should materialize as the job market improves and income growth improves. are we counting on it? housing is now a very small sector of the economy. and --ot the driver of ais is my own forecast -- driver of ongoing improvements in the u.s. economy. , butays a supporting role consumer spending is the main by decentstered outlook for investment spending. but i would continue to expect housing to improve. , ifmber we are envisioning things go as we anticipate, a of increasesl path in short-term interest rates over time to some extent that is

already embodied in longer-term rates. on the other hand, as time passes and you move beyond the window and short rates are zero, it will be natural for rates to rise some. we recognize that the housing market is sensitive to mortgage -- market rates. it's an important factor. that is something we are definitely taking into account in thinking about the appropriate path of policy. nancy from market place. you mentioned you got a lot of unsolicited advice. there's another side that says the fed should raise interest rates because keeping rates so low for so long has actually exacerbated the wealth gap. you think the fed has widened the wealth gap with its low interest rate policy? people say that it mainly benefits the wealthy. iti guess i really don't see

that way. it's true that interest rates affect asset prices, but they have complex effects for balance sheets, liabilities and assets. me, the main thing that an accommodative monetary policy does is put people back to work. and since income inequality is by havingcerbated high unemployment and a weak job market that has the most profound negative effects on the most vulnerable individuals, to back to workople and seeing a strengthening of that has aarket disproportionately favorable effect on vulnerable portions of our population, that's not something that increases income

inequality. there have been a number of donees that have been recently that have tried to take account of many different ways actingh monetary policy through different parts of the transmission mechanism affects inequality. there's a lot of guesswork involved and different analyses, with different things, but a pretty recent paper is quite concludes that fed policy has not exacerbated income inequality. >> thank you. john prior with politico. what would a -- what role would a possible government shutdown

play in your vote today? what would you say to lawmakers pursuing the strategy? >> it played absolutely no role in our decision. i believe it is the responsibility of congress to pass the budget, to find the government, to deal with the debt ceiling so that america pays its bills. we have a good recovery in place that's really making progress and to see congress take actions that would endanger that begress, i think that would more than unfortunate. to me, that's the job of congress. congress charged us with warming and economic outlook that is focused on the medium term taking appropriate policy actions based on that outlook and that is what we've done in the past and will continue to do going forward.

>> madam chair, you said in your opening statement that the fed's policy of maintaining a large balance sheet by not starting to shrink the balance sheet by curtailing re-investments and rollovers help set your accommodative monetary stance on top of the near zero federal funds rate. by delaying rate hikes logically are you not also delaying reducing the balance sheet? one euro ago the he said it would start shrinking the balance sheets until they started raising the funds rate. you areconcern that delaying normalization of the balance sheet? was that an issue you and your colleagues discussed? thank you. been and as was

reported in the minutes of our july meeting, we have been discussing reinvestment policy. our normalization principles indicated that we would not begin to either reduce or eliminate reinvestments until after we have begun to raise the federal run -- funds rate. the exact timing of that would on economic and financial conditions and our evaluation of them. bet guidance continues to accurate. we do not have anything further, but it is certainly true that we to beginitted to wait running down our balance sheet until after we've begun the process of normalization. yes, if we defer, it's not a

very large matter we are talking about from a stimulus point of view, but it is to some extent true that if we delay our raising the rate it will maybe delay the timing at which that process will begin. there is no fix. we've not given some fixed amount of time of so many months after we start. we're continuing to discuss what the appropriate timing with the of that policy and have not made any further decisions on that just yet. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] >> all campaign long, c-span takes you on the road to the white house -- unfiltered access to the candidates at town hall meetings, news conferences, rallies and beaches.

we are taking your comments on twitter, facebook and by phone. every campaign we cover is available on our website at the span.org. >> this is a wme wire special in partnership with the new hampshire institute of politics and with support from save the children action network. now, conversation with the candidate -- tonight, new jersey governor, chris christie. [applause] >> good evening and it welcome. our guest is new jersey governor , chris christie. we will be getting to know governor christie and where he stands on the key issues.

