stand here at this incredible gathering of people who so much love america and so much love our great ally, israel. you see, we are connected together. it is about civilization, peace, love, togetherness, healing the world. the great jewish tradition. everyone was a life of little bigger than themselves. that tradition has made its way deep into my soul, where i have told people all across america, did down deep, the lord has made you special, live a life bigger than yourself, provide hope, provide progress, and with that, the rest of the century and the relationship between the united states and israel will grow

stronger and stronger for the benefit of the mutual security of the world. thank you all, and god bless. [applause] ♪

policyc's conference also involved a conversation with kevin mccarthy steny hoyer. they are in interviewed by frank sayesno. ♪ mr. sesno: well, good morning, everybody. very nice to wake up with 18,000 friends in the middle of washington, d.c. i have had the great privilege of joining aipac for several

years now in several stimulating discussions. and while the topics of those discussions have varied, there has been one thread that has remained the same and that is this commitment to bipartisanship when it comes to this issue and this is what we're going to discuss and see and visit this morning. so in that spirit, i'd like to welcome our next two guests to the policy conference stage, two leaders in congress who exemplify what it means to stand on this issue together and across party lines. ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming house majority leader kevin mccarthy and house democratic whip steny hoyer.

mr. sesno: well, gentlemen, good morning and welcome to the rotating stage. rep. mccarthy: good morning. mr. sesno: so as we've just seen in this video, both of you participated in the mission to israel, this is not your first time doing it. i spoke in the introductions about the sense of bipartisanship. tell us a little bit about your own story, what motivated you to travel to israel and take the freshmen class with you, what you get out of these trips. congressman hoyer? rep. hoyer: well, first of all, the first time i went to israel was in 1976, my wife was still alive and we had an extraordinary experience for seven days. an experience that changed my life, changed my perspective and i've been back 13 times since, in every decade. mr. sesno: so 1976 until now, long time. what do you get out of it? rep. hoyer: well, i get something new out of it every time i go. and first of all, i tell people

i get a revival out of it, i get a reinvigoration of my principles, and of my commitment, and how critically important the relationship between israel, and the united states, and how we need to work very hard to make sure that it remains, a, a bipartisan issue; and b, effectively sending a message to the world that israel's survival and security is a critical issue for the united states of america. mr. sesno: what do you get out of it? rep. mccarthy: well, the first time i ever went, i wasn't in congress. i was in the state assembly and we went on a bipartisan basis. i knew my love for israel, but it created a unique bond. you don't understand the size or the proximity or the threats or the challenges of what they're able to overcome and it's such an emotional time just that one week you're there. so we did something much different. when i became majority leader, i went down to steny on the floor and we actually talk very often.

i said, "why don't we do something different this year. why don't we do it when we go, overlap," because when you leave this country, you're an american first. and you know the most unique thing, steny agreed right away, "that's a great idea, let's spend a couple days, republicans and democrats together, while we're there." and you know where we went? we broke bread, we had lunch, but we went and stood before the iron dome looking down to gaza and when you think, a lot of these are bipartisan votes of what we support, but there is a bond there that breaks parties, that understands israel is our greatest ally and if we are not supportive where does that break the world? mr. sesno: we don't hear a lot we don't hear a lot about

bipartisanship these days in this town. is this the real deal on this issue? rep. hoyer: well, first of all, i think there's more than you hear about, because confrontation is what you hear about. but having said that, israel is unique and the commitment to israel, i think, is unique and it bonds both republicans and democrats in common cause and i think that that was true yesterday, it's true today and will be true tomorrow. rep. mccarthy: well, you just watch here, the speakers are all coming. you've got everybody coming here on every side of the aisle and i don't know of any other organization that can do that. but they all have the same mission too, that we know the bond between israel and america has to be the strongest and if it's not, we'll lose. mr. sesno: okay. let's dig in here for a few minutes. this is a region that is on fire. across the region, it is more tumultuous, more unstable, more violent, more unpredictable than we have seen in many, many years. that being the case, what do each of you see as perhaps the most serious threat facing the

region and where do you see the israeli-u.s. relationship addressing that? rep. hoyer: well, i think iran is clearly the number one threat that exists. they clearly have a policy to impose hegemony on the region and they clearly want to be a power of which people are afraid. and clearly, one of our major responsibilities, israel's and the united states working together, is to assure that iran, a, never gets a nuclear weapon. we've had controversy about that, but that commitment needs to remain strong. vice president biden talked about it last night. that needs to be our number one focus. it is interesting, however, in this time, it's a relatively unique time that the surrounding community now is having its own internal issues and are confronting one another as much as they're confronting israel and that i think is a change in circumstances, but it is a destabilizing effort in the middle east, very dangerous.

rep. mccarthy: well, it's no doubt iran, using their resources now to fund terrorism, they feel a new empowerment within the region. what we need to do is make sure our relationship is not only close, but that we work closely together from cybersecurity to military advantage. when israel and america are strong, the world is more peaceful and the world is more stable and we need to have a responsibility. when there is question and doubt, when iran feels they have an advantage, as you noticed, the world becomes destabilizing. mr. sesno: let me we have time for just one more question. rep. hoyer: very briefly. mr. sesno: quick, please. rep. hoyer: one of the things that i think is a reality that the surrounding world needs to know, the idf and the department of defense are cooperating as closely today as they ever have.

that needs to continue and to be expanded. mr. sesno: very, very quickly here, we only have a couple of minutes left, if that. i want to ask you both, the u.s. and the israeli governments are trying to wrap up this 10-year agreement, this memorandum of understanding to provide israel security guarantees and support over the next decade. how will congress respond to these conversations? rep. mccarthy: well, congress's responsibility would be to appropriate the money. and i will tell you, from a bipartisan basis, there is more commitment, especially after the iran agreement, let's make a longer agreement here, a stronger agreement where there is no doubt, israel mr. sesno: -- mr. sesno: longer and strong? rep. mccarthy: yes. rep. hoyer: frank, our premise has been, for a long period of time now, that our investment in israel is an investment in our security. that premise needs to be maintained. hopefully we will achieve a new memorandum of understanding in

the short-term and again, indicate the bipartisan consensus that we have in defense of israel. that is an important message to send to the middle east and to the world. mr. sesno: and when do you think this will happen? rep. hoyer: sooner rather than better and we need to make sure that israel has what it needs to defend itself, remains secure and sovereign. mr. sesno: kevin, when you talk about this agreement, this arrangement, what is the most important component of it, besides longer and stronger? rep. mccarthy: to me, it's innovation and advantage. when israel is strong, they will not be challenged. when they know the bond with america is strong, the world is safer. so if you want peace in the middle east, the relationship with america and israel has to be at its strongest and tightest and cooperation beyond all. mr. sesno: gentlemen, our time is up. i would say, however, that it is very encouraging to see that there is conversation across the aisle and there is an important

place where bipartisanship rep. hoyer: not only conversation, but cooperation. mr. sesno: conversation and cooperation. rep. mccarthy: and i will tell you this, the issue with israel and america brings more bipartisan inside congress. so it's only a helpful ability that we can work together, we stand on the stage together and we travel to israel together. mr. sesno: gentlemen, congressmen, thank you very much. appreciate your time. ♪ >> tonight political cartoonists and scholars discuss the impact of local cartoons. here is a event,

look. partyt fall, our new tea governor joined in the course of other voices saying, we don't want any more syrian refugees in here. as the background, the only thing i like about him is he has three adopted kids from somalia. really. this is like -- who is against adopting kids? not even me. [laughter] , and he isartoon going, you don't have to fear these kids. he went crazy, and called a press conference, denouncing me as pri races.

