factor into the decision by the president to travel to cuba if he makes a decision to travel to the cuba. >> can you clarify did you say you're -- you would have hoped there would have been a little more progress? >> no. what i'm suggesting is that we bleamb there is substantial progress that needs to be made when it comes to respecting basic human rights inside of cuba and there are some of our critics i think who have suggested because we haven't seen as much progress as we believe necessary over the last seven months that somehow that is a reflection of a deficiency in the president's policy and may response is merely that it is too soon to tell since the policy has only been in place for seven months. we had 55 years to evaluate the success of the previous policy and it didn't bring about the kinds of results we would like to see and the case i would make to you is it is going to take longer than seven months to demonstrate the clear success of this specific policy

change. >> you mentioned the engagement a number of times today. with the outreach to iran and the outreach to cuba, are we looking at a burgeoning doctrine engagement drama or doctrine of engagement with other leaders and other regimes for the last year and a half of his presidency? >> well, the president i think has drawn a pretty clear line between the relationship between the u.s. and cuba and the relationship between the united states and iran. united states continues to have significant concerns with iranian behavior including iran's support of terrorism iran's continued menacing of israel iran's support for proxies that engage in destablizing activity throughout the middle east. so the approach the president

has taken to iran is very different than the president's approach to our relations with cuba. i do think as the president mentioned in his address to the nation on tuesday, that the one common principle that i think might be here is that the united states, he quoted president kennedy in saying that the united states should not be afraid to negotiate but should not negotiate from fear. and i think that principle was implemented in our approach to both countries but when it comes to our relationship, the u.s. relationship with these two countries they are very, very different. >> would there be other countries, regimes, leaders, that the president may be reaching out to as he continues his last phase of his administration >> i guess the other country with whom the united states has sought to ramp up engagement is

actually burma, a place where the president's now visited twice. that again, is another country i would put more closely in the category of cuba than iran i think for obvious reasons. but, yet, it is another place where we hope that deeper u.s. and global engagement in burma can pring about the kind of -- >> just to double check, since the iran deal was reached, just to follow up, has the president of the united states and the president engaged directly with one another? >> not that i'm aware of. fred? >> first off the chairman and ranking member of the house affairs committee put out a joint statement saying they were disappointed by the u.n. security council vote.

the white house have any response on that? >> it's an indication of the strong international community -- community's approach to dealing with iran and, again this is a testament to the success of this effort that you'll recall that when president obama took office in 2009, the nation of iran was united behind their efforts to try to obtain a nuclear weapon. the international community was fractured in trying to prevent that from happening. because of the president's leadership and because of an important role played by congress by the international community did band together to impose some of the toughest sanctions ever imposed on another country and those international sanctions had a devastating impact on iran's economy and it compelled iran to come to the negotiating

table. they negotiated in good faith with the international community to try to reach an agreement. the unanimous approval by the u.n. security council is a testament to the success the international community had in staying unified to confront iran. this will further our efforts to prevent iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. that has been our goal all along and it is an important contribution to the safety and security of the united states and our allies and partners not just in the region but around the world. >> secondly, there has been a call for a congressional briefing on some of the facts on that. given that video out last week is there any possible reconsideration about federal funding for planned parenthood in the future?

>> no. >> a couple questions on iran, detailed questions. there as report out of the iranian media that the parliament may not approve the ballistics missile embargo included in an amendment form. i'm not sure from what the whate house has said, is that necessary for the deal to go forward? do they have an up or down vote in the iranian parliament? >> i haven't seen the report. it may be following developments in the iranian legislature more closely than i am. i give you credit for that. i will say that the agreement was reached in vienna and announced last week was one that was approved by the international community before the u.n. security council. i think that is an indication of the international community commitment to seeing this deal go into effect as written. >> you're assuming anything

that domesticly happens legislatively will derail it -- >> i don't know enough about their process to render a judgment either way. what i am following closely are the developments at the united nations today which i think are a clear indication that the expectations of the international community is that this is an agreement that would go into effect as written. [question inaudible] >> i'm not aware that prospect is likely at this point but obviously the thing we have been clear about and i guess this would apply, the same thing that was true in the final days of the negotiation, i guess, is true even in this interim period, while the various bodies are the -- considering the agreement, we continue to have the same options as before but we are hopeful this diplomatic approach will be successful

because we do believe it is the best way to prevent iran from obtaining a newscast leer weapon. >> basically today there was a response to some of what is coming out of israel and secretary carter's visit, he talked about the threat of military action not being taken off the table and called it dangerous temptation. i wonder if you have a response to that. >> i didn't see the full context of his remarks but obviously the president's approach to this agreement has been to pursue diplomacy so the military option is not necessary. but the benefits of this approach we have advocated is that if for some reason it becomes clear that diplomacy will not be successful, that we see iran start to cheat on the agreement, that the u.s. president, whether president obama while he remains in office, or the next u.s. president, will continue to have all the options that are

currently available to prevent iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. the president has been unequivocal about his commitment to taking the necessary steps to prevent iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. it's just his view that the most effective way for us to do this is through diplomacy. and, you know, i know there are other critics of the deal who have at least implicitly acknowledged that there's no kind of military strike that's possible that would have as much of an impact as this diplomatic agreement would have in terms of setting back the development of iran's nuclear program over a long period of time. that, so that's why the president believes the diplomacy is the best strategy for preventing iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. but at the same time the president has also been clear that if iran cheats on the deal, that all options will be

available. the most obvious and the most direct one would be snap sanctions back in place. we know that's pretty effective because the iranians responded to that kind of economic pressure previously. but there's also no changing the fact that the military option would continue to be available to this president or the next one as well. in fact, that option is likely to be enhanced based on the knowledge about iran's nuclear program that's developed in the context of all of these inspections. so that's why the president has made a very strong case that this agreement and its successful implementation will only strengthen the hand of the next u.s. president as they continue the effort to prevent iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. the last one. >> thanks. two very different subjects, one each. despite difficulties with russia, you, the president have cited cooperation in space as something, as a highlight of an otherwise difficult relationship. what does the white house make of russia's plans to move

astronaut training facilities to crimea? >> i hadn't seen that particular announcement, but it certainly -- what we have indicated is that the space program does reflect an area where the united states and russia have been able to coordinate effectively in pursuit of our countries and our citizens' mutual interests. >> on a separate subject you started with cuba today. i just wanted to finish with it. what leverage does the united states have at this point to work on all the issues that still remain on the table with cuba? the opponents to this move, the embassyies, say the administration is giving away the store. what leverage does the white house have with cuba at this point? because what the president has most emphasized has been this cultural exchange that will happen over time. but is there any leverage that the whate house or i'm sorry the united states has more directly than that? >> well, i think the first

