. issue one, thanks but no thanks. the u.s. security community has something else to be worried about. the proliferation of drones. drones are multiplying across the globe. drones are unmanned aerial vehicles, aircraft that are operated remotely nearby or from thousands of miles away, like the distance between the nation of afghanistan and mill bases in the u.s. drones come in various shapes, sizes and rates.

for the u.s. they're used for surveillance, disablement and killing. as many as 87 faces now possess some form of a drone. using them to conduct surveillance in their own nations and elsewhere. peter singer of the brookings institution says this, quote, people in washington like to talk about this, as if the supposed american monopoly on drones might end one day. well, the monopoly ended years ago, unquote. of those 87 nations it's difficult to determine how many have actually weaponnized drones. or plan to do so. thus far the only nations to shoot missiles from drones are the u.s., britain, and israel. but u.s. intelligence officials believe it's only a matter of time before other nations deploy weaponnized drones also. in the meantime, just using drones for reconnaissance purposes can raise hackles as

one unnamed official told the washington times, quote, no one is turning a blind eye to the growing use of surveillance only uavs, unmanned aerial vehicles, including by nonstate actors, even if these systems have a host of beneficial civil applications. one problem is that countries may perceive these systems as less proceed vok active than armed platforms and might use them in cross border operations in a way that actually stokes regional tension, unquote. question, are remotely piloted drones the air forces of the future? >> no, i don't think so, john. i don't know that they're that great a danger. if the chinese fot a major force of drones, i think, and they were very modern, i think it could represent a real threat to america's fleet off the china coast. but i think right now real danger from drones for the united states comes from

nonstate actors, terrorists who get a drone or something like that and put a bomb on it and are able to do zoo drop it on some open american facility. again, the united states has such powers of retaliation against other countries, if they attack us can with a drone, so what? we have the ability to attack and respond greater than any other country on work. i think it's a modern advance in mill technology that i don't see the great threat to. >> one of the advances is to build them bigger so they can carry bombs. then a drone can enter a fight with another drone. >> neither drone will bleed. i think that's the appeal because leaders want to deploy them because you don't put your young people at risk. >> remotely piloted. >> right. i'm told that half the graduates at the u.s. air force academy are studying to be drone pilots and not regular pilots. this has opened up a whole discussion within the air force because they won't actually see combat. they will get to go home and

have dinner with their kids. how do they get promoted? have they really put in their time? i think it's transforming how we are waging war and i think it has all kinds of repercussions especially in these cross border scicial issues. it's big business. israel is the biggest exporter of drones and they're so far ahead they're the new silicon valley. we're talking about warfare but in terms of intelligence gathering or spying, can you can get these drones down. they're no bigger than an insect. there could be one right here, john. >> in the studio. >> you never can tell. >> you're the expert. >> thank you. i don't necessarily agree with eleanor that israel is the leader in the market. i think in the new market it's chinese companies that are scrambling to make smaller and smaller drones that the u.s. state department and defense department and congress are

unwilling to let leading american weapons makers sell to adversaries around the world. i don't agree with pat's assessment that somehow nonstate actors are the biggest threat. i think the bigger threat is that drone proliferation has come to a point where it's really a matter of time before another power in the world, whether it's turkey or china or iran, uses or russia uses a drone for its own purposes. the very ugly precedent that the united states has set over the -- beginning with the george w. bush administration and escalated by the obama administration has been this use of drones for targeted killing campaigns. >> what potential adversary is big on drones? >> well, the chinese, the russians, the iranians are also believed to have a predator or reaper class drone. >> who has weaponnized drones?

>> this is a great question. these programs are so seek active around the world like the u.s. program, it's really hard to pin it down. right now there are about 26 countries in the world that are believed to have reaper or predator class drones. those are the ones that hell fire missiles can be tamped to. of those about 15 countries, militarys around the world, are believed to have the weaponnized version. that's why i say it's really a matter of time before we wake up to a scenario, whether it's an adversary or ally other than britain, israel and the united states, uses one of these things and we don't have a lot of moral standing in washington to say -- >> do you have enough standing since you have written about drones extensively to urge an international protocol on drones? >> evening that's part of the impetus behind this story for me, john. we need to have a serious conversation to get to that point. >> how do you know that is not taking place? ?ieng it is taking place. we don't -- >> when will it surface? i have not heard anything about

an international protocol. we can could have drone warfare. there is no ability whatever of being able to stop the revolution of drones. >> it's t flies in all weather conditions. when you lose a drone, you're not losing a big fighter jet that would cost much more money and would also risk the lives of your pilot. so it's by far and away the most efficient way to do a lot of things much one is to gather intelligence, two is to be able to retaliate on one target or another. there's been nothing like it. if anything, there will be more proliferation of that over time. >> are drones currently carrying distinguishing marks so we know where the drone came from, what country? >> the only way you will know when a drone lands is you will know what it drops. >> do we need an international protocol that says -- >> there's no way that will happen any more than we have an international protocol on what planes can drop. this is not going to happen.

