understanding between the two countries. first long as i've known her, she has been advocating for a state visit. so i feel like the prime minister of the something >> thank you so much louisa. hello everyone. the whole gang. we are delighted to be partnering with you. hello to those of you tuning in. there are lots of seats available. you can set up front. if state dinners are the super bowl of diplomacy, then this is the pregame show.

thrilled to be partnering with politico. all the events and activities that are happening this week. the state dinner is great but it also about substance. bilateralns in the discussion. we are very excited. be the first state visit with a hashtag. we looking forward to a terrific week. you can follow the conversation on twitter. you can tweak questions for the moderators.

i would like to welcome politicos editor susan glasser. susan: good afternoon. i'm delighted that you are all here. we have such a terrific panel. those people who have labored in the vineyards of u.s. canada policy issues. people are at paying attention. senator amy klobuchar. has been working on this issue for 10 years. john iversen who is a columnist for the national post. he is a political expert.

delighted to have him with us. i can't think of a better group of people. please join me in welcoming them. we already have jumped right into our conversation backstage. a lot of panel discussions. most of them actually don't start backstage. we are running an article called justin fever hits washington. of all issues. which one would suddenly skyrocket to the top of our has been one of those were the but not front page subjects for some time. here comes justin trudeau.

we quoted an unnamed white house official saying that the new prime minister is dreamy. a good contrast to our own presidential election. on this been working issue for a long time senator klobuchar. there is a canada cool factor now. klobuchar: canadians have been obsessed with president obama. we are talking about what we should do with my daughter's future. she has given me grief for years. but i think our time has finally come.

when you think of president obama and the prime minister they both came in on platforms of change. to when the countries wanted something different. president obama came in at the time of crisis. the worst economic freefall since the depression. trudeau is coming at a time when the economy is stable. this time when he can do some of the things that he might wish you'd done from the beginning. and infrastructure. obama reached out to other

countries and used a different approach. i see it as being from minnesota where we can see canada from our porch i see it as a major trading partner that so often gets overlooked. our number one trading partner. in thef interest possibilities. the passage of goods across the border. the bridge from windsor to detroit. a lot of our manufacturing standards. of the things we can work to form a north american trading block.

in a really difficult global economy. i'm glad you mentioned trade. there are some substantive issues on the table. the trade deal now pending is one of those. president obama has expended a lot of his personal credibility and negotiating this. trudeau who has yet to officially endorse it. why would cap about the reluctant to support something like that? is because of the change of administration in canada. the trade deal was negotiated by the previous government. there hasn't been a lot of public discussion about it. promise was made by the liberals

that they would go out and consult. canada has signed the agreement. there are some issues that people are concerned about. pressure about whether there can be some side letters on some key issues. also in relation to indigenous peoples. the concept of free trade is sides, fromon both donald trump and from bernie sanders. is that a new kind of nationalism? what does that new progressive is an mean on canada side.

is it a very pragmatic thing? >> we're going to hear more of that this week. i was on the white house called this morning. this is obama's top priority. the conservatives negotiated the agreement. traditionallyave been the party that supported trade agreements like nafta. they have made the commitment to consult. feeling amongwing pharmaceutical costs and even some of the automakers. this would open up to some japanese cars. there is a movement against it.

the liberals in canada have become experts at playing all sides of this issue. they want to pull their fighter jets out of the war against isil but they still want to be part of the war. for the most part they got away .ith it they have to come down to one side or the other. he wants to get certain things. how much do you think there is the possibility that here in the usa support for the agreement could go away? klobuchar: mitch

mcconnell has made it very clear that that is something that will be considered after the election. you could have the same congress. they had already passed the earlier agreement. which needed to significantly more votes. time will tell. it is not the number one thing on people's agenda. we focus on this crazy election. one of the candidates talked about building a wall to canada. they may have to build the wall to keep the americans out. scott walker was asked about that and he said he would consider it. state people were pretty focused on that. a good idea.as

how would you build it through the lake? practical concerns. 9/11, we thought about these border issues. some of the work that the prime minister wants to do after 9/11. there was the need for some changes. but i remember first coming into office was we were early talking about passports the northern senators in the u.s. tended to be much more trying to make compromise very cognizant of the security concerns. also making commerce work. we got that pretty much taking care of. we have some good opportunities to make the infrastructure better. some really busy intersections were we are trying to bring trucks in. possibly investing some private money and some of the border control areas. we are doing that on the mexican border.

eight of them have preclearance. fly to american airports. the washington post said it was the only bill that passed during that month. a bill and getting luggage prescreened to canada. does donald trump know about this? canadians are worried about this. the whole question of the border. commerce across the border. it will be a major topic over the next couple of days. there were a lot of horrified faces in the northern states one the governor spoke about a wall with canada.

all of our moves have been an effort to build more security. some of the other work can be done. the people in michigan. they want to build an additional bridge. despite the opposition. we will have a whole conversation later tonight. much greater number of refugees. you the conversation we will have is about energy. a major plank in the trudeau

campaign. the macro economics of energy has changed dramatically. with these sharp decline in the price of oil and gas. real repercussions on the u.s. canada relationship. the plunge in the price of oil. for economies are on a dual track. because of the dollar.

trudeau's promise to make changes in respect to climate change policy. they've said to them we are not taking your federal regulation. they couldn't agree on moving forward with a clear policy. on carbon pricing. great trouble in building a pipeline. canada to get to the market. there will be pressure on this. fundamentally committed i'm sure. using our carbon imprint. a decades long transition.

how to actually deliver product to market. you see it a boost to the canadian economy. regardless of donald trump. it is amazing that we have such coalescence of interest. going forward. mrs. clinton is not as pro-trade as the canadian government would like her today. we will see some accommodations happening. whether it is a democrat or republican in the white house talking about electricity transmission. both countries have a lot of work to do.

the election was something of a referendum on that. a lot of americans want to move forward on climate change. difficult president obama came in wanting to get the renewable electricity policy done. the decision was made let's go for cap and trade. it is very difficult time to do it because of the pressures on the economy. now things are a little more stable. there are fiscal constraints on his government. borrowing modest amounts of low interest. been came in at

several billion dollars. he said will be back in balance within four years. none of those things look like it's going to happen. he will have a longer honeymoon than president obama. canada's role in the world. fighter jet prisons in the war against isis. specific security roles. qc canada a lot of impetus

there's a long-term secular trend here are commitments around defense a big change gdp that has to take place. measuring the candidate is going to back to what was. the internationalism and peacekeeping. they're going to be some really hard choices made. whether or not we erect going to make increases to that. and at what level. quite dramatic some of the decisions that have to be made.

still having trainers on the frontline in iraq. helping their with the major ukrainian population. the decisions have to be made. trudeau showed when he went down to the airport and greeted as refugees. they have the numbers that she show it. done 25,000.