my boss is african-american, my editor is african-american, and we have been the leading progressive voice in kentucky. we were inundated for 24 hours. everybody. these serious phone calls, screaming at us for being racist. from all over the country, not from our own readers, of course. event was held by new humanities. you can watch it tonight at 8:00 eastern on c-spa. c-span's "washington journal" live every day with news and policy issues that impact you. coming up on sunday morning, talking about the latest developments in the scene refugee-- syrian

migrations. the the rollout of affordable care act. be sure to watch live at 7:00 eastern on sunday morning. join the discussion. >> also tomorrow, "newsmakers" with representative tom cole on the house debate over the 20 2017 budget. interviewed by christina peterson of "the wall street journal" and scott long of the hill. you can watch it at 10:00 eastern on c-span. >> american history tv on c-span 3 this weekend. today at 2:00 eastern, jeffrey rosen talks about former justice john marshall.

>> adams famously said, my gift to john marshall was my proudest act. he has been widely praised in transforming the supreme court into what is called a dominant force to american life. america -- on real "reel america." documentary, on the today made in voyage of the space shuttle columbia. film forcampaign richard nixon. >> i have decided i will test my and to put --

office on, a panel of books chronicling mexican-american civil rights. civil rights leaders and religious authorities came together to protest the bracero program, and in fact, accelerated congress's decision to terminate it the next year. i think this was a moment of long serving -- of blossoming for the chicano movement. >> for the complete schedule, go to c-span.org. >> this week, president obama visited cuba and delivered remarks and havana on relations with cuba. he spoke on lifting the trade embargo, and also offered to support -- his support to

brussels. it was the first visit to cuba since calvin coolidge in 1928. president obama: thank you. [applause] muchas gracias. thank you so much. thank you very much. president castro, the people of cuba, thank you so much for the warm welcome that i have received, that my family have received, and that our delegation has received. it is an extraordinary honor to be here today. before i begin, please indulge me. i want to comment on the terrorist attacks that have taken place in brussels. the thoughts and the prayers of the american people are with the people of belgium. we stand in solidarity with them in condemning these outrageous attacks against innocent people. we will do whatever is necessary to support our friend and ally, belgium, in bringing to justice those who are responsible. and this is yet another reminder that the world must unite, we must be together, regardless of nationality, or race, or faith,

in fighting against the scourge of terrorism. we can -- and will -- defeat those who threaten the safety and security of people all around the world. to the government and the people of cuba, i want to thank you for the kindness that you've shown to me and michelle, malia, sasha, my mother-in-law, marian. "cultivo una rosa blanca." [applause] in his most famous poem, jose marti made this offering of friendship and peace to both his friend and his enemy.

today, as the president of the united states of america, i offer the cuban people el saludo de paz. [applause] havana is only 90 miles from florida, but to get here we had to travel a great distance -- over barriers of history and ideology; barriers of pain and separation. the blue waters beneath air force one once carried american battleships to this island -- to liberate, but also to exert control over cuba. those waters also carried generations of cuban revolutionaries to the united states, where they built support for their cause. and that short distance has been

crossed by hundreds of thousands of cuban exiles -- on planes and makeshift rafts -- who came to america in pursuit of freedom and opportunity, sometimes leaving behind everything they owned and every person that they loved. like so many people in both of our countries, my lifetime has spanned a time of isolation between us. the cuban revolution took place the same year that my father came to the united states from kenya. the bay of pigs took place the year that i was born. the next year, the entire world held its breath, watching our two countries, as humanity came as close as we ever have to the

horror of nuclear war. as the decades rolled by, our governments settled into a seemingly endless confrontation, fighting battles through proxies. in a world that remade itself time and again, one constant was the conflict between the united states and cuba. i have come here to bury the last remnant of the cold war in the americas. [applause] i have come here to extend the hand of friendship to the cuban people. [applause] i want to be clear: the differences between our governments over these many years are real and they are important. i'm sure president castro would say the same thing -- i know, because i've heard him address those differences at length. but before i discuss those issues, we also need to recognize how much we share. because in many ways, the united states and cuba are like two

brothers who've been estranged for many years, even as we share the same blood. we both live in a new world, colonized by europeans. cuba, like the united states, was built in part by slaves brought here from africa. like the united states, the cuban people can trace their heritage to both slaves and slave-owners. we've welcomed both immigrants who came a great distance to

start new lives in the americas. over the years, our cultures have blended together. dr. carlos finlay's work in cuba paved the way for generations of doctors, including walter reed, who drew on dr. finlay's work to help combat yellow fever. just as marti wrote some of his most famous words in new york, ernest hemingway made a home in cuba, and found inspiration in the waters of these shores. we share a national past-time -- la pelota -- and later today our players will compete on the same havana field that jackie robinson played on before he made his major league debut. [applause] and it's said that our greatest boxer, muhammad ali, once paid tribute to a cuban that he could never fight -- saying that he would only be able to reach a draw with the great cuban, teofilo stevenson. [applause] so even as our governments became adversaries, our people

continued to share these common passions, particularly as so many cubans came to america. in miami or havana, you can find places to dance the cha-cha-cha or the salsa, and eat ropa vieja. people in both of our countries have sung along with celia cruz or gloria estefan, and now listen to reggaeton or pitbull. [laughter] millions of our people share a common religion -- a faith that i paid tribute to at the shrine of our lady of charity in miami, a peace that cubans find in la cachita. for all of our differences, the cuban and american people share common values in their own lives. a sense of patriotism and a sense of pride -- a lot of

pride. a profound love of family. a passion for our children, a commitment to their education. and that's why i believe our grandchildren will look back on this period of isolation as an aberration, as just one chapter in a longer story of family and of friendship. but we cannot, and should not, ignore the very real differences that we have -- about how we organize our governments, our economies, and our societies. cuba has a one-party system; the united states is a multi-party democracy. cuba has a socialist economic model; the united states is an open market. cuba has emphasized the role and rights of the state; the united states is founded upon the rights of the individual.

despite these differences, on december 17th 2014, president castro and i announced that the united states and cuba would begin a process to normalize relations between our countries. [applause] since then, we have established diplomatic relations and opened embassies. we've begun initiatives to cooperate on health and agriculture, education and law enforcement. we've reached agreements to restore direct flights and mail service. we've expanded commercial ties, and increased the capacity of americans to travel and do business in cuba. and these changes have been welcomed, even though there are still opponents to these policies. but still, many people on both sides of this debate have asked: why now?

