first part of the mexican american civil rights movement. he went to san jose and started doing when he did when he came to a new place, which was to hold house meetings, where you invite people over, talk about their concerns, their needs, and try to get people engaged in collective community organizing. cesar chavez had a meeting at the chavez house. part of the legend has also been that someone wrote in his journal that that night, i think i found the guy i'm looking for. and that, you can find that quote in lots of books and scholarly works, even, but in fact that is made up, and i found the actual entry in fred's journal from that night, which says something very positive. he said chavez has great potential, great energy, you know, something very positive about caesar, but not exactly

the quote that has become a legend. >> from the c-span archives tonight on c-span. be sure to watch c-span's new series, books that shaped america, in partnership with the brary of congress, starting now, our free mobile video app, or online at c-span.org. ♪ host: good morning. it is friday, september 1, 2023. we will look at campaign 2024 and talk about new work requirements for food stamp recipients. there currently no age limits for politicians. we want to think -- we want to let you know if you think that should change. we want to have the conversation

with seniors only. if you're in the senior in the eastern or central time zone the number to call is (202) 748-8000 . if you are in the mountain or pacific time zones (202) 748-8001. you can also send us a text at (202) 748-8003. please include your name and where you are from. otherwise catch up with us on social media @cspanwj and on facebook at facebook.com/c-span. you can start calling it now. this question about america's aging politicians getting more attention this week in the wake of mitch mcconnell appearing to freeze up for a second time in two months during a news conference with reporters. here is that moment from this week. >> thoughts about running for reelection?

>> did you hear the question? running for reelection in 2026? we will need a minute. does somebody else have a question. host: that was a scene from covington, kentucky. it was mcconnell's office that released a letter from his doctor saying he is ok to stay on the job. the note written thursday attributed his momentary paralysis to lightheadedness associated with his recovery from a concussion he suffered

five months ago. it also said the episode could have been caused by dehydration. "i have consulted with leader mcconnell and conferred with his neurology team and after evaluating the incident i have infirmed leader mcconnell he is medically cleared to continue with his schedule as planned." that is the note from mitch mcconnell's doctor. there is been an ongoing conversation about america's aging politicians. it got extra charge this week in the wake of that incident. two tweets from two members of congress. marjorie taylor greene with a tweet on wednesday after that incident, saying aging and mental health issues and mental health incompetence must be addressed. biden, mcconnell, feinstein, federman, are examples of people who are not fit for office. this from congressman dean

phillips saying the family, friends, and staff of senators feinstein and mcconnell are doing a disservice. it is time for term limits. dean phillips with his tweet from wednesday. we are having the conversation with seniors only. how old is too old for public office? should there be an age limit? there is a minimum age requirement. for the house it is 25 years old and for the senate is 30 years old and for the presidency 35 years old. should there be an age limit? we want to hear from seniors on this topic. walter is up first out of new jersey. what do you think? caller: i agree with that. i am well in my 70's. i do not think we should be led by a group of octogenarians. host: which of the age limit be?

when you hit 80 you have to step down? caller: i think it should be 75. host: what he placed the line there? caller: you have a large amount of people with alzheimer's and dementia well before that age. it should be at that age limit. host: while i have you. one other thought on this that has come up as these conversations have been happening up maybe not an age limit but a competency test once you hit a certain age that you have to pass a mental acuity test. what are your thoughts on that? caller: who knows. they could fail the test and a person pass who has given them the test. it is a bad standard. we are becoming a third world country ruled by dictators for life and all of that.

our leaders should not be a group of octogenarians. host: thanks for the call. this is sean in new york. good morning. caller: good morning. i think if you are given the right test that can prove they are capable of being president or vice president at a certain age, given the test. host: what would you want to test? what should that look like? caller: attest to prove that there brain is still working at 100%. a psychological test that shows they are capable of doing the job and staying as president or vice president. host: that is sean in new york. this is dan in virginia. what do you think about this question? caller: i live in dallas-fort worth. i am back in town on business

and this is one of my favorite radio shows. it is sad they do not broadcast it there. i think it needs to be tied to social security. the max is 71. that should be the cap. the other thing is term limits. i think term limits combined with age. another thing is the health care for politicians. they ought to get the same health care as the military. not this tri-care plus. they need to get what we get. i am sorry if i voice that i am in the military. i think those are a couple of things that would make it better. host: that is dan in virginia. keep calling in on this question. we are talking with seniors only in this segment talking about how old is too old for public office. if you are in the eastern or central time zone (202) 748-8000

, mountain or pacific time zones (202) 748-8001 up as you continue to call in we want to turn our attention back to the ongoing recovery efforts and response efforts in florida and georgia in the wake of hurricane idalia. coming ashore wednesday and north florida's third congressional district in the path of that hurricane. congresswoman cap cannick represents the district. we are showing viewers some of the videos that i believe you tweeted out as well of the water coming ashore on wednesday. how are you and how is the district today? guest: it is interesting. we are on the road already this morning. there are countless trees down, roads blocked, property damage.

in florida and our area, ares of georgia, trees coming down on structures is a huge danger. after that initial surge it was the water coming down that are problematic. in some parts of our district we are reporting upwards of close to 12 feet of storm surge which is wiped out entire coastal communities. those are areas that are part of our district that saw a tremendous beating. the recovery effort is well underway. governor desantis and his team have done a great job being ready, and now we are underway to see what we can do to mitigate as much damage as possible. resilient, strong, and working. host: you have a sense of how long this is going to take and if you will need additional federal funding and another

emergency funding bill once you get back to capitol hill? guest: i have to say i was very disappointed with remarks out of the administration and fema saying they were out of money. to me that is ridiculous when they continue to use funds that have been allocated for disaster relief elsewhere around the country, like at the border for rehousing and transportation. we are going to need additional funding. that goes without saying. playing politics with people's lives, that is unacceptable. that is what we are already seeing. my colleagues in florida, republicans and democrats, we have asked for a clean funding mechanism that will help us recover from not just idalia, but also hurricane ian, which hit our state last year. we are still waiting on funding from that.

it should not be tied to any other funding, for example, ukraine, which is what we are hearing the administration will push for. we are pushing in a bipartisan way to get a clean funding bill that will help us get on our feet. something that has been up to -- that has not been talked about at all is the agricultural losses. my state provides over 180 million americans food. the agricultural losses we are sustaining is staggering. when you think about the saltwater intrusion and the losses we have seen it will have an impact on our producers and consumers. host: staying on that funding bill, i assume we are talking billions of dollars. is it too soon to say how many billions or is it too early? guest: it is too early. we are still in search and recovery mode. there are folks who got their

first meal late last night. there are parts of our district that will not have power for several weeks. even in south georgia, my father-in-law in the matter of south georgia saw sustained winds of 95 miles per hour and power outage for two or three weeks. we will not have a good sense of how much we are talking about for another couple of days or weeks. host: i appreciate you joining us as you are touring the district. where are you headed today and where will you be tomorrow? guest: i'm currently in route to cedar key horseshoe beach. some of the worst parts are not just coastal communities but some of our inland areas where they have taken a beating and inland flooding has been horrific. we are headed to those areas. some of their areas we cannot get to yet like hamilton county,