i think they've pledged to try to 3500. that discussion in the campaign signifies the different approaches. >> there's a lot of symbolism of his government. they're more able to fight famine and war. keep the forces doing what they have been doing. a lot of catch-up needs to be done.

senator klobuchar: it is not symbolism what affects real people. the actions are happening right now. i think the u.s. government should be stepping up its game. know we have to do the vetting and we have to do with the right way. we can let in more refugees. >> 50% of the shadow cabinet is going to be women. should the next president of the united states make a similar pledge? klobuchar: it is a woman

president that is one big position that is taken by a woman. it's a big superdelegate. 30% of parliament's female. they are not token positions. where your predictions of what the big take away will be from this obama trudeau meeting? it will be about trade. i agree.

will the wall have a door in it? the garage doors of the trucks can get through it. this is manager of the conversation. i really appreciate the kickoff event for us. we have a really robust group of people coming. you later to 10 years on this issue. klobuchar: i'm the only senator that she had her swearing-in party at the canadian embassy. this is our number one trading partner. they put that in our capital.

canada has gone the other way. [applause] i'm thrilled to continue this event. on a topic that is high on the agenda. that is energy and climate change.

a quick reminder to join the conversation on twitter. i will have a tablet with me on stage and i will be able to look for interesting questions. president obama has made a commitment to reduce methane by

as much as 45%. there are some hurdles involved. what more do you need to see other than the baseline levels? >> there is a lot of common ground between canada and the united states. methane is one of them. with a highly integrated automotive sector. increasingly connected physically is a great expense. a robust and growing trade in clean energy between the two countries. something for the leaders to talk about.

we've been obsessed with this keystone pipeline for years now. we can turn the page now. methane is a good example of an area where the countries can work together. >> there have been passed commitments to harmonize the policy goals. something to the 40 or 45% reduction level.

measures to deal with existing sources. more ambitious than what is on the table now. methane is getting part of the solution. for the u.s. and canada meeting their climate change targets. a broader range of opportunities. a new approach to looking at it. to incentivize the clean energy. to slow down the carbon.

we've seen some great principles on what that would look like. when these ngos talk about climate tested talking about alberta. you think a climate test should be applied? contribute continue to increase our emissions without limit. an economy wide price on carbon is needed. $30 per ton.

when it is fully implemented it will cover between 78% of alberta's economy. we do believe we can continue to grow the economy while driving down the omission in alberta 40% of our electricity comes from clean energy. call is down. with the election of the new government. there is real change coming from canada. moderator: absolutely. this is a benchmark for future emissions. is that something you can see ultimately integrated, maybe on the provincial level or the national level. gitane: if the government changes the process for energy going for it, albert's expectations for the plan will be taken into that, to demonstrate the steps we are taking in reduction of the missions. -- emissions.

and resources and finding a way to market now, we are going by real -- rail, and the building of the pipeline could produce emissions, it is an option. moderator: absolutely. so, for the audience, the united nation climate discussions focused on what it would mean to avert a 2% -- two degree increase, the to pinpoint for climate change. when we talk about the climate test, that is what is in the mirror looking ahead and break and anthony, if you want to jump in -- greg and anthony, if you want to jump in on what i would look like. i think that the government deserves recognition for the steps they are taking. they are making up for lost time.

the oil sector is going to a change right now and there are questions about how much of the various resources will be developed in the parts of the world. think that the key thing that paris will do, they'll help to get countries on the same page about where we are heading. once we understand that and policies flow from that, then i think that a lot of business people will creep out to everybody. >> i would also agree that alberta made a strong step forward with their climate plan. i might push back a little on the idea that a climate test would simply be a means of focusing on one province or sector, they are really opportunities -- there are really opportunities in the u.s. and canada, that drive on long-term -- thrive on long-term decisions.

just as a bit of a background on how we see that working, you know, right now when looking at long-term planning, we rely on models that assume that by -- with a six degree celsius warming into those models for market assume much more robust prices for fossil fuels. moving for come after paris part of -- moving forward, after paris part of -- one of the necessary steps to provide lawmakers with the tools they need to make decisions in accordance with their imperatives, is to begin to model out what to degrees celsius does for global prices or for fossil fuels and clean energy. that very meant -- that very well could be coming that could create dynamics where clean energy products become more

viable than they would in a six degrees celsius world, where as other projects are more viable. moderator: an important point. since you mentioned the scheme of energy products, let's pull back and start with gitane, where the main deliverables you expect on the topic of energy? gitane: i think it is great that they are meeting. this is fabulous. the prime minister had a meeting with all of the creamers where they spent a day -- premieres, where they spent a day talking about clean energy innovation and how we can move forward as a nation. the fact that our economy is so integrated to come up with a common goal and for alberta to take the steps made it, this is essentially the texas of canada, and for them to have these types of policies, we would love it for those in the u.s. to take the same steps we have taken.

we're and justly waiting to see what happens in helping create opportunities for us to participate in real partnerships at the national level or state level. moderator: greg and anthony, that was a fabulous answer to narrow that. president obama has one year left, what would you expect with these commitments, what can be carried out before the president leaves office? >> i would not take for granted the value of just the meeting. there are important steps to take on methane. there are important steps for collaboration, both canada and the u.s. are warming and the arctic is warming is that twice as fast. -- warming twice as fast. we can have a collaboration on collective science, it truly a step forward for the countries. a lot can be done. i would not underestimate the value of the two countries working together in other international forums.

are very and i reserve the right to be surprised, because what i think what you have are motivated leaders that want to get things done. when that happens, surprising things can happen. i will be watching as everybody will be for the next couple of days. gitane: oftentimes, just being on the same page can be enough. moderator: anthony, anything to add? anthony: i might reframe that to ask, what can't be done this year? the u.s. has been moving for it on many areas where it has authority to regulate carbon and methane emissions. you and trade is

you will trade is important to our quality of life on a personal basis and moving products by vessels of the most common and efficient way to move product. ports and shipping are large energy users. so the framework that we established, which i think is unique in being a cross-border, nongovernment led framework, was a collaboration between ourselves and the ports into,. to proactively set bills for quality improvement, recognizing at the end of the day, the air the flows across the border pretty easily and we want to impacted any positive way.

will a will and you is you is you will is a cool a and we have large quantities of will hydroelectric power, so plugging a ship along the dock, that means they can switch off a diesel engine and draw hydropower. the challenges, that means

as investment. we need ships to invest, we need investment in structure, we need to investment in structure, we need to work with the providers for the power and getting all of those things to come together is not always easy. it would be essential to really youit would be essential to really have that common goal and to recognize that while we may compete with each other to get the cruise ships to call there, we will not be competing on the he will environment. place to a robin: so the more we can create a provide an environment like that, the better. and in vancouver, we have a program where we provide reduction -- the fees that ships pay for the port, for those who use more than the legal minimum. if they are burning cleaner fuel, meeting different standards, they get a reduction.

