in a strong american economy, you're interested in greater energy independence, you're interesting in a cleaner environment, then you need to be interested in the bio-based economy. it is one of four we refer to as pillars at usda to rebuild, reshape, and revitalize the world economy. the opportunity to expand local and regional food systems. for thetion, not just sake of conservation, but also as an investment opportunity to satisfy the regulatory responsibilities through ecosystem we have taken an integrated approach. as part of the white house rural council the department of energy and navy came together with the department of agriculture to address the need for our navy to expand and diversify. in the past when the pacific fleet was doing exercises in the pacific theater they would

rely on energy supplies and fuel supplies that came from the middle east. today we are beginning to expand an opportunity for domestically produced biofuels, to be able to allow for greater independence and greater flexibility protecting the brave men and bim who serve us in uniform. this was a result of tremendous cooperation between the energy department and the navy to create a drop-in aviation fuel industry one that did not exist just a few years ago. we have recently invested in a facility that's taking land fill, agricultural, waste. to turn it into a fuel not only interested in the navy but ommercial interests.

this administration has taken a comprehensive approach. the conversation in this town has o been also the rffs. there are other components to support. for example, we have really focused on feed stock development. we've made sure they understand that we are going to put the full force behind the effort that will allow them to have

the same kind of crop insurance protection. we have invested over $300 million in research and feedstock looking at the genomic research trying to figure out how to be more effective with the feed stocks we use. it's one of the reasons we have seen facilities become far more efficient using far less energy and producing far more energy. we have put together a feedstock readiness too long to give tokes an ability to determine what kind of feed tork makes the most sense. we have also worked with over 400 companies in 47 states to encourage an expansion. we have been able to have these companies produce over 8.6

billion gallons of fuel and they have produced about 63 billion kilo wath hours. this is an incredibly exciting part of our economy that we are now growing and developing in this country. we are also looking at major projects. we have financed six major processing facilities since i've been secretary, about $8 4 million loan guarantees have been established. and we have also looked at the opportunities of our forest for the development and creation of these fuels and products. we have helped fund projects nth primarily in the western part of the united states. we are looking for expanded markets. in which we can process feedstocks more efficiently.

also looking at where we can sell these products. exports. 've had the second best year of biofuels in the history of the country. we reached the number one year. so we've seen an expansion. we've worked with the commercial aviation industry producing 1 billion fuels in the very near future. we have invested almost $1.5 billion in businesses across the united states producing these new products. we worked with our commercial aviation industry. we looked at the purchasing power of the federal government. the ability of our power as a federal agency through the program we've identified 1r5,000 products in a catalog that agencies can purchase that are biobased. we have seen a tremendous replacement as a result of

these purchases of nearly 6.8 million barrels of oil that would have gone into products we traditionally purchasesed where we are now purchasing biobased products. we want the consumer active in his as well. consumers have opportunities and access to roughly 2700 products that they can purchase off the shelf. they see the labels. it's important for us to put this in the context of why this is important. in addition to the clean energy, in addition to the job creation opportunities, this is really about taking the resource advantage that we have in rural america and expanding its capacity. for far too long we relied on exports to support the rural

economy. we became more efficient in our farming practices incredibly more efficient. in my lifetime we have seen 170% increase in production. on 26% less land and 22 million fewer farmers. the challenge was our country didn't ask the question as we were becoming more efficient, what are we going to do with the 22 million families no longer farming? how can we create opportunities for them if they desire to stay, how can we create job opportunities for their children and grandchildren? this administration is asking that question and put together a comprehensive effort based on the four pillars, to create multiple opportunities seizing and utilizing our natural resource advantage. the industry is one that holds out tremendous hope for rural america because of the nature of the processing that needs to take place. the quantity of biomass that we produce is almost unlimited and

there is a tremendous opportunity here because it's not as if you have one refinery like the oil industry that services a multitude of states. the size and bulk of biomass requires that you have processing facilities every 75, 150 miles. so it's an opportunity in multiple locations and every state that has rural counties for us to bring manufacturing back, the ability to construct, maintain, and operate these processing facilities can add 20, 50, 100 jobs to a small town. it can have a rippling effect. that's why it was important for this administration to take a wholistic approach not just promoting ethanol but expanding the vision, understanding that we need to do more research on feedstock, that we need to help small companies in these rural

areas helping proproduce more of these products. working on large-scale refineries so we can meet the need of the defense department for one half of all of its fuel needs. that's a tremendous new market opportunity. listening to the commercial aviation industry and its need for biofuels to satisfy international air emission requirements. the opportunity for us to help develop research at a variety of universities, looking at the natural resource advantage of each area of the united states and allowing us to do a better job dealing with the changing climate. and the ability to make sure that we are constantly one step ahead of mother nature as we create new opportunities, expand on existing opportunities in rural america. in every speech i give i often point out the importance of

rural america and i will finish with this. rural america is the place where most of what we just consumed at this wonderful meal came from by a lot of hard-working farm families. where most of the water that we have at the table here today was impacted and affected. probably responsible for the energy source for the lights here and electricity transmitting this speech. rural america is the place that sends sons and daughters into the military, roughly 15% of america's population lives in rural america but nearly 35 to 40% of its military comes from rural america. it's also the place that provided every person in this room and listening who is not a farmer to make the decision in their life not to be a farmer. we have either consciously or

unconsciously delegated the responsibility of feeding ourselves and families to countless number of people across the united states who work hard every single day to put food on our table. we are a food secure nation which means we are capable of producing enough to feed ourselves. we don't have to depend on any other nation in the world. hardly anybody in the world can say that. and when we walk out of a grocery store all of us have a little more money in our pocket as a percentage of our income because we only spend about 10% of our income on groceries and food. it's a tremendous gift that we every every single -- we get every single day. its -- it's incumbent on us to preserve choice to be able for those who live there, or those who left, to come back. earlier today i had the opportunity to visit with six

veterans representing every branch of the armed forces. they have just begun working for the united states department of agriculture. they're one of 11,000 veterans we've hired since i became secretary. they came to us because they wanted to get close to their roots. they wanted to take advantage of what they learned in the military and give something back. it's an exciting new opportunity for these six individuals and we're opening up that opportunity by creating a more diverse rural economy so that we continue to have young people live, work, and raise their families in the rural communities so they can contribute to the greatest and strongest nation on earth. that's why we celebrate this report today. it is an indication that there is positive momentum. there is plans, strategy, investments and opportunity. i'm excited about that. this report should hold out

