thank you for being here, we are adjourned. [applause] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2016] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]

announcer: live coverage continues here on c-span. we go to the state department in washington. we would hear from susan cabbage, the investor at large to combat human trafficking, the 2016 human trafficking report released today, this morning, by secretary john kerry. they removed thailand from its human trafficking list today, but forced labor remains widespread in the nation's lucrative seafood industry. the state department making the

assessment in the annual trafficking persons report, examining 188 government efforts combating modern slavery. briefing should get underway shortly. we will have it live on c-span. other briefing going on across carter the pentagon, ash announcing the policy change the pentagon is lifting the ban on transgender people serving openly in the military. you can follow that briefing no, reporters asking questions, over on c-span 2. this is yet to get underway, we will have it live once it does. in the meantime, we will take you to a conversation from this morning's "washington journal looking at the release of the house benghazi final report. >> back at the table, rachel bade a politico to talk about that committee report. it was released, 800 pages. walk us through what was new from their investigation from the previous seven

investigations into what happened on september 11, 2012. talking a democratic point coming out of this, there is nothing new. details a lotport of things that did not happen in washington while the attack was going on. basically, they failed to come up with a plan and to sq -- execute the rescue plan. another attack that went on for eight or nine hours. you think we would see military assets on their way to help. whatever deployed to benghazi. findingse interesting to the pro qaddafi forces to help them. they did not know who was friend or foe. all these different militia groups, they had to wing it to get out of there. it is a good thing these

pro-qaddafi forces came in, because there were dozens of diplomats that ended up dying that night had they not been helped. host: who is responsible for those decisions, for the lack of action? rachael: that is a great question. panetta has testified he said go, he testified that. host: the former defense secretary. rachael: he told the panels, he said go, obama said go. what is important to talk about is from that decision, which happened an hour or so after the initial attack started, it was a big conference call at 7:30 that night, four hours into the decision to gohe did not peter out. there was a lot of discussion about, if we do go, what kind of close to they where? should they wear their uniforms, or civilian uniform? on this conference call, secretary clinton, one of her top guys knedy, he was

reluctant that the u.s. military go to benghazi in american military uniform. there was some sort of u.s. occupation of libya, that's what it would look like. they talked about they would be blaming for the attack and the element of the terrorist attack wanted. -- plotted. they talked about this video and how they would react to it and 10ically, the report found points came out of this discussion. half of them were about the video, only a couple about, what should we do, if we do something, what would it look like? host: who first thought, who brought up the video in the first place, and who would have been responsible for saying, it is not the video, this is looking like a terrorist attack? rachael: that is a great question. i am not sure who brought it up

in that meeting. everything we know about it, some people have notes. we know the video came up. basically, a lot of the cia officers on the ground and the state department of ladies -- employees who were there said there was no protest. you look at the cia wire transfers, one of the things the committee got access to that no other committee had got before release these things called real-time chat that the cia was physically talking to each other , classified messages. no one mentioned a protest, nothing about a video. what is interesting though, they did recover one cable where the actually wrote an investigative report about what was going on that day or the day after. there is protests by benghazi. and so they look at the table and say, this is where we got the notion there was some sort of video and protest in benghazi

. apparently the cia analysts told the state, i can play the two issues. a few hours before the attack happened, there was one in cairo. on the ground, it would have been clear nothing like this happens. there are angels between staffers -- e-mails between staffers, ambassador rice went on tv. off the deepis end, what is she talking about, this is not what happened. the related -- apparently relied on this stake in the cia report and sort of ran with it, even though other intelligence it was saying it was a terrorist attack. host: let's go back to the night of september 11, 2012. the go order had already been given by the president and vice secretary. when patrick kennedy, under the secretary of state, is expressing reservations about how they go, when they go, who goes, what does secretary

clinton say? rachael: there is not a lot of detail of what she said in that call. officials like that, they were talking, military officials were talking. no transcript. as far as i know, there are not many notes on what she was trying to do. one question i have taken from reading this report is, if you, the u.s. government said go, the top officials, secretary annetta said go, why was he saying, ok, where are we in this situation? the jointairman of chiefs of staff was at a dinner party, but he knew about the attacks, he did not go to the 7:30 white house call. everyone was scattered. there is no cohesive effort to come together and watch as this happened, what we are doing to get people out safely. another thing interesting in the military, we should not have

gone there anyway. and reports contradict that. they would have acted right away , it sounds like logistically it would have been tough to get there before the last person. military did not know this attack was going to end at 5:00 in the morning libya time. it could have kept going. not knowing the attack would end , it would be on their way. before we get to phone calls, i want to show our viewers, this is something the chair of the benghazi committee mentioned during the conference this week any times is that they were responsible in finding out the timeline, investigating what happened. when he was asked, if secretary clinton at fault here? part ofthat was not what this committee was designed to do. but the resolution, it says accountability for policies and decisions related to security of benghazi, libya,

and the response of the attacks, including the individual responsible for the policies and decisions. what does the question ever answer, who was responsible for the death of four americans? rachael: we need to report, but you are right, there is no section that concludes such and such a person was at fault and such and such a person needs to be fired or let go from the state department or the dod. there is not a section like that. members, jordan and pompeo, or conservatives, felt the report did not go far enough to do that. they put out their own report and blasted secretary clinton, blasted president obama, saying they misled the public, did not do enough to save americans. that dowdy not go there. did not go there.

he has gotten so much criticism, people saying he joined a partisan investigation, people questioning my integrity, it really upset me. he has been very sensitive to the point that this report does step to say,xtra she is accountable or he is accountable or who is accountable. we will see some conservatives not happy about that. it is hard to see people on the panel to go further. host: let's go to calls. laura in eerie, pennsylvania. are you there? caller: yes. good morning. i think this report should really concern every american who is thinking about voting for hillary. she obviously knew that the terrorist attack and told the egyptian leader that it was a terrorist attack, told her own daughter chelsea.

and then did these people out herself, to lie, mother and father parents of the people coming back. when they thought they would get the person to film, that disqualifies her for being the president and she lied, she knew it was that, and decided to pull this charade over the american people. and people like the view, they are going benghazi, meant david, there is nothing there. -- benghazi, benghazi, there is nothing there. host: did the committee find out why? she said one thing to the leader , and one thing to the public. rachael: they did not draw conclusions as to why. the conservatives added them, jordan and pompeo, that she let this for political reasons, the election, etc., did not want to

say it was a terrorist attack. the report did not go that far. what the caller is referring to is an e-mail that came out in her -- i think it is one of the newsiersy or pieces -- pieces that came out in october. she put out the statement saying, we contest this sort of violence, reacting from this sort of video, blaming the video . then she wrote an e-mail to her daughter saying something along the lines of, we know americans have died, i'll call it the is failing us -- al qaeda is failing us. in the interview prime minister said we know it was a protest, he was not a video, it was a planned terrorist attack. i do have people going on tv talking about this video. desk and you have people going on tv talking about his video. this sort of laid this out and shows two narratives and eating at the time. host: what did the cia to this

committee at the time when i talked to the cia, why that was put up for people to say, it is a video? could there be any indication it was classified up to a certain point about who did it? it is supposed to be classified. even if it was, the administers and has access to this administration -- the administration has access to this information. that goes against the classified saying, maybe this would not answer questions. until they knew more, instead of blaming it on the video. the cia, analysts on the ground said nothing about the video, nothing about a protest. there is one cable that messes up benghazi and cairo on the protest, and that is the administration says that is what they ran with right there. some of the top cia officials

said something they knew pretty much right away, as was terrorism and not a protest. host: milton in fort lauderdale, florida, democrat, good morning. me try tosically, let clarify a few things. the cia did not do exactly what happened. neither did anyone in the white knew, because of this ongoing fight. people like commentators watching football games, giving details of what is going on. then we are actually involved in the cycle. i am taking that from experience of swat teams for years. number one, that did not happen. the part about changing uniforms had nothing -- changing them back and forth on the plane, that was some talk they put out there for nothing. with respect to the video saying, that was real information they had about people attacking, where is the video? i will say this, the people

captured, in charge of that video was the main reason for him, to actually come up with a plan to attack that. the terrorism attack does not mean it was to create a video itself. said,stem of ambassadors she does not blame hillary because her brother knew exactly , andwas going on. she knew she took into consideration in that meeting. the regular guys went over, they told him they did not have enough security. your pointnt to take for rachel bade. rachael: there absolutely was a video, anti-islamic video made here in the u.s.. and actually, the cia and the state department new couple of days before -- announcer: you can see