and it is helping us meet these clean energy targets. that itself has been recognize by branson. and endorsed as one of the global leading practices. the transition to a clean air economy will require getting the policies right to ensure that industry has the right incentives to expand and make long-term investments into the projects that will both lower carbon emissions and build economic growth in areas. we have seen that play out in both canada and the u.s., to some extent, but there is no

question that there are many more opportunities for that to play out on a larger scale moving forward. moderator: absolutely. the big aspect of the certainty factor you discussed, i encounter as a reporter, really, and as you know we learned during the years of the keystone debate, electric projects, natural gas products and -- projects and oil products are and divided by three u.s. agencies. canada's system is different, but that could create confusion, people working on these issues and have a hard time keeping a straight. i am interested in anybody's ini am interested in anybody's thoughts on whether that system can or should be changed to make it more simple five -- simplified? is simplified? >> we saw legislative proposals in the last few years to

integrate decisions into one decision-maker. i do not see a lot of benefit to you doing that. are you particularly electricity providers are not competing with and providers are not competing with you oil copies, they are different sectors. you different sectors. what i would focus on rather than the procedural reform, is than what i to focus on, what is the outcome we want? thou come we should want -- the outcome we should want is a lower emissions future. so legislative proposals for change in the u.s. will >> i would agree you and with greg on that. to some extent, that is why we need to begin to consider climate in a way that we have not, with every structure decisions, making -- and in and infrastructure decisions, making those decisions, understanding that those products is what they will be judged on. does this project make sense in the context of commitments following paris. that will provide more certainty to the process.

will moderator: gitane, your thoughts on these is processes? gitane: i think that you want regulatory certainty that in alberta, 20 some percent of the government's role to -- governments revenue comes from royalties. so the system works with the industry. in and people need confidence in an regulators. the federal government in canada, they are making changes and they shut a regular down for not making changes. me people were assured by that, knowing that the regular would and knowing that the regular would act. be regardless of how the system is will is a structure, people need faith it is doing the job in it was set out to do. moderator: and judging from what greg and anthony said, they have you greg and anthony said, they have that with the carbon fee. that caught a lot of attention,

now you have taxes of canada -- now you have the texas of canada and now you have the texas of canada putting on that fee, when even the texas of america is not in even the texas of america is not doing that. how are they setting the bar, or at least for other provinces to look at clean energy? gitane: albert's perspective is yougitane: albert's perspective is that carbon is key to climate and that carbon is key to climate and change. are change. in we are very blessed with all of the glass -- gas resources and some other parts have hydro, we think it is up to each jurisdiction to come up with an approach that makes sense for them. in alberta, we can achieve a lot of reduction, the images -- emissions are high. in other places, hydro is for them, and to make that final push will be harder. in push will be harder. the so different places need to

make a plan that works best for late make a plan that works best for them. each administration needs to take action and we are happy that we have a partner in the federal government. hopefully, we can have natural -- national coordination and i think that it will lead to better things for the entire continent. in moderator: robin? robin: -- so it was neutral for the business sector, but it did not have an effect on behavior change. there are industries that have grappled with the tax. i think that they would strongly echo some for -- form of from a guy keeps the playing field level.

in moderator: absolutely. which raises a great follow-up. as far as i know, we're not sure which clean energy investments will receive the funding, but if we are, let me know. the fund -- gitane: all the revenue raised in will remain in alberta. there'll be transit, initiatives like that, funding other initiatives for technology and and initiatives for technology and the also helping low income green also helping low income families adjust and those communities heavily dependent on the coal industry to make the adjustment from coal to other ways of electricity. moderator: they do not see carbon caps? and in a gitane: there has been year gitane: there has been a huge investment in carbon storage in alberta, by the province. and there are some projects up and running. some of them to came online in november.

an with the money, we have a management fund now, so prior to our carbon --, we had large industrial sources pay fef in missions were over a certain -- pay a fee if emissions were over a certain bar. it was based on a sector wide and an performance. and in a and to make it as efficient as possible and as quickly as possible and some fun will go into funding -- i some funds will go into funding where they need a boost, taken some from the small to the biggest scale. moderator: greg and anthony, what said no might this -- signal might decide to american policymakers? >> we are in an exciting transition. it, not just for north america, but for the plan of the whole. in british climate, there is a developer time -- there is a

three dollar carbon tax. monaco the, quebec, the have linked the system with california. so we actually now have -- we are legally connected in ways that are related to climate you and you and the northeastern states have a program. in the u.s. right now, one third of our economy lives under this. in mexico, we have a three dollar as he sent -- $3.50 per ton price on carbon. it is happening in china and the european union and around the world. you you i think that we are in this. where our children will grow up in a world where the systems in the world grow together in and some way. . moderator: and their

political debate -- as you put out -- as you point out, we are living under them. in living under them. these have gotten very sharp. in anthony, how can this week of discussions held eliminate that? >> i think one part of this is concentrating on the opportunities that are really before us, in terms of both clean energy strategies and climate. the reality is, many of these policies actually build economic growth. moving forward, the 20,000 foot level, we are at a stage where a new conversation has begun. it is focusing on all the opportunities between the u.s. and canada to build a deeper integration as they both move you forward to meet their targets. and i think that that will be

the continual goal moving forward. is this solution package enough to bend the dimensions curve -- bend the admissions curve to meet targets. i think that will be a process for which, which there is a point, but not an endpoint. moderator: absolutely. that brings up the power of symbolism. something on my mind. both the u.s. and canada, there is a static going around if those targets can be met? as you pointed out earlier, it isn't credibly symbolically important for these two leaders to meet together with similar, almost identical agendas right now. how do you suppose the leadership should navigate these? we promise to me and we have the

questions -- meet and we have questions, so how important is it that we agree? >> this is the meeting of two of the top 10 emitters, so it will play a symbolic role, the fact we are aligned in aspiration is critical. and i would say, you know, our targets are ambitious, but we have little doubt that these are mutable. if you look at -- meetable. if you look at the steps that have been made, they are likely to bend the curve that maybe modeling have not shown yet. of course, we are seeing genetically different energy environment and that is in some ways doing us favors by reducing emissions projections. i think a another way of putting this is the consequence of not meeting these targets would be substantial and potentially, much more catastrophic than any -- meeting them. we are finding the policies we need to meet these targets actually build economies and will position both canada and the u.s. to compete in the world

transitioning to cleaning the g -- to clean energy. prime minister met with the premiers last week and if you read the declaration that came out of that, there were aspirational moments and a clear series in between, that they are setting up for working groups that need to report to a specific minister on a timeline and that report will be made public. that is important too. you have to have steps and you need to be transparent. gitane: and you could change your mind along the way, but there is an element of actually keeping people engaged and it demonstrated the work you are

doing and why you're making the decisions you are making. that is important. moderator: everybody loves transparency. greg, any thoughts on this? greg: i think a final point to make is that these two leaders are at different points in their careers. i think that the primus are deserves -- prime minister deserves credit for what he is doing. he has been in office for six months and i think he had to work very fast and has done so successfully for the paris agreement and now we are just a few months past that. so i think that we will see, there is a lot of conversation, infrastructure capacity building and thought that will be happening in the coming years. and i think i emphasize the importance of the election in the united states, so if you will continue to have a partner he will agree with him on policy goals.

