all -- based on all that has been known, videos on the internet, they haven't shown any grounds to meet the first amendment standard. >> i can think of a number of responses to the point i'm about to ask you. but in the correctional context, the supreme court and the lower courts have deferred very heavily to the opinion of the correctional official as to what is likely to cause a problem. all right. chief justice rehnquist writing, these people are responsible for maintaining the discipline, the conduct within the facility. why doesn't that approach apply in this context? i understand this is national security, so there is a much greater governmental interest and interest to all of us at stake, but i just want to understand that aspect of the case and why that isn't

relevant. >> i think it is relevant. i think that's really consistent with what the district court judge did hear -- here. of course you give deference to the statements of those experts. the question she asked, have they given me a logical and plausible reason, is the same thing this court has done in other cases. it was a camel case under foia, where the affidavit did not properly establish why something was classified. what the district court judge here did, and set on the factual record, was it doesn't make sense. i want to go back to judge williams' question. why is it the press-enterprise standard? shouldn't we just say it is properly classified? the standard for classification at the lowest level, basically just says -- if there is a reasonable expectation that some harm could happen. damage to national security, but just some reasonable expectation of some sort of harm.

it's almost an invitation to speculate. what the first amendment requires is more than that. that's what the teaching of resin apprise -- of press-enterprise ii was. >> i'm glad you raised this. the press-enterprise ii findings demonstrated that the interest in question would be prejudiced. so, prejudiced itself is a variable term. it could be prejudiced extremely or prejudiced at the margin. and substantial probability is an elastic term. substantial probability could mean more than 50%. it could mean less than 50%. and if the interest to be prejudiced is particularly

valuable, you might expect the substantial probability might be at the lower end of that probability. so, i guess -- the question i first ask government counsel, is there that big of a golf between the two standards -- of a gulf between the two standards, i would like your position on that. >> there needs to be a demonstration that is logical and plausible. it does not have to be one the district court agrees with, but there has to be a logical basis in the affidavits that are presented to believe there is a substantial probability of harm. >> mcgeehee -- >> that argument was made. it applied that test in the context of saying that it was logical that it was properly classified. it was different. that was the proper standard there because maybe he had signed a contract -- because mcgeehee had signed a contract that he wouldn't publish anything that was classified. it was not an first amendment question. it was a classification question. >> the court went out of its way

to find a classification interest at stake, operating to review this issue? isn't that true? a lot of talk in that case about the first amendment. >> the first amendment right is at stake because he wanted to speak. the ultimate standard was applied, whether it is properly classified, was appropriate because of his contractual commitment to the cia that he would not publish classified information. have they properly classified? it was the issue that was presented to the fourth circuit in -- this is the exact holding. in the circumstances where there is a claim of classification, the district court is obligated to apply the first amendment standard. it was implied in the district of maryland, where the government wanted to apply classified information only to the jury, and the press said, we are going to be watching this trial, we can't hear it. the judge said, i'm going to let

them hear it in the first instance, then we will do a redacted instance. if the proper approach. if the government were right, if all they had to show was that something was properly classified in order to seal a transcript or close proceedings, then congress did not need to do all that he did in identifying what would happen in a criminal trial when classified information is there. it was a very detailed look at this information by congress. it has provisions that very specifically deal with what should a court do if a judge determines that classified information is material and necessary at a criminal trial. it says there are three options. the government can declassify it, and we avoid the issue. it can be introduced without the government's objection, in which case it comes in as unclassified.

or if the government objects, the government has an obligation to come up with alternatives or it gets sanctioned. it didn't say, well, if it's properly classified, we are going to seal the proceeding. >> i hate to say this, but is it not possible that the interest in not convicting people who are innocent is ranked above the

press-enterprise right? >> i think they are both constitutional rights. >> it covers a wide range. >> we could go around on that. the importance of public access to trials cannot be overstated. it's what gives courts legitimacy in our country. to sacrifice that, to say any time there is classified information we have closed proceedings, without an independent determination by the judge that there is a need for closure, that's all the judge kessler required. a low level differential saying by the government -- low level deferential showing by the government that classification was needed. that was the fourth circuit. this court has recognized, too, that the classification standard isn't appropriate in circumstances we back in the 1970's, in a case called halperin versus kissinger. it dealt with issues that had to do with illegal wiretapping. we recognize, as a court, that we cannot automatically accept that the public disclosure of information that is mark "top-secret -- marked "top-secret" wil necessarilyl --

will necessarily automatically cause a problem. if i could briefly turn -- i'm over my time -- to the abuse of description -- discretion. i want to address briefly the hecklers veto. once again, the government, in advancing this potential for propaganda, is asking this court to open a door that the court has not gone down before, even in foia cases. >> it is certainly one of the interests that the government asserts. >> i apologize. >> whatever the strength of your point there, it relates to only one of the interests the national security -- one of the interest, the national security interest that the government speaks of. >> the propaganda? >> yes. >> because of the generalized concern that people abroad might react adversely, we should deny the american people the right to see this information. there's a number of problems.

one, it has no limiting principle. it's open-ended. it invites the ceiling of information. under the government rationale, the more objectionable governments conduct, the more outraged people are likely to be, the more likely it is to be secret. that can't be right. even in foia cases, this court has not accepted that as a proper grounds to keep information out. it has specifically said that -- where first amendment rights are at issue, we need to consider other things. this is not just a slippery slope. this is like the roller coaster they are asking you to go down, in terms of how it would change courts -- change the way courts operate. think about the civil litigation against the los angeles police arising out of the beating of rodney king. imagine a scenario where that

videotape hadn't already been made public. the court was presented with a request to seal because it could say to a high degree of probability that if you release that videotape there would be riots in los angeles. are we going to seal that? are we going to go to secretive proceedings on that type of speculation? we don't allow that. >> the classification system is far different than that, and it's talking about national security, and it has a long pedigree. as a matter of fact, the first instance of the refusal to turn over documents was george washington's refusal to give congress the notes that led to the jay treaty, which started the executive privilege. i don't see the rodney king has much of anything to do with that. >> my only point is, if we are going to say, as the government argues, that information that could cause harm outside of the courtroom is grounds to seal it, that is a very risky road to