hope for all those concerned about the future of rural america. it's back. despite the fact that we're dealing with low commodity prices, i think the long-term prospects are very, very positive. i thank the press club for giving me this opportunity and i'm glad to answer whatever questions you can read. [applause] >> thank you. let me follow up. what kind of job training and education will be needed to transition and improve and and the biofuel producks what is usda doing to help? >> one of the things we continue to do sin no vate and create new ways to make them more efficiently produced. there's a tremendous amount of entrepreneurship in this industry. i would say the plain source of training is in our community

college system. the ability of community colleges to take a look at the facilities being located and asking those who will be owning and operating those, what kind of workers do you need? it will also put a tremendous premium on those who can construct, weld, put structures together. i was in a small facility, a wedding facility in lee county, iowa not long ago seeing an expanding small business that interestingly enough had just opened up its new solar energy system that's going to reduce its overall operating costs. very proud of the fact that they were that innovative. their workforce connected basically tied very critically to the community college system. we help community colleges. we help universities to a variety of ways. we have community facility loan

programs and grant programs that oftentimes go to help equip those schools and of course most of our research is funneled through our land grant university system. once we send that signal to the marketplace, the market sends is sign to the community colleges. we need workers to run, repair the facility. there are a tremendous amount of technology required so obviously it is incredibly important. that's why it's important to invest in broadband expansion. we've done a good deal of that. but we obviously need to make a greater commitment as a country to making sure that everyone has access to high speed broad band. >> you fit a lot into that answer. how expensive is production

compared to traditional fuels? >> american consumers are benefited from biofuels. the lowest savings i've seen is about 25 cents a gallon. on the gallon that you're purchasing at the pump. and when gas prices are high it can be as much as $1 a gallon. reducing our reliance on foreign oil which has both direct and indirect costs. it has become far more efficient. i think part of the challenge with this industry is that many of those who have concerns about it are basing those on research that was done or on studies that were concluded decades ago. this is a much more efficient innovative industry than it has been. there's constant efforts to improve the efficiency. one of the great things is it's

not just the fuel, it's also the bye products, whether the food supplement or coproducts. oftentimes you'll see companies providing c on 2 to a microbrewery. so there are tremendous synergy that is occur. as we learn more about how we can convert biomass into everything, plastics, everything in an economy can be plant based and reduce our reliance and balance our reliance on fossil fuels. so it's very competitive with regulated produced gas and results in a significant savings. >> the agriculture community is extremely grateful but is it disappointed with e.p.a.'s position that bioenergy is not low carbon and should be regulated the same as fossil fuels? >> i think part of the

challenge of an emerging industry that has a decade or two of history is that we have to constantly reeducate and eeds kate folks about advancements. we're doing that. we're looking forward in the next month or two to putting out a study of land use in terms of biofuel production. i think it's going to surprise people in terms of the efficiency that is have occurred. and i think it's part of our effort to do our job, which is to make sure that regulators and decision makers both at the state and federal level are aware of the most up-to-date research. we did a search recently that compiled all of the new research that gives a much better picture that establishes that there is significantly more energy produced, for example, with a gallon of ethanol than in the past.

in fact, from our perspective it is more energy efficient than a barrel of oil. >> the airline industry is a large user of fuel. can biofuels be used for commercial aircraft? if not is there ways to adjust that? >> not only can they. they are. that's why i mentioned the fact of 12,500 flights from l.a.x. are being fueled with biofuel. here's the chalong. this industry was introduced that it was going to allow your car and truck to use this. part of the challenge is to make sure you have that available. we are now in the process of trying to encourage the industry to higher blends. many consumers have cars that can take much higher blends than 10%. the challenge is to make sure we distribute supply and we

have the distribution systems that will allow a consumer to get that higher blend. that's why we put $100 million to expand blender pumps throughout the united states, which was have sort of matched our 100 million with $120 million worth of commitments to expand roughly 5,000 new distribution systems. but you're dealing with hundreds of thousands of pumps and tens of thousands of gas stations. the beauty of commercial aviation is 40 airports sell 90% of the jet fuel so you really only have to distribute to 40 different locations. so that's why i think the long but ill be complementing also understand and appreciate the amazing opportunity we have on the commercial aviation side and on the defense department side. the combination of those two

things suggests that this future is quite bright for this industry. >> since we're talking about this, i wonder if you personally used a vehicle that uses a higher blend of biofuel. >> well, the car that the federal government provides to me is a flexible fuel vehicle and consumes a lot of ethanol actually. my personal cars, one is nine years old and one is ten years old. one is a hybrid the other is a flexible fuel. so we consume both. >> do you want to name them? >> well, we're all -- >> a mercury mariner that is no longer in production and aford fusion i think. > they appreciate the work you've done in building blocks of climate smart agriculture.

i'm wondering what they can do to help the next administration maximize. >> the farmers stepped up in a very specific way before the president went to paris. the ability of american agriculture to step forward and say we think we can double the rate of reduction which is will allow the president more latitude in making commitment of 26-28% reduction based on a 2005 baseline and we've identified 10 building blocks from better soil health, better rrigation systems, rowtational grazing. opportunities to use wood products more effectively. the ability of renewable energy to be expanded. ten building blocks where we have measurements each year that american agriculture can meet. so these are basically baked into the american commitment and are going to contribute up

to 2% of the overall reduction mount. there's an amazing chart in the most recent national geographic that shows the impact of climate and greenhouse gas emissions and why it's important to get engaged. we're doing our part but we have to have international cooperation. so the fact that you're farmers stepped up i think is a strong indicater of the commitment this continuery has made. in talking with farmers we are equippings them through our climate hub efforts to be more adapting and mitigating the consequences. they are on the front lines. they see every single year the

difference that climate make in their production. they know they have to deal with drought, floods, pests and disease that is hang around longer because of a warming circumstance. so they deal with this. i'm confident that they will not just ask but demand that future administration bs very serious in helping them providing the resources so that at the end of the day we can make our contribution. it's a positive story for american agriculture. >> thank you. switching gears. some have called you the secretary of flyover country. how do you help rural america regain jobs, fight poverty, drug abuse, and crime? >> those are in a sense the same question but two different questions. there are four strategies to rebuilding the rural economy. there's a natural resource base

in the rural economy. that's what we have. and in the past we've been an extraction economy. we've extracted our natural resources. what this administration is doing is creating a sustainability model one that can be replicated one that doesn't necessarily extract but that basically renews. so production agriculture and exports. obviously we produce more than we need so we have this opportunity to expand job growth and create a supply chain that meets the export needs of the country. we've had eight best years in this administration. it's helped u.s. 1 million jobs in small found and big cities. but it just can't be that. the local and regional food system, we've invested nearly $1 billion in creating a supply chain for local and regional food systems allowing small and

mid sized producers to market directly. they're not depend nt on the commodity price. we're seeing a great deal of growth. it went from a $5 billion industry to now a $12 brl and is projected to go to $20 billion. so it's a multibillion opportunity. we have a record number of acres enrolled in conservation today. but we need to basically help them finance these conservation practices. one way to do that is by saying .o regulated industries coca-cola announced they reupped their recommitment to reclaim all of the water they use in their products by commiting to another 1 billion leeters that they will work through conservation programs.