the common roadmap can be created. it can unlock the private sector to deliver solutions. we get lost in differential approaches with different targets, we will not achieve as big a goal as we can if we get a common roadmap. there will be local differences, but heading in a common direction. moderator: i am glad that you brought up the coming election. can you give your thoughts on how that will affect perspective, because we don't know whether a democrat or republican will be here next year? gitane: we watch elections closely, but whoever is elected, we will work with. there are some canada -- there are some policies that are more prone canada on the democratic side, others on the republican side. we will watch and take it from

there. moderator: i think with that, we are out of time. thank you. i want to thank the panel for being here. for our final conversations, i would like to welcome back louisa savage, "politico" director of events. louisa: thank you, everyone, for staying with us this evening. for our final conversation, we will talk about the refugee crisis and the implications for border security. without any delay i would like to welcome our esteemed panelists. alan bersin is the assistant secretary for international affairs and chief diplomatic officer at the u.s. department of homeland security's. laura dawson is the director of the canadian institute at the wilson center. simon henshaw the principle secretary at the department of state. and commissioner gil kerlikowske. thank you for being here. [applause]

six months ago, the trudeau government was elected on the ambitious promise of taking in and resettling 25,000 refugees. last month, that mission was announced to be accomplished. previously, canada took in, all told, 20,000 refugees per year. this is not only a big increase, but in the context of a u.s. comparison, that would be, you know, like taking in almost 250,000 refugees into the united states. so, there have been a lot of questions raised in washington about what that really means for this country. i would like to discuss today how this policy is being method

-- implemented in canada, how it compares to the united states' own refugee policy, what it means for u.s. border security, and what kinds of new border policies or agreements we can expect to emerge from these meetings from the prime minister and the president this week. i would like to kick it off with laura. you testified to the united states senate explaining canada's refugees policies. can you tell us in a nutshell, how these refugees are being resettled, where they are going, and how they are being vetted? ms. dawson: sure. the most important thing to know is this is a low-risk group of refugees coming to canada. it is something like 60% women, 20% children -- folks that have been in a refugee camp for a long time, and there is a great deal of pre-vetting that goes on to begin with. what has to happen is within the government system, they are first vetted by the u.n. high commission for refugees, and they come up with a short list.

in the private system, a similar shortlist takes place. once they are short-listed, canadian immigration officials get involved, and there is a lot of vetting, communications, checking, security, health, medical records -- all of the canadian checks are checked against american lists. it is an automatic process, until all of the i's are dotted and the t's are crossed that it is all done before they leave, wherever they happen to be. luiza: how are they finding homes? ms. dawson: there is a public and private program. with the public program, the government assists them with finding homes. with the private program, community-based groups, church groups, they help to sponsor the

refugees. it is about two thirds in the government program. it is a big number. 25,000, but canadians have risen to the occasion. the communities have gotten really involved. they are taking this initiative very seriously, very personally, and if you look at canadians through history, the vietnamese, post-world war ii, post uprising in hungary, there is a canadian tradition of taking it large numbers of refugees, -- taking people in need. luiza: tell us about the political context because it is hard to imagine the scenario here of a political leader making this a selling point, where it has been so controversial, but in canada, my understanding is the controversy has been more about -- are you doing fast enough? well enough? is that correct? ms. dawson: yeah, that seems to be the case.

trudeau has challenged canadians to define the kind of people that they are -- i am a canadian -- the kind of people that we are. canadians are welcoming, that canadians value diversity, and that canadians provide a safe haven for people in need. if there were a tipping point, it might have been the photo in the media that we saw, the tragic photo of the toddler on the beach. canadians saw that, and their hearts were broken. they said no more -- we are going to assist. we are going to do what we need to do to help the syrians anyway we can. luiza: ok, only this morning, senator klobuchar said she thought the united states could do more. can you tell us what the united states is doing, what your strategy is on refugees, and also, how does that number get set -- to take 10,000 versus 25,000?

mr. henshaw: thanks. asking about our strategy leads me to want to talk about the overall program, and then i will get into resettlement. our overall focus is supporting refugees overseas where they are, so they can return to their countries once war -- or whatever let them to flee -- has ended. much of our effort goes overseas. the united states is the largest funder of refugee programs overseas. in syria, and the region alone since the outbreak of the fighting there, we put in $5.1 billion. we support international organizations, ngo's by the dozens in supporting refugees both inside syria -- well, that is not refugees. that is internally displaced persons inside syria, and refugees around it. our focus in the past few months has been looking at how we can

extend support so that we have better education programs for all the children there, and we have been working with those countries that have taken the refugees to try to expand employment opportunities for refugees. the united states is the largest re-settler of refugees the world. brought in we havea 3 million. we have a consistent and measured program in the last three years we brought and -- in the last three years, we brought in 70,000, more than all the other countries brought together. .this year, we plan to bring in 85,000, and next year we are looking to go up to 100,000. of that, syrians will be at least 10,000 this year, and more next year. so, we feel like we have got our program started, the syrian program started and that we are

a good track to bring in a lot of syrians over the next few years. because our program is somewhat measured and carefully laid out, we do have a history of starting, i think, slowly, with new populations. when someone enters our system, it is usually 18 or 24 months before they come out the other side. so, if you look at the syrian numbers here, they are not as high as canada's, but if you look over the next few years, i think you will see our numbers grow and improve. i will give you a couple of examples of populations we have been working on the past two years to demonstrate that, to show that i'm not just blowing hot air. we brought in 140,000 iraqis over the last eight years, and 140,000 burmese out of malaysia and thailand in the last 10 years. so, we have a commitment to

bring in refugees and we're going to continue that. number was set -- i will give a quick answer -- the president says that every summer in a message to congress. luiza: thanks. what happens when the various governors who have come out across the country saying we do not want any syrian refugees in our state -- what does that mean for you -- you have to avoid that state and find someone else to -- somewhere else to send them, or is that just politics? mr. henshaw: our political system is pretty polarized, and so we hear from both sides. but we do hear from local communities that it is great and they are support and those other people are important to us in resettling refugees. we have had some pushback from some states and some governors, but it is a federal process in bringing in refugees and resettling them. we do depend on the support of local communities. we do not want to send people into hostile areas, but we really have not run into that. most local communities that we work with -- and it is a must

countryt 300 around the -- are welcoming. so, the short answer is no, it has not. luiza: can we pull back the length -- we are talking 10,000 here, 25,000 there. there have been more than one million refugees that have arrived in europe, and there was an article this week that the united nations high commission on refugees said europe could explode, and they said, into "widespread violence" on account of this. is there any result to do -- is there a strategy here? mr. henshaw: resettlement has never been the center of a refugee strategy. our policy has been to support refugees where they are and that is the same for the european crisis. our belief is we can make the situation better for refugees in the countries in which they first fled, they are less likely to take dangerous trips to other places. resettlement has always been