why now? there is one simple answer: what the united states was doing was not working. we have to have the courage to acknowledge that truth. a policy of isolation designed for the cold war made little sense in the 21st century. the embargo was only hurting the cuban people instead of helping them. and i've always believed in what martin luther king, jr. called "the fierce urgency of now" -- we should not fear change, we should embrace it. [applause] that leads me to a bigger and more important reason for these changes: creo en el pueblo cubano. i believe in the cuban people. [applause]

this is not just a policy of normalizing relations with the cuban government. the united states of america is normalizing relations with the cuban people. [applause] and today, i want to share with you my vision of what our future can be. i want the cuban people -- especially the young people -- to understand why i believe that you should look to the future with hope; not the false promise which insists that things are better than they really are, or the blind optimism that says all your problems can go away tomorrow. hope that is rooted in the future that you can choose and that you can shape, and that you can build for your country. i'm hopeful because i believe that the cuban people are as innovative as any people in the world. in a global economy, powered by ideas and information, a

country's greatest asset is its people. in the united states, we have a clear monument to what the cuban people can build: it's called miami. here in havana, we see that same talent in cuentapropistas, cooperatives and old cars that still run. el cubano inventa del aire. [applause] cuba has an extraordinary resource -- a system of education which values every boy and every girl. [applause] and in recent years, the cuban government has begun to open up to the world, and to open up

more space for that talent to thrive. in just a few years, we've seen how cuentapropistas can succeed while sustaining a distinctly cuban spirit. being self-employed is not about becoming more like america, it's about being yourself. look at sandra lidice aldama, who chose to start a small business. cubans, she said, can "innovate and adapt without losing our our secret is in not copying or imitating but simply being ourselves." look at papito valladeres, a barber, whose success allowed him to improve conditions in his neighborhood. "i realize i'm not going to solve all of the world's problems," he said. "but if i can solve problems in the little piece of the world where i live, it can ripple across havana."

that's where hope begins -- with the ability to earn your own living, and to build something you can be proud of. that's why our policies focus on supporting cubans, instead of hurting them. that's why we got rid of limits on remittances -- so ordinary cubans have more resources. that's why we're encouraging travel -- which will build bridges between our people, and bring more revenue to those cuban small businesses. that's why we've opened up space for commerce and exchanges -- so that americans and cubans can work together to find cures for diseases, and create jobs, and open the door to more opportunity for the cuban people. as president of the united states, i've called on our congress to lift the embargo. [applause] it is an outdated burden on the

cuban people. it's a burden on the americans who want to work and do business or invest here in cuba. it's time to lift the embargo. but even if we lifted the embargo tomorrow, cubans would not realize their potential or invest here in cuba. without continued change here in cuba. [applause] it should be easier to open a business here in cuba. a worker should be able to get a job directly with companies who invest here in cuba. two currencies shouldn't separate the type of salaries that cubans can earn. the internet should be available across the island, so that cubans can connect to the wider world and to one of the greatest engines of growth in human

history. there's no limitation from the united states on the ability of cuba to take these steps. it's up to you. and i can tell you as a friend that sustainable prosperity in the 21st century depends upon education, health care, and environmental protection. but it also depends on the free and open exchange of ideas. if you can't access information online, if you cannot be exposed to different points of view, you will not reach your full potential. and over time, the youth will lose hope. i know these issues are sensitive, especially coming from an american president. before 1959, some americans saw cuba as something to exploit, ignored poverty, enabled corruption.

and since 1959, we've been shadow-boxers in this battle of geopolitics and personalities. i know the history, but i refuse to be trapped by it. [applause] i've made it clear that the united states has neither the capacity, nor the intention to impose change on cuba. what changes come will depend upon the cuban people. we will not impose our political or economic system on you. we recognize that every country, every people, must chart its own course and shape its own model. but having removed the shadow of history from our relationship, i must speak honestly about the things that i believe -- the things that we, as americans, believe. as marti said, "liberty is the right of every man to be honest, to think and to speak without hypocrisy."

so let me tell you what i believe. i can't force you to agree, but you should know what i think. i believe that every person should be equal under the law. [applause] every child deserves the dignity that comes with education, and health care and food on the table and a roof over their heads. [applause] i believe citizens should be free to speak their mind without fear. to organize, and to criticize their government, and to protest peacefully, and that the rule of law should not include arbitrary detentions of people who exercise those rights. [applause] i believe that every person should have the freedom to practice their faith peacefully and publicly.

[applause] and, yes, i believe voters should be able to choose their governments in free and democratic elections. [applause] not everybody agrees with me on this. not everybody agrees with the american people on this. but i believe those human rights are universal. i believe they are the rights of the american people, the cuban people, and people around the world. now, there's no secret that our governments disagree on many of these issues. i've had frank conversations with president castro. for many years, he has pointed out the flaws in the american system -- economic inequality; the death penalty; racial discrimination; wars abroad. that's just a sample. he has a much longer list. but here's what the cuban people need to understand: i welcome

this open debate and dialogue. it's good. it's healthy. i'm not afraid of it. we do have too much money in american politics. but, in america, it's still possible for somebody like me -- a child who was raised by a single mom, a child of mixed race who did not have a lot of money -- to pursue and achieve the highest office in the land. that's what's possible in america. [applause] we do have challenges with racial bias -- in our communities, in our criminal justice system, in our society -- the legacy of slavery and segregation. but the fact that we have open debates within america's own democracy is what allows us to get better. in 1959, the year that my father moved to america, it was illegal for him to marry my mother, who was white, in many american

states. when i first started school, we were still struggling to desegregate schools across the american south. but people organized; they protested; they debated these issues; they challenged government officials. and because of those protests, and because of those debates, and because of popular mobilization, i'm able to stand here today as an african-american and as president of the united states. that was because of the freedoms that were afforded in the united states that we were able to bring about change. i'm not saying this is easy. there's still enormous problems in our society. but democracy is the way that we solve them. that's how we got health care for more of our people. that's how we made enormous gains in women's rights and gay rights. that's how we address the inequality that concentrates so much wealth at the top of our society. because workers can organize and

ordinary people have a voice, american democracy has given our people the opportunity to pursue their dreams and enjoy a high standard of living. [applause] now, there are still some tough fights. it isn't always pretty, the process of democracy. it's often frustrating. you can see that in the election going on back home. but just stop and consider this fact about the american campaign that's taking place right now. you had two cuban americans in the republican party, running against the legacy of a black man who is president, while arguing that they're the best person to beat the democratic nominee who will either be a woman or a democratic socialist. [laughter] [applause] who would have believed that back in 1959?

that's a measure of our progress as a democracy. [applause] so here's my message to the cuban government and the cuban people: the ideals that are the starting point for every revolution -- america's revolution, cuba's revolution, the liberation movements around the world -- those ideals find their truest expression, i believe, in democracy. not because american democracy is perfect, but precisely because we're not. and we -- like every country -- need the space that democracy gives us to change. it gives individuals the capacity to be catalysts to think in new ways, and to reimagine how our society should be, and to make them better. there's already an evolution taking place inside of cuba, a generational change.

many suggested that i come here and ask the people of cuba to tear something down -- but i'm appealing to the young people of cuba who will lift something up, build something new. [applause] el futuro de cuba tiene que estar en las manos del pueblo cubano. [applause] and to president castro -- who i appreciate being here today -- i want you to know, i believe my visit here demonstrates you do not need to fear a threat from the united states. and given your commitment to cuba's sovereignty and self-determination, i am also confident that you need not fear the different voices of the cuban people -- and their capacity to speak, and assemble, and vote for their leaders. in fact, i'm hopeful for the

future because i trust that the cuban people will make the right decisions. and as you do, i'm also confident that cuba can continue to play an important role in the hemisphere and around the globe -- and my hope is, is that you can do so as a partner with the united states. we've played very different roles in the world. but no one should deny the service that thousands of cuban doctors have delivered for the poor and suffering. [applause] last year, american health care workers -- and the u.s. military -- worked side-by-side with cubans to save lives and stamp out ebola in west africa. i believe that we should continue that kind of cooperation in other countries.