take. think about the nature of the affidavits here, which i think judge kessler probably -- properly took into account, compared to the affidavits recently in the aclu case against the government involving drones, they had affidavits that very specifically said, i looked at every single photograph that is a subject of this request. it made specific explanations about why the release of those photographs could cause harm, that it could reveal the type of technology reduce -- we use for facial recognition, that it could allow people to identify the specific groups in this operation. east on that specific concern, the court said under foia it could not be disclosed. the district said, by the same approach, applying this deferential standard, that there was no logical basis presented in the materials submitted by the court why -- and if there ever was a case where the public should be entitled to see this sort of record evidence, it's here. this is a case involving the

treatment in the judicial system of detainees being held at guantanamo. as the judge said, it is of utmost importance that the public understand these proceedings are being done for -- fairly. she turned down the preliminary injunction. she said this is not illegal. she turned around and said that the american people have the right to know the decision on which this basis has been made and they have the right to know what has been happening here. this is a case where the decision is clearly appropriate. i think the government is concerned that it didn't meet the standard. they are asking this course -- court to throw out the standard because they didn't meet it, and that would be fundamentally improper. thank you. >> all right. counsel for appellant? >> judge kessler did not review the classification determination

for whether it was logical and plausible. the decision maker she was reviewing it whether there was a substantial credibility of harm, which requires more than the classification standard under the executive order, which requires a reasonable expectation of serious damage for secret items. i think, in terms of the case that's more applicable here than press-enterprise, is the mcgehee case that judge williams cited. that case specifically dealt with the separation of powers problem between the first amendment and classified information. in that case, the court still applied the determination of whether the information had been properly classified. that was a case where the individual -- it was a prepublication review case. the court recognized they had even greater amendment rights, but still recognized -- greater first amendment writes, but still recognized it should be

reviewed for proper classification. if press-enterprise -- >> is it true that, because the attorneys for the intervenors did not have security clearances, they have never seen these videos? >> that's correct, your honor. if the press-enterprise standard would apply, it would turn a lot of this court's precedents on its head and would frankly not make a lot of sense. it would mean the public had a right to access classified information that the court has held that the government can rightfully withhold from parties in a case. >> you have to file a motion to intervene, first of all. the court would have to grant it. then you'd have to describe the nature of the interest. i mean, i don't see this necessarily the way you describe it in your brief as sort of an open sesame type situation.

>> i think, your honor, those filing a motion to intervene and professing an interest, like what goes in the terrorism designation cases, where this court has held that classified information doesn't need to be shared with the parties to the case -- >> when i read your brief or read the government's brief, this reminds me where we were with guantanamo and the department of justice's position that there was no role for the court to play, and the supreme court had to say, no, there is a role for the court to play and set out what it was. and then we had this dialogue between this court and the supreme court over the years in this area. and that's why i wanted to focus you on your third alternative, to understand what the concern is in that context.

it's almost that you don't trust judges, not you personally, but you don't trust the judicial branch. of course, congress has already decided that question by passing statutes that give jurisdiction to the court to decide certain questions. so, that is water over the dam and, presumably, the right of appeal, the right to seek stays, the right to challenge, etc., apparently, in our three-branch system was viewed as circumstances where courts can effectively protect national security and the notion that the courts are just going to open the floodgates -- i mean, i don't think we have to decide that issue here, but i

appreciate the questions about how broadly -- your first argument is a very broad holding of this court. that took me back to -- that's where the government was on an article i commander in chief argument initially, prior to guantanamo and the detainees. a lot of water over the dam. so, we are a lot further down the road. so, then i looked at the second argument you made. this is an open question. the supreme court has never decided whether press-enterprise applies in this context, whether that's the right standard to apply, nor does -- has this court. and then you say, but even so, even given all the mistakes that we think are here, we still prevail. and i thought, well, that's the narrowest holding, isn't it? >> yes, your honor, that is. and i think it's clear from the

declarations here that the government has laid out its national security concerns and, whether that's reviewed by this court for kind of a logical, plausible, or properly classified information, the government here has met that standard and the video should not be disclosed. but even i think we've met a substantial probability of harm, even if that were the standard to be applied. a few more points. intervenors raised -- that only applies in criminal proceedings. their knowledge they can order the --they acknowledged they can order the executive to release. on the propaganda concern, the national security concern, it is not just propaganda. it is that these videos can directly be used to incite violence. >> the government can dismiss the case or the government can decide to proceed without the evidence? >> it has both choices, your

honor. >> it has to have the court's permission to dismiss. >> but there is a choice there. >> no choice here is your point. >> exactly, your honor. and on the concern that these videos could be used to directly incite violence, this court accepted that risk of harm in the judicial watch case, -- also in the second circuit center for constitutional rights case. that is not a novel proposition. it is a concern that our troops would be directly endanger abroad, a valid national security harm that the government can rely on. if there are no further questions. >> thank you. we will take the case under advisement. >> you can want to the political

programming any time at your convenience. c-span.orgome page, and click on the video library search box. you can type in the neighbor of the speaker or even the event topic. your the event and click on the program you want to watch or refine your search. if you were looking for the most current program, the homepage has many current programs such as today's washington general. c-span.org is a public service. if you are a c-span watcher, check it out. >> c-span's washington journal live every day with news and policy issues that impact here. coming up this morning, wall ise will joinl lou us to discuss the exit of major insurance carriers from the

affordable care act exchange. president obama's plans to meet with insurers next week week over the future of the health care program. the reporter for the investigative fund on this investigation on recovering health care problems with federal prisoners. feasible of the council for strong america will talk about the report entitled america unprepared which warns the nation's youth is unprepared for military service and many have criminal records. he will discuss the recommendations outlined in the report. watch washington journal coming up at 7 a.m. east and. join the discussion. >> president obama will give his seventh and final keynote address at the black caucus foundation today. hillary clinton will have the

trailblazer alward. live coverage at 7:30 p.m. eastern on c-span. >> defense secretary ash carter hosted the national pow/mia recognition day ceremony at the pentagon yesterday. he was joined by texas senator john cornyn, whose father was a prisoner of war, and retired u.s. navy captain jerry coffey, a prisoner of war at the hanoi hilton in vietnam for seven years. this is just under an hour. ♪

