host: explain that. hast: apparently he still these invitations outstanding, but he has made it known that the welcoming committee at the white house is going to include ktransgendered individual, a piscopo priest, a nun who rejects the churches teaching on and theia and abortion, vatican's objection to this was not that the pope was going to have a problem deal with those people. he is going to treat them with one and with love. that's not it. thisis a manipulation of event and trying to turn it into a photo up. -- a photo op. this is kind of the think that pope francis talks about and does not like. he talks repeatedly about how service has to take priority over ideology. what we are seeing from the white house is that primacy of ideology. we are going to shove it in your face the things that we do not like about catholicism. they are choosing -- the white house is choosing which people

within the catholic faith they are going to elevate as real catholics and the dissenters. that is rather disrespectful and at the very least bad manners. i think there is something more than that. host: has the pope encountered these kinds of situations before and other state visits? guest: he has not been here before. host: in other countries? guest: not in this way. it plays into one of the pope's major themes where he calls it ideological colonization. he really does not like it when the west tries to impose its moral values upon cultures and religions. this is a prime example of president obama doing exactly that, where he is saying we think one particular thing and we are just going to not be respectful of you and where you're coming from. he could've had immigrants there. he could've had people working on climate change. all the things that he has got on the ground, but instead he

elevates people who are symbols of division. that is offensive. host: charles is in richmond, virginia on the line for republicans. caller: how are you doing and good morning to you. pope,ally happy for this which i'm not that religious anyway. christian.stant i think about catholicism and how it has really developed in the 20th century. when you think about before fathers who came here, they were leaving religious oppression in europe and they came here. lady named's with a roosevelt who do not want catholics or jews in the white house, but i still have a gripe with them. i have a real gripe with them --ause i would like to know

the catholic bishops had this thing against women actually teaching christianity. before you say anything, jesus christrist is what we base our religion on. he had women with him. he had an entourage >> we are going lives in madison, wisconsin to hear from scott walker. >> we are going to pass on our prayers and some to the to come in his family. we'll have more to comment on that in the days to come. >> of the kid, i was drawn to ronald reagan because he was it republican and conservative. i admired him because of his up top -- optimism. head when came to my

we were standing on stage at the reagan library. ronald reagan was good for america because he was an optimist. sadly the debate taking place america look and party today is not focused on that optimistic view of america. instead it has drifted into personal attacks. the end, is in believe the voters what to be for something, not against someone. instead of talking about how bad things are, we want to hear how we can make them better for everyone. we need to get back to the basics of our party. we are a party that believes that people create jobs, not the government. the best way to grow the economy is to get the government out of the way, and build it from the ground up. we are a party that believes that the way to measure success in government is not by how many people are no longer dependent on the government. we ultimately believe any dignity of work. we are the party that believes

that a strong military leads to peace through strength, and that will protect our children and future generations. goodwill ultimately triumph over evil. believes inty that the american people, not the federal government. thee ideas will help us win election next fall, and more important, these ideas will make the country reagan -- great again. if we focus the debate on these types of issues that require leadership. i was sitting at church yesterday, the pastor's words reminded me that the libel is full of stories about people who are called to be leaders in unusual ways. today, i believe that i am being called to leave by helping to clear the field in this race so that a positive conservative message can rise to the top of the field. with this in mind, i will suspend my campaign immediately.

i encourage other republican presidents of candidates to so that the same voters can focus on a limited who canf candidates offer a positive, conservative alternative to the current front-runner. this is fundamentally important to the future of the party, and more important way to the future of the country. this is a difficult decision as so many people stepped up to support our campaign. for theery thankful many outstanding volunteers and excellent staff who helped us throughout the campaign. you all have been family to us. speaking of family, i want to personally thank my wife, tone e, who has been a rock, as well as our two amazing sons. i want to thank all of the family and friends for their love and support. most of all i want to thank god.

i want to thank god for his abundant grace. when or lose, it has always been more than enough. thank you. announcer: wisconsin governor eight presidential candidate saying in a brief statement that he is suspending his campaign for the presidency. he joined the race in july of this year, just over two months ago. he suspended it here, calling on folks who supported him to look for a positive conservative alternative to the current runner. part of the brief comments made by scott walker as he steps out of the 2016 race for the republican presidential nomination here on c-span. we are looking for your thoughts on scott walker's. decision.

he becomes the second, rick perry a week or so ago. we will look for your comments on twitter, you can send us a tweet at c-span. scott walker stepping down from the race. he becomes the second republican to do so, as i mentioned, rick perry a week ago. the journal sentinel in part of their article say that now walker joins rick perry as one of the first presidential candidates to drop out of one of the most robust report can field in years. walker is withdrawing before several other lives here longshots such as bobby jindal, lindsey graham, and former new

york governor. tweets about the reaction, quotes lindsey graham, i think trump has taken a lot of oxygen out of the room, but i'll all i can say with a lot of people in a race it's hard. let's go to shawn, and maryvale, tennessee. >> good news. one less for public and on the field. he had terrible ideas, we see have -- what he has sent to a state. -- the state. no new ideas coming from the right. it is a party of progressives -- regressives. i wish they would bring bernie sanders into the debate. >> the first democratic vegas

coming in october -- democratic debate comes in october. >> i think it is a wonderful thing that governor walker decided to pull out. i think when you align yourself and take money from the coke -- koch brothers, this is what happens. if you let people buy your way into an election, you do not gain strength or backing, they buy you out. walker into governor his future endeavors. i do not think he would've made a great president. i wish him the absolute best. make way for the present -- republicans. >> north hollywood, california, we go to frank on the democrat line. are you there? governor scott walker stepping out of the race.

looking at the poll averages as of saturday, his ranking in that race. here is what it is through saturday,? walker, 1.8.t this is according to real clear politics. we will show you the governors brief comments in a few minutes. scott walker stepping down. jd, hello. spoke, thett walker way i interpret his statement was that perhaps the donorsshment republican have expressed a desire to gather all of their exit in one

,asket, perhaps jeb bush perhaps marco rubio. they are trying to consolidate their effort against donald carson.d fiorina, and that donald trump is largely self funding his campaign, you mentioned carly fiorina, who do you think of any early benefits from -- is there an immediate benefit to scott walker stepping out. >> probably jeb bush, marco rubio because i think i haven't really checked, but i would imagine that bush and walker at least are sharing some of the -- were sharing some of the same donors. my whittling down

the establishment candidates to one or two, will allow the establishment candidates to spend more money on these antitrust commercials -- anti- trump commercials. in thecandidates republican or democratic field appealing to you? >> yes, rand paul. inclusive is the most candidate on either side. appeal toot of progressive liberals and too far rate -- right conservatives. i think our country needs a leader, a president that will bring us together. paul would be good

at bringing the country together. >> will appear from our public in line. >> thank you very much. boy i met ronald reagan, i am very much a conservative, even venture to say a goldwater conservative. separation of powers, state walkeretc., i hear invoking reagan, and then in the same vein being a member of the establishment -- the republican party is the sphere of the outsider. for him to take on trumpet as the reason for backing out -- donald trump as the reason for backing out, that is what we need, we need someone who is out of the system, who knows business, who knows how to be

free enterprise and not be a lifer in the political system. walker is barking up the wrong tree trying to get the forces against donald trump to bring in some true conservative. i believe in donald trump, i believe in the message of something fresh, new, someone who will stand up like reagan would stand up. back the soviets down. he would speak with conviction and do it needs to be done. with walker backing out, that's fine, is a money issue, the field is too crowded. to waive the banner of conservatism and then go anti-donald trump, that disagrees with a. -- me.

i am a staunch conservative in favor of donald trump. >> that is what you heard from scott walker's comments. >> the vibe was, we need to get rid of donald trump, one of us establishment folks can come in and run things as usual. mcconnell, business as usual regime, that a failure as well. we need someone who is fresh that can stand up and say, i am an american, here is a we need to do to make the country great. you need someone outside of the influence of the party regulars of the machine. we need a voice that is not part of the machine. it will be the same voice, just a different mouth. >> i appreciate your input. we have a tweet here from richard trumka.

