and i want to say, this has been a bipartisan effort -- when i was in the senate, working with sam brownback; my vice president, joe biden -- passing a second chance act that helps to fund programs that help the reintegration of ex-felons. it's smart for us to do. you know, sometimes people say, well, that's just coddling people. no; you reduce the recidivism rate, they pay taxes, it ends up being smart for taxpayers to do. i don't know, jerome, what particular programs may exist in this county, but i promise you i'll find out. and we'll see if we can get you hooked up with one of them. all right? okay, right here. yes. no, no, no. right here. yes. go ahead. >> mr. president, i started a great lakes truck driving school in 2008 in lorain county. >> i'm sorry, what kind of school? >> great lakes truck driving school. >> cross driving school? oh, truck driving school, i'm sorry. >> great lakes truck driving school. started in 2008. our first year we trained 287 people and we placed over 70 percent of those people into jobs. at that time there was enough money, through the workforce investment

one of the things that we've done is actually vice president biden, myself, some republicans, sam brownbackve worked together to promote what we call the second chance act, which links ex-offenders with programs that can provide them with skills, that can provide them with opportunities to get some work experience and then can essentially certify that they are ready for the workplace and then try to encourage private sector companies to hire some of these ex-offenders. the program is not as well-funded as i would like. we'd like to see if we could do more with it. it has to be done in a partnership with state and local communities, but i do think it is something that ends up being actually wise for taxpayers because every prisoner is costing us about 16,000, 18,000, $20,000, and everyone of us are paying for it. so if we can find programs that work, breaking that cycle ultimately that can be a good investment for taxpayers all across the country. [applause] all right. if a man's turn. i'm going to call on not a guy right there with the little hair. [laughter] since the microphone is right n

one of the things we have done is actually, vice president joe biden, myself, some republicans, sam brownback, for example of kansas, have worked together to promote what we call the second chance act which links x 0 vendors with -- x of vendors with skills and opportunities to get some work experience and then essentially certified that they are ready for the workplace and then try to encourage private-sector companies to hire some of these ex-zero vendors. the program is not as well founded as i would like. we would like to see if we could do more with it. it has begun a partnership with state and local communities. but i do think it is something that ends up being wise for taxpayers because every prisoner is costing us about $20,000 and everyone of us are paying for it. if we can print programs to work, breaking that cycle, ultimately, that will be a good investment for taxpayers across the country. all right, it is a man's turn. i will call in that big guy right there with very little air. [laughter] -- very littlehair. >> i am from clear water and i have a small manufacturing cream compa

also, i'm told here as well are senator sam brownback, senator ted coffman, representative loretta sanchezgest, participants in our international visitor leadership program on internet freedom from china, colombia, iran, and lebanon and mol doveo. and i also want to acknowledge walter yikesson president of the institute recently named to our broadcasting board of governors and instrument cral on supporting the work on internet freedom that the aspen ibstute has been doing. this is an important speech on a very important subject. but before i begin, i want to just speak briefly about haiti because during the last eight days the people of haiti and the people of the world have joined together to deal with a tragedy of staggering proportions. our hems atmosphere has seen its share of hardship but there are few precedents for the situation we're facing in port ah prince. communication networks have played a critical role in our response. they were, of course, decimated and in many places totally destroyed. and in the hours after the quake, we worked with partners in the private sector, first t

also, i'm told here as well are senator sam brownback, senator ted kaufman, representative loretta sanchezomatic corps, ambassadors, chargÉs, participants in our international visitor leadership program on internet freedom from china, colombia, iran, and lebanon, and moldova. and i also want to acknowledge walter isaacson, president of the aspen institute, recently named to our broadcasting board of governors and, of course, instrumental in supporting the work on internet freedom that the aspen institute has been doing. this is an important speech on a very important subject. but before i begin, i want to just speak briefly about haiti, because during the last eight days, the people of haiti and the people of the world have joined together to deal with a tragedy of staggering proportions. our hemisphere has seen its share of hardship, but there are few precedents for the situation we're facing in port- au-prince. communication networks have played a critical role in our response. they were, of course, decimated and in many places totally destroyed. and in the hours after the quake, we work

we're delighted to introduce, from the senate, senator sam brownback of kansas. thanks, nelly. do you realize now for the first time since the polling has been done, you now live in a majority pro-life country? and you're the reason for it. you have change hearts and minds. you did it by persuading people and living for a culture of life. keep it up. we have a lot of members of congress, and we have just won a health care cause, there will be no abortion in the health- care bill. because of your interest here. i am more convinced than ever that we are going to win the cause of life. we have to win it. the movement alive will not be silenced and it will not be still. you are winning the hearts and minds. we are going to win this fight. keep it up. it got bless you all. -- god bless you all. >> look at this wonderful group of members of congress that we have with us today. to lead this delegation to us is the hon. mike pence of indiana. he is the conference committee chairman. >> thank you, now late. on behalf of my fellow marchers, audrey pence, age 15, charlotte

- and i want to say, this has been a bipartisan effort, when i was in the senate, working with sam brownback, my vice president joe biden, passing a second chance act that helps fund programs that help the reintegration of ex-felons. sometimes people say that that is just coddling people. no, you reduce the recidivism rate, they paid taxes, it ends up being smart for taxpayers to do i don't know what particular program there is in this county, but i promise you i will find that and we will see if we can get you hooked up with one of them. all right? ok. [applause] right here. no, no, right here. go ahead. >> mr. president, my name is doris, and i started a school -- >> what kind of school? >> truck driving school. >> cross driving school? >> truck driving school. at that time, there was enough money to train these people. in the past few months, we have had a number of people on a daily basis coming into our school unemployed. there are no training funds for truck driver training. i want to know why that has changed. >> well, the recovery act but a huge amount of money into retraining. we ar

these are our legislators and we are delighted to introduce, the senate senator sam brownback of kansas. [cheers and applause] >> thanks, nellie do you realize now for the first times is a plan has been done, the gallup poll, that you now live in a majority pro-life country? [cheers and applause] and you are the reason for it. you have changed hearts and minds. and you have done it by persuading people and living for a culture of life. keep it up. we've got a lot of members of congress here. we have just one debate on health care in that they are not going to have abortion funding in this health care bill. [cheering] because of your interest in it. this is my last year in the united states senate. i am more convinced than ever that we are going to win the cause of life. we have to win. the movement for life will not be silenced and will not be still. you are winning the hearts and minds. we are going to win this fight. keep it up. god bless you all. steve >> will get this wonderful group of members of congress we have with us today. 21. and to leave this delegation to us is the honorabl