. >> john, this is another -- >> what about privacy? suppose you are sunning yourself and that drone get oafershead and stays there and you cannot see it because it's too far removed? >> that's always possible. i always wave when they go by. that could be true of anything. >> suppose you are in a condition where you can't wave. you are also identified. >> i'm just saying, look, suppose someone attacks us, let's say iran, they attack the united states with a drone or one of our facilities over there, we know where it came from. we know who sent it. we can let them have it with everything we got. why should we be afraid of basically what is a flying, pilotless plane that carries one bomb on it? >> i agree. compared to what? >> exactly. >> would you rather have bombers -- >> a truck with a nuclear weapon. >> they are amazing.

they fly at 65,000 feet. they can see a sticker on the windshield of a car. >> however, in the greater scheme of things, are the generation of drones that have dominated the market, american made reapers and predators, are actually relatively unintelligent. they don't ever the capable like fighter jets to subvert air defenses. so the idea that a foreign pawr will fly one of these things into american airspace or the airspace of a u.s. naval asset and not be shot out of the sky. >> i want to go back to you. the iron drone is an israeli -- >> iron dome. >> iron dome. that is a beautiful way of protecting israel. >> to some extent, yes. >> the it's an anti-missile battery. >> that's right.

>> does it have drone capability? >> well, it has electronic capability. what it can do is pick out god knows what in the air with unbelievable accuracy and explode it. i don't know that it's perfect. i don't know that it's really been tested. it's absolutely a transform active way of defending yourself. >> the israeli air force said last year that it had shot a drone out of sky. this gets back -- >> it was a hamas attack. >> it was actually the head of hezbollah in lebanon claimed responsibility and said, it was months after the attack. >> wasn't it a rocket? >> he said they had received a drone from teheran and flown it over israeli airspace and the israelis said they shot it out of the sky. >> we've done our duty with regard to drones. ok. pilgrims progress, that's pilgrim paul ryan. that's when we come back.

hello i'm bill loveless. make sure to tuned into platts energy week as we bring you the news makers and leadthe permits to do it. that's this sunday morning at 7:30

. issue two, pilgrim paul. >> we got big government in practice. what we're realizing is that the results are nothing close to the rhetoric that was used to sell them. >> congressman paul ryan of wisconsin was in iowa two weeks ago delivering the keynote address at the birthday salute to iowa's republican governor. chairman ryan used the opportunity to critique big

government. and obamacare. it was mr. ryan's first trip back to the hawkeye state since he became the number two on the mitt romney presidential ticket in the 2012 presidential election. well, this time around so far it's mr. ryan himself who is generating some presidential top of the ticket buzz. iowa holds the fist caulk nuts nation in the next presidential election. 2016. in an interview ryan showed ankle. after next year's mid-term election he will be more forthcoming. in the meantime, the 43 year congressman has been fully engaged chairing the powerful house budget committee, hammering out a budget with senate ranking democrat patty murray. fiscal minded conservatives have not forgotten how paul ryan has played a prominent role in drafting the house's budget

plan. iowa's republican governor with five nonconsecutive terms was interviewed by the washington times, where he saluted chairman ryan, quote, he is one of the very few people in washington who is really trying to do something significant to get the country back on track financially. you cannot spend a trillion dollars more than you are taking in year after year without destroying this country and washington just tends to play politics and kick the can down the road. he at least has put together a thoughtful plan to do something about it. i respect that. unquote. paul ryan is a defer sit hawk. he likes to concoct budget plans with blende of bitter medicine to go around. question, is this a winning presidential agenda? >> he in his previous budgets has gone after entitlements. i don't think he will do that

in the negotiations that are going on the end of this year into next year because senior citizens are the only voting bloc that's loyal to the republicans right now. he won't want to alienate them. ryan is trying to pick up the jack kemp mantle of compassionate conservatism. he has been traveling to urban areas with bob woodson who was a civil rights activist who was prominent during the reagan era. they don't believe in government support for these programs for anti-poverty programs. they want to energize the private sector. i don't think it's very realistic, but nonetheless that's his new schtick. mounting a presidential race from the house is a tough thing even in the best of times. these are the worst of times. when you have this -- ryan is a defacto member of the house leadership, a congress with 9% approval. i would not put a lot of money on his presidential chances. >> eleanor, you are over looking

the perceived imperfections of obamacare and how this in a sense helps ryan who is so experienced. >> i don't think so. look, i think paul ryan is a very able civil servant. he runs the budget can. i don't think he's had any dramatic achievements. i do believe this. you got scott walker will be govern governor of wisconsin. ryan will be eclipsed by anymore iowa. ryan is also from wisconsin. he's too much in my judgment of a noncharismatic worchg. is he very good on the numbers, very good talking about enterprise zones. i don't see how he breaks through in a field with cruz, rand paul, chris christie, all these other characters who are very energetic and lively and much more dramatic in front of the camera. >> so you think in a cruz -- the cruz-ryan combination, you think that cruz is the winner?

