to evolve in the right way. but i will tell you that being a developer, being a builder, really helped me in my first public office, elected office, being mayor of a city, and that is to be able to create a vision, a bold vision, and to put the pieces in place to make it happen. i really do think that that helped me tremendously in being the mayor of chattanooga. and even though this is a legislative job, i think it has helped me here in trying to put the pieces together to make things happen. steve: a lot of midsized cities are really struggling. their downtown areas. what is different in chattanooga? sen. corker: you know, chattanooga is the greatest community. i love it and i represent the whole state of tennessee, each city is different. my hometown is chattanooga i could not be more proud of it. i gave a talk in marietta, georgia the other day about how

chattanooga became what it is. sometimes i can't even talk because i become so emotional about my hometown. chattanooga, one of the things that is unique is our city has been able to keep the civic, business, and cultural center downtown. which so many cities across our country have not. we obviously have a lot of entrepreneurialism there and some great manufacturing especially recently brought in a great company. it is filled with people who are so unique. i mean, people who give of themselves to make other people's lives better. it is a very, very unique place in that regard. and then if you look at the outdoor amenities, i just yesterday rode my bike with my wife elizabeth along the riverfront, which again, as a community, we created, it is an outstanding place to live. i do not know of a community

that has a better quality of life in america than chattanooga. the interesting thing is, it just keeps getting better. we have been able to build on the successes of people who have come before us and i could not be more proud of the people of my community, and i could not love living there more than i do. steve: so based on that, what advice as you look at other communities, larger cities like detroit certainly suffering a series of problems separate than what you faced in chattanooga. what advice would you give the neighbors? how do you turn around a downtown area? sen. corker: i met a man in my 30's who gave me some advice. he built the city of columbia from scratch in maryland. went out and bought, i think, 15,000 acres or whatever and built the city from scratch.

at a time when i was getting involved as a civic leader. i knew that i was going to be successful with my first company. i went on a mission trip to haiti and it affected me in a huge way and i wanted to be part of helping make my city a better place. and i met jim rouse in that process. what he told me i think is true. always create a bold, bold vision. bold vision, not a small vision. even if you just get 80% of the way done, you still accomplish so much more than if you have a small vision and you achieve it. the other thing i would say to people who are mayors of cities is, do not do a plan and let it sit on a shelf. plan and make it happen. i think that is what has made chattanooga so unique. you know, when i was mayor and so many people have done things of equal significance in our community, we created a vision to do a 21st-century waterfront

plan and built it, came up with the idea, the funding, developed it and built it in 35 months and when citizens see that you're going to carry something out, that you're not going to just create a study or a vision and let it sit on a shelf, you carry it out and make it real. what that does is it energizes the city and they want more. they want more. so, again, create a bold vision, get your community involved, and when you lay out what you are going to do something, do it. and, again, we have been so fortunate to have that happen over and over again in our community. steve: you ran for the senate once and lost in a primary. what did you learn from defeat? sen. corker: i did run in a primary back in 1994. there were six of us in the republican primary. bill frist won the race and should have. and he should have, he was the better candidate. if you run the right way and we

did, bill frist and i became great friends and he actually recruited me to run for his seat when he left 12 years later. but i think what i learned is, if you run the right way, you never lose. meaning that the experience itself enriches you as a person. i mean, just the experience of going around the state with 95 counties and meeting citizens and seeing where they are in life and understanding what motivates people, you cannot run an elective race like that and run the right way and lose. so, that was what i learned. you know, candidly, i did not ever think i would run for united states senate again. i ended up being in an appointed position right after that. again, that kind of validates what i am saying. a newly elected governor asked me to serve and his cabinet as a result of the way the race was won. i loved it and told the

gentleman i was going to leave the day i started and ended up going back into business and people in my community, our community asked me to run for mayor and i did. i did not expect to do anything electorally after that. i really didn't. then bill came down and talked about the fact he was retiring. i think people who offer themselves for public office and go about it in the right way, and so many people do, i think it is hard to not take away something from an effort like that that makes you a better person. steve: based on that, who are your role models? sen. corker: you know, i do not know. i, you know, i have taken a little bit from a lot of folks. i don't know if there is anybody that is in particular a role model.

i love serving with lamarr alexander, my colleague. he is an outstanding senator. i loved getting to know howard baker through the years. at the same time there are so many people who have -- i take a little bit from everyone. i do not know that i could say there was anybody who was my perfect role model. steve: if you look at howard baker and it lamarr alexander and your brand of politics, is it different from other states or legislators? sen. corker: i do not think so. when you say different, what do you mean by that? steve: you are not aligned with the tea party, you are often viewed as the bridge between democrats and republicans. sen. corker: yeah. i look at myself as a true fiscal conservative. i really do. and i think that, you know, i

mean, we have laid out those tough things that need to happen to save our nation. i am not talking about just laying them out rhetorically. we have written bills that have the tough medicine in them that lay out what needs to happen to make sure that entitlement programs that so many people depend upon are solvent over the next 75 years. that our country is saved in the process. i think one of the things that would make me unique, possibly, in our state, is the fact that i was a real business person. so many people say they were in business but, i mean, i was really in business, and built a company that operated around our nation and understand what it takes to go through that. so, i look at myself as a significant and serious this will conservative. -- physical conservative.

-- fiscal conservative. at the same time, i understand that the goal is to make gains. to make our country stronger along the way. i do not know what brand of, to use your word, politics that would be. i really do consider it a tremendous privilege to be here and i wake up every day trying to make our country stronger. one of the things i hope you will never interview me about is taking cheap political shots or trying to make it about me. i really do wake up every day knowing, again, our citizens across tennessee have given me a responsibility to wake up and to use every ounce of political capital that i have to advance our nation to a better place, so i do not know what brand of politics that would be. steve: do those cheap shots occur in the senate? sen. corker: gosh, yes. i think yeah, there is no question, obviously. i will leave it at that. i think that if you look at the

role that outside groups have begun to play and the effect that it can have on people that you know are otherwise sensible, thoughtful people, and how people can end up being pushed into positions that you know that our not advancing our country's interest, that certainly has an effect. everybody here is human, nobody here is without having made some mistakes, but i do try to resist, if you will, with every ounce of energy i have. i try to resist forces that push you in a direction that certainly are not about making our country stronger.

steve: if you could fix the senate as an institution, what would you change? sen. corker: well, i think the senate does not really need fixing. meaning that i think the way the senate has been set up by our forefathers certainly should work. i think that people coming here really attempting to be great united states senators versus potentially using the united states senate as an operation to do something else that has nothing to do with the great united states senator. and when i say being a great united states senator, that is taking the problems and issues we have and taking them head-on and to try to stretch, i find so many and it happens at the white house, too.