taylor county, old bay county. those are areas we cannot get to yet because the roads are covered with debris and shut down or washed out. guest: we heard president -- host: we heard president biden say he is going to florida. is he coming to your district? guest: i am planning to meet with him. he is coming to our district. i do not know the specifics about where in the district but i know they have said they are coming. host: what will you tell him? guest: we will have to wait and see. host: last question and i hope you don't mind if we turn it back to this question we ask viewers and i hope you don't mind with me telling viewers you're one of the younger members of congress, 35 years old, we passed viewers how old is too old for public office. should there be an age limit? it will be interesting to get your thoughts as one of the youngest members. guest: it is interesting being a

youngster in the room, particular with people who have served multiple decades. it is important that we have new ideas and a new generation at the table. for me as a millennial most of the national debt and decisions being made is falling on my generation shoulders so it is concerning we do not have more young people getting involved. when it comes to the issue of an age limit, i think that is where the power of the people comes in. we have a constitutional republic and the people have the power to vote in the representatives. to arbitrarily put a limit on it is not a smart path to go down. the people have the power to choose a representative, to hire and fire them, and it is time we the people exercise that power. host: appreciate your time. stay safe and we will see you back at our desk at the washington journal when you make it back to washington, d.c.. guest: i appreciate it. say a prayer for florida. host: back to your phone calls,

asking seniors only for the first segment of washington journal how old is too old for public office? (202) 748-8000 is the number if you are a senior in the eastern or central time zone. (202) 748-8001 is the number if you are a senior in the mountain or pacific. we will also look for your social media posts as well. we talked not just about the age limit but there are been some calls for a competency test for the oldest members of congress or older public servants. it was a topic that former governor nikki haley talked about when she was in iowa. here is a little bit of what she had to say. [video clip] >> i am a huge proponent of term limits and we need to have term limits in d.c.

i am a huge component of mental competency test for anyone over the age of 75. let me tell you, senator grassley would pass that in a heartbeat. that man is not slowing down one inch. i was trying to keep up with them all day. why wouldn't we want them to take it? these are easy tests. name four words that start with the same letter. what town we boarded? how many -- what town were you born in? how may grandchildren do you have? host: she was referring to chuck grassley, 89 years old. his birthday was this month. back to your phone calls. alan has been waiting in brooklyn. what are your thoughts? caller: a number of points. first of all, even though modern

communication allows presidents to function without being everywhere at once, the political demands of campaigning have kept politicians required to go through the physical exertion of flying from city to city just to create the feeling of closeness to voters so the demands of office could be counteracted with the benefits of modern communication and put a premium on the physical fitness for presidents for things earlier generations do not need to worry about before the age of rapid plane flight. we also have the added demands of ai because they increase the frequency or the speed at which threats will combat any country from a foreign country and the newness and variety of the threats that could happen require that the entire government organism be more

adept at dealing with these threats at that speed. that also puts a premium on the physical flexibility of a leader in the way that might not have been an issue before. i do not think joe biden is incompetent to be president again. i think the main thing joe biden brings to us is his ability to bring the right team of people. he has the wisdom to delegate. my main concern is on the agent extended terms of the supreme court. as ages get greater you have a greater fraction of the population being ruled by people that they have no hand in electing. senators or presidents who put them on the supreme court. host: is there a difference because supreme court members are not expected to travel

around the country and have those connected that a politician does? caller: that's true. the anti-democratic result of the longevity of the supreme court is so much greater. with the unlimited terms they have, many of the people today being ruled over by the supreme court majority have no chance to vote for the senators or presidents who appointed or confirmed them. during our founding era when most people were not living past 50, if you had very few voters who did not have some hand in picking supreme court justices who were ruling over them. that is essentially undemocratic . for that reason we must have term limits on the court, not as a matter of competency but a matter of keeping the court relatively democratic. host: what is a fair term limit for a supreme court justice? caller: i would say three terms of six years should be more than enough. 18 years probably matches the

tenure of any supreme court justice during the founding era. if the justice was found to be a competent lawyer and appointed to the court in their early 40's come the likelihood any of them would surpassed 58 in an age when few people lived into their 50's and 70's was pretty small. if they were serving 18 years in the early 1800s i do not see why that should not be sufficient today. host: i appreciate the call. how old is too old for public office. this is sephia in new york. caller: good morning, john. i am 73 years old. i walked two hours a day, i am still working. i plan to work until i die. a lady opened my eyes last week

when she called c-span saying mitch mcconnell is playing politics, pretending so joe biden will not be elected. i hope she is wrong. mitch mcconnell is a very intelligent guy. if he is playing politics -- a younger generation to follow democracy. democracy is the key. age has nothing to do. limit, as long as they are doing a good job, i do not see why they should have a limit. my best friend is 95 years old and still walks 10 blocks to buy his food.

everything is what you eat, what you do. thank you for listening. host: this is isaac bailey, an opinion writer. his piece from earlier this week in the wake of that moment, that moment mitch mcconnell had freezing up. he said we should be careful not to conflate age and health. age makes us more vulnerable to medical conditions and complications. that does not mean every 81-year-old should be forced to quit jobs they love. he notes south carolina has the nation's only all-male supreme court because a mandatory retirement law force the only woman to relinquish her seat. he said there is a lot of talk about elected officials being too old. that is a political question. mcconnell situation is different . the man is clearly sick. he should be led by the hand home.

cheyenne, wyoming. good morning. caller: good morning. i am 76, i've had a liver transplant, i've had cancer. i have had all kinds of problems. that does not mean i cannot think rationally. i believe there should be term limits for congress, the senate, and the supreme court. the supreme court should only rollor5 years. 15 years is plenty of time to put in the rules they will put in that everybody s to live by. i think senators shoulonly be for two terms in congress for the terms. we need new fresh ideas. i am old and i am probablyoi to be in the minority but i believe there should be new ideas and new faces.

host: what about to that point, and the congresswoman was making this point that voters get to decide every two or six years whether somebody is too old. why do we trust voters to make that decision? why should we take that decision away, whether it is being too old or living too long you advocate for term limits. voters get to make that choice. caller: yes. then when you have a huge block of voters and they outvote everybody, that is still not fair. i don't believe that. i believe there should be term limits and that is it. if people want to vote and get somebody the same person still in, that is their choice. what about people who keep struggling to get somebody else in there and they cannot? that is not fair, either. host: thanks for the call from

wyoming. a few comments from our text messaging service. (202) 748-8003 is that number. when a person gets older, judy from pennsylvania writes, he has experienced many changes and he knows not reacting from the moment is important and he is more ready to think about all aspects. lynn in oregon says i believe the age limit should be 80. i know there are many 90-year-olds that are more than capable of holding office and some 40-year-olds that are not, but i believe there is a time to let go and let others form the direction of our country. like in north dakota segmented tory retirement for flag officers is 62 years of age. i would say mandatory retirement for politicians should be 72. this is jennifer harper writing her inside the beltway column for the washington times focusing on a new book from

william cole, the new england editor for the associated press. that book the big 100, the new world of super aging. mr. cole notes that older americans lock on a higher office is only going to intensify as the baby boo june -- as the baby boomers agent to the where hundreds. -- into their 100. between now and 2040 he writes the senior population is expected to swell 44% while the 18 to 64 population is set to grow by just 6% and many of those elders will have no qualms about keeping older politicians in office. mr. william cole writing in his book "the big 100: the new world of super aging." betty in ohio. you are next. caller: good morning. i think it depends on the

mental, how they are. i used to take care of people with dementia. i think joe biden has dementia. he is getting worse. dementia, he can get really bad. it is better he does not run again. i think 80 years old is about the limit. it depends on the mind. physically it is different. the mind. as long as your mind is fine. to me about 80 years old. i am 83 years old. my mind is still up there. it is my physical that is bad. i really think joe biden should be out because things can get really bad with dementia. host: president biden is 80 years old. he will be 81 in november. yesterday he was asked about mitch mcconnell's moment before reporters on wednesday. this is president biden from fema headquarters answering that question. [video clip]

