties you have to accept there are things in washington you just cannot do. they say you cannot reduce the size of government or the number of bureaucrats. you might be able to cut the rate of increase here or there but you cannot actually cut government spending but we can and we will! [applause] they say the $18 trillion national debt can't really be addressed. just a part of doing business so it's better not to talk about it, but we can and we will.

[applause] they know social security and medicare are going bankrupt, but they're afraid to do anything about it. they denied the math and pretend everything is fine but we can reform and save these programs and we will. [applause] in washington they say term limits is a quaint idea, that we are naive to believe in. they think we need a permanent class, a ruling class of elites. it's safer to not rock the boat but we can rock the boat and we will rock the boat! [applause] in washington they know they want the borders secure but they refuse to do it but you and i can, and we will secure our borders.

[applause] finally, they say we can't really repeal or replace all of obamacare, but i'm the only candidate who has written a replacement plan, a free market plan, that focuses on reducing cost. we can repeal obamacare and we will repeal obamacare. [applause] today's republican party in washington, d.c., has been beaten into submission, is increasingly afraid to speak the truth. it's time to say what everybody's already thinking. the emperors in washington they're not wearing any clothes.

in case it's not clear right now, i am running for president without permission from headquarters in washington, d.c. [applause] i am tanned, rested and ready for this fight. [applause] here's the truth about most politicians. they're selfish. they're followers, not leaders. they worry more about their own fate than the country's fate. they take polls, figure out where the public is headed. they run out front, they pretend to be leading the parade. it's easy to be a popular politician. don't rock the boat.

just a bunch of babies, -- kiss a bunch of babies, cut ribbons don't make big changes, but i'm not going to take the easy way out. if you want somebody who is just going to pretend that everything is fine, just make some small tweaks, then you want somebody else. i'll make this promise to you, i will never leave from behind. -- i will never lead from behind. [applause] i know some believe i talk about my faith too much but i will not be silenced. [applause] i will not be silenced in order to meet their expectations of political correctness. they don't seem to accept that idea you can be both intellectual and christian.

[laughter] they can't fathom the notion you can be both smart and conservative. they need to get out more. [applause] there's a big country out here with millions of americans who believe in god and are not ashamed to say so. [applause] i'd be wary of a president who didn't seek wisdom from the almighty. i don't know about you. i've met many smart people who lack wisdom, yet christianity, it is under assault today in america. the liberals, they have forgotten their history. religious liberty is not some quaint notion from the past. it is fundamental to our freedom.

that's why there's protection in the first amendment to the constitution. i'm going to say it slowly so even hillary clinton can understand this. america did not create religious liberty. religious liberty created the united states of america. [applause] and it's time we stopped trying to divide ourselves against each other. hillary clinton is always trying to divide us by ethnicity, by gender, by economic status. i don't know about you but for me i'm sick and tired of people dividing americans. [applause] and i am done with all this talk about hyphenated americans.

we are not indian-americans, african-americans, rich americans or poor americans. we are all americans. [applause] and while i'm at it, here's another thing you're not allowed to say but i'm going to say it anyway. we cannot allow people to immigrate to our country so they can use our freedoms to undermine our freedoms. [applause] that is exactly what has happened in europe, where they have second, third generations of immigrants who refuse to embrace the values and culture of the countries they have moved into. we must not let that happen here. [applause]

it is not unreasonable to demand if you want to immigrate to america you must do so legally. you must be ready and willing to embrace our values, learn english and roll up your sleeves and get to work. [applause] now let's do something different, let's tell the truth about our political situation. that's right, it is a mess. republicans must stop being afraid to lose. if we try to hide who we are again, we will lose again. you've heard jeb bush say that we need to be willing to lose the primary in order to win the general election.

we're going to help them do that. -- we are going to help him do that. [applause] let me translate that. i'm going to translate that political speak into plain english. what jeb bush is saying is that we need to hide our conservative ideals, but the truth is if we go down that road again, we will lose again. let's do something new. let's endorse our own principles for a change. let's boldly speak the truth without fear. [applause] as republicans, we've already tried to appease the left. to make the media like us better, to talk in politically correct language, to hide some of our beliefs by calling them distractions, we've tried to mask our conservative ideals and we have failed.

