sen. sanders: my view is while the affordable care act has done some very good things, we have got to do better. [applause] sen. sanders: so, let me stand before you and tell you what i believe. and that is, that i believe that health care is a right of all people, not a privilege. [applause] sen. sanders: i believe that it is wrong that we pay the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs, that 29 million americans have no health insurance and many of you are underinsured with high deductibles and copayments. that is why i believe in a medicare for all, single-payer program. [applause]

sen. sanders: when we talk about this country, and what are the issues are that we have to address, let us be clear. and that is, that no american, black, latino, or white should be fearful of walking down the street and getting shot by a police officer. [applause] sen. sanders: i am the former mayor of the largest city of vermont and i worked very hard with police officers and i believe the vast majority of police officers are honest and hard-working and have to do a very difficult job.

but, when a police officer breaks the law, like any other public official, that officer must be held accountable. [applause] sen. sanders: i believe that we must he militarized local police department so they do not look like occupying armies. [applause] sen. sanders: i believe that we need to make police departments like the communities that they serve. in my state of vermont and many parts of this country, we have a very, dare i say, huge problem with substance abuse. and overdoses regarding harrowing. this is a very serious problem.

in my view, we have got to look at substance abuse and addiction as a health issue, not a criminal issue. [applause] sen. sanders: in the last 30 years in this country, millions of americans have received criminal records as a result of the possession of marijuana. [booing] sen. sanders: and what that means, is that if you have a criminal record and you are applying for a job, you know what, you may not get that job. so, what i believe is that when we have a federal controlled substance act, which lists marijuana as a schedule one heroin, that is done.

-- dumb. [applause] [applause] sen. sanders: i believe that we should take marijuana out of the federal controlled substance act, and not make it a federal drug. [applause] sen. sanders: by the way, where this becomes a racial issue is that it turns out that the black community and the white community smoke marijuana at about the same rate, but blacks are four times as likely to be arrested than whites. [booing]

sen. sanders: my friends, what this campaign is about, is asking all of you to imagine what this country can be. in my view, we do not need to be a country which has the highest rate of childhood poverty of any major country, at the same time as we are seeing a proliferation of millionaires and billionaires. [applause] sen. sanders: we do not have to be a country where young people cannot afford to get a higher education while millions of others are being crushed by outrageous student debt. we do not have to be the only major country on earth that does not guarantee paid family medical leave. , or provide health care to all people. as a right. [applause]

sen. sanders: we do not have to be a country in which millions of our brothers and sisters work for 9, 10, 11 bucks an hour and are going nowhere in a hurry. [applause] sen. sanders: the only way we change america, not just electing a president, obviously i'm here to ask for your support, it is much more than that. it is to create a political revolution. [applause] sen. sanders: and what that revolution means, is that you understand that you and you and you, have the power to determine the future of america. that is what people thought and died for, and that is where we are today.

and if millions of americans stand up, and say, you know what, in this great country, we can be so much more. we do not have to have a political system owned by billionaires. we don't have to have a rigged economy. we don't have to have a broken criminal justice system. we, if we stand together, if we do not allow the donald trump's of the world to divide us up by race, or where we were born -- [applause] sen. sanders: if we stand together, and demand that the united states government represents all of us, not just the 1%, there is nothing we cannot accomplish. thank you all very much. [applause] [applause]

♪ ♪ ("starman" by david bowie)

the big democratic primary in south carolina this saturday. this race is just getting

underway. you can follow all of it here on c-span. online at c-span.org. or on c-span radio. >> earlier today at the white house the leaders of the national governors association discussed the governor's annual winter meeting here in washington. here is that briefing. earnest: i am joined by the chair and the vice chair of the national governors association. governor herbert from the great state of utah. to my right is governor terry mcauliffe from the commonwealth of virginia. when that's a lot of our events there were too many people who thought they are hearing from the future governor of virginia.

it is nice to see you today. i will turn it over to governor herbert first and then governor mcauliffe. herbert: we are honored to be here with you today. we had just completed our winter conference as we call it in washington dc. we had great participation from the governors. you will hear from the vice chair terry mcauliffe. we had a dialogue it is .mportant to move our respective states forward. to help contribute to the discussion here of policy. to help america move forward. we have an opportunity through the national governors association it is a bipartisan organization of states.

the opportunity to discuss significant issues. the federal state partnership and relations that we hope to foster has been hot topic of discussion at this gathering. states that we really are the laboratories of democracy. we are having innovation and creativity is taking place. thereby improving people's lives. we want to make sure that we foster is a bipartisan organization the opportunity to work in concert with our congress and certainly with the white house. i would just like to highlight that. to see the successes they are

having. mississippi, is leading the way and criminal justice reform. the underlying problems may be substance abuse or mental health issues to limited that criminal behavior. remarkable progress on health care reform. it has become more expensive. new york has partnered with industry to provide career opportunities. they partnered with ibm for school and a half. people go to school there for five or six years and graduate

not only the high school diploma. the with an associate degree and then are given a job in the private sector. governor mcauliffe of virginia is doing some wonderful good things on cyber security. the new frontier that we as states are facing. folks here in washington dc know it. as any good governor would he's doing things that are important and he has more cyber security entrepreneurs and west or than a place east of the rocky mountains. that legislation is helping to a greatindividuals example of innovation taking our economy is healthy.

nine of the last 12 months our economy has led the nation. based on the department of labor statistics on private wealth creation. the benefit of this organization is that we share best practices with each other. they say how are you able to thread the needle when it came to lgbt writes. in a very red to state, very religious state. it was not easy but we brought people together. we were able to have success in protecting lgbt writes. also religious rights in the state of utah. that, we can do it across america. in our respective states.