we've been on the different side of so many conflicts in the americas. but today, americans and cubans are sitting together at the negotiating table, and we are helping the colombian people resolve a civil war that's dragged on for decades. [applause] that kind of cooperation is good for everybody. it gives everyone in this hemisphere hope. we took different journeys to our support for the people of south africa in ending apartheid. but president castro and i could both be there in johannesburg to pay tribute to the legacy of the great nelson mandela. [applause] and in examining his life and his words, i'm sure we both realize we have more work to do to promote equality in our own countries -- to reduce

discrimination based on race in our own countries. and in cuba, we want our engagement to help lift up the cubans who are of african descent who've proven that , there's nothing they cannot achieve when given the chance. we've been a part of different blocs of nations in the hemisphere, and we will continue to have profound differences about how to promote peace, security, opportunity, and human rights. but as we normalize our relations, i believe it can help foster a greater sense of unity in the americas -- todos somos americanos. [applause] from the beginning of my time in office, i've urged the people of the americas to leave behind the ideological battles of the past. we are in a new era.

i know that many of the issues that i've talked about lack the drama of the past. and i know that part of cuba's identity is its pride in being a small island nation that could stand up for its rights, and shake the world. but i also know that cuba will always stand out because of the talent, hard work, and pride of the cuban people. that's your strength. [applause] cuba doesn't have to be defined by being against the united states, any more than the united states should be defined by being against cuba. i'm hopeful for the future because of the reconciliation that's taking place among the cuban people. i know that for some cubans on the island, there may be a sense that those who left somehow supported the old order in cuba.

i'm sure there's a narrative that lingers here which suggests that cuban exiles ignored the problems of pre-revolutionary cuba, and rejected the struggle to build a new future. but i can tell you today that so many cuban exiles carry a memory of painful -- and sometimes violent -- separation. they love cuba. a part of them still considers this their true home. that's why their passion is so strong. that's why their heartache is so great. and for the cuban american community that i've come to know and respect, this is not just about politics. this is about family -- the memory of a home that was lost; the desire to rebuild a broken bond; the hope for a better future the hope for return and

reconciliation. for all of the politics, people are people, and cubans are cubans. and i've come here -- i've traveled this distance -- on a bridge that was built by cubans on both sides of the florida straits. i first got to know the talent and passion of the cuban people in america. and i know how they have suffered more than the pain of exile -- they also know what it's like to be an outsider, and to struggle, and to work harder to make sure their children can reach higher in america. so the reconciliation of the cuban people -- the children and grandchildren of revolution, and the children and grandchildren of exile -- that is fundamental to cuba's future. [applause]

you see it in gloria gonzalez, who traveled here in 2013 for the first time after 61 years of separation, and was met by her sister, llorca. "you recognized me, but i didn't recognize you," gloria said after she embraced her sibling. imagine that, after 61 years. you see it in melinda lopez, who came to her family's old home. and as she was walking the streets, an elderly woman recognized her as her mother's daughter, and began to cry. she took her into her home and showed her a pile of photos that included melinda's baby picture, which her mother had sent 50 years ago. melinda later said, "so many of us are now getting so much back."

you see it in cristian miguel soler, a young man who became the first of his family to travel here after 50 years. and meeting relatives for the first time, he said, "i realized that family is family no matter the distance between us." sometimes the most important changes start in small places. the tides of history can leave people in conflict and exile and poverty. it takes time for those circumstances to change. but the recognition of a common humanity, the reconciliation of people bound by blood and a belief in one another -- that's where progress begins. understanding, and listening, and forgiveness. and if the cuban people face the future together, it will be more likely that the young people of today will be able to live with dignity and achieve their dreams

right here in cuba. the history of the united states and cuba encompass revolution and conflict; struggle and sacrifice; retribution and, now, reconciliation. it is time, now, for us to leave the past behind. it is time for us to look forward to the future together -- un futuro de esperanza. and it won't be easy, and there will be setbacks. it will take time. but my time here in cuba renews my hope and my confidence in what the cuban people will do. we can make this journey as friends, and as neighbors, and as family -- together. si se puede. muchas gracias. [applause]

thank you.

>> tonight, political cartoonists and humanities scholars discussed the power of political cartoons and its influence on the toys 16 elections. they also discuss censorship and freedom of speech issues. you can watch it tonight at 8:00 eastern time here on c-span. >> c-span's "washington journal" live every day with news and policy issues that impact you. coming up sunday morning, james hollifield of the wilson center will be with us. he will talk about the latest developments in the syrian refugee migrations. then, a health care reporter for "politico." she will talk about the rollout of the affordable care act, and continuing challenges to the law. be sure to watch live at 7:00 in

the morning. join the discussion. tomorrow, an event with actor ofrge takei on the treatment japanese-americans during world war ii. he talks about his family, who was forced to live in a race track. parents got -- my younger brother, and baby sister, not olds, provoke in very early one morning. my brother and i were told to wait in the living room. while they work packing in the venture. we were gazing out the front window, and saw two soldiers with bayonets on the rifles, marching up our driveway. he stopped and banked on the

front door. i still remember how scary that was. was -- bang we were ordered out of our home. my brother and i and father stood on the driver, and waited for my mother to come out. when she emerged, she had her baby sister and one arm, and a inge duffel bag and other -- the other, and tears were streaming down her face. but, that years old, morning, the terror of that morning is still fresh in my memory. that was the beginning of it. ,e were taken to the racetrack together with other families that were gathered. we were herded over to the

stables, and each signed -- assigned a horse stall to live in. for my parents, it was a degrading and humiliating experience to go from a narrow,oom home to a smelly horse stall. akei.rge dt you can watch his remarks in their entirety sunday at 10:30 eastern on c-span. >> starting monday on c-span, the supreme court cases that ,haped our life with the series "landmark cases." >> john marshall said, this is

different, the constitution is a political document. it is also a law. it is binding on the other branches. ultimatethe anti-presidential case. exactly what you don't want to do. >> who should make the decision about those cases? and lochner versus new york, the supreme court said it should make the decision. >> landmark cases on c-span and c-span.org. houset, remarks from speaker paul ryan on the state of health politics. he talks about how best to work with the senate and the president on how to get things accomplished. this is 35 minutes.

>> thank you everyone for being here today. it is great to see so many young people in the audience. today, it is truly an honor for me to introduce my friend, speaker paul ryan. i first got toorion as paul -- speaker ryan as paul in 2010. as you might imagine, a national campaign takes you to far-flung corners of this country. the first debate prep session

was in oregon. i have prepared the first draft of materials, and after paul reviewed my work, he said, we on the dig deeper policy. no surprises there. after many weeks of debate prep, i have the honor of watching h paul would prepare his team and raise our after the 2012 election i went home to upstate new york. the -- at the young age of 28 paul decided to run for congress. it struck me someone so young could make an impact on the discourse of public policy. instead of complaining about the state of american politics i started the process of running

for congress. advice i have of received was from speaker riot -- from speaker ryan who said, you have two ears and one mouth, use them in that ratio. he was highlighting the idea of listening to our communities. in my first year in congress i didn't anticipate that paul would become speaker. this is a job he didn't ask for but answered the call to serve. when i talk with my constituents in new york about the qualities that personify an effective public servant, i have come up with three characteristics. they have to be hardworking, they have to have integrity and they have to have political courage to put forth innovative solutions. speaker ryan embodies each of these qualities. he is a happy warrior who understands the power of an idea, the power of the american idea and american dream. please join me in welcoming my friend and our speaker, paul ryan.