every republican will tell you they are for school choice shrinking government, cutting the government workforce and getting rid of common core. but talk is cheap. talk is just talk. i haven't just talked about these things, i've actually done these things. every republican will say they will fight to protect the unborn, repeal obamacare, secure the border and destroy isis. i won't simply talk about these things, i will get these things done. [applause] it's time to level with the american people. this president and his apprentice in waiting hillary clinton are leading america down the path to destruction. economically, culturally, and internationally. for the most devastating thing they try to do, is redefine the american dream.

instead of their dream being to have opportunity and freedom to control your own destiny, to make your own way, their dream is for the government to take care of you, to make people dependent on the government. we want to guarantee quality of -- we want to guarantee equality of opportunity. they want to guarantee equality of outcomes. simple fact is, they are trying to turn the american dream into socialism. now the folks in washington, they may call that the american dream. out here in america, in the real world, we call that the european nightmare. [applause] to be clear, we're not simply trying to reclaim the past. no, quite to the contrary, we are laying our claim on the future, a future where america leads the world.

[applause] this is not a pause any of us can resist. it is our destiny. it is our mission. as america goes, so goes the world. we are the light of freedom in a dark world. it's time we started acting like it. i will not be intimidated from talking about the fact that radical islam is evil and it must be destroyed. [applause] containment is a strategy for losers. but as general george s. patton famously observed americans play to win all the time. americans don't play to lose. president obama has it wrong. secretary clinton has it wrong.

our allies need to trust us. our enemies need to fear us. it is time we play to win again! [applause] as president, i will have four objectives. i will secure our borders. [applause] i will replace obamacare with a health care system that focuses on reducing cost and restoring freedom. [applause] i will grow the private sector economy by shrinking the size, scope and reach of the federal government. [applause] and i'll rebuild america's defenses and restore our

standing on the world stage. [applause] i'm not asking you to simply join my campaign. i'm asking you to join a cause. if you're looking for a candidate who will politely manage america's descent into mediocrity, i'm not your man but if you are chasing a dream looking for a land where the people are free, and the opportunities are real, i am asking you to believe. [applause] my dad told me as a young child that americans can do anything. i believed him then, and i

believe it now. i know in your heart, you believe it, too. i am asking you to believe again, believe in what we can do, believe in what america can do. [applause] thank you. may god bless you. may god bless the united states of america! [applause] [singing casting crowns "courageous"] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2014] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]

coming up, rick santorum speaks at the annual faith and freedom conference. after that, chris murphy of connecticut calls for the senate to take up gun-control legislation. leader, the house oversight

committee holds its second committee on the data breach. >> on today's washington journal, make mole brain he discusses the charleston church shooting and the debate over removing the confederate flag on the south alina -- south carolina state grounds. -- if the epa considered costs and determining power plant regulations. austin journal live, at 7:00 a.m. eastern on c-span. you can join the conversation on facebook and twitter. >> friday, president obama will be in south carolina, where he will deliver the eulogy for the funeral of reverend clementa pinckney. one of the nine victims of the

charleston shooting. he will be joined by vice president joseph biden. we'll bring you that event live here on c-span. >> i am not one of those who believes in the psychiatric examination. i believe most people recycle the story, should be on the couch themselves. on the other hand, when i meet people, i do not judge whether they have eye contact, but what i try to do is listen to what they say. you do not learn anything when you are talking. you learn when they are talking. >> one of the many tragedies of richard nixon, he was not very self-conscious. endless ironies. he did have a psychiatrist. he was an intern.

the doctor said he was careful not to think -- he was careful not to have something he was analyzing him. he couldn't sleep and he gave him some mild therapy. even though he went to one, he hated psychiatrist and always denounced them. he was always afraid of looking at himself in a realistic way. he's to say i do not carry grudges. -- he used to say i do not carry grudges. he was one of the greatest grudge carriers of all time. this hurt him, because his lashing out at him and these -- because his lashing out at enemies is what heard him -- >> focusing on the personal stories facing our 37 resident.