>> the official party for today's ceremony, the honorable ashton carter, the 25th secretary of defense, and general paula silva, senator john cornyn, and captain gerald coffee, retired navy captain, held prisoner for over seven years in the infamous hanoi communist prison. ♪ [band plays "the star-spangled banner"]

♪ ♪ ♪

>> let's pray. almighty god, we are honored to be here today. on this beautiful morning, to pause and remember special heroes in our history who gave so much to their country. we pause and give thanks are more than 140,000 men and women who were held against their wills in germany, camp o'donnell in the philippines, the horrors of the north korean prison camp, and the hanoi hilton. we promise to reflect that, of the 140,000 that were held in prison camps, over 17,000 never return home to their families. may this event of today once again seal our hearts to inspired thousands of prisoners to survive hellish conditions, resist enemy indoctrination, and

retain their faith in god and country, yet it ultimately cost him his life. may we feel nine feet tall and we could go bear hunt, like robbie did, who swelled with pride when he heard his fellow prisoners encourage him with the national anthem and "god bless america." our minds are with the thousands who are listed as missing in action. may we continue to sit through the forest in germany and never rest until william applington, an airman shot down over germany, is brought home and buried with his family. and a man who had the patience, technology, and funding -- home to his family in the great state of michigan. may we never surrender this sacred quest into we bring home -- we ask for the divine favor in

locating lester, lost in the pacific area of operation in world war ii. may bring him home to his native american ancestral lands in south dakota to be with his family. lord, we serve a great nation who cares enough to recognize those who have never come home and to honor those who have suffered by the hands of their captives. i would ask again for your favorite in locating these citizens of our nation so that their sacred chapter in our history, of our nations history can be completed. finally, protect all our cameras -- comrades in arms tattered around the globe in harm's way. made a complete their missions soon so they can return home to their families. we ask -- may they complete their missions soon so they can return home to their families. we ask all this in your holy name. amen. >> please be seated.

>> ladies and gentlemen, secretary carter. sec. carter: good morning, everyone. senator cornyn, vice chairman, captain coffee, distinguished

guests, families, friends, thanks for joining us here today. we gather here together today to recognize our nation's former prisoners of war and those still missing and to recommit ourselves to fulfilling our solemn pledge, to make every effort to bring all -- all our men and women home to their families. we're honored to be joined today by former pows, individuals who endured captivity courageously and honorably during world war ii, the korean war, and vietnam, people like captain gerald coffee, who never gave up during seven long years as a pow in vietnam. thanks, captain coffee. and thank you to all of you here who have served and endured captivity as you have.

and we are also privileged to be joined by family members of those still missing and former pow's. senator john cornyn will speak in a moment. his father, then second lieutenant t.j. cornyn, was shot down and captured as a pow in world war ii before being liberated. senator, thank you for being here, and thank you also for you your commitment to those who served today, not only in the past, but right up until this day, including, very recently when you visited our troops in iraq and afghanistan. it means a great deal, senator. thank you. and all the families here today and around the world, whether you have been reunited or are still waiting for your loved one, thank you for your patriotism and courage in the face of uncertainty. and thank you for all you've given for this country.

since we came together last year on pow/mia recognition day, we have accounted for 135 missing servicemembers. missing personnel navy jordan, whoulian served on the uss oklahoma at pearl harbor that fateful december day 75 years ago. for decades, lieutenant jordan's remains were among the many, too many listed as nonrecoverable. but a renewed defense department effort to identify unknowns in 2015 led to the successful identification of his remains and his burial with full military honors in washington state just last month. like lieutenant jordan's story, every soldier, sailor, airman, civilian, coast guardsmen accounted for is a promise that met.

and we won't stop -- i won't stop -- until we achieve the fullest possible accounting for all our missing. and right now, far too many families have to wonder about the fates of their fathers, grandfathers, their husbands and daughters, their brothers and sisters. we work hard to meet our commitment to yesterday's personnel, to honor their service and their families, but there is another reason we do so. we know what it means to the men and women serving today, those who will serve in the future and their families, as they see everything we are doing to provide the fullest possible accounting of those who served before. they know we will do the same for them. indeed, one of the reasons our service members will stop at nothing to accomplish their missions, whether they are standing with our allies and standing up to russia's aggression in europe, making -- managing change in the vital asia-pacific, deterring north

korea's provocations, countering iran's malign activities, or helping accelerate isil's lasting defeat, which we will surely achieve, is that they know we will stop at nothing and make every effort to bring them home to their families. that's a promise we make not only to our force of the past, but also our force today and of the future. that's why this commitment is so important. and that's why we're fortunate to have a lot of help keeping it. committed family advocacy groups, veterans service organizations, and other nongovernmental groups support our work. friends and allies around the world service critical partners in helping us reach, account for, and bring home our fallen. the men and women of dpaa work pow accounting

agency, work day in and day out in remote field sites and high-tech laboratories alike across the united states and around the world to meet that promise, and to give hope and solace to our families. today, we can meet our sacred commitment to the force of yesterday, today, and tomorrow. thank you for your partnership. thank you captain coffee, senator cornyn for sharing your stories with us. thank you for joining us to commemorate our pow/mia recognition day. may god bless you and may god bless this great nation. [applause]

>> ladies and gentlemen, general silva. gen. silva: thank you, secretary carter. i am going to break from script for just a minute on behalf of chairman joe dunford and all the soldiers, sailors and airmen and marines, coast guard and, we salute you for your patriotism and your courage and bravery. thank you for being here today. [applause] selva: it is truly an honor to be here today as we pay homage to often unsung heroes. i extend a very special welcome to former prisoners of war and family who join us this day. you have taught us the legacy of honor and duty that we try to carry out every single day. i would also like to welcome the families of those still missing in action. your sacrifice is humbling, and we thank you for your faith and your perseverance.