"washington journal live at 7:00 a.m. eastern every day and also online at c-span.org. we will take you live to the state department for a briefing on today's release of the 2016 human trafficking report. annualrby: released the trafficking report, the secretary did that this morning, followed up with presentations to the tip heroes. this copy will have a few opening comments about the report, and then we will stick around and take a few questions for you. as always, i will stand up to the side and moderate, so if you want to ask a question, raise your hand, and i will call on you. if you could do us a favor and identify you for you ask a question, that would be helpful. then we will get started. after that, i will stay behind and we can do the normal daily briefing we are finished. with that -- >> thank you very much. i have a problem, and you can

get your copy. good afternoon. this morning, secretary kerry released the 2016 trafficking and persons report. a product of u.s. global leadership on this key human rights issue, the rule of law, and the principal diagnostic tool to assist government efforts over the three p's, prosecution, prevention of victims, and persecution of crimes. this was a targeted roadmap of how we can better address human trafficking globally. it is an analysis of how countries combat trafficking and an instrument of democracy, -- diplomacy, a means to effect change and motivate tangible progress around the world. since its first publication in 2001, the tip report has

prompted foreign governments to enact legislation, establish national action plans, and it lament antitrafficking policies and programs. the tip report is a product of a years worth of research and recording by my office, the office to monitor and combat trafficking in persons, and u.s. embassies and those here in washington, in collaboration with foreign government officials, nongovernmental organizations, and international organizations around the world. provides countries specific narratives and tier ranking for 188 countries and territories, including united states. it places each country on one of based ons -- tiers, the extent to which they meet the minimum standards for minimizing trafficking and the otout of the 188 countries analyzed in the 2016 report, 36 countries were placed on tier

44 on the tier two, tier two watch list, and 27 countries were placed on itetier three. there were 27 downgrades and upgrades compared to last year. a countrywhat tier falls in, every nation should do more to combat trafficking. that is why the tip report offers recommendations for improvement for every country. even tier one countries, including the united states. i would like to highlight the philippines as a case where a strong coordinate government effort to combat trafficking earned a tier one ranking after two years on the tier two watch list and five years on tier two. this reflects in part the departments investment into more than $4.5 million in foreign assistance to help the government improve its efforts,

leading to an increase in the number of prosecutions and successful convictions, and the creation of a dedicated antitrafficking unit in the capital. here are a few other quick statistics in this year's report. since last year, 30 trafficking laws have been adopted or amended, one of the highest numbers in recent years. free nations became part of the landmark u.n. protocol to prevent and punish trafficking republic of sri lanka, and singapore. the 2016 report saw large convictions. there were a total of 18,930 prosecutions, reported. as compared to 10,051 in 2015. there were 6609 convictions toorted in 2016, compared 4443 the previous year.

while decreasing convictions -- increasing convictions is a good sign, they still pale in comparison to the size of the problem globally. some governments are not aresing traffickers that sufficient to deter that criminal activity or reflect how serious this crime is. the narratives written recommendations -- make recommendations for better to quantify the efforts they are taking. in addition to the narratives for each country, this year's tip report focused on strategies to prevent human trafficking. the international community is demonstrating enhanced effort to prevent trafficking of persons. for example, seven countries have -- several countries have increased to registered marginalized populations. in vietnam, and ngo held draw

2000 ethnic minorities in areas are high risk of trafficking. legal recitation helps draw access to the inflame it the formal economy and significantly decreases the potential risk factors for victims. in guatemala, a leading company -- coffee company partnered with the u.s. labor rights organization to better understand the risks of recruitment of uses that can lead to forced labor. the departments are strengthening communications between workers and the employer and the government to better report and monitor practices in the coffee sector. we are encouraged by governments and organizations using creative and collaborative methods to prevent human trafficking, yet much work remains. among the areas for improvement highlighted in the narrative are the need to increase protection for domestic workers, to root complicit officials who are

engaged in or benefiting from trafficking, to not penalize victims for crimes committed as a redirect result of human trafficking, and to increase support services available to victims. i am very proud of the hard work we did for the report this year, and i would be happy to take any questions you have. thank you. from reuters. i want to talk with you specifically regards with the d problem. -- the refugee problem coming from syria. the report, from looking at indicateit seems to some kind of increase in trafficking coming from, as a result of refugees in those areas. and you give us more perspective if this is a growing problem whether you think you have addressed it?

susan coppedge: refugees are a problem, they are displaced persons. they don't have jobs or families around. all of these become risk factors for human trafficking. making them more vulnerable to traffickers to find future jobs or if safe place to go. they prey on these vulnerabilities, and we are working together with international organizations like iom and foreign governments to help screen for trafficking victims among migrant and refugee populations. >> as the problem increases, given the numbers in syria -- susan coppedge: the vulnerability and potential numbers have increased, but trafficking is hard to quantify because the victims are hidden. it is hard to know when someone is being trafficked, because their trafficker has put fear in them, fear of reporting and coming forward, he will he issue in front of their family, so the humiliation or

embarrassment in front of their family. my name is dave eckert. i want to talk about workers, imported labor, especially in the refugee companies. you have contracts, people put them in camps and sometimes they take them to places where they give them jobs, does that fall under trafficking? do they fee everybody, workers stay for a certain time so they can pay off whatever -- does that fall under trafficking? susan coppedge: that is under debt bondage, forced labor, so yes. if they are not have the ability to leave, that freedom of choice, if they are bound by debt, that becomes trafficking. countriesf the gulf

are tied to that particular employment. that creates another vulnerability factor. if they don't have the documents , the documents are held by the employer, another vulnerability factor. we have implored all of the gulf countries to it reform their labor system and make sure workers are being screened for trafficking. >> on top of the sponsorship you mentioned, they can take away their passports. it is in plain view of the government, and these are allies. what is being done to respond to this problem? united arab or the emirates, qatar and so on? susan coppedge: we are asking for the labor informant system, they have put to mexico workers on the protection of labor laws. -- they have put domestic workers under the protection of labor laws. asking for reforms of the

sponsorship system. we have specific diplomatic aska s of this government to seek better treatment of workers for trafficking. some think should not have been taken off the black list for two or three years. -- something malaysia should not have been taken off the black list for two or three years. is there an inflammation white malaysia deserves to retain its commission, and what is the argument around that? susan coppedge: we looked at the facts on the ground in a country like malaysia, compared to what it did last year, whether there were improvements or not. the tier two watch list says, as a country combined with the pbca, making effort. those efforts are not increasing on the previous year.

we did discuss what malaysia is doing, and this morning, secretary again said political terminations do not go into these tier determinations. they are not a part of a political standard we apply when evaluating what is happening in a country. malaysia still has a human trafficking problem. the tier two watch list is not going away. we continue to urge the malaysian officials to take bold steps to combat trafficking. this year, in july, 2015, the malaysian parliament did pass amendments to the existing antitrafficking laws to reform their victim protection list, and these amendments came into court in november. acting on that, the government of malaysia hoped with three sessions, the stakeholders would develop implement and regulations for the amendment. this focuses on legal changes and allows trafficking victims to work outside of government facilities.