walker is still a disgrace, just no longer national. huntington beach, california, and the . -- independent line. >> i feel that all of the republicans -- i have a bachelors of philosophy and we studied fascism, basically the republican agenda encompasses all 14 major tenants of fascism, including abortion. these are all of the things that is in the fascist tenants. basically to see one of them drop out and disappear for a while, that is great news to me. >> here is bradley, independent line -- democrats line in downers grove, illinois.

bradley: how are you? >> doing fine, thank you. bradley: a lot of people don't realize donald trump knows he will not be president. ist he is doing is, he bringing out a lot of things people want to hear. i am a democrat, but a lot of the democrat have been -- democrats have been sugarcoating the issues. the reason this man is ahead is because it is exactly what the people want to hear. a lot of negative things he said regarding women, that is ridiculous. donald trump has to be an intelligent man. i believe strongly he realizes the way he has conducted himself, he would never have a chance to be president. one other thing, i will make a brief -- in brief, if the republican candidates were so smart, which i am surprised they're not as smart as they

claim to be. educated people, college degrees, they are falling behind one candidate and trying to get one candidate that is republican ,n the white house as president 16 candidates, that is a circus. that is a howdy doody show. it is ridiculous. it is really out of touch. that is all i have to say. >> that number reduced with scott walker stepping out. rick perry, former governor of texas doing that i week ago. a couple more calls. mike isfrom new york, on a democrat line. mike: i would like to say i am very happy he is out. i do not think he had a chance. i thought the debate had too many people.

too many personal attacks. the moderators -- i thought the beginning of the debate, and the moderator today horrible job. they just wanted to fit one against the other -- pit one against the other. the personal attacks we do not need, get down to business. i love donald trump, i am a democrat, i will vote for donald trump because i think he is a no-nonsense man. i think you will bring respect ability back to the united states. they may not love him, they may hate him, but they respect him. i think that is what we need. >> the hill tweet, top republican because the first member of congress to endorse fiorina, that number is lynn jenkins of kansas. let's go to the republican line. mary from fort myers, beach florida.

mary: i am calling and i wish to say that i am thrilled that scott walker is out of the race. i think what he did to the union and the workers is disgraceful. he did not care about them at all or his state. the fact that he has dropped out of wonderful. thank you very much. >> we appreciate your calls, more my morning on "washington journal." scott walker stepping out of the republican presidential race, making the brief announcement in wisconsin about 15 minutes ago. here is what it looked like. scott walker: good afternoon, first off, thank you for coming. before i say anything about the campaign, on behalf of tonette, our family, we want to extend our said these to the family of patrick kurtz.

we will let the supreme court make the official announcement. we want to pass on our prayers and 72 his family. -- prayers and sympathy to the family. as a kid i was drawn to what -- ronald reagan has he was a republican and a conservative. most of all i admired him because of his eternal optimism in the american people. my head while we were all standing on stage at the reagan library last with -- wednesday. ronald reagan was good for america because he was an optimist. sadly, the debate taking place in the republican party today is not focused on that optimistic view of america. instead, it has drifted into personal attacks. in the end, i believe that the voters want to be for something, and not again something -- someone. instead of talking about how bad things are, we want to hear

about how we can make them better for everyone. we need to get back to the basics of our party. we are a party that believes that people create jobs, not the government. the best way to grow the economy is to get the government out of the way, and build from the ground up. we are a party that believes that the way to measure success in government is not by how many people are no longer dependent on the government. we ultimately believe in the dignity of work. we are the party that believes a strong will israelis to peace to strength, and that will protect our children and future generations. goodwill ultimately triumph over evil. we are a party that believes the american people, not the federal government. us win the will help election next fall, and more important these ideas will make our country great again. to refocus the debate on these

issues will require leadership. i was sitting at church yesterday, the pastor's words reminded me that the bible is full stories about people who are called to be leaders in unusual ways. today, i believe that i am being called to lead by helping to clear the field in this race so that a positive conservative message can rise to the top. with this in mind, i will suspend my campaign immediately. i encourage other republican presidential candidates to consider doing the same so that the voters can focus on a limited number of candidates that can offer a positive, conservative alternative to the current front-runner. this is fundamentally important to the future of the party, and more portly to future the country. -- importantly, the future of the country. so many people helped to step up

to support. we are very thankful to the many outstanding volunteers an excellent staff who helped us throughout the campaign. you all have been like family. speaking of family, i want to personally thank my wife tonette who has been a rock, as well as our two amazing sons. i think my parents, my brother, and his family and all of the family and friends for their support. most of all i want to think on. -- thank god. to thank god for his abundant grace, win or lose it has always been more than enough. thank you. announcer: 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 speeches. we are taking your comments on

twitter, facebook, and by phone. as always, every campaign event we cover is available on our website at c-span.org. announcer: the pope's visit to the u.s., c-span has live coverage from washington dc, the first stop tuesday afternoon beginning at 3:45 on c-span. we are live with the president and misses obama as they greet the pope. c-span,y morning on c-span radio, and c-span.org, the welcoming ceremony for the pope. live coverage begins at 8:45 eastern. later at 4:00, the mass and canonization of the basilica of the national shrine of the immaculate conception. thursday morning at 8:30, live coverage begins from capitol hill as pope francis make history becoming the first pontiff to address the joint meeting of congress.

and friday, wife coverage from new york as the pope speaks to the general assembly. later at 11:30, the pontiff will hold a service at the 9/11 memorial and museum world trade center. follow our coverage of the pope's historic trip to the u.s.. next, josh earnest talks about preparations for the pope and presidential candidates. the general assembly. later at 11:30, the pontiff will hold a service at the 9/11 memorial and museum world trade >> good afternoon everyone. before we get started, i want to make note of a piece of news that all of the saw over the weekend. that is the tragic death of jake drawer. i think many of you saw the statement from the president. on behalf of all of my colleagues -- we are thinking

about his family today. they are going through a difficult time. as the president said at the end of his statement, they have a family here at the white house they can rely on. we will keep them on -- in our thoughts and prayers. with that news, let's move on to questions. >> let's start with cuba. the ap reports that the u.s. is considering abstaining my vote at the u.n. criticizing the embargo with cuba. can you confirm that is the case. is that intended to increase the pressure on congress for lifting the embargo? >> i just learned of the story before i came out. i asked for an update in terms of where it stands. i is my understanding that final language on potential resolution has not been completed at this point. i do not have any comments or speculation about what the

resolution would look like, or what position the of ministration would take. obviously since the last time that the united nations had the opportunity to consider a resolution like this one, the policy of the united states government has changed. however, and embargo does are made in place, it requires an active congress to remove the embargo. the president has made to the -- the case to congress that is what they should do. at this point i would not speculate on resolution. >> i was understood -- wondering about the news coverage of the pope going to cuba. >> i think what we have seen in cuba is not at all surprising. i think it is what we expect to see here in the united states. i think that the pope will be warmly received. inspired bothas

catholics and non-catholics alike for his willingness to live out the kind of values that he preaches fred i think that has resonated, not just among catholics, but among people of that is why i do not think people were surprised by the enthusiastic welcome into the. reporter: there are reports of invited being detained or prohibited by security forces to getting to the place where they will meet with the pope. house want to see cuba be more lenient or tolerant in allowing dissidents to meet with the pope? mr. earnest: i cannot think to

this cases that may or may not have arisen, but we have long made the case that the cuban government, whether the pope is on the island or not, should do a better job protecting basic human rights of citizens, including those who may have criticism of the cuban government to offer. that is a part of the respecting of the basic human rights of human beings. the government of cuba has a responsibility to do a better job of protecting this basic human rights, and we will make the case aggressively. saying thehe iaea is evidence that has been conducted -- in terms of what has been happening -- although we are learning samples were collected by the iranian without aea presents.

