like to introduce the candidates, who have been briefed on the rules and will begin with opening statements. patty murray, we start with you. much,rray: thank you very and good evening. thank you for putting this event together, to the university for hosting tonight, and to all of you here tonight, as well as those of you listening in, it's great to be here with you. like most people, i get pretty frustrated at the dysfunction and gridlock in washington, d.c. i remember one particularly bad year, 2013. no one could talk to anyone. everybody was fighting. we were facing a fiscal cliff. there was a lot of uncertainty and automatic budget cuts coming down. and i came home to washington state, and came here to spokane

and went to the air force base. i went to the anderson school and talked to the teachers, parents, and students who were there who told me they were so worried that their students were going to be impacted in their education. employeeso civilian who are already being furloughed one day a week and were afraid they would not be able to pay their rent or put food on the table. parents to head start who were afraid their preschools would be shut down. i talked to business leaders who told me customers overseas were beginning to think our government could not function. when our government shutdown, i went to work back in d.c. with congressman paul ryan. we come from very different perspectives. we don't agree on a lot. but we did agree that we need to return respect to our nation and that we needed to work together to move our country forward again. we worked very hard and put together a budget agreement.

it did not solve every problem, but it brought us some certainty. we were able to restore the investments i heard about in spokane that people were so worried about, and we got our country moving again. i was born here in this state. my brothers, sisters and i grew up. and my parents instilled in me from a very young age the work ethic of washington state. you go to work. you work hard. you do not whine or complain. you keep her survey hearing until you get the job done. i come home -- keep persevering until you get the job done. i come home every weekend and talk to people from throughout the state, and hear what their concerns are, that their kids can go to college, that they can afford to live in their neighborhood, that the medicare and social security they have worked for all their life are there for them. those are the stories come along with a work ethic, that i take back to d.c. every monday morning when i fly back, and go

to work to make sure that the policies and investment this country makes work for our state. finally, let me just say tonight, like everyone, i am appalled by the behavior of this election. we need to return respect to our dialogue. so, chris, i hope we can be respectful tonight, even if we disagree, and show by example that it can be done. host: thank you. mr. vance. mr. vance: thank you. and certainly, i am looking forward to a respectful discussion. i am happy tonight after the seahawks victory. i am sure we all are. i am happy to have lived in the state my entire life. my wife and i met in college. our daughter, natalie, is a cougar. our son adam, is a husky. i have been proud to represent

our community as a member of the state house of representatives and is a statewide leader of my party. now i am running for the u.s. senate because, frankly, perhaps like you, i am fed up with washington, d.c. america faces real challenges that demand real solutions. our economy is stagnant. our national security is threatened. social security and medicare are going broke and we are nearly $3 trillion in debt. congress is a dysfunctional mess problems,t solve any and our great political parties have nominated to people for president that the majority of us don't approve of. there are answers to these problems. if you go to my website, you will find a series of issue papers that talk about how i feel about issues. and i am sure we are going to talk in depth about issues tonight. but there is one main point that i want to leave with you.

washington, d.c. is broken, severely broken. all due respect, senator murray talks about washington, d.c., as if she has never been there. as if this is something she has nothing to do with. the truth is, after 24 years in the senate, pat murray is part of the problem. we need new, independent leadership in the senate, people who will work to bring republicans and democrats together to solve our nation's biggest problems. folks, this election is about a lot of things. but really it's about one thing. it's time for a change, and that is what i look forward to talking to you about tonight. host: thank you. our first question. a senator murray, you support higher minimum wage. you drafted legislation to increase the federal minimum wage to $12 an hour. many people thought washington wageng the states minimum

would cut employment and increase the an employment rate among teenagers. how can you reassure small business that they can not only survive if this measure passes in these tough economic times, but thrive? ms. murray: absolutely, and asking about that. i hear from so many people in our great state that the economy has come back from the great recession, but they don't feel like they are a part of it. they worry they do not make enough money to put food on the table, to send their kids to college, and to just feel like they are strong again. the minimum wage is a really important policy that insures you are going to work today and earning enough not to live in poverty. backked to a woman a wild who had three young kids, single mom, earning minimum wage -- a quiet back who had three young kids, single mom, earning minimum wage, who said i want so

badly to go back to college, but i cannot afford to do it. i can barely afford to feed my kids. we are better than that in this country. i have written legislation to raise the federal minimum wage to $12 an hour by 2020. for small businesses, my dad had a small business when i grew up, and i know how important it is to be competitive with everyone up and down the street and around the community. if we have a floor that everyone agrees to, that means everyone employees a wage and be competitive. it's extremely important that we recognize that people will be strong when they feel strong. >> the study found that a higher minimum wage could have a significant effect in regions where the local economy is not

as strong as seattle. how do you think small businesses in washington welfare? : i oppose 1433 for all the reasons you mentioned. but really, what matters is the federal minimum wage. that is what senator murray and i would have control over. every tuesday night, my wife and i volunteer at a homeless center for homeless women. .nd i see the pain i understand the desire to wave a magic wand and raise the minimum wage and fix everything. by the way, the federal minimum wage is too low. $7.35 is too low. but raising the minimum wage to $12 an hour across america, according to research done by the congressional budget office, would destroy 700,000 jobs.

more expensivet to hire people, fewer people get hired. raising the wage to far, too fast, will hurt the people it is trying to help. we need to grow our economy by bringing down the debt and reforming the tax code. i want to grow the economy. i believe senator murray wants to grow the government. host: thank you. we have our first audio question. >> ryan, you have a question for mr. vance. >> court's magazine reports that 63% of americans -- forbes magazine reports that 63% of americans do not have enough savings to cover an emergency. what would you do to help washingtonians feeling pinched? physical: other than threats to our national security, the fact that our economy is not growing fast enough to create good, middle-class jobs, is the

problem of this generation. we have had 10 consecutive years of less than 3% growth. that has never happened in american history. people are learning -- are living on the margins, living paycheck to paycheck, becoming dependent on opioids, and losing hope. we need smart policies to create economic growth. we need to bring down our debt, reform our tax code, promote international trade, not oppose it. a better program to build infrastructure in this country to put people to work. but none of these things will happen in less republicans and democrats can work together in congress. right now, in terms of everything i just mentioned, they are not. the gridlock is preventing us from doing the things we know we need to do to grow our economy and help the people who need help. >> senator murray, you said you would like to help the economy grow from the middle out, not the top down. how would you do this in your next term?