[applause] mr. ryan: thank you. let's hear it for elise stefanik. don't forget to go vote. thank you for your indulgence and thank you for your patience. we have votes on the floor right now. i want to thank elise stefanik. she is inspiring. i also want to thank all of you for coming here today. i want to thank kevin brady, my friend, the chairman of the ways and means committee, for hosting us here today. i had the privilege of joining this committee in my second term. my seat was right behind these flags. and it's a perfect setting for what i want to talk with you today about. because it is here in this committee that we debate some of the biggest, most consequential issues.

we debate our tax code, health care, trade, entitlement reform, welfare reform, this is a big deal to be on this committee. people have strived to get on this committee. understanding the privilege and responsibility that came along with it, we took our jobs very seriously here on this committee. and we always held ourselves to a higher standard of decorum. we treated each other with respect. we disagreed often -- disagreed, often fiercely so, but we disagreed without being disagreeable. i speak of this in the past tense only because i no longer serve here in the ways and means committee. but it almost sounds like i'm, you know, speaking of a

different time, doesn't it? it sounds like a scene unfamiliar to many in your generation. looking around at what's taking place in politics today, it is so easy to get disheartened. how many of you find ourselves just shaking your head at what you see from both sides of the aisle these days? you know, i see myself in each and every one of you. i came here as a curious college intern. trying to get a sense of everything. trying to figure out, you know, where to take my own life. i would always ask older, more experienced people, what do you know now that you wish you knew when you were my age? well, here's my answer to that question. here's what i know now that i want you to know, that you cannot maybe see yourself today. and this is not just a lesson for young minds but a message for all americans. our political discourse, both the kind that we see on tv and the kind that we experience among each other, it did not used to be this bad and it does not have to be this way.

now, a little skepticism, that is really healthy. but when people distrust politics, they come to distrust institutions. they lose faith in government. they lose faith in our future. we can acknowledge this. but we don't have to accept this. and we can't enable it either. my dad used to always say, you are either part of the problem or part of the solution. one or the other. so i have made it my mission as speaker to raise our gaze and aim for a brighter horizon. instead of talking about what politics is today, i want to talk with you about what politics can be. i want to talk about what our country can be. about what our founders envisioned it would be. america.

america is the only nation founded on an idea. not on an identity. that idea is a beautiful idea. a condition of your birth does not determine the outcome of your life. our rights are natural, they're god-given, not coming from government. it was a beautiful idea, it had never been tried before. early on, our founders fought to establish a suitable order. they decided that we would not maintain this idea by force. in the first federalist chapter, in the first federalist paper, alexander hamilton wrote that in politics it is absurd to aim at making congress by fire or sword. instead, we would govern ourselves with the people's consent. again, there was no manual for how to do this. that's why we call this whole thing the american experiment. it is still the american

experiment. so they made each other and they made those who came after take an oath to uphold the constitution. every generation since has inherited this responsibility. leaders with different visions and ideas have come and gone. parties have risen and fallen. majorities and white houses won and lost. but the way we govern endures through debate, not disorder. this is the one thing about our country and this is one of the most important things about our country that makes it the greatest on earth. i must admit, i didn't always find this idea so exciting when i was young. as i said, i came to washington unsure of what i was going to do with my life. then i ended up working for a guy named jack kemp.

he went on to represent the people from western new york but he was a quarterback for the buffalo bills. one of the great quarterbacks of his time. and then he represented the buffalo area in congress in the 1970's and 1980's. he served in the cabinet under p.h.w. bush and like me he was one of our party's nominees for vice president. i first met jack kemp exactly where you would expect -- at tortilla coast. it was true. i was waiting tables. like you, i had student loans coming out of school. i had a few jobs. i was a waiter and i waited on jack kemp. i didn't bother him that day but i told a friend, one day i would love to have a chance of working for that man. as luck would have it, such an opening came up. the thing about jack was that he was an optimist all the way. he refused to accept that any part of america or the american idea could ever be written off. here was a conservative willing,

no, no, here was a conservative eager to go to america's bleakest communities and talk about how free enterprise would lift people out of poverty. these were areas in the country that had not seen a republican lead for the years, if ever. i accompanied jack on these trip, i saw how people looked up to him he found common cause with poverty fighters on the ground. instead of a sense of difficult i at that time began to feel a sense of purpose. jack inspired me to develop my professional life to public policy. it became a vocation to me. ideas. passionately promoted. put to the test. that's what politics can be. that's what our country can be. it can be a confident america where we have a basic faith in politics and our leaders. that sounds like a long distance from where we are right now, doesn't it? it can be a place where we have

earned that faith, all of us, as leaders. all of us as leaders can hold ourselves to the highest standards of integrity and decency. instead of playing to your anxieties, we can appeal to your aspirations. instead of playing the identity politics of our base versus their base, we unite people around ideas and principles. and instead of being timid, we go bold. we don't just resort to scaring you, we dare to inspire you. we don't just oppose someone or something, we propose a clear and compelling alternative. and we don't just win your support, we win the argument. we win your enthusiasm. we win hearts and minds. we win a mandate to do what needs to be done to protect the american idea.

and a confident america -- in a confident america we also have a basic faith in one another. that's one of the most important lessons i would love to confer to you. we question each other's ideas vigorously but we don't question each other's motives. if someone has a bad idea, we don't think that they're a bad person. we just think they have a bad idea. people with different ideas, they're not traitors. they're not our enemies. they're our neighbors, our co-workers, our fellow citizens. sometimes they're our friends. sometimes they're even our own flesh and blood, right? we all know someone who we love who disagrees with us politically or who votes differently. but in a confident america, we are not afraid to disagree with each other. we don't look ourselves -- we don't lock ourselves into an echo chamber. we don't go into the echo chamber and just tell us what we want to hear where we take the comfort in the dogmas and opinions we already hold. we dent shut down on people. and we don't shut people down.

if someone has a bad idea, well, why don't we tell them why our idea is bet her we don't insult them into agreeing with us. we try to persuade them. we test their assumptions. and while we're at it, we test our own assumptions too. i'm certainly not going to stand here and tell you i have always met this standard myself. there was a time that i would talk about a difference between makers and takers in our country. referring to people who accepted government benefits, but as i spend more time listening, really learning the root causes of poverty, i realized something. i realized that i was wrong. takers wasn't how to refer to a single mom stuck in a poverty trap, trying to take care of her own family. most people don't want to be

dependent. and the label -- and to label a whole group of americans that way was wrong. i shouldn't castigate a large group of americans just to make a point. so i stopped talking about it that way. and i stopped thinking about it that way. but i didn't come out and say this to be politically correct. i say this because i was just wrong. and of course there are still going to be times when i and you and we say things we wish we hadn't. there are still going to be times i follow the wrong impulse. governing ourselves was never meant to be easy. this has always been a tough business. when passions flare, ugliness is sometimes inevitable. but we shouldn't accept ugliness as the norm. we should demand better from ourselves. we should demand better from one another. we should think about the great leaders that have bestowed upon us the opportunity to live the american idea. we should honor their legacy. we should build that more confident america. this as much as anything is what makes me an optimist. in knowing that ideas can inspire a country and help people. long before i worked for him, jack kemp had a tax plan that he