thing that comes to mind is that we'll have the leverage of the other countries in the western hemisphere that now are no longer distracted by the u.s. embargo against cuba as the irritant in the u.s. relationship with countries throughout the western hemisphere. in fact, what we've done is removed that irritant and allowed the rest of the western hemisphere to focus more closely on the conduct and policies of the cuban government. that is certainly a positive development. i think the other thing that should be crystal clear to anybody that's been following this policy over the last five or six decades is that any perceived leverage that was included in an embargo did not succeed in generating the kind of outcome that its most ardent advocates believe is important. we didn't see the kind of progress on human rights reforms that we would like to see while that embargo is in place. and that's why the president has called for the removal of the embargo and to start to take steps to restore

diplomatic ties between our two nations, that we -- the policy of isolation is a policy that failed and it was time to try a different approach to succeed in achieving the goal that we all shared, which is a cuba that is -- that thrives and a cuban government that respects and even protects the basic human rights of their citizens. >> obviously the criticism isn't that the leverage that was there before didn't work but is there anything new other than this new template you've got for the western hemisphere, is there any specific leverage the united states can have to try to effect that change more quickly or more directly? >> i think what we have is significantly more diplomatic leverage. this is leverage that can be used by other countries in the western hemisphere. it certainly is leverage that can be used by the united states. it certainly will be an important part of the deeper ties between our two countries.

part of this agreement included ensuring that cuban citizens have greater access to the internet and greater access to information and we believe that that -- equipped with that knowledge that that's a good thing for the cuban people. and again, i know that some of our critics may find my case because it's coming from me to be unpersuasive and that's okay. i think what is persuasive is that most public polls indicate that upwards of 90% of the cuban population actually supports this policy change. so that i think is an indication that it's not just the u.s. interests that are best served by this policy. it's actually the interests of the cuban people that are best served by this policy as well. but again, this is something that we can evaluate in the years to come. i certainly am not going to make you wait 55 years to evaluate the success of this policy but it's clear that the previous policy could be evaluated over 55 years and it

clearly did not bring about the kind of results we'd like to see. thanks a lot, everybody. have a good monday. >> we are live at the chamber of commerce waiting to hear from nigerian president buhari. he is visiting washington and will speak tonight at this dinner hosted by the chamber. and expected to talk about u.s. relations. nigerian relations with the u.s. he met with president obama earlier today. less than eight weeks after being elected taking office in nigeria. the a.p. says meeting with president obama to underscore the importance the u.s.

attaches to good relations with nigeria. again, meeting in the oval office with the president earlier today. here's what that looked like. >> great pleasure to welcome president buhari and his delegation here to the oval office for his first visit since the historic election that took place. nigeria is obviously one of the most important countries in the world and one of the most important countries in the african continent. recently we saw an election in which a peaceful transition to a new government took place, and it was an affirmation of nigeria's commitment to democracy, a recognition that although nigeria is a big country and a diverse country with many different parts, nevertheless, the people of

nigeria understand that only through a peaceful, political process can change take place. president mew harry comes into office with a reputation for integrity and a very clear agenda and that is to make sure that he is being -- bringing safety and security and peace to his country. he is very concerned about the spread of boko haram and the violence that's taken place and the apros ities they've carried out and has a very clear agenda in defeating boko haram and extremism of all sorts inside of his country. and he has a very clear agenda with respect to rooting out the corruption that too often has held back the economic growth and prosperity of his country. on both these issues we're

looking forward to hearing more about his plans and how the united states can partner with nigeria so that nigeria ends up being an anchor not only of prosperity and stability in the eastern core part of the continent but also be an outstanding role model for developing countries around the world. and we very much look forward to talking about security issues, how we can cooperate on counterterrorism. we're looking forward to discussing how we can be helpful in addressing some of the corruption issues that have held nigeria back and unleashing the incredible talent of the nigerian people. we all recognize that some of the best business people in the world are from nigeria and they thrive as they travel to other countries. but we want to make sure

they're also helping folks thrive in nigeria. we're also going to have an opportunity to talk about some of the other areas when nigeria has taken leadership in public health issues, fighting, you know, tragedies like ebola nigeria has an outstanding track record of working with us to eradicate polio and that gives us a framework and a template to continue to work on public health issues throughout the western part of africa as well as thrawout the sub continent. we'll have a chance to talk about issues of climate change, electricification as many of you know power africa is one of our top priorities, making sure we're electricary phiing the continent so it can grow faster and more people have access to the power that they need. so we've got a busy agenda. but i want to emphasize how

much i appreciate president buhari's work so far. looking forward to seeing him put together his team so that we can do everything that we can to help him succeed and help the people of nigeria succeed. because if they are successful and doing well, that will have a ripple effect not only in west africa but throughout the world. so thank you very much. >> thank you. nage remains ever grateful to president obama and the united states for making nigeria -- the visit of the secretary of state to see the chairman of

the independent election commission and it was very clear and a positive strength for this election we had. and the maintenance of pressure by the united states and europe to make sure that the elections were free, fair, and credible, led us to where we are now. it would be almost impossible if the united states had not maintained the pressure on the former nigerian government that they would have not accepted anything less constitutional as far as the elections we are very grateful.

our party identified the nagian people's congress security, economy -- we were extremely happy the united states made it absolutely clear before the election that they are prepared to help nigeria in this aspect and this is why i am here and i am very grateful for the invitation your president extended to me. thank you very much, mr. president. >> thank you so much. [question inaudible] >> i think it will send a clear message that the overwhelming number of countries who not only participated in the deal

but who have observed what's happened recognized that this is by far our strongest approach to ensuring that iran does not get a nuclear weapon. there's broad international consensus around this issue. not just among the international community but also among experts in nuclear proliferation. and my work and assumption is -- my working assumption is congress will pay attention to that broad based consensus. all right? >> thank you. >> thank you very much. >> thank you guys. >> thank you. >> and here on c-span we are back live to the u.s. chamber of commerce. they're going to be hearing shortly from nigerian president buhari who is in the united states meeting with american officials less than eight weeks after taking office in nigeria. the u.s. chamber of commerce hosting this along with the

corporate council on africa. we will have his comments just as soon as they get under way. later this week, we'll be covering on thursday as a matter of fact, the senate foreign relations committee on u.s.-iran relations in particular on that iranian nuclear deal. secretary of state john kerry leads the administration team testifying before the foreign relations committee. 10:00 a.m. thursday. live on c-span 3, c-span radio, and c-span.org. we talked about it this morning on today's "washington journal" and we'll show you what we can as we wait to hear from the nigerian president.