those millions of dollars will go to farmers and ratchers and producers to expand significantly opportunities. creating an eco system market. then the biobased economy. when you're talking about these jobs many are in those rural small town areas. and we're just going to continue to see a growth if we stick with it. i'm confident given the results, the fact that we're seeing unemployment come down, given the fact that we are bet iroff in terms of unemployment since 2007, given the fact that this industry is creating new jobs it's phenomenal growth in just a year. based on this study i would think it would be wise for future administrations to

continue investing in this new opportunity. >> you've been the point man for the administration on opioids that hit rural areas pretty hard. what can america do more to stop the addiction starting with hospitals and those? >> look, it starts with creating an economy so young people in particular see that their tomorrow can be better than today. if you think your tomorrow is not going to be any better then you might be tempted to look for an escape. number two on the opioid issue it is important and necessary to start with prevention by making sure that physicians and health care profession als in rural areas are fully aware of the new c.d.c. guidelines, aware about the warnings and use opioids sparingly. the nature of work and life in rural areas oftentimes leads one to have back problems or shoulder problems because it is fizz qul in nature.

so it is going to be important for us to expand opportunities for physical therapy as alternatives. it is also incredibly important that in those small towns that provide the resource to first responders, to police, to e e.m.t.s to be able to have access to reversal drugs so if there is an overdose circumstance that a life can be saved. recently i talked to a company that received permission to use a nasal spray. it's a very simple one-dose thing. it's an incredible relatively inexpensive and they have actually been willing to provide every school in the country, free, one of these dose or two of this so they have it on site. we need to take advantage of that kind of thing. the third thing is we need to

expand access to treatment. mention was made of my mom's circumstance. my mom was a tremendous hero in my life because she decided , ter several suicide attempts after splitting up our family, after having some very violent activities -- she decided to turn her life around. but that's not enough. this is a disease. it's not a character flaw. it's not like if you just toughen up and o exercise free will you can overcome an addiction. you have to have help. just like a cancer patient, you have to have help. help isn't available in rural areas. of over 1,000 behavioral centers that provide that only 25 of r located in rural areas. that's why the president has proposed's an increase for taos expand treatment in thousand obvious different locations.

then once you have the treatment you have to make sure that you have the transition that allows people to reincorporate themselves back into society. so whether it's supporting sober high scoose. if young people are having a difficult time with addiction you don't put them back immediately into the school where the tempttation is great. you create opportunities for them to get themselves strengthened. if someone is going through a drug court you don't put them back into the neighborhood where they came from. you give transitional housing, an opportunity to get education and training. then finally you have a criminal justice system that doesn't punish this. that understands that this is a health issue. this is a disease issue. and we need to understand that. we can't criminalize it. we can't jail our way out of this process. we have to create more support

for mental health services in this country and more support for substance use. then every single person in this audience, every person listening has an responsibility of understanding this as a disease. it's not a character flaw. it's not different than any of the other diseases. if i told you that one of my children had cancer your immediate reaction would be that's so terrible. why aren't we saying that same thing to a parent who has a child dealing with addiction? we need to. we need to create zones. we need to create the ability of people to move forward, step forward in a way that makes it easier to acknowledge they have a problem, particularly in rural areas. rural folks are self-reliant, they're independent. a s hard for them to say loved one or myself has a problem. we need to create a comfort. and the faith-based community

has a responsibility, which is why we're trying to marshall them to have those conversations to create the meeting places for a.a. i know that was incredibly important for my mom. she had to have someone she could call every single day. that may not be possible in a rural community but you at least aul ought to have one or two. so it's important from a rural perspective that we expand access to treatment and recovery support services. president obama asked you to head up the opioid crisis. can you tell us about that conversation and why you stayed on? >> i think this was before rystal left.

have such good people working at usda. not as much was coming to my desk. i didn't have to make as many decisions as they were being made the right way and career staff was engaged. so there was as f there wasn't as much to do. i had an experience with my grandson. i was home in iowa. there was a knock object door. i thought it was contractors. there's my six-year-old grandson, jake. he looks at me. they live kind of catter corner to where we live. i said, what's up? granddad i was just thinking about you and wanted to know if you can come out and play. you know, it sounded really good. i said buddy, unfortunately i've got work to do.

i can't but by the way does your mom know you're here? no. he said i just took the pathway. i said we'd better go home and tell your mom. he's got his hand in my hand. e said you are really old. but you know everything. and i had that experience that the reality is that these jobs -- and we -- i'm not saying this for me. i'm saying it for everybody who works in these jobs. it may seem glamorous and exciting and like it's just ain credible honor and all of that is true. but there is a sacrifice involved, especially if you're away from family. and you have to make sure that sacrifice is balanced against your capacity and your ability to make things happen and for

you to contribute to something positive. the team at usda is incredible. there's incredible people. the bright young people are just a remarkable group of people and the career people are so dedicated. they're wonderful folks. they're doing a great job. they didn't really need me. that was what uffers trying to convey to the president. he said, well in essence there's still work to be done. what about this? and provide med a list of options. the opioid issue is one important to him, important to the country and had personal significance to me. so it made sense for me. i think we've made advancements. we have the new guidelines, the warning labels, grants going , the president's budget before congress. and i hope they see the wisdom of funding this as a priority because there's a lot of

conversation. but right now as of today there's not much in the way of resources. at the end of the day you have to have resources. so hopefully there will be adequate resources. i think if they do i will be confident that the time i spebbed away from jake and his sisters, and my grandson will have been worth that sacrifice. >> should hillary clinton win the white house would you serve as her chief of staff or in any position? >> my -- i have to be careful answering this question because it's an official event. look, i don't think should be talking about what jobs are available or what's going to happen after the election. everyone should be focused on supporting the candidate of their choice and making sure that this is an election that at the end of the day people are proud of. we've had we've got an amazing

political system in this country. i guess it's easy to be critical and to make fun of, but it's really hard running for office. t's really hard. your family has to watch those commercials that have nothing to do with what you really are. it's physically exhausting. just on the way in here i was , i have had one full day off in the last three week. that's me. remarks ot -- you hear about my presidential campaign were about as long as the campaign itself. so is the reality is it's hard work.