i find folks being afraid of trying to stretch their base and trying to get to a place where you actually solve a problem. and to me, i mean, having political support is all about trying to explain how, if we could stretch some, we can get to a place that makes our country stronger and still live within the principles that respective folks ran on. but there seems to be more recently, it has not it about that, i will put it that way. but let me say this. there are a lot of really, really great people here. i will say this, i came up here with a healthy disrespect of the united states senate. no doubt there are frustrations that exist serving in the united states senate. i know it is sometimes difficult for the american people to see this, but there are some outstanding people here who wake up every day really trying to advance our country and move it

ahead. and sometimes i wish the american people could see more of that, versus some of these public efforts that have in some cases nothing to do with that. steve: is the republican party, is the base more narrow than it should be at the moment? sen. corker: look, i have always said republican party is a big tent party. to me, i have always looked -- and i do not want to be offensive to my friends on the other side of the aisle, but i have always thought the republican party was the party that should try to be the adult when it comes to making tough decisions. and, you know, especially when it comes to fiscal issues and those kind of things that make our country stronger from generation to generation. i will get quibbling from the other side. i have always felt like what it

came down to making the tough decision, that is what the republican party was about. and again, attached to that is about ensuring that people have opportunities to better themselves. i do not think we talk near enough about the second part. to me, in many ways, have not done enough yet about the first part. i do think people back home sometimes forget republicans only have one third of government right now, and sometimes it is difficult. but when you think about the fact that over the last two years we have real reductions in actual spending that have taken place and tax policy has been fixed for individuals, something that did not happen when george bush was here and had both the house and senate, we were not able to do that and that was done for 99% of the people in

the country. even with a third of the government, strides have been taken. but i do not think we focus near enough on ensuring that we are the party of opportunity, too. i think sometimes we can forget our goal here is to try to make sure that every day we're doing things that improve people's quality of life and they have the opportunity if they are willing to put out the effort to enhance their family's opportunity and individual situation in life. that is what brought me into this. again, that is what brought me into the public arena was working on an issue that i really thought was going to affect people in a real way. 10,000 families in my home town of chattanooga. again, this was a civic endeavor. they were affected in a positive way. i was able to see that and i felt the same way as the commissioner of finance. and i certainly felt that way as the mayor of a city.

i think that again, you can have things -- i never did a business deal with anybody and feel like i did some pretty significant ones for guy who started with $8000 in savings. i never did one where the person on the other side of the table said, look, we will do it exactly the way you just said. there was a negotiation that took place and obviously, for me to have entered into that transaction, i must have felt there was something that was good for me that was coming out of that. and i assume that the person on the other side of the table must have felt there was something good for them that was coming out of it. and i think sometimes that part is forgotten about here, too. steve: speaking of families, let me ask about your own family. growing up, where in tennessee? how many mothers and sisters and

describe your parents. sen. corker: chattanooga, tennessee. we lived in south carolina when i was a younger person. my dad was transferred over and he was an engineer at dupont. he was transferred when i was 10 or 11. my sister two years younger. she lives in marietta, georgia. i have a wonderful wife named elizabeth who grew up on a farm. we had been married for 27 years and we have two daughters, julie and emily that are roughly, depending on when this airs, 25 and 24. and the 25-year-old is married to someone she met here on our staff. he is developing apartments. my younger daughter is living in new york. she is product development manager with a company that makes these shabby, stylish handbags where a portion of the proceeds go to feed people in africa. but they are both happy. and as a dad, that is the most

important thing in life is that they are productive and doing well and happy with who they are as individuals. elizabeth is happier than she has ever been. i am gone four days a week now and appear and i say that in jest. i am fortunate to be married to someone who would allow me to do what i am doing and to be such a strong-willed, good person. so, i feel very, very fortunate with having the family that i have. and that is the kind of thing you care about on a daily basis. steve: how did you meet your wife? sen. corker: i met her on a blind date. she was doing interior decorating, which is what she still does some of, for one of my best friends. he kept saying, you have got to take this person out and somehow or another we

ended up on a blind date. and we kept dating from that point on. steve: did you grew up in a political family, did your parents talk politics? sen. corker: no. as a matter of fact, when i first began making of running for public office, i literally went out to my parents' home and apologized to them. i said, hey look, i am kind of embarrassed but i am thinking about running for the united states senate. no, we did not. my dad ended up, over time, when he retired, he ended up serving as the mayor of a small town, it was nothing like a political job, i assure you. i think he ran an ad for $25 and got more votes than anybody else and served as mayor for four years. but i think that was after i had decided to run for the united states senate. so, no. that was not what we talked about.

my dad was a little league baseball coach and worked at dupont. we went to sunday school and did all those things that people in middle-class families do. certainly politics was not something we talked about. as matter of fact, i loved business, i really did and i still get excited when i hear one of my friends or someone else for some big deal they are getting ready to work on. but i had some success and it has allowed me to serve in a way that i think is very unique. as much as i love business and even know i did not come from a political family and all, i really do cherish the fact that i am able to weigh in on issues that are very important to people across our state and country. steve: one of those issues is a member of the senate foreign relations committee. you have been to how many countries? sen. corker: i have not counted recently. but i would say i've been to, i don't know, 56, 57, 58 countries. many of them multiple times.

i have been to pakistan four times, iraq four times, afghanistan four times. repeat visits, turkey, syrian border multiple times. so, you know, over time you certainly absorb a lot and as you are alluding to, i think, here i was a mayor and a business guy who built shopping centers around our country and now i am the ranking member on foreign relations and it has really taken a lot of quiet work and a lot of travel in the last six and a half years to feel like i had the ability, if you will, in a small way to be helpful in that effort. steve: when you went to haiti as a citizen, not as a senator, what did you see? sen. corker: i was in my late 20's and by this time i had been

in business 3-4 years and i knew i would be successful. i went with a church group -- they needed someone who knew something about construction. and what i saw was just people in such need who were so grateful for any kind of assistance that people were willing to give. and i not only saw grateful people who had the biggest smiles and lived in such dire poverty, but also saw that the people who were really helped were the people who went on the trip to help others. i mean, no doubt we were able in a really, really small way to help these families in need. but i think everyone of us left impacted in a way that affected the entire rest of our lives. and so, you know, we all know of the parables and sometimes reverse of what you think may happen, happens, and certainly in that case, i was the one who was helped, not the people i was there to help. steve: regarding your more

recent travel, how do you think the world views america today? sen. corker: well, i still think we talk pretty negatively about our country and let's face it, we have let ourselves down and we have let the world down. i still think we are viewed with tremendous strengths. we are still the greatest economy in the world. if you look at leaders around the world they want their kids to come to school here and go to college. we are still a respected country. coming into work today i bumped into a lady who was getting ready to do a publication for a chinese audience. you know, i do think that our inability to deal with fiscal issues has really affected us in ways beyond just our own economy. it really has. i was just recently in china, japan, and south korea.

