i work in a medical field. i want you to just think about your grandmother's, your grandfathers, your parents. when he comes to medical situations and children, hillary has been there for us, and someday you may become of age. i believe if republicans get in there, it will be all over. if you don't have the money, you will not get the health care. thank you peter, and thank you ceased and. -- thank you c-span. peter: washington journal will be live again tomorrow at 7:00 from philadelphia. all sorts of other events, go to c-span.org to get the schedule of updates. thank you for being with us. ♪ [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: the democratic national convention from philadelphia starts today. watch live every minute on c-span. listen live on the free c-span app. it is easy to download from the apple store or google play. watch it on demand at c-span.org from your desktop, phone, or tablet, or you'll find all of our coverage. follow us at c-span on twitter and like us on facebook to see newsworthy moments. watch every minute of this national convention on c-span, the radio app and the c-span.org. here at the national constitution center, which is where we are based this week, we have signers hall. john mcardle took the two word

-- tourss. >> welcome to the national constitution center. we are the only museum in the constitution dedicated to the desk in the country dedicated to the constitution. -- three have sarah main missions. you can come throughout the year interactiveng exhibitions, but we also have a town hall on-site and online for current constitutional based debates and discussions. we have an education center, try to get specifics out to teachers and students across the country. i want to talk more about our museum. we are in one of the signature exhibition spaces called fires hall. this is debating the moment the constitution was signed back on are those18 -- there

who were still present and participating in the constitutional convention in september at the end of a long summer that they spent in philadelphia working to create this document. you can really walk amongst the finer's. we invite you to touches them. they are works of art, life-sized bronze statues. popularklin is the most and favorite signers. you can see how well loved and he has been over the years in the places we have been open. you can find out that not everybody at the constitutional with hown was happy things ended up. there were 65 men who attended at different points, some of them left because they had other business they needed to attend sue or out of protest. they were not happy with how things were going. there the dissenters. we have george mason, randolph, and albert jerry. they were here, but they refused

to sign the document, because they felt it did not do enough to protect the interest that they had for that country's future and their personal fate. we have other famous people in this room you might recognize. we have alexander hamilton who was left of feeling delegate from new york after his two delegates who were with him had left in protest earlier, but he was still here at the end with the final crafting a finding of the document. we also have james madison right here. he is the shortest delegate in that room, only about five feet four inches. very accurate depiction. he is considered the father of the constitution. he came in with a plan. that set the agenda for the rest of the summer. he was really super influential finalnd of shaping the

draft. he took the notes and let people know what happened during the convention. and we have george washington, and he is of course the father of the country but he was also elected president of the convention. handally was that steady who was here all summer long, overseeing these proceedings and and howhis gravitas much respect he had from fellow to the proceedings, because they would have to go out and make their case and get into support of his new form of government. at the end of your visit, you can be a part of the story and add your name to the because this is about bringing the past to life and interacting with the past and these events and this time of history better than you might otherwise have reasonably out of a textbook. announcer: vermont senator bernie sanders and first lady

michelle obama will be featured tonight. we will have live coverage here on c-span. later in the week, vice president joe biden, former president bill clinton, his daughter chelsea clinton, and the nominee hillary clinton. debbie wasserman schultz will not have a key speaking spot, but she will open and close the convention. she is resigning at the end of this week. and the former president for al gore, donna brazil will take over as interim chair. we have suspended her as a political commentator. vice president al gore will not attend. director of communications said that obligations in tennessee will keep him from attending the convention. of eight tennessee superdelegates, the only one who ked the publicly bac

candidate. at the florida delegation breakfast this morning, congresswoman debbie wasserman schultz was booed off. here is video taken by a c-span viewer who was there. [indiscernible] announcer: a number of state delegations held meetings this morning. the california meeting, members were booing hillary clinton and saying, count our vote.