and the question then is what other system would you like to ave? it's messy but it's the best we've got and involved a government that is criticized unfairly. 99% of what's happening today is positive. there are people working today to expand exports for farmers. that's government. there are people today making home loans to folks in rural america. that's government. there are farmers who are struggling through tough economic times who are on a wait list because we didn't appropriate enough money for all the credit needs. they're getting their loan today which is going to help save their operation, potentially. that's government. somebody doing conservation, preserving the soil and water

for us. that's government. there's someone inspecting whatever it is we ate today making sure that when we consume it and our families consume it it's safe. seeing a reduction in food borne illness. that's got. that's just one department. there's somebody out there protecting and fighting forest fires today putting their lives on the line in one of the most dangerous circumstances ever. that's government. protecting 70,000 communities interfacing the urban wild life interface. that's just one department. think about all the other things going on today. so with due respect to the question, public service is noble.

anybody who has the ability to provide public service is blessed. -- o you see yourself >> this is my theory. probably not accurate but it is for me. i have been a mayor, a state senator, a governor, now a secretary. here's what i know about myself. i'm an executive. i like to make decisions. i like to implement decisions. there are people who are really good at legislating, that are really good at compromise, shape and build. i just didn't enjoy my six years as a state senator as now. >> i think this is an important question to ask but do you use

any private email for government business? >> well, the reality is that a lot of folks who know you back home know your private g mail account or whatever account you have. >> which is? i'm joking. >> well, everybody's got it. so they'll send you an email. i got an email the other day from a guy who has a water issue. somebody's pumping -- it's a construction site and they're pumping water into a wetland or something and he's saying, hey, what about this? so that's government. right? so you can't help that. ut you transfer it to the usda account and you delegate the responsibility. so because of the nature of people who have been in your life before you got this job, you're not naturally going to have e-mails like this.

>> global food security is incressing worry and going into the future will become more of a worry. how can the u.s. ensure foot security? >> when i started this job we had 1 billion people food insecure globally. today it's 825. long term is a challenge because we're going to have to increase food production in the in a 35 years to meet a growing world population. but the first step and one way the usda can provide help and assistance is to expand on the issue of food waste. a third of the food that we grow, raise and produce is never consumed. it's wasted. it ends up oftentimes in our land fills. food waste is the single most largest component of solid waste in land fills.

so first and foremost america can stop wasting food. reduce portion sizes, have a ore informed consuming public. we need to recycle. we've challenged all of us by the year 2030 to cut in half food waste. secondly we can work with our partner agencies with what was used to refer to as feed the future. we can train farmers from round the world to utilize more productive practices. we can eliminate food loss in these countries because of the storage facilities. we can do research so that folks can figure out how to

grow more with less whether it's drought resistant crops or things of that nature. making sure that we properly store and handle food in developing counter riss. it's been successful in terms of the number of farmers trained. the number of children who have been fed. and the number of opportunities in 77 countries to have a better understanding o of with what they knee to do. frankly, i think trade is also part of this. the reality is if you can efficiently move food the from one place to another will make a big difference. >> can you discuss more the benefits of tpp for us and competing internationally with exports? >> 30% of american agricultural zpwrose income is related directly to exports.

20% of farm income is directly related. so if you don't have trade, if you don't have exports, you're going to have a difficult time. if we think prices are low today they would be significantly lower if not for the fact that we're still going to have one of the top ten years of trade exports this year. but certainly the eight years have been over $1 trillion ining a sales. so when you look at tpp, what you see is a growing middle class consumer. 125 t asia writ large, million middle class consumers projected to grow by 2 plt 7 billion in the next 15 years. that's ten times the american opulation.

so why would we want to cut ourselves off from that market? number one. number two, if we don't do this, we can't find the will to do these trade agreements, the rest orlando world is not going to say gee the united states is not going to do this so we'll stop discussing trade and we'll just all sort of just sell to ourselves. that's not what's going to happen. what's going to happen is they'll go off and do bilateral agreements that don't include the united states. we have one of the most open markets today. what we want is the rest of the world to open up their markets. pretty tough to do without trade agreements. we also want to up the game of the world. we want the world to do a better job on labor and environment. in order to do that you have to

have provisions that are enforcible. and then asia in particular, the question is if you had a choice between the united states leading that effort to a higher standard agreement on labor and environment, trade barriers, or china, who do you feel more comfortable writing the rules of the future? us or china? u china is attempting to create an agreement that doesn't include the united states. i think that there are direct assistance and benefits to american agriculture through trade and i think it is important for the united states to be engaged in that part of the world because that's where the population, that's where the action is. and we need to be where the action is. we need to be leading.

we can't be a follower. frankly the ippedstri has done i think a tremendous job in advocating for trade. i think the rank and file farmer understands and appreciates for the most part trade. there may be a disagreement on specific aspects but on the concept of trade i think american farmers almost universally say yes this is a good idea. i don't think that the rest of american business and ippedstri does as good a job promoting the benefits of trade which is why it's easier today for us to hear a lot of negative talk about trade. so the challenge -- and i'm sure that american business thinks they're doing a fantastic job. but they haven't because it's easy to talk about a plant closing and say that is a result of trade. it may have nothing to do with trade. but it's easy to sort of understand that. it's harder when some small

business adds two jobs and another adds ten jobs and another small adds 15 jobs and the cumulative effect is far greater but it's not abrogated. it's not cumulative. so it doesn't create the headline. it doesn't create the news story. so the result is that american business has an even heavier responsibility to get out there and explain to the workers, to their customers, to their supply chain, hey, we're all in this together and we rely for our economic future in part on trade. think if they did a better job maybe these discussions about trade wouldn't be quite as difficult as they are today. >> before i ask the final question, thea quick reminder. the leading orgsization for journalists. for more information about the club please visit our website at press.org. we also would like to remind

you. on friday, the directer general of the world trade organization will speak here. on october 12, secretary of the navy. and n.b.a. legend kareem abdul jabbar will speak here. i think i'll need a step stool. ne now i would like to present our mug. >> thank you. [applause] . >> you probably have a set of those. > one last question. as part of your tenure you've characters you've worked with. which one is your favorite? >> that's easy. probably the first lady is not going to be too happy with. cookie monster semi guy. >> thank you very much mr.

secretary. [applause] [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national able satellite corp. 2016]

>> i want to talk a little bit about this. in front of us here we have this door which is closed during combat. that door weighs approximately 5 tons. >> just before 9:00, former secretary of state receives the great americans award. >> then i come back to washington after the convention and i'm at a party, very popular, the national journal says a woman walks into the cocktail party she's immediately surround bid men. is it brooke shields? no madeline albright. >> for our complete american tv schedule go to c-span.org.