health of his of bipartisan collaboration efforts. we can find common sense is the key issue. get some things done. we will have a compilation error summer meeting silent. we will highlight two or three of the great successes of our home states. arestates really laboratories of democracy. we are solutions to people's problems. improving people's lives. it is an honor to be here today. mcauliffe: we just spent the last hour or hour and a half with the president of the united states talking about the issues that are important to the governors. we all come from different backgrounds and different legal parties but what unites us is talk to the president

about our issues. growing our economy. that is something the president has been involved in since day one. in virginia our economy is very strong today. we just announced the largest budget surplus in virginia history. but for great meetings there. they give us a secure briefing something about that before on the issue of cyber security. we spoke a lot about refugee settlement. it has been a very very productive meeting. i do want to thank you administration all the governors

are working together. had we keep our communities safe. that is not a partisan political issue is what we were elected to do as governors. we came to our respective jobs to get things done. luxury ofve the taking the cans down the road. we don't have filibusters. good action in congress causes us tremendous problems. i want to commend the congress for pushing off sequestration for two years. getting a bipartisan transportation bill. we have to work together. we are part of a global economy. >> has the communication

improved on resettlement of refugees? governor mcauliffe: they sent this the administration representatives to meet with us on this issue. we will get additional information. we have to take a better responsibility as well. in virginia i'm very happy with how we are dealing with this issue. we know who is in our state. other states are confused about the process to go through. working with you administration we can get everybody in place to satisfy everything. herbert: part of the

challenge we face is making sure we have the appropriate information and have the appropriate policy in place. governors one of the first responsibilities is to preserve safety. helping to answer some questions. solutions to misunderstandings. we still have work to do. >> the president mentioned gun control. one day after yet another shooting rampage.

go to virginia: we have passed in virginia at gun safety legislation. this is what i ran for governor on. we now have state police at every gun show in virginia. now everybody will have access to a background check. we have many gun shows in virginia. if you are under a protective order you cannot purchase a gun or transporting gun. why should you possibly be able to possess one if you are not eligible to buy one? felony be a class six

for you not to hand that women over. we have made progress. every state is different. whole of the national rifle association. i made the decision on this particular action. it keeps our communities safer. the head of chiefs of police it is a key top issue for everybody in america. april: what is the common thread among the states for dealing with criminal justice?

governor herbert: we should not be waiting for washington dc to do things. we have our own unique situations as states. utah we are leaving on criminal justice reform. what is thederstand underlying cause of the problem. we find there alive things underlying that substance abuse, mental health problems. we're trying to address those things. we have a significant campaign for elevating under drug part of underage, show

our curriculum in schools is awareness for our young people's. they grow up with those good principles and values to help lead to a productive life in getting the job. all states are addressing this in their own way. it is at the top of the agenda for most of the states. we see in now doing the following. in virginia today we have two gigantic concrete structures that should house mass murderers

and instead they are housing 14 and 15 and 16-year-olds. hundred 86,000 on a juvenile who goes through the system. 80% of them are rearrested three years. valley that the system is working. i have proposed to shut those silly now. workforce training inside andety itself is scared clearly as governor to spend that money and have 80% rearrested three years, the system is not working. i spoke to the attorney general about this. i thank the president. jeff: what about the zika virus?

the states should not be waiting for the federal government to act. sometimes that can be a long wait. our department of health is already addressing this issue and the concerns about it. i'll be appropriating money out outur legislative session there making sure that we have awareness. as we have done with others of these kinds of issues that have happened from time to time. most states are saying what can we do to get ready for this zika virus. we can't wait for the federal government to act.

they are acutely aware of the problem. they're trying to push information out to the states. there's always a question of where the money will come from. search-and-rescue no kathleen: the president said governors might be sympathetic to his predicament with the supreme court nomination.

what you think of that issue as an executive? i haver herbert: appointed more than half of the judges in the state of utah. i understand how significantly important that responsibility is. notl of the states is talked about as much as it is at the federal level. process, getting visual alive. getting more minorities and women on the bench. the second branch of the states is very similar to the executive branch of the nation. have you get things done and how do you balance the budget?

angela: you've been supportive of the president's trade agenda. they singled out the tobacco carveout is a problem. governor mcauliffe: i've always been supportive of the trade package. what was unveiled i went on a conference call we talked about it. they'reosed legislation going to be issues that we may have. a virginia related company. we will not successfully i have been very supportive of the trade package. i have the deepest support of the entire east coast.

they can come to the port that we have in norfolk. trade is very important. i was probably the most travel governor last year. 95% of the world's customers lived outside the united states of america. 85% of the economic growth will be there. we can't grow our economy unless we are doing trade. i have been to china twice, japan, korea completed i went to cuba and had some significant projects we were able to announce in cuba. that is how you grow your economy. i may have some issues on certain parts of the legislation but you have to look at the totality of it. we now find ourselves in a

global marketplace. international trade is of significant importance to the states. we probably had international trade grow faster in utah than any other state the union over the last five or six years. we are very bilingual and we speak the words languages. 95% of the customers live outside the borders. our own senator orrin hatch has been leading the charge on this. we will have to resolve the differences and have compromise. we need to have international trade opportunities that the health economy. >> i wanted to hear your answer on the gun question. herbert: i agree with saidgovernor mcauliffe

that it is a state issue. states of different perspectives different cultures that we see in the west. we believe in background checks. those people also to be restricted because of mental health concerns. the very significant concealed weapon permit process. those background checks can be received and done. we have reciprocity with about 31 other states. it will be different. it is something we have not addressed as an issue. maybe we should address it.

significantd differences in the different states. the advisors talked about the need for expanding infrastructure. putting people to work in broad terms. you feel like you're getting the support you need from the administration? are you doing all you can do to expand your own infrastructure? governor mcauliffe: in virginia we finally have a transportation bill that takes care of things for the next five years. it was crippling to us at the state level that you can't build

roads and plan the future you don't know where the funding is going to come from. we've just had another historic agreement for the first time in widening lanes both inside and outside the beltway. this is been itself issue for 30 years. on 395adding eight lanes old way up to the district line. two miles south you go 95. adding lanes on 64. we are turbocharging our infrastructure. it is a very good question. be a much bigger and broader effort. we as a nation need to do so much more on infrastructure and roads and railroads and electric utilities and our electrical grid. these things are in desperate

shape. thousands of bridges are structurally deficient. congress needs to move swifter on this to let us rebuild the aging infrastructure of this country. herbert: the ability to act as states and to increase commerce opportunities. to have a better economy because of that vision. states are doing the same thing or should be doing the same thing at the local levels. whether the chicken comes before the egg. we have treacherous to reflect the demands of the marketplace. we build roads because that is what is needed. for commerce. that is a wise investment of the taxpayers dollars.

we don't want to artificially stimulate by putting money there just to build roads that are needed. what does the market demand to need. i meet with our ceos every quarter. different sectors of our economy. utah is the fifth fastest growing state in america. maintains what we already had. warner is a big infrastructure issue. water is a big infrastructure issue. we need to be proactive in doing this. i am a little reluctant to send all the money to washington then have a setback because it comes back with strings attached. we must keep the money at home.

governor mcauliffe: i want to thank congress for dealing with sequestration. it passed. it has created such levels at the state level. we are the number one recipient of department of defense dollars. the largest naval base in the world. , langley.on, quantico congress had an inability for several years to figure out what they were going to do has been crippling to the northern virginia economy. i commend the congress are pushing off sequestration for two years. the percentage of the debt to gdp is going to be right back in this situation. we have to begin to think long-term. we need leadership decisions to grow our country so the economy can grow and everybody can benefit.