you are, for us, a beacon of hope. and welcome to the many a who are committed to bringing everyone american hero home from foreign shores. we are grateful for your continued determination. national prisoner of war and missing in action recognition day is important for us to recognize the sacrifices of our military men and civilians who defend this nation. these proud men and women behind me represent that military heritage, a heritage strengthened by the courageous spirit of every prisoner of war and member missing in action. although service members they represent and we are here to honor today. today is important because we make the time to show how much our heroes, as far back as the world wars, korean war, vietnam, and recent conflicts, mean to every one of us. we can say thank you to those

who faced the toughest adversity and showcase the steel of the american character. we still search for those who have not made it home. they gave their lives in selfless service and missions across this world for our country. we place that mission on their shoulders. secretary carter shared just some of the stories. you will hear more later today. it is also important that we take time to recognize the significance of the sacrifices that every family of every one of those prisoners of war have who are rebuilding their own lives. through the hardship of not knowing. the difficulty of holding out hope. please note that thousands of people are resolute in their efforts to provide closure to you and your loved ones. we cannot do any of this without the many organizations that have undertaken this task as a personal and professional mission. their tireless efforts and

commitment to ensure we keep the promise echoes our pride in the nation and our pride in the men and women who have dedicated their lives to service. today, i want you to know that we remain steadfast in our nation's promise to bring home every prisoner of war and every member of our service missing in action -- military and civilian. it is a promise to the men and women from the past and to those who serve today. again, like those who stand behind me. we will forever honor our sacred duty. we will never leave a fallen warrior on the battlefield. the motto that flies on the pow/mia flag is when we have internalized to our core. "we will never forget." it is emblazoned on our hearts as is the memory of every member that we have lost in battle and that remains missing in action. i would like to thank every family member that is here,

every individual that has served in captivity. all of those who long for the knowledge of a missing loved one. and to every service organization who assists in the rebuilding of those lives and the constant kindling of the flame of hope. thank you all for being here today. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, captain

coffee. capt. coffee: distinguished guests here this morning, secretary carter, thank you so much for the honor of being a part of this ceremony this morning.

my fellow p.o.w.'s, admiral bob good to see the decedent you, bob. p.o.w. families and mia families , thank you for allowing me to emphasize this honor of recognizing our losses and our wins. i was shot down over north vietnam in february of 1966. finally released from the communist dungeons in february of 1973. seven years and nine days. i want to tell you that we p.o.w.'s looked at our time in the prisons of north vietnam as another form of combat. we never, ever gave up.

we never, ever gave in. we never lost faith in our country. as a matter of fact, faith was truly the key to our survival. faith in ourselves to do what was necessary to survive and not just survive, but to take this opportunity to grow and build upon the uniqueness of our experience every day. we realize that we were simply in a different kind of combat. a combat of resistance. the communists tried to keep us separate as if we did not know that there are other pow's in whatever prison we were in. the challenge was to organize ourselves. as you can imagine, six or seven different prisons, that organization was challenging.

i want to tell you about the p.o.w. cap code because it does illustrate the creativity and persistence and dedication of making the most of that opportunity and taking good care of each other. the tap code is based upon 25 letters of the alphabet. we left out the k because we .ould make a special one it was arranged in matrixes of five lines of five letters each. one row on top of the other. the top row consisted of a through e and so on. they gave me a matrix of 25 letters, and from that matrix we

, we were able to communicate with each other in ways that were incredible. that's only by listening to the tap code, but by flashing it whenever there is a line of sight connection. it was important in giving comfort and solace to one another. when we knew that the man in the you was hurting, his feet locked in ankle cuffs, his hands cuffed kind in, had been like that for a week. or a month. you get up to the wall frequently and tap to him g b. he knew that meant "god bless." "be tough.meant i'm praying for you." and he knew it. every week or month or whenever, he would get on his wall and

encourage you the same way. for example, on the pow flag, never forget. n-e-v-e-r f-o-r-g-e-t. never forget. we came out of that experience as stronger men. in some ways, it was like cramming a doctorate's degree into those years of prison. i would like to leave you this morning with a p.o.w. message. at the end of every day, we would sign off and say good night.

g n. good night. g-b-a. god bless america. every single night. thank you for those gathered here because of your loved ones who were p.o.w.'s or missing in action. thank you so much for your sacrifices. thank you, mr. secretary, for hosting this occasion. it is really significant. it means a great deal to every person here. thank you. [applause]

>> ladies and gentlemen, senator cornyn. sen. cornyn: thank you, captain coffee, for sharing that story, and thank you for your service to our country and the great example that you are for all of us. i know your story has served as a great inspiration for so many and a beacon of hope for many even more. i, too, want to think secretary carter for the invitation to be here today. running the department of defense is a tall order. thank you for rising to the challenge time and time again. i consider it a great privilege to join you and general selva on this special day.

i know we are all particularly grateful for the defense p.o.w./m.i.a. accounting agency and predecessors and their commitment to fulfilling our nations promised to the families of our missing military men and women. it is an honor to be here today with all of you and those service members who represent those families of the p.o.w.'s. i know service members have not yet returned to our country. today, we appropriately remember there tremendous sacrifice and heavy burden put on the shoulders of their loved ones. those of you here in this audience. thank you to all of you for helping us the here to honor these brave men and women. as secretary carter mentioned, my dad served in world war ii. he was a b-17 pilot. flying in the 303rd bomb group in the eighth air force stationed in england.

they were known as the hells angels. the 303rd was a force to be reckoned with. , to be sure. they flew a record of 364 combat missions during the war, and of course they did it before the advent of the technology that we have come to take for granted. laserguided gps, guided munitions, and the like. their success was not without great cost. they sustained more than 150 missing in action, and 764 of them were captured and were prisoners of war. my dad was one of them. i can't help but think of him and his story today in the presence of all of you. my dad flew in 26 missions. 26 of those 300 strategic bombing missions over german targets.