he has lived in the state his entire life except to go to college in delaware. he graduated in 1987 and joined a private firm where he ultimately became a partner. he was elected as a freeholder in morris county and served as director of the board. attorney andu.s. the worded a plan to attack fort dix. he was reelected to a second term. he wants to reform social security, medicare and kernel justice system and create any taxes them and make college more accessible. he's often joined on the campaign trail by his wife and they have. good to see you. me start with the expectations or maybe the burden of expectation is better.

in 2012, you are the republican savior and now you are stuck in a crowded field. what happened? first off, i: decided not to run and i felt terrible not running in 20 wealth and my decision to support mitt romney. we have seven people in this field. one ever gets to be president of the united states without working hard and i am not allergic to hard work. do you think that that hurt me? -- that that hurt you? gov. christie: you had relentless news cover -- coverage where i was tried, prosecuted and convicted. after three different investigations, they have all said the same thing -- that what i said the day i found out after this is i had no involved in and i did what leaders do. i've fired the people who appeared to have an responsible

and set new standards in my office in terms of checking on all of these different things and moving on. with 60,000 people working for you as governor, you can't know what everyone is doing. it hurt me because the media coverage is so incredibly biased and incredibly wrong. but you live with it and move on. here i am running for president of the united states. josh: how often are you asked about that pacific topic? gov. christie: i'm a former united states attorney and she -- we have prosecuted and convicted over 100 officials for public corruption. record and know how strong it is. i have to tell you in new hampshire nobody ever asks me about that.

you are running a campaign based on telling it like it is do you feel like your message is getting overshadowed a smart i will mention a name, but he is taking up a lot of oxygen. is that making it difficult or people to break through? sure.hristie: it makes it hard if any one person is getting the overwhelming majority of free media tend. it makes it harder for people to break through. but let's take a deep breath. it is early. people in new hampshire are not voting for another five and have. there's a lot of time to make a decision about not who's the most amos or entertaining but who is going to be the best person to lead a country? after seven years, it has been so misled and we need a new president who is going to shoot straight, tell us what we need to hear and not be afraid to

make hard decisions. i think when people focus on that, it we will do very well. >> telling the truth sometimes hurts and obviously you are open to saying all kinds of different things when it comes to how you feel. but in this giant field right now, what is going to operate you heading into the homes stretch? gov. christie: americans for tax i vetoed out saying more tax increases than any governor in the history of the united states. if you want someone who is going to stand up to congress as president and force them to actually do the work, i am your guy. if you want to find someone who stood up to a democrat in the new jersey legislature and cenote taxes at higher spreading -- higher spending and talents the budget, i in your guy. that's what people are going to get to know about me -- a very conservative record in new jersey and the only person who

has put forward a detailed plan because 71% of all federal spending is entitlements and that servicing. if we continue to do that, we are on our way to being greece. what these a week take a break and get to the audience? stay with us. gov. christie: welcome back to our conversation with republican governor chris christie. time to bring in the audience with their question. first question comes from laura flanagan. >> what message do you want to convey to separate yourself and the rest of the field which mark >> first off -- gov. christie:

first off, i have governed in one of the bluest states in america. i would give my right arm to have one easy week. i had a democratic legislature the whole time, yet what we have 2.5 is lower taxes by dollars on businesses that helped create 195,000 new jobs. tenure,reformed teacher great teachers are protected and bad teachers can be fired. taxese cap the property to lead to the slowing down of property taxes in our state. all of that was done, including reforming pension for public workers with a democratic legislature. i am battle tested for washington, d c. i'm the person who has been able to deal with reaching across the aisle and making things work. the biggest thing people are frustrated with in this country no one's talking anymore.

i have the experience reaching across the island talking to democrats. in mice date, if i don't work with democrats, i will be working alone in the statehouse. certainly the folks rum washington, d.c. are part of that problem. gov. christie: the next question is from viola. question is about social security. if elected as president, how would you protect social security? gov. christie: i'm the only candidate in this race who has put out a plan on this out of 17. here is how we would do it. says socialudy that security, if we do nothing, will be bankrupt in seven to eight years.