the religions were completed in march 2016 and adopted beyond the reporting period. the time to work on them were during that time. to all governments need establish trust with trafficking victims. as i indicated earlier, they are fearful of coming forward. and then they don't get the government shelter, they are not allowed to leave, why would they come forward to law enforcement? looking at the victims center approach to these cases, we hope it will lead to more prosecutions and more convictions as well. >> in passing before i ask my question, the u.s. visa depends on my countries employment by the news agency. in reference to the question earlier. investigated labor the thai border in 2015. near migrant camps.

thailand have been removed from tier two two tier two watch list. would disallow future improvement? at lawsppedge: a look passed, convictions, prosecutions, those increase in thailand. they have done more prosecutions and turned away from the people at the borders. we look at programs they have put in place to register workers and interview them engaged in the fishing industry. we look at the different components of what is going on. again, thailand is tier two watch list, which is not mean they have a trafficking problem. they do in thailand, and it is serious. one of the things we continually ask both thailand and malaysia to do is prosecute and hold accountable corrupt officials. there were some officials involved in a situation with

refugees on the border, and we have implored those countries to hold as it were officials -- to hold those officials accountable. they should trust the police officers bear communicating with. >> and how are they holding them accountable? susan coppedge: thailand had two convictions, and malaysia did have prosecutions ongoing. >> jordan with al jazeera. it is one thing to spell out which countries are and are not doing in terms of prosecution and dealing with prosecution, making it easier for victims to come forward and get services. does the u.s. also need to look at holding governments accountable of what they are not doing? to look atpriate imposing travel bans are financial sanctions on companies -- countries that are not doing

enough to try to stop this problem? if things are not actually prosecuted fully, what is the point of having them half on? susan coppedge: under the protection act, congress gave us the trafficking in persons report is an issue to raise with other countries. seeave laws, but then we how the laws are being implemented and whether they are effective. you will see throughout the report that we point out where the countries are not sentencing catheters efficiently -- sentencing traffickers efficiently in connection to the heinous crime. they need to be serious to deter future traffickers. trafficking in persons report does have the tier three watchlist category, which can be accompanied by the financial sanctions other than on humanitarian aid. japan has been consistently

in tier two, and it is the only g7 country in that category. it was not party to the u.n. protocol. is there frustration that japan is consistently not showing greater leadership on this issue despite being a g7 country? susan coppedge: we don't compare countries do a one another, so we would not compare them to other g-7 nations. that do list recommendations in the report and encourage japan increasesthese and their persecution. all countries have a particular response ability of their citizens to stand up for their right and country. i do think it is important for more about countries to set a good example. thanks everybody, that is all the time we have got for this part of the meeting.

i will take that out of your way. john kirby: and now, the book. and now, the book. guys, i got several things i want to start us off with. and that we will get right to it. you saw my statement this morning about the outrageous terrorist attack in the west bank, a 13-year-old was stabbed to death in her home. announcer: we will break away to show you the release of the human trafficking. it was led by secretary of state john kerry.

[applause]

>> thank you everyone for being here today. i was quite a reception. on behalf of of the secretary, i want to thank you for that. some notes on the program, the secretary will make some remarks. we will honor the wonderful heroes this year. we have nine heroes from eight countries, one of them will make some brief remarks. up yourat, you can pick most anticipated copy of the 2016 report.

thank you for coming. mr. secretary, thank you for raising issues pertaining to human trafficking year-round and supporting the trafficking in persons office here at the state department. we are honored to work with you, and it is a real honor this issue has a strong champion to raise the diplomatic effort around the world. with that, secretary of state john kerry. [applause] john kerry: susan, thank you very, very much. welcome, everybody. to this annual event, it will be my last one, but not the least important in many ways, because it represents a continuum and an awful lot of work that has been done for a lot of people. particularly proud of the work that she has done in

leading this initiative. she is all in. and she was a prosecutor before she came to the state department , and i asked her to take on this task with my own prosecutorial experience in the back of my head. i was early in my career, spent a number of years in a prosecutor, started a rape counseling initiative, priority prosecution unit, that particularly focused on personal crimes against people, which we prioritize and a very significant way. so i remember how difficult the job can be, how tough it is for people to come forward and talk about very personal things in a very public way. not easy, the pressure can be intense. but it was clear to me that susan came with a particular level of commitment and understanding, and i think we have all benefited from that.

her very first human trafficking trial led to the conviction of more than a dozen criminals who were forcing teenagers into prostitution. and although she successfully prosecuted nearly 50 human traffickers, helping more than 90 victims obtain justice, i think that is remarkable record, we are very grateful in the state department to have somebody who is so committed and tenacious for leading our efforts in human trafficking, because that is exactly what we need. andow you will join me saying thank you to susan and the entire team that has produced those documents, thank you. [applause] john kerry: very happy to welcome all of you to the ben franklin room here this morning. i am particularly grateful and happy to welcome the chairman of the senate foreign relations

committee, bob corker, and the ranking member ben cardin, two of them who are just unbelievably strong, committed leaders on this subject. this is a truly bipartisan effort, and i hope both of you, --n, bob -- ben, bob [applause] john kerry: they both understand there is no partisan lines on this one. and they have been particularly committed to helping eradicate trafficking. i'm very grateful to them being here. most of -- i am also grateful to all of your excellency's, members of the diplomatic corps who are here. many ambassadors, which underscores the importance of this issue. as i want to welcome those people from the private sector and civil society. you are indispensable partners in this effort.

finally, a very special thank you to our team at state. this is a great document, and i was presented with a boxed copy. i have one each of the years i have been here in my office proudly displayed, and i am very grateful having gotten my recent copy today. this is a heck of a piece of work. a lot of information in here, a lot of studious work goes into thinking it through. there are some tough questions. in the end, they come down to element of discretion, but not much, because we have a fixed set of rules that congress has created, we follow those rules. therefore, there are some folks in here will obviously be concerned about the conclusions, at the conclusion is based on facts -- but the conclusions are based on facts and analysis every year. i am think full to the team that does not just for this together in the last weeks. the work on next year's report

has already begun. 31is a period ago from april to march 31, so we are already getting to build on the information we gained in the prior year and work with countries. i want to say that any country that evaluates this and says, why am i here? we work with these countries. i made plenty of phone calls to my counterparts, foreign ministers, by ministers, presidents and said, look, you are not cruising in the right direction here. we need to start to move. we work with those countries, and our embassies are deeply engaged helping to promote transformation. so, it is thanks to everybody and all hands on deck, whole team effort that this document comes out, not an insignificant document. that tier rankings that i have designated reflect our department's best assessment of government's efforts to

illuminate human trafficking. they don't take into political and other factors, it is based on criteria. in addition to the rankings report, outlines are specific concerns -- our specific concerns. this is not a funding report to read it is a demarcation, encouragement process, a process of evaluation and work. towards changing rankings. as this is now the 2016 report of the state department, one of the things i have found is that we can always become more effective in fighting with theng by working true experts, those experts sitting here, those experts are also all survivors. last december, president obama appointed an advisory council on your trafficking, -- on human

trafficking, giving survivors a direct line to offer recommendations on our strategy. i have had the chance to meet with members of this council. some of whom are here today, and i know that every aspect of what we do, including in this report, is stronger because of the engagement of these folks. friends,no mistake, i we gather here on this beautiful day, a couple days before our national celebration of july fourth, we talk about human trafficking, we are talking about slavery. slavery that is still today claims more than 20 million victims on any given time. people,20 million are just like everybody here. they have names, they have or had families in many cases.