regardless of what may be in a deal between the iaea and iran, does the white house have confidence in the way that probe is going? mr. earnest: the reason united states is working so aggressively with the international committee to compel iran to that table and completed other nuclear program is for a long time iran has resisted operating with any inspections that the iaea has wanted to. as result of international pressure that built up over time, principally because of the tough actions the united states put in place and got the rest of the international community to go along with, we see isications that iran cooperating with iaea inspections, and a statement from the ia a today indicates that authentication of the samples was achieved to the use

of an established verification process. the process is carried out out of our responsibility, the iaea's responsibility and monitoring. this disclaims the claims that iran would be doing self inspections. that is not true. there are also is concerned and some claims made by critics of the deal that the iaea would not have access to military sites. the director general of the iaea was at a prominent military site over the weekend. i think that as this agreement moves forward to being implemented, we will have many future opportunities to illustrate how the critics and warnings of many of those who oppose the iran deal are eventually disproven based on the way the agreement is

implanted. and let -- implemented. this is not something we take lightly, something that the president does not take lightly, and we have made clear disagreement between iran and the international community is not one based on trust. it is an agreement rooted in the ability of international, impartial nuclear experts to get access they need inside of iran to verify iran's compliance. these sorts of inspections are it isal, and we believe incredibly important that these inspections live up to the standards established by the international impartial experts, and when it comes the inspections that were conducted at the military facility over the weekend, the i-8 a has -- ea has set these instructions are acceptable.

[indiscernible] mr. earnest: the goal of the demolition best of the coalition was to compel iran to cooperate with the iaea and their inspections. that is what we asserted all is a reasonable expectation that the international community could have about iran's behavior. that is exactly what we have senior. to the potential resolution that josh was asking u.s., how possible is the -- in trying to shake the language of that potential resolution? mr. earnest: i would refer you to my colleagues in the u.s. ambassador's office of the u.n. --orter: can you rule out

well the president meet with the -- next week? mr. earnest: i do not have any details about the president's schedule when he is in new york next week. i know this is something that are scheduling staff are working through. a limitedent has window of time in new york and how he will use that time is something being discussed here. hopefully, we will have more information in the next few days. abouter: i wanted to ask the -- scandal that has the president been briefed on that -- [indiscernible] this is an: enforcement action and investigation that the epa is resulted over carrying out. they take responsibilities they have to enforce the clean air act seriously. i think it is fair to say we are

concerned by some reports that we have seen about the conduct of this particular company, but this is the responsibility of the epa to take a look at it, and that is what they are doing. the epa has an important role they play in this country, to enforce the clean air act, consistent with the kind of alsomic priorities, but public health priorities, that this administration has identified and previous administrations have identified. reporter: [indiscernible] mr. earnest: i have not spoken to him about it, but i'm confident he is well aware of this. ok. reporter: [indiscernible] the u.s. and syria? mr. earnest: to be blunt, no. the united states continues to be concerned with the ramping

up, the escalation of military assets that russia is sending to syria. ais has been the source of number of conversations, not just between secretary kerry in his counterpart, but also secretary carter and his russian counterpart. and our message to the russians in private has been the same message that you have heard me and others deliver in public, which is that we would welcome russia's constructive contribution to the more than 60 nations that are working together to degrade and destroy ultimately isil. the president said last week that the russians are making a losing bet when they doubled down on the assad regime. view of this administration and people around the globe that president assad has lost legitimacy to roll the country, and it is time for them to do. reporter: [indiscernible]

russian marines and helicopters, people in the region believe that -- mr. earnest: we have been engaged in conversations with the russians to get a better sense of doubt what their about what-- sense their intentions are, we've made clear in public and private the doubling down on supporting a thought is a losing battle. there's an opportunity for the russians to constructively introduced to the anti-isil coalition, we would welcome their participation in a regard. it is clear, exactly what russia's intentions are. reporter: what options do you ukraine, that or the russians are defying you and moving into syria to when they want to?

mr. earnest: there is one important thing that ukraine is you has in common, when it comes to the relationship with russia. one of the reasons we solve russia intervened so directly in ukraine was there was a sense that ukraine was starting to of russianthe orbit political influence. and certainly with the change in leadership in that country, russia was responding out of the position of weakness to go and try to protect their investment in a country and the influence that they had in that country. there's a similar phenomena going on in syria. syria for years has been a client state of russia in the middle east. that is why they already have had a significant military presence and it expenses relationship they have had with president assad. but what is clear in the last few years is that as i thought has lost more legitimacy to lead and as we have seen him, as it is become clear to the community, that he does not have control over large portions of the country, that russia is now

concerned about the investment they have made there. so responding to that concern about their waning influence, we've seen the russians deployed equipment there.n there's a rough analogy that begin me drawn about those situations, and both get underscore the way me influence of russia in those areas. we also seen a willingness on the part of russia to use military force to shore up that influence. that has led to a loss of lives lost in ukraine, and that is a tragedy, but it has also led to significant international isolation on the part of the russians, and it has led to the imposition of significant sanctions that have weekend eakened their economy. the question for the russians

how effectively do they feel they can cooperate with the international community to advance our shared interests as opposed to engage in the kind of activity that we have seen in ukraine, where they have unilaterally violated the territorial integrity of a nation. reporter: today an ngo called for presidential candidate to sit down -- [indiscernible] i have not seen that statement. obviously, dr. carson does not hold any positions. i am not sure what he can step down from. withdraw from the race. mr. earnest: i think what is clear is that this goes is something we talk about this on

friday, is that we have seen not just a tendency but a willingness on the part of some successful republican politicians, and let's face it, dr. carson in many of the polls ranks second or third, so at least in the last few months he has been quite successful in elevating his that is in a the republican park and we have seen a willingness on many parts selthe candidates to coun for politicals support. i think what is disappointing to many observers, including me, is that we have not seen a second outcry from all the other candidates in the republican race, and it is for the same reason, because they are chasing the same votes. the fact is this is not

something that is consistent with that values of the vast majority of americans. and ironically enough, i do think that the views articulated by dr. carson are entirely inconsistent with the constitution, that does actually guarantee the freedom of religion in this country. so ultimately, there will be consequences. certainly, those views will be taken into account by voters, both in the primary, but also in the general election. reporter: [indiscernible] times"t in "the new york the administration and the chinese were negotiating about cyber activities and cooperation, going after cyber criminals. can you talk at all about -- have madet: well, we clear for quite some time that we would expect that russia's

behavior in cyberspace to occupy a prominent place on the agenda when president obama and the chinese president at the opportunity to meet later this week. let me start over then. we had made clear -- we have tried to make clear of the last several months that chinaresident xi of visits the white house later this week that are concerned about their activity in cyberspace will feature prominently on that agenda, because the united states has thatulated quite some time the chinese behavior is unacceptable. and certainly not consistent with the kind of relationship that we should see between our two countries. i would acknowledge up front as we have on many occasions that there are some areas where the able to china are

cooperate, and many other areas when we are in direct competition. inn it comes to action cyberspace, and we do continue to be concerned about the government-sponsored cyber theft of corporate secrets for financial gain. we've also seen activities in cyberspace that undermine core freedoms of individuals in cyberspace. we have seen china take steps that violate the personal privacy of individuals, and we have seen steps by the chinese in cyberspace that discriminate against u.s. technology firms, most of whom are seeking to do business with china. we have a long list with concerns. this is evidenced by the fact by indicted chinese military officials for some of this behavior. the good news, i think, is there is no doubt on the part of the

chinese government that they understand how seriously we hold these concerns, and that is one reason you saw secretary -- travel to the united states a week and half ago to meet with senior u.s. officials, both in law enforcement, but also in the national security realm, to discuss our concerns, and that is at least one indication that china at least takes seriously our concerns. ultimately we will have to see where the discussions lead when the president meets with his counterpart. reporter: well those discussions progressed desk will those discussions progressed into negotiations mr. earnest: i do not have an update, the chinese are well aware of how seriously and we this issue, certainly have appreciated their willingness to engage in those conversations. there has been some discussion about the possibility that the

