thanks for joining us here in baltimore. this is our second annual joint house senate republican retreat sponsored by the congressional institute. we are here as the people's representatives to engage in a competition of ideas as we ink about the future of 2016 and beyond. so on tuesday, by the state of the union we heard one future based upon president obama's legacy. really based on a top down government knows best approach and we are here to put together a different choice for america as we head into this year and beyond. a future that's built upon solutions really from the bottom up that trust people to make the best decisions for themselves. families, students, small businesses, seniors, having the ability to pursue their own dreams. and where people are not defined by where they come from

but empowered by what they can become. we'd like to think of the house and the senate and this time as really being a think tank for conservative policy. that's really how this retreat foster that p to among the people's representatives. throughout the day the members are going to be participating in thought provoking discussions on various policy initiatives, whether it's jobs in the economy, national security, health care, rethinking outdated poverty programs, or the restoration of our constitutional role within article one. it is really our opportunity to rally around a common vision for america and the best way to move that forward. thank you. >> thanks. i also want to welcome all of you in baltimore. i know it is a very exciting day. you get to hang with us right now and cover the presidential debate tonight. right? we're very excited to be here with our house colleagues again

this year. when we met last year we had a new majority. we were in the process of trying to get the senate functioning again so that we could work with our house colleagues to actually get some things done for the american people. and i think that we have at least if you look at the record of this last year done that. and in a pretty effective way. first balanced budget since 2001. first meaningful education reform since 2002. first significant social security reform since really 1983. and first multi year highway built since 2005 not to mention cyber security and a number of other things that we were able to transact through the senate this year. keystone pipeline which ultimately was vetoed but repeal of obama care. there's a whole series of things that the senate was able to get done this year and so we think that we have at least restored the senate to where it's functioning again. and we hope that this year will build upon that foundation, build upon that success and

lead to more accomplishments. and so this session this week is really all about getting our members together, talking about our ideas as kathy mentioned it is a competition of ideas. we believe we are the party of ideas, the party of innovation. we're the party of economic growth and opportunity and we're the party of compassion. and so the sessions today are really focused on that. we've got a panel of people we're going to hear from this morning to talk about economic growth and innovation. we've got a panel that is going to talk about the future of health care. we have a panel that's going to talk about how to keep the country safe and fight terrorism and we've got a panel that's going to talk about how to update outdated poverty programs that had been ineffective and aren't working. so that's really what the sessions are about today. very much focused on policy and on the agenda for this next year knowing it is an even numbered year, an election year which makes it a little

challenging because people tend to go to their respective corners and of course there is a presidential campaign going on at the same time but as a congress as a republican majority, we want to be driving forward, putting ideas out there, creating an agenda that we think is good for the american people that will lead to greater prosperity and security for our country. so that's what we are here to do this couple of days and pleased that we have a good representation of our members in the united states senate to join our colleagues in the house of representatives. so questions, comments, cushons? >> nikki haley got a lot of attention this week by her speech. clearly, comments directed at donald trump. she said to avoid sort of the temptation to follow the angriest voices and some people in the room think they have to be the loudest voice to make a

difference. that's not true. how do you view it? do you agree with what she is saying there? >> well, i think she did a really good job and was very impressive and delivered very, very well. i think presented a face and voice for our party that really is what we're all about. that is growing our majority obviously, reaching out to more people across this country, presenting ideas we think are compelling and will attract people to join our vision. you know, we have different people, different ideas, and different ways of communicating and different style and tone. but i thought that she did a nice job i think at least of reflecting what many of us here are talking about this week. and that is a pro growth agenda for the american people, one that reaches out and tries >> clearly talking about what we are hearing on the campaign trail, do you share the concerns that the rhetoric on the

campaign trail and will that impact your ability to keep the majority, to win back the white house? senator thune: i think in a presidential campaign the rhetoric gets hot. that is inevitable. we can't control what presidential candidates are going to say or do. the only thing we can do is control what we do here. and what we do as individual members of congress. what we want to do is make sure both house members and senators are well positioned going into this election year, can talk about a positive agenda for the future of this country, can talk about a record of a compliment, which is pretty self-evident from last year, and run their own campaigns. what happens above us on the presidential ballot you don't control. the only thing you can do is control what you can control. what we want to do is articulate a clear, positive vision for the future of this country. and the presidential campaign at

some point when we have a nominee, hopefully we'll be able to sync up with them and their agenda, but we want to make sure that our members have something that thee they can be talking about when they go out and try to encourage their voters to give them another opportunity to represent them. i don't know if you want to add anything. mrs. mcmorris rodgers: there is one thing i want to add. there is a loft frustration across the country. and we have -- that is reflective among the members, too. part of the reason we have dedicated time why we are together to look at the question of article 1, power of the purse, how we restore the rightful role of elective representatives of the people and the decisionmaking processes is on the forefront of our minds. i think it goes to. and goes to some of the fears and frustrations we see from people across the country when more and more decisions are the president,er the executive branch, or the judicial branch of the don't

reflect the will of the people, or are not voted on by the people. so that is -- we want to be focusing on, we think it is fundamental to who we are as representatives and as a reflection of the people through representative government. >> to follow up on your point, senator, you said hopefully, we will be able to sync up with their agenda, whoever the nominee is. is there a concern because of the frontrunner that republicans might not be able to sync up with whoever the republican nominee is if it is donald trump? a number of people including the speaker, have repudiated some of the things he said. we can talk upstairs on these different issues, but if that doesn't sync up with who the republican frontrunner is isn't that a problem for the g.o.p.? senator thune: we are a big and diverse party, very entrepreneurial party. lots of ideas out there. people are different in terms of the style and tone which they convey their message.