the chinese look at us as being not as competent as we otherwise might be. and then our allies and south korea and japan are worried about whether we will be able to live up to the obligations that we have agreed to. i think we are at a point where all of us who have some effect on where our country is headed should take notice and realize we are not living up to the standards that we've lived up to and most cases in the past. we need to get our act together and we need to solve these problems, we need to begin to move away from governing that crisis and act far more responsibly in what we are doing. we need to realize the rest of world is watching and we, as the greatest nation on earth, continue to flounder in these ways i think it makes the world itself a less safe place.

steve: how do we get there? sen. corker: i think we certainly are going through a low point right now in dealing with our country's issues. i think that countries, companies, individuals go through cycles. and, you know, i think that we obviously have been at a low point in that regard. but i feel a critical mass of people building, at least here, who want to rise to the occasion, and again, so much of it, the american people have more to do with that than they think. i mean, we look out across our country and people on one hand say, look at how divided congress is. look how divided our country is, too, and whether people want to admit it or not, back home, elected representatives end up reflecting the more fully than they think. look, our nation's -- i think the financial crisis that happened in 2008 was a blow.

shattered some people's feelings about free enterprise, certainly not mine. we are going to have to build back from that. i think our best days are in front of us, i really do. i believe our best days are in front of us, but we have got to again as elected officials remembering that the reason our country is so great today is that those people who came before us ensured that and they were willing to make sacrifices to ensure that people who came after them had a better life, and certainly the generation that is leaving right now certainly needs to do a much better job of that. steve: let me conclude on the this note. what is next for bob corker? any interest in national office, being on a ticket? what else do you want to do? sen. corker: i have always lived by this sort of life standard that you do the best job you can at the job you're in and everything else will take care

of itself. i really wake up every day wanting to be the most impactful united states senator i can be towards making our country stronger and not to make it about myself but to make the things we focus on those things that cause our country to be stronger, and i do not have anything on my mind right now other than that. and continuing to be a good parent, a good husband, and hopefully, a good citizen. steve: any advice from your wife on this? sen. corker: no, you know, my wife is very apolitical, i assure you, and very unique for a public official's spouse. so fresh, so strong in so many ways. and she would say that i think she likes the way that i serve and she likes the independence with which we both are able to live at present.

we both know what a privilege that is, and i think she would just cheer me on and ask me to please continue to take on the toughest issues we have. steve: senator bob corker, thank you very much. sen. corker: thank you, sir. >> with the political primary season over, c-span's road to the white house take you to this summer's political convention. watch the republican national convention starting july 18 with live coverage from cleveland. >> we will be going into the convention no matter what happens and i think we are going to go in so strong. announcer: and watch the democratic national convention starting july 25 with live coverage from philadelphia. >> let's go forward, let's win the nomination, and in july let 's return with a unified party. >> and then we take our fight for socioeconomic, racial and environmental justice to philadelphia, pennsylvania.

announcer: every minute of the republican and democratic parties national conventions on c-span, c-span radio, and www.c-span.org. t> three assistan secretaries of state will gather today. we will have that live in about 20-25 minutes. 12:50 p.m. eastern. also at 1:00 eastern, c-span2 brings you live coverage as tom wheeler talks about the future of wireless technology in the united states. he will be at the national press club. that starts at 1:00 p.m. eastern on c-span2. mcdonald will talk about changes he is making to improve

veterans access to health care. things speak at the institution and that will get underway at 2:00 p.m. eastern. the u.s. senate is in and will gavel in. doingill vote on measures with gun control, one to block suspected terrorists on no-fly lists from buying guns and 70 to delay -- 72 hour delay. you will be old watchful senate -- you willc-span2 be able to watch senate coverage on c-span2. we will have live coverage of the house on c-span. a moment to took give us a look at what is happening outside the capitol building today as the senate considers gun-control legislation. he tweeted out, school groups now outside the u.s. capital holding signs, and gun violence, head of the senate vote.

live senate coverage on c-span2. on tuesday, the federal court of appeals for the district of columbia upheld the fcc role for treating the internet like a utility, requiring internet providers to treat all the unit traffic equally. , fred campbell and matt wood are on either side of the decision. they are joined by brian fung. >> the sec for the first time has gone further than that and said the scheme that govern the telephone network applies to isps. it opens the door for additional vacation never part of the next trolley debate. additional legislation never part of the net neutrality meat.

debate. >> watch the communicators tonight on c-span two. >> president obama was in yosemite national park talking about the 100th anniversary of the u.s. nationalparks system. he talked about the importance of the parks and the dangers of climate change. his comments are about 20 minutes. ♪ [applause] president obama: well, have a seat, have a seat. how gorgeous

is this day? [applause] >> yes we can, yes we can. president obama: yes, we can enjoy it. this has to be the perfect way to spend father's day, and father's day weekend, and yesterday our family checked out carlsbad caverns down in new mexico. today, i want to thank the superintendent and all of the incredible rangers and staff for hosting us here at yosemite. they do a great job, we are so proud of you. give them a big round of applause. [applause] president obama: tom mcclintock, we appreciate congress continuing to work hard to support our national treasures.

give them a big round of applause. [applause] president obama: in the west wing lobby, i have got a painting of myrtle fall and half dome, but it looks slightly better in person. [laughter] president obama: just look at the scene. you can't capture this on ipad or flatscreen, or even an oil painting. you have got to come here and leave it in breathe it in your self. this park is home to el capitan and yosemite falls, deer and falcons and bobcats and 2000-year-old sequoias. it is a park that captures the wonder of the world that changes you by being here. there is something sacred about this place. i suppose that is

why the walls of this valley were referred to as cathedral walls. it is like the spirit of america itself is right here. [applause] president obama: so, it is no wonder 150 years ago, president lincoln first protected the ground on which we stand. and then teddy roosevelt, he called the great trees here, a temple rather than any human architect could possibly build, spent a whole bunch of time camping around here with john muir, a man who gave life to what has been called america's best idea, our national parks. as he said after his visit, we are not building this country of

ours for a day. it is to last through the ages. in august, we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the national park service, a system that includes more than 400 parks from yosemite to seneca falls. since i took office, i have been proud to build on the work of all those giants came before me and to support our national resources and help all americans get out into the great outdoors. we have protected more than 265 million acres of public lands and waters. [applause] president obama: that is more than any administration in history. that does include the really big body of water in the pacific ocean, but we have also already done the second-most public land of any administration official. we have -- in history.

