let me introduce the ceo of exxonmobil, rex tillerson. [applause] >> thank you, david. it is my privilege to be here tonight to speak with all of you. i did a little bit of looking back on the history of the economic club of washington, which understand has been around for about 25 years. in checking around on the history of your club and what its purpose is, i think it is apparent that it does play a valuable role in providing yet another different and unique forum to talk about the various issues in front of the nation today. i think it's founders understood that washington's business community, being a place -- needed a place to discuss policy matters of the day and understood that the decisions made in our nation's capital affect the long-term strength and viability of our economy. i think the economic club has risen to become a premier venue for discussing economic growth, job creation, and america's future. for this reason, i can think of no better place and no better time to speak. the american people are looking for answers to reenergize our economy. congress an