was incredibly passionate about. you have to remember this about jack kemp. he wasn't even on the ways and means committee, the committee here that writes our tax laws. republicans were deep in the minority back then. so the odds of it going anywhere seemed remotely low, awfully low. but he was like a dog with a bone he believed passionately in his ideas even though the odds were stacked against him. he took that plan to any audience he could get in front of. he pushed it so hard that he eventually inspired our party's nominee for president, ronald reagan, to adopt it as his own. and in 1981, the jack kemp tax law was signed into law. all it took was someone to put policy on paper, someone willing to put an idea on paper and to promote it passionately. this is the basic concept behind the policy agenda that house republicans are building right now. as leaders, we have an obligation to put our best ideas

forward no matter the consequences. with so much at stake, the american people deserve a very clear picture of what we believe, of what we would do. personalities, personalities come and go. but principles, principles endure. ideas endure. ready to inspire generations yet to be born. that's the thing about politics. we think of politics in terms of this vote or this election. but it can be so much more than that. politics can be a battle of ideas, not a battle of insults. it can be about solutions. it can be about making a difference. it can be about always striving to do better. that's what it can be and that's what it should be. this is a system our founders envisioned. it's messy.

it's complicated. it is infuriating at times. but it's a beautiful thing too. thank you all for being here today. really appreciate it. \[applause] for the young folks in the audience, i'd love to answer some of your questions. go ahead. i can repeat it if you can't get it out. >> first of all, thank you for having this, this has been an awesome thing. i'm already geeking out over the fact that i'm about to ask the speaker of the house a question. so you talk about introducing civility in politics. is that more incumbent on the american people, the students, the candidates who is it more incumbent upon? mr. ryan: the founders created

this new american idea, an amazing thing, unprecedented, never been done before. guess what, it's our job to preserve it. so sometimes today we see a politics that is degrading a politics that's going to the base, the basest of our emotions of what disunifies us, not unifies us. here's our job. as leaders, we need to raise our gaze, raise our game, and talk about ideas and try to unite us. not prey on people' separations or identities. your job as a young person, finding your way in life, is not impugn another person's motives. it's to listen and to try to persuade. it's to accept that people think differently, they may have different ideas. they're not bad people. and that's unfortunately what is occurring all too often in our society today. so your job and each and every

one of our jobs as citizens is to respect other people's opinions, be passionate about our principles and ideas and go and advocate for them without impugning another person's motives. our job as leaders is to offer a clear and compelling agenda, to talk about ideas and not to trade insults. they think you need a mic. >> my name is justin, i'm from congressman greg walton's office. thank you for taking the time to speak with us today. you talk about confidence and optimism, i'm not going to ask you to name names or speak in specifics about the presidential

election but just as our generation, how can we be confident that after this presidential election, that our generation can enter into an optimistic america, politically? mr. ryan: this is what inspired me to get into public service as a vocation, as i mentioned. i lost my dad when i was young so i grew up with mentors. jack kemp was one of my mentors. what inspired me to public service, among other people, was jack kemp and his sense of passion and optimism for good ideas, for making a difference in people's lives and having meaning. that's what politics should be, what it can be, what it has been. and that's what if we all work together and focus on it it can be again. the point i'm trying to make here is that right now, our sense of politics, and this isn't just the right or just the left, this is happening all across our country. we are slipping into being a divisive country. we are speaking to each other in echo chambers where we only talk to those who agree with us and we think that there's something wrong with people who don't agree with us. we question and impugn motives instead of test theories and ideas. that is where it doesn't need to be and where it wasn't and where

it shouldn't be. so the whole point i would make is, if we're going to keep this beautiful american experiment going, we're going to have to stay unified as a country that does not mean we have to agree with the same ideas or polities or candidates. it means we need to raise our respect for one another, our public discourse, so that we can get a better outcome at the end of the day. our founders were very clear about this. they made us this beautiful system. the system only works if we participate in the system with mutual respect for one another. anybody on this side? how about over there. >> thank you for being with us today, speaker ryan. i currently intern, kind of like you did, for congressman walberg's office. my question for you is one of leadership and certainly with this most recent leadership role

you've assumed confers a lot of responsibility on you and your personal axiom to be part of the solution, not part of the problem confers even more responsibility on you. i think a true mark of leadership is learning from a failure. you speak of a willingness to be persuaded when your idea is perhaps not the best idea or the ability to persuade somebody when you think your idea is the better idea. so my question is, when has there been a moment in your career in politics or otherwise that you've been persuaded that one of your ideas or one of the things that you've done, perhaps wasn't the best idea and learned from that? mr. ryan: i can give you two examples. i mentioned one in the speech which was i fell into the trap of thinking about makers and takers in the wrong way. about people who are struggling and for a moment need to be dependent on government who don't want to be. i was callous and oversimplified

and i castigated people with a broad brush. that's wrong. there's a lot of that happening in america today. i myself have made that mistake. i think one of the policy examples of your question is, i spent the last two years touring poor communities around america. rural areas, inner cities, learning about just how people are trying to struggle with poverty. and one of the things i learned was, there are a lot of people who have been in prison -- been in prison who have committed crimes, that were not violent crimes, and who once they have that blight on their record, that they've been in prison, their future is really bleak. and in the 1990's, i came here in the late 1990's, we, i think, overcompensated on some of our criminal justice laws. i think we overcompensated on some of the laws where we had so many mandatory minimums and three strikes you're out that we ended up putting people for long prison terms which ends up ruining their life and hurting

their communities where we could have had alternative means of incarceration, better means of dealing with the problem than basically destroying a person's life. so that is why i have become more of a late convert to criminal justice reform. it's something i never thought about when i was young for the congress. it's something i thought just be tough on crime, be tough on crime. i think we as republicans and democrats kind of overcompensated on this in the 1990's. now that we see the path of the -- the pathology that's come from that, i think we have to go back and fix that. that's why as speaker, i talked to bob goodlatte about this last night, we're going to bring criminal justice reform bills which are now out of the judiciary committee to the house floor and advance this. what we're learning is, what i learned, i didn't necessarily know this before, is redemption is a beautiful thing.