on his 26th mission, his plane was hit several times by enemy fire. flack hit the nose of the aircraft. more of it hit the right wing and the number three engine, which erupted in flames. the third time, it hit the bomb bay. he and his crew bailed out at 20,000 feet and were captured in the french border and sent to stalag d. a p.o.w. camp in nuremberg. what could only be described as awful conditions. food was scarce. i remember later, my dad told me that to eat simple white bread tasted like angel food cake. they were lucky to get a daily ration of bread and dehydrated vegetables and potatoes. sanitation was pretty abysmal. the camp was infested with lice, fleas, and bedbugs. illness and disease ran rampant

throughout the camp. of course he was there in the dead of the bavarian winter in unheated barracks. like so many of our men and women, he persevered and he survived. after several months, he was liberated by patton's army. came home to texas where he met my mother in corpus christi and married. even with all he went through , and my dad, like so many of that generation, did not talk about that much during his lifetime, my dad's story was a ultimately a happy one. it is about the power of perseverance that captain carter talked about. it is a story about doing everything you have when there is nothing left in the tank and never giving up. and for me, it is a story about the hope that comes at the beginning of each new day. but the truth is, there are many thousands of similar stories of sacrifice and commitment across the country.

i think, for example, in addition to captain coffee, people like john mccain and sam johnson, who i had the honor of serving with in congress. there's a story of many of you here today, a father, grandfather, who survived torture day after day in a japanese prison camp during world war ii. or a brother or husband who vanished in the midst of a fierce battle in the jungles of vietnam or the rice paddies of korea. or a mother or daughter captured on a middle eastern battlefield and endured great hardships at the hand of the enemy. as we remember these lives and stories of uncommon courage, let's also remember that my father and your loved ones ' sacrifice made the freedom and liberty we enjoy today possible. six months before the end of the

civil war, president abraham lincoln famously penned the letter to a widow who is said to have lost five sons in that terrible war. the note, about 130 words, was quite brief. president lincoln, as you know, knew how to get to the heart of the matter quickly. he began humbly. he admits that any word of consolation he might offer would be weak and fruitless given her terrible grief. but he ends the letter with a prayer, asking that god give her, the mother, the relief from the tremendous burden of grief she was suffering, and he asked that god would leave her with cherished memories of her loved ones in a solemn pride that she "laid so costly a sacrifice on the altar of freedom."

president lincoln's encouragement is timeless. it rings as true today as it did then. many of you have suffered grief and have burdens to bear. that is certain. but you can also take president lincoln's words "solemn pride" and "enduring hope" and selfless sacrifice our loved ones made in the cause of liberty. today, it is good and right that we honor those of you who have made that sacrifice. i know we are experiencing mixed emotions. the countless to remain missing. remember the survivors, some of whom are with us today. their incredible courage and perseverance as prisoners of war fighting each day for survival. they serve as a great reason for all of us, for hope. and as a reminder to each of us

to never, ever give up. for now, we rest in confidence that their memories live on in our hearts, and we know that the many sacrifices they made were not in vain. each day, we strive to leave no stone unturned and no person behind. to the families and friends representing hundreds of military men and women, thank you for letting me honor my dad and the thousands of others who were taken prisoner like he was and the families of those who have lost ones have still not made it home. may god continue to bless you, and may god bless our men and women in uniform, and may god continue to bless the united states of america. [applause] ♪

>> ladies and gentlemen, if you look in the direction of reagan national airport, you will see the helicopters, sign for virginia. [applause]

the department of defense is proud to have presented today's observance. thank you for attending, and enjoy the remainder of your day. [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]

it i >> the smithsonian national

museum of african american history and culture opens its doors for the public for the first time on saturday, september 24. c-span will be live from the national mall starting at 10:00 a.m. eastern for the outdoor education ceremony theater speakers include president obama, lonnie bunch, michelle obama, former president george w. bush and mrs. laura bush, chief justice john roberts, congressman john lewis, and secretary david thornton. watch the opening ceremony for the smithsonian museum for african american history and culture live, september 24 at 10:00 a.m. eastern on c-span, the c-span radio app, and c-span.org. james, the incoming leader of the uk independence party, addressed the party in

england. elected with a margin of almost 8500 votes, she is the party's first female leader. miss james speaks about 30 minutes. >> ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. ladies and gentlemen, what a morning we have had. a fortnight ago, i asked everyone to provide a sendoff for nigel befitting a man who is change the course of british history, and you did just that. but just to be sure that he got the message, let's have one final cheer for nigel farage. [cheers and applause]

>> in just a few minutes, we will know who has been elected to take our party into the future, but first, let just spend a few final moments to reflect on what has passed. now i will remember what things were like a year ago. we got four million votes but only one mp. the election had pushed us onto the verge of financial ruin, and nigel had just resigned. [laughter] at times over these last two months, they seem like the good ol' days.

that said, it didn't look good at the time, but through the tenacity, dedication and passion of ukip members, we put our best foot forward. we picked ourselves up, dusted ourselves off and set to what ukip members do best, we campaigned. we engaged with voters, knocked on doors, and delivered the arguments that the country needed to hear. one of the things that frustrated me most over the last few months has been listening to one media outlet after another tell us that it was vote leave responsible for winning "brexit." [booing] chair oakden: does anyone believe it was vote leave? >> no! chair oakden: who in here thinks it was ukip? [cheering] chair oakden: i'm pleased and proud that we worked with all forces and came together at the right time, but be under no illusion, as much as the establishment may deny it, not

only would there not be a referendum without nigel and without ukip, but without our party, it would not have been won. [applause] chair oakden: and my lords, ladies and gentlemen, that is exactly what we did, we won. we connected with 17 million kindred spirits, and now they're just waiting to see what more we can offer. ukip is more important now than ever, and don't let anybody tell you otherwise. we are still here, and we are still relevant. we have seen a glaring example of that just in this last week with the announcement from theresa may that she is now in favor of grammar schools. an interesting policy that we could not have written better ourselves. [laughter] chair oakden: in fact, i think we did. no tax on the minimum wage, a referendum on the eu, and now grammar schools.