>> i spoke to mitch, he is a friend. i spoke to him today. he was his old self on the telephone. having a little understanding of dealing with neurosurgeons -- one of the leading women on my staff, her husband is a neurosurgeon -- it is not at all unusual to have a response that sometimes happens to mitch when you've had a severe concussion. it is part of a recovery. i am confident he will be back to his old self. >> you have any concerns about his ability to do his job? >> i don't. host: 80-year-old president biden talking about 81-year-old mitch mcconnell. asking just seniors only in this first segment, how old is too old for public office? (202) 748-8000 in the eastern or

central time zones, (202) 748-8001 mountain or pacific time zone. this is dwight in d.c., good morning. caller: i believe you could put an age limit on the presidency but i do not think you should do it for biden second term. they knew he was old when he ran at the age of 78. not only that, every president has a vice president. what is the job of vice president? i think if he does have a problem he has a vice president. not only that, biden is doing good. the woman talking about dementia. biden ain't got dementia. he has a speech problem. he has had a speech problem all his life. nikki haley talking about the

test. biden would fail because every time he would stumble on a word they would call it dementia. that is all i have to say. host: we will head out to the beehive state. this is leah in utah. host: there has been talk to increase -- caller: there been talk to increase the wireless rates that help the tv and computer function and from 4g to 60 which means increase the microwave. if it is increased it causes what you saw mitch mcconnell. host: you think this has to do with the wireless networks? caller: the increase. they are going to an increase. any increase in microwaves. when it gets to 6g, you could be driving a car, all the sudden

you cannot drive the car anymore. you are frozen. host: where are you reading this? caller: it has been talked about in several places. in fact, some countries are not accepting this increase in microwave that helps the tv, computer, cell phones function. host: to parker, arizona. this is tim. good morning. how old is too old for public office? caller: term limits would end all of this. what kind of meds are they taking and how many of that previous health issues like aneurysms or strokes, and what kind of meds are they on all the time? if they had term limits they would not have any of these problems. host: is that a call for more

disclosure once you reach a certain age about your personal medical information? caller: yes. what if they drug tested him like they do a bus driver? if you are in congress or the senate, why have you drug test them? they have a lot of responsibility. host: that is tim in arizona. this is jim garrity writing in the washington post. he writes that politicians can spin a lot of things but the state of a politicians health can be hidden from the public only so long. i realize no politician wants to leave office, but they are not in the jobs to make themselves feel good and important in old age. they are in the jobs to serve the public. mcconnell, biden, dianne feinstein have been in office for decades. if they want to stay in office the minimum they can do is provide the public with full information, no minimizing, no

be grudging, full unvarnished information about their health. david in monticello, georgia. you are next. caller: good morning. thank you for taking my call. the recent elections we had donald trump that most people were laughing at for trying to do this, coming in with so much energy and so much intelligence and so much top of anything he blew us away. i was the biggest never trumper. he came in and blew everybody away because of the way he was. it is about the individual. it is about the individuals running for congress. you see in the debates who has the energy, who has the intelligence, and who has the right ideas. host: is that a call for the system as we have it, that you can call them as you see them

and elect them or not elect them as you see them. caller: it is the only free way to do it. it is up to the voters. you start putting arbitrary term limits on everybody, you're taking away wisdom and intelligence and knowledge of years of living. it does not make any sense. it is biden trying to eliminate trump. what is going on in her head? what is the wisdom she has accrued and all of this decade of running for office? it is up to the voter. host: we have a term limit for the presidency. two terms for the presidency. is that something you disagree with? would you have wanted the opportunity to elect george w. bush to a third term or barack obama to a third term? caller: sure.

it is about the individual and the freedom to choose who we want to put in office. host: thanks for the call. greg in michigan. good morning. caller: good morning. i do not think there should be any age restrictions were term limits. an age restriction would only be arbitrary. the same with term limits. voting is a person's ability to say they want the person in office or not. also if there should be an age limit for being in office and maybe there should be an age limit for voting for somebody to be in office. age does not have anything to do with the person's capability the

number of years a person serves has nothing to do with a person's ability. host: what would you say to the 17-year-old who says i've studied the candidates, i know public policy, i should be able to vote when i'm 17 and there is an age restriction on me voting? caller: we go by the constitution. we decided to change the constitution to allow 18-year-olds to vote. i think we should go with that same requirement if we lower the age any further. host: that is great in michigan. the 22nd amendment, no person should be elected to the office of president more than twice and no person who has held the office of president or acted as president for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected shall be elected to the office of president more than once. the 22nd amendment to the u.s.

constitution. this is ed, st. thomas. good morning. go ahead. caller: i think age discrimination is the worst kind of discrimination that exists. i have never heard stories about biden this or biden that. then i started listening closely to this guy. he is pretty clear and concise to me. the tales that are told by the opposition. it is a horrible situation. there are old people we should have stepped down a wild back. -- there old people who should stepped down a wild back. host: you think mitch mcconnell needs to step down? caller: probably come and diane. get out of here.

i am a democrat in our guest. democrats are acting just like the republicans. party before country. standing behind diane feinsin or backing her up because of at ctest of who wants to be the next senat fm california. pick somebody and move? make a move. it is stagnating. host: that is ed from the virgin islands. this is the story in the wall street journal. mcconnell's health puts succession spotlight on other republican senators, specifically those three senators referred to as the three john's. sean thune, who holds the number two position in senate republican leadership as republican whip. his job is being responsible for rounding up votes. there is also john barrasso, the orthopedic surgeon and chairman of the senate republican conference since 2019 come and

the picture below the headline, john cornyn, the head of the national republican senatorial committee, the senate gop campaign arm before becoming mitch mcconnell's number two in 2012. the three john's are the trio of allies of mitch mcconnell seen as who could be next in line to lead senate republicans. alexandria, virginia. good morning. caller: thank you for taking my call. i think there should be an age limit for being president. not because the old cannot rule. how about the practical need for being in leadership at such senior age.

there are tests to indicate that as we get old there's so much degeneration. apart from that -- i think american leaders or the president -- host: dianne feinstein turns 90 this summer. chuck grassley turns 90 this month. that it is bernie sanders and

mitch mcconnell. then ben cardin from maryland, 79. the average age of a member of the senate is 64 years old. the average age of a member of the house of representatives is 57 years old. the data from fiscalnote.com is where you can see their breakdown of ages. this is susan in california. you are next. caller: you are talking about -- some time ago. on the supreme court our forefathers knew they had to give them lifetime appointments so they knew they would be intimidating congress and fighting congress all the time. they gave them lifetime

appointments so they could make a good decision and they would not be intimidated or harassed by congress. voting at 17 -- when i was 17 i was not ready to vote. thank you. host: that is susan in california. speaking of clarence thomas, making some news yesterday. this story is in the washington times. the supreme court justice disclosed that he took three tips paid for by gop mega dona harland wrote after critics dinged him for not being upfront about his travel with the real estate mogul. thomas noted he took two trips to dallas for the american enterprise institute and one trip to new york, all paid for by harland crow. the justice noted travel by private plane was for security

reasons. following the ruling that upended abortion rights. this is mark in clearwater, florida. caller: all of the sudden. host: mi on? -- am i on? caller: i think term limits would be perfect. this was not meant to be a lifetime appointment for anybody, especially the supreme court. another thing, with elections, one we do like australia? they advertise for their man or woman and then they have a vote and it is over with. my republican friends, please come back, i miss you. when we were younger we all got along. everybody used common sense. they don't use common sense. they do not want to believe in doctors or scientists.