>> you with the chairman of the democratic national committee. you maintain a close relationship with the clintons. if she becomes the nominee of her party, would you consider the spotted vice president? mcauliffe: i have the best job in the united states were in the governor of the commonwealth of virginia. patrick henry was her first governor. our second governor was thomas jefferson. and now terry mcauliffe. how could you honestly ever go for another job?

i am just warming up. we have got our economy back. we have two very qualified united states senators who i think would be spectacular on the ticket. i have been entrepreneur my whole life. i love being governor. governor herbert: let me just ask you that if i could. [laughter] the governor of virginia which is a great position to be in. why would you take a step backwards? mark: have you noticed the

governors are done very poorly in the presidential campaign this year? what you make of this? herbert: governor mcauliffe and i were not running so that was the problem. [laughter] every presidential season is different. it is a unique one on the republican side. i think being a governor is a great training ground to be president. you have to make executive decisions every single day. you cannot pass the buck. we have to make decisions that day. that is great training ground for the presidency. governor herbert: i thought this was going to the year of the governors. we had so many that were running. it is a little bit of a surprise. governor kasich is still hanging in there.

every election cycle has its own unique flavor. this has been unique. certainly on the republican side. i support governors. i think others do have the right training to be president. the voters historically have supported governors more than any other kind of official. who knows what is going to happen? thank you. josh earnest: he answer the question indirectly. you had your chance.

we can go straight to your questions. >> the cease-fire in syria. josh earnest: president obama did have the chance to talk to president putin today. it was a call to discuss the ongoing conversations about arriving at an understanding ofund the cessation hostilities in syria. this cessation of hostilities will apply to all parties in and otherpt for isil terrorist groups. in the coming days the united states and our allies will

undertake a series of steps to implement the cessation of hostilities by february 27. that this is going to be difficult to implement. a lot of obstacles. for years we've been trying to reach a diplomatic resolution to the many problems of that region. this is a moment of opportunity. of tenaciousult diplomacy on the part of john kerry. we will continue to try to capitalize on this moment. all of theful that other signatories to the document will do the same thing.

we will proceed from there. secretary kerry has put out his own statement on this. >> given how long you've been working on this, the president is coming out formally now. is this a setback? earnest: this is a moment of opportunity. it will require all of the parties to sign on to this document to follow through. on the commitments they made. the whole world can see in writing what everyone has committed to. it is time for the signatories to step up and for the bloodshed to come to an end.

i would be quite surprised if this is a, if there were no bumps along the road. there will be obstacles. the stakes here are high. millions of innocent lives stake. negatively affected by the ongoing chaos in syria. this cessation of hostilities could provide an opportunity for couple of things. increasing the flow of badly needed humanitarian assistance into syria. the first step in trying to political track of

the ongoing diplomatic discussions about bringing the kind of political change that is long overdue inside of syria. this is the next step in what has been a long-running progress. it is a situation that the world will be watching to evaluate whether those who signed the agreement live up to the understanding of the commitments they have made. >> to have any update on that research? for the supreme court? earnest: i'm not aware of any presidential conversations with potential candidates. he did make some telephone calls the members of congress.

both democrats and republicans in the u.s. senate. some who serve on the judiciary committee. the president takes quite seriously the responsibility that he has to consult with congress in this manner. the president did spend a bit of sign this weekend reviewing the materials that were compiled by his legal team. i do have an update for you on the president's decision-making process. both democrats and republicans in the u.s. senate have been reached out to. >> china says that what it is doing in the south china sea is just like what the united states has done in hawaii. what is the white house response? earnest: there is no other

country that has a claim on hawaii. you consider the land features in the south china sea there are a variety of overlapping territorial claims. a variety of countries have made on those features. havehinese government may a disagreement about the claims that are made without the countries. that is all the more reason why all of the parties should resolve their differences in a way that doesn't provoke a military confrontation. that is why we have urged all to resolve them in a peaceful and legal manner. to avoid confrontation and two avoidingscalating tensions in that part of the world. the stakes for the united states are not insignificant.

theo want to ensure that freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce in the south china sea is protected. there is a lot of commerce that flows to that part of the world. it could have a significant impact on the united states. if was somehow disrupted. we are seeking to reduce tensions and urging everyone to come together and resolve their differences in a way that does not provoke a military confrontation. >> what with the president be doing this week going forward about the supreme court? the president will continue to review materials provided by his legal team. the binder was very thick. i'm not sure he was able to go through all the material but he was able to get through a good portion of it. i would expect that he will continue to receive material on that later this week.

i do anticipate that the president will place additional phone calls that will be consistent with his commitment to consult with members of the senate about this nomination. who exactly the president has consulted with. we will keep you posted on that. sara: the guantanamo closure plan will be coming up. is there anything more you can tell us about that? josh earnest: i am not confident that. we've seen many members expressed their opposition to considering the kinds of necessary steps to close the prison at guantanamo bay. that political opposition stands in stark contrast to the best

advice that the commander-in-chief receipts from our military. from both democratic and republican national security experts including people that were officials in the bush administration. i don't have a specific problem about the timeframe. the plan is to put forward is when you will have an opportunity to review. it will make a compelling case the prison is clearly in our national security interests. it also will reflect the need for the united states government to be a good steward of taxpayer dollars. there's far to explain those and operate that prison. when there are more cost-effective alternatives available. we would like to work with the congress to make those alternatives a reality because we know that those alternatives

don't weaken our national security. in fact they strengthen it. they enhance it. it would take away a chief recruiting tool that we know is used by terrorist organizations around the world. >> is it more likely that the president will indeed take executive action to close it? the way to congresses and this issue over the last seven years. if there is an opportunity from emerson congress to take a look at the plan with a open mind. i think there is a compelling case to be made. the president has said on a number of occasions that working is the preferable outcome here.