again, as i go around the state and talk to people, the insecurity they still feel as we recover from the great recession, they still don't feel it has been there for them. there are some people doing really well, but there are a lot of people who cannot earn enough, who don't have the right kinds of skills for today's economy, and who needs the cash you need the investments we can make for today's a cup -- who need the investments we can make for today's economy, making sure people have paid sick leave so you don't lose your pay if you are sick, and you have a steady income. making sure we invest in education and retraining our workers so they have the skills they need today. our transportation system, make sure it is effective for today. those kind of investments in our economy that help our middle class grow is how we will make sure our country a strong for everyone. we can, i strongly believe,

eliminate some of the tax loopholes that benefit the wealthiest americans and biggest corporations and use those resources to invest in our middle class. that is how we grow our economy in a way that everyone benefits. >> thank you, senator. you.question for both of i want to focus on the top employer in our region, fairchild air force base. the defense department says money is being wasted on excess and congress needs to step in and stop that. a senior official is urging consider a new round of politically unpopular base realignment and closure process. what will you do to make conside critical jobs in the region are protected?

ms. murray: absolutely. fairchild air force base is essential to the infrastructure in this country. it is critical. we have to have an air force base here that makes her we are protected as americans. it is a critical base in our work to make sure we can project our air force around the globe. i have been very proud to fight for the investments at fairchild to make sure it is strong and ready not just for today, but for tomorrow. and i will fight with this community which, i just have to say, is amazingly great. you support your base. you make sure you are there. civilians support our military here. and that kind of bringing together of our community, business leaders, education leaders, the civilians who work there and their families, that .s how we survived in the past with the infrastructure we have continued to build and grow

there, i know that infrastructure is strong and sustainable for the future. again,we have a brac and i have lived through this before, i need you to know i will stand with you every step to protect this air force base. mr. vance: when you are a senator from a large western state, you have a lot of responsibilities like this. i imagine if you are from new hampshire or delaware, there is not a lot going on that involves the federal government. one thing we have to have is a senator who will fight for the unique needs of our state. nobody should fight to defend bases that don't make sense. we are $20 trillion in debt. we cannot waste money on bases that don't make sense. but everyone i have talked to says fairchild and its refueling mission is still vital to our national defense. at the base here northern end near the pacific

coast and asia is critical. i will fight hard, and senator murray has, to defend our air force base. one thing we have to do is have and talkge to stand up to others about activities that may be putting it in danger. if you want to defend fairchild, we might have to say no to some of the things being built near the runways that are putting its mission in danger. mr. vance, this next question is for you as well. when you talk to people in eastern washington, they seem to feel how we vote doesn't matter. it is western washington who determines statewide elections. mr. vance: you are talking to a former chair of the republican state party. -- state republican party. that frustration. i live in king county.

i apologize for that. but having been republican chairman, i have been all over the state, sometimes having spent more time in eastern washington than western washington. people in eastern washington have the same concerns that all washingtonians have. they want to make sure that the economy is strong and the national security is protected. fight fornd up and washington's farmers and ranchers. neither senator murray or sena e or can have chosen to serve on the agricultural committee. agriculture is huge in this state. the second thing is hanford. the federal government made a mess of hanford and they need to clean it up. i will fight for that. i will fight for the politicians -- i will fight the politicians in nevada who consistently prevent yucca mountain from opening. that should be the national nuclear repository to take the pressure off hanford.

i think eastern washington would do well with a republican in the united states senate. ms. murray: thank you for the question. canadadfather came to whack in 1916, where my dad was raised. they were raised there. i grew appearing stories about what that community gave to our country to win a war, and my father was a world war ii veteran, so they gave a lot. i am a wsu grad, proudly, and i am very excited about the educational investments that have happened in eastern washington to make sure this economy is strong. right here in spokane, the campus that is now making sure we have doctors and nurses who are able to work in rural communities, making sure we do the agricultural investments

that help the economy grow. i'm very excited about the wine adustry that has now become central part of the state in eastern washington. part of my responsibility that i am very proud of is making sure we have research dollars at wsu and other institutions so that we can sell our crops in a global market. i proud of the investments we in the aerospace industry in manufacturing. i proudly represent all four corners and i am very proud of my heritage from right here. question, we next go to christie again. >> we have a question for senator murray. your 2010 reelection bid, you claimed that you not only read the affordable care act, but that you also helped write it. obamacare, passed along partisan

lines, is more expensive than expected and is losing money in many states across the country. what role did you take in drafting this legislation and what responsibility do you feel toward washingtonians who are now paying higher premiums for less coverage? ms. murray: first of all, let me say that i am very excited that is going tofacility open up that will train medical professionals right here to help deal with the shortage that we have in many of our rural communities. that was part of the goal of the aca, to make sure we had enough physicians. that helped lower the cost for everyone. i distinctly remember debating the aca, coming here to spokane, holding a roundtable, hearing from people who were denied health care coverage because of a pre-existing condition. they could not buy insurance.

paperman put a stack of in front me that tall and said i thought i had good insurance until i got cancer. all of a sudden, i had to fight with my insurance company every day until i got coverage. this stack of papers is my correspondence just trying to get them to cover what i had. women were denied. young people could not get access. the aca has solved a number of problems, and we have more people covered today. perfect? absolutely not. i am so frustrated that all republicans have said since it was past is repeal it. willing to work with anyone from any party to say what are the challenges and how can we fix them? one of the biggest challenges is companies dropping coverage. i supported a public option so that we could lower rates and have the opportunity for

everyone to get the coverage they deserve. >> mr. vance, you said the problem with the affordable care act is that it creates a one-size-fits-all top-down approach for many americans who lack coverage -- that works for many americans who lack coverage, but not for others. beyou think the party would able to work on a viable alternative without jeopardizing basic coverage for the millions of americans who are now covered under the affordable care act? mr. vance: one thing i agree with is that my party, the republicans, have not been responsible and stepped up to offer an alternative to obamacare. three years ago, my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer. she is great today. they caught it very, very early. but the point is, we had good insurance, and she got high quality, quick coverage and service, and they caught it

before it spread, and things turned out ok. i cannot imagine try to live without health insurance or raise kids without health insurance. we had a problem in this country. a lot of americans had good insurance. others were covered by the government. but a big segment of society did not have health care coverage. congress needed to work together, but instead, they passed a plan that was entirely partisan and doomed to fail. obamacare is falling apart. that's a fact. the next congress has to do something to fix or changed obamacare. murray and hillary clinton support a public option. that means more control over your health care by the government and more cause on a to anment -- costs government that is already $20 trillion in debt. i think we can do better. i think we need a solution based

on the washington plan which allows people to purchase private coverage with a small subsidy from the government. that has worked well in washington state for many years and would be a way to get coverage to those who need it without destroying everyone else's coverage. people who have coverage need to keep what they have. host: we now go to a special hislist, the president of student body association. >> this question comes from online. more than half of full-time students are completing college in six years. get more students completing college without taking on more debt?