it is hard because their whole lives they were just like us. we just wanted to do well. it seems like they get checked out with their common sense. you do not believe your scientists and doctors we have always believed. host: we are talking age limits for public servants this morning and several more folks want to get in. about 15 minutes left. we are talking with seniors. how old is too old for public office. the grand canyon state. this is mike. thanks for waiting. caller: i think this entire conversation is ridiculous. public office. can we at least talk about the fact that the citizens do not have an actual role or recourse

to politicians they vote for themselves? that is patently absurd in the entire concept is bizarre. host: what about the ability to reelect them or not reelect them? caller: as citizens we do not get that choice. the only people that have that ability are the people we already elected that we have no choice but to do whatever they are saying. host: you are saying you don't have the ability to vote? caller: no. we do not have the ability to call the people we voted for -- that have completely screwed us

on everything. maybe i am not saying this very well. i think most people get my point. host: that is mike in arizona. california, i'm a senior 78 years old and politician should retire at 70. they hang around too long. another text message from this tweet saying there are more politicians who run to get richer than serve the people, that defines all three branches of the government. we do not need these people making our decisions. age limits could minimize the damage they do. rick saying i do not know about a specific age, but those in public office need to have people around them will be honest with them and advise them when it is time to step aside. term limits would require a constitutional amendment. this is diane in key west, florida.

caller: good morning. really good things were said this morning. i think it is a great topic, especially what happened to mitch and even biden. with mitch it is probably not his age, it is probably a health issue. i believe that politicians should have no more than two term limits. the supreme court should serve no more than 15 years. we live in a country with over 300 million people, we have plenty of brilliant people. let's get new thoughts and fresh blood and new energy and open up the political politicians to younger people. thank you so much for letting me share. host: this is andrew in arizona. sierra vista. good morning. caller: how are you? host: doing well. caller: it is not as much age.

it is more corruption that we need term limits. the longer they stay in office the more money and power they get in the more they want to stay in office. thank you. host: what is the answer? caller: i think term limits is the answer. i do not think it is as much age as the more time you spend in washington the more corrupt you get. host: this is miley in california. thank for being up early in california. are you with us? then we will head to texas. good morning. caller: good morning. i think what we are talking about is it is going to be trump or biden. trump is not that much younger than joe biden. two individuals, how they performed in their life is the choice we will have. it is about people, what they do

in their job. host: that is kevin. this is war and in california. good morning. caller: good morning. i am 90 years old now and i was doing fine in my work until i was 85. at that time i fell off the shelf. that is my contribution to this situation. my personal position is i was good until i was 85. i think it varies by the individual. host: what kind of work are you doing at 85? caller: i was a chaplain at a state prison. host: what was the moment you realized that it is time? is that a decision you came to on your own or did someone bring

it up to you? how did you make that decision that it was time to stop working? caller: i was aware that my mental acumen was not where it had been in my physical ability had waned quite a bit and i knew that i was not remembering people's names. that is how i came to that decision. host: how hard was that for you? caller: i did not hear that. host: how hard was it to come to that decision? caller: how hard was it? it was difficult to come to that realization but i think my dogs see things like that. i have good dogs that are

hunting dogs and they seem to go along until they are about nine or 10 and they fall off the shelf and then i put them into retirement so i thought that is what i need to do. host: how many dogs you have? caller: i have three. what is complete really retired. one should be retired, and one is coming on. i am getting ready to go dove hunting this morning. host: what are your dog's names? caller: the oldest name is yelling, the middle one's name is bracus and the younger ones name is rader. magellan went to the veterinarian store and i told the clerk that magellan made three trips around the world. on one of them he died. he said which one of them. she said i don't know. then we had a good laugh. host: thank you for the call.

good luck duck hunting. caller: thank you. good program. host: ingrid in pensacola. good morning. caller: my 90-year-old mother can out walk me and she has a memory like no tomorrow. i count on her to help me remember. it is like most of the people calling in this morning -- the gentleman ahead of me, i thought he was great. i think 85 would be a good age if you're physically and mentally able and capable and -- my 90-year-old mother says she is a dinosaur. i say if you're a dinosaur that

makes me a baby dinosaur. i go along with 85 or else the vote. i think the vote is the most important. these subjects don't come up unless there is a democrat in the office. reagan, no one complained about reagan's age. i am old enough to remember reagan, i am 74. no one complained. they voted him in knowing he had dementia. host: it came up this week in the wake of what happened with mitch mcconnell freezing up for the second time in two months. it happened on wednesday in kentucky. the republican leader is why we are talking about it today. obviously it is an ongoing issue affecting other members, but the

news tag is a republican and one of the most senior republins in the senate. caller: if he was wise, he looks like a wise old owl, he should know when to step down. people should know, if there intelligent, went to step down. i don't know what reason -- even dianne feinstein, i agree, they should be wise enough to know. host: thanks for the call. one more news story focusing on mitch mcconnell. this is in politico. burgess everett, c-span viewers know the reporter for politico. this is what he writes. i handful of republican senators are waiting whether to force an internal debate about their leadership future after mitch mcconnell second public freeze up.

rank-and-file republicans have discussed the possibility of a broader conversation once the senate returns to washington according to folks who talk to burgess everett. party leadership is not involved in those discussions. it takes just five republican senators to force a special conference meeting, which is the most direct way to have a specific discussion about the minority leader after his public policy -- his public pause. the senate gop also holds a luncheon, giving other members a forum for hashing out this discussion but noting this could be a conversation when members return next week in the senate. house members return the following week. this is donna in florida. five minutes left. good morning. caller: i am a 73-year-old has been. anyway. my mind is fine. it is physical for me. if our government, if they need

a cane for a wheelchair or oxygen, they still have a brain and they can do their job. putting a limit is difficult. my father died at 94 and he was still preaching. he would pause in his sermon and you expected something very profound to come out of his mouth, but it was like he was reforming his thoughts. nobody thought anything of it until these days. this is like 20 years ago. i don't know what to tell you. your body should be the one to tell you when it is time to retire, when to quit. host: i don't think you are a has-been, just so you know. caller: [laughter]

thank you so much. i appreciate that. you have a good day. host: you do the same. cody, wyoming. caller: thank you. i am a longtime viewer. at 70 years old you should stop right there. if you're a politician, he run for office, if you're 69 you should run for office. once you turn 70 it would be an unwritten rule, do not run anymore. that goes the same for running a business or any kind of leadership. you can still use the person's wisdom and asked arians by them serving -- you can still use the person's wisdom and experience by them serving on boards, but

it should be that number 70 is the hidden rule to hang it up. guest: you think you would have a bunch of people -- host: you think you have a bunch of people running for senate at age 69 under that proposal and then serve until they are 75? caller: that's the thing. they go ahead and serve their term into the 70's. it is a real simple rule. keep it simple. host: they still have that nightly in cody, wyoming. caller: it bigger than ever. host: this is george in tulsa, oklahoma. good morning. caller: are you able to hear me all right? i am 84, reasonably sound of mind and body, reasonably. i think the bigger problem is the fact that the states do not

elect their senators. so much outside money poured into the election of mitch mcconnell, and i am a republican. we need to change -- i know it will require a constitutional amendment -- but we need to set it up if you cannot vote you cannot donate. i think the problem is much worse in the senate than the house, but it is a problem all the way around. host: one last call as we approach the 8:00 eastern our. mike in virginia. go ahead. caller: we already have age limits. you cannot be a president until you are 35. i think with age comes mental changes. i think dianne feinstein should

resign, chuck grassley, all of these people. the job is overwhelming. i realize that dianne feinstein cannot resign because they need a 60 vote majority. i wanted her out but i found out there is a and that is why democrat are not forcing her out. so, senior age limit is we already have it. the biggest problem is money in government, election campaigns. incumbents have more money, more everything and more influence to be reelected again and again and again. the senate, becoming dictatorship. it is what nicholas. biden should resign. he should not run again. that is all i have to say.