something we've been hard at work on for seven years. we are committed over the course of this year to continue to do that work. mr. earnest: there is an opportunity for congress to step up. and to work with the administration to do the right thing for our national security, to do the right thing for u.s. taxpayers, and close the prison at guantanamo bay. >> is there a distinction between closing it and emptying it of detainees administration's perspective? mr. earnest: the president does not believe it is in our national security interest to transfer new individuals to the prison. there have not been any individuals that have been transferred to the prison since obama was elected. we have found effective ways to bring a significant number of

terrorists to justice, and in many cases we have actually used article three courts in the united states to bring individuals to justice, and are convicted terrorist sitting in u.s. prisons right now, as we speak, that does not pose an undue threat to our national security. in fact it enhances our security , because it demonstrates the united states is serious about abiding by our values, but taking the necessary steps to bring people to justice. that is what we done on any number of occasions under president obama's leadership, and it is that spirit that is guiding his effort to close the prison at one time of day. >> you are making the argument it is an economic argument? mr. earnest: a financial one, which is that -- i do not remember the number -- i think it is like $4 million a year per detainee that is spent to keep those individuals at the prison at guantanamo bay.

we could house those detainees in other facilities, including in the united states, that could be more cost effective. and, you know there are a , variety of consequences for continuing to keep this policy in place that also drive up the cost, and this will certainly be part of the case that we will be making to the congress about keeping the american people safe, but also more effectively using taxpayer dollars. >> what is the latest number about detainees, and do you plan to announce this week another reduction? mr. earnest: the current detainee population is 91. i will remind you that at the beginning of the administration, there were 242 detainees at guantanamo bay. we have made a lot of progress in reducing the prison population but there is obviously more work to be done here.

i do not have announcements to make about any upcoming transfers. >> a couple more. on the high court, is it possible that the president is in consultation with leaders on capitol hill because he is looking for a palatable potential nominee, someone that would be acceptable to them at acceptable to him? is that the process? mr. earnest: we have heard a number of republicans that they were not considered anybody that the president puts forward. that makes it difficult to have a particularly detailed conversation with someone that they would be going to except when they have said they will not accept anybody. that underscores the unreasonable position that at least some republicans in the senate have taken that is inconsistent with their constitutional responsibility and inconsistent with the people's conception about what it means to do your job. and so i would say that there has not been a lot of detailed discussion, at least with those members of congress who have

ruled out a consideration of any nominee that the president puts forward, but we are interested in keeping the lines of to medication open. -- of communication open. the president has been pretty direct about the fact that he does intend to fulfill its constitutional duty, that he intends to put someone forward, and he is urging members of congress to fulfill their duty to give that person a fair hearing in a timely -- and a timely yes or no vote. the president has reiterated his commitment to nominating somebody who has indisputable credentials and qualifications, and he is confident the individual he puts forward is somebody who can conserve the united states of america -- who can serve united states of america in a lifetime appointment to the supreme court. the kinds of conversations at the president has had over the

last 72 hours or so are the first conversations. i would not rule out additional conversations, and those conversations would probably be more fruitful if there are members of congress who would be willing to move off their position suggesting that they won't consider anyone. >> the economic report -- a little glowing, and they seem rather pleased about where the economy is growing, but there seems to be a disconnect from a lot of voters who feel the economy is not working for them. can you explain that disconnect, and do you accept the criticism that while there are a number of metrics that point to an improving economy, not exactly improving for everyone? mr. earnest: it is that the economic report of the president that indicate strength and a robust nature of the economy. you just heard from the governor of virginia and governor of utah who are pretty enthusiastic about the strength of the economy in their states. it is not just a matter of

taking the white house' word for it. there is a story to tell across the country. one of the reasons there is still some work to be done is in the area of trying to put upward pressure on wages. wages have not been growing as quickly as our economists would have expected. they certainly have not grown as quickly as the president would have hoped. we have seen over the last six months a noticeable increase in the pace of wage growth, that the wage growth over the last six months is faster than in last seven or eight years. that is a positive sign that wage growth is increasing, and that would address many of the concerns that are out there. the other threat and this is detailed in the economic report to the president is that some of the economic weakness that we see with our trading partners overseas could have a longer-term impact on the u.s.

economy. we're concerned about that. these are countries overseas with whom we do a lot of business, and if they are not buying as much in the united states, that will have an impact on our economy back home. that is why the president had eagerly advocated for a couple of things. one is a focus on those elements of our economy that we can control, doing things like investing in education and job training to make sure that our workers have the skills they need to compete and win in the 21st century economy, and we also need look for opportunities to deepen our economic relationships with those countries that are demonstrating's economic dynamism. that is one of the benefits associated with the transpacific partnership agreement, that many of that countries that are signatories to that agreement have some of the most dynamic economies in the world. so if we can deepen our relationship and improve our ability to do business in those countries, we can compensate

with some weaknesses in other countries. this is something we will be watching closely in the months ahead. >> and question on -- does the united states have a position -- and [indiscernible] is there concern about the impact on american businesses? mr. earnest: we are aware that the prime minister of britain has indicated june 23 will be the day that the british people have an opportunity to weigh in on their continued membership in the eu. as the president has said, the united states benefits from having a strong u.k. in the european union. european union can continue to be a critical global hardener -- partner of the united states, on a variety of issues,

economic, and national security. you recall the eu foreign minister was playing a critical important role in completing the international agreement to prevent iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. that cooperation is valuable and even more viable to us when we had an outward looking eu that has the u.k. as a member. so we have been clear about what , the united states equities are, but, you know, but obviously the british people will have an opportunity to weigh in there. >> the governors make reference earlier to meeting a couple of days ago, when they were going over the syrian refugee plan, and there were lingering concerns about the plan. can you describe in more detail what the administration's efforts are to reassure them? mr. earnest: we will give more specific information. i did not attended.