and at the pennsylvania delegation this morning, some of the speakers included senators cory booker, bob casey and afl-cio president robert trumka. they talk about the responsibility of being at the convention. this is about an hour and 15 minutes. >> i want to welcome everybody to our first breakfast. can everybody hear me all right? what? like -- i am sorry. anyway, good morning everybody. learned over a long time

in politics when you start thinggs that there is one you can do to get everybody quiet other than it ring a bell, and i think it is a good idea, because this is the beginning of the convention. now you are needed, i will ask you to rise the pledge of allegiance. i pledge allegiance to the flag of united states of america and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. thank you all, very much. i want you wish good morning to all of the delegates, of all of the guests, to all of our speakers, many of whom are coming up as we speak. i wanted to congratulate the delegates for being selected to , andsent this commonwealth i am proud to welcome everybody city, the adopted

city of philadelphia, the city of brotherly love and sisterly affection. this week, we are going to make history, and we are going to make history through november. [applause] marcel groen: and i have got a lot to say, but i will not say it all right now. one thing,tart with because i believe it is really important. i will start with it, i will close with it, and i need people to understand what i'm saying. aboutour days is not just electing a presidential candidate, which we will do. these four days is to have unity within our party. [applause] marcel groen: and so, here is what i want to ask. if you are a bernie sanders

supporter, or if you are a bernie sanders delegate, would you please rise? [applause] marcel groen: you can sit down. it is all right. i want to thank you all for being here. i know some of you have been in politics for a long time. for many of you, this is the beginning. and i know i should address everybody, but isis typically want to address year. -- i specifically want to address year. we want you. we want you to be a part of us. i been in this a long time, and we have people here for howard dean, and people for barack obama who thought they were

outside. we grabbed them. we are going to hug you. we need your thoughts, we need your ideas, your passion, and we need your ability to come together so we can speak with one voice. [applause] marcel groen: and i am not good about alone. we also need to have compromise. voiceer to speak with one , it can't be just your voice or mine. it has to be all of our voices. for those of you that are in politics for the first time, that is the single most difficult and the most difficult and important thing we can accomplish. i want to welcome you, and we will get on with the program. i at the end of the program for being here as well. first i want to thank our sponsors. you should all take our sponsors -- thank our sponsors because

you guys are eating, and i am not. i want to make sure somebody saves me some food. are waked burn -- laura lie, raise your hand. thank you, very much. , isour sponsor is also christine martin here? christine, thank you. thank you very much. the breakfast was so good, i will enjoy it when i am all done. we have a number of speakers and i'm going to try to be -- i'm sorry. ok. listen, i need your help with this too. i have no idea what i am doing. i'm going to try to make it as it is possible. i will keep it going. we have got people coming in. we have got our governor and senator's sitting here.

all of them are going to speak, and all of them have time commitments. i'm going to try -- be patient with me. the end of the meeting when i'm to the press, stick around. you can tell me what i did wrong. all right? the first speaker is our sponsor, christine martin. l.ew words from pp and come on up. thank you. [applause] christine martin: thank you. i am honored to be your first officials be good this morning. thank you all for being here. this is my fourth the dnc, my fourth time addressing the delegates. it is quite an honor. excitedoration is very to support the pennsylvania delegation. i have a number of questions.

if it was the old pennsylvania power and light. we grew out of the merger of eight isolate the companies in 1920. -- facility companies in 1920. we have grown into one of the best utilities in the u.s. and the u.k.. we were once again ranked by jd power as one of the number one in the northeast for satisfaction, that is the fourth time in a row. thank you. [applause] thank you. this as we strive to the best in delivery reliable, affordable ways electricity to our countries -- customers. we are supportive of the town we call home and the communities we serve in central and northern pennsylvania.

we have donated millions of dollars in the service territory and encourage volunteers to serve the community in which they live. is that civic pride that we are proud to be here today supporting this event. more than ever, the country and indeed the world are watching our political process unfold. they are watching closely, and all eyes are on philadelphia. so you are about to make history. on behalf of ppl, i wish you the best. i thank you for your service, and have a wonderful week. [applause] marcel groen: ok, so we are going to move around a little bit. maybe not. i'm getting my orders now.

all right, so our first speaker will be mark stanley. mark i have known for a long time, so i have to figure out what i want to say. he is chairman of the national jewish democrats, the council. he runs the organization as dedicated to assuring to his values in the democratic party. my recollection is you are from dallas, texas. let me tell you about something. if you are a longtime democrat, you are from dallas, texas, i have known mark for 20 years, then you have really got it in your soul. mark stanley. [applause] thank you, mr. chairman. and thank you, pennsylvania, for hosting this beautiful convention. i really appreciate it. my name is mark stanley. i have a better title than chairman, i have the immediate past chairman of the thing.