host: our last color in this first segment of "washington journal." today marks the day of requirements for the snap program. we will talk about that program with indivar dutta-gupta from the center for law and social policy. later, we will be joined by former wisconsin governor, republican scott walker. we will talk about campaign 2024 and his group's role, the young america foundation. we will be back. ♪ ♪ >> this fall, watch c-span's new series, books that shaped america. join us as we embark on a captivating journey in partnership with the library of congress which first created the books that shaped america list

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ford, titled an ordinary man. he talks about ford's personal life, antiestablishment politics and his efforts to heal the cotr following the watergate scandal and his controversial decision to pardon richard nixon. [video clip] >> fellow americans, our long, national nightmare is over. >> the irony about the whole phrase, whoever wrote it, is ford did not want to use it. ford -- it was kicking a man when he was down. don't you think it is hard? he made the case, no, in effect, you do not understand mr. vice president. people need to hear this. they need to hear it from you. the final surprise, of course, is -- >> richard norton smith with his book sunday night at 8:00 p.m. eastern on the spans q and a.

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guest: that is a great question. essentially, the snap program has a general work requirement for those participants. there are some exemptions. for others who are 16 to age 59, you have to register for work, be available to and be willing to accept suitable employment however is defined sometimes differently in different states. there is a specific time limit for folks who are ages 18 49. as of today, that age limit -- that age group got bumped up. it is now 18 to 50. it will get bumped up next month. that time limit says if you do not meet a certain work test of 80 hours per month or roughly 20 hours per week in every month over a three year period, you get three months of exemptions in the three year period. then, you lose your benefits.

in any 36 month period, you fall to 79 hours of work in a month because your employer does not give you the hours you want and the shifts you want you can do that for three months. the fourth month, that is it. you have hit the time limit. host: according to the ua, some 42 point 3 million americans participate in the snap program. how many people is this new requirement expected to affect? how many peoplare expected to get bumped off this program as a result of these requirements? guest: the estimates from the center of budget and policy partie are 750,000 people may lose benefits as a result of these new requirements, these new work tests and strictetime limits for folks who are not otherwise exempt. that is a lot of folks. host: why do we have these tests? remind us how we got here legislatively. guest: most recently, we have

this bill addressing the debt limit in theory. and, addressing deficit reduction more generally. in that bill, there were a number of cuts to programs and sometimes, other changes. in the case of the snap program, which i should note is very, very small part of the federal budget is door by defense spending and in a few months. it is not really a contributor to our long-term debt challenges. the snap program did see some changes. one of the biggest changes was this, exposing more people to this mandatory work task. people who often have disabilities and have exemptions for disabilities and often have caregiving responsibilities -- the person they are caring for may not primarily live with

them. there may be other challenges and discrimination they face in the labor markets. the white house was able to engineer a few more broad categories of exemptions. the exemptions to the new requirements. host: in addition to the new and existing work tests. guest: that is veterans, people expressing homelessness, people aging out of foster care to the age of 24. the budget office estimates -- it is hard to tell -- they estimated optimistically that we will at people to being able to participate in a snap as a result of these new categories being added and exempt from the existing and new work test. however, a lot depends on how it is going to be administered. say you are eligible for an of those exemptions or one of the exemptions to the work test that is newly applied to older adults. you have to know you are eligible. you have to be able to document

it often and error five. we just do not know that is going to happen. states already have called the work test for older adults -- that time limit, that three month and three year period time limit is already called an operational nightmare. that was before we added the new complexity. host: let me invite viewers to join the conversations. phone lines split regionally in these segments. central or eastern time zones, (202) 748-8000. eastern -- pacific time zones, (202) 748-8001. snap recipients, we want to hear your stories and how these work requirements work for you. (202) 748-8002 is that number. we are joined by indivar dutta-gupta of the center for law and social policy. what is your mission?

guest: it has been around for 54 years. we are committed to developing solutions to end poverty in the united states. we have a particular focus on racial equity as we think that is deeply intertwined with addressing property. we work across the whole range of areas from making sure people have good jobs, to making sure they have the income assistance they need to making sure they have the health care that will help them work and attend school and the like. host: food stamps and now snap as it is called, these work requirements. do they work? does it move people out of poverty to have work requirements for food stamps? guest: right. we have had more than a dozen studies of these work tests and requirements for snap. a few of them will show some very small effects where you see some boost in -- a very modest

boost -- in earnings and employment. the vast majority show none. you see lots of negative affect spirit even if somebody loses snap because of this work requirement and we are focused on the fact they are losing food, there could be spillover effects. there could be effects on crime. we could see health reduced -- health outcomes weekend. we already know that exposure to snap, especially for kids -- some folks who are subject to these new tests do have kids. it is not just children they may be caring for. we know exposure to snap for kids in the 1960's and 1970's led to a lot of improved health outcomes. so, less chronic health conditions and problems that you would want to reduce. i would just say that the research of snap work requirement shows it mostly

bumps people off of the program. it is almost let -- nothing for employment and earnings and has other undesirable consulates is. the other way to promote work, u.s. teenage -- number host: in snap comes out to 22 point 3 million households in this count. the average monthly snap benefits per person in about 228 dollars, the average monthly benefit per household, $433. talk about the snap program this morning and these new work requirements, these eligibility requirements and taking more phone calls. this is mike out of minnesota, first in the segment. you are on with indivar dutta-gupta. caller: good morning. i was in an accident in 2014 and had a traumatic brain injury. i am not able to work. i wondered if there was any waivers for people who have a situation like that. guest: yeah, mike.

first, i am sorry that happened to you. in theory, snap will exempt people from these requirements based on having a disability that prevents them from working. snap, while a federal government, leaves the states with a lot of flexibility in the states that administer the program. in some states, it could be easier or tougher to document and prove you have a disability that keeps you from working. there is research that shows unfortunately a lot of people with disabilities who are supposed to be exempt and will probably see the same again with veterans, -- that they still get bumped off of the program because of their requirements. one of the challenges is how convoluted the program has become with these tests and requirements. it makes it very difficult for

states to administer it and difficult for participants to understand what it takes to meet the requirements of an exception. host: on states administering this program, 17 -- 17 states have gotten waivers on these new requirements. why states want these waivers? why don't other states want a waiver? guest: states can apply for areas waivers of these work tests. usually, it is because they will say, parts of our state, some markets are not that great. there is a mass -- there is a mismatch even if the economy is doing well. there is a lot of variation by states. some states may wrongly think that these tests will help people get jobs when, in fact, it does almost nothing on employment earnings but does create hardship and other

harmful consequent this. we will have to see what states do. we are expanding it in three steps. for some states, it may say it is too hard. a lot of states may use some discretion to exempt people for this month and start implementing it up to the age of 52 in a month and 54 to. host: snap recipient fred in brandon, vermont. you are next. caller: hi, i am in the wrong spot. i am caught in the middle. i am totally disabled and get disability. i am 61 years old. i am also a trained shooter. i am a good shooter. i can get hard -- part time work -- i'm getting $25 a hour.