it.ttend what i can tell you the administration is committed to doing is working closely with governors and the non- governmental organizations in their states who are chiefly responsible for resettling refugees that are experiencing violence. refugees who enter the united states and any of our 50 states undergo the most rigorous screening of any individual that attempts to enter the united states who is not a citizen. in many cases this involves two years of work to take a look at somebody's background, collect biometric information, to make sure that these individuals are vetted before they enter the united states. what often happens is they are paired up with faith taste -- faith-based organizations that are played an important role in helping these new arrivals to the united states get their feet on the ground and

get established in their community. in some ways -- the president made reference at the national prayer breakfast where he talked about how this is some of the important work that faith-based organizations across the country do every day and does not often get noticed, but he contributes to the strength of our country, a way that he united states lives up to the kinds of values we advocate for around the world, and the reason the united states can be a position to say we take in more refugees in the united states to through the established you and process -- u.n. process than all the other countries in the world combined. that is another way that the united states demonstrates our exceptionalism and the kind of values that make our country great. >> c-span's washington journal live every day. tomorrow morning, former nsa attorney will be with us. we will talk live about apple's

bite with fbi over encryption. robert bailey will discuss china's place. and the state of the china economy. washington journal begins live at 7:00 easton tomorrow. join the discussion. >> is the day before the republican caucuses in nevada. rubio.t, marco ted cruz was campaigning in las vegas. coming up tonight at 10 p.m. eastern, republican presidential candidate and winner of this weekends suck on of primary -- south carolina primary, donald trump. you can watch it live on c-span. >> since the start of this campaign, only one network has taken you on the road to the

white house. from the early announcements to the policy speeches to the candidates visiting diners in iowa and after, and of course the campaign rallies. after the results in south carolina, republican race has narrowed in the democratic race has sharpened. we will stay in south carolina with a big democratic primary this saturday and then we move on to the multi-state primary in early march. this race is just getting underway. you can follow all of this on the c-span webwork -- network and online and c-span radio. rubioing up next, marco campaigns and north las vegas ahead of tuesday's about a caucus. he is joined by former new kids andhe block member walberg a number from palm stars -- oa

pawn stars. this is just under an hour. >> we have a lot of people supporting marco rubio. a lot of grassroots supporters and political leaders. we even have great celebrities. who here has heard of the store -- heard of the shore -- heard of the show pawn stars? [applause] we will have a member here. he has been advocating for senator rubio. ladies and gentlemen, rick harrison. [applause] thank you, everybody. a lot of people asked me why i am supporting cargo. -- marco. i was supporting him before he announced. this is why. my father was a high school dropout.

he joined the navy when he was 17 years old. when i was born, my parents brought me home to a trailer that my dad had parked in his backyard. diego and wasn stationed there and started getting some real estate and started doing all right. when i was eight years old in san diego, one night i was laying in bed and suddenly the world looked upside down. literally. then i woke up sometime later, i cannot walk -- could not walk, blood was coming out of my mouth. i had a seizure. when i have these as a kid, -- i that i of these so bad cannot walk for days. i would rip the muscles in my back and my legs. i learned to read and i did what i could. me,om, dad, grandma, told you know why, it is not matter. you can do anything you want.

in the end, you can get it done. i finished the ninth grade. i was too sick and high school to finish. -- in high school to finish. i was determined to do what i would do. i lived the american dream. i have six beatable kids and a great business. i have a television show. kids and a great business. i have a television show. i employ over 300 people. i like making money and giving people jobs. dreamy live the american but i'm afraid my kids will not do that because hillary and sanders believe that i'm a bad guy. they truly believe i am a bad guy because i make money. but, i do not live in extravagant life. when i make money, i make jobs. currently they think jobs and is sky and fall from the

everyone will work for the government and everyone will be great. marco rubio is a guy whose parents live the american dream and he is living the american dream. i think sky and everyone will work for the trump will do one million times better than the attorneys of -- of alternative -- alternative but from never heard the words growing up, no son, we cannot afford that. [laughter] marco has. marco believes it is a great thing with your son is a welder or a plumber. my son is a plumber and he is a hell of a plumber. [applause] this is why i want marco. not only that, i sat down with one million politicians and when you get them alone it is light, where's the money. a year ago before i decided to endorse them, i sat down for him for an hour and a half and not once did he the party or the money. he just talked about the american people.

he just was to see the dream for everybody. that is why i support him. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, rick harrison. [applause] these are two of my great daughters. i have six kids. >> we love them. thank you. ladies and gentlemen, i said that we got lots of great supporters for senator rubio, a grassroots, the voters, the nevadans who love him. let me introduce someone who is well known who has been with senator rubio for a very long time. he is a friend of all of ours who example vice conservative values. if you watch fox news, you are likely to see him. he is a congressman and a friend and a great supporter of senator rubio.

carson jason chaffetz from utah. and his wife julie. -- congressman jason chaffetz from utah. and his wife julie. >> it is an honor and privilege to be here with my wife. we do not always get to do that. today guest account as date night. [applause] i hope you are ok with that. this night is a little different than the others because tomorrow we are going to do something that i'm just so honored. tomorrow, we sell red out 25th wedding anniversary. -- celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. [applause] i told her, julie, after 25 elco. i'm taking you to [laughter] that is how much she loves me. we are so looking forward to going.