mr. vance: that is a great question. i make a payment every month on my son's loan. i will be doing the same for my daughter soon. a lot of what you're talking about in terms of higher education policy needs to be driven at the state level, not the federal level, and i am reluctant to start stepping in and telling colleges and universities how to run their businesses. we do have a problem out there. one solution is to allow students and parents to refinance their loans. you can refinance your auto loan and home loan. you ought to be able to refinance your student loan of a lower rate. the problem is driven by a cutting back on funding for higher education at the state level. check iser's tuition actually lower now. the real answer to this is in , not washington, d.c. but i am concerned that there

are politicians out there promising people things like free college or debt-free college. we are $20 trillion in debt now. we cannot afford more federal spending. if we are going to raise taxes, as they have proposed, to bring , those taxescosts need to be used to reduce the debt first. politicians make more and more promises and then pay for those promises by borrowing money or printing money. it cannot continue. murray: thank you. i am sitting in front of you as he united states senator because back when i was young, my father was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and lost his job. fortunately, my country was there for me. through student loans and pell grants, i was able to graduate from wsu, asked for my six

brothers and sisters. -- as were my six brothers and sisters. i believe we have a responsibility to make sure that people are able to go to college without having to work three or four jobs and graduating late, as you talked about. i talked to too many people in who have already decided they will not go to college because of the expense. i talked to too many students in college who are working three or four jobs. and i've talked to way too many people who are trying to pay back a student loan. i believe we should expand the pell grant program so that more people qualify. i believe we should be able to refinance student loans. right now, you cannot refinance your student loan. i was proud to cosponsor legislation with elizabeth sad thatnd i was so republicans filibustered and we lost by a few votes. i am going to keep trying until we get that done.

we are having a good conversation about how we can allow students to go to community colleges tuition free. i think that is important conversation to have. there are tax loopholes we can close to help reinvest in young people so that they can get their college degree. we need them to get those degrees for the jobs of today. host: now back to christie. >> i have tim abbey here with a question for senator murray. >> i am 63 years old. for least 50 of those years, i have been hearing about the need to strengthen social security. why has congress failed to do this, and what are you planning to do to strengthen social security? ms. murray: thank you very much. i absolutely believe that social security and medicare are the cornerstone of making sure that people who work hard all their life have that security when they retire, that they have an income that will keep them out

of poverty. strengthen social security so that it works for future generations. i believe we should raise the cap so we can reinvest in social security in ways that works for -- work for today's families. too many women do not reach full capacity because they are in and out of the workforce and they don't pay enough. we need to look at our workplace policies, how we cap social security, and if we can expand it. i believe we can raise the cap and i am working on legislation to do that. but i do not believe we should raise the age for retirement for social security or medicare, and we shouldelieve reduce payment for senior citizens on social security. expand social security, strengthen it, make it work for tomorrow, and i am willing to work with anyone who will work with us to get that done.

>> mr. vance, the republican party is calling for comprehensive reform to perpetuate social security. do your positions on social security differ from the party platform, and if so, how? mr. vance: yes, and one of the things i have said throughout this campaign is that if you listen carefully, you will hear that my message is different than a lot of other members of my party. this issue is critical. we are never going to bring our debt down and stabilize social security and medicare if republicans are locked in a position of just making cuts and democrats are locked in a position of just raising taxes. believer in the approach developed by president obama's bipartisan commission in 2010, the simpson bowles commission, which recommended we needed to do all of these

things. yes, we need to raise the income cap so that the wealthiest americans contribute more. that will not be enough. we have to do the things the simpson bowles commission recommended. slightly gradually raise the retirement age. put a cap on spending. if we don't do these things, social security will be broken less than 15 years, and ,oliticians in washington, d c like senator murray, have done nothing about it. and they will do nothing about it as long as both parties stay locked into their talking points. i will take positions other members of my party will not bargain.each a grand bewe don't, we're going to

in a position in a few years where we are massively cutting benefits from retirees, or we are borrowing money from china. i believe in all of the solutions. , the national debt has grown, as you mentioned, to nearly $20 trillion. it's such a serious problem that a former chair of the joint chiefs of staff, admiral michael mullen's, said that the national debt is the single biggest threat to our national security. what is your plan to reduce the deficit, and how do you convince your critics that lower taxes for individuals and companies, which you support, are the right direction? glad you askedso that question. if there is any one factor that led me to run for office it is the crisis i have seen of our and up, andp

democrats and republicans have done nothing about it. year, they passed a budget that raised our debt by another trillion dollars. all they do is pass cynical budgets that do not solve problems, do not bring the debt down, keep the government open, the kick the can forward. i support a simpson bowles style approach that involves spending increases as well as structural changes to our entitlement programs. we all know that's what needs to happen. every grownup understands that's what needs to happen, but this generation of politicians doesn't have the guts to do it because they are so afraid of making their base angry. nothing gets done. as long as we keep reelecting the same people to office year after year, nothing will get done. comprehensive tax

reform that will close loopholes and lower rates for everyone. it will give the middle class a tax cut and force the rich to pay their fair share. unlike senator murray, i believe that money needs to go to bring down the debt, not for new spending. this is a problem we have to get serious about dealing with and electing an reelecting the same people who made the mess is not going to help clean it up. >> senator murray, when you ran for office in 1992, you said the national debt was one of your top priorities, but in the 24 years you have been in the senate, it has increased by more than $15 trillion. what is your plan to reduce the deficit? ms. murray: that is an important question. step back ande to remember what happened. throughout the 1990's, we really began to deal with our debt. by the end of president clinton's term in office, we had

surpluses. then president bush proposed and congress passed not one but two major tax decreases that benefited mostly the wealthy and major corporations, and did not pay for it. and this country under president bush voted to go to war in iraq. i oppose that war and voted no. that was done without paying for of the costs all of taking care of the men and women who serve when they come home. and here we are today with the debt. i opposed all three of those, and chris was republican party chair at the time and supported them. you cannot pass policies and not pay for them and expect the world to work the way you want it to. and then of course, we had the economic collapse in 2008, and we are still working our way out of it. so, the answer to your question

is important. the first thing we do is do no harm to our economy and put us back in a place where people lose their jobs and pensions and cannot afford to live. we need to strengthen our middle class, invest in them, to a fair and balanced approach of cutting programs and having every , not justontribute those who are working, or our seniors who are retired. i am happy to work with anyone to continue to address that serious problem. >> i have fiona sutherland here. she has a question for both of you. appropriatehe number of syrian refugees we should be letting into the country? have standards for ensuring national security, and if not, how should they be changed? ms. murray: thank you for asking that question. it is a really important one. syria is in a very

war-torn time right now and people are fleeing horrific -- we are talking about women and children fleeing and trying to get away from terrorists attacking them in the middle of a civil war. never a country who is turned our back on people who are asking for help. -- has never turned our back on people who are asking for help. i believe we need to stand up with our global partners and do our part. it's important to know that syrian refugees go through an intense amount of security before they ever come here to the united states. going through a lot of background and work to make sure we are safe bringing them here. i think we are a place they can except people, have them come here and assimilate, contribute, and give back. vance, your response?