i just disqualified from getting snap because they account my disability and count my income. i am on and off again like a yo-yo. in the summer months, i tried to get on. it usually takes me a couple of months. this last summer, i was in the process of documenting everything. it took me almost two months. i called them up and told them i started working, i do not qualify. i am confused. you are saying there is a work requirement. apparently in vermont, that disqualifies me. i am wondering if -- i do not know. i am wondering why. host: let's take that up. guest: host: you described guest: you described a perfect

catch-22. this is something we worry about a lot and know what happens. essentially in some situations, we are telling people you have to work. then, in fact when you do work, you are disqualified because of the work. one of the biggest challenges that i think the united states faces economically is, we have among the largest share of low paid jobs among our peer nations. among high income countries threat the world, the united states ranks at the bottom where a huge share of jobs in the united states just do not pay enough to live a decent living standard. but, here is the great example. they pay well enough to completely bump you off benefits. that could help you achieve that a sick living standard -- basic

living standard. this is not going to help these particular policies. we want to promote -- in some ways as your situation highlights -- we would say, look , these benefits phase out based on your income. it is not based on these rules of work hours. host: this is monique in washington, d.c. good morning. caller: good morning. i just wanted to say --this is a hot mess. i am going to try and make it sound as simple as possible. i do not think the people who are making the laws for the american people are understanding how the average american is living. my point i was going to say is, you already answered it. the way they did it, the rule is

, they are ashen population. they do not have a lot of work. they do not have a lot of companies. they do not have a lot of opportunities to get jobs as opposed to the urban areas. when it comes to food stamps, it is a small budget of the federal government and for our seniors and our citizens who are on disability, it is a hot mess. how can someone who is disabled it out there and work for food stamps? food stamps should be a necessity for a lot of our low income residents in the united states of america. i am going to get in with this. my mother was 51 when she died. before she died, a year before

she died, she went down to the department of human services to apply for food stamps. do you know how much they gave her? they gave her $16. she was on his ability. they gave her $16 a month in food stamps. the republican congressman who added this to the budget, i do not think he know his residence and he definitely do not know the citizens of the united states and their struggles. host: thanks for the call. guest: yes, monique, thanks for sharing this story, including about your mother. look, i think in the first place, you said a really important thing about food stamps or snap now being a necessity for many folks. we want to create a world that is the case and we have in the united states after world war ii

shown that we can create an economy where incomes grew somewhat equally throughout the income distribution, folks at the top saw similar growth than folks at the bottom. we have not seen a lot of that since 1973 or so. i want to incise part of what is happening here is the economy no longer creates that widely shared prosperity that it once did. although, we have seen some of that in recent years. not so much from 1973 on until the pandemic. the second thing i want to note is what he said about rural areas. there is this significant mismatch where people say, why don't you just move maybe you are caring for your mother who is aging. they have the social network they need their and access to the doctor they need there, they have a long-standing relationship who understands the challenges. that is a big problem. there is a real mismatch in this

country and programs like snap can certainly help. we have to think broadly about how to address that. you mentioned folks with disabilities. snap is supposed to have an exception for people with disabilities. we know from lots of research that people with disabilities often do not get exemptions they deserve. i will note, the issue you raised about the modest and if it your mother ultimately received -- -- benefit your mother ultimately received, even the benefits when our host mentioned some benefit amounts from us, you factor in how many meals that is intended to cover, we are talking maybe $2.17 a meal. divide that by the number of full and meals -- people and meals, that is not a lot of

money. you have to be creative. folks could be working two jobs sometimes to make ends meet. there is a lot there about the misunderstanding that policymakers have. instead, they feed into a demonstrate false idea people will not work if you provide benefits. actually, snap, food stamps can help improve people's health. it can help them be in a mental space and even afford to be search -- be able to search for work. we saw that with the child tax credit expanded through the pandemic. it did help the vast majority of people. host: 42 point 3 million participants in the snap program, about $229 per person per month. how much about each year do we spend on snap the federal budget? guest: offhand, i would say it

is -- it would vary quite a bit. when there is real recessionary period's, we could spend 100 plus billion dollars a year. that could be cut in half or so when we are more improving the labor market and economy. host: so, we are cutting off pandemic spending. with it on the higher end of that number during the pandemic, was it coming down? guest: we did other great things like insure that during the summer when they a lot of kids struggle because they benefit school meals they are not aiding in the summer that they may have money on an ebt card which is basically how people use snap benefits. we did a lot of things to help out and the food assistance side -- it is coming down and we would expect it to come down especially as we see wages rise for folks with the lowest. host: to illinois, gary on the

line for snap recipients. good morning. caller: good morning. i would like to know if you are using ai in your record-keeping and administration. guest: for the snap program? caller: yes. guest: that is a great question. i know that some programs have certainly automated some functions and it has caused problems, including automatic denials. medicaid because of the end of the public health emergency for example, is losing lots of people who need to demonstrate that they are eligible. we ended essentially a continuous eligibility policy and as a result, we are seeing millions of people lose access to medicaid automatically. we know from the initial data that most of the folks actually

are losing benefits for procedural reasons and many -- if they knew and were able to have the wherewithal and documentation, they could stay on. i do not know much more about the details in that program. there is more automation and they are often administered by the same agencies. host: dallas, texas. this is no well. good morning. caller: good morning. i just retired from 20 years [indiscernible] medicaid. the work requirement they put in place went over 20 years. [indiscernible] not disabled -- you are entitled to [indiscernible] there is a system in place where

we are able to build a program. host: i apologize, i am having trouble hearing you. can you tell me your question and maybe we can take the question? we are having trouble hearing you. caller: ok. can you hear me now? host: what is the question? caller: the question is, what is the requirement? there is never a problem with determining eligibility [indiscernible] host: i think it what -- it is what has changed now that we need new requirements? guest: this was a legislative negotiation. we have expanded requirements where folks who are older adults now are subject to requirements that we were previously excluding them from.

folks in their early 50's are increasingly starting today going to be required to need work tests and demonstrate 80 hours of work a month. at least from the vast majority of any three year period. if they fall short, it could be one hour short for three months or more. they lose benefits for the rest of the 36 month period. nothing changed otherwise. if anything, in the economy we demonstrated that if you create an of decent jobs, people will take them. people want to work. we heard earlier from a caller that has a disability and is able to hear and there do part-time teaching work. people want to do what they can. host: are we likely to see more changes to snap coming up in the firm bill, the firm bill is up for authorization, correct? guest: that is a key question.