i have to say that i'm very blessed. i first met julie and i did not have much of a dime to my life. andought her on the stage buyht a coupon -- i had a one get one free frozen yogurt and it worked. we went all the way through this and we are very blessed with three children. we have a son and two daughters. i get a little emotional when i talk about it because they are the thrill of our lives. asgo through that experience you have a inevitably gone through, julie has been by my side every step of the way. i lost a mother to cancer. i lost a father to cancer. we have gone through some difficult times. we've had amazing highs as well. as you go through that and life,

you look at those expenses and try to figure out, where do i go with my life? what will happen next? i remember the optimism in my life and the excitement i had growing up. i was very blessed with my family. i would tell a quick story. the next person i will introduce , you are really going to be surprised and you will love it. i want to tell you this personal story first. up in mys growing life, one of the things -- keep talking he just said. one of the things that happen in my life is every morning when i woke up, my dad would make us breakfast. my mom would make the lunch and dinner. and i had inup front of me a newspaper. comics anduld be the then it turned into the sports page and then after the sports page it was the whole paper. until i was about 13 years old

or so, we were going through the process and it was summertime. i grew up in california and arizona. i was in arizona at the time. i that put in front of me not the whole paper but the want ads. i said, wait a second. it is summer. where's the rest of the paper? he said you are going to get a job. no, no, no. that is not me. i play soccer. that is what i do. he said i was going to get a job. i said, how do i get a job? he said you will figure it out. see those telephone numbers, you call those numbers and said he wanted job. so i found one and i loved it. it is somewhat like las vegas. this is arizona. i found this job i got you done by noon and i thought, that is the one i want. it startedi realize at 3:45 in the morning that you pick you up. i was going to pick weeds and

and wear jeans. you know how hot it is in the summer. i was going through that and then i realized i'm a white color guy. that is what i realized. collar die. i said i need to look -- guy. i said i need a different job. a differentall number. no. went on and i thought, i need a new job. i looked in the newspaper again and i found one at the general cinema corporation. i got a nice navy blue blazer, a short sleeve and a bow tie. i ripped tickets and get all the things. and you know what, it taught me the value of work. it taught me the value of a dollar. it taught me that, you know

what, you have to earn your keep. i started to realize -- [applause] i've taken that attitude and that approach and it has been a thrill. our special guest is here that the quick story about this guy. when julie and i were dating, one time, part of one of my slick moves, i went to a new kids on the block concert and i got to kiss julie that night. so i have a lot of thanks for our very next guess -- guest. another performer for marco rubio, who will be the next president of the united states, welcome johnny walberg. >> thank you. [applause] >> so glad you are here. did you learn any moves at that concert? speaking of new kids on the

block, hello nevada. [applause] awesome.retty freaking i'm truly honored to be here. team thatd the rubio i was getting on board and would i want margo, -- marco, to sleep last night and i woke up this morning and i guess they announced it in my phone was going crazy. and they looking at it were so many puns and jokes referring to new kids on the block. new kid on the gop block. there was donny thanks marco has the right stuff. one of my favorites was marco, mark, and the funky bunch. quite surprising. [laughter] another one was walberg are -- walberger offers up sizzling

endorsement of rubio. will be opening up on the strip very soon. we hope to bring a lot of jobs here to nevada. i want to say that i'm really honored to be here and i'm very proud to throw my support behind micro rubio -- marco rubio. i will be honest, i have never voted for a republican presidential candidate. that is until this year thanks to marco rubio. [applause] i'm going to tell you that i felt very compelled to throw my support behind him. this is a very crucial time in our country. this is a very crucial election. i have to say that marco and i do not see eye to eye on every

issue being that i have not always voted republican but i will say that i would much rather have a republican tell me something that i don't want to then tom to kyle -- have another democrat tummy every signal thing i want to hear just to get my vote. [applause] we can't get by on promises anymore. we need action and marco is a man of action. i heard someone say that he is not quite experienced enough. judging by the debates, the point cs shown and the character he hasshown, -- poise shown and the character he has shown, everything he shows so that he is more prepared than anyone else in the field by a mile. the great positions marco has and the great points he has made, there are two poignant

moments that stand out that made my choice crystal creek. -- crystal clear. the first was after the new hampshire primary when marco stood on stage after the lowest point of his campaign and looked at the thousands of supporters and said this is on me. the humility and accountability on that night is something that is so lacking from all the other candidates in this race. [applause] those are qualities that we desperately need in a president. the second moment was of course, last night after the south carolina primary. the stagego on standing side-by-side with nikki haley and tim scott, a latino candidate for president standing an indian american and an african-american really working together, genuinely committed to

create a new movement. you can see the movement starting last night. you could feel the energy starting. it is a movement that is inclusive. it is a movement that is diverse and it is a movement that is compassionate. three words that have not always been associated with this party for a long time. said, marco has often said that he is the only candidate who can unite this party and the only candidate who can grow this party. well, tonight i stand here as living proof to those words because the party is growing. it is growing with me and it is growing with all of you. i promise you that with your support and your energy, the other candidates will hear marco coming. donald trump hears him coming. the field is narrowing down. [applause] i can tell you that the three front runners donald trump,

bernie sanders and hillary clinton do not want to face marco rubio one-on-one. [applause] him do not want to face one-on-one. it is up to you to continue to support him and whittle down the field. marco rubio is the man that will be the next president of the united states with your support. mr. hutchison: donnie wahlberg, everybody. all right. let the to do some quick information before we get to what we are talking about. just a couple more things. we are all here tonight to support senator rubio and making the next president of the united states. it is important to remember that this is not like any other election. you can't just go to your normal election site.

you have to find out where your caucus site is. you don't just go to where you went before, you have to find where your caucus site is. caucus.marcorubio.com. 5:00 and 8:00 in clark county. all this means nothing if you do not go out and caucus. find your caucus site and go out and caucus for senator marco onio either at 5:00 p.m. tuesday night, it if you can volunteer please volunteer. we have a packed house at our offices. we need more people. i want to introduce a good friend of a senator rubio, a good friend of nevada.

hardy from cresent district four. [applause] mr: hardy: thank you. thank you for the opportunity to stand in front of you and say i endorse senator marco rubio. [applause] agohardy: a few days hillary clinton made a disparaging content -- comments that nevada was not important because it is 80% white. nevada has one of the greatest diversities of anywhere in the united states. this is why we are first in the west. nevada and this district is my district, and it is a privilege to serve. i know the senator will serve, without any deck in my mind --

without any doubt in my mind, death that diversity is what has made nevada what it is today. those folks who live and work in my district note what is like to live paycheck to paycheck. it has been a tough time in this country into this district, and i think marco will help bring the economy back and strengthen the country must strengthen the military. i like to say that the reason i have taken so long as we are now threeoint where we have major candidates. i think marco is the right person for me, the right person for this state, any right person for this country. folks, i really appreciate his willingness to serve. because it is not easy. --t i also like about marco he had a choice. he could stay in the senate, but