we have seen more victories under the invasive species act -- endangered species act than previous administrations. sea turtles and manatees. we are restoring more ecosystems like the grove of giant sequoias right here. we designated new monuments and historic sites that better reflect the story of all our people, along with those famous sites like gettysburg, we can also see monuments to cesar chavez or the pullman porters in chicago. [applause] president obama: we have got more work to do to support our land and culture and history. we are not done yet. last year, more than 305 people visited america's national parks. for this centennial, we are asking all americans to find your park, so that everyone, including those in underserved communities, can experience

these wonders. in the past few years, we have been offering free entrance to troops and military families through michelle and joe biden's joint forces initiative. last year, we launched what we're calling every kid in a park effort, which gives passage to every fourth-grader in the country. dinapark.org.erykin and this is good for the local and national economies so that people try to post conversation -- conservation against economic development. every dollar we invest in national parks generate $10 for local economies. these help to drive national outdoor industries like boots, bikes, tents. this supports $650 billion in

spending every year. that is a lot of fleeces and headlamps. so, as we look back over the last 100 years, there is plenty to celebrate with a national park system that is the envy of the world. when we look to the next 100 years, the task of protecting our sacred spaces is even more important. and the biggest challenge we are going to face in protecting this place, and places like it, is is climate change. make no mistake, climate change is no longer just a threat. it is already a reality. i was talking to the rangers here. meadows are drying up, ranges are shifting farther northward. alpine mammals like ficus are being forced up slope to escape higher temperatures. the -- glaicer is

almost gone. we are also seeing longer and more dangerous wildfire seasons. i was in new mexico yesterday, which is dealing with a big wildfire just like folks here in california and four other states. it is early in the season. rising temperatures could mean no more glaciers at the glacier national park, no more joshua trees at joshua tree national park. rising seas could destroy vital ecosystems in the everglades, and at some point could even threaten icons like the statue of liberty and ellis island. that is not the america i want to pass onto the next generation. that is not the legacy i think any of us want to leave behind. that these places that sear themselves into your memory could be marred or lost to

history, that is to be taken seriously. we cannot treat these things as something that we deal with later, that is some else's problem. it should not lead to careless suggestions that somehow, we don't get serious about the carbon emissions that are released into the atmosphere, or that we scrap an international treaty we spent years just try to put together to deal with this. this land -- this planet belongs to all of us. it is the only one we have got. and we can't give lip service to that notion but then oppose the things that are required to protect it. we have to have the foresight and the faith in the future to do what it takes to protect our parks and to protect this planet for generations to come. that is especially true for our leaders in washington. it is what lincoln did when he set aside

this ground for our posterity. it is what roosevelt did when they inspired the national park system. it is what our generation has to do. we have to summon that same vision for the future. we have made good strides. we have jumpstarted the clean energy initiative, we are preserving landscapes. we are tackling climate change together, but we have got to do more. on this issue, unlike a lot of issues, there is a thing such as being too late. the good news is we can rise to the challenge. over the last seven years, we have proved it. if we keep at it, we're not just safeguarding this place, we will protect communities from rising seas and stronger storms and brutal droughts. we'll protect children's lungs from breathing dirty air and protect vulnerable people from displacement. we will protect national security because we will not be seeing refugees displaced because of conflict and scarcity

. and we will build on that legacy of all those again before us, who stood in these parks a century ago and talked about an america that will last through the ages. i was telling the head of the system here about my first visit to a big national park up in yellowstone. i was 11 years old. and i was living in hawaii, so this was the first time i had traveled to the mainland, i came through california, went through chicago, arizona, and then ended in yellowstone national park. i remember being an 11-year-old kid, the first time i saw a moose. [laughter] president obama: in a lake. the first time we drove over a hill and suddenly there was a field

full of deer. the first time i saw a bear and her cub. that changes you. you are not the same after that. i want to make sure every kid feels that. studies have shown now that just five minutes of time in a green open-space brings your stress level down. it makes your heartbeat go down, makes your whole body feel better. makes your spirit stronger and cleaner. we have got kids all across this country who have never seen a park. there are kids who live miles from here who have never seen this. we have got to change that. the beauty of the national park system is, it belongs to everybody.

it is a true expression of our democracy. the notion that we all look after ourselves and families and we work hard and make money, we have our own homes, apartments, we have our cars and televisions. but then there is part of it that is part of everybody, something we share and have common. a place where we connect with each other and connect to something bigger in ourselves. one incredible idea. what a worthy investment. what a precious thing we have to pass on to another generation. let's make that happen. thank you everyone, got bless you. god bless the united states of america. happy father's day. thank you. [applause] (music) )

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>> we are live as the women's foreign policy group hosts three assistant secretaries of state to discuss u.s. policy and efforts to combat terrorism and its impact around the globe. this is live on c-span. [indiscernible]

>> good afternoon, everyone. welcome back to those attending the luncheon and a welcome to those joining us the a c-span.

i am the president of the women's foreign policy group which promotes women's leadership and voices on passing international issues of the day. for those of you new to the group, we encourage you to go to our website or follow us on about our learn more work and programs. now the exciting part of the celebration of women leaders begin. we have an extremely timely terrorism and challenges in the middle east and africa with three outstanding women. assistant secretaries of state whose bureaus cover these issues. anne patterson, anne richard, and linda thomas-greenfield

. will introduce them shortly. it is now my great pleasure to introduce a good friend of the women's policy group. national security correspondent and editor of the washington post who has been a regular speaker and monitor for and we really appreciate that. thank you so much, karen. as has previously served euroseas and latin america and covering the white house and the intelligence community. as well as assistant management editor.

please join me in welcoming karen. karen: thank you. i'm so happy to be here. it is a great turnout. as pat said, we have a title territory,s a lot of terrorism, regional conflicts, the middle east and africa. i hope we can do justice to it. i don't think we could have a better panel. when i walkeduck past the assistant secretary's offices. most of them are women. we have three of the most experienced formats to take us

through the most pressing national security issues. i will briefly introduce them. and patterson is a career diplomat who serves as the assistant secretary of state. many of you have known her for years and many of these positions. for egypt,assador pakistan, columbia, el salvador, and the deputy permanent as iterative at the mission to the united nations. in 2008, ambassador patterson ambassador.eer linda thomas-greenfield serves as the assistant secretary for the bureau of african affairs. she was director of the foreign service, human services, ambassador to liberia, and the

bureau of refugee populations and migration. award for hern work with refugees and received a merit award. anne richard, they could not be anyone were qualified for her job. she was vice president of government relations at advocacy for the international rescue committee, and international aid help victims of conflict. number of jobs including chief deputy finance officer of the peace corps. i will ask each of you to start with a brief overview of the issues in your area that are of the most concern. then we can have a discussion among ourselves.