the farm bill is up for reauthorization at the end of this fiscal year. previous farm bill at the end of september of this year. this month, i should say. that is this month now. in a few weeks. we are seeing if policymakers can come to some agreement either on a temporary or long-term basis. i think some policymakers that look after this agreement that we had on the deficit reduction bill or the debt limit bill, we would like to see some improvements in a snap. there are a number of areas we could reduce some administrative burdens. it is possible policy say, we are not touching -- while we might like to see some work tests change back to ones that

we thought it worked much better than the status quo or back to new rules that are better than what we had before the deficit and debt limit. it is possible we will not see particular changes there. host: to boston, this is jack. good morning. caller: that might have answered my question. it said at the end of the emergency benefits, negotiations could result in restoration in some benefits. what are the chances some benefits will be restored through that? host: as you take up that answer, reminder, it was about congressman mcgovern's will end the snap program. somebody who talked about it a lot on capitol hill. guest: congressman mcgovern from massachusetts has been one of the champions of stat programs,

food assistance programs, broadly ending hunger and food insecurity in the united states. he certainly would be someone who would lead on trying to refer some of these policies. i will note the policy changes to expire in several years. i will also note that the composition of congress folks who are leading the agricultural committees but also the leadership will matter a lot here. i think that there is a strong case to be made that these particular requirements were at best, not necessary, if forced, generally harmful. we are going to see lots of people, estimates of 750,000 people, who will lose access to food assistance. you should expect virtually no improvement in their employment and earnings. they will just be made worse off.

that is both arguably immoral but counterproductive. a lot of these programs -- it is estimated three quarters of a million folks will lose access to snap benefits as a result of these new requirements. host: that is once they are fully implemented? we are not talking this month? guest: no. states might use some of their discretion to try and exempt some folks for a bit. at some point, they are going to bite. host: 10 minutes left with indivar dutta-gupta with the center for law and social policy . have a special line for snap recipients. (202) 748-8002 is that number. this is steve in charlotte, north carolina. good morning. caller: hi, how are you doing? i got stamps in college. what i was told is, it is an

agricultural program, comes under the agricultural. this is not welfare. this is basically to keep food prices up. i was told that by head of the department when i went to get them. host: i appreciate the opportunity and discuss this aspect of snap. it is also an agricultural program. guest: it is by far the largest program the u.s. department of agriculture administers. it supports farmers, especially farmers in the united states. it supports grocers in the united states. it is stimulative. frankly, throughout the business cycle, the u.s. department of agriculture estimates that for every dollar spent on snap gdp grows by more than a dollar 50 or so. it is a mutually beneficial program. this is -- people need food to

make good decisions. we know that. we recognize that. for kids, for pregnant mothers, although even there i just want to take the opportunity to note we have an effective program for president -- present and postpartum mothers and kids call the wit program. it helps grocers and farmers. it is underfunded. we are at risk of waiting listing people. these are win-win programs. people might say -- i do not want my tax money going to this. my view of the research and evidence is, this is what you want your tax money toward. host: lisa on that line for snap recipients, crownpoint, indiana. good morning to the hoosier state. caller: this is lisa from indiana. my question is, i have a

daughter with disabilities who is getting snap. she was getting medicaid at first. when it changed to medicare, her benefits were reduced. now, she is only getting $39 a month. i do not understand why that was. host: stay on the line just in case indivar dutta-gupta has a follow-up question. guest: i obviously will not know all of the details here. there is a complex calculation involved for some folks who access snap benefits. it is not an all or nothing program. your benefits can vary and vary over time. so, if there is some medical deductions, there is certainly some deductions for things like utilities, shelter, childcare, the calculations can get complicated. i would hope but i am not surprised that you have not

necessarily gotten an explanation. maybe even appeal the decision. it does not sound like an up change necessarily that she should not be able to get some meaningful snap benefits. host: these complicated calculations, is there a place you can go online to help make it less complicated? there is tax websites, enter your information and we can let you know what you owe in taxes. is there something like that for these assistance programs? guest: yeah. fortunately these days on the internet, most states have some online calculators and some ability to estimate potentially benefits. i will be clear that it is not the official calculation. in fact, you have to prove certain things. you have to sometimes ask other questions. there is a requirement often for

in person appointments, they can be a huge burden for some folks. host: you can't zoom into these appointments? guest: no. we were just talking about if you are stephen charlotte who participated in snap in college, it is tough to participate in a snap and get benefits while you are a college student. if you do not have a young child , typically, you will have to work part-time while going to college. some amount of work part time might think, that is ok, a lot of us do that going to college. we also found the level for the snap program is demanding and the situations is enough to undermine your success through college. another catch-22. host: essex junction, vermont. this is catherine. good morning. caller: good morning, everybody. i am like steve in north carolina. i am a former snap recipient

[indiscernible] the issue for me is -- i found that to be a hindrance. i was a nontraditional student. i went to school to get my degree. that was a challenge. i think that policy needs to be changed. also, i have a question. who is advising congress on these policies? obviously, it is not the people, the recipients -- when you think about these policies in theory, they affect the everyday lives of americans who have jobs that do not pay them enough. [indiscernible]

pay rent and utilities and food. i do not think they are listening to the recipients. it needs to be examined and implemented. host: i think i got your point. we are running short on time. let me get mr. dutta-gupta a chance. guest: it is very common -- you have to be almost heroic. it is impressive you were able to balance all of that. that is something that needs to be addressed and changed. so that students, just like everyone else, can access snap and if it's -- benefits. host: one of the reasons why these programs are so effective is ultimately everyone needs this basic foundation to access opportunity, including going to school, and to thrive.

about policymakers, the typical policymaker -- i used two work in congress -- the typical policymaker is a millionaire. yes, there is always some exceptions here and there. many of them do not have experience with hunger, food insecurity. that is up to us as voters and fulks who decide -- folks who decide they want to run for office. host: indivar dutta-gupta is the executive director of the center for law and social policy, clasp.org is where you can find them online. appreciate your time. guest: it was a pleasure. host: coming up in 30 minutes, we are joined by former wisconsin governor, scott walker. he is present of the young

americs foundation. we will talk about campaign 2024 and his group's role. first, our open form. any public policy or political issue you want to talk about, the phone numbers are on your screen. we'll get to your calls after the break. ♪ >> sunday night on q and a, presidential historian richard norton smith shares his biography of president gerald ford titled an ordinary man. he talks about ford's personal life, antiestablishment politics, as well as his efforts to heal the country following the watergate scandal into its controversial decision to pardon richard nixon. >> fellow americans, hour-long, national nightmare is over. >> the irony about the whole

phrase, ford did not want to use it. ford -- forethought it was kicking a man when he was down. in effect, you do not understand, mr. vice president. people need to hear this and need to hear this from you. the final surprise is -- >> richard norton smith with his book, an ordinary man, sunday night at 8:00 p.m. eastern on c-span's queue and day. you can listen to q and day -- q & a. this year, book tv marks 25 years of shining a spotlight on leading, nonfiction authors and

their books. author talks, interviews and festivals, book tv has provided viewers with a front row seat to the latest literary discussions on history, politics and more. you can watch book tv every sunday on c-span two or online at book tv.org. book tv, 25 years of television for serious readers. ♪ ♪ >> this fall, watched c-span's new series, books that shaped america. join us as we embark on a captivating journey in partnership with the library of congress's first created the books that shaped america list to explore key works of literature from american history . the books featured on our series have won awards, led to significant societal changes and are still talked about today. hear from featured noun experts

who will sound -- shed light on the impacts of these works in virtual journeys through significant locations across the country. among our featured books, common sense by thomas payne. huckleberry finn by mark twain. her eyes were watching god by zero neil kristen and free to choose by freeman. 410 part series, books that shaped america, starting monday, september 18 at 9:00 p.m. eastern on c-span. c-span now, our free mobile video app or online at c-span.org. ♪ ♪ "washington journal" continues. host: it is time for our open forum. any public policy or political issue you want to talk about, now's your time to call in. phone numbers as usual for republicans, democrats independents. it is new jobs numbers coming