mr. vance: this is a wrenching issue. everyone's instinct as americans is to be compassionate and help those in need. i supported what the president was doing in bringing refugees to the united states until the attack in paris. we found one of the attackers had posed as a refugee to get into france and commit that attack. and then the director of the fbi testified before congress that the fbi and homeland security cannot adequately vet these refugees. everyone talks about the tremendous job we do for vetting refugees. they go through years and months of vetting, but our own director says we cannot adequately vet the refugees. my position is simple. i want to allow in refugees once the fbi lets us know they can adequately that them to keep us safe. syria is an example of what

happens when the united states abdicates its responsibility to help lead. americans don't like the idea of the u.s. being the world's policeman, but we have allowed syria to fall apart. it has destabilize the middle east, cause the refugee crisis which is causing instability throughout europe, and we have to work with our coalition partners to stop the civil war and stop the refugee crisis at its source. >> in 2014, democrats and republicans changed the uniform code of military justice by stripping commanders of their ability to overturn convictions. this was done to you to the the egregiouso to abuse of women in the military. mr. vance: everything we are hearing is that this continues.

it is an acceptable. it is absolutely and acceptable to us as americans. i don't like the idea of politicians telling the military how to run the military. i recoil at that. i think it's dangerous. but when you are talking about civil rights and the sexual assault and harassment of women, that is when congress needs to step in. i think the next congress needs this carefully. women are serving proudly and valiantly in our military. our military is more and more diverse. again, it makes me uncomfortable for politicians to come in and try to tell the military how to do things, but in this case, these are our wives, daughters, sisters. we have to make sure they are in a way and treated that they are protected. >> women veterans often need to be outsourced to other clinics because they've the a cannot address women's care -- because

cannot address women's care like mammograms on site. they cannot provide doctors of the same sex. what do you prove pose -- what do you propose to address these issues? ms. murray: i have talked to so many women who have served incredibly honorably around the globe. we have a responsibility when anybody serves our country to be there with more than words, but to make sure they have the services they need. the fastest growing population in the v8 today is women. i was proud to -- in the va today is women. i was proud to work for a women's clinic, to make sure they have an entrance that is safe and secure for them, to make sure they get the services they need. too often, women veterans do not care.a they do not see themselves as

veterans or identify as veterans. i am working hard to make sure they get the services they need. this goes back to a question you asked my opponent, the issue of sexual harassment in our military. too many women do not come forward and tell their experience because they have to report to their commander. that's hard to do when you are in the military. yes, we need to reform the system. i believe we need to look outside our military for issues of sexual harassment. and we need to recognize that many women veterans who have served the four and are serving today suffer from military sexual trauma. -- served before and are serving militaryfer from sexual trauma. we need to make sure our military commanders from the top-down continue to let this be known throughout the ranks that this is not acceptable behavior. >> in june, you joined a filibuster to demand legislation on gun safety.

you cited frustration on not doing anything to stop this gorge of gun violence. since then, we have seen even more tragic gun they tallies. would you vote for the gun-control measure on this fatalities.gic gun would you vote for the gun-control measure on this falls ballot? in what would you do washington to promote gun safety? this murray: i would vote for the measure on the ballot. this country has to step up and deal with the issue of domestic violence and gun violence. it is so sad to me that so many cities today are not identified by thee historic pace but last gun violence. burlington, marysville, orlando, san bernardino. if we cannot stand up and deal

with the issue of gun violence, we have not done our job as leaders of this country, so yes, i was proud to stand with democrats all night long until we got republicans to let us vote on a bill that at the very least says if you are on a terror watch list, you cannot a gun.u cannot buy we were blocked by republicans. they offered a bill written by the gun lobby, which did nothing. i was proud to say no on that. what i voted for strong legislation. we have not yet passed it. we have to keep working. we need background checks without loopholes to make sure the criminals and possible terrorists and domestic abusers cannot purchase a gun. we need to stand up as adults and say we can balance the second amendment with the right for americans to feel safe in their country.

>> mr. vance, you have stated you believe a ban on semi automatic weapons would be unconstitutional. bet limits, if any, should put on the purchase and use of semi automatic weapons? mr. vance: this is a great question. we are all horrified by gun violence when it occurs. we need to do more to keep guns out of the hands of people who should not have them. but i cannot support banning weapons that are used lawfully by citizens all across the country for self protection, hunting, sport. automatic weapons, machine guns, are illegal and have been for some time. i cannot support banning the types of rifles that so many people in washington state on. do need to do is improve our background check system. right now, if you are going to buy a gun from a licensed dealer

, you need to go through a background check. congress could require states to provide those records. once again, on this issue, like so many others, we saw a little -- a lot ofg grandstanding, but republicans and democrats could not come together. neither side would compromise. they had citizens and filibusters. they all congratulated themselves for how courageous got done. and nothing republicans and democrats need to work together to find a compromise on guns, just like they do on every other issue. it's not happening, and reelecting people who can't get the job done now, to me, does not make any sense. a ban on rifles is not going to pass. >> mr. vance, washington is one of the most trade dependent states in the united states.

do you support the transpacific trade partnership deal? of thece: i do, and one thing that concerns me the most is that both parties are turning against trade. i hear it everywhere i go. republicans and democrats are coming out opposed to tpp and trade agreements in general. i think its economic suicide. there are so many myths and so much misinformation out there about our various trade deals. let's be clear. being opposed to trade will destroy the economy. wherever i go, washington's employers, farmers, and manufacturers are dependent on exporting their products. these agreements are good for washington state. the tpp will eliminate -- not just lower, eliminate -- 18,000 different taxes on american products. it will lower taxes on washington wheat and washington salmon by 30%. our products more

competitive, creating american jobs, especially in washington state. this is one of the reasons i cannot support hillary clinton. she used to support trade. she used to support tpp. now, under pressure from her liberal base, she is opposing it. senator murray has said she might not support tpp. i think this is crazy. trade deals are good for washington state. they are good for the economy. we need to stop misinformation and support trade agreements that will create american jobs. >> senator murray, have you made whether you will support tpp? here in washington state, trade is very important to our economy. toneed fair rules as we try sell our products overseas, and we need to make sure they are strong, that there is enforcement, that we do protect the values of washington state

about our environment, labor laws, and other issues that are critical. so i evaluate whether an agreement is good for our state's workers and economy, can it be enforced, and is it a strong agreement for all of us? at this point, republican leaders have said they are not going to send tpp to us, but if they do, those are the values and priorities i will assess it on to make sure we're making a good decision for washington state. by the way, they are talking about making changes to it, so for any of us to say we will vote on it without having read it is not good. i will come home and speak to my constituents and make sure i evaluate it to make sure it is good for washington. one issue that is extremely important to us here is enforcement provisions. it's not just the trade agreement, it's making sure the