-- 37th president. >> c-span takes a look at iran, its government, culture and the views of the united states in that country. here's a look. >> a challenge with iran -- it is not a country which you can bully. it does not work that way. if you look at what iran excels at wrestling, weightlifting. i am serious. this is a country which is very nationalistic. it has a strong sense of self. when you go to tehran, your host will take you to something called a [indiscernible] it is a house of strength. it is when people do synchronized weightlifting.

it is very interesting. the point i'm making is this is not a country that gives in to bullying. they have a very strong sense of self. they're very nationalistic. there is a martial quality there. it does not work. >> a look at iran, government and its views of the united states. that is saturday here on c-span. >> next, remarks by former pennsylvania senator and 2016 presidential candidate, rick santorum. this is 20 minutes. [applause] mr. santorum: thank you. thank you very much.

think you, craig. -- thank you, craig. i appreciate the kind words. they give for the warm reception. i am not a rookie here. this is the sixth faith and freedom meeting and i have been to all six. i have spoken at all six of these meetings. i wanted to start with that and say, you know me. i have been here, on the frontlines lines of the issues of faith and freedom for the better part of 20 years. standing up and fighting for the basic values that made our country great. in some cases, i am known for that because there are not that many people that do that. there are many people that come and talk at the podium, will come to your conferences. but will they go out and actually fight for these issues. when the rubber meets the road.

we have had one vote in the united states senate on the issue of marriage and the constitutional amendment to institute marriage between one man and one woman. anyone know what that vote is? in 2004. do you know who pushed for that vote and fought behind the scenes to get that vote? yeah, i did. yes, go ahead. [applause] they will say they are for marriage. but when it comes to fighting they will say they are pro-life but when it comes to leading because when you lead and fight you pay a price. the biggest price is that that is all they say that i do. it is one thing to be pro-life. it is another thing to stand up and try to push the agenda.

to try to make sure that your voices are being heard. and that is the differentiator. how many times have you voted for a politician who have gone to washington, dc, and let us just say they have not lived up to your expectations. how about in the last few months, have a lived of your expectations. when you're looking at a presidential candidate, do not just look at the rhetoric, because everyone can read polls and know what the republican primary voters are looking for. look at their track record. look at their willingness to stand up and fight on a principled conservative across the board. particularly on the cultural issues. because if you do that, as several candidates have found out, you get pigeonholed. i am way to talk today about a lot of other things that are important for conservatives. national security is one of them.

i put my record again in national security against anyone in the field. i was on the glenn beck show the other day. he introduced to me as he has for the last 10 years. he has always introduced me as the winston churchill of our time. because for the last 10 years, i have been warning america while i was in the senate, outside of the senate, before i ran for president, and while i ran for president about the gathering storm of the 21st century. about radical islam's rise. and how they are working together with other radical groups across the world to defeat freedom and the west. and that there is only one country capable of standing up and fighting that.

others are willing to fight like the state of israel. only one has to keep ability of standing up and fighting. and when we do not, people prospers. we have seen evil prosper dramatically in the last six years. we have had a president who simply refuses to identify the enemy and put a strategy together to defeat the enemy. and that is why the enemy is prospering. i was in israel a few months ago, one of prime minister netanyahu's senior advisers said to me -- senator, you need to tell the american public that whoever the next president will be, in all likelihood will have to be a wartime president , because we will be at war. we, as in the world. ladies and gentlemen, commander in chief is not an entry-level position. there are a lot of good men and women who will come upon the stage and talk to about their principles, their values, and maybe even what their ideas are.

we are going to be in a race against a former secretary of state who knows these issues inside and out. she has experience at a time when america is looking for someone they can trust. someone who has a track record on these issues. i served eight years on the armed services committee. we also worked really hard on defending the state of israel but also trying to alert america about the threat of a nuclear iran. that has always been the number one issue for me. if you go to israel, it is the number one issue for israel , because a nuclear iran changes everything. a nuclear iran provides a real shield to the rest of the world. this is a country that is the biggest proliferator of terror in the world.

someone who will attack israel and has said they want to wipe israel off of the face of the earth. and now we are about to engage in an agreement that would put them on a path quickly legitimately, to a nuclear weapon. we have to have someone in the debates coming up in 2016 whose experience debating the former secretary of state is not a briefing book. someone who has debated her on the floor on these issues, which i have. i offer the iran freedom support act. it codified sanctions against israel. eventually, it was passed that they voted for it. bottom line, we need someone with experience and a hand of the world understands and trust.