i want to put something on your radar screen that you don't know about. a convention is a place for business, so i am here to talk business for a minute. there was a war breaking out in pennsylvania. michelle and the jewish coalition and allies want to a war$25 million to fight in a swing states. pennsylvania unfortunately is a swing state. their goal is to get 10% of the jewish vote, alienated against barack obama and hillary clinton and swing 10% of the jewish vote. the results of the micro war in pennsylvania if successful would be 22,680 votes. 22,680 votes. i hope pennsylvania is a blowout. i hope every state is a blowout,

but the polls this morning and in september are not going to show that. we are going to work for every vote. they will spend $25 million to try to swing that. you will see horrible signs like this one which you can't see, we can't trust hillary who sold out america and israel. if the living they talk about -- it is the only thing they can talk about. they can talk about social justice, criminal justice, poverty, health care. they can't talk about that and they are wrong on israel. hillary and tim kaine are very supportive on israel. but it is really think he will talk about. so jews, we have a secret -- a super pac called jews for progress. we will fund a $25 million. i am here to tell you help is on the way. in the convention center, we are having the women's meeting.

and wednesday at 4:00, we are honoring former and current jewish members of congress and debbie wasserman schultz and others. please stay and here we will do. if you have friends in the jewish community that want to get involved with this, let your chairman now. he knows how to reach me. thank you very much for your time. [applause] marcel groen: so the next speaker, rich, you want to go? it is my honor, my privilege to call up to the stage one of pennsylvania zone -- pennsylvania's own, who is on the leader of the labor movement in the country. richard," came out of the -- richard trumka is now president of the fl -- afl-cio. he speaks far better than i do. other than that, he will speak at a than i can. rich trumka.

rich. [applause] richard trumka: good morning, brothers and sisters, how are you doing today? >> good. richard trumka: it is great to see senator wolf, this is like an old homecoming. we don't get together often enough, and every four years, we get to come together and be in a room where everybody in the room cares about the same kind of america and is willing to work for the same kind of america. do this for me. give yourselves a round of applause for all of the hard work you have done and all of the hard work you are going to do. [applause] richard trumka: look, in this election, working people are in

the drivers seat. we are witty to win in november. let's do it. because of this mainstream movement of working people, and people, union people, nonunion people and never heard of union people yet. in pennsylvania, our state, we are going to make a difference. we are going to make hillary clinton the next president of the united states, and pennsylvania is going to make the difference. [applause] richard trumka: now think about this, we ran for governor wolf, the supreme court candidate, we are going to win for the u.s. senate, i we are going to do everything we can to turn the pennsylvania house from red to blue. [applause] look, america: wants and america needs

education. that feeling is all around us in philadelphia. it is all across the country. the political landscape has shifted because working people spoke with a voice that allowed -- loud and clear and strong. we will stop the latest bad trade deal, the transpacific partnership -- [applause] now, you can do better than that. we are going to stop tpp. let's hear it. [applause] and i want to: specifically thank all of you for all of your hard work in that place, but that is not all. you see, we are moving forward too. for year, workers bargained payght for, and won

raises in historic fashion. we stood up. at this convention, we will set a new direction, because the time is right for a new economic verity.or broadcast we -- prosperity. we want raised wages for every worker in america, and this convention will start that process and move forward to changing the laws of the economy and creating broad prosperity. never forget this, the democratic party is the party of prosperity. the lead up to this convention has been a very positive and progressive debate between bernie sanders and hillary clinton. that debate has moved our country, our great country, and the right direction. the democratic platform -- [applause] -- the trumka: democratic platform, our platform yielded the strongest

and the most unifying vision and the most progressive vision this country have seen in generations. and hillary, hillary is rising to meet the challenges of tomorrow with a strong vision of american prosperity for all americans from the bottom to the top, we are going to make sure she gets into the white house to make that a reality for all of us. [applause] they sayrumka: american labor movement, our agenda, leave door politics. working people at this convention are putting our agenda before our policy and not the other way around, and it is working. it is leading us forward, moving the candidacy of hillary clinton , and the vision of the democratic party, and we are going to continue to mobilize,

organize, register, speak up and speak out and elect great worker candidates all across this country. you see -- [applause] -- we stand for our issues, our values and for -- better life for all. at this convention and every day, we are standing up and speaking out to the issues that matter most to the working to aies and then lead better life for all working people in america. we stand for a voice on the job, and that means the right to join together in the union to demand better wages and working conditions. [applause] richard trumka: and make that demand without fear of firing or retaliation. we stand for families and fairness, which means fighting for equal pay and reining in wall street and reforming our broken criminal justice and

immigration system. for a 21st century infrastructure. and we oppose job deals and trade deal like the tpp. [applause] richard trumka: look, hillary clinton is running a positive campaign to move america forward. and when we all talk, she listens. hillary shares our vision and/or values. -- and our values. she is running to change america, not just a manage and we intend to help her. she is with working people, and working people are with her all the way to the white house. [applause] but i just have to say this, politics is a team sport.