i assume at some point, don't know how soon it's going to happen, but we are going to have -- people are going to start voting here in the next three weeks or month. the primaries are going to start ticking off. we'll get closer and closer. the debate will engage and be joined even more. people are going to start looking very, very seriously at these candidates. and i think the candidate that's ultimately going to be successful is going to have to id, some ofs cathy sa the frustration that's being experienced by the american people. but ultimately, i think people want those who are -- that they vote for and elect to office to appeal to their hopes. i think that articulating a hopeful vision, a clear agenda for the future of this country will be critically important. that candidate, whoever that nominee ultimately is, has an agenda they want to talk about, i think there will be areas where we'll find common ground with that agenda. what we want to be prepared to

do is see that our members, both house and senate, are positioned well going into this election year to make their case to their voters about why we need to retain a republican majority in the united states, in congress. and i think, again, the record of this last year, the things that we want to do this next year, the ideas we are going to put forward, i hope are going to provide the necessary wherewithal for our candidates to do that. irrespective what's happening on top. mrs. mcmorris rodgers: i agree. and that's part of why we are here today. we are a broad, diverse group of people. we welcome the competition of ideas. we also believe that it is very important as we head into 2016 that we are articulating as representatives in the house and senate what are those specific policy solutions. so that people in this country know what we as republicans believe are the specific policy solutions that will help grow

our economy, get people back to work, for those who have been out of work, get them the training and the skills so we can get this economy growing at a faster pace. what is the future of health care? the republicans believe that there's a better future than what is currently offered to america. it has resulted in less choices, higher costs. so we want to present that as a choice to the country. we believe it is very important that the safety and security of this country is first and foremost. and that that also is going to be a focus today and moving forward. and rethinking these outdated poverty programs, we just think that as the members of congress, it is important that we are presenting that choice as we head into this election so people can know what we would like to accomplish. >> one more question. senator, pursuing your agenda, do you anticipate any kind of change in the senate rules? do you think you'll pursue a

change in the filibuster rules so that you can pass any of these things on your agenda? do you support that idea? do you think that's something you would pursue? senator thune: i have my own personal views about that, but i think as a conference we have people who have been studying, giving a great deal of attention to how we might make the senate work more efficiently. as this leader always says in the senate, floor time is the coin of the realm. we have a limited amount of it and how do we build more capacity in so we can get more things done so we can move individual appropriation bills? we have some folks looking at some of the rules, some of the procedures that we use in the senate. how can we get on appropriations bills? this last year we had democrats blocking every appropriation bill on the motion to proceed because they want more money. if you can't get on the bill, you can't move, can't debate it, can't amend t we are looking at those things.

but, if we were in the end, if there were any recommendations that came out of this from the rules committee, and this is basically -- we had people study it and report to the rules committee. the rules committee would ultimately have to put something forward. the question is, can we get 67 votes to do it the traditional way? to change the rules in the senate if you do it the traditional way, is 67 votes. we have to have something a lot of big majority of our members would support as well as a number of democrats. and i don't want to handicap that process at this point because right now it's very preliminary. but i do think it's fair to say -- one of our goals is, instead of getting where we -- at the end of the year are doing these massive omnibus bills, that everybody hates, if you do appropriation bills individually, it's much cleaner, much more transparent, much more accountability there. we have got to get back to that. how do you facilitate and make that happen within the parameters we have to deal with? our rules and procedures are

iny limiting as you know, the senate. we are taking a look at those things and asking how we can find additional capacity to do more. it is one of the issues we are interested in. i'm open to that. i think on a -- just again, this does not reflect the views of the conference. but i think that if on a motions to proceed, there's a lot of redundancy built in. we have multiple cloture votes in most cases on bills, to get on bills in limited circumstances, particularly appropriations bills which i think are critical to our article 1 responsibility, the power of the purse, i'm open to that. again, no decisions have been made and no recommendations have been made. it's very preliminary in terms of the discussion. [inaudible]

>> what are your thoughts on that? it one calling the majority leader a liar. how do you look at that? senator thune: i'm personally offended to be called the establishment. no, i just think that we understand that politics is politics. it's very popular right now. there is a good amount of the american electorate, which i totally get, that is frustrated with washington generally. that's what's fueled the rise of some of our presidential candidates on our side as well as on the democrat side. you look at the ascendance of bernie sanders, there are people out there who are genuinely frustrated. many of us who serve in the senate and cathy can speak for the house, but i mean you do

-- you do your best to reflect the people he represents. in my first run for political office, i was running as the insurgent. outsider. i was running as the person that was the anti-establishment candidate. we all -- i understand that. i get that. i think that's a part of the political process. when we have a nominee and we are trying to figure out how to win that general election electorate, that will be a campaign what i hope we can bring our team together and focus in a unified way on the goal. and like i said, articulate a clear and positive vision for this country with clear a contrast thanepresen what has been offered by the president over the past seven years, as well as what is been offered up by democrats in congress, which i think has been more of the same. that is more expanded government. our vision is much more about expansion of liberty.

[captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] from paul ryans and mitch mcconnell. the briefing ran 10 minutes. mr. ryan: you people have to turn some a.c. on. welcome, everybody. i want to speak on behalf of myself and the leader how pleased we are, first of all, that the house republican conference and house senate conference are here together talking about ideas. what we're here today is come together as republican conferences talking about how do we take our principles and apply them to the problems of the day and offer solutions to the american people. the challenge we have in this particular government is barack obama is president. so the kind of agenda we're discuss, the kind of agenda we're talking aut