we will incorporate the questions that you write on the cards. i hope you turn it into a real discussion. as comments to what each other says. interrupt each other and add comments to what each other says. i will start with the islamic state extremism because i think that is an issue that to one degree or another concerns all three of you. the foreign minister of saudi arabia, one of our leading allies in both the fight against the islamic state for political transition in syria, said in a press conference on friday that the document that leaked from the state department last week had his government's absolute support. a morecument called for insert -- assertive -- based on air weapons, which would drive a more hard and focus u.s. diplomatic process, leveraging

the international syria support the daily mass killing of civilians and egregious violations of human rights. i will interrupt myself right now because i missed a step, to ask each of you to give interrupt -- introductory comments and i apologize for that. [laughter] but now you know -- [indiscernible] >> thank you for that introduction. and to pat, who has worked tirelessly. [applause] this is a very sophisticated audience. you know there will not be any easy answers in this part of the world. the problem we see our lack of sectarian conflict, particularly conflict between the shia and sunni. they have an around for a long

time but are feeding on each other in a toxic way aggravated by the a peoples of the region, so ordinary people can have their voices heard. a lack of institutional structures, most apparent in gaddafi,er the fall of when there was just nothing there. grievances have led to four wars and 10 years. saudi arabia had led to a more attractive international conflict. the insufficiently have seen. region andthe despite decades of u.s. assistance in some cases, we see militaries cannot either with a couple of notable exceptions. in syria, an unprecedented level

has led to a refugee crisis. i would like to recognize the ambassador, with a long tradition of labor means weroduction -- in parties, must import tunisia's's democratic experience with investment and attention. more still the source of isil extremists than any other country in the world. eastern countries have fundamental week economies even with enormous troy m revenues. here are the staggering demographics of the region and i it was a major driver of the arab spring. subsidies and a lack of

transparent integration, all discourage investment and job creation. in the middle east and north africa, 60% of the population is under 25 and youth unemployment hovers around 25%. a sense of grievance among young people has been greatly substandard higher education, which raises expectations but does not prepare students for the modern labor force. forsituation is more dire girls with growing female participation in schools, but even lower employment rates. schoolre more women in than men and they perform better, but opportunities continue to be limited. and several morocco countries push for important economic reforms. the conference of saudi arabia to here last week promoting

diversify away from oil, which will be the key to the region. no one who has worked in the middle east for the past 15 intenseuld have such an conflict between sunni and shia, between iran and saudi arabia and yemen and syria. is violent extremism certainly getting the most attention in our country. the book of the under 30 generation in the region's coming-of-age and societies dominated by political leadership that they cannot change underperforming economist -- economies. without prospects, many of these young when -- young men and a few women are cursed by violence with religion used as a dark cover. it is not all bleak. there has been considerable

progress against isil and syria and iraq and now libya. losses of territory and money and recruits. for the manifestation of the sunni terrorist group will be been on a battlefield with a 65 member coalition. the administration has tried to shore up allies by reassuring the nuclear deal with iran, has not made a zero-sum game. reducing violence in libya and it has led to a fragile cease-fire and improved its inadequate humanitarian access in syria. warmve tried to offer an our assistance program for both men and women.

andof this will take years years and the next administration will have to focus on supporting economic and political transformation within the region which will have to be led and nurtured by the people themselves. [applause] karen: thank you. let me also start by thanking the policy group for inviting us here today. you are an important advocate for the voice of women around the world. i am honored to be here. i noticed -- we have some of our ambassadors. he claims me occasionally as well. problems inss the

africa and globally will determine the trajectory that africa will move forward on the nature. our goal is to partner with africa promote peace and prosperity. if we are successful, issues of terrorism conflict and migration will be less of a concern. while africa faces major security and put it, i firmly believe we are making progress that will allow for the continent to prosper and take its rightful place as a leader. africa's challenges seem daunting if we depend on the media and what we are reading. boko haram has a devastating impact on nigeria and its neighbors. we read that in the press on a regular basis. it remains a threat against after an al qaeda and affiliates

remain a threat. conflicts in places like south sudan and i saw the ambassador cyclethey continue to economic growth and rob young africans of the opportunity for an education and a better life. tore challenges with respect governance as well. some leaders have shown it than theo stand longer constitutional or they do not have constitutional limits. human rights issues and freedom of speech and chance elections continue to be issues. we haveis not enough, diseases such as evil and yellow fever, and the effects of el niño threaten efforts to develop and move forward. i know there will be addressed by my colleague and continue to rise on the continent of africa.

added to that is a youth bulge with population figures as high as 75% under the age of 35 providing challenges as well as opportunities. how do we respond to all of the challenges and have a positive agenda? we know we must have a multifaceted response and we know it must be one that butesses the challenges allows us to take advantage of the multitude of opportunities in this research rich continent sure we know the response cannot just focus on peace and security but must focus on the causes and we also know that africans must be part of the solution. they have to own the solution. going back to the goals of partnering in democracy and peace and security, we focus on transparent elections with over 17 elections in africa this year alone.

we are supporting regular transitions empower and and we are elections supporting civil society and human rights. strengthening these elements in democracy will help lead to long-term stability. yearions in nigeria last were historic and they show the possibilities on the continent of africa. democracy and study are closely domestic. on the peace and security front, we are working with partners regionally and internationally to respond to the threat of terrorism and security. the au is a key partner. we are working to foster the capacity by not only dividing purpose but we are providing essential training to troops that make up the largest peace treaty -- peacekeepers around the globe.

we have trained about 250,000 since the program started. in south sudan, our special envoy has worked around the clock to get a peace deal agreed to and signed and continues to work to ensure it is fully implemented in south sudan. has been deeply important. we must help african nations create opportunities for the next generation. we must ensure that africa's youth and their countries invest in the future. if they are not invested in, they are prime targets. all across africa, we are working with governments for to thec reforms to slower global growth and we are working with sectors to promote entrepreneurship because we know that is the key to success.