and we have to build a winning team. the extremism of the republican party, which was on full display in cleveland last week, they sharpened the choice faced by america this election year. you see, we need working families, candidates, who will get things done from the bottom of the ticket to the top of the ticket. but no elected leader, no elected leader alone no matter how strong she is, can win what america needs. you see, we need powerful, pragmatic, and principled team who share a constant vision and common values. let's build a winning team in pennsylvania and in washington. let's do it together. our state can lead the way to a better today, a better tomorrow, a better america for the working people that share in the

prosperity. hillary clinton at the top of the ticket. mckinsey in the middle of the ticket and everybody else along the way, we are going all the way if we stick together. solidarity, brothers and sisters, solidarity. [applause] marcel groen: all right, a couple of house cleaning things, and there will be some as we go along. if you are not a delegate, if you are not a delegate, and if you are a delegate, there are a lot of things going on at the convention center. there are a lot of groups that are meeting. if you are not -- if you are a delegate, your delegate friends will get you in. if you are a delegate, there are passes outside for all of the constituent groups.

just ask for them whether you are labor, lgbt, native american, whatever constituency group. think of. just get a tickets and you can get into thein to the various p. i want to recognize a couple of people and then we will hear from our next speaker. and, i do this all the time. learned i'ms i have going to announce everybody who is here and then forget three or four people. i am saying upfront i apologize. just tell me you are really important and we will introduce you anyway. first i want to introduce -- what are you, kevin? [laughter] anyway, he is ours. our former executive director who is the president of something. the what? i'm sorry. the executive director of the host committee.

as you can see i am really well scripted. at least we can have some fun with it. kevin. [applause] and congressman matt cartwright was here. i think he had to go to another place. thank you. [applause] are there any congress people i have missed? i want to recognize the chief executive of allegheny county. [applause] federman former candidate for u.s. senate is here. [applause] originally from new york,

pennsylvania -- originally from york, pennsylvania. >> we believe this event to go live to remarks from democratic presidential candidate hillary clinton. she is speaking to reporters at the vfw convention in charlotte, north carolina. ♪ >> please be seated. firstxt guest is the first lady ever elected to public office and is the first new yorker to ever serve as the senate armed services forces committee. which she did for eight years in the u.s. senate from the empire state. 2007 as appeared in candidate for president of the united states and before moving on to serve our nation as equatorial date in the first

obama administration. i would like to also point out that she is a former first lady married to bill clinton, our past president. originally from chicago she graduated from yale law school and is married to former as i said bill clinton. [laughter] enough times? i think so. comrades and auxiliary members may i present to you the presumptive democratic party nominee to become the next president of the united states, former secretary of state hillary rodham clinton. [applause] >> thank you. thank you so much. thank you very much, commander for that very warm welcome. thanks to your executive director bob wallace.

and all the milk and women of the vfw -- men and women of the vfw for your commitment, your service, and your action on behalf of america's veterans. this is the 117th national convention. that is quite a legacy. vfw hashat time the built a record to be proud of. you have been a moving force behind hallmark achievements like the creation of the v.a., the passage of the g.i. bill, the establishment of national monuments dedicated to those who fought in world war ii, the korean war, the war in vietnam, service, andtary veterans disabled for life.

these monuments are sacred places. i have been to many of them. cemeteries around the world. come to sit quietly, maybe lay a flower or a letter or other memento. reflect on the courage and sacrifice of those who fought for our nation and our ideals. i don't think it is an overstatement for me to say those memorials might not exist if it weren't for you. so thank you. and thank you for standing up today and every day for veterans health, for veterans education, for the right of all veterans to

dignity and security. and thank you for continuing to push our nation, to live up to our obligations to those who serve. direct beneficiary of your expertise and commitment. some of my top advisers are members of the vfw. veteransful to all the and retired military leaders who have shared their knowledge and counsel with me. i especially want to thank the vfw for the close consultation you provided as we work to put forth our plan to reform the v.a. today i especially want to acknowledge and appreciate retired marine general john commandermer deputy of the u.s. central command and