this is not something we can stand. while living longer lives, the average ice -- average life expectancy of a woman is 83 and a man is 79. these programs were built for people when they passed away in their 60's. it is a blessing. let's raise the retirement age and phase it in over 25 years. one month a year increase for 25 years. i don't think anyone will wind up being hurt by that. wealthy whok the retire wealthy should be getting social security. if you make over $200,000 in retirement income a year, that means you have between $4 million in i've million dollars saved. i don't think you should get social security. social security is insurance for people who have worked hard, played the rules and paid into the system to make sure they don't grow old in poverty and choose between rent, heat, and

food. if someone is making $200,000 a , i don'tetirement think they need social security. this clinton wants to take the caps off of social security taxes. if you want to give the government more money, this is the same government who told you this money was going to put it in the trust fund. they have spent all that money already. so if you have two ways to solve a problem -- less benefits and more revenue, why would any of us want to give the united states government more revenue westmark i wouldn't. what you are trying to get at is people make a lot of money. you are getting those people on the backend. if you have that much money put aside, god bless you, good job. your country did great by you helping you have those opportunities. but we will let -- if we give them your money, they will find

something else to spend it on. that is what i would do to help social security. $1.2would save over trillion and make that system secure. gov. christie: a big topic in this race. the next one comes from mckinsey nicholson. >> you have said you would like to repeal and replace obamacare. can you tell me what your plan would look like and how you would ensure low income families don't lose access to the health care plans they currently receive in new hampshire estuary gov. christie: there is no way the government should be running the health care system for the country. it makes no sense. our two states are about the same size geographically but, in the state, you have 1.3 million people. in this state, yet 8.9 million people. the differences and problems between health care are really start.

when you have people spread out across the state, access to health care is by distance and you can get to the specialist because it is such a long way away. in new jersey, we trip over a hospital every four miles. they are everywhere. our excess problem is cost. obamacare.id of things that work in new hampshire may not work in new jersey the right way and what happens in new jersey is very different than what happens in wyoming or antenna. i like that because you can have a greater effect. you cannot figure out what is going on in the d.c., but we trip over hospitals in new jersey. you strip -- you trip over state representatives in new hampshire. everywhere i go, i a state rep. the great thing is you have the influence to go to those state

reps and say this health care system is not working for me. the access point is to make sure everyone has access to care financially and where they live. we need to develop that kind of new hampshire. but people can't afford to get insurance, they go to the emergency room and when they go to the emergency room, they get that care and it costs a lot more. let states run these things. remember what the constitution says -- all the power the federal government has said here. everything not listed here goes back to the states. i do not health care listed there. i trust the governor to do the right way -- i don't trust her on a lot but i trust her on this and i trust the legislature to get it done. gov. christie: a lot of -- josh: a lot of people are already in this stem -- can it managed?

it is absolutely right to scrap the whole thing. if the state wants to keep some things, it is a mistake. the federal government should not be like bigfoot in this area. who really believes that giving more power and money to washington dc is a good idea? i certainly don't. josh: with one going to social media. what is your problem with legalizing marijuana? i have a few: problems with it. first of all, it is against the law. this is part of the lawlessness of this president. if there's certain laws he doesn't like him he doesn't enforce them. he doesn't like the marijuana laws, so he does not change them. he says to colorado and washington, don't like them, don't worry about. if you want to follow

immigration laws, don't worry about it. note, but my hand on the bible and said i'm going to enforce the laws in the state of new jersey. it did not say in force the laws i like. if people want to change it, they have to change it through congress. but the second problem is that it is a gateway drug. new hampshire has the same problem new jersey has -- and academic -- an epidemic of drug abuse. we know marijuana affects your brain in a negative way. we know it leads to other drugs. legalize want to something? alcohol is legal. does that mean two wrongs make a right mark we should not be doing that. it hurts young people, it's not necessarily needed. we have a medical marijuana program and i have allowed to go that -- allow the program to go

forward for people who that is the only way they can get relief. is asking about legalizing for recreational use and i'm against it. if i'm president of the united states, get high right now in colorado and washington, because if i'm president, we are going to get back to enforcing the law. the christie: the -- josh: heroin epidemic is very real in new hampshire. do candidates need to be talking about going to the source of the album, which is across our border somewhere? a lot of people are seeing the effect of this every day. gov. christie: i have said we need to embed the eye and dea agents to try to interdict guns and drugs from coming across the border. but let's be honest. the biggest problem is demand in the united date. if demand for drugs was not the high in the united dates, the drugs would not be possible to send over here. we have done is to say for first time, nonviolent drug