and so the valley this week, over 100 african company -- countries are participating and we are hosting a second business to encourage the private sector. initiatives are globalizing things of dollars in interest in its from governments and businesses to add 60 million connections in the next years and this is due to creating opportunity. we are empowering women and youth through our security initiative. we support women's full participation and in conflict as well as post-conflict environments. entrepreneurst through the entrepreneurship initiative that i think would be a came changer

is the president's young african leaders it -- leadership initiative, which is bringing thousands of young africans to the united states for leadership training. this is the third iteration. we brought 500 and 2014 at 500 are making athey difference on the continent. these efforts boost economic growth and creates opportunity. that is -- this is what is required to create peace in africa and it is what is needed to alleviate mass migrations. there is much more to discuss but i look forward to hearing your questions. [applause] karen: thank you. anne r.: thank you. it is quite an honor for me to be here. i appreciate the chance to have lunch with my colleagues.

it does not happen often. here fromolleague is the state department. "anne?" say, and i would have to train myself not to jump the it was this one. is world refugee day here at i'm sure you knew that already. [laughter] anne r.: it is a moment to stop and think of the refugees and and salute those who are survivors to hang in there and restart their lives and make a difference in the places that they go. serious news today is that the u.n. refugees, they have announced their on now 65 million people's who are refugees and displaced around

the world. 3 million people are seeking asylum, over 20 million who are refugees as they crossed an international order and are looking for help. and nearly 41 million are just waste inside the country and have yet to cross an international border and are looking for their own governments on how they get that oftentimes, they don't. .his is a record-setting number a very serious moment. there are three things a want you to take away from my brief remarks. one is that this is a global phenomenon. a lot of attention to europe. we are talking with colleagues focused on the middle east and africa. we can pull in colleagues who

cover southeast asia, south asia, central america, where we see people are on the move and fleeing persecution and leaned interest basis. the second is that refugees are not the same of -- as terrorists . they are the victims of terrorism. [applause] i knew this was the right group to come talk to. it is a very important difference. i meet the refugees, and their families. they are three generations trying to figure out how to survive a difficult situation and they are concerned about the future of their families education for their children. i want you to know the u.s. is a leader in responding to the crisis around the world. we are the top humanitarian destinatione top for the agency's program to resettle refugees.

if you look around the world, my colleagues have mentioned some of the places that people are fleeing. syria, yemen, nigeria, boko haram and northeast. these have been in the news most recently. there are also situations that have not been resolved. somali, afghan, the burmese, some of whom may finally be able to come home again but some feel persecuted and in may of last they you will remember, were abandoned in southeast asia and people were left on board. of migrants mix from bangladesh, people seeking economic opportunities and refugees from burma. traditionally led the world in eight. my bureau funds the

international organization for and then, red cross, world food program, and this is most americans can take pride in and collectively, with all this funding, we kind of form to the back bone of the international and humanitarian system. if the u.s. funding was not my contention is that the entire ngo's out there, many of them would collapse. it is something that is taken for granted but it is very important. congressnd year out to . for years, we had bipartisan support for strong international humanitarian support coming from the united states. is of my chief concerns now we could lose that bipartisan

built us into a in terms of humanitarian assistance around the world. number 182 syria and we are finding that in terms of helping europe, we really have a of a dilemma. it is not a matter of money. it is the matter of political will. in europe coming together to be decisive and decide how to do what they should in terms of helping legitimate refugees and stopping the dangerous flow across the mediterranean that is taking so many lives. our boss, secretary, is constantly on the go.

he is doing so in pursuit of peace. our point that what is needed on the humanitarian side, linda will have those discussions when , and so will our bosses and so will the white house. when they are having a u.s. foreignabout policy, one aspect would be asking other governments to do more to help to respond to the crises to take steps entry people better in their own countries. numbers pale compared to the large migrations we see overseas. for many years, we have been the toder in running a program take the most vulnerable refugees from around the world, bring them to the united dates, where they can start their lives.

we took 70,000 refugees over the last three years. we are seeking this year to bring 85,000 refugees. 10,000 syrianing refugees. [applause] i get criticized from the right and the left on this one. friends in one direction say that is not enough and friends on the other side say we are worried you would let terrorists sneak inside the program. it is the most heavily vetted of any traveler in the united states and it is ramping up sharply. 40% ofow, we have over the syrian refugees and we will see larger numbers in the coming days. stay tuned. we have done a lot to try to meet the targets.

i mentioned central america. we have a new program to try to reunite children whose parents are present in the united states and bring the kids who have been left behind with grandparents safely to the united states so they do not have to make a dangerous track. the numbers are starting to increase. bureau, after our world refugee jay, is looking ahead to september, when the president will have a leader ismit on refugees, and he seeking other countries to chip in. for those countries that can afford to provide more assistant -- assistance around the world, for countries who hasn't resettle refugees were taken in a certain number, that they do more or give certain scholarships or work visas or some sort of pathway.

countriesp's is throughout the years have hosted refugees that in light of everything going on in the world, that they do more and let the refugees support themselves .nd allow more children three things i wanted to make sure you knew, crisis is global and refugees are not terrorists, thank you. [applause] i have given anne toterson a whole lot of time think that this question, i will not ask it first. i want to follow with anne richard and what you said. you noted the high commissioner made a very impassioned statement and gave you numbers for refugees and also said that against the backdrop, divisive political rhetoric and migration levels of disturbing

xenophobia are together threatening international agreements which protects us -- those two fleet. .e see borders closing instead of political will, there is political paralysis. humanitarian organizations like minor left to -- to deal with the consequences while struggling to save lives on a limited touch it. is this the perfect storm of issues driving the problem both in terms of the number of refugees and the reluctance to take them in? money, is it the pure volume? two questions that have come to the floor, you touched on this a bit, what is the best thing that concerned citizens could do to make a difference? and how do you get all of these

countries that pledge a lot of money, and then we look at the amount of money that has come across and it is not there? >> what we saw is that the countries where the traditional humanitarian experts and the western australia, anda, new zealand, and canada, the u.s., it was very clear as the numbers climbed in recent years, because of conflict, new conflict but also conflicts that are not being resolved. that is part of the answer is that we are not able to bring peace to parts of the world because the leaders do not seem intent on peace. they seem to be wedded to continuing a bloodthirsty continuation of fighting.

same donors were the ones leading year in and year out and we have to get more donors to the table, we have to get more giving given the scale of what is going on. we have not succeeded in doing that. we have seen that some of the donorsates have become to humanitarian causes but they are not yet fully invested in the system we have or the echo system that we have. 21 crisis at one point, but maybe not routinely year and and year out. we are also looking for other major world powers to serve on the security council or the g20.