federal government has money to make sure we have enforcement officers to make sure it works as intended. that is how i will evaluate that when it is sent to us. >> senator murray, the next question is for you as well. between 2014-2015, washington lost more than a million acres in catastrophic wildfires. most of that was u.s. forest service land. experts say that land is not being managed properly to prevent devastating wildfires. foroften, money set aside prevention is being used to fight the fires. what would you do about this? veryurray: that is a important question for our state. we have been devastated by wildfires. people have lost their homes. we have been devastated by this. we need to make sure we are protecting people and have the resources should these wildfires hit us. that is becoming more and more

difficult as the federal government cuts its budget back. it's one of the reasons we worked with paul ryan to get a deal and move it that -- and move that forward, so there is some certainty. you asked about the issue of fire borrowing. we cannot continue to do that. i am working with other senators to fix that so that we have the funds available when these fires occur. i have worked with a number of communities impacted, usually rural communities. the laws covering the assistance many homeowners get just don't work in rural communities. i have introduced legislation and am working to change the dynamic so that people who live in rural communities can get the support they need. mr. vance: these communities have been making this case for a very long time. why has it taken these

catastrophic fires to get the senators to take action on this? we need senators in washington, d.c., who will focus on the entire state, including on the needs of rural areas. landowners i haven't talking to for years have made the case loud and clear that we need a fund for prevention. we need to manage the lands to reduce the amount if you will and the ground that will fuel these wildfires. -- they'd -- that will reduce the amount of fuel on the ground that will fuel these wildfires. i have been working closely with congresspeople to pay better attention to the needs of the people of eastern washington all the time, not just after a crisis. post: thank you. it is time for closing statements. senator murray, we will start with you. ms. murray: thank you. this has been a great

discussion. congress does not always work as well as we wanted to. you heard some things we disagree on. i believe in growing the middle class to help the country be strong again. people often ask me, why do you do this? it's so angry at their, such a divisive time. as i was coming over here yesterday, i went through seatac airport. there was an honor flight about to be taken off with about 50 veterans from world war ii and korea. i stopped and walked through to thank them for their service. a 100-year-old veteran who served in world war ii, i said thank you for your service, and he said no, thank you for your service, keep fighting. that's why i do what i do, for people like that better, or the veteran here in spokane by the name of sean halstead, and airmen, severely injured, so severely that he could not have children.

denied his ability to get access to fertility treatments. i went to work with sean and other veterans like him who lost their ability to fill their dream of having a family. we fall for years, and i am proud to say that two weeks ago we pass legislation signed into law so that sean and other veterans can have that family dream. so iis why i do what i do, can fight for issues big and small, for people from veterans on, and make sure that i work respectfully -- and i hope we can all raise the level of respect. that is what our service members and veterans expect. it certainly is what we can do as a country. again to: thank you the washington state coalition, the university, and you, senator murray. this has been a great discussion. i am already looking forward to our next debate on sunday night at the microsoft campus.

we are a lucky to live in the united states of america, the greatest nation in the history of the world. there is nothing a free people cannot accomplish if their government gives them the opportunities on the tools to succeed and then gets out of the way. for too long, our leaders have been letting us down. and it is the fault of both parties in congress. is national security threatened. our congress is stagnant. social security and medicare going broke. nearly $20 trillion in debt. patty murray in the washington, d.c. establishment have no idea how to fix this other than to blame the other party for everything going on. we can fix this. we cannot continue to accept politics as usual and excuses. reelecting the same people year after year, decade after decade, will not change anything. if you want change, you have to vote for change. i will be a different kind of senator. i will work every day to change the culture in washington, d.c.

i will work with republicans and democrats to solve the biggest problems. i will be an independent voice and never anyone's rubberstamp, and i would e.on her to have your voice. thank you and -- i would be honored to have your vote. thank you and good evening. host: thank you, and please join me in thanking the candidates tonight. we also want to say thank you to washington state university, spokane eastern, the community colleges of spokane, and woodward university. thank you to our community sponsors, aarp, microsoft, the bill and melinda gates foundation, and the henry jackson foundation. on behalf of all of us, thank you for joining us, and good night. [applause] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2016]

>> join us today at 6:30 p.m. eastern for the white house state dinner for the italian prime minister. our live coverage includes the arrival of the prime minister and his wife, dinner guest arrivals through the white house east wing, the grand staircase official photo, and the dinner toasts offered by the president and prime minister. decor, talk about food, entertainment, and protocol for the state visit. we will also revisit previous state dinners under the obama administration. we will talk to the italian ambassador to the u.s., and washington post fashion critic robin give on will review per michelle obama's state dinner

fashion over the years. the white house state dinner in her slack today at 6:30 p.m. --tern on c-span and c-span the white house state dinner airs live today at 6:30 p.m. eastern on c-span and c-span.org . >> on c-span2, a debate from indiana to succeed republican dan coats, who is not seeking reelection. republican representative todd young fo faces former senator evan by. following that, the louisiana senate debate. several candidates will take the stage. republican state treasurer john kennedy, republican congressman john fleming, democrat carolyn fared, and democrat foster campbell. c-span,ght on

republican senator ron johnson and former democratic senator russ feingold debate for the wisconsin senate seat. eveningc-span thursday at 7:00, candidates in the ohio senate race to meet for another debate. rob portman and ted strickland. now until election day, follow key debates from house, senate, the c-spanr races on networks, c-span.org, and the c-span radio app. c-span, where history unfolds daily. today, president obama and first lady michelle primewelcomed italian minister matteo renzi to the white house. both leaders gave remarks and assessed the friendship between their two countries. ♪ >> ladies and gentlemen, the president of the united states and mrs. michelle obama. [applause]

[hail to the chief] ♪

>> ladies and gentlemen, the national anthem of the republic of italy, followed by the

national anthem of the united states. >> present arms! ♪ ♪

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[national anthem]

>> mr. prime minister, the honor guard. ♪ ♪

[cheers]