>> nigerian president buhari will be speaking shortly to the u.s. chamber of commerce. when that gets under way we'll have it live here on c-span. in the meantime, a look at the u.s. -- the iranian nuclear agreement from today's

"washington journal." host: our guest for the next 45 minutes joins us this morning to discuss the lobbying efforts sprung up for and against the iran nuclear deal. but first let's talk about the targets of those lobbying efforts. what is congress's role now that a deal has been reached and what is the timing of when they have to make a decision here? guest: 60 days, the clock starts today. and what you're really going to see is a lot of kind of back and forth where you have john kerry up on the hill this week briefing members. there's going to be a lot of politicking. there's going to be some voting as well. the house will vote on the deal. i think it's likely that they will oppose the deal. then you have the senate. obama has said that he will veto anything if they decide not to go forward with it and it'll kind of go back to congress and so what you're really looking at is can the obama administration find a veto proof majority. host: that lobbying effort by

secretary kerry beginning yesterday on cnn's "state of the union" and he went on to talk about the iranian deal. here's a bit of secretary kerry's statements from cnn. >> the fact is that the real fear of that region should be that you don't have the deal. if congress doesn't pass this, if congress were to kill this then we have no inspections. we have no sanctions. we have no ability to negotiate because i assure you the ayatolla if the united states arbitrarily and unilaterally kills this you're not going to have another negotiation. they will feel free to go do the very things this prevents. host: as you note in your recent story on the lobbying effort the white house already launching a series of phone calls on this topic. who are the surrogates that we're going to be seeing besides john kerry and ernie monise sitting next to him in that clip? >> you'll have -- i think saw

one of the senators three times in one day making the case. you have ashe carter also making some meetings. then you have some of the staff level as well. that is definitely going to be a major push as well in terms of, you know, not just them. you have obama himself playing golf this weekend with members of the house trying to kind of have that soft sell that he hasn't necessarily always been very good at but certainly putting in the time. host: outside of the white house who are the lobbying groups that the white house is going to look to for outside support on this? guest: a lot of liberal groups. jay street, a multimillion dollar lobbying effort in terms of doing advertisements and doing some polling. you also have moveon.org and some of the others that have blended together to try and put out positions and put up some of the pressure there. on the opposite side you certainly have apac which is one of the most powerful

lobbies in washington who is going up with a -- they said they were going to raise maybe even $20 million just on this effort. host: for folks unfamiliar with apac and j streak can you talk about those groups and who they represent? >> pro israel, a much more liberal group, they've been for this deal, kind of soft selling it for quite a while. you have apac is much more in line with, you know, the israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu. they are much more, very opposed to this deal. they came out pretty aggressively against it. just the fact they are even kind of signaling they're going to be doing this, $20 million potentially campaign in 60 days, just think about that, like the vastness of how much money will be spent over the next 60 days just on this issue is key for them. it's one of -- probably the biggest thing they'll work on this year. host: we are having our viewers join in. if you have questions about this lobbying effort for and against the iranian nuclear deal, anna palmer of politico is our guest, a senior correspondent there.

democrats, you can call in. 202-748-8000. republicans walk us through the strategy of old sides -- both sides? guest: inside and outside game. very washington focused but also looking to go to the states. they want to have some of the think tank go and talk think tank sought leaders on these issues going talk to the key individuals where there's members that are important on this vote and have third-party people be able to make those kinds of selling points. they are also try to do polling to show where americans, jewish americans are on this issue. and then you have aipac, doing a

lot of the same things, that this is hand-to-hand combat, the old traditional shoe leather lobbying. they're going to do tons of meetings on the hill, they're working those issues as well. they also these battlelines with this deal going forward. some people at a conference call you referenced what the white

house. early frustrations because pumping the brakes a little bit with these anti-agreements even before you had a chance to read it. there's been a signaling and the fact able to ramp up in short notice effort. add third-party where they have launched weeks before. >> the bottom line -- a good deal. it does a more in a antirealist outcome, no nuclear weapons for iran and inspections. it means a safer israel. a safer america and a safer world.

host: on the other side of this issue, groups running advertisements and nuclear free iran is one of the groups that starting the campaign. here is theirs. >> at the bottom line, it is a big deal. it does more than any other real estate outcome and no nuclear weapons for iran and inspections and a safer israel. a safer america and a safer world. can you talk about the message here they are trying to get across? >> they are trying to say no deal is not going to be acceptable. their point it is the best thing possible and cannot tell nuclear weapons and the deal that is able to make sure that the next 10 or 15 years and projecting forward is the way where you

will normalize some things going forward for host host: our viewers. good morning. >> good morning. thank you for taking my call. first, hitler and his mein kampf expressed exactly what he was going to do to the jews. and to russia. it was ignored. so when they were shouting kill the jews, it was ignored. and of course the jews, 6 million people and 27 million russians and on and on. the other point is that with this deal -- acknowledges the right iran to have a weapon. no one has mentioned what they are going to do to stop them from creating a weapon. if someone could clue me in and

explained to me that i'm wrong, i would be very happy. host: anna palmer, talk a little bit about this. what is the white house saying is going to happen after the time when on this deal expires? guest: this is going to go forward, it is in a 15 year horizon of the deal, goes beyond that. it's a framework where if there isn't a deal, iran is going to be able to have nuclear weapons much more quickly, this is going to allow for the u.s. and the world to inspect some of the places where there are the beginnings of the ability to create nuclear weapons, and it provides a framework for the world and iran to move forward on this in a way that's more sustainable than saying we're not going to have any deal and then iran will get much more quickly to nuclear weapons. host: ron is next on the line

for democrats. caller: thank you. iran doesn't need to have weapons of mass destruction. they don't believe in it, never had. it's not about iran, it's about hezbollah and hamas, this is about all the roads to jerusalem, which bin laden hassan, from the fort hood, the bombers from the boston -- they all said because of the palestinian conflict, if you want to stop the war on terrorism, solve the the israeli and palestinian conflict. host: on his lobbying campaign

guest: is a lot of skepticism. particularly in the political sense. you really see this playing out in the politics with a lot on the republican side. marco rubio saying he is president, he would work to disband the deal. and a lot of skepticism. lindsey graham has been aggressively opposed to it. you see the battle lines really starting to be a parent. but then you see senator chuck schumer, someone everybody is watching and has gotten a lot of money from the israel lobby and

gotten $260,000 from pro-israel groups the last six years. but where he stands, he's going to be the next leader likely for the senate and for democrats. he is someone we'll keep a close eye on it. host: one of d.d. frederick's question is how much in congress will be spent on lobbying? it's not like they'll target every member equally, right? who are the top targets and the ones to watch? guest: i was mentioning senator chuck schumer who is by far somebody who will be a lot of attention and money spent not only because new york is a extensive media market but also is a huge population where they're very invested in and interested in what happens here. i think you'll see that happen across the state. you're right in the sense that it's not going to be the -- the same amount of money won't be spent in north dakota as it is in florida or washington state. there is going to be a huge focus on jewish members of congress because they obviously