united states could use a new tool that is not available to the secretary of the treasury to impose economic sanctions against those individuals suspected in engage in this kind of behavior and cyberspace or have benefited from it. and you have heard me make clear and the president alluded to this when he spoke to the business roundtable that having these policy options even available to the administration can have the effect of applying thature to those countries have well-known concerns. think that is a testament to this administration's shrewd policymaking and putting the policy option on the table. the president signed an executive order six months ago delegating this authority to the secretary of the treasury. that is going to factor into these conversations as well. reporter: i wanted to ask about another -- u.s. soldiers in

afghanistan, how there was a policy not to intervene in cases where there was sexual assault, especially of young boys that was going on. wondering if that policy is under review now or why u.s. soldiers should not intervene when they know that sexual assault is going on? mr. earnest: the united states is the to concern about the welfare of afghan boys who may be exploited by the defense forces. this form of sexual exploitation violate afghan law and afghanistan's international obligations. protecting human rights, including by countering the exultation of children, is a high priority for the us government. we monitor atrocities closely. the united states worked closely with the afghan government civil

cited in international organizations to put an end to exultation of children and incorporate human rights training to height and awareness and prosecution of such crimes. we continued to urge the afghan government, society, and to protect and support victims and their families while also strongly encouraging justice and accountability under afghan law for offenders. reporter: [indiscernible] intervene officer to that he witnessed a sexual assault -- mr. earnest: for the policy that governs the relationship between u.s. military personnel serving in afghanistan and their afghan i would refer you to the department of defense, but that has as read indicate house usually we take this issue and how this kind of behavior does not just finally afghan law afghanistan's free much everybody's notion of what

acceptable behavior is. we are struggling with why the u.s. would not tell soldiers to intervene with situations -- in circumstance under which we would not do that? mr. earnest: for the rules of engagement and the kind of structure that is in place to guide the relationship between the united states and afghan members of the military, i would refer you to the department of defense. reporter: [indiscernible] changee issue of climate -- mr. earnest: i do not. china, theirst on national security -- said today that the use of the cyber warfare that is going on that aina is using is serious,

serious threat to the united states, economically, and at the theident should tell president of china to stop it. what is the next sentence? after he says this is serious, let's stop it, what is the follow-up that says if you do not, this is what is going to happen? mr. earnest: well, there are couple things. i would not want to the future conversation between the president and the president of china. what is implicit in your comment -- and the reason, let me explain why that is a case -- reason is that it could be perceived as a threat. i think the president spoke to this candidly when he spoke before the business roundtable and made clear that there are any number of good reasons why the chinese government would take very seriously the concerns that we have expressed about their behavior in cyberspace, and the president has raised this directly with his counterpart in china during their previous meetings, and so

this concern is not a new one when it comes to the chinese understanding our perspective on this issue. i think that fact that secretary travel to the united states and spent time with the director of the fbi, senior officials at the white house, in the intelligence community, and they now havehat a very good first an understanding of exactly what our concerns are, and there are a range of options that we have for responding. at this point, the president will certainly look forward to a robust discussion of these issues with president xi. reporter: anticipating that conversation is not out of it, that they will take up and the president

will be very frank and will reflect the comment that it must be stopped. is that all we are going to do, that you have to stop, or is there's of the health the president will tell china? china is well aware that the united states has a range of economic sanctions that could be used to respond to anyone engaged in malicious behavior in cyberspace or benefits from some of that malicious behavior. justice hasnt of indicted five chinese military officials for their conduct in cyberspace. there are a range of options, and i do not have any specific things to put on the table here, but i think it is well-known that the president alluded to this when he spoke last week that there are a range of options on the table. reporter: a separate subject. we learned from sources that this afternoon the border patrol

released new figures to both -- which is the number of people coming across the border as againt fight -- has spiked you have a reaction to that. mr. earnest: we will have more to say about this later today. i will just say generally that this issue that the administration has been dealing with over the last year and a half or so is one that this administration takes quite seriously. we have seen over the last year a precipitous decline in the number of unaccompanied children attempting to enter this country without the proper documentation. seen just last month, august, a surprising uptick. it still is below the levels that we saw at the peak lester,

but what is true is that it the numbers august, declined because of the weather patterns. instead, we saw an increase. that is something that is concerning. administration, because of our workingnt to effectively with congress to confront this issue, is, based on our own judgment, essentially voluntarily reading members of congressnto this issue and briefing them on the latest details. wethis is something that take very seriously. it it something the administration has been quite diligent about over the last half, and suffering that we will monitor in the months ahead. let me restate something that you heard me say many times last summer, which is there is no family ratchet even contemplate child in theng

hands of a human trafficker in response to premises that that person can get their child in the united states. that journey is dangerous, and those human traffickers all too often are not able to deliver. part of that is because this administration has been cracking down on new traffickers. we take this issue seriously and engagedcontinue to be in both trying to stem that flow , but also messaging very clearly to people in central america who may be thinking about trying to help their child get into the united states, to urge them not to subject their child to that dangerous journey. reporter: do you think the rhetoric that has -- the finishing of a wall across the entire border with the united states ishat united

leading to a rush to the border now? mr. earnest: it is hard to know exactly what is desk what may or may not be causing these latest numbers. editing that is true is that these numbers are a snapshot of one month. they are an aberration from the trend we have seen over the longer term. we will continue to be vigilant. the success we had in driving down those numbers was rooted in a very rigorous application of a to work effectively with our partners in central america to take reasonable steps at the border to further secure the border. but also to communicate directly with those who may be contemplating their children -- contemplating sending their children on a dangerous journey. we will continue to be engaged ffort.t e

this is a phenomena and we have seen before where there will be intense attention on one issue, and as soon as the problem is at least adequately addressed, not solve, but adequately addressed, people diapered their attention elsewhere. -- the factdable, is understandable, but that is that we do here. the administration has continued to be vigilant about this challenge, and we do that even when numbers are going down, and we will continue to be focused on this limits ahead. ok? clarify thatant to you are directing questions about the allegations of sexual assault children in afghanistan to the pentagon, but i want to 's questions again. are you saying the president is about policyisions

in terms of the local abuse of children unless it is an act of or to the pentagon, or is he in involving himself in deliberation over the policy that you were directing us to the pentagon he described? mr. earnest: the question he was asking is the policy in place about u.s. military personal when confronted with this situation. i suggest you go to the department of defense for expiration of that privacy. -- policy. reporter: my question is, is that what that president is tolerating that the u.s. military look the other way for children, women, argues because the policy unless it is an act of war, the pentagon will tolerate it? mr. earnest: i would refer you to the department of defense, and policy -- reporter: the president of the united states -- mr. earnest: you are asking me

about policy that governs the militaryduct of personnel -- reporter: [indiscernible] mr. earnest: not that i'm aware of. reporter: [indiscernible] mr. earnest: there will be a lot of people here who are asking themselves that same question. reporter: [indiscernible] mr. earnest: i think there is a lot of anticipation about what the pope will say. there's a couple of excitement and energy in this town, and it relates to the palpable excitement of the impending visit of the spoke, a group that has inspired so many with his willingness to not just talk the talk but walk the walk when it --es to his views related to particularly as it relates to economic and social justice.