something we do for the most vulnerable people out of that population. we typically focus on people with medical problems, families led by women, lgbt cases that cannot cope with the local community they are in -- things like that. it has not been, for us, a way of resolving the refugee crisis. luiza: but the obama administration, in its platform in the world, are you telling europe about how you think they should be dealing with a crisis, is there a concentrated effort, or is this just ad hoc patchwork in europe where some countries are welcoming refugees, others are trying to keep them out? what is the administration's approach to the crisis? mr. henshaw: so, yes, we are in contact with european colleagues. we do provide a little bit of support in the balkans, but we

do not see europe as an aid recipient, so there is not a massive program underway. we are encouraging the eu to have a unified policy and deal with refugees in a good and humanitarian manner. there are also some law enforcement and border control areas along with some naval areas that we have worked on with the europeans, which are not particularly in my -- luiza: i would like to turn to the assistant secretary. there have been concerns here in the u.s. about what potential security threats refugees could face. at the hearing on the hill, they pointed out that the fbi director james comey talked to congress last fall and he said screening iraq war refugees was not perfect. there were a few people later arrested on terrorism related

charges. he also talked about there being challenges because there are u.s. soldiers not on the ground, i am sorry, -- -- they are not in the ground in iraq -- in syria, the way they were in a wreck collecting information, and he said if we do not know much about someone, there will not be anything in our data, but cannot tell anyone with absolute assurance there is no risk associated. can you tell us about the security measures that are being taken with the people being let into the u.s.? mr. bersin: the first proposition is there is never a zero risk in anything in life, let alone security vetting. having said that, as laura said in her comments, particularly with regard to the canadian refugee situation, this is a process that is calculated to reduce the risk, and it is done in a variety of ways. as simon indicated, the flow of

refugees into the united states when resettlement is chosen has been ongoing for 35, 36 years, now. this is a process that has been in existence. granted, after 9/11, an increase in the in the context of the isil threat, we were, and the commission will describe how we work to improve the processes in vetting, so that we are bringing to bear all the resources, all the data that we have with regard to these terrorist risks or criminal risks. what we have done in the context of the canadian situation is actually employ the very robust information-sharing practices that we have, in effect, between our two countries, and that have been strengthened considerably since beyond the border. so, for example, as laura explained, all of the refugees that were being brought into

canada are being checked against not only canadian databases, the -- but against the u.s. databases. along the border we have automated the exchange of biometric data so that we can receive biometric data from canada, check it in a federated search of our holdings in a security sense, and in real time respond to canada with regard to any derogatory information that we have uncovered. having said that, much of the data that we hold comes from the data that was gathered by military, as your question or comment suggested, in iraq and afghanistan, and in other ways in which we have shared with our partner countries around the world. but to the extent that we do not have that data, against which we can check biographic names, and

dates of birth or biometrics -- fingerprints -- you are operating in the zone of the unknown. luiza: that would be very interesting -- how do you deal with -- mr. bersin: so, commissioner gil kerlikowske is in a position to indicate how we actually use intelligence assessments to search in a big data way for certain indicators, or certain facts that have been brought to our attention by intelligence, and then you can reduce the pool of potentially high-risk visitors or refugees, and then take action accordingly, but it is not -- it is not as precise as having a watchlist of high-risk persons, against which

you then vet incoming biographic, or biometric information. luiza: commissioner, that was a handoff to you. can you also talk about what changes, if any, you have brought into more security policies in light of the 25,000 syrian refugees that have been taken in by canada? comm. kerlikowske: the one thing that is very important to understand is we have had this great working relationship with the government of canada. when assistant secretary bersin was the assistant secretary of border protection, he initiated a number of outreach efforts, and now with the new government, we believe that many of those are coming to fruition. so, our ability to exchange and share information with the royal canadian mounted police, and other agencies -- and my counterparts at canada's border security agencies, is very, very good. when you explain, and when i

believe how laura explained, how the people are being vetted, it is very thorough, and when you think about the process in the united states, if you were intending to do harm, would you spend the next two years after submitting your fingerprints, photograph, and subjected yourself to incredible numbers of interviews, etc. -- is that the way you try to enter the country if you want to do harm? before you go -- what is taken out of context -- not out of context, but out of the perspective of both director comey and director clapper, is they always end their comments with you think you should be more concerned about that refugee, it would be a home-grown terrorist, someone that has been radicalized in this country, not someone coming in.

luiza: i want to pick up on something interesting you said -- the process on the u.s. side takes two years, and we're talking about 25,000 in a matter of months. does that raise any particular issues on the u.s. side, and how are you coping with that in terms of border security? comm. kerlikowske: i think what is missing, and i think laura made partial points in this area -- they are not taking any young men -- frankly, young men of a fighting age could be more concerning. they are taking families. secondly, the population that they are drawing from our people -- are people that have left syria for quite some time and have been in camps, etc. it is not as if someone has crossed the border and is now going to be taken quickly into canada. there are a lot of people over there. canada, and explanation that

have been given to me -- in the explanations that have been given to me, is doing a thorough job, and they are sharing and exchanging information with us. luiza: so, turning now to the meetings that are coming up this week -- there has been a long process since 9/11 of remaking our border management processes -- for a while it was focused on security post-9/11, and that we realized it was also a commerce issue and economic issue, and i know your department has worked hard to facilitate trade. so, what do you see as a potential outcome of these talks this week that would move the ball forward on border management cooperation? comm. kerlikowske: i think we are going to see, and without wanting to steal the thunder from the prime minister and the president, we will be announcing a number of developments of what has really been a radical transformation in the way in which canadians and americans view the border. there used to be a debate about

thickening or thinning out the border -- that after 9/11, the the border became thick because of the american preoccupation with security. what we have worked out over the last four or five years together is an understanding that the old dichotomy between trade facilitation and security is actually a false dichotomy. the notion you have to lower your security to speed up the movement of trade across the border has given way to a much more sophisticated view that recognizes we do risk management. we make assessments together to -- together, customs and border protection, and this ebsa actually make judgments to which there is a risk presented by any passenger or any cargo, and having done that you are in a position to expedite the movement of lawful trade and travel. if it is judged to be low-risk, nexus members, for example, that

that have been pre-vetted as travelers, you are a low-risk traveler, and we expedite your movement across the border back and forth from canada to the united states. that, by definition, then permits our resources -- our enforcement resources, to focus on the remaining travelers who are either high-risk, or higher risk, or travelers about which we lack sufficient information to make a judgment as to where -- whether they are high-risk or low-risk. that perspective has, as i said, revolutionized the way in which we move ahead. the old thickening and thinning rhetoric has given way to the notion that we could actually have both by making the haystacks smaller by moving lawful trade travel. we facilitate the finding of the needle in the haystack, the higher risk person. luiza: without stealing the thunder -- what can we expect