>> which candidate to you support and why? here and this year i'm voting for gary johnson. i'm doing this because of more or less. i feel like america has gone to the point where it's polarized and gary seems to be in between as a libertarian. he's fiscally conservative but socially democratic. so i just feel as if i were to e in his place we would match. >> i support donald trump because of his immigration issues and we need to be stricter. hillary clinton

for president of the united states. although she has had her fair share of controversy, her career as a public serve nlt speaks for itself. she has put years of work and i believe she is dedicated to this country. i believe she will do the best job. >> i'm a freshman. i support gary johnson because i believe he can bridge the parties. >> i'm part of team trump. we need to a conservative in the white house. a person that will support our second amendment rights. as a direct descendant of patrick henry i know what a patriot is. god bless him. thank you, mr. trump. >> voices from the road on c-span. >> british prime minister gave the closing address of the

conservative party's onference. this is her first party conference since becoming prime minister in july. ♪ >> when we came to birmingham this week, some big costumes

were hanging in the air? do we have a plan for brexit? we do. are we ready for the effort it will take to see it through? we are. can boris johnson stay on message for a full four days? [applause] but i know another big question. what's my vision for britain? my philosophy? my approach. today i want to answer that question very directly. i want to set out my vision for britain after brexit. i want to lay out my approach that things i believe.

i want to explain what a country that works for everyone means. i want to set our party and our country on the path towards the new center ground of british politics. built on the values of fairness and opportunity. while everyone plays by the same rules and where every single person, regardless of their background or that of their parents, is given the chance to be all they want to be. and as i -- [applause] the decision is nothing without the determination to see it through. no vision ever built a business by itself.

no vision ever clothed a family or fed a hungry child. you need to put the hours in and the effort, too. [applause] but if you do great things can happen. great changes can occur. and be there no doubt that's what britain needs today. because in june people voted for change and the change is going to come. [applause] change has got to come. because as we leave the european union and take control of our own destiny, the task of tackling some of our longstanding challenges, like how to train enough people to do the job of the future, becomes ever more urgent.

but change has got to come, too, because of the quiet revolution that took place in our country just three months ago, a revolution in which millions of our fellow citizens stood up and said they were not prepared to be ignored any more. because this -- [applause] this is a turning point for our country. a once in a generation chance to change the direction of a generation for good. to ask ourselves what kind of country do we want to be? and let's be clear. we have come a long way over the past six years. we brought the deficit down, got more people into work than ever before, taken the lowest paid out of income tax, established a new national living wage. helped nearly a million new businesses to set up and grow.

brought 1.5 million more children into good or outstanding schools. created 3 million new apprenticeships, brought crime down to its lowest ever level. that's a record of which we should all be proud. [applause] and this morning it's right that we pause to say thank you to the man who mead that possible. a man who challenged us to change and told us that if we did we will win again. and he was right. we did change. we did win. the first majority conservative government in almost 25 years. a great leader of our party. a great servant to our country. david cameron, thank you. [applause]

but now we need to change again. for the referendum was not just a vote to with draw from the e.u. it was about something broader. something that the european union had come to represent. t was about a sense, deep, profound and, let's face it, often justified, that many people have today. that the world works well for a prilidged few but not for them. it was a vote not just to change britain's relationship with the european union but to call for a change in the way our country works and the people for whom it works

forever. knock on almost any door in almost any part of the country and you will find the roots of that revolution laid bare. our society should work for everyone. but if you can't afford to get on to the property ladder or your child is stuck in a bad school it doesn't feel like it's working for you. our economy should work for everyone. but if your pay has stag snate for several years in a row and items of spending keep going up doesn't feel like it's working for you, our democracy should work for everyone. but if you have been trying to say things need to change for years and your complaints fall on deaf ears it doesn't feel like it's working for you. and the roots of the revolution run deep because it wasn't the wealthy who made the biggest sacrifices after the financial crisis but ordinary working class families.

[applause] and if you're one of those people who lost their job who stayed in work but on reduced hours, took a pay cut as household bills rocketed or -- and i know a lot of people don't like to admit this. someone who finds themselves out of work or on lower wages because of low skilled immigration life simply doesn't seem fair. it feels like your dreams have been sacrificed in the service of others. so change has got to come. [applause] because if we don't respond, if we don't take this opportunity to deliver the change people

want, resentment will grow. divisions will become entrenched and that would be a disaster for britain. because the lesson of britain is that we are a country built on the bonds of family, community, citizenship. of strong institutions and a strong society. the country of my parents that instilled in me a sense of public service and of public servants everywhere who want to give something back. parents who work hard but take time to coach the kids' football team. the local family business in my constituency that has been serving the community for more than 50 years. the service men and women who wear their uniform proudly at home and serve our nation with honor abroad. a country -- [applause]

a country of decency, fairness, and quiet resolve. and a successful country. small in size but large in stature that with less than 1% of the world's population boast more noble lauryats than any country other than the united states. a country -- [applause] a country that boasts three of the top ten universities in the world. the world's leading financial capital. those titutions like the who ecoin some of the fartherest corners of the globe all possible because we are one united kingdom, england, scotland, wales, and northern

ireland. and i will always fight to protect our proud union and will never let those drive us apart. [applause] jet within our society today we see division and unfairness all around. between a more prosperous older generation and a struggling younger generation. between the wealth of london and the rest of the country. but perhaps most of all, between the rich, the successful and the powerful and thish fellow citizens. now, don't get me wrong. we applaud success. we want people to get on. but we also value something else. the spirit of citizenship. that spirit that means you

respect the bonds and obligations that make our society work, that means a commitment to the men and women who live around you, who work for you, who buy the goods and services you sell. that spirit that means recognizing the social contract that says you train up local young people before you take on cheap labor from overseas. that spirit that means you do as others do and pay your fair share of tax. but today -- [applause] but today too many people in positions of power behave as though they have more in common with international elites than with the people down the road, the people they employ, the people they pass on the street. but if you believe you're a citizen of the world, you're a citizen of nowhere. you don't understand what the very word citizenship means.