reporter: would you agree with the assessment that the pope and the president are -- when it comes to a lot of the issues cuba, thatchange, they are on the same page compared to previous presidents? say president can obama has talked about how smart he is been by pope francis. he certainly has been impressed at the willingness of pope francis to take on some tough issues and to lay out his values and it is clear that pope francis has considered those kinds of statements prayerfully, as he should. but ultimately, the purpose of the presidentfor

to sit down with somebody like pope francis, who has tremendous moral and spiritual influence all around the globe, and again, i think that is obviously something that is impossible to measure, based on the reaction we have seen for people in this country, both catholics and non-catholics alike, to his teachings and his methods that he has a set of thousands and a way of carrying -- set of values and it would of carrying himself that affects people. president obama shares those guys with pope francis. that does not mean they agree on every issue. they surely do not. but the focus will not be about politics, specific policies, but rather about the kinds of values that both men have dedicated their lives to. reporter: are you being hesitant to say that they are aligned on love the issues because the pope could come in and talk about something that you are not expecting? as the white house done any kind

of discussions with the vatican in terms of what the president would like to say, the pope would like to say, or are you walking into this completely -- just like the rest of us, awaiting some divine intervention? it isrnest: possible that people at the white house may have more insight than most people do. there is no plan or strategy that has been put in place to try to state an event that will affect anybody's political agenda. this is an opportunity for president obama to welcome pope francis to the united states on behalf of 300 million americans, including the millions of practicing catholics, but also the millions of others who are ut who areics, b inspired by the pope's teachings and values in the way that he is chosen to live them in his daily life even though his daily life

is quite unique as he serves as the pope. reporter: we will take a couple of stats at this in the last few proceedings, saying the vatican has registered objections to a few of the people at the white invited toave been attend the arrival ceremony. , ifow bishop gene robinson his companion bishop from new hampshire, he has written an invitedat he has been to the white house and that the vatican should not see this as a big deal. has the white house fought to reflect a broad diversity, instead of catholics who might agree with one particular sort of policies? mr. earnest: the first thing i would do is point you to the white right of comments we've seen from senior vatican thecial, including from father of the weekend, who indicated they were very much --

that the pope is very much looking forward to this visit and that they would expect that there would be a diverse audience of americans in place to welcome the pope to the united states. he said -- he can seek more directly to the perspective of pope francis when it comes to the ceremony, but i can tell you the white house planned the ceremony that would ensure that pope francis would receive the kind of warm welcome that reflects the kind of warm feelings that 300 million americans have about him and his leadership. reporter: when you say that, i would imagine you meet people from different walks of life not just people who would agree with the vatican on -- mr. earnest: there is no theological test that was administered prior to giving out tickets to the south lawn on wednesday morning. mr. earnest: and finally on that subject, my cup of the released

a -- mike huckabee released a statement saying the president is being hostile to catholics and christians by inviting certain people to the arrival ceremony on wednesday, and he this as being the most anti-christian administration history. [indiscernible] there are six republican candidates who are in fact roman catholic. the infallibility issue goes to faith and morals. chris christie said that the pope should stay away from politics and stick with religion. does the president believe that as well, that the pope and holy father should basically focus on the teachings of the church in its morality, etc., stay away from some of these issues? mr. earnest: it was interesting to me to watch some of the

explain some of the differences that they themselves have promoted when it comes to their views and comparing them to the pope. the president has taken a different approach, and his approach is to welcome the pope warmly to the united states and to eagerly anticipate and participate in a discussion about their shared values. and there is so much about what pope francis has to say that is inclusive and that reflects the kind of personal commitment that pope francis has to a wide range of issues, particularly when it comes to social justice. his eloquent expression of those values inspire millions of people, not just hearing united states, around the world, that is why he is deserving of such a

warm welcome, and the president looks forward to sit down with the pope for a second time and talk about these guys they have in common. plenty of opportunity for other stringent politics to the situation of any protected constitutional right of theirs to do that, that's not what the president is interested in. reporter: was there any pushback from the white house on the kinds of people who were issued invitations for the pope's arrival, for the south a lot of event? mr. earnest: i can put you to the comments from a range of senior vatican officials, including the father whose interview i saw yesterday, in which he indicated everyone in the vatican was very pleased with the way the white house had

worked with them to plan this event. everyone here at the white house is looking forward to that. reporter: reaction to the secretary clinton's call to 65,000 syrians, rather than a lesser number? mr. earnest: you saw that secretary kerry and of the united states will accept 85,000 refugees around the world in fiscal year 2016 and a hundred thousand the next year. we have previously made clear that the president has set a goal for his team of accepting at least 10,000 syrian refugees in the next fiscal year. in addition to that, however, united states today is committee millionde nearly $419 in additional humanitarian aid for emergency health care, inc. drinking water, food, shelter, and urgent relief supplies to syrians affected by the conflict. remains thetates

largest humanitarian donor to crisis, and with the new announcement, the united states is committed to providing more than $4.5 billion to address the dire conditions inside syria and for the more 4 million syrian refugees scattered across the region. we have long said the most important commission to address the needs of the refugees is in the form of china to meet their basic needs. so the kind of humanitarian assistance that the united states is providing here, health care, safe drinking water, shelter, this is the urgent relief that syrian refugees need. in addition, the united states has committed to scaling up the number of syrian refugees that would be admitted to this country, and that reflects the commitment to

demonstrate united states will continue to play a leading role in this response. we would like to see countries around the world do more, first and foremost when it comes to offering financial assistance to the ongoing humanitarian effort, but also in other places where appropriate, welcoming more who are in aes terribly desperate situation, to their country. reporter: when you say scaling up, you're not talking about as 65,000? si the role of united states is to continue to be the largest digital reader of eight and scale up the refugees admitted to the country, but this problem will not be solved by admitting 4 million syrian refugees into the united states. this problem will be solved by threatsing the security

ridding syria of the terrible political problems created by the failed leadership bringing about the political transition long overdue in the country and trying to stabilize the situation so those pages can do what they want to do, sexually return home. reporter: but nobody's going home anytime soon? mr. earnest: that is true. i do not want you to leave the impression that that kind of political transition will occur overnight. it certainly is not. that would be true even if we had in making important progress in that political transition. we have not. there has been an ongoing you and-led process has not gotten the kind of traction that we would like to see. all the more reason that it is important for countries around the world to be a part of computing to the ongoing humanitarian effort that is underway in the middle east to

try to bring relief to syrian refugees who have fled violence in syria. reporter: you have been quick to criticize other candidates you have failed to condemn ben carson's comments about islam or donald trump's lack of comments about islam. would you be so quick to condemn whor democratic candidates failed to condemn clinton's e-mail practices? mr. earnest: it is hard to drive connection between those two things. the fact is in the concerns that i have -- addressed have been with those republicans who have condemn thent to cynical strategy that is employed by mr. trump and others to appeal for the political support of those with offensive views. simplycern i have is that those candidates are doing the same thing. the reason they are -- this

condonation is to get political support. that is unfortunate. we've seen other successful republican politicians engage in a strategy in place that has to think of benefits for themselves or their party. not make it ok. it does not mean it is consistent with american values. i think it is inconsistent with a nice post americans hold. reporter: back to ben carson's comments about a hypothetical muslim president. there is a hypothetical muslim president -- do you draw a distinction between a moderate muslim president or one who believes in a strict interpretation of sharia law to compass the subjugation of women, the hanging of gays, the stoning of it offers, etc.? mr. earnest: what is clear in any election, hypothetical real, american people consider the values of this candidate who are on the ballot.

i think that is true regardless of the specific religion of any of the candidates. hard -- i think that would be my answer to your question. reporter: one more question about the pope's visit. he is a lie europe for social justice. he wrote the encyclical for climate change. one thing he has not accounted for and i wonder if this administration has accounted for as well is the problem of fuel poverty which exists in europe. there been many reports in "the guardian" about how that dramatically escalating crisis of fuel costs, has led to an inordinate number of deaths among senior citizens, pensioners and are not able to heat their homes. are we prepared for such a thing as we transition to a new

energy source in this country? mr. earnest: our programs in the united states, some of which are operated by the federal government in consultation with states, to provide assistance to needy families dealt then he to their homes. their homes. so there are progress today to offer that assistance. what the president has been focused on is those kinds of bothy solutions that can be reliable source of power, but also do it in a cost-effective way. we are seeing that through greater investment in things like wind energy and solar energy that the cost of that energy is rapidly declining. that is good news for american businesses and consumers. it also happens to be good news for our planet. that is that the administration has been focused on is improving energy efficiency in this country.