endure aare forced to hell, a living hell that no human being should ever have to experience. in some pieces, violent extremist are able to find a contemporary state -- contemporary safe haven, i might add contemporary. these are rampant and overt. a 34-year-old survivor recalls approaching one of her captors in syria, a member of a terrorist group daesh. she pleaded with him to halt the incessant rate of a 12-year-old of a 12-year-old girl, telling the terrorist, she is just a little girl. he replied, no, she is not a little girl. she is a slave. modern slavery does not happen only in war zones. it exists in areas of both darkness and plain sight of

people all over the world. even at sea, you may be familiar with the story of mike long, who left cambodia with the promise of a construction job in thailand. him andupposed to help his family, and he had dreams of providing, being a provider for his family. on arriving in thailand, he was forced to work on a fishing vessel. he was beaten regularly with a metal pole, compelled to drink , allowedm fish barrels little rest. when he was not working, he was chained by a rusty metal collar around his neck to an anchor post so that he could not escape. it was not until a cambodian fisherman saw him and paid $750 to secure his release, the shackles were undone. long's story was brought to the wider world by a reporter of the new york times who is here with us today, and i thank him for

providing us with this gutwrenching insight into what is happening in terms of slavery. but this story, i regret to tell you, is far from unique. the fact is there are many, many stories of this, where on stimulus fisherman used the isolation of the sea to hide their crimes. enslaved crewmembers, most of whom under 17 years old, 17 years of age, they are forced to work 18 to 20 hour days, denied medicare, forst said methamphetamines to take care of the pain. they will take as many fish as possible. destroy livesonly of human beings, but they destroyed and ecosystem. the more they were on board, the larger their catches will be. the economic incentives, which

is precisely why illegal unregulated and unreported fishing practices have grown into a $20 billion a year whystry, and that is stopping those practices will be a major focus of the oceans conference i will be hosting the state department on september 15. this is long overdue. with the help of the senate, corker and ben cardin and others, that is that we intend to do. it is clear there are a lot of exposings in terms of labor abuses that take place off the coast. these crimes can be just as hard to detect when they are happening behind closed doors. the closed doors of an exploiter's home. consider the case of paul, who

was 14 when he left nigeria to move in with the british nigerian couple living in the u.k. they promised his family they were going to look after him and enroll him in school, pay him to help with the housework, but guess what? they lied. they did not send him to school, they did not pay him a penny. instead, they took away his passport, monitored his movements with security cameras, and forced him to work 17 hour days as a servant. but it was escape, not until he had been living with a couple in this state of fear and intimidation and deprivation and inability to move, that he was finally able to work his way out 24 years later. he heard a report on the radio about an ngo fighting to eradicate modern-day slavery. that is the difference these efforts make, and summoning his courage, he briefly -- bravely

reached out, and they help him fight back and see his tormentors were prosecuted. often, victims of domestic servitude enter into these situations willingly, leeward by the false promise of money and better life. there are lots of places in the world today are that better life looks very enticing, and you are willing to take a risk areas so they remain enslaved in part because they are convinced by their captors that they have no way out, nowhere to go, and absolutely no one to help them. that is one of the reasons why the state department and the global law firm dla have gotten together to increase the availability pro bono legal services. we are pleased to announce the release of two documents which are teams have developed. the first is a model contract for domestic workers to use with their employers, and the second

is a memorandum of understanding between countries sending and welcoming migrant domestic workers, setting clear standards otection. workers' pr both are based on international law and designed to prevent domestic abuses. my friends, this is the 21st century. we know that human civilization has had thousands of years to develop and make progress, and to establish rules and discern the difference between right and wrong. we are part of a community of nations proudly, particularly that live by and advocate for it, believes in it, the universal declaration of human rights. , it is, it is stunning outrageous that even today, the magnitude of human trafficking

challenge cannot be overstated. litany,now the sad girls compelled into sex slavery , women's sleeping in closets, let only out to cook and wash clothes and scrub floors. men and boys forced to forgo sleep and sustenance so they can work around the clock, often in blistering heat or otherwise appalling conditions. the good news is, we have the ability to fight back. and believe me, we are determined to do so. this is reflected in the 20 30's to hold humanals trafficking. is perfected in the protocol ratified nearly by 170 nations and aimed at preventing, suppressing, and punishing these despicable crimes, and it is reflected in the increasing efforts to cooperate and share

information i law enforcement -- by laws enforcement authorities on every continent. it is in the media to cast a spotlight on the shadowy areas where traffickers exist and thrive, and reflected in a growing network of ngos and advocacy groups who work hard every single day to bring modern-day slavery to a permanent and. assisting all of these efforts is what our annual report is all about. it is not, as i said earlier, just a catalog of uses. -- of abuses. it is the challenges we face, a targeted roadmap to measure how we can better overcome the challenges, and it is a clarion call to each of us, everybody in the world, to do all we can to eradicate these horrors and to hold whole countries accountable to a higher and better standard of behavior.

as has become our custom in recent years, we are very privileged to highlight the work who havemen and women committed their lives, not one day, but their lives, to combating human trafficking. these are our 2016 tip reports euros. so it is with great pride that we honor them today. i asked the ambassador to join me up here as we pay tribute and hopefully inspire people around the world to understand why this is so important. thank you. [applause] susan coppedge: thank you, secretary kerry. you are truly an inspiration to us securing rights for victims

as a prosecutor to your days championing antihuman trafficking laws. i would like to ask each tip reports zero to stand up when his or her country is called -- hero to stand up when his or her country is called. the bahamas. [applause] susan coppedge: in recognition role as the driving force behind the trafficking in persons enter ministry committee of the bahamas, or leadership in implementing the country's national action plan on human trafficking, and her commitment to training those likely to come into contact with victims of human trafficking, karen rigby. [applause]

john kerry: is senator cardin still here? why don't you,? come up? 't you susan coppedge: and from botswana. [applause] susan coppedge: in recognition of her vital contribution to the implementation of antitrafficking legislation in botswana, her steadfast commitment to enhancing law enforcement and judicial awareness, understanding in human trafficking and bringing prosecution to botswana, her victim centered approach to the botswana, herprosecution, prisc. [applause]

john kerry: and from the republic of cyprus. [applause] susan coppedge: in recognition of her dynamic leadership as the head of the police antitrafficking unit and the republic of cyprus, her passion for and commitment of the protection of victims throughout the prosecution process, and her devotion in the fight against human trafficking, lisa superman. [applause] susan coppedge: we have two he roes from mauritania. stand up. [applause] in recognition of their

steadfast resolve confronting hereditary and modern forms of slavery in mauritania, their dynamic partnership to affect positive change, and their courage to assist on justice for the most vulnerable in their country, we recognize these two heroes. abid. iram al- [applause] and second,ge: rahid ramadan. [applause] from nepal. [applause] in recognition of her

in investing cases of human trafficking in the fall, her dedication to education vulnerable groups about human trafficking, and her tenacity in enabling the prosecution of members of organized crime networks perpetrating this crime. [applause] i told her the state department should give out medals, she looks wonderful. from pakistan. [applause] in recognition of her unwavering advocacy on behalf of victims of bonded labor in pakistan, her courage in providing aid and protection to those she has help to create, and her commitment to helping them rebuild their

lives. [applause] from russia. [applause] in recognition of his steadfast commitment to assist nigerian and other african victims of sex trafficking in russia. his dedication to their comprehensive care, and his persistent engagement with members of the antitrafficking community to further protect and repatriate victims of human trafficking. [applause]

from senegal. [applause] in recognition of his selfless dedication to protecting young boys in senegal, his commitment to providing them comprehensive care and his vital role in building support among local officials to prevent human trafficking. [applause] >> i am pleased now to introduce the head of the police and i

trafficking unit in the republic of cyprus, she will make a remark on behalf of all of the heroes. [applause] >> thank you, secretary kerry. on behalf of the 2016 trafficking persons report heroes, i want to thank you, secretary honor.or this [applause] i really strive to find the words to express the deep gratitude and appreciation that i and the rest of the heroes feel for this great honor. this day truly marks a defining moment in our lives which we have devoted to combat human trafficking and protecting victims. some years ago, i could not have

imagined i would be receiving the title of hero. i realized trafficking is like a notion, peaceful, only to trap you in a storm, where victims are sucked down to the dark ocean floor and helplessly waiting for a miracle to surface. soon after starting at the police antitrafficking unit in cyprus, i realized a huge responsibility i put on my shoulders. the fight to free and support victims and work to achieve the maximum punishment for the perpetrators. i cannot even imagine where somebody would be had we not freed her from the criminal network that forced her into prostitution a few years back. she was only 20 years old.