it's a great thing. redemption is what makes this place work. this place being america. society. and we need to honor redemption and we need to make redemption something that is valued in our culture and our society and in our laws. and that is why i think criminal justice reform, something that i change my position on from learning about the power of redemption and the fact that our laws got this wrong, that's something we can improve, so that when a young man comes out of prison a person who is not a violent criminal, who did something where we he really needed addiction counseling, needed some other kinds of mentoring, maybe faith that he can actually go back and be a product i member of society, be a good husband and good father. make a difference. reach his potential. that's something we want to see more of and i think our laws need to reflect that. i think i learned a good lesson about that over the last few years. the guy with the boe tie. -- the bow tie. oh, by the way, if you're a michigan state fan -- yeah, so

what happened? i picked them to win the whole darn thing in my bracket so my brackets are destroyed because of that good grief. >> my name is jim betancourt i'm with representative steve king and trent franks. my question is, you talked about poverty and helping people rise up. how does your faith impact your role as speaker and when you assumed that and i heard that you were in a duck blind and i hunt -- mr. ryan: deer blind. deer stand. >> was it your faith that just said, yes i should do this? or how did you -- mr. ryan: catholic guilt had a part of this. to be very clear, i'm catholic. you can't in my mind separate your faith from your daily walk in life. from your personal, private, public life. it's one and the same. so in my -- i'm a christian who chooses to practice christianity

as a practicing catholic. and we have certain principles that i think are very important that apply very well to what we do in public life as lay catholics. in and that is the principles of sincerity, solidarity, preferential option for the poor. what it means is, people. people are the solutions. it's one of the reasons why i'm a conservative. one of the reasons why i passionately believe in the constitution and concept of federalism. it's in perfect keeping with my tenets of my faith, which is, whether it's fighting poverty eye to eye, soul to soul, groups on the ground, poverty fighters, or making sure that we don't have a big, arrogant, paternalistic, condescending government that is taking power from our lives, power from our communities and displacing, it gives me a sense of philosophy that's grounded in my faith but also a sense of how i should conduct myself personally and publicly. i think they're inseparable,

number one, and number two, you're always going to fail. him an and when you fail and after you failed you ask for forgiveness and try to pick up and improve yourself going forward. to me, it's an inseparable thing. first i'm a husband and father. then i'm a public servant. that's just the way i order these things in my mind. using these principles, i think, gives me a sense of how to conduct myself. i'm going to do a bad job all the time but i'm always going to try to improve upon the mistakes i've made. any ladies? right there. >> what role do you think members of congress have in bringing our nation together as it seems so divided? mr. ryan: i think how we conduct ourselves personally is very important.

i think we set example and lead by example. but also, you have to understand who we are, especially here in the house. we are the part of government that's closest to the people. we are the part of government that is up for election every other year so we're closest to the people and we are the voice. what we have to remember is, as representatives of the people, we're also leaders. we serve in a constitutional republic. and that means members of congress, i think, need to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. this is what we're laboring to do here in the house republican conference which is, we see problems in america, we think the country is headed in the wrong direction and as members of this congress we believe most people agree with us by virtue of us being here. i think polls show seven of 10 americans believe america is headed in the wrong direction. ok, then as members of congress it's not our job to just say, we're as angry as everybody else, or to just put gas on the fire. it is our job to channel this concern, this fear this anger into solutions. into ideas on how to fix it. this is what our job as members

of congress is if we don't like the direction the country is going if we don't like this particular policy or that trend, what are we going to do to fix it? how are we going to be part of the solution? if we in congress can't get that right, how can we expect the people that we represent to do it as well? if we can't raise our gaze, raise the tone of our rhetoric, the tenor of debate and offer real, concrete ideas and solutions to fix our country's problems, then how can we expect anybody else to do the same? so that is why through leadership by example i think members of congress need to be part of the solution by putting an agenda out there that says, america, we have problems that we can fix and we need to do this together, we need to unify. what really bothers me the most of politics these days is this notion of identity politics.

ourer then the inspiring common humanity and common ideals. we want everybody to succeed. we do to get policies that actually achieve that? liberals and conservatives are going to disagree with each other on that. let's have a battle of ideas, let's have a contest of whose ideas are better and why there do -- why their ideas are better. how about over there with the sweater? >> aside from how people --roach different ideas aside from changing people's approachto how they different ideas, what other

institutional changes can we make to minimize legislative gridlock? : when i became speaker i made a couple of decisions, which is not have the leadership determined the outcome of everything. it was a different system and more members of congress could bring more amendments to the floor. , in we lost the majority .hink they consolidated power rank-and-file members of congress were losing their power to shape ideas and legislation. retook the majority, i don't think we decentralized power enough. we kept the consolidation of power. i aim to change the culture of this distant -- of this

institution so that ideas are done in the committees and brought to the floor by members of congress. that cultural change is going to help get a result in another day. i came in this job different than most people come in this job. way upople work their the leadership latter, which is a fine path to taking congress. policysaw myself as a maker, hoping to be a chairman of this committee. if you are a check of all trades, you make yourself a mile wide and an inch deep. that is not an effective way to be an effective half -- affect policy maker. what do you do when you focus and specialize? you focus on the committee and area you care about.

these committees should be the one writing the policy. somethinghould do about it by having an amendment on the floor. if leadership short-circuits that process, i feel like that institution is short-circuited. this institution does not function at its full potential. i wanted to see that kind of leadership -- that kind of leadership occur. i think we made a great deal of progress. we had theonths biggest transportation bill we have had since the mid-90's. rewrote our customs and border laws that we have been trying to rewrite for decades. there was a big medicare problem

that was 17 times, we kept patching this one year, one month at a time. by letting policy makers right to the policy, i think we got a better result. bill,ents to the highway i had no idea what the amendment would have been. we ended up having over 300 votes. by decentralizing power, people does, letting their jobs, i think you have a better outcome and have more participants and the quality of debate improve's as well. they tell me i have to go. thank you very much. enjoy your time here. thank you so much, appreciate it.

>> the power of editorial cartooning and its power on national and state elections. a cartoonist from the lexington herald leader criticized syrian refugees. here is a look. >> our new tea party governor

joined in a chorus of other voices from around the country saying we don't want anymore syrian refugees in here. 's the only thing i like about him is he has three adopted kids from somalia. everything about him -- everything else about him is wretched. cartoon of him towering under the desk. and he went crazy and called a press conference, denouncing the herald leader. our publisher is african-american. we have been the leading progressive voice in kentucky. right-wingin the hate radio spheres.

with these fear he is phone calls, screaming at us for being racist. from the country, not from our own leaders. >> you can watch the entire event tonight at 8:00 eastern here on c-span. >> c-span's washington journal, live every day with news and policy issues that impact you. a public policy fellow at the wilson center will be with us. and then health care reporter for politico will discuss the latest rollout of the affordable care act. be sure to watch washington journal beginning live at seven eastern.

join the discussion. >> also tomorrow, newsmakers. on the house republican debate over a 2017 budget and the appropriations process. he currently serves as a member of the house appropriations committee. you can watch newsmaker sunday at 10 a.m. and 6 a.m. eastern. >> the need of four horses on the farm began to decline radically in the 1930's. make agured out how to rubber tire big enough to sit on a tractor. andting in the 1930's 1940's you almost had a complete replacement of horses as the work animals on farms.

i read in the decade after world war ii, we had something like a horse holocaust. >> robert gordon, professor of economics discusses his book the rise and fall of american growth, which looks at the growth of the american standard of living between 1870 and 1970 and questions his future. >> one thing that often interests people is the impact of superstorm sandy on the east coast. that wiped out the 20th century for many people. you couldn't pump gas into your car.

the power of electricity in the internal combustion engine to make modern life possible is something that people take for granted. >> sunday night on c-span's q and a. >> during campaign 2016, c-span takes you on the road to the white house. onfollow the candidates c-span, c-span radio, and c-span.org. >> bernie sanders offers his condolences to the people who pledged to destroy isis through a coalition led by muslim nations. california holds its presidential primary on june 7. this is an hour. [applause]

rosario dawson: i have been here to this convention center many, many, many times. i have seen a lot of people before, but never like this. [cheers and applause] i see all of you. and, i am so grateful that you are here. unfortunately, the mass media said, do not even bother. [booing] rosario dawson: i am really glad that you showed them what is up. we have to keep doing that. there is a lot at stake. i have been doing voter registration for 11 years and i can tell you the one question i am master over and over again is, where are the young people? right? right here.