my colleagues at the council of economic advisers the white house put a report the summer dramaticcated that the -- most of the dramatic change in energy consumption that we have the scene in the united intes is -- we have seen united states is the result of increased investment in efficiency, and that will have the effect of driving down and be good for the planet, and those are the kinds of investments and policy solutions to the present and his team have been in search of. thinking about reggie crisis for a minute, the new --ber that is just coming secretary kerry yesterday -- [indiscernible] given not hillary clinton, the number of democrats and humanitarian organizations

who are responsible for resettlement have suggested 100,000 syrians. why just 10,000? mr. earnest: couple of reasons. mr. earnest:there is an intensive process for considering those refugees that could be admitted to the united states. there is a rigorous security screening process -- reporter: this does not cover syrian refugees. mr. earnest: i was correct, but it is something that -- reporter: why is that different, if it is a syrian refugee or another, and why 10,000 -- well, tried it to ask question. reporter: they ramped up the number, overall global number but it does not change the number announced previously for syrian reggie's specifically

-- syrian refugees sicily, and given the intense called democratic side to increase the number from syria, specifically, why is that number higher? mr. earnest: which number? reporter: the 10,000 number. mr. earnest: the 10,000 number is at least the president's number in the next fiscal year, and the reason, there are a couple of reasons why. while this represents a scaling up of the number admitted into our country, there are limits to scale of aggressively. the first is because of that rigorous screening measures in place. does take time. that is one aspect of this. the second aspect is financial resources that are required. denounced this policy decision of admitting at least 10,000 syrian refugees next year mindful of the resource

constraints that exists. significant rain scaling up beyond the thousand syrian refugees asked her what require significantly more financial resources, the kinds of resources that only congress can approve. so there are some financial constraints as well. and i guess the third thing i would say is that as we are thinking through what the most effective u.s. response can be to this particular situation, there are 4 million syrian refugees. think most them, i people who are experts in this area would say, harbor the hope they can return home once the security situation has stabilized in syria. so given the impracticality of bringing all 4 million syrians the united states, and the fact that i think most people assume,

experts assume that most of the syrians eventually would want to return to the home inside syria, bringing them all with united's islamic sense even if we could do that, and we cannot. has beene response focused on humanitarian assistance. i just announced more than $400 million in humanitarian assistance. that brings the total to over $4.5 billion. that makes the united states largest donor of humanitarian andstance to this crisis, it is the best way for us to meet the urgent needs of those who are in such a desperate situation. moreter: to clarify, the hundred $19 million, an emergency fund, something that would not require additional approval? that is money that is already there? mr. earnest: principally from

usaid, the agency that is responsible from guiding that funding into the right place where it can -- where we can maximize the benefits of those relief efforts. we are concerned by the assertion in progress by the of-confirmation of the head usaid. she has bipartisan support. she is a world-renowned expert on a variety of issues including humanitarian relief. she is the right woman to be that organization. and we need republicans in congress to drop their obstruction to her nomination. it's clear that agency has a lot important work to do, and we would like them to have the best in charge of doing it. reporter: republicans who think the number that this present set is too large and almost immediately after the secretary

married his announcement two committee chairs put out statements saying they ir concerns were not addressed about immigrants coming into the country, but they are not confident that that system that is in place now, even as long as does take, is effective, and how confident are you that that is effective, or as they put it, foolproof? mr. earnest: i think what is clear is there is a rigorous process in place that includes the national counterterrorism center, the fbi terrorist there is annter, extensive amount of information collected about individuals. refugees are subjected to the intensive screening of

anybody that is planning to travel to the united states. that means there is extensive biographical and biometric information about them that is collected. they are subjected in-person interviews. place, of that in because even in the midst of making decisions about the best way that the united states of america thinking through this desk can contribute to the crisis, thethis security of the homeland comes first, and that is what will guide our decision-making process, and that is why frankly it is not possible for the united states to overnight ramped up the number of refugees admitted to this country. one of the things i will say about this is our exports, particularly at the state department, that what the united states is most interested in is bringing those ridges during the most desperate situation -- those refugees who are in the

most desperate situation to united states. they may have significant medical needs or the in some cases these are children who have lost parents in violence or those who have been the witnesses to violent acts, people described as the most vulnerable. that is one part of the population that our refugee efforts are focused on. and i know there is a whole weekend a half left, but you expect bipartisan budget ?egotiations this week mr. earnest: republicans have been putting off the stocks for far too long, and we're disappointed that eaters have not accepted democrats -- disappointed that republicans have not accept the democrats' concretions.

dest contributions. i made clear what the president has put forward his own budget proposal, that reflects those investments and refax the primary he places on fiscal responsibility, we understand that congress may not go ahead budgets the prese proposal that he thinks is in the best interests of the country. the president is willing to sign legislation that reflects what our broadly shared bipartisan priorities are. if not seen a willingness on republicans to compromise, and that is a problem that has plagued congress for at least five years now. as the deadline date gets closer, hopefully we will see more openness on the part of republicans to work with democrats to solve problems. you have any assurances by the speaker or

senator mcconnell that they will bring forward a clean c.r.? mr. earnest: i will not get into any assurances that the administration has received in public or in private. publicyou have seen the assurances that have offered by the speaker and the republican leader of the senate that the government of the united states will not shut down. i hope they are right. one way we could guarantee that we would avoid a shutdown like that is that they would actually agree to sit down and engage in constructive negotiations with democrats. that is what they did in 2013 after going through a shutdown. we finally did see reluctant sit down with democrats in congress to negotiate a bipartisan in that, and even situation, that agreement was not perfect. there was nobody who was ready to say they agree with every comma in the legislation. outlineeflect a broad

of a bipartisan compromise. that is when the president signed it into law. hopefully congress will be able to do it again, but we do not 1/2 weekait through 2 seven government shutdown to get it. houseer: did the white secret service -- between the papal visit and the visit of xi?ident mr. earnest: united states secret service has been planning for these four months, if not years. they are where of the challenges associated return to protect pope francis when he is in the country, to protect president xi when he is in the country, represent all the dignitaries in new york for you and general assembly.

best for they you and general simply. e u.n. general a summit. e will have we will make sure that the pope has the kind of visit where he's kept safe but also has the opportunity he would like to have to engage with the american public. striking that right balance is the constant challenge of the secret service but these are professionals and there's been significant planning that's gone into this. we're confident they have what it takes to do this job right. reporter: when you say they've been planning for this for years, can you elaborate some more on that? can you detail some steps they've taken? mr. earnest: i don't want to give you the impression that the

visit of the pope has been secretly planned for years. what i want to convey is the secret service has planning in place to handle multiple events at the same time. every year around the united nations general assembly when we see dozens of high level dignitaries in the united states at the same time, the secret service is cognizant of that and they're aware of how to best manage that difficult undertaking while at the same time providing for the safety and security of other dignitaries in the united states. that's what i'm apseudo-- alluding to when i say this is the kind of event they've planned for for quite some time. it's never a good time to be a counterfeiter. reporter: i want to follow up on the question about the afghanistan story. is it safe to say whatever we hear from the department of

defense about the content of this cultural accommodation policy, that the president has been awir of it since day one on the job, whatever it may be? mr. earnest: i don't know what the policy is and i don't know if there is a policy how long the president has been aware of it. reporter: can you tell me the president has been awir of the ultural policy in place in afghanistan? mr. earnest: that's what i just said. reporter: have you been briefed in your capacity as press secretary about any changes in the cultural accommodation policy in afghanistan over the last year or so? mr. earnest: no. reporter: one of the things hillary clinton said was that she at the very beginning of the syrian conflict had recommended , at thetrain the rebels beginning of the conflict, many