i can't wait to see what policy ideas the conservatives will claim to come up with next. it just goes to show that ukip is far more than a pressure group. it is more than a one-issue party and demonstrates how we drive the agenda to this day. in the near future, our new leader will meet with the nec to appoint their own chairman, and i will go back to being happy. [laughter] but it really has been one of my greatest honors to serve as nigel's last chairman. i will gleefully hand the role over to somebody else at some point before the end of the month. i will do all i can to offer what help and assistance i'm able to whomever picks up the baton. this is really a time for our party to unite, to come together, and to support our new leader. when we work together, we have proven that we have the ability to move mountains, and now, under our new leader, we have to look at which mountain we're

going to move next. so i'm incredibly proud now to announce the results of our leadership contest. this contest has been overseen by the electoral reform services who received 17,970 votes. in fifth place, with 1203 votes, is elizabeth jones. [applause] chair oakden: in fourth place, with 545 votes, is phillip braton. [applause] chair oakden: in third place, with 2052 votes, is bill etheridge. [applause]

in second place, with 4591 votes, is lisa duffy. [applause] chair oakden: and so, ladies and gentlemen, it is an absolute pleasure to announce with 8451 votes, the leader of the u.k. independence party, diane james. [cheers and applause] ♪

ms. james: we did it, ladies and gentlemen. [cheering] ms. james: you did it, ladies and gentlemen, and i have just done it, and i am so pleased. [applause] ms. james: chairman, nigel, and conference, thank you for that. it will take me a little while to come back down to earth, i can assure you. thank you for your good wishes and for such a wonderful reception. thank you for everybody who voted, who took part in the contest. my goodness, you handed over a mantle, but there we go, one i'm deeply honored, and i do mean deeply honored, to take on from nigel. i still quite haven't come to grips with it.

i'm still pinching myself, but i'm just so immensely grateful for what you've done and what you bestowed on me. just remember though, where we are, and what you've asked me to take on. i was part of that european elections winning team. i have been one of your mep's in brussels for two years. i may not have contested the general election seat, but i supported a number of our candidates, and just remember that we were the third political force in that general election. we really did move mountains in that political landscape. and we might well have been handicapped by a flawed, and quite frankly morally bankrupt, post system. [applause] ms. james: but absolutely nobody

can take away from ukip, the united kingdom independence party, the disruption we've caused. but can i just mark one particular word, shall we say, or one particular sentence? and that is the days of project fear tactics, they have had their days. they have they had their day, everyone, and we proved why they have had their day, and we're going to insure that they never ever rise from the political ashes ever again. [applause] ms. james: ladies and gentlemen, let's also thank the media for being here. [laughter] [applause] ms. james: why are they here? we are the political change

movement of the united kingdom. there is more interest in you and this party than i'm sure others would dream of. so thank you, media, thank you very much indeed. and we are welcoming you here and joining us. let me go back to people like you out there in the audience. maybe also ukip members following what is going on in terms of the parliament channel broadcasting. even picking up things on their mobile phones. for me, for the individuals i have met in my meet diane for leader events across the country, a huge thank you but also a huge appreciation for introducing yourself and for making me aware of the talent that we have now out there, for the enthusiasm we now have out there, and for those that really

do want to see ukip deliver further change in this country. you're grassroots, that's what you are referred to. you are the absolute pivotal base of this party. and on behalf of everyone who alsopoken today, may i echo my thanks for all that you do. there are counselors out there, in districts, wherever you want, and for them, they face a huge challenge in 2017. and i can give you this commitment. i will be behind you. i will make sure you get the support you need, and you who, wherever you are in this country, in the united kingdom, you will have the backing of the united kingdom independence party winning machine, winning machine. [applause]

ms. james: but we can not take our eye off that important elephant in the room, can we? we've won a heat. i'm not even going to talk about battles and wars. i'm going to talk about heats and races and getting over the winning line. we have only just won a heat. a heat in a 28 member-states, olympic competition to lead the european union, and i'm very grateful and i appreciate all of the other countries that are now looking to britain and hoping to emulate what we have done here in their own countries. but -- and here's the but -- the u.k. signature ink is not yet dry on that document. and until it's dry on that document, to every single interviewer who talks to you, to every single romaniac to talks

to you -- [laughter] [applause] ms. james: just remind them, that until we get a signature, until that ink is dry, we're still in. they still tell us what to do. they still boss us about. we have to obey everything that goes through the european union various levels of what they purport to suggest is government and democratic process. so just bear that one in mind, if you wouldn't mind on my behalf. now during my national series of events, i outlined my 100 days priorities, and not least is the absolute focus on this party's policies and making sure we are battle-ready, race ready for the next general election whenever

that might come. we were widely applauded throughout the quality of our many people in 2015 and absolutely rightly so. it was independently costed. it stood up to the scrutiny from our political opponents. and word that is the best one on the street, which was voiced all over the country. we have got to do that again, everyone. i'm going to be asking all of you to make a contribution to that, and make sure that your views are captured, counted, and where possible, included in the policies that we will take forward and put to the united kingdom population to make them aware that we truly are a political force, that we will act on their behalf, and we will deliver on their behalf what is necessary for this country. [applause]

ms. james: but magpie may, magpie may, you have stolen so far our defense spending. you have also tried to steal our grammar schools. i think you will have a you few difficulties getting that one through. just remember, when you try and bury ukip, when you throw everything at us, when you try to undermine us, demoralize us, demotivate us, just remember where the best ideas that you steal where they came from, and in all likelihood where they will come from again in the future. [applause] may i now pay my

next tribute? it is an important one. it is to my fellow mep colleagues, their contribution to that successful general i worked with them on a weekly basis. the caliber of those individuals, the work ethic, and the cause in europe is sometimes undermined and ignored. you, wantvery one of you to continue to do are doing and continue to being the .oreign and i want nigel giving them grief as much as they can. [applause]

just remember that key message we developed. it developed with the referendum campaign. the one that must constantly , and the messages, take back control, take back control. they voted to reach out to the .orld