offenders, people charged with possession, which is over 50% of our prison population, we don't incarcerate those people anymore. we say you go for mandatory inpatient treatment. we want to change lives. i want to save lives in mice date. to treat these folks. it is a disease. my mother was a lifetime smoker and new from 1964 forward that poking was bad for her. she knew that but continued to smoke and ultimately got lung cancer at 71 years old. -- don'tid to us go treat your mother -- she's getting what she deserves. but we do that with people addicted to other drugs. there is nobody in this audience today who hasn't made a bad decision in your life. we are fortunate, there but for

the grace of god go i. to treat these folks. not incarcerating ourselves out of this album. our prison population in new jersey is down 31%. try to find another state where you see that happening and the recidivism rate, without drug court, over 60% recidivism. we can make a difference, and if i am president of the united date, we will have a drug court in every federal district court in this country so we can stop putting people in jail and get them on the road to recovering their lives. josh: let's move on to the next question from his book. maureen gates is asking a big 1 -- what would you do about isis? gov. christie: first, i would not have called in jv and this is the same

president and secretary of state who said we had a reset button with russia and after we reset, here is what happens -- they are invading ukraine and they have taken crimea. ? we have toe do learn from our lessons in iraq. i don't want the united ace to be an occupying power. let's start first with our allies -- egypt, saudi's, the united arab emirates and the jordanians. they want this fight. they want to take on isis. let's give them the best arms we can and train them down to the battalion level on how to use this weaponry. let's give them the best intelligence we can get. isis is everywhere. fourth, let's use the united states air force to soften up the target. i would not say would never use american.

if isis continues to win, we may have to continue to do it, but that should not be our first resort. the last part is they need a president who knows when he gives his word, he is going to keep it. this president said if a site uses chemical weapons, we will take them out. then when he did and killed 230,000 of his own people, the president said never mind. allies cannot count on you and adversaries don't fear you. i guarantee that allies will know we are friends and adversaries will know the limits of our patients. there are four steps you need to take to secure the border. first is to build fencing or walling in appropriate laces. i do not favor a wall across the entire border. it's too expensive. i've never seen a sense that a

human being cannot get through or around. .here are no easy answers but in urban areas, you need fencing or walling where there is a lot of. second, we need to do what i said about agents embedded with the border patrol to interdict guns and drugs coming across the border. we need to use electronic surveillance in the more remote parts of the border to send information so to know where to best than human intelligence and send border patrol agents to interdict evil getting across the border. and we need to use e-verify. unlike what hillary clinton will tell you, these people are not coming across the border to vote or become citizens. they are coming here to work. they want job. if we had e-verify and every lawyer were forced to use it,

they came here illegally, they could not get a job. dealey way to get a job is to come here legally, they would stop coming. we need to find businesses who do not use e-verify. we have to look in the mirror. the business community is part of the problem. i have no problem with the making profits, but higher legal citizens who are here. not higher illegals. forill be very important our country to grow. >> one question, asked to a lot of candidates in this race. assurernor, how can you voters that once you get into the white house, your campaign promises and policies will become programs and laws when

you are faced with the inertia, partisanship and politics in washington. could you comment on debt reduction as an example of how you would embrace that. christie: two minutes to solve that problem. let's do it. i don't think there is a governor who has operated as a conservative and more hostile territory then in new jersey. i have not used it as an excuse. before i was governor in eight years, there were zero private jobs. we came through and got a tax cut put through, we balanced the budget. over ait by cutting hundred programs. need to look at what you have done before to see what you can do and washington. is youportant than that

have to be willing to work with congress. i will send up to them when i need to. longerot an excuse any to closed on the government. you are sent there to govern. it was stunning to me to find three leaksville is a first-time speaker baiter had ever been on -- speaker boehner had ever been on air force one. i'll care who they are, you want to come over? come on. we have to get to know each other and work with each other. on debt reduction, there are only two waste of over the debt in this country. spend less and grow the economy. ont is why i have a plan growing the economy and changing our tax to grow the economy also look at what i have done in new jersey.