-- and trusts. a few months ago, i was in an online magazine which is usually a good thing. this online magazine was the magazine of isis. i was under the heading, a nice picture of me, and a quote -- describing who they are, and why we had to defeat them. isis knows who i am. because i have been out there a long time describing the threat that they are. and why we have to defeat them. i know who they are. we need a president who is strong on this issue. who is willing to confront hillary clinton and all of the

things that that administration has done to put america and the world in peril. at a time when our country will be in peril if it is not already. secondly, we need someone out there who is going to engage the large group of people in america who feel that neither party cares about them. i was reading some studies in the last year, about who turned out in 2012, and who did not. there was a lot of talk about how we need the evangelical vote to turn out and that will make the difference. if you look at the 2012 election, that is not true. evangelical voters did turn out and they did vote overwhelmingly for our candidate. i will tell you who did not turn out, blue-collar workers. working men and women in this country, if you look across particularly the area of this country that is key to winning the election, which is pennsylvania, ohio, michigan indiana, go right straight across. you see low rates of turnout among working men and women.

why question mark they do not think that? they do not think that either party understands the plight they are going through. the democratic party have long given up on blue-collar men and women. they have become the party of the welfare state. they are very happy to throw benefits at people that working men and women do not want those. they want opportunity. [applause] what about the republican party? in the last election, these people were asked the question -- what is the most important issue in this election? 23% of the electorate said that does the candidate care for people like me? almost all of the people that i am talking about are part of that 23%.

we have a tremendous opportunity as conservatives to be able to change the entire electoral map if we simply take the principles that we have, that are right about growing this economy cutting taxes, reducing regulations, balancing the budget, have trade policies that are fair to american workers. if you put those policies in place. an immigration system that does not continue to flood this country with illegal immigrants. we brought 35 billion people into this country in the last 25 years. the largest number in the history of our country. 10% of the population of america. almost all of whom are unskilled. guess what has happened to wages over the last 20 years? flatlined and declining in real terms.

median incomes are declining. the republican party lines up with the business community who see it as cheap labor and lower costs. the democrats have abandoned the working people. they want as many people to come in to vote for them. what about the american worker? what about the 74% of americans who do not have a college degree, who is on their side? they are looking for someone and it is us. if you look at who the republican party is, it is those very workers, except we don't get as many people out especially in the north. because we do not have a policy that connects directly with them. what i have laid out, when i announced for president three weeks ago, from a factory floor in western pennsylvania, from

the heart of the industrial heartland of america, i talked about how we have to have a comprehensive package that grows the economy. i wrote a book last year called blue-collar conservative. in that, i talked about how we have to have a rising tide lifting all of our folks. we have to understand that there are people in america -- we do not talk about how we are going to create economic opportunities for everyone, there are people sitting in those boats at the -- as the tide goes up, and they feel like they have to bail faster as the water gets deeper. we need to be the party of working men and women. the party that understands the dignity of everybody. that is why i talked about manufacturing agenda. we can put people back to work and the jobs that used to sustain america.

we can put pride and hope back into america. create the opportunity to rise again for those workers who have less skills but want to work and get apprenticeships and get the skills to provide for themselves and their family. i know everyone's favorite word because everybody's favorite word is their name. everybody likes to see and hear their name. we as republicans, when we talk about our economic policy it is bar graphs and charts. we need to talk about people. we need to talk about folks who are hurting and not seeing the opportunity to rise. we need to put their names into the picture of the future of america. when we talk about manufacturing jobs for lower skilled workers to be able to rise, and talk about construction and how america, 10 years ago, if you had said we would be the number one energy producing country in the world, they would say you are another flag-waving chauvinist.