if he is done, if he does not win the presidency, he is done with politics. a guy'swhat i want, commitment to run and not be afraid to lose a race and move forward. i do not think he will lose that race. beingwith senator heller at his side, i would like to introduce the senator now. ok, thank you for being here. let's push marco over the top. thanks. [applause] mr. hutchison: we've got one of the great nevada champions. who isthe great leaders going to introduce senator rubio. let me leave you with this thought. he is the one who can win the election in november. he is the one who hillary clinton or bernie sanders does

not want to face. he will unite the republican party. we talked about the children of the reagan revolution now ready to stand up. [applause] mr. hutchison: the other thing he does that no other candidate can do is he can write an , andiography, american son vegas. seven, growing up [applause] marco rubio grew up here. he knows nevada. marco rubio is about nevada. marco rubio's family, they are over here in the bullpen, stand up. [applause] mr. hutchison: senator rubio once told me he has more family members and nevada that he does in florida. have as nevada and we

great nevada leader who is a friend of mine and loves this country, and is a great supporter of senator rubio. heller.ator dean [applause] he's got a friend here. is this guy great or what? it's great to be here with mark, thank you. thank you everybody, what a wonderful, wonderful evening. what a warm las vegas welcome. i'm thenews is this -- one guy standing between you and marco rubio. i will tell you what, i will make it short. but i want to tell you a story. last night as i was coming home i phoned my wife and said i was going to be stumping this weekend for marco rubio. she said, "it is about time."

[applause] mr. heller: it took me a little bit longer than my wife. she was with marco from day one. marco knew that, as others can attest, and it took me a little bit longer, but this is marco-country we are in today. [applause] mr. heller: so, it is great to be here, great to have the senator here, and i want to remind you of something i said earlier and that is there is a reason why marco rubio gets the support of his colleagues back in washington dc. he is the real deal and that is what america needs. [applause] people try to say this is a three-man show. this is a two-man show. it is donald and marco rubio. that is the two choices. i guarantee you there is nobody

that understands this country, understands the city, understand this state better that marco rubio. he will become the next president of the united states. so let's here, we practiced this earlier. let's get him up your. marco! marco! marco! [applause] [♪ ac/dc's "thunderstruck" ♪] mr. rubio: thank you, thank you, i appreciate it. thank you very much, thank you. thank you very much, i appreciate it. i didn't know you are

introducing me, i just thought someone was calling my name. is that for me or are they playing a game in the pool? i want to thank you for being a part of this program. all welcome, because we are grateful. it is great to be back in southern nevada, great to be back in las vegas. [applause] mr. rubio: and it is great to be here and this is such an important election. i'm so happy nevada played such an important role. it was just a few years ago that this began, where nevada plays a critical role. yesterday the democrats were in election they had an between a socialist, bernie sanders -- when you call someone a socialist they usually get offended. bernie says it in his commercials. but at least he admits it. if you want to be a socialist,

there are dozens of the socialist countries here if you want to be a socialist, moved to a socialist country. we want to be the united states of america. [applause] course, the other candidate is under fbi investigation. be a socialist than under fbi investigation. but she thinks she is above the law. she put incredibly important classified material on your computer, and i think her plan was to get elected and pardon herself, but she is not going to get elected. [applause] i know that most of these elections are usually a choice between two political parties, democrats against republicans, or in this case socialist against republicans,

or between names on a ballot, and that is what you are going to have to choose. you are going to have a caucus, and you are going to have a choice between names, so that is still a part of it. but this election is much more than a choice between names. where youreferendum are going to be asked to choose not only who will be in charge of america, but what kind of country will america be in the 21st century, because that is what is at stake here. 2016 is no ordinary election. 2016 is a turning point in the history of the greatest nation on earth. there are only two ways forward for us. america will ever -- will either be greater than it has ever been, or a great nation in decline. those are the only two choices between us. onstay on the road we are

right now, we will become a great nation in decline. we will become the first americans who leave their children worse off than themselves. that has never happened in the history of this country. that is exactly what will happen we wake up to, the news of a president sanders or president clinton. so, we cannot lose this election. i'm here today to ask you to talk us -- ask you to caucus for me. if you know many me, we will win this election. [applause] me, we willminate win this election. [applause] mr. rubio: of the people left in this race, no one can unite this party more than i can. if we are still fighting, we are going to lose. if we are still divided, we are going to lose.

we have to be united if we are going to win, and if you nominate me i will unite the republican party and the conservative movement. [applause] mr. rubio: but we are going to just united, we are going to grow it. that means we are going to take our principles, our message, and take it to people who have not voted for us and a longtime. come to believe that republicans and conservatives do not care about people like them. they don't care about people that are struggling, they don't care about people making it project to paycheck. we care deeply, i care deeply, because i grew up paycheck to paycheck. someone asked me, what does that mean? means you write a check on wednesday but you know you will not get paid until set -- until friday, so you dated

saturday. that is paycheck to paycheck. then they said, you know that is a crime. i said, i didn't say i did that. but i have lived paycheck to paycheck. married, it was tough. we are going to take our message to people were struggling. only waytand that the to help them is to embrace free enterprise. free enterprise is the greatest economic system and the history of the world. [applause] are going to take our message to young americans who are struggling under student loan debt. [applause] are you cheering for student loan debt or because you have student loan's? you know i care so much?

because i had a student loan, it was more than $100,000. the only way i could pay it off was to write a book, called "american son." now available in paper book -- paperback. about four years ago i didn't -- i only had about $100,000 in student loans. when we first got married it was one of the biggest items on our budget. it was over $1000 a month. i never met sally made but i paid her a lot of money. that's why are the only republican running who talks about student loan debt and has real solutions. by the way, they are bipartisan solutions. we are going to take our message to families raising their children, because jenna and i are raising our children now in the 21st century.