todaynt $2.5 billion less than we did in fiscal year 2008. try to find another state without stuff is going on. >> that is all the time we have on tv tonight but keep in mind this conversation continues online and the mobile app. thank you for watching. >> this is our commitment 2016 special with financial support

from the save the children action network. now, conversation with the candidate. former rhode island governor, lincoln chafee. >> good evening everyone and welcome to our conversation with the candidate series. this is certainly a town hall format. let's get a quick look at the candidate biography. lincoln chafee was born in rhode island in 1953. he earned a degree in the classics from brown university and after graduation he attended the horse shoeing school and work as a blacksmith throughout the u.s. and canada. after returning to rhode island he turned on the warwick city council.

in 1992, he was elected mayor of warwick. 1999, he was appointed as a republican to the united states senate to fill the vacancy left by his father. in 2000, he was elected to a full year term. he was then elected as governor. he is running for president as a democrat. he believes in promoting prosperity through peaceful means, removing certain loopholes and tax cuts for the wealthy, and working to reduce greenhouse gases. >> good to see you. everything correct? >> yes. >> before we talk about the campaign, horse shoeing school. >> i worked construction during college and i wanted a trade and i saw an ad for horse shoeing and i had worked around them growing up. i went to the school and did well. canada. ialberta,

think i have shod 5000 resources in my career. -- race horses in my career. outside of the region, a lot of people are unfamiliar with lincoln chafee. >> i care about the future. i care deeply about where we are going and my experience and having been a mayor is unique. candidates, democrat or republican i am the only one with that local them a federal or state experience. that time i have had high ethical standards. having experienced the character and the vision with a more peaceful world and bringing those resources home and working together with our united nations partners. that is my vision for the world. the question is, how do you

break through? bernie sanders is surging. martin o'malley cannot get traction. how do you break through? chafee: history shows that john kerry in 2004 was not going anywhere until the very end. then people start to focus in december and january. . record ofe a good what you have done in public service, and your character of honesty and vision for the future, that will eventually sift through to the voters and you get momentum in those states. >> what are make of the possibility of joe biden entering the race? >> i think he is going to get in. dynamics are changing with the front runner. different issues are occurring, but i welcome everybody at the race.

i hear from new hampshire voters once again, they show a clip of the parades, people saying i am glad you are running, we want choices. >> let me ask you about your history, how did you evolve -- that's not the right word, morph from becoming republican and independent and then democrat? >> i never changed on the issues. i have been pro-choice my whole career, antiwar, for the environment, for social problems -- social programs to build the middle class. roomhere is less and less in the republican party for moderate level -- liberals such and two dozen six they had a primary and i won the 2006, they had a

primary and i won the primary. the priorities have changed. i didn't change. >> you brought up the issues. climate change, the economy, foreign policy. from your standpoint, what is the most important issue and thelenge that will face next president. >> we made a huge mistake of taking down saddam hussein and going into iraq. i was one of 23 senators who voted against it. i thought we just finished with vietnam. waset into another quagmire the last thing i wanted to do without strong evidence. the evidence wasn't there. now we have to fix it. spreading al qaeda, the taliban, isis. across north africa into nigeria. we just have to end this. >> do you have specifics about how a chafee administration would and this -- end this?

say chafee: you have to what are the big priorities? the economy here and building the middle class and health care and education. those are always priorities. now ending these conflicts overseas. before the first votes are taken when there is no leaves on the trees are snow on the ground. this is a big decision. >> do you think there is an appetite for something different?

chafee: the economy is coming back and traditionally when the economy has some growth to it, people are less angry. in 2010 when i was elected governor, people were angry. they could not find work and were getting laid off. we will see what happens with some of these candidates that are playing off of fear and anger. as you point out, it is the home stretch but there is still time. gov. chafee: it counts in january. host: let's take a break and then get to the studio audience. >> now, conversation with the candidate continues.