out. those were released about 20 minutes ago from the bureau of labor statistics. here is the cnbc write up of those numbers. the u.s. added more numbers than expected in august, a sign of a sentence for a labor market under pressure from federal reserve interest rate hikes, non-form -- nonfarm payroll groups by seasonally adjusted 170,000 for the month. the unemployment was at 3.8%, up from july and highest since february 2022. that increase came as the labor force participation rate increased to 62.8%, the highest since february 2020 before the covid pandemic. the numbers there on your screen. the jobs numbers reased. it is the jobs numbers for august, this being the first friday of the month in september, taking a look back to last month jobs. that is where we are poor jobs numbers now time for your calls. this is evelyn in baltimore,

maryland, first in our open form. democrat, good morning. caller: good morning. i was calling to talk about the segment before about the snap program. i noticed during the pandemic -- i am on social security. during the pandemic, they gave me $250 a month. after the pandemic, it went down to $40 a month. i want to know if somebody can answer this question for me. maybe i am slow, but how can the country not help people that really need it? they can give all this money to other countries. when it comes to stuff like food stamps and things like that, they so tight with it. can somebody answer that for me? have a good day. host: this is charles, arkansas,

republican. good morning. caller: hey, i just wanted to say something about these aliases that the president seems to be using. i have heard that other presidents did that, but it seems suspicious. it is kind of like the election. i called in the day after the election when trump lost and thought it was suspicious. c-span assured me it was on the up and up. i would like for somebody like -- thank god for c-span -- to look into this and see if other presidents uses aliases and if this is a common practice. and look at all of these emails under these alias names. and, see what was said. it is awfully curious to me. i think everybody else should be looking into that. don't you? host: house republicans have been looking into that as they have been trying to get access to those emails.

plenty of stories about the latest reporting, it was the -- information act request that got those ima's from the national archives records administration. some of these aliases that corresponded to the president, robin peters, jr beware and house republicans are looking into these emails. that is reporting from time magazine. this is hector in san diego, california. independent. good morning. caller: thank you for taking my call. i wanted to reiterate those numbers you just gave, the job performance and the incredible change to the economy since the pandemic. i was on the ends. in the pandemic, i was supporting biden and now he has 400% my support. there is no way whatsoever that we can let a man who has been multiply indicted become president again. i believe joe biden to serve a

second term. host: we are going to be hearing more from the president on those august jobs numbers, going to be speaking to the rose garden this morning. we are going to hear that live at 11:15 a.m. eastern on c-span, c-span.org and the free c-span now video app. if you want to hear more from the president, stick around. about an hour and 15 minutes after this program ends. this is donald and the keystone state, democrat, good morning. caller: good morning, so glad you are hosting today. i tried to get in on sunday when you were hosting when the question was, who is your favorite president and why? i would like to add my comments to that. host: sure, anything to add to the discussion. caller: one of my favorite presidents was lbj because lbj and his great society program. he started to pave a way for

education and school libraries and medicare for the seniors. he added anti-property program. he was involved in civil rights and voting bills for the american people. he created two cabinet departments, housing and urban development, 1966 and transportation in 1967. one thing about lbj was on march 31, 1960, he announced [indiscernible] it would've been 100 -- it would have been his 115 birthday on august 29.

that is all i have today. host: before you go, if you saw sunday, you know about the the span historians survey after a president leaves office, we serve a presidential historians about their rankings of presidents, having them rank residence on 10 characters of leadership. we at up those scores and put out this new survey. the latest one came out in 2021. lbj is on that survey, ranked 11th. above him in descending order, barack obama, ronald reagan, donald -- harry truman, dwight eisenhower, theodore roosevelt and the top 3 -- franklin roosevelt, george washington and abraham lincoln, ranked first in the four surveys we have done since 2000. would you put lbj ahead of any of those others in the top 10? caller: hi am not so sure about that. i think he is well represented

where he is at. he had problems with the vietnam war and that first term of his. i think that may have added somewhat. i am pretty happy with where he is at. host: thanks for watching, donald. this is doug in newport news, republican. caller: good morning. i just wanted to find out your view on if the economy is doing so great, why aren't people working? i think people are getting lazy in this country. every generation has gotten lazier as it has gone along since the great generation. i worked three jobs and no one gave me a college degree. i paid off my bills because i am too whiny i cannot afford to do something i went and did, i got drafted out of high school.

i did not get a chance to go get a college bill. host: did you watch our previous segment about the snap program, previously known as food stamps? caller: no, i did not get a chance to see it yesterday. host: it was just before this open forum. the point was, there is new work requirements that has been added to the food stamp program, expanding the number of people who have to show that they are working or doing job-training in order to continue to receive stamps. somewhat controversial, it was negotiated as part of that legislative deal to raise the debt ceiling. i wondered your thoughts on work requirements or food stamps. caller: i think it should be work requirements if you are on unemployment. unemployment and social security disability is a joke. why can't you go and sleep off the street -- sweep off the

street and earn? if you put people to work doing stuff like that, they will go find a job. it is ridiculous the way our country is going. i did not serve four years in the military to see our country like this. this is not what i fought for. this is a joke. we are a class of whiners. host: where did you serve, doug? caller: in the navy. 169. i was in boot camp, that was my summer vacation and my college degree. host: that is doug in newport news. this is nick in wayne, pennsylvania, independent. good morning. caller: good morning. first, i just want to make a comment to that last caller. i think it is offensive to allow the folks who called in earlier on the segment, talking about their experiences with potentially these added work

requirements and what that means for them and folks they know -- and as someone who was younger, living with my parents, we were on snap for a time. but, yeah, nonetheless i think it is notable these work requirements are being added on. this past school year, with the school year going back to school mills within k to 12 schools. the country, there sums states that are fighting for universal school mills. today is the first day federal student debt loan interest being kicked back in. payments resume in one month. all of this is ridiculous. stressful. something i hope folks are calling their elected officials about. lastly, people understand the impact of these things.

just on everyday people. i really just hope other folks who are struggling the ways they are get the help they need and the help they deserve. host: this is sharon in atlanta. democrat, good morning. caller: good morning, john. i want to say about the food stamp program. i think that the seniors and people that have worked and built america, if they need food stamps, they can only get $10, you take these young woman laying up, having babies taking 1000 of dollars through the food stamps. i worked five years of my life and all they want to give me, because i am disabled now, all they want to give me is $20. it would not behoove me to go down and get -- give them all my information for $20 a month in food stamps.

you know what else, john? i think america is getting worse and worse. i think they let a trojan horse in the building and nobody is really paying attention to what is really going on in america. host: what is really going on in america? caller: you got those immigrants coming over here. i have no problem with them but those people are having babies and getting on food stamps and i've been here 30 years, working 30 years, and they only offered me $20. these immigrants coming here with all the children, they are getting food stamps. there are getting some of my money. i am the one that worked for this money. it never worked nowhere for in america. host: bill in pennsylvania. republican, good morning. caller: good morning. i am picking up on what the

woman it just talking about. it is ridiculous. we got these democratic mayors and people in big cities that are putting these immigrants in nice hotels. they are trashing the places it sounds like from what i am hearing on the news. we got x military people living on the street. if you're going to put someone up in a hotel, put people that fought for the country in the hotels, not immigrants, illegal immigrants that should not be here in the first place. there is nothing wrong with immigrants when they do it legally. get on the list and do it legally.