she had come to cyprus and believed she was to earn a scholarship. she was instead forced into sex trafficking. they were looking for her. we changed her name. she went to university. when the trial started, she was threatened that she would be sent back to her country in a coffin. the defendants were acquitted. this does not make her less of a victim. today, she completed her studies and works for an international company. [applause] also, i cannot imagine the state of mind of charlie from the dominican republic has she not been freed, what would happen if she continued in prostitution

day in and day out so she would not miss any clients. i cannot imagine what would happen to someone who's arm was amputated due to their very poor working conditions and who spent a year in a hospital because of his injury. he was arrested as an illegal immigrant, and only at that time did it, that he was a victim. pham is a classic victim of labor trafficking. my fellow heroes and i could tell you hundreds of stories like these, stories that have left a mark not only on our career but our lives. stories of human pain, from the stories and from the cruelty and greed of the traffickers i learned not only to put myself

in the shoes of the victims but also to walk in them. we can do more to make sure we truly understand the experience of victims so that we can protect them. in a recent trial where i was a witness, the lawyer of the defendant asked me -- this girl went to mcdonald's every day for food, she could have sat down in the middle of the street and started screaming for help, couldn't she have done this? i replied, in your logic, she could. in hers, she could not. we should stop judging the victims by our own logic. we need to rid ourselves of our prejudices. let us understand them and place ourselves in

their situation. only then can we truly help. thank you. [applause] >> thank you, you have a truly fitting name for a hero. in the dark world of human trafficking, these brave men and women are arrays of light, and thank you for shopping on us today. they are a source of hope for trafficking victims and a source of inspiration for all who strive to make the world a more humane place. that is why i am honored to share the stage with these individuals.

and just as our heroes come from diverse regions and professions, the world needs antitrafficking solutions that cross borders and agency sectors. none of us can end human trafficking alone. we need each other. partnerships between ngos come international institutions and religious organizations, all of which are here today galvanize the fight to end human trafficking. in my time as ambassador i have , witnessed the power of collaboration and these actions. i recently participated in the vatican summit on human trafficking which focused on improving our legal system by emphasizing humanitarian values and eradicating corruption. the summit explored the need for victim supported services instead of punishments for crimes committed under duress. while pope francis has a unique ability to rally diverse groups, leaders across communities, businesses, governments and

ngo's can likewise demonstrate the power of collaboration in fighting the scourge of modern slavery. the united nations is also coordinating approaches to combat trafficking. in a historic session on human trafficking in situations of armed conflict, the u.n. security council called upon member states to bring justice to those who exploit others, proactively identify trafficking victims among vulnerable populations, and comprehensively address victims' needs. the security council meeting was bolstered by the brave and harrowing testimony of one who escaped from slavery after isil attacked her village. although nadia's testimony and that of others like her exposes the human capacity for cruelty, i remain optimistic about the future, optimistic that the world is more interconnected and proactive in fighting human

trafficking than ever before. optimistic that with help, survivors can move beyond this heinous crime, and optimistic that so many individuals here in the united states and around the world are united in combating modern slavery. while the challenges are daunting, we cannot forget that optimism is a job requirement for all of us who work in this arena. we join you in encouraging continued progress across prosecution, protection, and prevention of crime, and look towards increased international cooperation and a new generation of heroes to keep our faith in humanity alive. thank you all for coming today. [applause] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]

[captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2016] out on the tables you will find copies of this year's 2016 human trafficking report. >> news from another cabinet member. defense secretary ashton carter announced the military is lifting its ban on transgender people serving in the military. the defense secretary made the announcement this afternoon at the pentagon. of his year-long

study i'm announcing today we are ending the ban on transgender americans in the united states military. effective immediately, transgender americans can serve openly and can no longer be discharged or otherwise separated from the military just for being transgender. additionally, i have directed the gender identity of an otherwise qualified individual would not bar the from military service or any accession program . in taking the steps, we are eliminating policies that can result in transgender members being treated differently from their peers based solely upon their gender identity, rather than upon their ability to serve . we are confirming that, going forward, we will apply the same general principles, standards, and procedures to transgender service members as we do to all service members. when i heard from transgender service members i met with overwhelmingly was that they do not want special treatment, they want to be held to the same

standards and be treated like everyone else. after the announcement, the chairman of the armed services committee mac thornberry of texas, issued a statement saying in part -- cityis weekend on c-span's tour, we will explore the history and literary life of provo, utah. moon's raret books. ae provider will show off copy of rare books, including a copy of "common sense >." >> he wanted to have this printed and wanted the proceeds to buy the soldiers mittens.

after it went through three printings, they had a falling allowedthomas payne anyone to print it. he said anybody could print it, and that is why that book is so well known and printed. >> the author of "a peculiar people" talks about anti-mormonism in america, and the origins of the animosity. not only are they religious minority, but they are a religious minority who, over time, have figured in disproportionately visible ways in the debates about religion. tour of the brigham young university museum of paleontology and see the dinosaur fossils collected by james a jensen, curator of the museum. they talk about how the fossils were gathered and how dr. jensen change the way that bones are displayed. >> when you can hide the

armature and the steel supports, , inanimal looks more alive the sense that you get the ,eeling that these are bones but it brings life to these bones. >> professor of history at brigham young university tells us how warming pioneers first pioneered salt lake city and begin setting up satellite communities and 33 mormon families established a settlement of provo in 1849. watch c-span's city tour to provo, utah. the c-span city's door, working with our cable affiliates and visiting cities across the country. u.s. trade representative kirk of roman spoke today about the transpacific partnership, the trade agreement among 12 countries along the pacific ocean. the rest trade rep speech was

part of a forum at the cato institute about what -- whether supporters of fe-trade should support the tpp. kirk: good morning, everybody. we are starting right on time, not :00. thank you to ambassador from and forgetting here on time. to.ome to the cato is i am the director of the center for trade policy studies here at cato. you and i wantme to welcome people who may be watching through our livestream or who may be watching via c-span on c-span3. i would like to suggest that if anybody has commentary or questions, especially for ambassador froman, he will not have time to take questions after his address, to post them #catotpp.r and use the

we will do our best to respond to your comments or questions and maybe post a blog post next week to respond to those. the title of today's event is "should free traders support the transpacific partnership?" that seems like a rhetorical question too many. of course, free traders would support the tpp or free-trade agreements, but it is little markup located in that. free trade and free trade agreements are not the same animals. we are going to get into those distinctions a little bit on the first panel. for now, suffice it to say, free traders at the cato institute have found their way past differences and supported trade liberalization. however incrementally, it was delivered in the past. when i joined cato in 2000, the ftes withtes had