--an exit/entry agreement? will there be more datasharing? what are you even looking for? mr. bersin: let me defer to the commissioner, but it is fair to say the issues that haven't been talked about, entry/exit, preclearance, enhanced information -- have been talked about. that should be the subject. luiza: can you explain entry/exit? comm. kerlikowske: sure. we have the ability to exchange information. assistant secretary alan bersin testified on visa overstays, a significant issue, which we need, because we do not really have a biometric exit system in this country for, for instance, for fingerprints. people come in on a visa, but we do not always know did they leave, and did they leave on time? we need to be able to exchange

and do more of that information. so, i think you will see greater exchanges of information. luiza: so, basically, if you are an american leave in the united -- leaving the united states, driving into canada, canada will then turn around and give that information back to the american government to say this person has left the country? comm. kerlikowske: is also less about u.s. citizens, the more about foreign nationals. luiza: but it will cover u.s. citizens and canadians, so a canadian coming into the united states will also now have a record of coming in and out. comm. kerlikowske: so, what we have been doing the last couple of years between canada and the united states, as the commissioner suggested, third-country nationals, neither americans or canadians, when you cross the bridge into detroit or into windsor, we use the canadian entry. this is good evidence of a u.s. exit.

we have been doing that all of -- on all of our borders for the last couple of years. whether or not that is extended will be announced by our leaders over the course of the week. luiza: so, laura, the issue has been around this whole plan of privacy. can you talk about what some of the concerns that have been on the canadian side that have been holding this up? ms. dawson: certainly, there are concerns about privacy, but backing it up, my mom lives on the border. she is a great cross-border shopper. she thought you were tracking this for years. she had no idea she could have been filling her backseat in her car with stuff. comm. kerlikowske: we knew. [laughter] ms. dawson: now that we are systematizing it, institutionalizing it, especially a newly elected government, wants to review the

process to make sure it is protecting canadian and u.s. privacy rights, to make sure it is being done correctly. no new government wants to inherit a policy from the previous government and not kick it around the block. i think that is more what is going on in canada, rather than any significant red flags being raised. luiza: so, what are your best predictions for what the leaders will announce this week? ms. dawson: i am big on entry/exit. i think that is something that is really doable. i think that is something the president would like to see for the beyond the border program that he launched. i think he would like that as a success story, and the canadians, as we have seen, are really motivated towards cooperation. luiza: that is interesting. i would like to go back to the issue of refugees. there is one detail about the canadian program that i think is interesting, and i understand different from the u.s. program, and that is the role of private individuals in actually

sponsoring refugee families. can you talk about that, and your own personal experience? ms. dawson: absolutely. approximately one-third of the canadian sponsorships are under the private program -- luiza: when you say sponsors -- ms. dawson: this is the community groups, church groups -- any group of canadians that wants to get together and can come up with enough money to support a family of four for a full year, can find their housing, help them with education, everything they need to get settled and established, because, frankly, canadians are not any different from americans, you know? they get a little bit nervous when there are a whole bunch of new people in the community, and nobody knows where they come from and they have different cultures, each different foods, but as soon as they go to their first hockey practice, as soon as they are in school with the kids, dig out from their first blizzard, that makes them canadian.

so, this canadian private sector, private-group sponsorship, is a really important way of integrating into the community. i was involved in the united church of canada sponsorship program, and i was just floored by the level of commitment that the volunteers put into not just getting the folks to canada, not just senior citizens from ottawa trying to figure out how to get an interpreter who could communicate with someone from sudan, but also, once they were in the country, the health -- getting the kids to doctors appointment, dental appointments. making sure that they learn to skate and participate in sports activities, these community groups helped to support, they helped to encourage and we're talking about radicalization. the best way to prevent it is to

get kids in school, families in the community and families involved and become embedded in these communities. luiza: i wonder, is this getting better, or is the crisis getting worse? when you look at the big picture? simon: i want to briefly mention that we settle our refugees to a private and public partnership. this is settled by one of nine ngo's, six of them faith-based. we are proud of how we work with local ngos and groups in the community to resettle refugees. no, is a getting better? no, it is not getting better. it is getting worse. 60 million people are refugees or displaced and that is the problem.

we have a system that has worked for a long time, since world war ii, but it is overwhelmed with numbers. it is not enough money, or help. that is why this year, the world community is focusing on a series of steps that will accommodate, -- this will be focusing on increasing the amount of money that countries are contributing and the cases worldwide, and supporting the support of those refugees within the countries they first fled. we are looking for a way to focus on the issues to get more support and do more about the numbers, because there is no sign of them going down. luiza: what do you see coming out of the meetings this week? i'm sure this will come up. simon: i am sure it will. canada and the united states have been leaders in the refugee world for years.

there will be a commitment to the series of conferences over the year and working out an improvement for the humanitarian system, so we can all do more, with the help of other nations. luiza: i would like to ask the commissioner, about the wall? what goes through your mind when you hear the debate about a wall, whether it is mexico or with canada? >> there is a lot of rhetoric that as the vice president indicated in a recent meeting in mexico, was not to the american people are and i think that the record that simon talked about in terms of the refugee record, let alone the fact that all of us say, for us as a native americans -- we are immigrants, everybody is an immigrant in this country. this is part of our history, the culture, there is traditionally

the underside of the fact that we are all immigrants. i would not take that to suggest that the majority of americans, that we need a wall that is high and mighty from san diego to brownsville. as the commissioner can attest, we have used, as a matter of border security, walt in -- walls in different places to assist with security on different borders, basically a wall to wall people out is inconsistent with who we are as americans and our history and our traditions. so i would pass that off as a rhetorical device in an overheated electoral campaign. luiza: i heard it is going to be a beautiful wall, so --

commissioner: we have 18,000 border patrol agents, integrated towers, we have radar, cameras, we have infrared. our apprehensions on the border are lower than -- within the last year, then at any time in the last 10 years. we are below 400,000 now, but there was a time where we apprehended 1.6 million people coming across the borders. those cities from tucson to el paso, they have numbers crime numbers that other cities are envious of -- as to how safe they are. and for anybody who has visited the border, they would realize how impossible it would be to build a fence or wall, given the terrain and given the incredible cost. luiza: so it would be impossible

to build on the northern border? commisioner: we have over 2000 border patrol agents on the northern border and we have great cooperation. so i think it is just balancing that. it is a part of the heated rhetoric, unfortunately, that is going on or now. luiza: once you get the wall through the great lakes, the rest is easy. thank you all for being with us. i want to thank cabc their wonderful support of tonight's program. everybody in the audience, thank you for joining us. for everybody here, we have cocktails for you. do not run away. and thank you all who joined on the big screen. and with c-span. [applause]