not only themselves have followed this issue is a long time but a lot of those people have constituents. and it will be people who represent large jewish populations as well. host: we showed the ad from j street, those supportive of the deal. here's the ad from citizens against the deal, nuclear free iran. >> the iran nuclear deal, good deal or bad deal? iran keeps their nuclear facilities. the military sites can go uninspected, restrictions end after 10 years. then iran could build a nuclear weapon in two months. iran has violated 20 international agreements and is the leading state sponsor of terrorism. congress should reject a bad deal. we need a better deal. host: that's an ad for citizens for nuclear free iran. do we know who the group is? guest: apac has been behind that so have a lot of big name donors, you'll recognize, ashel

adelson, the casino magnate from las vegas and is a staunch opponent to this deal, has been putting money behind that as well as some of the other big donors who are really opposed to this pact moving forward. host: back to the phones. christina is waiting from augusta, georgia, line for independents. caller: thank for you taking my call. ms. palmer, can you tell me, i'm listening and i understand i have iranian friends who tell me both ways not to trust in everything and be very cautious. my question is, i keep hearing even from senator kerry, now he's got his own position, but even he says that they have enough nuclear stuff to make 10 weapons right now. i don't know what they're talking about doing with that. but what happens if iran does

the same thing that north korea does and makes one after they have a deal. then what are the american people's recourse if they just sneakily violate this deal? i mean, then we're stuck with them having a nuclear weapon. so how -- what is our recourse after that? can you please tell me that? and i'll listen on the tv. thank you very much. bye, bye. guest: i think what we're talking about here and obama as well as secretary kerry said yes, we have to trust but verify the situation that if iran does violate the agreement or, you know, if they don't let in inspectors and they do try to go for it even after this agreement goes forward that then there will be recourse and that everything becomes null and void. what the reaction would be, i imagine would have to be -- i'm certainly not -- it would be a reaction that would be representative of what infraction was. so i think the bigger issue and

what i think a lot of people think is not just them going forward with nuclear weapons certainly, but removing these sanctions and you start to see this in terms of, you know, some of the european and other countries really are looking forward to it, they want these sanctions to be removed and want to do business with iran because it's a big country, that it's hard to put those back into place. host: a question from peg on twitter, is this a accurate description of the republican positions right now? the republicans suggest keeping sanctions on iran forever and eventually this arm twisting will force iran to give us everything we want. guest: i don't think that's true. i feel they wanted more out of this deal than the administration was able to get done. i think they also are -- i was just saying they are very leary of removing sanctions with a country they feel like is a bad actor and who repeatedly has lied and hasn't seemed to hold up their end of the bargain. host: to leonard, dayton, ohio line for democrats.

leonard, you're on with "politico's" anna palmer. caller: good morning, c-span and your guest and everyone. our military itself has been cut dramatically and will be keep cutting so who is going to fight the war? my question here is does israel have a nuclear weapon, a weapon of mass destruction, and do israel have a draft for people to fight in a war? guest: i'm definitely not an expert on israel and their army. i do believe that they do have all of their young people fight, they're automatically put through some service. i think they have a strong kind of military situation. i think they are very concerned that, you know, if iran was going to be able to get a nuclear weapon that it would be a huge problem for them and that's something they are vehemently opposed to. host: that concern being expressed by prime minister netanyahu on the sunday shows as well and on "face the nation.”

here's a bit of his interview. netanyahu: this is a dream deal and maybe got a deal that may block or delay iran's pass to one or two bombs for the next few years, assuming they don't cheat, but pave their way to many, many bombs after a decade or so because they become a threshold state with full international legitimacy and to boot also get a cash bonanza to fund their terrorist and aggression against us and against the region and america and the world. i think this is a very bad deal with a very bad regime. host: anna palmer of "politico.” can you talk about the role the prime minister plays from here over the course of the next 60 days. guest: he's been up on capitol hill doing personal meetings and if you take a step back it's an interesting position for him because it was controversial when earlier this year speaker john boehner invited him to

speak to a joint session of congress and a lot of democrats were very upset with the remarks that he made and how aggressively he made them. so now he's having to come a little bit hat in hand with some of those members and try to make the case why this is such a bad deal. you had some democrats like speaker nancy pelosi giving a full-throated endorsement or she throw her support behind it or you had others like the minority whip, steny hoyer, who has been a little bit more hesitant to go out on a limb on that. host: a tweet last night from john boehner, president obama abandoned his own standards for a good agreement, speaker using all of his social media platforms and other platforms to talk about this deal. perry is up next, washington d.c., line for independents. good morning. caller: at first i was going to ask about the year all of this is due to take place but i do want to respond to what netanyahu just said.

he's saying that they're getting a money bonanza but what i'm understanding is that these were iran's already frozen assets of their own money that had been frozen. so it's not like our government is giving those people -- and i'm not on their side. but it's not like they're giving those people some of our money so that's a distortion. but i wanted to know, i mean what kind of time frame are we talking about, and i just don't even recall in my own history the time when -- what year was the vote made for israel to have their nuclear weapons? i'm just trying to put it all together. host: when you're talking about the time frame we're talking about, are you talking about the time frame of congress' vote on the deal that was reached with senator john kerry? caller: yes, exactly. what kind of time frame because it seems to me this thing can go on and on and on.

host: got you, perry. anna palmer? guest: if i understand correctly, the time frame they have now is 60 days for them to -- for the congress to debate this and they will have to take a vote before the u.s. can move forward with this agreement. host: what happens, we're coming up over a august recess where members are away from capitol hill so what's going to happen during that time frame, are we expecting members of congress to be back up here to talk about guest: no, what is really interesting is members of congress do town halls and go back home into their districts and the real question to me is going to be what is going to happen at these town halls? is this going to be the big, dominant issue at some of these for specific members because it's one thing for apac or a lobbyist on k street to make the case why they should vote a certain way. it's another thing when you hear over and over again from your constituents, the people who will be voting for you particularly if you're a house member or if you're up in the