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pres. obama: good morning. >> good morning! pres. obama: [speaking italian] >> [speaking italian] pres. obama: today is bittersweet for michelle and i, because this marks the final official visit and state dinner of my presidency. but -- it's ok. [laughter] pres. obama: we have saved the best for last. cheers] pres. obama: and so on behalf of michelle and myself and the american people, it is my great honor to welcome from italy, prime minister matteo renzi. [applause] pres. obama: and mrs. agnese landini. [applause]

pres. obama: as americans and italians, we are here because of each other. america's founding fathers -- washington, jefferson, adams -- drew inspiration from cicero. prime minister renzi, you have spoken with great admiration of the soldiers of world war ii who liberated italy so that families like yours could live in freedom. today, we again pay tribute to all those who lost their lives, and all who gained their lives, including the heroes of the italian resistance, so we could stand here today as two free peoples. [applause] pres. obama: and on a personal level, today's a chance for michelle and me to reciprocate the incredible warmth and hospitality that the italian people have shown us on each of

our visits to italy. when years ago michelle and i traveled through tuscany, back when we didn't have kids, so we could have a really good time -- [laughter] pres. obama: you remember that? and then in my first term, we brought our daughters to rome to experience the timeless beauty of the eternal city. and when michelle and our daughters and my mother-in-law went to milan for last year's expo, all of which has prompted mali and sasha to ask the question posed by millions of visitors to italy, when can we go back? of course, this visit also reflects the deep friendship between the two peoples, and the americans' love of all things italian. we love the food, we love the fashion, we love the wine, we love sophia loren. [laughter] pres. obama: and nowhere does

our love for italy run deeper than among the millions of very proud italian americans, including those who are here today. [cheers and applause] i am not fortunate enough to claim italian ancestry myself, although my name does end in a vowel. [laughter] pres. obama: but i do consider myself an honorary italian. i was raised in part by my grandmother, and as any italian will tell you, you listen to your nonna. and because michelle, like any good italian home, the white house has our garden with tomatoes and garlic. let me say that in the italian-american experience, immigrants who often came here with nothing, who had to learn the language and carve out new lives and overcame prejudice and discrimination, relying on the

love family and the strength of their faith, and have gone on to succeed in every walk of life, we see the truth we should never forget, that america was built by immigrants, america is stronger because of immigrants, america is great because of immigrants. [cheers and applause] pres. obama: and as president, i'm especially grateful for my partnership with my good friend matteo. i mean, look at him. he is young, handsome, has put forth a vision of progress that is not rooted in people's fears, but rather in their hopes. he knows that as nations and individuals, we have the power to achieve great change. in italy, he is challenging the status quo with bold reforms. he likes to tweet a lot. we also have in common the wisdom to marry remarkable

women, leaders in their own right -- [cheers and applause] pres. obama: who have dedicated their efforts to giving children every opportunity to succeed, including a good education to our sons and our daughters. so i am told that there is an italian saying -- forgive my accent. [speaking italian] [applause] so, roughly translated, it means that clear conditions lead to long friendships. when it comes to italy and the united states, the underlying conditions could not be more clear. we are united not only by our interest, but also by our values, by our love of liberty, and by our commitment to the dignity of every human being. which is why i say without hesitation that italy is one of strongest allies and closest friends. in italy and prime minister renzi, the united states is a partner with whom we share a

common vision. inclusive, growing economies that create opportunity and reduce injustice and inequality. a europe that is whole and free and at peace. a strong nato alliance committed to our collective defense and united in the face of aggression and terrorism. empathy for the migrants and compassion for the refugees. partners in clean energy, as our generation takes the boldest steps ever to save our planet from climate change. and partners in development, because when italians and americans work together, we can help save the world's most vulnerable people from the ravages of hunger and disease. as our italian friends know, matteo began his life of faith and service in the scouts. ever since, he has been guided by the words of the scouts' founder -- leave this world a little better than you found it.

matteo, agnese, the italian people, we are proud to call you allies and friends today and always, because we know when we stand together, we can leave the world a little better than we found it. to all of you, welcome to the united states. [speaking italian] all right. [cheers and applause] p.m. renzi: mr. president, mrs. obama, my american friends -- [speaking italian] thank you for such a warm welcome here. president obama organized very perfectly everything under the

sun. incredible organization. [applause] p.m. renzi: agnese and i are delighted to be here. it is an incredible honor, an incredible gift. this opportunity and this solemn occasion to celebrate the relation between our two nations. obviously, we are ready every moment to host you and your family, every city -- also florence. we are so excited for this occasion and this opportunity. the enduring friendship and the bond between our countries has never been so strong, so deep, and so wide. italy and the united states work together globally fighting terrorism, providing security, creating economic opportunity. but i think, mr. president, if you think about our history, we can't imagine five centuries ago

when a young italian called amerigo vespucci gave his name to america. [applause] p.m. renzi: and 70 years ago, so many young americans sacrificed their lives to give freedom back to america. thank you, again, to these people. [applause] p.m. renzi: today, we together, are facing a challenge to give a name to a new era together, a new season. full of opportunities and also uncertainty. my personal opinion -- the name of the future has to be freedom. the name of the future is to be education, not intolerance. sustainability, not distraction. trust, not a. -- hate.

bridges, not walls. the name of the future has to be growth, not austerity. and in a time of fear, we have to have the audacity of hope, not only in the united states. [applause] renzi: mr. president, italians love history. the romans used to say -- [speaking italian] history is a teacher of life. we think history will be kind with you, mr. president. [cheers and applause] p.m. renzi: under your leadership, a country hit by crisis started growing again. day after day, you have maintained and improved lives, helped environments, and created opportunities for poor people. i think there are a lot of people who think that politics is only about screaming,

fighting each other, creating division. you are different, mr. president. we are different. [cheers and applause] p.m. renzi: we think politics is making a difference, and this is the reason, because we love history, but at the same time, we need the future. we love our past, but we need the future. in the history of italy, there are a lot of incredible personalities, michelangelo, galileo, the most incredible genius of the past, but they are not our stakeholders. our stakeholders in this time are our children, the future of a new generation, and for this reason i think italy is ready to build with the united states of america a great season of new

opportunities, a common future based on strength, civil rights, education, culture, self-power, great bond between the united states and italy. mr. president, we have a great poet and we use an expression, i am not able to translate in english. i'm sorry. [speaking italian] it means our mission is not follow the brutality, but follow values and knowledge. this is the choice for us today, this is the mission for the new generation of politicians. this is the ambition. i think we will never be tired of being a true friend, a solid partner of the united states of america. in this spirit, thank you so much for your leadership, mr.

president, and thank you so much for your friendship. we are so honored to be here because -- our identity. [speaking italian] [applause] [military commands] >> mr. president, this concludes

the ceremony. ♪ [applause] ♪

the arrivalfter ceremony, president obama and prime minister renzi held a ceremony in the rose garden. they talked about their alliance in the ongoing fight against isis. president obama also addressed a question about republican nominee donald trump's comments, presidential election might be rigged.