>> if the two of them are the competition. >> really? >> cruz would win hands down. >> please, please. >> we're talking about republican primaries. pat could be right about that. winning hands down, i wouldn't talk about a national race. >> we saw ryan in action in the last presidential race. ryan had terrific substance in that race. >> did he not? >> he did. >> he was sidelined most of the time. >> he has terrific substance. i think pat's right. >> you are thinking cruz in opposition to ryan? >> i don't think cruz has ruined himself nationally. has or has not? >> i think he has with at that 21-hour plus filibuster. yes, i think he's painted himself into a corner. i don't think the republicans are going to nominate somebody like that. >> who is more authentic in appeal, cruz or ryan? >> ted cruz 100%. >> more authentic? >> in appeal. that was your question.

>> people owrt in the countryside who watch him and snippet was him on cable news, then definitely ted cruz. >> i just want to get in also that i don't know that paul ryan really actually has presidential ambitions. spho. >> exactly. >> to read into the iowa trip that way is one way of looking at it. i think he doesn't even have total house leadership ambitions. the word in the halls of congress is he wants to be chairman of the ways and means committee. . >> are ryan is an asset. >> he conscientious, knowledgeable, able. what i'm saying is when you get into that primary field, he's too vanilla. >> he's very appealing as a personality, very well liked in the house. >> he ought to are run for

leader of the house. >> i don't know that he has a particular base within the republican party. there was not a lot of clamor for him. >> he is chairman of a very important committee that deals with high finance. >> they cannot come up with a deal. >> he is universally liked and respected. >> yeah. >> issue three, -- . >> issue three, reform immigration now? . >> food, high-tech and they represent a small cross section of businesses across the country who are deeply committed to making sure that we get comprehensive immigration reform done and done quickly. >> president obama continues to

push for comprehensive immigration reform. here at an even this month with a cross section of business leaders. congress is only halfway to immigration reform. the senate passed an overhaul bill in june. it was authored by the so- called gang of eight, a group of bipartisan senators. there are some, 11.7 million, illegal immigrants now in the u.s. the senate bill provides for a 13-year path to citizenship for those illegal aliens if and after they meet certain criteria like passing a criminal background check, paying fines, paying back taxes. the bill would also up the number of specialty visas for high-tech and other types of workers which is a big reason why the business community is so supportive of the bill. the senate would also get in the

act. notably by tightening border security with $40 billion over the next decade to build 700 miles of fence along the u.s.-mexican border, plus adding 20,000 new border patrol agents. the overhaul of immigration laws has stalled in the house. republican house speaker john boehner does not agree with the senate's comprehensive legislation, nor does a key senator, republican marco rubio of florida, even though he is one of the architects of the senate legislation six months ago. mr. rubio now favors a more incremental approach, rather than the mammoth overhaul of the gang of eight bill. his spokesman says the senator is being pragmatic, quote, senator rubio worked very hard on immigration reform and we successfully passed it in the senate. but now we're dealing with the political reality of what's achievable in the house.

unquote. senator rubio bailed on the gang of eight, correct? >> next year i'm not in favor, but if they took out the dream act as a small part of it and tried to run that through alone, they might have a fighting chance. >> the president has put together a plan as we know. >> one of the things we should do is raise the number of h1v visas which are given to graduate students in the hard sciences and engineering. we have a tremendous shortage of those people. . >> the republican party has buried rubio alive for dareing to step into this issue. >> what little bit of unity there is among republicans in the house is centered around an tip thee toward the affordable care act. the idea of introducing something as device i have as

trying to push through a sensitive immigration legislation is outrageous and is not going to happen. >> the republican ares lose with -- >> suddenly -- >> give me a quick answer. are we going to get comprehensive reform on immigration this year? >> not this year. no. >> no. >> not this year. >> next year? >> i don't believe they'll get it next year either. >> not comprehension i have. >> we'll be right back with predictions.

. new sanctions on iran before the end of the year. yes or no? >> 50-50. >> no. give piece a chance. >> no. >> yes. >> the answer is yes. bye-bye.

>> welcome to "government contracting weekly," sponsored by aoc key solutions, incorporated. "government contracting weekly" is the only television program devoted exclusively to the competitive and dynamic world of government contracting, a world where coming in second place is not an option but where principle-centered winning is the only approach. >> good morning and welcome to "government contracting weekly." i'm jim mccarthy from key solutions, filling in this week for hilary fordwich, and i want to welcome you to the second part of my conversation with joe jordan, the administrator of the office of federal procurement policy for the omb and the white house. joe, who was appointed by president obama and then confirmed by the u.s. senate, has the ultimate authority in