we have not seen new donors and marriage other than a list i just put out. the europeans now, because of the arrival of all the mixed flow of migrants and refugees into their country, they are putting a lot or aid in. the needs have increased. abouttely, the concern right-wing political parties is driving some of the immediate actions that europeans are taking. they are really focused on ratherto stop the flow than stepping back the way you could and say, what kind of legal migration might we set up or what can we be doing in peace this kinds to prevent of flow, instead, we are doing things after they have shown up in europe. major donors are themselves involved in are reacting rather than acting proactively. >> in terms of africa, economic verses, what do we call it, , i know it is not

popular to talk about nation building anymore. we talked about capacity building. i wonder if you could look at the situation in africa where there had initially been a huge flow of migrants that went down for a while. out economicparate versus refugees fleeing or violence and as you try to address the problems particularly in countries where both exist, how do you prioritize in terms of where the scarce resources will go? myi wish i had control of our thai xing the resources. they are so earmark that you cannot prioritize the resources. control, i would put more in democracy and government.

the key to me is having a stable country that takes care of its people. if you have that, you do not have people fleeing for economic or will reasons. i would put more in that direction than what we are currently doing. we tend to focus a lot of our security. we focus our funding on initiatives that have been earmarked by congress or other types of initiatives that are all good and contribute in some to our ultimate goals, but they may not contribute directly , as we would want them to. for example, if you look at our charts, a lot of money goes to health. who would argue against supporting health programs given we still have ebola and malaria and any number of health issues on the continent.

but those issues as well are related to the link strong institutions, ensuring that countries are stable and govern well so that funding could go to areas where it is required. we focus a lot of attention on route causes. we know we have to take a multifaceted approach that is not just security but ensuring that the governments take care of their people, that they are concerned about what they have, thousands if not hundreds of thousands of people who are displaced and who are not able to take care of basic needs on a daily basis. one of the pending crises is can you saying it will close is camp where i believe it 400,000 mostly somalia refugees.

is that, how likely is that to happen and what will happen not only in terms of their own welfare, but what will happen if they get sent back to somalia where we have an extremely the carious security situation? >> we both worked on the issue. i think my challenge is to encourage to stay the course and host tocredible refugees in honoring their commitment under the geneva convention. we have pushed very hard with the canyons. , thenk through the efforts canyons are less of the him and about insisting that refugees go home immediately. court in kenyaee from 1993 until 1996.

time, canyons threatened to send refugees home. it is no different than what is happening in all of our countries. one countries start to have problems, serious security issues, we blame those who are the most boehner ball instead of blaming refugees -- the most of playinginstead refugees. we are looking at ways to address kenya's concerns and at trying to repair the situation in somalia so the refugees can come home. a whole generation of children have been born and brought up in those refugee camps. not as beingamps permanent, and yet they are. the goal is that people

do not have to live in refugee camps for very long. if they get to go home again, that would be the best outcome. place right tricky now. it is very much an experiment and that people be allowed to settle in a new country like some of us here, that is only a fraction of the world's refugees. wouldr option is people be allowed to stay where they fled and the numbers are so big now that just saying that is probably the message a lot of countries do not want to hear. what i like about the answer is it true -- it shows you a tricky balance act that is diplomacy. as someone who has worked on these issues for a long time, and has been in very tricky with -- tricky situations before.

linda is a bit of a legend for our folks, though she is not old enough to be a legend. back andhe keeps going the chickie balancing act is to say, we are not intend on having this forever as a major city of refugees. same time, please don't make artificial deadlines and please work with us in terms of solutions for people. karen: i think the whole conversation about refugees leads us directly to the middle east. field -- thehe fears, 400 thousand people dead, half the population of syria displaced or fled the country.

this has been an issue been long time, that has the subject of a political debate in the country. some people are very strongly saying that not only should we intervene militarily, but we should have a long time ago, and it ranging from airstrikes to trips on the ground. you have other people, i will not mention any names, that we should be directing all of our attention to the islamic state. you have a dissent memo i mentioned that was leaked last week that said 51 state department officials, many of saying,k on the issue, it was a humanitarian situation, saying this is clearly acceptable and we need to do something else, to take military assad to come to

the table and negotiate his own exit. how likely is that to happen? shift,ely is a policy whether that or something? anne p.: i think you are seeing to stress, the in norma's loss of life, particularly in lebanon and jordan, 70,000 people are sitting in no man's land now. , but there is a long history in the state department going back many years. i think this was an expression of frustration and dismay by number of people who worked on this very closely. let me assure you that the at theare grappled with

very highest level of the administration every single night. there are not really any good answers in syria. it is not just to go bomb. complex legal issues, in the u.s. military ofloyment, there are a range complications that result from this. one issue i think that it is important to focus on, secretary kerry's in this respect because he put together an international coalition, which, despite its shortcomings, has at least enabled access to get through to 700,000 people who did not have it before and to impose a cease-fire in part of the country. there is an international effort underway under the auspices of the u.n. and this is extremely fragile. obviously insufficient.

it is really the only way forward to solve the situation in syria. i would not anticipate a change in policy. i think the issues are struggled with every single day. path think to go down the that the secretary has laid out is really the only prospect that i see right now. the central parts of the administration of counterterrorism policy, are working on the ground. i mission earlier that saudi hisia has been vocal about disagreement of some aspects of the policy. there are other disagreements, not only with the saudi's but with turkey and other countries in the region. holdong can the coalition together, as other countries believe that something else

needs to be done. is there some danger, particularly, it would not be likely to happen this year, but if you see a new administration the opportunity for them to start going along, how important are these we keephips and how do this together amid a lot of disagreement? anne p.: i think the counter isil will hold together satisfactory because success breeds success. many others in the military --on, how let me stress that. militarily vulnerable isil has proven to be. in most cases, there has not been a direct confrontation with isil. it has melted away and a lot of simultaneous pressure has been put on isil. be a fan --d out to

fairly manageable military target. i think what you may be asking long cansyria and how the diffences of view hold together? if anything, it has gotten better. ago, policy disputes among turkey and saudi arabia, and egypt and all the other players in syria, they were really quite profound. of these countries were going their own way and supporting their own proxies. that has gotten better. there have been a number of efforts in the administration and the secretary's efforts is one of them but there are others to bring these countries together. it is not perfect. there are many in disagreement -- many disagreements that persist. -- then there was a couple of years ago.

karen: this is a question from the audience that i think applies to what all of you do, especially as terrorism and capacity building belong together. i will just read it. it has been observed that the geographic commanders, super ambassadors with responsibility and that they have a lot more resources than the state department has. what is your level of interaction with the commanders? do you feel it is fully integrated? >> i started with them at the very beginning in the africa bureau and worked with dod on the development.