we are the number one energy producing country in the world. we should be proud of that. when i say within 10 years we can be the number one manufacturing country in the world again. it is not just blowing smoke. the bottom line is that energy prices are low and stable for the long-term and we have created that change, that switch. that creates the opportunity for us to be competitive. if you go back to the 1970's when we de-industrialized america, factories closed and we saw massive dislocation of workers. anyone remember the catalyst? the energy crisis. it exposed all sorts of problems in our manufacturing sector. now we have the opposite case. there are jobs coming back. they can be accelerated as we cut tax rates. i am talking about putting a simple and fair flat tax creates

an opportunity for businesses to locate here. take every job killing regulation that the president has put in place and on day one repeal it and put in job creating executive orders and regulations. [applause] take an immigration system and do what the law says. use and verify so we have american workers doing american jobs. [applause] that we have a system that most of the illegal immigrants coming to america today are not coming from mexico. even the majority of people coming over the border are not mexicans. we do not track visa exits and enforce the law. it is as simple as that. all we have to do is enforce the law and we can dramatically

reduce the number of illegals that come into this country every year. and create job opportunities for americans. we have to do something about the legal immigration system. we have the highest levels of legal immigration in our country. over 1,050,000 come into this country every year it legally. almost all of them are unskilled. i am talking about a 25% reduction. it would still be the highest level of legal immigration prior to these last 20 years. why? we need to be the party of the american worker both folks that our work -- that are born here and give them a chance to see their wages rise. it is as simple as that. [applause] if you have a candidate that is

going to be strong and principled on national security during an election that matters, we have had six elections. in the past six elections, republicans have lost five of the last six. the only one that we won was in 2004 and the reason was national security. it was a big issue. we need a candidate that is strong on national security. can reach the heartland of america with a message that says -- we are on your side, we are going to create job opportunities, and incentivize people to go out and get engaged in the political system and transform the heartland of america to a string of red states. if you want to win, do you want to win? let's elect someone who can go to the states that we have to win with a message that is a winning message. i won in pennsylvania.

i won in a 70% democratic district. i know how to win in those states. i have done it. we have a message now that will connect. you have an opportunity to elect a full throated conservative on fiscal issues, on economic issues, on foreign-policy issues and on moral and cultural issues. why settle for less? [applause] to those that say i cannot win let me say this -- i won 11 states. anyone else when 11 states? we were able to win. you know why we won?

people said we won because of the evangelical force. one final poll number. after the election in april 2012, after the primary i dropped out and i met with the romney campaign. they said we were always wondering why you did better in the election results that -- than in the exit poll said you were doing. you would usually be behind or not doing as well and then you would do better in the end. we started doing something we had never done before in polling. we started to ask this question -- who are you voting for and when are you planning to vote? we have never done that in all of my years of pulling. -- years of pullingolling. he handed me a piece of paper. he said this is the last poll that we did in pennsylvania. here are the poll numbers in pennsylvania. i was leading romney by five points. if you were going to vote

between noon and 5:00, i was trailing romney by four points. if you were going to vote after 5:00, i was up by 21 points. they can say whatever they want about why rick santorum did well the last time. polls don't lie as to why rick santorum did well the last time. he had a message that connected. we had a message that connected with the people that if we want to win this election, we had better connect. you have an opportunity as social conservatives to have your cake and eat it too. as someone that can win, and someone that will win with the values that our country needs and meet our country great. i hope you join our fight. go to ricksantorum.com and give us a hand. thank you and god bless you. [applause]

>> here are some of our programs this weekend on the c-span networks. on c-span, saturday night at 8:00 eastern, we will look at the government of a ran, it's relation with the u.n. and its ambitions. profile interviews with two presidential candidates. first, rand paul. and then bernie sanders. on book tv, on c-span2, saturday night at 10:00 eastern, nelson dennis on the history of puerto rico and its relationship with united states. on sunday night, at 7:45, a w brands -- h w brands -- on american history tv on c-span3 saturday night, after 9:00, commemorating the anniversary of the magna carta. debbie president of the united

kingdom, brendan hale. sunday night at six clark on american artifacts, the ship brought lafayette to america. we were in yorktown, virginia to cover that ceremony. get our complete schedule at c-span.org. >> friday, president obama will be in south a lot of, where he will deliver the eulogy at the funeral for reverend limited pinckney. the pastor -- reverend clement to pinckney. he will be joined by vice president joe biden and worse lady michelle obama. we'll bring you the event here live here on c-span. wednesday, connecticut senator

chris murphy called on the senate to take up gun legislation. in his remarks, he spoke about the nine victims of the charleston shooting. the 26 victims killed at sandy hook elementary school. this is 15 minutes. n. mr. murphy: thank you. thank you mr. president. we had a wonderful event last night here in washington that i was able to attend. it was a night honoring champions for antigun violence measures across the country. it was put on by sandy hook promise, which is an organization that's grown up out of the tragedy in sandy hook. a number of parents have become the organizers of an effort to try to learn from what happened in sandy hook and make sure that we don't repeat the mistakes of the past. we actually got to honor two of our colleagues there.