commander of the international security assistance force overseeing nato troops in afghanistan. i had the great privilege of working with general allen, and therefore i am deeply honored that he endorsed me this morning. his confidence in me and that of the other esteemed military leaders support my campaign means a great deal to me. but it also imposes a high responsibility on me as well. so i think you. ank you. i thank you for what you have done behind the scenes as well as in public to make sure that america keeps our promises, honors our history, and gives our veterans the respect and the opportunities they have earned. a lot of the issues you have fought for our at stake in this election -- are at stake in this

election. america is grappling with big questions. how do we keep our country safe? how do we make the world safer? how do we make sure we give our troops what they need to see their missions through? and when they come home that they have the support and access to services they need to lead productive,ucti successful lives. these challenges matter to me personally. navyther enlisted in the shortly after the japanese attacked pearl harbor. officer chief petty responsible for training thousands of young sailors before they shipped out to sea, mostly to the pacific theater.

in 1993, ither died received letters and old photos from men who had served under him. differenceut what a my dad made in their lives. these are letters that i treasure. me how sad held felt when he left great lakes naval base and accompanied his trainees to the west coast to join their ships. bright,some of these energetic young men wouldn't survive. some of them probably thought it, too. but still they went to serve. because they knew our country needed them. that's the kind of courage and honor our men and women in

uniform demonstrated every single day -- demonstrate every single day. i thought a lot about my father's experiences later when i became a senator from new york serving on the senate armed services committee. and then as secretary of state. i have worked hard over the years on many of the issues you care about and work on every day. i am not a newcomer to these issues. you aday i want to tell few of my core beliefs which will guide me if i have the great honor to be elected this fall. because americans aren't just choosing a president. we are also choosing a commander-in-chief. the person who decides questions of war and peace, life and death. there's no more solemn or

serious a responsibility than that. so you deserve to know what we candidates believe about national security and how we go e'd go about making life or death calls. because they will affect our men and women in uniform first and foremost and they will affect our veterans. let's start here. i believe the united states of america is an exceptional nation with capabilities that no other country comes close to matching. and we have -- [applause] -- we have the world's greatest military. don't let anyone tell you otherwise. [applause] we also have an economy that is

larger, more durable, and more entrepreneurial than any other on the planet. and we are guided by values that have long inspired people across the world, a commitment to freedom and equality, justice and diversity. that fundamental american idea that every single person deserves to be treated decently and with respect, no matter who they are. [applause] i believe in standing with our allies, because they are part of what makes us exceptional. worlder country in the has relationships like we do. generations of american troops

secureand, yes, died to those bonds. safere they knew we were with more friends and partners and fewer adversaries and enemies. [applause] women in uniform kerry that work forward today -- carry that work forward today. my running mate this election is a wonderful man from virginia named tim kaine. he was governor of virginia, mayor of richmond, virginia. if you are not familiar with him yet i urge you to check him out. he's a great public servant and a terrific guy. his son is a marine. his son is actually deploying today to help defend our nato allies in europe.

that's how committed he is. and many others are to our alliances. and we should be, too. after all, america's word has to mean something. [applause] i believe in being firm, but wise with our rivals. finding common ground where we can, and standing our ground when we must. that's the balance that made it possible for me to work with all kinds of nations. to work to increase pressure on north korea. to work to stand up to the chinese and the south china sea. to work with russia to conclude the new start treaty that

reduces nuclear stockpile while standing up to them -- stockpiles while standing up to tom because of their threats our friends in eastern europe. one thing for certain. you will not ever hear from me is praise for dictators and strongmen who have no love for america. [applause] and yes, i believe with all my heart in democracy. and i believe in diplomacy. it's often the only way to avoid conflicts that can end up exacting a much greater cost. i believe the most sacred responsibility of a commander-in-chief is deciding whether to send men and women into battle. inave visited our troops

theaters of war and tension. i know how serious this is. used as a only be last resort. and only with a clear and well thought out strategy. our troops deserve nothing less. america expects nothing less. toelieve our troops strive comport themselves with honor. and they deserve a commander-in-chief who will never order them to commit war crimes. listening to our generals and admirals, because they have in valuable knowledge and experiences and they are doing one of the most important jobs there is. commanding america's sons and daughters.