three countries, israel, canada, and mexico. today we have agreement with 20 countries and each free-trade agreement that produced those new partners was supported by my former colleagues at cato and myself, so we have found our way to supporting these kinds of agreements. analysisairly rigorous , my cato trade colleagues and i have come to the conclusion that we support the tpp. there are things that we like about it, some things that we are a little uncertain of, or not as impressed by. and there are some things of which we are ambivalent. but on par, there is more to like about the tpp that you dislike. the deal is that liberalizing, will expand americans economic freedoms, and we hope it will be ratified this year. on the first panel this morning, we will discuss the pros and cons of the tpp and describe our

scoring method. we did a paper assessing each chapter. we will go into some of the details there. the title of the first panel is called "grading the tpp: what is to like and not to like?" is composed of bill watson, simon lester, as well as eric scissors. he has some deeper reservations about the tpp. i'm sure he would be happy to share them. on the second panel, we will address the question of tpp ratification "obstacles to ratification: if not now then when?" moderating that panel will be dan pearson. he will be engaging with washington trade policy icon and dear friend of the cato center claims writer, as well as phil leavy, who has been at treating economic policy for a long time, in the bush administration, american enterprise institute,

now senior fellow on global economy at the chicago council of global affairs. also on the panel is the director of international trade international. he will share his deep knowledge of one of the more substantive obstacles to ratification, known as the infamous tobacco carveout. keynotentroducing our speaker, i'd like to put this event into broader context. as you are probably aware, there is a bit of animus toward trade and globalization these days, and especially the tpp. frankly, i think that anger is misplaced, or intentionally misdirected by politicians who see opportunity, blaming foreigners and their products for everything that ails americans. but we should remember and should remind our friends and neighbors that trade plays one role. trade's role is to expand the size of the economic pie.

trade liberalization makes that easier. makes it easier for trade to play that role by removing barriers to trade, we have enabling economic integration, greater scope for specialization, and economies of scale. trade has a fill that role and trade liberalization, whether through agreements or unilateral reforms, have helped to fill that role. questions about the wealth created by trade, how is distributive, whether and how great workers could lose jobs, find new ones, get wages, should not burden trade any more than inverted technology or changing consumer taste and demand, which are the primary causes of job churn in the united states. the purpose of trade is to expand the size of the pie, not to ensure every citizen is insulated from changes that ensued. you do not hear cries for apple to compensate people whose jobs were made obsolete by the apps on our phones.

how about ideas to incentivize business to hire people to train them and exchange for the commitment that they will work for a photo of time? how about reforming the corporate tech system? system that currently discourages repatriation of an estimated $2 trillion in profits of west multinationals abroad. that investment can come back and create value-added activity in the jobs that go with it. how about curbing superfluous regulations that raise the cost of establishing and maintaining businesses without any market improvements in social or safety outcomes? how about eliminating import duties on intermediate goods to produce more goods. how about advocating the retirement protection occupational licensing practices? we should also be encouraging voters to look at the states or evidence of which policies look

best to attract investment and create jobs. there is a reason that more jobs are created per capita in places like south carolina and tennessee, than in michigan and ohio. there are really no circumstances under which it make sense to curtail the size of the pie. cannot be considered an aim of public policy, but that is what the candidates are offering us instead of real solutions. i have often wondered aloud, sometimes to the discomfort of people in the room, why president obama did not challenge nancy pelosi and harry reid's anti-trade perspectives which held a stranglehold over the democratic congress, why he did not do the more rigorously? i have often wondered out loud why president obama did not challenge tpp: architect hillary clinton when she decided she was against the tpp?

to yieldhose decisions to politics and the political status quo represent a missed opportunity to make the case for trade from the highest level. missed opportunities, i think, that have made ambassador from an's job more difficult, opportunities that have jeopardized his team on tpp and other trade initiatives. not the most cheerful way to introduce our keynote speaker. [laughter] but to kick on this morning's event, we have a special guest who knows more about the tpp than probably any other american. it is a real honor and privilege to introduce the united states trade representative michael froman. ambassador from and has led the obama administration's trade policy since 2013. he has been with the administration since the very , helping the2009 president formulate international economic policy,

from different positions in other agencies. brought homeoman the tpp agreement last fall and was signed by the parties in february, 2016. if it is to be ratified this year, implementing legislation will he can be introduced soon. ado, to discuss those plants and why the tpp is a good deal for america, please help me welcome ustr ambassador michael froman. [applause] amb. froman: thanks very much, dan. like -- onetle bit of these is not like the other -- coming from the ministration here. a number of things that we do not fully agree on, but here is an area where we may well agree on, the importance of moving this forward.

so i welcome this opportunity and thanks dan for the invitation and opportunity to meet with you. i am delighted to see one of my predecessors here in the front row here. one of the great things about this job is how bipartisan it is. i have gotten great advice and support from all of my predecessors and i'm very grateful for the massacre for being here. i want to thank the trade team at cato. dan, simon, bill, for bringing their deep expertise on these issues. to the debate we welcome this report that is being issued, today, look for to reading it, and independent analysis that cato does on this issue. tpp will be the largest trade policy advance in more than 20 years on a wide range of important policy goals with the results very well mashed with principles, comments of conservatives, liberals, and

libertarians alike. if you are interested in reducing taxes, promoting market-based rather than subsidy-based competition, internet freedoms and entrepreneurialism, there is a lot to like in this agreement. tpp will eliminate more than 18,000 taxes or terrace on our exports. it will increase the standard of living of especially low and middle income americans who spend a higher proportion of their disposable income on consumer goods. and it will help maintain the competitiveness of u.s. manufacturers who rely on important inputs and components. an american company selling cosmetics or cars to vietnam will find new opportunities as tariffs of 20% to 70% vanished. the proprietor of an asian grocery store across the river in arlington will save herself and her customers money as u.s. tariffs drop on straw mushrooms and ddi corp.. tpp will be the first agreement since the uruguay round in 1994 to cut a subsidy, prohibiting

fisheries subsidies that contribute to overfishing. that is an historic achievement, but for the removal of a distorted practice, and as a conservation measure. this is the first agreement to take on the issues of the digital economy, preserving the integrity of the internet and the right to move data freely across borders, and for having efforts to require the localization of infrastructure and other forms of digital protections. tpp will for the first time taking hard cover has a look to imposing disciplines on state owned enterprises, to make sure that when they compete against our private firms, they do so on a fair and level playing field. tpp will support small businesses. its efforts to harmonize customs procedures and make countries migratory processes more transparent. these are a few of tpp's highlights, and there have been a number of studies done on the benefits of tpp, from the peterson in his attitude to the international trade commission, to the american farm bureau. tpp will all found

support more well-paying export-related jobs, add consumer purchasing power, and spur economic growth he read home. both the peterson institute and the idc, which conducted the modeling studies of the agreement, found the majority of the benefits of tpp will go to is a great deal of anxiety among the american people evident in the current election dynamic, not to mention the most of the developed world. it is concerned other countries do not follow the same rules we do. they act unfairly, but the benefits of growth have been broadly shared. the system is rigged in favor of the few. it is important we not ignore these concerns. they are real and legitimate. the question is what to do about them. as economists will tell you as technology changes the workforce , but they both contribute. we don't to do vote on technology. nobody votes on the next

generation of computers, or whether robots will be deployed in the workplace. to vote onet globalization. it is a fact made possible by containing shipping, broadband, opening of countries like china and eastern europe that used to be closed to the economy and our part of it. -- and now are a part of it. you cannot just put the genie back in the bottle. what we do get to vote on our trade agreements. they become a magnet of concern, a scapegoat for a broader set of factors that contribute to economic anxiety. it is important not to conflate trade agreements with globalization. globalization affects the workplace. trade agreement be part of the solution. us to shape globalization to our advantage. there is a vehicle where we help write the rules of the road for the trading, do so in a way that reflects our interests and our values.