so if you don't look after your staff, an international company that treats tax laws as an option al extra, the household name that refuses to work with the authorities even to fight terrorism, a directer who takes out massive dividends while noge that the company pension is about to go bust. cheers and applause] i am putting you on warning, this can't go on any more. a change has got to come and this party is going to make it. [applause] so today i want to set out my plans, a britain where everyone

plays by the same rules and every person has the opportunity to be all the they want to be. it's a plan to tackle the unfairness and unjust tiss that divides us so that we may build a new united britain. a plan that means government stepping up, challenging interests taking big decisions doing what we believe to be right. getting the job done. because that's the good that government can do. and it's what i'm in this for. to stand up for the weak and to stand up to the strong. and to put the power of government squarely in the service of ordinary working class people. because too off that isn't how it works today. just listen to the way a lot of pot tigses and commentators talk about the public. hey find your patriotism

distasteful, your concerns about immigration parochial, your views about crime liberal, your attachment to your job security inconvenient. they find the fact that more than 17 million voters decided to leave the european union simply bewildering. because if you're well off and comfortable britain is a different country and these concerns are not your concerns. it's easy to dismiss them. easy to say that all you want from government is for it to get out of the way. but a change has got to come. it's time to remember the god that government can do. -- that while government doesn't have all the answers government can and should be a cause for good. that the state exists to provide what individual people communities and markets cannot. and that we should employ the power of government for the

good of the people. time to reject the ideological testimony plats provide bid the socialist left and the libertarian right. and to embrace a new center ground in which government steps up and not back to act on ehalf of us all. providing security from crime. supporting free markets but stepping in to repair them when they aren't working as they should. eeb couraging business and supporting free trade. but not acceptic one set of rules for some and another for everyone else. [applause] and if we do, if we act to correct unfairness and injustice and put government at the service of ordinary working people, we can build that new united britain in which everyone plays by the same

rules and in which the powerful and the privileged no longer ignore the interests of the people. only we can do it. because the main lesson i take from the conference last week is that the labor party is not just divided but devicive. determined to pit one against another, to pursue vendettas and settle scores. and to embrace the politics of pointless protests that simply pulls people further apart. that's what labor stands for. fighting among themselves abusing their own mp's threatening to end their careers, tolerating anti-semiticism and supporting voices of hate. you know what some people call them? the nasty party. [applause]

and with labor divided, devicive, and out of touch, we have a responsibility to step up, represent, and govern for the whole nation. [applause] so while labor builds barriers, we will build bridges. that means tackling unfairness and injustice, on shifting the balance in favor of ordinary working class people, giving them access to the opportunities that are too often the preserved of the privileged few. putting fairness at the heart

of our agenda and creating a country in which hard work is rewarded and talent is welcomed. a nation where contribution matters more than entitlement, merit matters more than wealth. a confident global britain that doesn't turn its back on globalization but ensures the benefits of shared by all. a country that is prosperous and secure. so every person may share in the wealth of the nation and live their life free from fear. that's what i mean by a country that works for everyone. and if we believe in the good that government can do, it's important for people to trust us to deliver the change they need. we can start, as i said on sunday, by doing something obvious. that is to stop quibbling, respeble spect what the people told us on the 23rd of june and take us out from the european

union. [applause] it took that typically british quiet resolve for people to go out and vote as they did to defy the establishment, to ignore the threat, to make their voice hearted. so let us have that same resolve now and let's be clear about what is going to happen. article 50 triggered no later than the end of march. a great repeal bill to get rid of the european communities act introduced in the next parliamentary session. our laws made not in brussels but in westminster. [applause] our judges sitting not in luxen bourg but in courts across the land.

[applause] the authorities of eu law in this country ended forever. the people told us they wanted -- [applause] the people told us they wanted these things and this conservative government is going to deliffer them. -- deliver them. it is of course -- [applause] it is of course too early to say exactly what agreement we will reach with the e.u. it's going to be a tuff negotiation. it will require some give and take. and while there will always be a pressure to give a running commentary it will not be in our national interests to do so. but let me be clear about the agreement we seek. i want it to reflect the strong and mature relationships with enjoy with our european friends. i want it to include cooperation on law enforcement and counter terrorism work. i want it to involve free trade in goods and services. i want it to give british companies the maximum freedom

to trade with and operate within the single market and let european businesses do the same here. but let's state wung thing loud and clear. we are not leaving the european union only to give up control of immigration all over again. and we're not leaving only to return to the jurisdiction of the european court of justice. that's not going to happen. we are leaving to become once more a fully sovereign and independent country and the deal is going to have to work for britain. and that -- [applause] and that britain, the britain we build after brexit is going o be a global britain. [applause]

while we're leaving the european union we will not leave the continent of europe. we will not abandon our friends and allies abroad, and we will not retreat from the world. in fact, now is the time to forge a bold new confident role for ourselves on the world stage. keeping our promises to the poorest people in the world, providing humanitarian support for refugees in need, taking the lead on cracking down on modern slavery wherever it is found, ratifying the agreement on climate change. always acting as the strongest and most passion nal advocate for free trade right across the globe and always committed to a strong national defense and supporting the finest armed forces known to man. [applause]

and this week our excellent defense secretary proved not only that we will support them with our heart and souls, not only will we remain committed to spending 2% of our national income on defense, but we will never again in any future conflict let those activists left-wings human rights lawyers hah rang and harass the bravest of the brave, the men and women of our armed forces. [applause] it's about restoring fairness. something that must be at the heart of everything we do.

supporting those who do the right thing, who make a contribution. helping those who give something back. and that's at the heart of my plan for our economy, too. an economy that's fair and where everyone play business the same rules. that means acting to tackle some of the economy's structural problems that hold people back. things like the shortage of affordable homes. the need to make big decisions and invest in our infrastructure. the need to rebalance the economy across sectors and areas in order to spread wealth and prosperity around the country. politicians have talked about this for years. but the trouble is that this kind of change will never just happen by itself. if that's what we want, we need the vision and determination to see it through. and that's why phillip and greg are working on a new industrial strategy to address these

challenges and get britain firing on all silledbers again. it's not about picking winners, propping up failing industry ors bringing old companies back from the dead. it's about identifying the industries that are a strategic value to our economy and supporting and promoting them through policies on trade, tax infrastructure, skills, training and research and development of the it's about doing what every other major and growing economy does. not just sitting back and seeing what happens but putting in place the plan and getting on with the job. so we will identify the sectors of the economy, financial services yes but life sciences, tech, car manufacturing, creative industries and many others that are strategic importance to our economy and do everything we can to encourage develop and support them. and we will identify the places that have the potential to contribute to economic growth and become the home to millions

of new jobs. that means inspiring an economic and cultural revival of all of our great cities. and we've made a start. thanks to george osborne's northern power house over the past year foreign direct investment in the north has increased at double the rate of the rest of the country. here -- [applause] here thanks to the incredible jaguar, land rover, the west midland is the only pasht of the country that runs a trade surplus with china, and -- [applause] and across the region the mid lands engine is on track to deliver 300,000 more jobs by 2020. now it's time to build on that success in cities across the

country. and as we are here this week let's show our support for the conservative party's candidate. a success in business running john lewis, an action man in birmingham, playing his part in transforming the city, a man to get things done. the future mayor of the west midlands, andy street. [applause] an economy that works for everyone is an economy where everyone play business the same rules. i understand the frustration people feel when they see the rich and powerful getting away with thing that is they themselves wouldn't dream of doing and they wouldn't get away with if they tried. i understand that because i feel it, too. there's always an excuse or reason why something can't be done. but when that's used as a basis

faith and free markets fall. the conservative party will always believe in free markets and that's precisely why it's this party that should act to defend them. conservativings have always understood that if you want to preserve something important you need to be prepared to reform it. and we must supply that same approach today. that's why where markets are dysfunction al we should be prepared to intervene. where companies are exploiting the failures of the market in which they operate, where consumer choice is inhibited by deliberately complex pricing structures we must set the market right. it's just not right, for example, that half the people living in rural areas and so many small businesses can't get a decent broadband connection.