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>> canadian prime minister justin trudeau arrives in washington for a visit. watch live at 11:40 eastern time on c-span3. tomorrow night, the white house hosts the state dinner for the

visiting canadian leader. the first formal state dinner at the white house in 2016. our live coverage begins at 6:15 eastern on c-span. the executive chef talked about preparations for the state dinner. >> hi everyone. welcome to the white house. i am the white house -- it is my privilege to welcome you to the state dinner happening tomorrow. the dinner will be happening in the east room, followed by the state dining room. this is the 11th visit of the obama administration. i am so glad you're here for a preview of the special evening tomorrow. you will get to hear from some of my amazing colleagues starting with the white house florist. she will tell you about the designs and the core of the

-- the decor of the visit. it was inspired by the scenic span between the u.s. and canada and also the color of spring. you will hear from chefs chris and susie. they will go over the credible meals they have prepared that will be served on obama china. as you can understand, this is not an easy feat to put this together. in addition to the colleagues you see here, i have to say it --a blanket thank you to all the apartments that put this special evening together. i will introduce my national security colleague, who will tell you more about the visit and the relationship between the u.s. and canada. have a great time and thank you. >> good afternoon. thank you for coming. the president and first lady are looking forward to welcoming prime minister trudeau and the entire canadian delegation to

the white house march 10. this be the first official visit by a canadian premise or to the united states in 19 years. is a testament to the important values that the west and president obama placed on the u.s.-canada relationship. this is an opportunity for the countries to further expand and deepen the already close relationship we share. this be the second meeting between the president and prime minister. they met last december in the philippines, and since then, i spoke several times on the telephone. the u.s.-canada relationship is one of the strongest in the world. underpinned by our shared history, democratic values, family ties, economy, and geography. we share the world's largest common border, the most comprehensive trade investment, we stand shoulder to shoulder in a securing our nation against domestic and abroad threats. we allow multilateral institutions to respond to

crises and support communities in need. we are joining to protect the environment and combat climate change as well as develop clean energy. of course, when these visits occur, the bilateral meeting is only one aspect of the event. also on the schedule is an arrival ceremony, press conference, and a lunch hosted by the secretary of state. this progression of events sets a tone for the final event, the state dinner. the president and first lady will host the state dinner in honor of prime minister trudeau and his wife. i will leave the details to my colleagues, but we would like to highlight a couple issues. in the u.s., the modern state dinner dates back to the 1870's. it symbolizes the relationship, the importance that the white house places on a relationship

with a foreign country. is reserved only for the most important for relationships, and this is only the 11th time for president obama. we consider ourselves fortunate to call the canadians are allies, partners, neighbors, and friends we look forward to tomorrow's event. it gives me great pleasure to introduce the white house florist. thank you. >> hello everyone, i am the chief florist of the white house. we are very excited that the first lady, mrs. obama, chose this florist. jade is one of the favorite colors of the first lady of canada. with spring upcoming, we have incorporated some yellow, which is the first color of spring. it is the color of friendship. we have enhanced the

centerpieces, each one of them has one type of flower to show its beauty by itself. the bigger arrangements are hydrangeas, roses and hanging amaranthas, which gives you an idea of walking through the garden when all the flowers are starting to bloom. thank you, and i will introduce my colleagues the executive chef. >> hi, good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. i am the white house executive chef. for the state dinner, we want to showcase everything from the pacific northwest all the way to the atlantic side. for the first course, this is the first time ever that we will

be unveiling this part of the obama china service. it is called the big halibut casserole, which is a comfort food of the americas. i will show you later on. you get closer. you can take a closer picture of this. but it is a wonderful baked halibut that is garnished with asparagus and spring onions. we want to commentate is the invitation of spring. for salad, we are roasting apricots, white house honey, and also wonderful cinnamon. a salad that is garnished with appalachian cheese. for the main course, we are serving baby lamb chops from a small farm in colorado. we will garnish it with potatoes

and wonderful vegetables from the spring accented by our special sauce. i will turn you over to our pastry chef. thank you. >> good afternoon everyone. i am the executive pastry chef. i'm here to describe to you the dessert course for tomorrow's dinner. we had dessert that is a reflection of the memory of winter and the celebration of the arrival of spring. guests will be served this cake with a delicate nuances, toasted texas pecans and caramelized maple syrup from new england. the splendor of the rocky mountains is here in this handmade sugar display, which

the rocky mountains extend from new mexico to canada. a variety of pastries with american and canadian influences. a view from and on top, a handmade sugar sculpture. this illustrates the region's beautiful scenery. also along with it is the dramatic landscape surrounded by stunning wilderness, forest basins, and lush valleys with turquoise water. this display also includes a cranberry square, white chocolate snowballs, caramels, golden raisin tarts, and chocolate coconut slices. thank you very much and have a wonderful afternoon. >> for more on on preparations about the canadian prime minister's visit, we talk to the investor to the u.s. in

washington. -- ambassador to the u.s. in washington. >> ambassador david macnaughton, trudeau is making his first official visit to the u.s. this week. what is happening at the embassy in preparation for his arrival? david: there has been an awful lot of work done by the staff here. this is kind of a trip. it is intense, there are a lot of meetings. in addition to the prime minister, we had many ministers, cabinet ministers coming. staff has been working overtime to make this a successful visit. i must say that the state department and the white house and everybody has been terrifically corporative. that is helped the staff here in terms of the preparation. everybody has been terrific. >> as ambassador, what is your role? david: i just take all the credit for the good things that our staff do.

i have been here for 10 days. a lot of work for me, getting up to speed with the issues. i've had a lot of meetings with people already at the white house. i spoke to secretary kerry at the gridiron dinner, which was delightful. we had a lot to talk about. i have a couple meetings with the white house. i had my family here when i presented my credentials to the president. a bit of a whirlwind 10 days. but it has been amazing. >> you are new to your post. tell us about the amount of coordination that goes on between the state government and the white house and the embassy. how do you manage all that in preparation for an official visit? david: we have almost 300 people here at the embassy. we have counterparts not just at the state, but homeland security, and all of the various departments. they have been working for, ever

since the visit was announced to make this a successful trip. there has been a lot of work. i have been briefed on all the issues. i have been brought up-to-date on the schedule. but most of the hard work is done by the staff on all sides. >> what you think the canadian people expect out of this visit? david: in some respects, it is a re-engagement and reflection of the relationship. the most important relationship we have in the world. americans are not only our closest neighbors, but our best

friends and our largest trading partner. $2 billion a day in trading that goes on. it is critical, not only from an economic point of view, but it's also important that we work together on security issues. a lot about has been discussed. side-by-side we need to work together on security matters, as we have in the past. we have been partners for a longtime and it has worked out very well. >> what you think the prime minister wants to accomplish when he speaks with the president and is here for all the different events? david: we have quite a number of items that have been discussed on and of. we hope this visit allows us to finalize some agreements, certainly on the environment, climate change, some economic issues. there are also security issues. other items where we are not going to reach agreement with

the prime minister. hopefully we can nudge them along and get them to a point where we can hopefully get some agreements between now and the fall. >> where does the prime minister want to do some nudging? david: certain economic issues that are important, both for the u.s. and canada. the dispute over lumber, we had a 10 year agreement. there is a standstill in october. it is in both our interests to reach an agreement on behalf of this. having those kinds of trade disputes, the only kind of people that are happy-- it is not in our interest to be making lawyers happy. >> describe your relationship with the prime minister. how did you get your post.