2016 election cycle that there's an overwhelming majority that want you to vote one way or another. host: is this then the focus of these commercial ad campaigns, not just to target members to change their opinions but to get constituents to show up at these town hall events and question their members and push them on one side or the other? guest: that or also to get constituents to call, right? almost all these ads direct to you a website and that website will say call your member of congress and this is what you should be telling them because that's something all members of congress track so they're going to track the poor, and again that will be something that will >> good afternoon, i must apologize to the p o in the other room. -- to the people in the other room. i did not realize i was speaking in a here. some of you will recognize the

speech especially president b uhari. you're at sicily -- your excellency,= president buhari the governors, his exit mostly debt at some sleep -- his excel lency, ambassador adefuye and others salom. a few more words here. i am scared to pronounce of them. [speaking in foreign language]

mr. president, thank you for honoring us with your presence on this historic visit. i want to start with a short speech with a quote that i found on the internet that you delivered in 1983. you said "this generation of nigerians and the future of my generation -- nigerians have no other country than nigeria. we should stay here in south which it together." [applause] paul hinks: perhaps no words could better capture the spirit of president buhari's administration. at the time, he was calling on the people of nigeria to come together and work toward a common goal. decades later, this sentiment is relevant as nigeria is on the

verge of tremendous opportunity. recognizes this opportunity and cca the chamber recognizes this opportunity and we both work to facilitate trade and investment between the u.s. and nigeria and key areas like security, power health infrastructure, transportation, foiling gas -- oil and gas and -- sorry. i apologize. and things like the factories procter & gamble is building in nigeria, probably the biggest investment from the united states in that country. it is an honor to partner with a nigeria under president buhari's exemplary leadership. president buhari has a long and distinguished career. serving and the nigerian were

pop at a joint army in 1961. help to several key commands and staff and political appointments and a rose to the rank of general. later, in 1983, he emerged as the head of state and commander in chief. the buhari administration of the 1980's was known for the war against discipline. a policy that aims to a dress a lack of public morality and civic responsibility. he was appointed chairman of the petroleum trust fund because of his incorruptibility and strict discipline. driven by a sense of patriotism and commitment to national service, president buhari reenter politics in 2003. in 2015, he won the presidency. the first time in nigerian

history and opposition leader peacefully succeeded an incumbent president. [applause] paul hinks: i would like to end with my favorite quote from president buhari that i found the internet. it was his inaugural speech this year. when he said, i will long to everybody and i belong to nobody." [applause] paul hinks: thank you very much. [applause] >> no finer partner in the embassy world than the nigerian embassy than the power that ambassador adefuye has played in

this town to bring attention to the work done by the embassy on behalf of the government are you it cannot go overlooked. it is my distinct honor to call upon the ambassador. thank you. [applause] ambassador adefuye: the president of nigeria and his excellency governors, and other officials of nigeria and from our american side, let me recognize the chamber of commerce and mr. paul hinks of

corporate counsel africa. [indiscernible] captains of industry from nigeria. this is endless. i will end by saying by using our contribution to the diplomatic lexicon. [applause] ambassador adefuye: because of the passionate feeling one has of the passionate feeling for the country. when you talk of someone of the topmost official a use that as a springboard to do good to

society and to history that is what is the example of the president. mr. president summarized [indiscernible] he served as minister and had to deal with making sure [indiscernible] he has been everywhere and nigerians see him as somebody who is not only passionate, committed, trusted, and disciplines. [applause] ambassador adefuye: [indiscernible] president obama perhaps as the man of integrity.

you cannot have it better. [applause] ambassador adefuye: we, nigerians, we know a good person when we see one. yes, everybody knew if he have more to deliver to the country there's always the saying, if life -- [indiscernible] that is why the last election, nigerians of voted overwhelmingly to elect president buhari as the president of nigeria. and mr. president the gentlemen and ladies you see here are those who helped a nigeria fulfilled the objective of the economy.

when you said there is more to nigeria and the embassy here, we have three investment, power and infrastructure conducted by the corporate council of africa and u.s. chamber of commerce. these are people [indiscernible] at the what -- and within the last three years, and investment of america of morgan 20%. -- of more than 200%. we now have [indiscernible] achieved in three objectives. one is we need to deal with boko haram. as support promised by the americans area and advancing the economy. there is more to nigeria than

oil. i do not mean to offend the oilman himself. so, that is the reason why we very much appreciated this gathering. americans will see to these ideas. you now have a very supportive regime. you have [indiscernible] conducive to the environment and top government. somebody with impeccable integrity. [applause] ambassador adefuye: [indiscernible] to invest money, you are in good hands. and the advantages, in nigeria,

our market, our people to do good business. and to adapt to circumstances. take all of this with the government that is purposeful and knows what it is doing. when they say [indiscernible] [applause] ambassador adefuye: to talk about africa without nigeria. he will lead by example and he has been leading by example and we see that. ladies and gentlemen the president to call on. president of nigeria, a man of

commitment, a man of dedication, a man of impeccable integrity, a man of very few words, making the nigeria the best. my president. [applause] president buhari: please sit down ladies and gentlemen. i think mr. paul hinks re-read

his speech. [indiscernible] when we read our speeches in the other room, the audience was so -- and i was wondering why some of the governors have turned it down the invitation only to find them here. i will reread my speech. [laughter] [applause] president buhari: the executive governors here. and the former governor.

[indiscernible] the governor of -- and the rest of my team. the corporate counsel on africa. in the united states of america. distinguished ladies and gentlemen i'm -- [indiscernible] friend of my --

the chief executive is here. i was surprised to lead the chief executive of the bank. [laughter] muhammadu buhari: ladies and gentlemen, let me begin by tell you how pleased i am to be here tonight and be treated to this. corporate council on africa. to have so many with us and captains of industry here tonight speak well between nigeria and the united states. i would like to commend the

chamber for assembling leading united states companies. executives have taken me through their vision and activities in nigeria. my intention here tonight is to simply to bring a message of hope about my country's future and opportunities available for the united states investors. ladies and gentlemen due to the excellent relations between nigeria and the united states, our two countries found it necessary to sign up an agreement and 2010 -- in 2010 as a framework to guide our direction. the agreement provides a template to effectively and

efficiently manage the growing diplomacy to help the economy between nigeria and the united states. the need to strengthen our bilateral relations given us an investment to organize power and agriculture and infrastructure. these have led to increasing economic activities the twin nigeria and the united states between nigeria -- between nigeria and the united states. i would like to see it brought in because -- broaden because huge potential is there and our countries to improve the level beyond the current level. it is my intention to create the

necessary environment for future investment in nigeria. the most populous nation and largest markets in africa with human and natural resources. and the young skilled workforce. we are prime candidate to become the destination of choice for the united states investment in africa. [applause] muhammadu buhari: the investors know from experience from the market better than any in africa. i would work to welcome new investors to our country. the challenges that i lay on the table tonight of the business

community of the united states and nigeria to take advantage of the excellent relations between our 2 countries to expand activities including joint venture projects and private sector of the nigerian economy including power generation, gas agriculture, mining, health sector tourism, and other sectors of our economy to take advantage of the united states opportunity. ladies and gentlemen, while i organize the rules of government to facilitate and promote economic growth, the private sector must play an increasing role as an engine of growth. this is even more so for us in nigeria as we take steps in

diversifying to a non-oil driven economy. in particular, we will welcome general investment who are willing to come to nigeria for minerals exploration. employment was one of my key campaign promises. i will do my best to keep this promise. i will do my best to keep this promise. [applause] muhammadu buhari: is there is no other way to explain economic opportunities and create that boosting domestic manufacturing. and infrastructure and industrialization. let me repeat -- nigeria will partner with the general investors or willing to join us to achieve our economic objectives and at the same time

investment. there is more to nigeria than oil. this is why i will continue to stress of the need for increased united states investment and our nonoil sectors. it is a fact that in the present administration will be attentive to the needs of the community. and provide services that will strengthen the sector to drive the growth. [applause] muhammadu buhari: we intend to reduce waste and focus on freedom, accountability and good governance. the rule of law compliance of levels of agreement and ease of

doing business and removal of some of the measures that the federal government will remove. ladies and gentlemen nigeria has [indiscernible] require heavy funding which tend to be sourced locally and nigeria alone. i went to this to encourage you for foreign investment such as overseas investment corporation and united states export-import bank. to include access to capital and funding of such businesses. nigeria's shares have already been. as you are aware