just yesterday, the international trade commission released a study on the effects of u.s. trade agreements since 1984, when we negotiated the first mpa with israel. it found an aggregate, american jobs have been added and increased wages, giving consumers lower prices and greater product variety, and the largest purchasing power gains going to low and middle income americans. we start by the fact the u.s. already has one of the most open economies in the world, in large part, decisions made decades ago supported by 12 presidents, six democrats, six republicans. is average supply tariff less than 1.5%. 50% of all u.s. imports come in duty free, and we do not use regulations as a disguise. when we look abroad, we see markets shielded by higher tariffs and opaque and slanted regulatory systems.

the transpacific partnership, we can level the playing field by removing barriers to these markets, raise standards in those markets, and increase export-related jobs paying 18% more on average than nonexpert jobs. right now, we compete with low-wage countries. tpp will open the largest and fastest-growing markets where made in america manufactured goods and cultural and services. by raising the standard, this will level the field for american businesses, workers, farmers, and ranchers. there is something broader at issue. whether and when tpp moves forward, that is the rules-based system itself. that system help japan and europe rebuild after the second world war, allowed developing countries, south korea and brazil, to become emerging markets. helped hundreds of millions out of poverty. here at home, successive rounds of trade liberalization has

added $13,000 in purchasing power per household. we cannot and should not take that system for granted. that system is under attack, the status and alternative things as being canceled abroad well as protectionism called for here at home. from our perspective, it is important we maintain and cherrington -- and strengthen where every country has rights, all countries play by the same rules. and ay don't, a fair cripple resolution of disputes, big countries cannot push little ones around. that is key to maintaining a stable and prosperous asia-pacific region. it is also good for the americans. important we not just sit on the sidelines but proactively shape the global economy in a way that reflects those interests. if the united states were to turn inward, the results would be economically devastating. this tree has proven beyond a

doubt -- history has proven protectionism does not work. raising tariffs would not let countries have our exports. we know that no one wins in a trade war. they would not increase employment here. it would not boost economic growth. it would retard it at best and drive the economy into recession at worst, and we know this from experience. 1930, congress passed and human -- hoover strike -- signed something that and imports. his view was that this was essential for an era where he believed americans could not compete against low-wage countries in europe. the thinking was that raising tariffs would lead to a resurgence of manufacturing employment in the u.s., but the opposite happened. --wound up with you are jobs fewer jobs.

we may have had a sizable trade surplus but also the great depression. not only did high tariffs worsen this, they contributed to the grind of global economies, which led to the rise of nationalism in europe and asia. as reagan once said, protectionism will not open markets to u.s. markets but close them. he said it would mandate the u.s. would violate the basic rules of international trade and expose the productive farms and industries to retaliation i other nations. -- by other nations. the stakes are clear, rejecting tpp would undermine u.s. leadership not only in the asia-pacific region, but around the world. our allies could not help the question whether we had the will to make good on our commitments. as singapore's prime minister early but this, if you -- prime minister lee, can we depend on you with security and regulations?

more than ever, it is important we move ahead with the approval of tpp. earlier this week, i was reading a piece on the pages of the wall street journal. they were describing sentiment after participating in a discussion of the impact of brexit on europe. the author said, the fate of the entire post more order hangs in the balance, and the prospects for democracy worldwide. without vigorous american leadership, the prospects are not bright. the migrant crisis and internal challenges, a serious risk europe will be preoccupied or sometimes three we cannot afford a self-inflicted wound to american leadership at the same time. the good news is that i met with members of congress. they are increasingly appreciative of the agreement and the cost of delay. those are high. we are seeing market share in priority products eroded by other countries with free-trade agreements in place.

delayestimated a one-year to bring tpp into effect would impose $94 billion cost on the u.s. economy. that equates to a 700 that the -- $700 tax on every household. the other asia-pacific countries are not going to wait for us. they will move on. as new zealand's prime minister put it, these economies will not stand still. beijing will stand in an full avoid. -- and fill the void. this is between tpp and what is likely to evolve in the absence of it. as other countries move forward with their market access, we cannot stand to see market share shrink rather than expand. instead of seeing our rules put in place, we will see adverse implications for the free flow of data and the integrity of the internet, disciplining subsidies , and cooperating against counterfeit medicines and consumer goods.

today, our country has a choice. we can play a leadership role in writing the rules of the road , or we leave it to someone else whose interests do not align with ours. our failure to move forward economically would weaken us. important preservation to this debate, further providing evidence for the workers, farmers, and ranchers. we are grateful to cato for their support of this agreement for moving forward with this ratification. thank you very much having me, and i'm happy to take questions for as long as i can. thank you. [applause] michael froman: yes. >> of the major trade barriers that exist [indiscernible]

example, regulations and a range of others. the spirit legitimate [indiscernible] which is why regulatory coherence has to hold on to these people. i was wondering how you think about the intersection of regulation and the trade agreement cartography [indiscernible] michael froman: you put your finger on it. regulatory sovereignty is important for all countries. we would not give up our regulatory sovereignty, no other country would give up there's. - theirs. we have a system open and transparent where the public can provide comments, draft regulations are put out for those comments, regulators take them into consideration. a lot of what we are trying to do through tpp and other trade initiatives is encourage other countries to have more

transparent and opel processes -- and open processes areas will not compromise our regulatory's sovereignty, nor will they do there's. -- theirs. we will end up with a better revelatory practice. yes, gentlemen waving his hand. >> [indiscernible] >> thank you. it seems to me that you have thousands of tariffs on exports in the united states, and to my understanding, from reading the -- constitution, exports are forbidden to have tariffs on them. michael froman: these are tariffs other countries have on our exports. so for the non-fta countries, these are the countries we for the face. that's we currently face. >> thank you. michael froman: gentleman in the

fourth row. >> i was wondering if you could talk a bit about where we are with congress and to keep the -- and tpp, relating to the financial services. if you could speak to the brexit a little bit. i know you met with the commissioner yesterday, and given the state of the european union, if that deal is still possible this year. michael froman: in terms of the status of tpp with congress, we are continuing to consult the leadership of congress, the leadership of the trade committees, finance committee. to determine the best way to move forward. we are at the same time working to resolve outstanding issues. we are working with the dairy sector and their support of the

agreement with pork producers, now supporting the agreement. there has been work done between treasury and the regulators on the financial services, data flow, localization issue. i like where that is heading. it has basically been resolved in a positive way. we are seeing that come to a close. that leaves two biologics. that is an important outstanding issue, and we are continuing to consult with industry and chairman hatch, and others in congress, to try and find a way forward on that as well. i think on brexit, i did see commissioner bostrom when she was here, and that is part of the ongoing negotiation. our teams are meeting constantly now. we are seeing each other every couple or few weeks. our chief negotiators are seeing each other regularly way.