we know how hard it has gotten, in this time, in this age, to raise your children with the right values instead of the values they try to ram down our throat all the time in the popular culture. [applause] mr. rubio: so if you nominate me, we will unite this party and we will grow it. we will take our message to people who haven't heard from us in a long time. debtis the faith of the face of the new conservative movement. very well in south carolina and i want to thank the team for what they did. [applause] mr. rubio: as somebody asked me, one of the journalists, are you concerned? how are you going to reach out to minorities? well, just this afternoon i was on stage

receiving the endorsement of an indian-american governor from south carolina who was endorsing a human american senator from i was standing next to the african-american senator from south carolina. that sounds pretty minority to meet. me.o [applause] mr. rubio: we are the party of everyone. we are going to grow this party and take our message to everyone. what we stand for is better for all americans, we have to put in the time to convince people of that, and we will. because if you can go to people and say i lived how you live now, i have faced what you are now facing, it gives you the credibility to say i want you to embrace free enterprise because it is better for you, it was better for me, and it is the right way forward for america. [applause] mr. rubio: so, if you nominate

me, we are going to win and i want you to know exactly what we are going to do. thing i will do when i am president is you're going to have a president who swears to up and end up with of the united states, unlike the president we have now. i will actually mean it. [applause] mr. rubio: you will have a president that believes and projects and defense your first amendment right, not just do believe in what you want but to live out your faith in every aspect of your life. when il have a president am elected that defends your second amendment rights to protect yourself and your families. [applause] mr. rubio: and here is one that is really important. you will have a president that

understands the federal government is supposed to be a very limited government. its powers are clearly defined in the constitution. if it is not one of those on the list, the federal government does not have that power. nowhere in the constitution does it say the federal government should own 83% of the state of nevada. [applause] mr. rubio: it is supposed to be a limited government at the federal level. we will bring it back to its proper place. you will have a president who understands that every issue in america does not have a federal government solution. many of them do not even have a government solution. -- you will have a president who understands what you do as parents is more important than what you do in

politics. you will have a president who understands that what happens in your house is often much more important than what happens in the white house. [applause] and you will have a president that understands, protects theand 10th amendment. [applause] have plenty of teachers in my family, that is why i know we do not need a federal department of education, because we do not need a national school board. [applause] mr. rubio: we will return to the constitution, and by the way, that means not just justice scalia, rest his soul, or any vacancies when i am president will be filled by someone who

understands that the constitution should be applied based on its original meaning, not based on what you want to be at any given moment. [applause] number two, you will have a president that believes in free enterprise. i mentioned that a moment ago. you know what i know free enterprise works? because people get on boats to come here to get away from places that do not have free enterprise. [applause] mr. rubio: free enterprise works because it is the only economic model and the history of the world where you can make poor people richer without making rich people poorer. where you can lift everybody up without link anyone down. -- without why pulling anyone down.

and we are going to repeal obamacare. [applause] mr. rubio: don't say polo, i hate that game. when i am president it will be a punishable by five years to play marco polo. that's a joke. the presses here, they will think it's real. -- the press is here, they will -- think it is real.

the world has become a very dangerous place. there is a lunatic and north korea who has nuclear weapons. i have said is a couple times that the debate and they got mad at me, but he knows exactly what he is doing. he is in keeping us safe. the guy in north korea is a lunatic because he is the son of a dictator. sons of dictators are dangerous people because they have never been punished, never been told no, never got to timeout. guy is a lunatic with nuclear weapons. the chinese government is expanding their military faster than anyone ever has. -- oureal our input inventions. vladimir putin is sowing instability.

iran is about to get $100 billion thanks to obama's deal. and radical islamic jihadists are spreading, especially isis. they now have affiliates in over a dozen countries. isis is a dangerous group. they set people on fire in cages. they sell little girls off as brides, at 10 years old. they need to be defeated. do you know what barack obama has done? he has gutted our military. we will soon have the smallest army since the end of world war ii here we will have the smallest navy in 100 years. in we will have the smallest air force in our history. is 27 years old. the pilots are younger than the planes. it is very dangerous and unfair to men and women in uniform.

we are still putting them in harms way, but with older equipment. with less people fighting alongside them. and with rules of engagement that do not allow them to win. [applause] by the way, defense spending is not the reason we have a debt. defense spending is the first thing we should spend money, it is the reason why we have a federal government. when i am president of the united states, listen to me clearly on this because this is important, when i am president of the united states we are going to undertake a reagan-style rebuild of the u.s. military. [applause] and when i am president we are going to have a real war on terror, not this fake work. -- fake war. the best military in the world

is going to destroy them. and if we capture any of them alive, they are not getting a court hearing in manhattan, they do not have the right to remain silent, they are going to guantanamo. [applause] mr. rubio: and in guantanamo, we are going to find out everything they know. [applause] mr. rubio: it we are going to take care of our veterans. we are not doing that now. you know with the headline in "usa today" was this week? i'm paraphrasing, but a red, calls to be a -- va suicide hotline went to voicemail. do you think anyone will be fired over that?

they might get a bonus, they might get promoted. the va and you are not doing a good job, you will be fired. [applause] by the way, if you are a veteran or a loved one of yours has served or is serving serving, did you read your and syndicate thank you -- you raise your hand so we could thank you? [applause] mr. rubio: here's what i want you to know. when i am president of the yourd states, you can take benefits to any hospital or any dr. you want to go to. and let me just add this. our veterans when they

come home, they do not stop serving. many become police officer's, firefighters, first responders. i'm so tired of seeing negative articles about the police. we thank our police officers, we thank our firefighters for what they do to us -- do for us. [applause] mr. rubio: we had a lot of work to do, but if we do the things i just talked about, if we return to a federal government that is limited by the constitution, if we reimburse free enterprise, if we build and rebuild our national security, in essence, if we act like america again, then the 21st century will be better than the 20th century, and our future will be better than our history. [applause] mr. rubio: that is within our reach. but we have to do it now.

we cannot get this election wrong. we can't afford to elect someone like hillary clinton. hillary clinton is not qualified to be the commander-in-chief of the united states. she is not. on the 11th of september men lost their lives in benghazi. she lied to their families. anyone who lies to the families of people who have lost their lives in service to our country can never be the commander-in-chief of the united states of america. [applause] mr. rubio: we have a lot of work to do. but we have to do it, because what is at stake is the essence of the most important nation and

all of human history. is reason we are so special because the people who did -- people who came before us did their part. how me times people get tired of hearing it, i have to say it. it is the reason i entered public service and the reason i am running for president. i/o a debt to this country i will never be able to repay. a debt to this country i will never be able to repay. my parents were born in cuba. hey, there was a cuban today in arkansas, that is awesome. nothing, here with they didn't know anyone, they barely spoke english.