how often are you communicating? david: i first was in the house years ago with the prime minister's father. i worked for him right out of university and i came to washington with his father. i got to know the prime minister probably 8-9 years ago when he got into politics. his chief of staff and principal secretary are close personal friends. i worked on the campaign that took place last year. he and i are very close. i hadn't anticipated, when working on the election campaign, that i would be asked to do this job. that wasn't why i was working on the campaign. but when he asked me if i would do this, i was thrilled. this is obviously a very important job in the canadian diplomatic core.

i am delighted to be here. i am hoping that i can use my experience in terms of business and politics and public policy to work with americans to our mutual benefit. we need to see this not as a zero-sum game, but a way to work together for the benefit of both countries. >> what are your marching orders? david: it is important year. obviously it is a election year. i need to develop relationships. when there are difficulties, and there always will be, difficulties among friends, among relationships like marriages. the way you get over those difficulties is to be open and honest and not let the little problems get in the way of a terrific relationship.

>> ambassador macnaughton, thank you for your time. david: thank you very much. >> join us this thursday for live coverage of the white house state dinner for canadian prime minister justin trudeau. beginning at 6:15 p.m. eastern on c-span. >> c-span's washington journal is live every day. over is the gases from the center of american progress. how race, to discuss age, and other changes to our population could impact this year's election and the aunt. and allison kojak joins us to talk about the health care plan of the front runners in this year's presidential race.

c-span twice in a journal, thursday beginning live at 7:00 a.m. eastern. join the discussion. >> i think what is so unusual is that if i can be -- to be able to have professional and personal partnerships over more than 15 years is really unusual. susan's temperament, and great vision, in terms of editing is something i don't have in terms of -- i haven't spent time on it. i stuck very closely to the grunt side of the equation. >> political editor susan glasser and new york time's chief correspondent peter baker, who are married, talk about their careers and upcoming plans to move to israel. peter: it will be a great adventure. we were both partners in moscow. but we never spent time in jerusalem or israel.

we are looking forward to learning a lot. it is going to be a real adventure. it is a part of the world that has so much history and so much of a vital part of today's issues. we spent a lot of time writing about them in washington, but never actually lived there on the ground. >> i will also basically be changing roles and continuing at politico in a role where we continue to expand both in the u.s. and internationally. this past year we launched politico europe. i came to politico to start politico magazine about 2.5 years ago. we started that, and it has been an exciting new platform to take us into both ambitious longform reporting and the war of ideas. >> sunday night at 8:00 eastern on c-span's q&a.

>> several federal literal officials were on capitol hill today stuck but the president of -- proposed budget for indian communities. at present in the department of the interior, justice, housing, and urban development testified. chairs then barrasso committee. this is an hour and 40 minutes.

>> i call this to order. order the meeting to discuss because of his 2017 indian country budget request. the president's fiscal year 2017 budget request calls for increases for travel related programs, including the bureau of indian affairs and the indian health service. whatever funding is provided for these tribal related programs it must beauty effectively, efficiently, and be responsible and filling federal responsibilities. muste be clear, funding reflect performance metrics. it is imperative the executive branch provide congress with the necessary data. today we hear from key federal agencies. >> i want to thank the panelists were here today, i appreciate your endurance.

you are at a committee meeting at, so today that i was i want to commend the administration for cementing a budget the details how the federal government will attempt to support indian country's priorities. i'm looking forward to hearing from our witnesses today ending and discussing the issues. if there's one thing we should agree on this the challenges cannot be addressed where native programs are severely underfunded. it is vital we address the deficit. a strongly believe we cannot balance the budget on the back of a new country. the must trust obligations by funding travel programs adequately. this year, the administration has requested modest increases for many native american programming. overall, these have a significant impact and investing in the overall well-being of tribal communities. i believe it is a step in the right direction. we all know there are substantial unmet needs in the

community. billion thatd $2.9 was increase over 2016 active levels. interior has focused its attention on native youth. raising money for school construction, it is good the administration has continued to focus on this issue. and if you provide more details for using those requested funds. adequate funding only works if they have a well-meaning plan to use the money. that sounds familiar. last month, i introduced the safety act to develop a 10 year plan for school construction. i would love to hear your thoughts on that door and the other similar plans. with health care, there's been a 43% increase over the past. it is so underfunded by nearly 50%, and my opinion. ihs unless we provide the funds necessary to treat people. a step forward. the budget proposes increases of

were nativelion american programming. we recently heard from cries about public safety issues affecting the community. i look for to hearing more about how it is funded by this increase. it will assist tribes in dealing with reservation crime. they requested a $50 million increase for the housing block grant. i do agree with my colleagues must release a new needs assessment. overcrowding is devastated in ripple effects so we did get serious about the housing conditions in our country. i recognize that everyone has .he same funding priorities i still hope that today's hearing will open a discussion together. it can come

with that, once again, i want to thank the witnesses and the chairman for holding this hearing. >> thank you, senator, would any others like to make an opening statement? seeing on, we will give the honorable carol mason who's this is the turn in general of justice programs at the u.s. department of roberts, the acting assistant secretary. andy did some of that video assistant secretary of the office of public and indian housing. miss mary smith, principal deputy of the indian health services department of health and human services. other like to remind the witnesses that that your full written testimony will remain part of the official record today. please try to keep your statements to five minutes so we

may have time for questions the other forward to hearing testimony from each of the beginning with assistant attorney general mason. assistant attorney general mason: i'm very pleased to represent the department of justice and to have this opportunity to discuss the president fiscal year 2017 budget request for public safety initiatives in indian country. from the earliest stage of this administration, i have been privileged to work with dedicated employees to help our travel partners ensure the safety and health of their communities. one of my proudest accomplishment a step in the associate attorney general was leading the team that created our coordinated tribal assistance of the station. that is opened up unprecedented funding opportunities for tribes . i'm directly responsible for a full array of programs designed to improve tribal justice. i am pleased to say without hesitation that the justice department's commitment to tribes has never been stronger.

across the public safety landscape, from law enforcement resources, our engagement was never stronger. a single application for a wide range of tribal specific government programs. covering areas like unity abuse,g, substance correctional alternatives, and violence against women. since 2010, the apartment has awarded more than just totaling $620 million to tribals -- to tribal communities. many tribal communities have very oftenprogress by adapting traditional methods to contemporary challenges. as this committee is well aware, those challenges remain considerable. american india's -- american indians continue to be victimized at alarming rates. complex