. we are making good, accelerated progress over the last 18 months in terms of resolving issues. europe has a lot on its plate. migrantbrexit, the crisis, the rising level of zero euroicism across europe -- skepticism across europe. we hope they can take the necessary decisions to reach an agreement. our goal remains to do everything we can to help them. i will go to the gentleman up their. re. accurate tobe characterize the data fix as being a part of the treasury the tradedeals with and services agreement, and there are some tpp countries not covered by that. could you talk little bit about

what you will do to get those countries, however receptive they have been to living up to the terms of the treasury proposal? michael froman: we are currently having conversations ourselves, treasury with the industry, and make sure we are on the same forwardterms of the way on this issue. we made it clear as in other areas, we are engaged with tpp partners as part of the implementation effort to make sure we are doing whatever we need to do to address any outstanding concerns. this will be one of the issues i imagine we will be engaging with tpp partners on as well. gentleman in the fourth row. >> yeah, i wanted to ask, the u.s. idc report is an enormous country has a report, full of assessments of various pieces with lots of positive for the economy.

there is one sort of bottom-line number in there that feeds into ism.negativ i wouldn't you address this when it comes up. increasea very slight in the u.s. trade deficit. exports rise more than imports, bottom-line growth. wages go up. there is a slight, i mean tiny, decrease in the -- increase in the trade deficit. that one little point is something critics of the tape could run with. i am curious how you and your role respond to that would be overall agreement. michael froman: that was not a conclusion of the report, that was an assumption. the report assumes the trade

deficit remains static as a percentage of gdp very at and cents is inspected to grow and the trade deficit is accepted to grow, they take that as an assumption of the model. both institutions put a tremendous amount of work, they are very worthwhile studies. models have limitations. assumptions are made that are complacent with conclusions, but thank you for giving me that chance to clarify it. gentleman in the back. and then here in the fourth row. >> hi, ambassador. wanted to ask about the foreign-policy objectives that might be tied up with the tpp. i wondered if you could speak to that, especially since her office is under the executive

branch, and it enforces political policy for the nation, right? so we have these merchant republics, we go back to athens, the byzantines, the italian american republics, the scotch, the british, so forth. then of them have the greatness of populations and natural resource that we in this country do to exploit ourselves and develop our own economic interests here at home. and so i am wondering to what extent you see the tpp as being of us as aefit both nation attempting to drive value from trade around the world, and also a nation that is given such a great wealth of natural productivity in terms of population and resources. michael froman: let me take that into parts, first the foreign-policy question, and then the economic strategy. on the foreign policy side, it

is our view that trade agreements, first and foremost, must be justified on economic grounds, the impact they have on growth, strength of the middle class, wages, jobs here in the united states. there is no doubt tpp also has tremendous strategic benefits and foreign policy implications. we see that across the region in asia. i saw it with prime minister lee and prime minister kia, and others have seen as well. these countries, we are a pacific power. these countries very much want us to be involved in their lives. they want us to be admitted and committed to the region. they see tpp as the most concrete manifestation of that commitment, a commitment that has broader spillover effects into political security, strategic issues. that is why, when we hear from

leaders in the region and others in the region, they very much are focused on delivering on tpp , because they say if we don't, it will be a mortal wound to our leadership in the region. this is a critically important region to our own economic [indiscernible] but we also have broader duty to issues -- strategic issues as well. we are blessed with a large country, with great natural resources. we have so many other strength going for us. , ourntrepreneurial culture skilled workforce, our infrastructure, even though it is to be improved, but we do have infrastructure. our trade agreements are in some ways a final piece of the puzzle that can help drive even more economic activity to the united states. i have had a lot of people come through my office, many european companies, who have said some

version of the same story which is, between all of the strength in the u.s., the rule of law, the entrepreneurial culture, the governor energy -- cleaner energy, if we keep tpp in place, we will have free trade with two thirds of the global economy. that makes the u.s. a production platform of choice, where people want to put their next factory, next facility to serve, not just the very attractive u.s. market, but for exports to latin america, to asia, to europe. we are right on the cutting-edge of being able to deliver on that. that is why this is so important. it is not just about improving exports or trade. it is about drawing investments in economic activity to the u.s. as well. /woman in the fourth row. >> thank you. you have been very specific in

of promoting this the eu . what are you expecting in the tpp along the same lines? michael froman: michael froman:we are not try to export the administrative procedures act to any other country. europe,your, for its -- for its own reasons, is looking at the detroit reform. they have an initiative underway that moves in the direction of increasing transparency, participation, accountability. those are the sort of principles we put out there, and regulatory should be transparent, participatory, where the wide range of stakeholders have a hold. laborers or individuals, they can put input in the regulatory process. decisionsave to make based on science and evidence,

that is what we are looking for. the european union, for its own reasons, is living in a similar direction, and we are hopeful this can help institutionalize that as well. yes. i will come back over there. thanks, ambassador, and things were being very strong in your agreement. could you talk about the challenges you face on trying to get tpp through congress and other important issues you are working on when leading president of candidates, including from the president's party, seem to be on the antitrade and anti-tpp agenda, however well-founded? michael froman: i think first of all, trade votes, you know this from your experience, trade votes have always been difficult. we really have robust trade politics here since nafta. for more than 50 years.

this particular political environment, trade is playing a more significant role in more people expected. the good news is, as i am up on the hill talking to individual members of congress, every time i am in the country, and that they are there, i am meeting with them individually or in small groups, they fundamentally making decisions on tpp based on the impacts of the agreement on their constituents and the stakeholders they care about. as we walked through the agreement with them and they learned about the value to their constituents and stakeholders, we are finding a very receptive audience. i feel confident that at the end of the day, as we consult and work with the leadership of the house and senate on the most conducive window of opportunity might be for picking up tpp, the support will ultimately be there. one more. it was a gentleman, do you still

have a question? ambassador., mr. you justme line, could talk a little more about the public sentiment against free trade, and also the president of candidates, their opposition to tpp? michael froman: as i said in my remarks, there is a lot of very understandable concern out there after 15 years of wage stagnation, widening income inequality. there is a degree of economic anxiety you are seeing, in the united states but also elsewhere around the world. where the debate comes down to is what to do about it, and as i laid out, our view is if you do nothing, or you close yourself to the world, you put up walls or protectionism, you are going

to make the situation worse. if you are proactive about using our trade tools and trade agreements to shape localization , to open other markets, that is tariff, and5% vietnam has 70% on our cars, 55% on our machinery, 30% on chemicals, 40% on a whole street, if we can eliminate -- upholstery, if we can eliminate those, we are ready more opportunities for american workers and farmers to produce here and sell there. standards, level the playing field, make sure they have got decent intellectual property rights, make sure we are raising labor and environmental standards. that oure confident businesses, our workers, our farmers can't compete and win if it is a fair and level playing field.

that is what being proactive about trade agreement means. strategy is really about. thank you very much, thank you for having me. [applause] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2016] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] we are going to jump straight into the next panel, wait for the speakers to come up.

[no audio] if you have other questions of him or of us, you can go to twitter and use the #catotpp. otpp. s the #cat are we good to go? the first panel is called rating the tpp, what to like and not like about the agreement. two roles,to play i am a moderator, but i will put my finger on the scale a little bit. i will review the paper and the scoring methodology. at the outset, let me let you know that these papers are not ready yet. they will be out there in the summer. we have extracted from the paper what we, the scores, the methodology, the scoring

rationale. and that abstract was available outside. or we go. there were no copies left, you want electronic version, you can go to this url right here, and there is a pdf of this abstract of the paper. so i will give an overview and talk about the scoring. i will turn it over to bill watson, the trade policy analyst here at cato. .is bio is on the cato site i will not introduce everybody all that formally. then we go to simon lester, also a trade policy analyst here at cato. his bio is also on the cato site. then we will turn over to derek scissors, a resident scholar. he is working on u.s.-china policy in washington dc for a

while. his bio can be held on the aei website, but you will not need to go there to learn about his observations with the tpp. he will gladly share them with us. his analysis of the first one published after the text of the agreement was released, so right out of the gate, he expressed reservations. we will find a way that he has softened his position at all. [laughter] dan ikenson: over the past couple of years, libertarians or others would question why how i could support tpp. it used to be the case i would only get hate mail from the left. i would stake out my policy trade position against angry questions, but libertarians were asking the same things. how can you support a free trade agreement, managed trade agreement that has full corporate giveaways and excessive rules for global governance?