. well some of the challenges confronted the energy sector in nigeria, i want to ensure you that the government of nigeria as we said, as it relates to urbanization. which is known to have in recent times -- transmission and distribution of power to the consumer. ladies and gentlemen, the kind of environment can only thrive in a stable environment. a given full attention to the fight against boko haram and

collaboration with nigeria. to this end nigeria has 100 million to the multinational task force of the business commission. the task force said to be a function. last month nigeria led 20 million united states dollars. and ready to liquidate the task force for operation. nigeria organized for the contribution of $5 million to this campaign. every little bit helps and this gives [indiscernible]

protection and further vision of every piece of nigerian territory. the settlement of -- and providing consumption of a normal life. in conclusion, i would like to remind you all that we are continuing with privatization programs effective ranging from telecommunications energy, gas aviation health, and infrastructure which will improve architecture. we will also have these procedures of principles. and therefore see the opportunity to formally invite

american business community to take advantage of our trade and investment to do business in nigeria. i thank you very much for your attention. [applause] >> thank you, mr. president. [applause] >> all right, in my very brief closing remarks and please all sit down and remain seated so the president and his party have an opportunity to leave the room. on behalf of the u.s. chamber of commerce -- i would like to thank you for being here to mark this great occasion.

the dinner tonight was aimed at recognizing and supporting your efforts toward a driving greater investment between the united states and nigeria. we wanted knowledge in and fully support your desire to increase greater transparency and social justice so more nigerians have jobs and pride in their nation as you expressed in 1983. mr. president, thank you for bringing a strong delegation of effective governors. we view the governors as key to change in nigeria and key decision-makers and your prospective cabinet here today. we at cca are aware of the opportunities that nigeria offers to domestic and foreign investors. that is what will staff on the ground to support the federal government and private sector initiatives. on a this note, will like to formally invite you and i know in invitation has been given to you to give the keynote address

at the opening of our tend by annual u.s. african summit in ethiopia november 2-5 which is been done premier u.s.-africa event. once again, our thanks on behalf of the u.s. chamber, a pleasure to work with him iran and scott -- myron scott and our staff that make this happen. on behalf of the chamber, we wish you great success in nigeria and thank you all of you for being here tonight. [applause] >> if all of you would please be seated so the secret service can escort the president out. ok.

>> the white house spokesman was asked about donald trump's remarks over the military service of senator john mccain. here is what josh earnest said.

>> john mccain calling of trump to apologize to veterans. do you agree with that? josh earnest: i have resisted temptation to weigh in even though i've had ample opportunity to do so -- >> of mccain. josh earnest: it warrants lifting up the example of senator mccain has established here today of suggesting he does not about himself . i agree with what senator mccain had to say. >> what do you make -- the president, particularly with trump the whole birth

certificate question that trump did not let the goal. what does the president make all donald trump is leading an of the balance for republican nomination? josh earnest: i have not had a detailed conversation with the president but process underway on the republican side. it will be a significant challenge but as they will have to navigate their way through. >> john kasich book comes the 16th republican candidate to join the presidential race. he will make the announcement from ohio state in columbus tomorrow. we will have live coverage on c-span 3. >> the u.s. and cuba reestablished diplomatic ties with the ceremonial opening of embassies in cuba and washington, d.c. today and we will bring you some of that

include remarks from secretary of state john kerry and his cuban counterpart. and voting in support of the iran nuclear deal. later, a congress on the dodd frank regulations. >> c-span gives you the best access to congress, coverage of the u.s. house, congressional hearings, a news conference bringing you events that shape policy and everyone "washington journal" is live with policymakers and journalists in your comments by phone, facebook, and twitter. brought to you as a public service of your local satellite provider. >> the cuban a flag was raised over havana's embassy over washington, d.c. in over 50 years.

>> the u.s. opened its embassy in cuba and secretary kerry will attend the next month. ♪

[applause] ♪ [cheers and applause]

[chanting] [applause]

>> ♪

>> following the ceremonial raising the flag in washington, secretary of state john kerry and his cuban counterpart held a joint news conference to discuss u.s.-cuba relations. secretary kerry will travel to cuba on august 14 to attend a ceremony to raise the american flag over the u.s. embassy in cuba. he will be the first u.s. secretary of state to visit since 1945. mr. kerry: good afternoon, everybody. i am pleased to welcome to the state department, my colleague bruno rodriguez, the foreign minister of cuba.

i apologize for our being a little late, but we were downstairs. we had a lot to talk about, not just u.s.-cuba relations, and i think we had a very constructive conversation. this is the first visit to the department by a cuban foreign minister since 1958. today marks as well the resumption of normal diplomatic ties between our countries and the reopening of our embassies after a rupture that has lasted 54 years. so it is an historic day, a day for removing barriers. [speaking spanish]

of course, this milestone does not signify an end to differences that still separate our governments.

it does reflect the reality that the cold war ended long ago and in the interest of both countries are better served by engagement than estrangement and that we have begun a process of full normalization that is sure to take time but will also benefit the people in both cuba and the united states. begun a process that will benefit both the people of cuba and the united states. this drove the conversation and it drove us to the moment. we are cooperating on law enforcement, narcotics telecommunications environmental issues, human rights, including the trafficking of persons and, we discussed the opening of the

embassies. i am confident that diplomats will have the ability to travel and converse. to lead the effort, i am encouraged that we have a first rate team led by one of the finest public servants and i congratulate rodriguez on the open of the embassy. i look forward to making my first trip to cuba and holding a comparable ceremony. before closing, i want to thank our colleagues from switzerland for the vital role they have played as the protecting power for what has obviously proven to be a much longer time than originally anticipated.