of whom had never been in the military before, and she said that decision was not made at the time. and a lot of what i worried about has happened. did the president make a mistake by not listening to hillary clinton when she says she recommended training them at the very beginning of the conflict and here we are sort of 4 1/2 years later and we have a train and equip mission she called a failure and as to the president, should he have listened to her and others who very early on wanted a robust training and equiping operation back then? mr. earnest: this is something that secretary clinton wrote about in her bobbing that was released more than a year ago. i don't think she said anything yesterday that she hadn't already included in print. the fact is that the president has listening been concerned about the possibility that there

e some individuals -- let me say it this way. the president didn't want to be in a situation in which united states policy would result in the training, arming and equiping of individuals who ight later use that training and equipment against the united states and our interests. so what the president has been quite concerned about is making sure that the vetting procedures that are in place are strict and making sure that the individuals who are admitted to these kinds of programs are well aware of what their mission would be. but also that we are quite aware f what their values are. and there were many of our critics, and i would not put secretary clinton in this category, but there are many of

our critic who was suggested that arming and equiping rebels about whom we know very little is the most effective way to advance the interests of the united states. and the president was very skeptical of that view. and frankly he continues to be skeptical of that view today. what made more sense in the mind of the president was a program that would a, be integrated with all the other things that the united states and our coalition partners are doing inside syria, everything from military air strikes to shutting down the flow of foreign fighters to counterfinancing efforts and working effectively with those forces that are already on the ground to taking the fight to isil. and there has been important support that the united states has provided to some of those forces on the ground inside of syria and through our effective coordination we have succeeded in making a lot of important progress against isil inside of syria.

and the -- in the mind of the president, thoroughly and properly vetting elements of the syrian modern opposition could be plugged into that broader strategy in a way that could advance our efforts. and the united states with good diplomatic work was able to work with countries like turkey and others who agreed to host some of these training facilities. but ultimately, what we've seen from the department of defense is a program that has not yielded the kind of results we'd like to see and so general austin, the commander of central command, has indicated that some changes to that program are warranted and he's considering exactly what changes could be implemented to improve the performance of this particular program. >> sounds like you're saying that the president does not regret not listening to hillary clinton very early on and other people who are say -- who were

say, hey, let's ramp this up now. because it took, we're four years into this conflict and it took years before the president was willing to even fund a robust effort. does he still think he was right because of the concern that some of these people could ultimately be the wrong people? mr. earnest: i would just say about that, a couple of things. the first is. there's been no question, particularly those who looked at the price tag of this operation that this has been a radio bust effort to try to train and equip modern efforts in the syrian opposition. that hasn't worked very well. it would have been unwise to make that the center priest of our strategy in syria, to say nothing of the danger that would have been brought about by offering that up to unvetted members of the syrian opposition many of whom could have turned out to be extremists, who would

use that training and equipment in pursuit of goals that the united states does not share. so the president, you know, what the president was quite concerned about four years ago was the danger of offering training and equipment to people who had not been thoroughly vetted and that would not be consistent with our national security interests, particularly in a place like syria where the security situation is so unstable and where there is a high concentration of extremists and extremist organizations operating inside the country. reporter: his concern right now, looking back four years in the decision making process, if he had destide go along with, not just hillary clinton but a lot of people on capitol hill who i remember talking to us about a robust effort to arm and equip these rebels back then, that we could have seen pictures just like we saw in iraq of isis taking over a lot of american equipment, a lot of american arms, etc. is that sort of how looks at it?

if he had followed that advice we could have had a worse situation with more dangerous rebels and stronger isis? mr. earnest: i think in general the president was concerned about offering up training and equipment to those individuals who had not been vetted and i do think that the early results of this robust training and equip operation that the department of defense has implemented over the course of the last year highlight just how unwise it would have been to make this kind of train and equip effort the center priest of our strategy in syria. that's why the president has engaged in a strategy in syria where one component of that strategy is this training and equiping of thoroughly vetted individuals whose backgrounds we know and whose goals we share. but ultimately, what the department of defense will have to do is to take a hard look at

this program, and figure out what changes can be made to see if we can get some better results from it. reporter: to connect these two things, you suggested that throwing money at the problem of the refugee crisis isn't going to solve it because the real solution is the removal of assad. given that we're see manager iranian and russian cooperation on this, we're seeing russia send military jets into syria, they've suggested, experts suggested this is going to prolong that effort to remove assad, what is the u.s. going to be doing differently to effect change in this scenario? should we be expecting announcements around the u.n. assembly? mr. earnest: i think the argument the way you set it up highlights while russia is doubling down on assad's power is a losing battle. that there is the potential that russia doubling down with military support for the assad

regime could just exacerbate and lengthen the time to a solution. so that's why we have made the case that there's no military solution to the challenges inside of syria. certainly we need to confront very seriously the threat that is posed by isil and that includes using military force by our coalition partners to degrade and ultimately destroy them. but the root cause of isil's growth is the failed leadership of assad. that's why the united states has strongly supported and tried to facile tit tate the u.n. effort toesque change inside of syria. reporter: but it's been 4 1/2 years and now we're seeing signs that we could be further away than ever given increased russian involvement, what will the u.s. be doing differently to effect change toward that goal? mr. earnest: i'm not sure i would agree with the characterization that we're farther away than ever.

the fact is there's a lot less territory that assad controls than he used to. the fact is that just in the last year we have seen isil driven out of thousands of square kilometers of area inside of syria that they previously held. the fact is that just in the last year, the united states under the leadership of president obama, has been able to build a 6046 member coalition of -- 60 member coalition of nations to take the fight to isil. so we have made important progress but it is clear that doubling down with military support for the assad regime does make it more difficult to find a political solution and that's why we described any potential russian decision to do that as destabilizing and counterproductive. reporter: so no strategy changes are being considered and we shouldn't expect announcements out of the general assembly? reporter: i don't have any announcements to preview but the

president constantly reinforces with his national security team particularly with issues like syria that they always need to be taking a hard look at the strategy and the consequences for that strategy and if there are opportunities to refine that gentleman i -- strategy to yield better results, they should implement them. there's no formal policy review under way but there's a consistent effort on the part of the president's team to take a hard look at our strategy. reporter: couple of things, first a clarification. you mentioned a couple of times the $4.5 billion in aid to syria. is that all humanitarian aid or are you including the military? mr. earnest: that is all humanitarian aid. $4.5 billion to the ongoing humanitarian relief effort in the region but also in syria. reporter: over and above the bombings and military? mr. earnest: correct. reporter: back to the pope.

the pope, the president will greet him at andrews wednesday morning. after that there are two big events. mass at the basilica, jeb bush is going there, and to address the congress the next day, vice president biden will be there. does the president plan to attend those events? mr. earnest: no, the president will not attend either of those. but the president is looking forward to another event, the opportunity to sit down and meet with the pope in the oval office after the arrival ceremony wednesday. reporter: maybe the center priest of his visit is the address to congress. the pope is pretty consistent in what he talks about he talks to income inequality, about climate change, he supported the iran nuclear deal. that's going to fall on deaf ears in this congress, isn't it does the white house really expect the pope to change any hearts and minds on capitol hill? mr. earnest: well, i -- it's hard to say.

i think it will depend on the spirit in which individuals choose to attend that event. i think it is quite clear that if it were a political figure who was giving that speech there would not be a lot of people persuaded in the united states congress. i would be willing to stipulate on those issues there. we live in polarizing times and there's no place in america that's more politically polarized than the united states congress. but the pope obviously comes from a different perspective. and he is somebody that has earned the respect, i think, of so many people in both parties. and it might cause members of congress to listen to him in a different way. on a variety of issues. but ultimately the pope will

make a decision about what he believes is his priority when addressing the united states congress and i'm confident that we will be well received. reporter: you would not call it casting your pearls before swine? mr. earnest: no, i think what i would say is -- i think simply that the pope will decide for himself what is the most effective way for him to deliver a message to the united states congress that reflects both the values that he holds dear but also the kinds of issues that the united states congress is confronting right now. he'll make that decision, i'm confident he'll be well-received. thanks, everybody, we'll see you tomorrow. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2015]