as commander-in-chief i will always show them respect and hear them out. you will never hear me say that i only listen to myself on national security. [applause] i believe in doing everything we can to meet threats at home and abroad. i know we live in a dangerous world. that's why we need real plans, real strategies to deal with terrorism, including homegrown terrorism. i have worked with experienced people from across different fields and indeed across the political spectrum to come up with comprehensive strategies for these and other threats. i will be ready to get to work on day one. i take nothing more seriously than our security.

believe in, i american leadership. i believe that who we are as a people, the values that we hold dear, the history that we care about, matters a great deal. talkinginterested in provocatively. insultingterested in people, including our military. i'm interested in bringing our country together. i'm interested in healing the divisions. we have to protect ourselves against terrorists. to do that we need to lead other countries in stopping isis, al qaeda, and other radical jihadist groups. we shouldn't leave that to the rest of the world to figure out on their own. that won't keep us safe. we need a strong global economy

because it's good for american jobs and exports. that means we should lead in setting and enforcing the rules. if we retreat on either security or the economy behind some kind of imaginary wall, we will have lost our leadership, our purpose, our chance to prevail in the 21st century. lead, weerica doesn't leave behind a vacuum. chaosat will either cause or enable other countries to rush in to fill that void. then they will be the ones making decisions about american lives, jobs, and safety. and the choices make no mistake about it might well not be to our benefit. that's not an outcome we can live with. i have set forth plans and

strategies for dealing with these threats. i know how challenging it will be to meet the difficulties that we face in the world today. but you seem, i have confidence -- you see, i have confidence. i have optimism. i don't understand people who trash talk about america. who talk about us as being in decline. who act as though we are not yet the greatest country that has ever been created on the face of the earth for all of history. [applause] who willnt somebody peddle fear and smear, i'm not your candidate. i'm interested in bringing everybody together. rolling up our sleeves and getting to work to solve our problems. that's why in the senate i worked closely with republicans.

,ow, as some of you might know i have been the recipient of numerous political attacks for a very long time. i have learned to live with that. i have as eleanor roosevelt advised many years ago, if a woman wants to be in the public arena, you had better develop skin as thick as the height of a rhinoceros -- hide of a rhinoceros. [applause] i when i got to the senate didn't say, i'm only going to talk to democrats. i'm not going to work with republicans. how silly with that be? -- how silly would that be? people elected me to be there senator. ir senator.

so i worked with republicans to expand veterans access to military health insurance. to make sure that all members of the reserves and national guard and their families had access icare military health benefits even when they were not deployed. i introduced the heroes at a home act to establish new services for military members and veterans suffering from posttraumatic stress and traumatic brain injuries. i am ended the 2007 defense appropriation act to establish a training program for family caregivers helping their loved ones with tbi. because i hadhis met so many wonderful people who

were struggling because they lost a son or daughter, mother or father, wife or husband. struggling because their loved one came home and didn't have the care that he or she needed. they deserved more support from all of us. and i fortunately was in a position to advocate for them. with senatores john mccain to personally raise money for the intrepid fallen heroes fund. which helped build a state-of-the-art rehab facility in san antonio to health are seriously wounded servicemembers coming home from iraq and afghanistan. [applause] and let me just say, it was a pleasure to work with senator

mccain on that project and many others. i believe that he and all american prisoners of war are heroes and deserve the respect that that entails. [applause] as president, i will build on the work i've done. a 21stoing to have century department of veterans affairs that delivers world-class care. like you, i was outraged by the ba scandals -- v.a. scandals. people waiting months, even years for things like wheelchairs and basic medication. some even dying while languishing on a wait list for an appointment. heartbreaking and absolutely unacceptable. that's why i have put forth a detailed plan about what i would

do as president to revamp the v.a.. it will be one of my highest priorities. but i tell you this. we are not going to privatize the v.a.. we are going to reform it and make it work for every single veteran in america. [applause] we will ensure access to timely quality care. improve the coordination of care which is as you know a huge problem still. veteransare for women who are often underserved. [applause] tackle and at long last end the epidemic of veteran suicides by expanding access to mental health care, erasing the stigma that still prevents too many from getting the help they need.