i think our friends around the hemisphere who have urged us, in some cases for decades, to restore our diplomatic ties and have warmly welcomed our decision to do so. and i am grateful for the outstanding leadership of roberta jacobson and the efforts of the many u.s. and cuban representatives whose hard work made this day possible. i want to knowledge the commitment of all the care about u.s.-cuba relations whether they disagree -- whether they agree with the decision to normalize or not, changes rarely easy, especially when earlier positions have been so deeply ingrained and so profoundly felt. although we can and must learn from the past, nothing is more futile than trying to live in the past. president obama believes and so do i that our citizens benefit far more from policies that aim to shape a better future. there is, after all, nothing to

be lost and much to be gained by encouraging travel between our nations, the free flow of information and ideas, the resumption of commerce, and the removal of obstacles that have made it harder for families to visit their loved ones. make no mistake in the process of fully normalizing relations between the united states and cuba will go on. it may be long and complex. but, along the way, we are sure to encounter a bump here and there, and moments even of frustration. patients will be required. but that is all the more reason to get started now on this journey, this long, overdue journey. today, with the opening of our embassies in the visiting of the foreign minister, we are taking an historic and long-overdue overdue step in the right direction. to keep moving forward, both governments must proceed in a spirit of openness and each will respect. i can assure the world including people of cuba, that

the united states will do its part. [speaking spanish] and now it is my pleasure to yield the floor to our guest bruno rodriguez. mr. rodriguez: good afternoon. sorry for being late. we just had a respectful meeting with secretary john kerry, with the secretary of state, we had an exchange on the issue

discussed between president raul castro and barack obama during their historic juncker -- encounter in panama. the current status of the bilateral relations and the progress achieved since the announcement of december 17, 2014, including cuba's removal from the list of state sponsors of terrorism and the expansion of official exchanges on issues of common interests and the establishment of diplomatic relations and reopening of embassies. i conveyed the recognition of our people and government to president obama for his determination to work for the lifting and urging congress to eliminate and his willingness to adopt executive measures that modify the implementation of some aspects of some of these policies. the scope is still limited but it is headed in the right direction. we have emphasized in the meantime that the president of the united states can continue using his executive powers to pay a significant contribution

to the dismantling and not to pursue changes in cuba something that falls under our exclusive sovereignty and attends to the interest of u.s. citizens. i emphasize that totally lifting, the return of the legally occupied territory of guantanamo and the full respect of cuban sovereignty and the compensation to our people for human and economic damages are crucial to be able to move forward in the normalization of relations. we both ratified our interest in normalizing relations knowing that this would be a long and complex process which will require the willingness of both countries.

there are profound differences between cuba and the united states with regard to our views about the exercise of human rights by all persons all over the world and issues related to international law which will inevitably persist. but we strongly believe we can both cooperate and coexist in a civilized way based on the respect for these differences and the development of a constructive dialogue oriented to a well-being of our countries and peoples and this continent and the entire world. i expressed to the secretary of state that he will be welcomed in cuba on the occasion of the ceremony to reopen the u.s. embassy in havana. so, mr. secretary, i will be waiting for you. [speaking spanish] translator: we have just had a

respectful and construct of eating with secretary john kerry. it was interesting to see that the cuban flag was raised for the first time in years. we would not have been able to make it through these date without the historical leadership of the revolution headed by fidel castro and without the resistance and self-determination of the cuban people and the firm determination to continue walking down the path that was sovereignly chose him. we have been able to make it with the support received from latin america, the caribbean the majority of countries around the world, u.s. and cuban patriotic citizens to reside in this country and who persevered for so many years in their efforts so that cuba and the united states could have better relations. with the secretary of state, we have an exchange of issues from president raul castro and president barack obama during their time together in panama at

the conference of the americas. including cuba' removal from the list of states -- state sponsors of terrorism. a place where cuba should have never been included, and the historic meeting between president role castro and barack obama on issues of common interest. i can take the recognition of our people to president obama for his determination to lift the blockade and having urged congress to eliminate it once and for all and his willingness to adopt executive measures that modify the implementation of some aspect of these policies. although the scope is limited, these are steps taken in the right direction. we both emphasize the president of the u.s. can continue to use executive powers to pay a significant contribution to the

blockade with the purpose of eliminating it. not seeking changes in cuba which fall under the assumed sovereignty of the department of cuba and cubans, but rather to attend to the best interest of americans and the lifting of the arcade is essential for moving on stabilization's of i laterally -- i laterally relations. as well as the full respect of cuban sovereignty and the compensation to our people for human and economic damages. we reiterated our invitation to all u.s. citizens to exercise their right to travel to cuba as they do to the rest of the world and to take advantage of an equal footing of the opportunities offered by cuba. the secretary of state and i ratified our interest in normalizing bilateral relations knowing this will be a long and complex process. i reiterated to the secretary of

state the cuban government's willing to move on in the process toward normalizations with relations on the basis of respect and sovereign equality and without any interference in our internal affairs. it is true there are profound differences between the governments of cuba and the united states with regards to our views about the exercise of human rights by all citizens and in the whole planet and also when it comes to international law, which will inevitably persist. but we strongly believe we can

cooperate and coexist in a civilized way based on the respect for these differences and the development of a constructive dialogue to the well-being of our countries and people and the entire world. i express to the secretary of state that he will be welcoming that she will be welcome in havana on the occasion to celebrate the opening of the u.s. embassy. so i will be waiting for you and i thank you for your hospitality in washington. thank you. >> our first question comes from andrea mitchell at nbc. >> mr. foreign minister, mr. secretary, the foreign minister said today at the opening of the embassy that the continuing hold on guantanamo bay on the naval base is in the various

consequence of u.s. attempts to dominate hemisphere and only the lifting of the trade embargo and the return of guantanamo bay would lend meaning to today's historic events. can you respond to those comments and what they foreign minister just said come which seems to indicate does of the preconditions and he did not want any interference by the united states in the domestic policies of cuba. and what would you like to see in terms of human rights changes or other policy changes, even absent those changes which are congressionally mandated? mr. foreign minister, welcome to the united states and welcome to the state department. for all of us who have watched the relationship for so many years, this is truly an historic event. but you seem to be indicating that there are preconditions including the lifting of the trade them are go and the return of guantanamo.

do you see any other changes cuba might be willing to afford under the request or influence of the u.s. prior to those events taking place? thank you. mr. kerry: i'll go first. it is absolutely knows the price because it has been a subject of discussion over the course of the time we have been examining our relationship and working toward today that there are things cuba would like to see happen, there are things the united states would like to see happen. we both have been crystal clear with the -- with each other, there has been no pulling of punches.

that is one of the reasons we told up and ability to be able to get to this moment. with respect to the embargo, president obama could not have been more clear -- the president has called on congress to lift the embargo. it is our hope that over the course of the development of the relationship in these next week's and months and years, and hopefully not too many years people will see the benefits that are emerging in both countries as a result of this change today. we would hope, obviously, that the embargo at the appropriate time will be lifted and a great deal more foundation can be built for this relationship. with respect -- and obviously, that is going to take more time.