>> vth senator and 2016 presidential candidate bernie sanders held a town hall meeting over the weekend at a middle school in seabrook, new hampshire. you can see it tonight on c-span at 8:00 p.m. eastern. all campaign long, c-span takes you on the road to the white house, unfit everyday access to the candidates at town hall meetings, news conferences, rallies and speeches. we're taking your comments on twitter, facebook and by phone and always, every campaign event we cover is available on our website at c-span.org. >> the pope's visit to the u.s. c-span has live coverage from washington, d.c. the first stop on the pope's tour. tuesday afternoon beginning at :45, we're live with the

president and mrs. obama to greet the pontiff on his arrival at joint base andrews. on wednesday, the welcoming ceremony for the pope as the obamas welcome him to the white house. later that afternoon, starting at 4:00, the mass and canonization at the basilica of the national shrine of the immaculate conception. c-span's live coverage begins from capitol hill as pope francis makes history, becoming the first pontiff to address a joint meeting of congress. friday morning at 10:00, live coverage from new york as the pope speaks to the united nations general assembly on c-span3, c-span radio and c-span.org. later at 11:30, the pontiff will hold a multireligious service at the 9/11 memorial and museum world trade center. follow c-span's coverage of the pope's trip to the u.s. live on c-span or online at c-span.org. .

how much work is scheduled to get done on that front amid all of the festivities and pageantry on capitol hill surrounding the pope's visit? guest: that is the big question. we do not know. the closer it is, able monopolize. thursday they have scheduled votes later in the day relating nothing to the standing fight. we still don't have a bill in the house so all eyes are on john boehner and republicans to see if they can come up with something. course, that is the $1 million question at the moment. host: is there a plan that is thought to be under wraps or are republicans still coming up with that plan? it looks like the democrats don't know the plan if republicans have it.

guest: again, we don't know what their plan is. john boehner says he does not know what his plan is. he is in a difficult spot. we have seen this before but this year seems to be more intense than usual. on the one hand he is facing pressure from conservatives in his own party to defund planned parenthood as part of the spending bill. if they don't put it on, the conservatives are going to vote against of the bill which means boehner whitney democrats to pass it. -- would need democrats to pass it. if it does pass the defunding, it does not pass in the senate likely and president obama would veto it. they are back at square one once again. on top of all of this, there is talk of a mutiny, a conservative

coup. there is a threat that. -- the john boehner would face a vote to give up his speakership. all of these moving pieces. john boehner is in a tough spot. dammed if he does and didn't if he does not. the republicans who are really -- who were really beat up two years ago for the shutdown, it did not hurt them at the polls in 2014 but you can bet he is getting calls from the jeb bush 's of the world who are telling them to fund the government so we don't get eat up because this is a big presidential year. host: the funding deadline, september 30. what are the chances that this gets punted for a few weeks or months by a short-term continuing resolution?

is that gaining steam? guest: pretty guaranteed they will have to do a short-term spending bill. we don't know how long that would be. mitch mcconnell had said recently that he was looking to push it into the middle of december. democrats do not want to push that long. they don't think they need that much time. shorter terms of they can wrap up the rest of the budget bills. we are anticipating a short-term spending bill will be followed by something called in on the omnibus thatd an would push spending into sometime next year. in 2011 the past of the budget control act. those caps are still in place and the republicans want to undo the dispense -- undo the defense caps.

fight for later in the year. the question about the cr is how long. we do not know what it looks like or if it will have planned parenthood on it or the length of time. host: other deadlines coming up, the highway funding deadline coming up october 29. another debt ceiling fight likely in the works mid december. all going to be covered by "the hill." appreciate your help this >> is this marion berry's place? yeah he comes in here all the time. i went back to the office, called him up and said, i just went to club 55. don't you realize people are watching where you go and what

you do, they say you sit there all the time and watch naked dancing girls. there was a pause on the phone and he said, it's nice, isn't it? ry this sunday night on "q&a," porter tom sherwood on corruption in government. >> 44 attorneys general signed the letter with governor mcdonald that what he did was politicsing not bribery he should have reported the gift bus he tnt report the gifts. $15,000 for a child's wedding, $50,000 or $70,000 loan. the problem was bob mcdonald had been considered potentially a vice-presidential candidate, was in over his head when he got into the governor's office. this is another case, you're a public figure you let your messy private life combine together. >> sunday night at 8:00 eastern and pacific,ed on c-span's "q&a."

>> wisconsin governor scott walker today announced he's dropping out of the race for the 2016 republican presidential nomination. his speech announcing the end of his campaign was four minutes. governor walker: thank you for coming. i want to say on behalf of our family, we want to extend our sympathies to the family of wisconsin supreme court justice brooks, we want to pass on our prayers and sympathy to him and his family, certainly his wife and children and his extended family. we'll have more to comment on that in days to come. as a kid i was drawn to ronald reagan because he was a republican and a conservative. most of all, i admired him

because of his eternal optimism in the american people. that thought came into my head when we were all standing on the stage at the reagan library last wednesday. ronald reagan was good for america because he was an optimist. sadly, the debate taking place in the republican party today is not focused on that optimistic view of america. instead, it has drifted into personal attacks. in the end, i believe that the voters want to be for something and not against someone. instead of talking about how bad things are, we want to hear how we can make them better for everyone. we need to get back to the basis -- basics of our party. we are a party that believes that people create jobs, not the government. and the best way to grow the economy is to get the government out of the way and build it from the ground up. we are a party that believes that the way to measure success

in government is by how many people are no longer dependent on the government because we believe in the dignity of work. we are the party that believes that strong military leads to peace through strength and that will protect our children and future generations. that good will ultimately triumph over evil. we are a party that believes in the american people, not the federal government. these ideas will help us win the election next fall and more importantly, these ideas will make our country great again. refocus the debate on these ideas will require vision. as i was sitting in church yesterday, the pastor's words reminded me that the bible was full of stories of people called to be leaders in unusual ways. today i believe i'm being called to lead by helping clear the

field in this race so a positive, conservative message can rise to the top of the field. with this in mind, i'll suspend my campaign immediately. i encourage other republican presidential candidates to consider doing the same so voters can focus on a limited number of candidates who can offer a positive, conservative alternative to the current frontrunner. this is fundamentally important to the future of the party and more importantly to the future of our country. this is a difficult decision. so many wonderful people stepped up to support our campaign. we are very thankful for the many outstanding volunteers and the excellent staff who helped us throughout the campaign. you all have been like family to us. speaking of family, i want to personally thank my wife who has been a rock as well as our two amazing sons, matt and alex. i thank my parents and my

brother david and his family and all our other family and friends for the love and support. most of all, i want to thank god. i want to thank god for his abun -- his abundant grace. win or lose, it has always been more than enough. thank you. >> governor scott walker, wisconsin, about two hours ago, announcing he's pulling out of the republican presidential race. the headline in the "milwaukee journal sentinel," campaign woes prompt walker to drop out. the article saying the governor, quote, wanted to clear the way for conservative optimists to take down the race leader, real estate mogul donald trump. later, donald trump's campaign tweeted, i got to know scott walker, he's a very nice person and has a great future. by the way, you can see scott walker's announcement that he's ending his campaign tonight at 9:25 eastern.

up next a town hall meeting with presidential candidate and independent senator bernie sanders in new hampshire. later, more road to the white house coverage with new jersey governor chris christie. coveray governor chris christie. look at our upcoming coverage of pope francis's u.s. visit. u.s. pope's visit to the we have coverage beginning at with presidentve and mrs. obama greeting the pope. then the welcome ceremony for the pope as the obamas officially welcomed them to the white house. later at 4:00, the mass and canonization at the basilica of the national shrine of the immaculate conception. c-span's