i know this is a high priority for the vfw and other veterans service organizations. and i will do everything in my power to support you in this critical work. and we are going to help more veterans looking for jobs with expanded tax credits for businesses that hire veterans, more support to veterans who want to start their own businesses, better certification and credentialing programs. the work that veterans did on active duty will be understood and respected as they compete for jobs in the civilian sector that they deserve to be considered for and tired to perform -- hired to perform. [applause] and i'm going to crack down on companies that prey on or discriminate against veterans. they should be ashamed of

themselves. and we are going to hold them accountable. we will also follow the lead of cities like new orleans, houston, philadelphia, and las vegas, which have worked to end veteran homelessness. [applause] we have lessons to learn from them. many more cities are making progress toward that same goal. we should support them and end the tragedy of veteran homelessness once and for all. and i will protect, preserve and defend the post-9/11 g.i. bill. it has opened doors of opportunity to more than one million veterans and family members. unfortunately, there are some republicans in congress chipping away at it. that's not just wrong.

it is shortsighted. this program helps us recruit and retain the all volunteer force we need to protect our country. and it's a way to invest in families and our shared future. we should protect and strengthen it. erode it.nyone th i have plans to do all this and more, including supporting military spouses as they seek to build careers. including standing with women, standing with lgbt veterans to make sure they get the support they have earned. you can go to my website, and i hope you will. nton.com and read all the details. i hope you will not only because i want you to know but, there's a lot of expertise in this room.

and i want your ideas, too. i have this old-fashioned notion. you run for president, you should tell people what you want to do as specifically as possible so they can actually make up their minds. and then you should be held accountable as to whether or not you deliver results. so here's my bottom line. this is something that i care deeply about. but i know a lot of veterans powerless.invisible, like their country has forgotten them. that is just totally wrong. it's unacceptable and we have to work together to make sure we end that. now we can disagree about the details. i'm sure we will from time to time.

you see, i actually believe as someone who has been in public life and public service, it's better if we have honest candidate conversations. that's the best way in a democracy for us to come up with the best solutions. but we should be guided by our values. we can all agree that our troops deserve serious strategic leadership. becan all agree we have to serious and committed in addressing the complex challenges we face here at home and around the world. beneath whatever disagreements we might have as a country about how to get where we need to go, surely we can start listening to one another again. respecting one another. our individual experiences that bring so much to the debate.

understoodade sure i that the freedoms and rights we enjoy as americans didn't come out of thin air. people sacrificed for them. fought, bled, and died for them. people like you. and the generations of soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and made guard'ssmen who have our country strong, proud, and free. every one of you deserve our thanks. and more importantly, our respect. and au deserve a country president and commander in chief who honor your service. not just with words, but with deeds. that's what the vfw has stood for.

to make sure america lives up to that standard. and as president, i will be working alongside you as i did as senator to make sure that we produce results. timew this is the first that one of our two major parties has ever nominated a woman. and i know -- [applause] -- that it takes a little getting used to, even for me. but here's what i want you to know. i will get up every single day in the white house, doing everything i possibly can to protect our country, to treat our men and women in uniform

with the care and concern and respect they deserve, to make good on our nation's promises to our veterans. that's how i was raised. that's what i have done. and i promise you that's what i will do. thank you, vfw. god bless you and god bless the united states of america. thank you all very much. [applause] ♪

>> hillary clinton expected to accept the party nomination for president thursday night. we will have that live on c-span. inour colleagues upstairs our online department has been doing a little research -- hillary clinton was mentioned 247 times during the republican convention. this week they will count the number of trump mentions.

remarks know from hillary clinton's campaign manager at breakfast this morning. >> thank you, pennsylvania. i want to thank the people of philadelphia. i want to thank governor wolf, senator casey. you are putting on a great convention and you are going to highlight and showcase philadelphia and pennsylvania for the whole world to see. you will hear from them and the whole country and the whole world will get to see them later this week at the convention. we so appreciate how much you've done to make this convention successful for democrats. philadelphia to strong and united as the chairman said. this state has been good for hillary as you know. we had a hard-fought primary here. we have won it.

