World order and we will open up to questions from members. Thank you for joining us today, congressman. Thank you for that introduction. I want to thank the counsel for this opportunity. When you look at the list of participants, there are a lot of [indiscernible] lets get started. Since the outbreak of the covid debatec, a fascinating emerged about the potential impacts of the coronavirus on the global order. Some experts are maintaining that the virus will have a transformative effect. There are people who contend that the pandemic is unlikely to be a geopolitical turning point. He believes many aspects of globalization will endure despite the u. S. Is handling the u. S. s handling of the pandemic. Frompower will not shift the and United States to china, which is part of the debate. I would like to start with a broad question. Do you think that the covid pandemic will affect the global order in consequential ways . If so, how . This is thely think Largest Global disruption we have had. Certainly in our lifetime. Probably since the end of world war ii. Upended global norms. I do think postworld war ii, we were able to put institutions, alliances, many led by the u. S. , and really did create this insperity and relative peace the 75 years postworld war ii. I do think this pandemic will impactsimilar disruptive. It will not be totally transformative, but it is creating the opportunity for us to think about what that world order looks like as we come out of this. As we think about what the world directives like, the path of the virus, we have to on the secondary and tertiary effects of this fire is globally. We certainly see a lot of fragile states around the world. The pandemic is going to increase that fragility and certainly opened Global Political norms in some of these fragile states. Side, china certainly has been on the rise. With our conversations asian allies, they are looking at china differently. Is there an opportunity for us to create Multilateral Coalitions and partnerships, not just to deal with the pandemic, not just a deal with Global Vaccine Development distribution, but also to move forward. I think the pandemic really does give us that opportunity to 21st century alliances and coalitions that reflect todays world, not the world postworld war ii. I want to ask you a little bit about the United States. We will get to china in a minute. It does appear that the pandemic has intensified international doubts and concerns about u. S. Reliability and credibility. Underscoredit is fragility around the world, but certainly also when the u. S. There are concerns about the from places such as the world health organization. Do you think this trend is reversible . I hope you do. What steps should the u. S. Take to reassert its leadership, and why does the leadership matter . President trump in the jump administration have taken an unconventional approach to Foreign Policy. Statements about nato and other alliances. Certainly create concern around the world. In our conversations with global leaders, they understand some of 2016016 alexion election depends on american politics. This election coming up in as the American Public talk about the direction of the United States. While the outcome of the president ial election wont be based on Foreign Policy, it will be based on domestic issues, the two candidates have very different approaches. The outcome will really tell a lot to our allies around the world. World. These relationships are repairable. Call yesterday and there was a lot of concern about troop withdrawals in germany. This was a Bipartisan Group of members of congress. Congress realizes the value of these institutions and can congress start to step up and rebuild the balance of power that has served us well in the cold war. There was a longterm strategy that wasnt democratic or republican. It went from one administration to the next. There is an opportunity for congress to start away in on these relationships. Way, in a Bipartisan Congress understands the value of these relationships and alliances. There is an opportunity to step back up to the table. To rebuild alliances and institutions to serve us in the 21st century. Talk a little bit about china now. The Trump Administration has reframed the nature of the that we face. Competition between the United States and china is central to that frame. There are people i think who are raising the specter of the possible emergence of a new cold war between the United States and china. Not necessarily replicating the u. S. Soviet contest, but with important similarities and possibly equally as dangerous. From my perspective, the ideological component of that competition has really come to the foreground. Do you think we are headed toward such an outcome and if so, how should we respond . I certainly think you will have Great Power Competition between the United States and china. Hopefully, it doesnt replicate what we saw in the cold war with russia. An economicll be competition. We will be in competition for global influence around the world. , if u. S. Fourthat mers ago, if you asked for years ago, i think we will look back that we didnt get the tpp over the finish line that was one of our strategic losses. I would predict we would have been finishing [indiscernible] and we would be crating a framework for goods and services around the world that would potentially move us to a more peaceful 21st century. The are not in that reality today. China is certainly exercising some of its newfound muscularity. Said, some of the political rhetoric, the issues that the Trump Administration brings up are not necessarily the wrong issues. I think their tactics and methods may lead us in the opposite direction. I would try to take the u. S. China issue out of the politics of our electoral politics and think about how do we approach this diplomatically . It is still better to have dialogue in relationships. I also think when it comes to china, the one thing that they do here is its a Multilateral Coalition of likeminded countries come together, i make the argument that china is facilitating that. We and our allies are concerned about maritime issues. While china doesnt want to see these Multilateral Coalitions coming together, i think they are accelerating the partnership and we should lean into that. In thely the europeans covid era and postcovid era supply chain issues are very different conversations than we had just two years ago. There is an opportunity for the u. S. And eu to partner there as well. As our competition with china has intensified, our areas of cooperation have really atrophied our efforts to work with china on issues like combating Climate Change even discussions about how to as iate the pandemic are understand at a federal level virtually nonexistent. And nonproliferation probably another area where he used to work quite well with the chinese. I think that some people argue that cooperation with china can undermine our ability to compete. What is the right balance between cooperation and competition with china . Do you think that we should reinvigorate some of these areas of cooperation with china along with other countries . Rep. Bera i absolutely do. Diplomacy and commerce are good things to build cooperation, certainly competition. We have to engage with china with eyes wide open. Wentny ways, i think we into the opening of China Understanding the success we had with japan postworld war ii where they became a world leading economy and stable democracy and trading partner. Same with korea. We had expectation that as chinas economy developed, the