president obama: welcome. michelle and i looking forward night'sing matteo at to state dinner. --our italian friend say, [speaking italian]. we are focused on our duties. security.o focus i want to start by exposing my deep gratitude for the extra ordinary alliance with italy. many.s. is lucky to have strong allies around the world. few are as strong and as reliable and is keep will as italy. in good times and in bad, we can count on each other and i want

to thank the government and people of the italy -- people of italy for the generosity they showed for the many american military personnel who are stationed in italy far away from home. please also know that our thoughts continue to be with the rice.e of amat know local governments to recover and build from the earthquake that took place this summer. what -- in our work together i have come to count on prime minister renzi as one of my closest earners and friends on the world stage. by virtue of his energy, the reforms he is pursuing which are sweeping the bold vision that he has for italy and the world, i think matteo embodies a new generation of leadership not just for italy but for europe. this critically -- is quickly

important because as i have said repeatedly over the last several years, a strong and united and ,onfident and prosperous europe anchored in liberal traditions rights, that and is a necessity for the united states and it is a necessity for the world. it is mistreated -- in the strategic interest that we have a united europe. our transatlantic alliance and the globe. on the economic front, we agree that our focus has to remain on growth, creating jobs and prosperity for our people. matteo has been pursuing some bold economic reforms, structural reforms in italy that are not easy, that are often in --ant, -- resisted my by existing institutions and

inertia. the italian economy has shown signs of growth. it still has a long way to go to put italy on a path to long-term and sustainable growth and the upcoming referendum to modernize italy's political institutions or something the united states strongly supports because we believe that it will help accelerate italy's path toward a more vibrant, dynamic economy as well as a more responsive political system. matteo shared his thoughts on how in the wake of brexit the european union can move forward and focus on delivering security and prosperity that europeans deserve. and we both agreed that without and growth on demand and investment and thatstructure and projects can put people back to work, particularly young people mother that much of the economic

fragility in europe will continue. and, by the way, the has an impact around the world, including on the american economy as well. we both reaffirmed our strong negotiations around the transatlantic trade and investment partnership which can support jobs and exports and innovation and growth on both sides of the atlantic area we talked about as native -- nato allies, our unified termination to defend every ally and to continue to strengthen nato's defense posture. italy will be a key component -- 's hasributor to the joint course which is operational and can deploy anywhere in europe on short notice. we discussed our shared concerns around the situation in ukraine and the importance of keeping sanctions including eu sanctions in place until russia and ukraine are implanting minskments under the

agreements. we are determined to work diplomatically with the normandy group in order to achieve that goal. i think italy very strongly for its leading role in the coalition against isis. italy will be the second-largest conservator of forces in iraq, italian forces are helping to stabilize cities through its training of police after they are liberated from isil. the start of iraqi operations to liberate muzzle is another major step forward. muzzle as many of you know is the second largest city and isil has been entrenched there. millions of civilians are still loving there. thefocus jointly is on safety and humanitarian aid for civilians who are escaping the fight. that will be a top priority for both our governments. be a difficult financial will be advances and

setbacks. i am confident that justice isil has been defeated and communities across iraq my isil will be defeated in muzzle as well and that will be another step toward their ultimate destruction. meanwhile, italy continues to be one of our strongest counterterrorism partners as we work together to prevent terrorist attacks in our countries. broadly, we agreed to continue our strong support of the libyan government of national accord as we have seen continues to face challenges to its authority. italy provided critical diplomatic support to libya's efforts to force the government. we continue to support the government of national accord as it works to eject isil from libya, provide stability and services throughout the country, and as eiffel tries to expand its presence to afghanistan, italy continues to play a vital role as we trained afghan forces and support afghan development. we discussed the continued need for strong, court needed

responses to the largest migrant and refugee crisis in europe since world war ii. of operations, italy and its partners has helped to save hundreds of thesands of lives area alliance is moving ahead with plans to increase its support of and, matteo,ations i want to commend you and the italian people, the leadership in europe that you have shown as an eloquent voice for a collective, orderly coup and humane response to this crisis is in keeping with our values and shared commitment to human finally,rea did and the past two weeks of been a powerful reminder that when our countries work together, we can leave the world a little bit better than we found it because the united states and the italy joined with other nations across the globe. we brought the paris agreement on climate change into force, we reached an agreement to limit

aviation emissions and through the montreal protocol, nearly 200 nations have just this past week agreed to phase down production and consumption of dangerous hydrofluorocarbons which are an analysis contributor to greenhouse gases achieving theard goal we set in paris. the goal continues to be a strong partner for development especially to combat hunger and malnutrition around the world. once again, matteo, thank you for your friendship, thank you for your partnership, i could not ask or a better partner and the american people could not ask for another friend and ally that easily. thank you. renzi: i am not sure, you improve very quickly your italian.

enter: thank you kindly for the reception. interpreter: what we said about the great honor which is here today for italy is something i would like to confirm, it is something i would like to underline with great strength, but as president obama said, are being is an occasion to talk about our duties and after that, talk about pleasure. that have to do with our political times, i want to thank the united states of america for the extraordinary support for the battle that italy is having in our country within europe to a firm -- affirm a paradigm of growth and not only as austerity, the united states is a model in this sense, 2008, 2016, your constant -- country has indicated, shown us the way of how to get out of

the biggest crisis after the war. i believe that europe can and should do more. italy considers the american example as that reference point in this battle. that we have to do our homework at home, the structural reforms and therefore , what the president just reminded us of is the priorities starting with the labor market reform. forgiveness for his because i used the expression jobs act which is obviously something i copied but this is something that is open source and we can copy each other's expression from the great initiative that was set forth by the obama presidency. this has created 588 new -- 588,000 new jobs which are still insufficient but at least they

leave ourt step to difficult situation. thank you, president obama for the work you have done as a leader in the energy field today. italy is one of the main nations that sustains and appalled the vision of -- we will be working in marrakesh in november. we will work in the structure to have clean energy, sustainable environmental -- environment for children. thank you for the work we have done together in the field of culture and the cultural field. i believe we find ourselves in a season of our political lives, a ,e some people choose hatred the culture of intolerance. we have to bid on liberty. we have to bet on our identity. the values that make this country extraordinary and are up. europe has a desperate need to find its own soul.

this is due to its children, this is due to its grandchildren. this is the first topic of conversation that we had. in terms of italy, we want to make sure that the g7 in italy, ad beautiful sicily is relevant appointment and we commit ourselves because the work we began together, but dare president, under your presidency may continue. the legacy of president obama will not only remain in the united states but has to be clear and absolutely loud. it will involve europe and we feel totally committed in this direction. and finally, before i talk about international policy, i want to tell you that we think -- thank you for remembering amatrice. by as been affected dramatic earthquake. pastaalso the town where