we honored senator pat toomey for his work two years ago on the background checks bill as well as debbie stabenow. senator stabenow, of course, has been a great advocate for increasing resources in our mental health system. as wonderful a night as it was to honor these champions of change, it also was a night in which we were reminded about that terrible, terrible morning in december of 2012. we watched a short video of the news coverage and we listened to parents of daniel barden and dylan hockley the husband of mary sherlock talk to us about what their lives have been like in the years since that shooting in sandy hook. and i remember the hours and days after the shooting. i remember feeling like i needed to be really restrained about

talking about the obvious policy issues to me that were due for airing that sort of tumbled out of the facts surrounding that tragedy. i mean, this kid this really troubled young man who walked into a school with a semiautomatic weapon that's designed for the military and he shot 20 kids in less than five minutes. and the gun designed for the military designed to kill as many people as quickly as possible it killed every single kid it hit. there were 20 kids shot, 20 kids were dead in a matter of minutes. and so it seemed obvious to me that we should have an immediate discussion about why this kind of gun is still legal. but i held back because it felt like the mourning and the grieving should take precedence over action. and it took me only up to the first wake that i attended to realize that i was wrong. senator blumenthal and i went to

every single wake and every funeral that we could over the course of that first week. it was dozens. and at the first, i remember waiting in a really long line, standing next to senator blumenthal. and i remember like it was yesterday talking to a sobbing mother who was standing in front of us waiting in that line, telling us about how her child survived the shooting only because she had been sick that day. and she stayed home from school. but all her daughter's friends were dead. and as we approached that family, i remember struggling with what to say. and i'm lucky that my senior senator who sits behind me in the chamber, he had the words the right words ready. he said to the parents something like if you're ever ready or willing to talk about how we make sure that this doesn't happen again we'll be waiting.

and the dad didn't pause more than a few seconds before he said clear as day "we're ready now." and so in the years since these mat shootings have -- these mass shootings have become as commonplace as rainstorms, since 2011 the number of mass shootings in the united states has tripled -- tripled. and after each one the forces of the status quo the defenders of the gun industry, tell us that we can't talk about policy reform in the days after a shooting. one prominent commentator called those of us who dare talk about change in the wake of charleston sick. how convenient. how convenient that at the moment when the world is watching, when the country is asking themselves what we can do to make sure that another mass slaughter doesn't happen again the rules say that we can't say a word. but think about how these rules

would work. because charleston happens ten times over every single day across this country. 86 people die on average every day because of guns. last thursday the families of clementa pinckney, sick and cynthia hurd, susie jackson daniel lee simmons sr. and depain middleton doctor they lost their loved ones lost in charleston. but the day before, on wednesday, the families of angel feliciano and felice mercer and thomas whitaker and roy brown and maragite gentry and keith brown and ronald collins mourned their loss. and those were just nine.

there were dozens more. on wednesday, the day before who were killed by guns. you can't talk about antigun violence policy the day after a large number of americans are shot then you will never talk about antigun violence policy because on average 86 people die from gun violence every single day. but even if you accept that there is never a bad time to talk about how we can end this carnage, then we also have to have the courage to take on all of the other ridiculous arguments about why we can't act. now, the first one is familiar because it comes out right after the mass shooting happens, and it was a former n.r.a. board member that trotted this one out within hours of charleston. he said that the solution was to just arm more pastors and parishioners in churches so that they can defend themselves.

the more people that have guns, the less people will die from guns goes this logic. so don't act. the problem with that argument is that -- that argument, that's a simple argument, that the more good guys with guns equals less gun deaths. the problem with that argument is that it is a bold-faced lie. study after study shows that the more guns in a community the more crime there is. the more guns, the more gun homicides. and new evidence makes the case even clearer. as states more clearly separate between those with lax gun laws and those with stricter gun laws, we can look and see what happens. the second argument is that is one that i've heard from my republican colleagues in the senate in the last few days, that these laws, they can't stop a mad man like dylan dyllan root.