i have seen it constantly improve. i speak on the phone with general rodriguez. we scheduled a phone call but we probably to each other is often or more often than that when there are issues that come up. i do not feel they are acting as super ambassadors but they had tremendous resources we do not have. that is something i wish we could correct. where it iseas probably not -- not appropriate for the military to be in that it is hard to say no when we need. we do coordinate closely.

annual strategic planning committees. when the general is in town, the two of us will meet with him to discuss issues of mutual in certain where we have the most concern on the funding side. >> we see them and talk to them all the time and at various levels, not a day goes by that we do not have constant contact not them during surprisingly, you do not get to be a general in the u.s. by realizing how this has to work. they have a lot of people will. i think the budget is 4% of the

the question scale we cannot match. when you get into enormously post insertion situations even more so, regrettably, it will only bring the dod that has the resources to bring to bear on the because it is a question of scale. i wish were otherwise but it will not. we have first is defined. karen: do you find that with refugees? i remember covering and it was a lot of tension on the civilian side on who can be in charge and do you see that now? with colleagues at the

to brief development, military colleagues would go out and work as policy advisers to brief them about what to do when so that theyts understand that you bring the u.s. military in in a quick way, if the crisis is of such a and it is a natural disaster where they will be shooting at each other. that is such a magnitude only the u.s. military has the capacity, a lot of things very quickly. they are not the low-cost option and are not an option that can be used without thinking very carefully in those few hours

before you deploy them. but they are the best in the to go acrossg able the globe very quickly. in peacetime, that can be lifesaving piece. for most of the time, we have civilian response mechanisms are we have my bureau of the state department, the u.s. office of we havent office, established relationships with international organizations that know what to do in the nongovernmental organization. with theery closely and with others to respond to two crises so there is a strong response so the military does not have to be called upon to get involved.

karen: two audience questions have to do with the islamic state. steps ifhat additional the department taking in terms and second, and i am assuming this is about syria, has russia been an assistance or an obstacle? anne p.: we have a little office handling social media and it has roughly 100 people on an expansion now and there is a lot of analysis and frankly, people like anne, a lot of this starts in social media. i think our efforts in this respect have improved. very importantly in my view, we have set up joint in this country because we cannot message muslims as effectively

as people who live in the region. we are going to do one in indonesia and other countries where you can get the word out to mostly young men who may be attracted to the ideology, on the second question, the relationship with russia has and not toomplex beat around the bush about it, russia is a player in syria and went in there to preserve their interests and it leased to preserve aside temporarily. but the russians will be key in moving him out at a certain time. we're in constant contact with the russians here and we have and people geneva talk to them every single day about the cease-fire and extended in detail conversations. our intelligence people work with them to resolve issues of

fact. it is challenging at times. very challenging at times. but i think it is fair to say that the cease-fire has been held in important areas in the country and it is always being negotiated in other parts of the country's as well. it certainly will not be taken in by this and the proof will be in the results. for that matter, the rest of the international community to advance the cease-fire. they have been saying things in recent days with the government about moving toward islamic state headquarters. this is a major objective of the

have that the americans trained. is everyone going to come either shoot at each other or single by? anne p.: i think they would say it is unlikely the syrian regime could reach that but for us and the coalition, eliminating the state is very important because it is bemoaned in the headquarters and isil. they are under enormous and brutal conditions. befree them would humanitarian in an of itself. it would also be a huge intelligence troth because there is a lot of reference there about foreign fighters. again,ery important but the military success against isil has been significant.

karen: we only have three more minutes. about, yousk you mentioned the syrian refugees, while we're on the subject of syria and the administration was going to take 10,000. i think it was within the fiscal year, by the end of september. they have now taken i believe around 300, are they going to make it? it.es, we are going to make karen: good. [applause] karen: and here is a really good question about nigeria, which is, what keeps a nigerian army to get to the unit -- from the united states and others from hunting down and destroying boko haram. i have her the terrorists are integrated into communities in

northern nigeria. is this part of the problem in defeating them? >> i think there is no one answer to that. i think of we look back a couple of years, it was a lack of capacity, believe it or not, in nigeria and the army. a number of years in terms of training and equipment and morale. that has changed but it does not change overnight president bihari is focusing on making having themy is capacity to respond and working with neighbors and other partners to improve the response against boko haram. not an easy task. it is an organization that continually marks itself, they are fighting on many different

and some of them are in communities, making it very hard to figure out who is who. and where they are. efforts,ith all of our working with the multinational task worse and the eu, working have sufferedbors recently from a major attack and we were just talking about that, that it will take even more efforts to deal with the issue. we were concerned about the impact isil would have in terms of what capacity they are giving the group. so it will take some time and i think that is the answer. karen: time for one more? i am personally interested in this is a good question. forward, what do

you see as the best way to andnce between the military support for human rights and civil rights and economic development? that is a really good question and we struggle with it almost every day in the department. there is no question that the situation is more unsettled now. isil,e seeing pockets of not very large ones, but with a population largely alienated from the central government, it has potential to become a problem. you are seeing a human rights situation that is extremely disturbing. but in my view, in the long term, you are seeing an economy that has not been able to adjust to 800,000 jobs each of needs to create every single year. it is important with 90 million people that we maintain contact and we encourage them to improve

their human rights situation and improve capacity on the military side. try to balance our objectives there, which are several. security be one of them, an important one. with human rights situation and encourage political development. karen: thank you all so much. [applause] karen: great contribution. a lot more questions. thank you. and thank you all so much for coming. >> let's thank ambassador patterson, greenfield, and richard for being exceptional role models worldwide. [applause] you asked theung most probing question. thank you and come back soon.

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>> the u.s. house is about to meet for was expected to be a brief session this monday p or legislative work will get to get -- will start tomorrow. week, nearly 22

billion dollars for financial services and general government spending for 2017. members also will consider legislation to modify health savings accounts and overturning supreme court decisions on federal agency regulations. now to the lord of the house. -- the floor of the house. house will be in order. the chair lays before the house a communication from the speaker. the clerk: the speaker's rooms, washington, d.c., june 20, 2016. i hereby appoint the honorable luke messer to act as speaker pro tempore on this day. signed, paul d. ryan, speaker of the house of representatives. the speaker pro tempore: the prayer will be offered by the guest chaplain, reverend alyssa lassiter walude. the chaplain: let us pray. almighty and most compassionate god, during this ordinary pro forma session, remind