we are proud of that. we now need to come together to make sure she is elected president of the united states. been pretty has good for democrats running for president. we have won the last six and we are going to win this one as well. [applause] reception lastiu night. he said we are going to win in every county we can and we are going to take this forward. we are building a grassroots organization. corey dukes has been at work at it since the primary. we had 300 organizers already on the ground. we had 30 offices open and more every day. they are working to build a real coordinated campaign to make that work for the down ballot candidates as well, to make sure

my friend and former colleague katie mcginty gets elected to the senate. [applause] to make sure that we turn the house red to blue. we are also organizing across the country a program of 3 million people registered pledging to vote for a democrat up and down the ticket in this election. we are stronger together when we build an economy that inclusive, that works for working people, that doesn't just benefit people at the top but people across the board. that's what she has been talking about from day one. that's what she will deliver. she will do it her whole life. because tim kaine has a lifetime commitment to serving people

from the days he went to honduras to work in a jesuit missionary school. now as a senator. peoplefought for working and he has fought for a more peaceful better world and we are so proud to have him on our ticket. we are all about building bridges, not walls. we are running against a campaign for those of you who decided they wanted to tune in last week, what did you see? division, hatred, bigotry. the kind of donald -- campaign donald trump has been running for more than a year. it was all about himself. who was speaking on his behalf? his kids hawking dresses made in china.

he is unfit. he is unqualified. he doesn't have the temperament. we need to keep him out of the oval office. [applause] we are all about families first. he is all about trump first. we have the most progressive platform in history tonight. you will see a great convention and some of the real all-stars of our party including our keynote from elizabeth warren who will talk about how we build that inclusive economy. we will hear from one of the great new stars of the democratic party, cory booker. [applause] we will hear from our great first lady michelle obama who is going to talk about how we strengthen families. and we will conclude the evening hearing from senator sanders -- [applause] doing what he has done since i was a young staff guy working for pat leahy. i knew him well when he was

mayor of burlington and he took on the special interests. he talked about building a stronger more inclusive economy. he talked about bringing people into the system. does that sound familiar? that's what he brought to this campaign. we are proud of him. we are proud he endorsed hillary and we are proud to work together to build a great democratic party. i have one announcement to make here. there is one more favorite son of pennsylvania who will be speaking at the convention on wednesday night. that is vice president joe biden. [applause] hillaryhappy to say will be campaigning with joe in scranton, pennsylvania on august 15. so get ready. i want you all to be there. between106 days left now and election day in november. use every one of them.

organized on every day. -- organize on every day. let's elect the first woman president of the united states. let's elect hillary clinton and tim kaine. thank you. [applause] >> when people ask me who is coming to your breakfast i tell them, we've got the governor, knowenator, me, you never who else walks in but i promise you there will be some major surprises. as you probably saw on the way in -- i'm thinking about the republican convention. and the people they were able to bring to the table. it feels like i'm watching some guy from various business interests and family. but i was looking for some substance. i was looking for some meat.

look at where we're at. us, --ernor said to unfortunately he's going to have to go after our next speaker who i have a feeling we will be talking a lot about in the future. he is almost our native son. we are willing to adopt him for a price. you have to come to our dinners. it's wonderful to have him him. -- jim here. senator cory booker. [applause] hello everybody. all right. louisiana, from south carolina. i love those states. my granddaddy is from louisiana. it is great to be back here standing next to my neighbor. pennsylvania, thank you very

much. you guys have extraordinary leadership on this stage. your governor is a great national leader. you have a wonderful head of your party. i've just got to get this off my chest. you guys sent to the senate a man who is smart. a man who is handsome. a man who is skinny. a man who has more hair than me. and i hate him for all those things. but i want you to know one of the great honors i have had in my first two and a half years in the u.s. senate is to have a colleague like your senator and i want to thank you for sending him to serve you in washington, d.c. my only request now is that you give him a democratic partner in the senate seat. [applause] so look. i want to be very brief. i was raised by my father named cary booker.

please understand. i loved listening to my dad tell stories about his life and i heard the same stories all my 40 plus years. it didn't bother me that he would tell the same stories over and over again because every time he would tell them they would get more dramatic and more interesting. my father talked about his home in north carolina in a way that would make me afraid to go to that state because it was always raining, then it was hail, hail the size of golf balls, then baseballs, then hatchbacks. i know the 10 commandments. thou shalt honor thy mother and father. son, when told me, the sooner we hit our town. i'm like dad, you lived in the mountains of north carolina. there is no way a soon on the hit your town. you guys have family members like this, i know. he was like boy, it was a long

time before the internet. you can't look it up. that happened. >> we will take you live now to the u.s. house of representatives. members are conducting brief pro forma sessions during their time the speaker pro tempore: the house will be in order. the chair lays before the house a communication from the speaker. the clerk: the speaker's room, washington, d.c., july 25, 2016. i hereby appoint the honorable mac thornberry 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 our guest chaplain, jesuit conference, washington, d.c. the chaplain: let us pray. gracious and loving god, as we gather in this chamber where the