host: welcome back to the conversation with the candidate series. let's get right to it, our first question from mckenzie nicholson. >> in new hampshire someone who earns less than minimum wage earns less than $300 a week. i'm wondering, if you are elected president what policies would you an act to ensure the strength of working families and business and the economy and would minimally be one of those? gov. chafee: when i was in the senate voted to raise minimum wage every time he came before me. i have a good record of addressing that issue. all through my career i have cared about the social programs that helped build the middle class, particularly on education. these are good federal programs that help build the middle

class. minimum wage, it is all these other unofficial social programs. rolloutse of the best of rhode island in any state. it wasn't easy. it and had ark at good role in the affordable care act. that is a big issue. saying, republicans are no government can be a force for good in people's lives. i disagree. america was made great by our strong middle class and these government programs help our country state great. particularly in education. that is a role for government. host: what is a reasonable minimum wage? gov. chafee: it depends on the community.

the cost in some communities will be higher. i would advocate for a good ceiling maybe $10.10, adjusted for inflation and let the communities reflect what their cost of living is. advocate of a federal, fix all minimum wage. host: the next one is coming from dan. gov. chafee: how many of these have you done? >> 18, sir. gov. chafee: very impressive. >> this past january was that two-year anniversary of the defeat of the proposal which called for criminal and mental background checks strictly for gun shows and online sales. at the time, several independent show that democrats had supported the legislation.

my question is what would a chafee administration do differently to pass this kind of common sense gun legislation. the fact that --tioned to me -- look at my record, i opened it to scrutiny for commonsense safety measures. sense gun some common safety laws were passed, there efforts against legislators voting for those common sense gun safety laws. in my view we have to get the

nra on board. other on fighting each commonsense initiatives the reality is that they have a lot of muscle. let's see where we can find common ground and build on that. instead of making the nra our adversary let's try to work with them. host: what is the first thing you would say to the nra or whatever is necessary? gov. chafee: to find some common ground. the premise that we will not take your guns away. that's what they say you're coming to get the guns eventually. let's build them where we have

commonsense laws. let's see if we can build on that. thank you for the question. let's go to social media. do you do facebook or twitter? gov. chafee: i am trying. i am a little stone age, i'm -- to be honest. i'm working on it. host: lori gates -- maureen gaites asks what is your plan to bring isis to a halt if elected president? isischafee: unfortunately, was born out of our breaking up of iraq. some have now formed their own adversarial group. made, i wasthat we one of the 23 who foresaw the trouble of going in there. now, how to fix it? my view is just what president

obama is doing with the iran nuclear deal. we crafted that with china and russia. with the the french and the germans. if we are going to deal with all the other challenges in the withe east, it has to be that same dynamic. working with the people in the neighborhood. it won't be easy but that is how i will approach it. host: does isis have a voice? , youchafee: ultimately have to find some area where you can start putting down the guns, stop the bomb from flying, stop the beheadings. however we can do that is how i would pursue it. host: now back to the audience. this one comes from caitlin. problems -- programs get a lot of attention when we talk about early childhood

education, but as america falls behind in math and science, it is equally important that would invest in stem programs. can you talk about your vision for education in the 21st century? gov. chafee: you covered a lot there, caitlin. [laughter] consistents one of advocacy for head start and early childhood education programs. i'm a believer through my whole career of government role in having good education which includes early childhood education. that sometart program have criticized, we can always make it better. the wealthy are going to go to the preschool and get their skills. headstart is a perfect way to balance between those who are less fortunate and the wealthy who are going to do it anyway. i would pour the resources into these education programs. i am a firm believer that it is

our public education system that made america great. that is why we are the greatest country in the world. let's keep expanding at the higher education level programs. host: you have a couple college-aged daughters. othering to brown and the art with. -- dartmouth, those are some pretty heavy bills. sayinge the president that he would like to have free community college. how would you approach the affordability issue? gov. chafee: i am very proud of my record. not many people have the one that i have, having been a mayor, governor and senator. i can say that as governor i put the resources in difficult times into higher education.

rhode island community college. we had two years of no tuition increase. that is the state responsibility. the governor should be doing that. that is what made america great. to go to the university and not come out with huge debt. i'm not just talking the talk, i walk the walk. for private, that is the pell grants. we have not kept up with our commitment at the federal level to tell grants. it -- pell grants. it makes so much sense. >> i am very concerned about the money in politics. what is your opinion on the citizen's united decision by the supreme court? would you support an amendment to override it? havechafee: i voted to campaign-finance reform in the

court. have struck down some of it based on the first amendment rights of the wealthy to spend their money and the supreme wealthyse that says the can spend their money on first amendment issues and then citizens united. i don't think i would go for a constitutional amendment, but i would certainly have justice. suprementments to the court would take a view that there are limits on free speech as far as campaign finance goes. money that is coming into these campaigns is so enormous that it is hard for candidates. i am testing that running for president without all the huge money. let's see how it works out.