.ilateral trade deals they voted for an outward looking, globally successful, enterprise building britain that can thrive and survive and really build on the strengths this country has in its legacy past. they voted to return full control to westminster and they voted to control our borders. if any of that is going to be signed away under "brexit" light, associated "brexit" membership, or any other concoction that the conservatives currently would like to put forward, may i remind you again, this is what the people army exist for. for. this is what we're going to fight for, this is what we're going to continue fighting for. but my third, and let's call it major tribute, is to an

individual who spoke just before lunch. somebody who has given up decade, sacrificed a huge amount who has hand adamant tell to me, who still wants to be beside me as your next leader, who will be a stalwart, proponent and supporter of "brexit," making sure it is delivered. ladies and gentlemen, i'm going to ask you with me, to thank nigel farage once more. [applause]

>> conference, the european union referendum, and the outcome meant that britain, or the united kingdom, however you want to style it, is embarking on a new era. and just is the same for our party, the united kingdom independence party. i am not nigel light. [laughter] i will never ever pretend to be so. what i will be doing is stepping into his leadership shoes, but i will be doing everything to achieve the political success that he is handing over to me and to you. now i recognize the politics is a hellishly different scenario than what i've been used to in

terms of leading companies, leading boards, both private and public sector, but what i do appreciate, is that i can be leader in name but if i'm not , leader with you people behind me, that title is meaningless. i can give you this though, everyone, an absolute reassurance that i believe in , ukip's values of liberty, common sense, democracy, and pragmatic approaches to the challenges this country faces. my language might be a little different. i'm not going to be retiring. so, unlike nigel i may not be , able to be as frank as i might want to be. [laughter] -- youell you one thing will always get honesty from me on, any question that is posed to me, as best as i can. and i will uphold all of the beliefs and values that this

and thatnds for, nobody suggest otherwise. [applause] professionalism though will be at the top of my agenda. if we're going to reach and achieve the goals this party is still capable of achieving, then change is going to have to happen. it is not going to be change for change sake. it is not going to be change because i think i ought to change it, and i can't justify it. it is going to be because change is necessary and justified. and the caveat and what is behind that will be to provide and make sure we have a winning , political machine, under my leadership, and with something coming to you, which you know

delivers all of your key objectives, and makes sure you are part of a winning machine. [applause] so let me answer some of the , questions that i have had put to me, some of those from the detractors who would already like to underminus and bury ukip with this conference. the threats to the referendum outcome are increasing by the day. but i can tell you this, here's some answers -- no to a european union associate membership. no to "brexit" light. no to single market controls. and no to understand it, or uncontrolled freedom of movement into this country for 450 or 500 million, whatever the european looks like, by the time, i believe we will leave.

if they come in, they come in on a fair basis. but, here's the yeses. this is what i want you to believe in and work with me on. yes to a true, 100% european union exit. can i be anymore clearer? [applause] yes to a sovereign, independent united kingdom. [applause] yes, to a united kingdom free to make trade deals with whoever, and whenever we want. [applause] and yes, to an immigration

policy that allows entry regardless of origin, to those with the skills, and the expertise, and the social values that this country wants. [applause] and may i say 17.4 million , people signed up to that, those issues, that declaration. 17.4 million people voted to leave the european union. that's what independence means, and that's independence in the united kingdom independence party name means. so don't ignore it. remainiacs. [laughter] [applause] so, mrs. may, you're now

looking, and if you're watching tv this afternoon, you will be watching the opposition party in waiting. [cheers and applause] and mrs. may, from one grammar school to -- from one grammar school girl to another --

[cheers and applause] stop the fuss, get on with it. invoke article. [applause] and give ukip the best christmas present it could ever have, 2016, 25th of december. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much indeed. thank you from the bottom of my heart. under my leadership, my serious messages to you all -- we're going to confound our critics, we're going to outwit our opponents, we're going to build on our electoral success we achieved to date and do more. and as i said, we are the opposition party in waiting, so watch out. but all of you, wherever you

are, in the united kingdom at the moment, i ask you, support me, work with me, win with me, make ukip the winning machine it will become. thank you, everyone accident [cheers and applause] . [cheers and applause] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] [cheers and applause]

>> ladies and gentlemen, the u.k. -- the leader of the u.k. -- [applause] ♪ >> c-span's washington journal live every day with news and policy issues that impact you. coming up this morning, wall street journal louise will join majordiscuss the exit of health care insurances edna from affordable exchange and

obama's plan to meet with insurers next week over the health care program. and then reporter for the investigative fund uncovering health care problems with federal prisoners were housed in private prison facilities. and robert for the council on a strong america will be on to talk about their report titled america unprepared, which warns that the nation's youth is unprepared. it he will also discuss recommendations outlined in the report. be sure to watch c-span's washington journal coming up life. -- coming up live. join the discussion. the c-span radio app continues to follow the 20 16th election. it is easy to download. get audio coverage and up-to-the-minute schedule information for c-span radeon c-span television, plus podcast

times for popular history programs. stay up-to-date on all the election coverage. c-span's radio app means you always have c-span on the go. >> hillary clinton will receive the inaugural trailblazing award . >> our campaign coverage continues as we follow donald at his hotel washington d.c. and address the controversy surrounded -- surrounding president obama's citizenship and believes that the president was born in united states. this is just over a half hour. a mr. trump: thank you very

much, everybody. a place it down. nice hotel. [applause] under budget and ahead of schedule, isn't that nice? [applause] it is a great honor. this is a grand ballroom. only see a small piece of it because we haven't broken down, be beis is where will having our opening ceremony and it will be something very special. this is our first event. [applause] it is such an honor to have our first event for medal of honor winners. they are the finest. they get so many endorsements from the medal of honor winners was incredible and i look forward to spending a lot of time coming here. [laughter] [applause]

they have a lot more kurds than i do -- they had a lot more courage than i do. an honor to have the ceremony be the first ceremony. -- ande hotel hotel hotel opens officially, it will be a great new hotel. these are spectacular people. these are tremendously talented people. all of them workers, the construction folks, the hotel amazing howzing, great our country can do. we have put in tremendous amounts of work in energy and money. this will be the best hotel in washington. in may be one of the great hotels anywhere in the world.