where is diversity? right here. where are people coming together under one umbrella with one vision that we can all dream and believe in? right here. when i say that this election is critical, i -- i -- i am on a loss of words because this election being critical is too small to talk about it. this is like kerry belafonte said that about the soul of our country. the soul of our policies and vision. we do not need incremental change, we need bold leadership and that is what bernie sanders brings to the conversation. we do not need somebody who is ready to hit that shiny red button when they get into office and create more wars, more inhumanity, more tension, more fear. [applause] rosario dawson: understand how

significant this is. you are here because you are talking to each other. not because you are being encouraged by the dnc. not because you are being encouraged by the media. but because you are talking to each other. so, understand what that means. if bernie does not take this all the way, if we do not help him, if we do not make sure he takes this all the way, net neutrality will be pushed back. a senator said, the reason superdelegates exist is to specifically push back against a grassroots organizing. so, we need you now more the in ever. we need you to spread the message and talk about our future. the youth has been on the right side of history on every issue. [cheers and applause] rosario dawson: they talked about those

hippy college kids when they were protesting against vietnam. martin luther king, junior, who bernie sanders walk with -- [cheers and applause] rosaria dos and -- rosaria dawson: he put it right when he said high school students were not afraid to do anything. they did not talk about it when there was no one the bailout. they did not talk about how remarkable and beautiful it was when millions of people marched for these before the iraq war. millions of people marched across cultures, across boundaries, burning is not the only one who walked against the iraq war. we were. it is time we make them listen. i don't need to hesitate or talk about the idea of the pipeline or fracking.

what we need is somebody who will listen. i'm not going to vote against the patriot act once, i'm going to vote against it twice. we need someone who has bold leadership who can understand with climate change, with health care, with education, with our future at stake that we need bold leadership from someone we can trust. someone who has stood up for justice his entire life. they have not listened to him, but we are. and we need to keep spreading that message, because people are voting against themselves. they are hurting themselves and their future. and we need to help them. we need to help them and each other, because this is about us.

not me. it's not one person. it's not just a party. it's not the g.o.p. versus the d.n.c. this is about the 99% that is too big to fail against the 1%. so when i hear someone ask me, well, well, well, if it comes down to it, will you vote for the other candidate if it's trump? i say if you want to beat trump, vote bernie. we are playing chicken here. and we can't pull back. they are going to have to turn. that candidate is the ralph nader not bernie sanders. as an independent he is doing a service to the democratic party right now. the democratic party -- we haven't left them.

they have left us. this is an opportunity to turn the tide and change history. do we really want someone who condones mass incarcerations? who thinks that the death penalty is ok. who hesitates on environmental injustices and issues? who thinks that regime change is an idea for foreign policy? no. what we need is bold leadership from a great leader. time has come. truly this is a future to believe in. it is not a dream. it is a vision and it is worth going for with all of our minds. this is for our future, for my children, your children, our great grandchildren and beyond

to know that when this happens and the future that comes and they say you know when immigration reform and education and health care, when we were at war around the world and things were happening, what did you do? you can say i voted for the person who turned the tide. so make sure that you're not just liking this on facebook but that you are bringing 10 people, each of you, i really mean it across the states and talk to them and say this is what is at stake and make sure this is reflected here amongst ourselves. something that has pushed through and something that we get to see in the history books. because history is -- by the winners. and we must win. thank you. [applause] [crowd chanting "bernie"] >> i would introduce him but i

think you are already. please welcome to the stage senator bernie sanders. [cheers and applause]

[crowd chanting "bernie"] [cheers and applause] bernie sanders: thank you! thank you. thank you, san diego. whoa! bernie sanders: let me thank all of you.

thank you for coming out tonight. let me thank rosario dawson for that extraordinary introduction. it is a little bit hard to follow rosario because she said everything i was going to say. the only thing she did not say, i think, is not only do we have 9000 people in this room, we have many thousands more in the overflow room. [cheers and applause] bernie sanders: when we began this campaign about 10 months ago, we were 3% in the polls,

about 70 points behind secretary clinton. as of today, the last poll i saw, we are five points behind , and we are gaining. [cheers and applause] bernie sanders: when we began this campaign against the most powerful political organization in the country, we had no money and no volunteers. now we have hundreds of thousands of volunteers all over this country. [cheers and applause] and bernie sanders: when we began this campaign, we were considered a fringe candidacy. who in america, the media said, could believe in a political revolution?

well, 10 months later, we have now won 10 primaries and caucuses. [cheers and applause] bernie sanders: unless i am very mistaken, we will win a couple more tonight. [cheers and applause] bernie sanders: when we began this campaign, we talked about the need for millions of people to become involved in the political process. tonight in utah, tonight in idaho, and tonight in arizona, there are record-breaking turnouts in terms of voters. [cheers and applause] bernie sanders: now, this campaign is doing as well as it

is generating the kind of energy and excitement we are seeing here in san diego and all over this country. [cheers and applause] bernie sanders: because we are doing something very unusual in modern american politics. we are telling the truth. [cheers and applause] bernie sanders: now, the truth is not always welcome in our personal or political lives, but we cannot go forward as a nation unless we are prepared to confront the real issues facing our country. let me tell you briefly what some of those issues are. number one, in america today, we are living under a corrupt campaign finance system.

which is undermining american democracy. democracy is not a complicated process. it really isn't. it means you have one vote. you have one vote. you have one vote. you want to vote for me, you want to vote against me, that is fine. what democracy does not mean is that billionaires can spend unlimited sums of money to elect candidates who represent the wealthy and the powerful. that is not democracy.

democracy is not about cowardly republican governors trying to suppress the vote. all over this country, what we are seeing is republican governors making it harder for poor people or people of color or young people or old people to vote. and i say to those cowardly governors, if you are not prepared to engage in a free and democratic election, get another job! get out of politics! \[cheers and applause] \[crowd chanting "bernie"] bernie sanders: today, the united states has sadly one of

the lowest voter turnouts of any major country on earth. our job is to increase voter turnout, not lower voter turnout, make it easier for people to participate, not harder. as rosario mentioned, this campaign is not just about a corrupt campaign finance system, which is undermining democracy. it is about a rigged economy. it is about an economy in which

the top .1% now own almost as much wealth as the bottom 90%. [crowd booing] bernie sanders: it is about an economy where the 20 wealthiest people own more wealth than the bottom 150 million people. [crowd booing] bernie sanders: it is about an economy in which one family, the walton family owning walmart -- [crowd booing] bernie sanders: this one family owns more wealth than the bottom 40% of the american people. and what a rigged economy is about is the wealthiest family in this country paying their employees wages that are so low

that many of those workers have to go on medicaid and food stamps. and it is the middle class that pays more in taxes to pay for that medicaid and food stamps, so i say to the walton family -- get off of welfare, pay your workers a living wage! [cheers and applause] bernie sanders: that is just one example of many of a rigged economy working people paying more in taxes to subsidize the wealthiest family in this country. that is crazy. together, we are going to end that.

this campaign is about ending a situation in which millions of our people are working longer hours for lower wages. this campaign is about a situation where millions of people are working longer hours for fewer wages. people being able to take care of their families. it is about an economy where mom kidsrking, dad is working, are working, people are stressed out, kids are not getting the attention they need. this campaign is