cheers and applause] it's just not right that two thirds of energy custmers are stuck on the most expenseive tariff. and it's just not right that the housing market continues that to fail working people either. ask almost any question of social fairness or problems with our economy and the answer so often comes back to housing. high housing costs and the growing gap lie at the heart of falling social mobility, falling savings, and low productivity. we will do everything we can to help people financially so they can buy their own homes. that's why help to buy and right to buy are the right things to do. but in the bold stiege on monday there is an honest truth we need to address. we simply need to build more

homes. this means using the power of government to step in and repair the dysfunction al housing market. it means using public sector land for more and faster how's building. it means iege couraging new tech nog to help it means stepping up and doing what's right for britain. making the market work for working people because that's what government can do and something else we need to do take big, sometimes even controversial decisions about our country's infrastructure because we need to get britain firing in all areas again. it's why we will press ahead with plans for high speed too. linking london and birmingham and eventually towns and cities in the north. why we will shortly announce a decision on expanding britain's

airport capacity and why having rehe viewed the evidence and added important new national security safe guards we signed up to hinkley point. we will take the big decisions when they're the right decisions for britain because that's what government can do and we can make these big decisions because our economy is strong and because of the fiscal discipline we have shown over the last six years and we must continue to aim for a balanced budget but to build an economy that works for everyone we must also invest in the things that matter. the thick with the long-term return. that's how we will address the weaknesses in our economy. include our productive and increase economic growth and ensure everyone gets a fair share. and that's not the only reason. why monetary policy with super

low interest rates and quantitative easing provided necessary emergency medicine after the financial crash and people with assets have got richer. and that's what a conservative government can do. [applause] >> this party will always be the party of business large and small but we must acknowledge that the way a small number of businesses behave fuels the frustration people feel. it's not the norm. i know that most businesses and the people that run them are hard working entrepreneurial and public spirited at heart but the actions of a few tar the reputations of the many.

so the party that believes in business is going to change things to help support it. too often the people that are are supposed to hold big business accountable are drawn from the same narrow, social and professional circles as the executive team and too often the scrutiny they provide is not good enough. a change has got to come. so later this year we'll publish our plans to have not just consumers represented on company boards but workers as well because we are the party of workers. those that put in the effort. those that contribute and give of their best. that's why we announced on saturday we're going to review our laws to make sure that in our modern and flexible economy people are properly protected at work. that's right. workers rights. not under stretch from a conservative government. workers rights protected and enhanced by a conservative government and let me say

something about tax we're all conservatives here. we all believe in a low tax economy but we also know that tax is the price we pay for living in a civilized society. nobody, no individual tycoon or business has succeeded on their own. their goods are transported by road, their workers are educated in schools. their customers are part of sophisticated networks taking in the private sector, the public sector and charities. we all played a part in that success so it doesn't matter to me who you are. if you're a tax dodger we're coming after you. [applause]

>> if you're an accountant, financial advisor or a middleman that helps people to avoid what they owe to society, we're coming after you too. [applause] >> and whoever you are, however rich or powerful you have a duty to pay your tax and we're going to make sure that you do. this is a big agenda for change but it is necessary and essential. it's a program for government to act to create an economy that works for everyone. an economy on the side of ordinary working class people and an economy that is the institutions upon which we all rely. to invest in the things we hold dear. and the vital national institution. an institution that reflects our values, our belief in fairness and to which we all take enormous pride and i mean, all.

because there is complete cross party support for the nhs. status as a provider of free at the point of views health care for the thousands of doctors and nurses that work around the clock to care for their patients and we all have a story. about the nurse that cared for a loved one or the surgeon that saved the life of a friend so let us take this opportunity to say to those doctors and nurses, thank you. [applause] >> but year after year, election after election, labor tried to use it.

on every election since it was established labor have said that the tourist would cut the nhs and every time we have spent more on it. every election they say we want to privatize it and every time we have protected it. in fact, the party expanded the use in the private sector of the nhs the fastest was not this party but the labor party. [applause] >> the only party to ever cut spending is not this party but the labor party that's what they did in wales. and the last election it wasn't

the labor party that pledged to give the nhs the money it asked for to meet it's five year plan. it was this party. the conservative party investing an extra 10 billion pounds in the nhs. more than it's leaders asked for. more patients are are being treated and more operations are being carried out by more doctors and more nurses than ever before. that's a tribute to everyone that works in the nhs. but also to jeremy hunt, who is the most passionate -- [ applause ] >> for patients doctors nurses and others that work in our health service than i have ever known. so let's have no more of labour's absurd belief that they have a monopoly on compassion. >> let's put an end to the pretense of moral superiority.

let's make clear they have given up the right to call themselves the party of the nhs and the party of the workers and party of public servants. they gave up that right when they adopted the politics of division. when their ideological fixations lead them to stop listening to the country. and we the conservative party truly are the party of the workers. the party of public servants. the party of the nhs. [applause] >> because we believe in public service.

we believe in investing and supporting the institutions that make our country great. we believe in the good that government can do. government cannot stand aside when it sees social in justice and unfairness. if we want to make sure that britain is a country that works for everyone, government has to act to make sure opportunity is shared. and i want us to be a country where it doesn't matter where you are born and who your parents are and where you went to school or what your accent sounds like, what god you worship, whether your a man or a woman, gay or straight, black or white, all that should matter is the talent that you have and how hard you're prepared to work. [applause]

>> but if we're honest ooel admit that's not the case for everyone today. advancement is still too often determined by wealth or circumstance. by an accident or birth rather than talent and privilege not merit. rebalancing our economy is a start but if we're serious about overturning some of the long standing injustices and barriers that stop working people from getting on we need that economic reform to be allied with deep social reform too because as a society that works for everyone is a society based on fairness and only genuine social reform can deliver it.