really honor to have this as our first event. [applause] here witheased to be two medal of honor recipients and a six flag in general officer. we a tremendous talent. general kellogg, general flynn. the room is stacked with generals and talented people and leaders. i love leaders. the great people represent 120 flag in general officer endorsements. 120. [applause] and that number is going up very rapidly. and now 17 medal of honor recipients. in addition, a tremendous amount of very, very great people. i am honored to be joined by the

many veterans that are supporting us all throughout the room. thank you very much for being here. [applause] i am also honored to have a gold horton here.an -- jane horton here. jane, where is jane. ? please stand. [applause] incredible. [applause] jane lost her husband in afghanistan on september 9, 2011. and again, it is such an honor to have you here. i hear so many things about chris. and he was a winner.

and thank you very much on behalf of the country. [applause] thank you. [applause] it is incredibly humbling to be in the company of these real and true heroes. i have the privilege to introduce our first medal of honor recipient, mike thorton. mike is a retired united states navy seal. a tough cookie. a recipient of the united states military's highest decoration, the medal of honor. vietnam andons in the vietnam war. in addition, he is the recipient of the silver star, three bronze stars, and purple heart. i'm proud to have him on my team. such a great honor for me. and fellow recipient bob patterson to, likewise, has a medal of honor.

who is also here. we cap 17 medal of honor recipients, and they have all endorsed me for president of the united states. and i have been endorsed by generals, and to many of the generals have become very good friends of mine. we seem to have a very good chemistry together. admitven the generals there is something very special about medal of honor recipients. i could ask you to come up and say a couple of hellos, and thank you very much for being here. [applause] >> thank you, ladies and gentlemen. this is all about getting the word out. i have known mr. trump since 1996, when it was not fashionable to support the military some great people like 1986, donald trump, the uss

intrepid there, he supported us. you know, ladies and gentlemen, the metal eyewear around my neck i do not deserve the middle and , i never will but it belongs to every man and woman who ever served our great nation. ladies and gentlemen, freedom is not free. [applause] today is the most trying time in my life. life is very short. i have been around from a 70 years. but you know, this election means so much. we do not need any more bureaucratic leadership from washington d.c. [applause] we need true leadership from the top. mr. trump has never failed in anything because he listens to

his advisors, he listens to his people. for the last eight years, our president has not listened to anybody. that is the reason why we have lost cia directors, secretary of many, many other general officers have dropped out, or resigned because of his leadership. we cannot stand for four more years of leadership like that. we need somebody who will lead from the front like donald trump. [applause] so thank you very much for , having us here. god bless you. god bless america. and got less donald trump. [applause] and i'm supposed to introduce bob patterson, my good friend for 45 years. just like the navy, can't

admit the army is better. [laughter] i am here to tell you something right now -- i spent 26 years of my life defending this country. after that, i spent another 17 years taking care of those veterans who i served with and were still serving. i worked for the v.a. before i finally retired. i have watched our country take a complete turnaround from where it was. we used to be the shining star. and we're getting dimmer and dimmer and dimmer. and it is all because of all the bureaucrats and washington d.c. and it is time we send someone to washington that knows how to "you're fired. ." [applause]

the gentleman i'm back to introduce is a major general. he is the ceo and president of the united states mexican chamber of commerce based here. -- based here in washington d.c. he has served on many commissions under presidents nixon, ford, and both the bushes. he entered the military in 1964. and he has numerous awards and decorations, including silver ande, five bronze stars, the purple heart. [applause] >> what bob just did to me is

made me older anybody up here. [laughter] mr. trump, thank god for you and your leadership. [applause] you know being a vietnam veteran , and serving all the way through the iraq and afghanistan war and in the department of defense, for half of the military that we deployed to that region 15 years ago, we are still there. when they came home, they because use the v.a. they were not veterans because they were still part of the national reserve guard unit. i know the next president of the united states, donald trump, will fix that. [applause] i also would like to say, deplorable's are also deployable's. [laughter] [applause]

ladies and gentlemen, it is an honor for me to be here in supporting the next president of the united states who will lead from the front, who has the kind of leadership that we need and is not afraid to make that decision. ladies and gentlemen, i'm honored to be with donald trump. and i am all with you. [applause] > i actually probably did this n purpose. this next fellow is a personal friend. i have immense respect for him. he went to silver star in korea -- he won his silver star in korea when the north koreans try to take over our location. he is a very special warrior, major general. it is my honor to introduce you to him. major general. [applause]

>> >> we go way back. >> we go way back. i don't buy to the korean war, but that is where i was awarded the silver star. after 40 years of serving this nation in uniform, and four combat deployments i have become , convinced that our nation needs a multidisciplinary interagency approach to defeat our enemies, and secure the -- and a long-term -- and secure a long-term path to victory. what we need is some fresh thinking, innovative approaches and strong leadership. it has been my privilege to have such quality time with mr. trump on and off the campaign trail over the past few months. and i have been extremely impressed with this gentleman's stamina. if any of you are privy to the schedule, he would be amazed at -- you would be totally amazed at what he has been able to do. [applause]

in addition to the stamina, i have been very impressed with his intellectual curiosity. and his raw intelligence, and his energy, and his enthusiasm. and indeed, his temperament. he has the right temperament. [applause] but, the thing that i have been most impressed with is as absolute love for the men and women in uniform, and the support he is one to give them from the white house. [cheers and applause] and i can guarantee you -- their families make it home will not be in vain in addition to the billions of taxpayer dollars that we spend supporting them. that is my in my mr. trump to be our next commander-in-chief. [applause]

now, it is my pleasure to introduce fellow combated arms, academy graduate from the class of he commanded a missile 1974. frigate, destroyer squadron. executive assistant. he ended a brilliant career as a deputy director for strategic plans and policy. and he covered russia, africa, and nato. so it is my pleasure. [applause] well, thank you, everyone. we are a group of national security professionals who dedicated our lives to the security of our nation as deplorable as we are. [laughter] we are not a political group. but we are a national security group that has chosen to support a political candidate.