but again the facts these stubborn facts betray that argument. as i said, now that we have states that have loose gun laws and states that have tougher gun laws, we can see what happens. over and over again research shows us that jurisdictions that make it a little bit harder for bad guys to get guns have less gun deaths. in my state of connecticut johns hopkins concluded that our permit to carry laws have reduced gun crimes by 40%. similarly, they concluded that in missouri, the repeal of similar laws increased gun homicides by 25%. now, both studies controlled for all of the other possible factors influencing gun crimes and still found these shocking results. and while the facts are still fresh out of charleston, there

is evidence that a different set of laws could have -- not would have, could have stopped dyllan root without having any effect on law-abiding gun owners in south carolina. root had charges pending for trespassing and drug charges. neither would have disqualified him from owning a gun. but what if our rules were different so that a pattern of criminal behavior disqualified you from buying a firearm in firearm? or what about a permit to carry law? maybe local law enforcement knew enough about his criminal past to know that he shouldn't carry a weapon. maybe not but if south carolina had a permit to carry law, at least there would have been a chance that law enforcement would have withheld a permit from a young man as planly unstable -- plainly unstable as root. but even if you don't believe that any specific law could have

prevented the tranl i did in charleston -- tragedy in charleston or in new town, i'm not sure that it matters because separate and aside from the specific case-by-case impact of any law is the collective, moral, and psychological effect of nonaction. no matter how maligned congress becomes, we still set the moral tone for the nation. when we declare something to be morally out of bounds, especially when we do it in a bipartisan or nonpartisan manner americans listen. they take cues from our endorsements and fromments. that's why in my heart of hearts, i believe that our silence has made us complicit in these murders. i don't care that an assault weapons ban or a universal background check maybe wouldn't have stopped the slaughter in charleston. when we do nothing year after year our silence sends a silent

message of endorsement to the killers. now, i am neat saying that we are -- i'm not saying that we are in conscience alignment with these assassins. but when all we do in the wake of new town and tucson and aurora and charleston is rhetorical then those on the fringe those hanging on the edge of reason, those contemplating the unthinkable take a cue that we don't really mean it when we condemn mass violence because if we did we would, at the very least try to $something, anything -- try to do something anything, to stop it and we don't. and, quite frankly mr. president, removing one flag from one building in south carolina doesn't cut it. neither does a handful of retailers seasing to ceasing to sell

confederal rail flag -- confederate flag pair fenal paraphernalia. the flag has been perceived for a mainstream american symbol tsm shows that people from all stripes have been so emotionally moved by the shooting in charleston that they were inspired to some sort of action. that matters. but removing the can confederate flag is an insufficient response. taking down a flag from a build sag pretty easy giveback. deciding to spend billions of dollars to make sure that troubled young men get the help need for a sick n.a.s. is harder -- sickness is harder. so is taking on the gun industry and listening to the 90% of americans who want to make sure that criminals aren't a

continued profit center for the gun makers and sellers. wal-mart still tietionz advertise an assault weapon online. did you know last year that there were at least 92 shootings in wal-marts 16 people died in wal-marts, 42 people were injured by guns in wal-marts? getting rid of the confederate flag from their shelves isn't going to help that disturbing trend line. so we need real action, a real debate. we need real, honest policy to happen here. and, no, it is not all about guns. it is about mental health. it is about law enforcement. it is about a culture of violence and hate that we've just become immune to. in south carolina, reverend pinckney knew something about real action. he supported things like

expanded background checks and body cameras for police. maybe that's because he came from a family of action. his farther and grandfather were both pastors who fought to end white-only political primaries and segregated school busing. he wasn't just about condemnation. he lived his life to effectuate political chapping. and last night d. political change. and last night at the sandy hook promise dinner, i chatted with my friend mark barden. his son daniel massacred at sandy hook elementary school by a gunning man wielding a military assault weapon with 30 cartridges apiece, would have just finished third great last week. mark recalled how special daniel was. daniel just six years old lived a life of action, too.