we all understand that. at this time, there is no discussion and it tension on our part at this moment do alter the existing lease treaty or other arrangements with respect to the naval station, but we understand cuba has strong feelings about it. i cannot tell you what the future will bring, but for the moment, that is not part of the discussion on our side. on the other hand, both sides have fairly -- have very strong feelings. we will always express because it is part of the united states -- foreign policy as part of our dna, and that is our view of human rights and our thoughts about it. we have shared good thoughts about it and have had good exchanges. part of this arrangement that took place involved an exchange of people as well as the release of some people. our hope is that as time goes

on, we will continue to develop that. what we did talk about the relationship and through a creation of a bilateral committee that might work together to put focus on these issues so that we can make the most out of this moment and not lose the future with respect to the embargo and other issues. we are going to work at that.

today is the beginning of a constructive effort and that is the way we want to keep it. translator: we have completed the exchanges to reestablish diplomatic relations as we open the embassy. we have managed to achieve something very important in the last few years and the u.s. government has recognized the embargo against cuba is the wrong policy, causing isolation and bringing about humanitarian damages and deprivation to our people and has committed to engage congress in a debate with the purpose of lifting the blockade. second, the president of the u.s. has adopted some executive measures which are limited in scope, but which are headed in the right direction. i have had an exchange with secretary kerry with regard to the purposes for the following time for the normalization of bilateral relations. we have not spoken about conditions, but rather the need to move on through the dialogue through sovereign equality and each will respect and create a civilized behavior despite the profound differences that exist between both governments to better attend to the interests of our respective people. to me, it is very important the

fact that today, and embassy was reopened in washington and the diplomatic and chairman could be created to carry full mutual recognition, which is a practical contribution to the development of i lateral dialogue. to cuba, the normalization of principles through a series of attending problems. among them is the cease of the blockade against cuba, the return of the territory of guantanamo, and the full respect for our country. we have confirmed there are conditions so that a dialogue can be expanded with the purpose of expanding mutually beneficial cooperation between both countries and of course, taking into account the fact the situation between the u.s. and cuba is asymmetric because our country has not implemented any policy against american citizens or enterprises. cuba does not implement any unilateral course against u.s. and cuba does not occupy any

piece of u.s. territory. we are looking at the proper conditions to move toward the normalization of relations. i can say i have been lease with the exchange with secretary kerry and as to the announcement of december 17, we have been able to establish diplomatic relations, we have been able to reopen the embassy, and now i have the opportunity to welcome

secretary kerry to havana for the opening of the u.s. embassy there in the next two weeks. >> thank you very much. i would like to know what are the advantages that are now in place if the blockade is still in place and what are the advantages now that we have an embassy. and secretary of state john kerry, the government of cuba has said several times in the past that american diplomats in havana have violated the conventions on relations with cuba. is it going to be like that in the future? translator: the fact that diplomatic relations have in established shows the initial willingness to move on toward the improvement of relations between our countries. new instruments are created to

further deepen this dialogue under the circumstances i have described. during the process of our previous conversation, the historic letters exchanged between president role khosrow -- role castro and barack obama function for the o-matic missions for the purposes and principles in the u.n. charter of international law. the regulations containing the conventions on o-matic and popular relations, therefore we have reached agreement in these areas and i can say cuba would absolutely respect those provisions.

cuban diplomats will strictly abide by those rules and create in cuba every necessary condition for the functioning of the new u.s. embassy in our country. mr. kerry: let me reinforce what renault has said. part of the negotiations leading up to the opening of the embassies was a matter of coming to agreement with respect to all the diplomatic functions. we spend time -- assistant secretary jacobson was negotiating with her counterpart and the prime minister and i then met and signed off on an agreement which is in accord

with the vienna conventions and meets both of our countries understandings of what is needed at this moment in time. it could be subject to change, but we are satisfied and we are living within the traction -- within the structure of the vienna conventions. >> good afternoon. welcome foreign minister rodriguez. in your discussions today, did you establish any sort of roadmap for talks going forward? if so, what are your priorities? do you envision a political opening like greater freedom of speech and assembly and the legalization of opposition parties? and, secretary kerry, if i could ask you about iran nuclear, the u.n. security council voted and critics are saying of the nuclear deal that this vote will lock them in because it has taken place before congress has

had the opportunity to debate the deal. what is your response to this criticism? mr. kerry: let me remind you that in the case twice of going to war in previous administrations, the un security council voted before the congress. but more importantly, in this particular case, with respect to this agreement, we took pains to protect the prerogatives of congress. we got our colleagues in sovereign countries who had no obligation to the congress to agree to accept 90 days of no implementation of the resolution they voted on today. it is all well and good for congress to interact with the executive department and require us to do things, but frankly some of these other countries were resistant to the idea as sovereign nations that they are subject to the u.s. congress. we did so in a way that fully protects the prerogative of the united states congress to review this for the next 60 days.

we put a 90 day time frame in during which there will be no implementation. knowability of the congress has been impinged on. the rights of the congress to make its valuation have not changed. on the other hand, when you are negotiating with six other countries, it does require obviously, a measure of sensitivity and multilateral cooperation that has to take into account other nations desires at the same time. they were insistent the vote take place because they were negotiating under the umbrella of the united nations and they thought it was a row. when they completed their work for the united nations to make its judgment. i look forward to having discussions and testimony in private meetings in whatever form is necessary to help convince the congress that this

deal does exist. that is prevent the possibility of nuclear weapons from falling into the hands of another country while simultaneously opening up the opportunity for the united states to at this moment in time put to test the verification measures and all of those things iran has agreed to rather than choosing today to force the potential of a

conflict almost immediately, which is what would happen if congress does not accept this agreement. translator: my plans are to welcome mr. secretary kerry in the next the weeks to havana and continue our talks to establish the appropriate mechanism to expand the dialogue in areas related to bilateral cooperation and not really think our thoughts about the essential aspects of the bilateral agreements. i have mentioned i am determined to move this process forward to see the normalization of relations and the political opening in cuba happened in the year 1959. the flag we raise in the cuban embassy waited for 54 years to be back to the flagpole to be

put up and we cubans feel happy for the way which we manage our internal affairs and feel optimistic when it comes to our duties and we are serious about our sovereignties, so we will maintain permanent -- based on the sovereign and willingness of the cubans. >> i have to emit -- i have to admit i'm a little lost with the language because i hear secretary kerry speaking perfect spanish and mr. rodriguez speaking perfect english. the -- let's start with secretary kerry. do you think this new era of relations with cuba is the

recognition that the u.s. policies of isolating policies differ from your political views do not work? do you think recent trips to caracas is the beginning of trying to rebuild the relationship with venezuela and -- translator: is it possible to have relations when the u.s. as it is not going to lift the embargo and for those skeptical people who really see as a change in strategy -- they are now implementing a creative way to try to change cuba from the inside. thank you. translator: i can say that the fact that diplomatic relations are reestablished and opening both embassies is a show of the mutual willingness to move on for the implementation of