[indiscernible] was born. it has so many dead, has not left its courage. when you come to visit italy in the next few months i believe that we will want you to taste amatrice,the cooks in one of the best you have had near life. it is a way to say it is a community that has been folded by this terrible tragedy, food can be a moment of identity. in terms of international policy, the italian agenda is in agreement with the american agenda and we are convinced of the need to affirm the values of being able to live together, being civil throughout the world. that is why we commit ourselves

to the international coalition in all theaters starting in iraq, where italian troops are supporting an operation to save the dam in mosul and we believe it is fundamental, it is crucial not to succumb to the culture of fear. we cannot know what will happen, but it is a great inheritance left by the -- this is the best way to proceed. recently, a lot has been said about innovation and technology and this has made people think that the future is a threat. i completely convinced that italy and the united states can help new generations to think of the future -- think of this as a

great opportunity and for this reason the agenda that the united states presented today is an agenda we agreed upon and we will be working together on it. thank you so much, mr. president. president obama: we will take a few questions, i will start with kevin from ap. >> thank you, mr. president. donald trump says hillary clinton talks too tough about vladimir. and that both of you consult the russian leader. he also said that if elected he might meet with the russian leader before his inauguration. what do you think of his approach to vladimir putin and how would it affect america's interest on the international stage? secondly, does it distress you that folks at the fbi and state department talked about the declassification of e-mails on secretary clinton's servers. would you acknowledge the appearance of impropriety and should state officials look into

this further? and for prime minister renzi, with the referendum happening soon in your country, what would passage mean for your ability to lead the country and what would failure mean for your political future as well as to italy's role in the european union? president obama: i am going to be more subdued in my discussions of the republican nominee in this context that i might be on the campaign trail. let me just speak broadly about russia. when i came into office, under the previous administration russia had invaded parts of georgia and created a frozen conflict. there was a new president and we tried to initiate a more constructive path with respect

to u.s.-russia relations and i think we showed russia plenty of respect, acknowledging enormous alsorences in values and trying ways in which we could cooperate together. we initiated the new start treaty, we assisted russia with ascension to the wto. we worked on some common international challenges together and when the previous president was replaced with mr. putin i met with him and we discussed ways in which we could constructively work together. the challenge that we had with russia is very much centered on russian aggression in some very particular areas around the

world, in the ukraine where they have engaged in similar conduct to what they did in georgia and even there we have tried to broker and work with the europeans to broker an agreement that would peacefully resolve the issues. in syria, one of my earliest meetings with putin was to suggest that if assad stayed in power, given the print that -- given the brutality with which he has treated his own people, he would see a civil war that would not be good for the syrians, certainly, but would not be good for the world anywhere. rather than to work with us to try to solve the problem, he doubled down on his support and we know the situation that exists there.

any characterization that somehow we have improperly challenged russian aggression or have somehow tried to encroach on their legitimate interests is just wrong and mr. trump's continued flattery of mr. putin and the degree to which he appears to model many of his policies and approaches to politics on mr. putin is unprecedented in american politics and is out of step with, not just what democrats think, but out of step with what up until the last few months

almost every republican thought, including some of the ones who are now endorsing mr. trump. you will have to explain to me how it is that some of the same leaders of the republican party who were constantly haranguing us for even talking to the russians and who consistently took the most hawkish approaches to russia, including mr. trump's selection for vice president now reconcile their endorsement of mr. trump with their previous views. the bottom line is that we think russia is a large, important country with a military that is second only to ours and has to be a part of the solution on the world stage rather than part of the problem, but, their behavior

has undermined international norms and rules in ways that we have to call them out on and anybody who occupies this office should feel the same way because these are values that we have fought for and protected. we cannot go around talking about human rights or freedom of the press or democracy or freedom of religion or nondiscrimination or basic laws of war or the sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries, no matter how small extoll the virtues of someone who violates those

principles and mr. trump rarely surprises me to these days. i am much more surprised and troubled by the fact that you have republican officials who historically have been adamantly anti-russian and of attacked me for even engaging them diplomatically and sometimes -- and now supporting and sometimes echoing his positions. it is quite a reversal. you will have to ask them how they explain it. with respect to the state department and the fbi reports, i think you've heard directly from both the fbi and the state department that notion or accounts that have been put out there are just not true and you can question them again, but based on what we have seen,

heard, learned, some of the more sensational implications or appearances as you stated them are based on actual events and based on what actually happened and i think derived from sort of overly broad characterizations of interactions between the state department and the fbi that happen a lot and happen between agencies. i think that covers me. p.m. renzi: i know 2016 is not a very good year to organize a referendum, but i think the entire referendum is very simply -- italian referendum is very simply in the message because it involved the fight against bureaucracy and we need a great

investment against bureaucracy in italy for a lot of reasons. we change the government in seven years, few times we joke about it with the president because it is unbelievable in a country that has a government change every year, but it is normal of the political discussion is very strong. my opinion is very easy, if, in december, we win the referendum for italy it will be easy, more easy to continue the battle to change europe because structural reforms are important for italy, but they are also written -- important for institutions in europe.

the other consequence of constitutional reform a part in the political debate in my view is if we win, italy will be stronger and i worked strongly to achieve the victory. sorry. [speaking italian] >> or i can do it in english. translator: let's talk about the referendum, because you hope to win, of course, but we have found many investors in wall street who are worried about the fact that you might lose the referendum. these are investors that have faith in italy and that threaten, if there is a negative result in terms of the reforms to just leave. what can you tell these investors in order to reassure

them if there is a negative outcome, will you stay on? will you continue with the reform? and one last thing, this evening you bring some wine to the dinner with the president? this is an italian custom. i asked mr. president, i agree with the prime minister that your italian is beautiful. you seem to be in agreement that there is a need to sort of go ahead with the policy you have pursued on being more flexible on the fiscal side. the problem is that it is very rigid with italian efforts, therefore jeopardizing the efforts. what can you say, especially after brexit?

how important it is to move forward in that direction and do you think that in case of the referendum does not go well for the prime minister he should stay on and continue in his reforms? thank you. >> [speaking italian] translator i have a feeling and : i think that rightly so our american friends are a little bit more interested in november 8 than in the italian vote on constitutional reform and so are we, might i add. in terms of what you were asking, very briefly, this is a time in which many investors throughout the world are coming back to invest in italy and we are extremely happy about this. we are happy about the

investments on innovation in terms of technology, apple is investing in naples, amazon is going to open an artificial intelligence center. for the entire economic and financial world they are starting to see italy as an area or in which to create -- area in which to create opportunities and business. therefore, open doors, i do not believe there will be any major disasters if the "no" wins at the referendum. i would rather win the referendum and i will do everything i can. what is fundamental and true is that the message goes through. this referendum does not have to do with the great world events, the great world issues. very simply, do you want to simplify the system in italy giving greater stability and certain times in which to have greater stability.

this is something to simplify things in our country and based on the question asked to the president on europe, we respect european rules and are totally inside the european rules, although sometimes we do this halfheartedly and we like to do things differently. so long as rules do not change, we will respect them because italy has made its reputation one of the keywords in its mandate, we work to change them, but if they are there we are going to respect them. now what will happen within the next few months will be seen as a great -- as a great italian singer says we will discover this by living, so i am almost certain that the "yes" will win. so you will have no grandstands this question. question.to ask this

president obama: during the course of my presidency i have had repeated conversations with brussels, with angela, francois, and others around how we could effectively recover from the crisis of 2007 and 2008. it is fair to say we have paid -- we have made more progress more quickly and what i tried to point out was the reason we were able to make progress was we focused very early on in providing a large infusion of demand through our fiscal policies, rebuilding roads and bridges and investing in schools, teachers, c