>> fundraising is an issue. you're up against a lot of well-financed candidates, particularly one. how do you balance it? gov. chafee: i have run for office 12 times, starting at the local level. i know that you need the resources. in this case, the money is so enormous. i am not going to be able to raise that kind of money. so i am spending what i have. . drive to iowa i am not going to go into debt and i'm going to test. someone who has a record of being a governor am a mayor of being honest and courageous, a vision of getting peace in the world, that has a chance without hundreds of millions of dollars. host: grassroots. let's get to another facebook question. chafee, could you put the

following words in order of importance. life, liberty and happiness. it is a little different but you are welcome to answer. gov. chafee: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. i don't think you can prioritize those. are they done in alphabetical order? part ofspiration is this thing. what are you telling them to get them excited. gov. chafee: it is an important decision we are going to make. where we are going in the future. it is a huge decision, especially being a democrat. the republicans that are so bellicose and belligerent and want the war to go on forever. the programs that they support that hurt the middle class and the denial of climate change, and their appointments to the

supreme court, as a partisan immigrant this is an important election. you want -- as a partisan democrat, this is an important election. you have a vision of where you are going and articulate that vision. in my case, it is ending these conflicts. bring resources home to our health care and peace in these other countries. their health care and their economy. it is very important. you for that answer. laura flanagan has the next question which is important to the economy as a whole. role inng plays a big improving the employment rate, do you have any plans that would

significantly improve the ability for builders and the like to improve the housing start situation? gov. chafee: housing reflects the economy. we have certainly seen that whenever the economy goes bad, housing is one of the first casualties. the main thing is keeping the economy chugging along. when i was in the senate, the economy was good and we were just getting to surplus. and vicey had them president cheney came in with a $1.6 trillion tax cut. i voted against it. i said, let's do this incrementally. not one big huge chunk. then the economy cratered and housing cratered and all those good people working in the housing industry -- that is how

i got my start, and construction. i was a laborer with a will bureau creating basements -- with a wheelbarrow, creating basements and driveways. but you have to reflect on that. the housing industry is always concerned about adhering to zoning and environment. striking a good balance. as they continue their industry and respect our environment? guy too, why are you the keep the economy chugging? to end these wars we are dealing with overseas? gov. chafee: well, i have done it. i have been a mayor. i have plowed the snow, i have picked up the garbage. i had good schools as a mayor and i kept property taxes down and i was reelected three times.

i would not have been reelected if i were not providing those services. then i became a senator. in and icheney came had the courage to vote against the tax cuts and the war in iraq and to do the right thing on climate change. to stop john bolton being confirmed to go to the united nations. i think that character is what people want in the next president. most important is the vision. where are we going as this country? i am a peacemaker, i always have been. now on the world stage, i served in the senate foreign relations committee. i even chaired the middle east subcommittee. chaired the western hemisphere subcommittee. south america. i am a peacemaker. i don't want to spend resources

on bombs, bullets and conflict. education, health care, economy. there is a better way to spend our tax dollars. host: we are out of time for the tv portion, but while we are signing off, this will continue online with our mobile app. you will find another 30 minutes of questions coming from our studio audience. commercial-free. until then, thank you for watching. have a great night. >> all campaign long, c-span takes you on the road to the white house. unfiltered access to the candidates at town hall meetings, news conferences, speeches. we are taking your comments on twitter, facebook and by phone.

every campaign event we cover is available on our website at c-span.org. c-span, "newsmakers" is next. with jimmyersation carter. that is followed by president obama speaking this weekend at a congressional black caucus dinner in washington. >> this week on "newsmakers," congressman the han -- lujan in the chair. thank you for being here. rep. lujan: it is a pleasure to be here. go ahead with the first question. >> mr.