helping more people on to the housing ladder. making sure that every child has access to a good school place. it means never writing off people that can work and consigning them to a life on benefits but giving them a chance to earn a living and enjoy the dignity from a job well done but for those that can't work we must offer our full support which is why it was so important that green announced on saturday that we would end the retesting of those with chronic health conditions that only induss stress. and genuine social reform means addressing historic injustices that hold too many people back. some of my proudest moments came when we began to tackle deep seeded and long standing problems that view dared to

tackle before i introduced the first ever modern slavery act bringing in tough new penalties to put slave masters behind bars with life sentences for the worst offenders. i cut the police's use of stop and search by almost 2-thirds and reduced the disproportion gnat targeting of young black men and i know our impressive home secretary is committed to carrying on that work. [applause] but injustices remain. you're three times more likely to be perm nabtly excluded from school than other children. if you're a black woman you're 7 times more likely to be detained under mental health legislation than a white woman.

people in ethnic minority households are almost twice as likely to live in relative poverty than white people but it's not just those from minority backgrounds who are effected. white working class boys are less likely to go to university than any other group in society. we cannot let this stand. not if a country that works for everyone is the principle that binds us all together. that's why i launched an unprecedented audit for public services to shine a light on racial disparities and let us do something about them. and all burning injustices and this conservative government to fight every single one of them. a society that works for everyone is one of fairness and opportunity.

a society in which everyone has the chance to go as far as their talents will take them. that's why in one of the first speeches i gave as prime minister i set out my plans to transform britain into a maritocracy and that starts in our schools. i want britain to be where every child has an access to a place that's right for that individual child because britan after brexit will need to make use of all the talent we have in this country. thanks to the free schools and program and the efforts of teachers and heads and governors there's 1.3 million more children in good and outstanding schools compared with 2010 but we need to go further because there's still one and a quarter million children in schools that are are just not good enough. and in the mid lands and the

north you have less chance of attending a good school than children in the south. this simply cannot go on. that's why we set out a new pack computer of reforms building on the success to increase the number of good school places across the country so there's not just a school place for every child but a good school place for every child. a school place that suits the skills, interests and abilities of every single pupil. [applause] >> that's why we want more of our great universities to set up more sponsor schools in the state sector just as the

university of birmingham schools have done from here. in return for their charitable tax status we want them to do more to take on children without the means to pay or set up and sponsor good state schools. it's why we want more good faith schools for parents and pupils that want them and it's why we have said whether it's demand from parents where they will definitely take pupils from all backgrounds where they will play a part in improving the quality of all schools in their area, they will lift the ban on establishing new grammar schools too. politicians have said for people crying out for change they can't have what they want. we don't think you should have

it even though we enjoy the very same things for ourselves and you end up in the absurd situation where you stop these good popular life changing schools from opening. you can send them to a selective private school or afford to send them long distances to get the education you want. but if you're not, you cannot. i can think of no better illustration of the problem. why ordinary working class people think it's one rule for them and another for everyone else because the message we're sending them is this, we will not allow their children to have the same opportunities that wealthier children enjoy. that is a scandal and we, the

conservative party must bring it to an end. >> my vision is for britain to be a great meritocracy and it's being designed to serve. and a country based on merit and not privilege is a country that's fair. and in justice and unfairness. we can build the new united britain that we need and united we can do great things. we saw that. in the summer in rio. we saw how individual success was powered by collective effort. how the dedication andal hent and one was supported and how a governments determination, the conservative governments determination to back britain's success contributed. [applause]

>> we were honored to welcome four members of the team. to our conference on monday. and to them, and to every athlete and every member of team and pair we say thank you you dd your country proud. [ applause ] it was a memorable

summer for british sport but one molt stood out for me above all others. it wasn't from rio. it happened later. a couple of weeks ago on the sun drenched streets of cozumel in mexico, johnny brownly was heading for glory. the finishing line in sight when he faltered, stopped and was falling exhausted to the ground. and just behind him his brother alabama allister, a tough competitor that typically yields to no one and seeing his brother struggle he didn't pass on by. as other competitors ran past, he stopped, reached out his hand and gently carried him home. >> "washington journal" continues. -- and there in that moment we

saw revealed an essential truth that we succeed or failed together. and succeed together or fall short together. and our most basic human instinct is to put our own self-interest aside and help them over the line. that's why the central tennant of my belief is that there is more to life than individualism and self-interest. we form families. [applause] >> we form families, communities and cities and counts and nations and we have a responsibility to one another and government has a responsibility to. it is to act and encourage and nurture those relationships and networks and institutions and to step up and correct injustices and tackle unfairness where it can because these are the things that drive us apart. [applause]

>> that's what i have always said in which my mission and the mission of this party is to build a country that truly works for everyone. not just for the privileged few. it's why when i stood on the steps for number ten as the first time as prime minister 84 days ago i said that the government i lead will be driven not by the interests of the rich and powerful but by the interests of ordinary working class people. and this week, we have shown the country that we mean business. not just protecting but enhancing workers rights. building an economy that is fair where everyone plays by the same rules. getting more houses built. more doctors in the nhs. investing in things that will make our economy grow. hundred of great new schools. universities and fee paying schools. helping state schools to improve and yes, where parents want them, and where they'll improve standards for children of whatever background.

the first new grammer schools to open in britain for 50 years. [applause] >> this is a bold plan to build a new united britain rooted in the center ground. an agenda from conservatism and understands the good that one can do that will never hesitate to face down the powerful when they abuse their position of privilege.

and working class people. and action, it's about doing something. and identifying injustices. finding solutions. driving change. and the big decisions having courage to see things through. it's not always glamorous or exciting. but at its best. and many see the problem. and the solution too. and i know this to be true. and if i leave the door of my office at number ten.

i pass that famous staircase, the portraits of prime ministers past and men and of course one woman. of consequence who have steered this country through difficult times and changed it for the better too. and the decision worked to heal it. churchill who confronted evil and had the strength to overcome. atley with the vision to build a great national institution and lady thatcher who taught us we could dream great dreams again. those portraits remind me of the good that government can do. that nothing good comes easy. but with courage and vision and did he recall nation you can always see things through. and as i pass them every day i remember that our nation has been shaped by those that stepped up to be counted as the big molts came, such opportunities are rare.

a moment that calls us to respond and to reshape our nation once again. not every generation is given this opportunity. not every generation called to step up in such a way. put this is our generation's moment. to write a new future upon the page. to bring power home and make decisions here in britain. to take back control and shape our future here in britain. to build an outward looking con fireworks debit trading nation here in britain. to build a stronger fairer brighter future in britain. that is the opportunity we have been given. and the responsibility to grasp it falls upon us all. so to everyone here this morning.

the millions beyond where they all remain, come with me and we'll write that brighter future and come with me and we make that change. come with me as we rise to meet this moment. come with me and together let's seize the day. [applause]