freedoms and humor rights and other issues would create the pillars of maybe not a u. S. Democracy but something more liberal world order. Obviously, that is not what we are seeing in todays china. That doesnt mean we shouldnt be engaging in dialogue. The world today is very different than it was in the cold war. Andhave the eastern bloc the liberal democracies. When you talk to the countries in the region, it is not either the United States or the west or china, they understand they are going to be trading with both. It as suchapproach that it is not either our way or the chinese weight. In aere a way to exist thattitive way but a way is fit for the region and the world. Order thatrnational was established after world war and in somes frayed ways maybe no longer wellsuited to address the challenges of today. I think we have to go beyond tot inking about how strengthen the International Order but may be new institutions. I wonder if you have some thoughts about how the International Order should be reimagined and what the u. S. Role should be Going Forward. Rep. Bera think about the permanent membership on the un security council, it is not reflective of the 21st century. Politics are difficult. In my eight years, we have been trying to address and modify the united nations. I dont think we should throw these institutions out. We should look at them from the frame before we are today in the 21st century. Is not without criticism, but you cant reform an institution if you arent part of the institution. Our very much worried that being at the table i do think there is an opportunity and the most immediate opportunity comes from the pandemic and the absolute need to develop a safe and effective vaccine. We dont defeat the virus until we are not just able to vaccinate one country but able sevencinate six or billion people around the world and can we create that organizations to allow us to Work Together and create a Strategic Partnership . We dont know which country is going to come up with the vaccine first. We dont know if the United States will come up with a vaccine that is good for seniors and china will come up with a vaccine that is good for kids. Can we use the pandemic as a Silver Lining to create a coalition. The secondary impact of massive displacement of people around the world, massive food insecurities, one country by itself cannot solve these issues. If we look at the issues of global development, can we create new instruments and tools that would help us address some of these real issues . Climate change i guess is another one. A small one. [laughter] you referred a couple of times to the global, economic, and social consequences of the pandemic. I wanted to ask you a little bit more about that. Exacerbatingvid is challenges in many countries and conflict born areas of the world like yemen and south and syria. You mentioned Food Insecurity and the World Food Program suggest that the number of people in need of food aid may double to 265 million by the end of this year. Yet the impact of the pandemic on donor countries may result in the decrease in aid in the near term. It really is a major problem that we need to think about. What are the measures that you think should be taken to mitigate these challenges and what is the role of the u. S. In congress and doing that . Rep. Bera certainly in some of up prior bills, we beefed the Global Health funding. Global put in Additional Health funding. I would hope that what comes out of the current negotiation, we have a robust Global Health funding in their. It is my hope that we can get up to 20 billion given the dollar amounts that we are talking about in the supplemental package. That ouromething conversations with the senate, the hope is that there will be some funding in there that we will be able to keep and. Thenext step is that in weoes act, we did get our got to participate in these global alliances. Wealthy nations like the United States have to take their fair share. We have to figure out what this looks like. The challenge is going to be selling that to our own citizens. I think that will be the challenge around the world because at a time when, i talked to my voters and they are concerned about whether their kids can go back to school. We have to do both. It is in our global interest and our domestic interest to address the issues around the world. The fragilebout states around the world, particularly in Southeast Asia as well as Subsaharan Africa that could really be undermined here. , we aret happens watching a failed state in libya. These present challenges for us down the road. The development of a vaccine of course is urgent. As i understand it, there is Something Like 160 efforts underway. The u. S. Has launched operation warp speed. A coalition for preparedness and innervation. The u. S. Is not participating in that. Then, there are international efforts. Priority is to get an effective vaccine as soon as possible, the backdrop of this to connect it to the global order, is that there appears to be a competition again between the United States and china. Of the you think implications are the implications if any for the leadership if china develops a vaccine first . Does the outcome of this race have an effect on the global order Going Forward or is that something that you think is a concern that is misplaced . Rep. Bera we have to be very conscious of that concern. China has the capacity in manufacturing to quickly ramp up and you factor and produce that vaccine. Lets say china ghost of the less developed world countries that dont have the capacity and they start stripping the vaccine as china. And they start distributing the vaccine. Quickly help other countries defeat the virus in the distribution of the vaccine. That is not a bad thing if we get a vaccine, but i would hope that we do it collaboratively. Once we come up with a vaccine, regardless of what country develops the vaccine, we share that intellectual property widely. We allow the Global Manufacturing capacity to develop that vaccine. We should already have set price points and negotiated. That wealthier nations like the United States are going to pay this price and less wealthy countries are going to have this price. All of those negotiations should be taking place right now. Some of it is taking place but not enough. The real concern is that this and every country in it for itself, its going to cost us more and take a lot longer to defeat the virus. More people will lose their lives, there will be Economic Hardship and suffering. This is an area where we have to put dissipate together. United states has to be at the table helping push this Global Leadership as we have throughout the last 75 years. They want us at the table right now. China has obviously been reluctant to engage in an investigation of the origins of the virus. Australia has called for them to do so and the chinese has responded by imposing tariffs on australian barley exports. I understand the who has sent some investigators. I dont know if they will be able to see everything that they need to see. Do you have confidence that we will be able to get at a better understanding of how this pandemic started and therefore be able to prevent the next one . Do you think there are more things we can do to convince china to be cooperative in this endeavor . Rep. Bera not if all were doing is throwing insults back and forth. The rhetoric is really bad right now. Past, duringin the sars, we had cooperation. It is my hope that we can tone down the rhetoric and the insults going back and forth. We may not be able to do it between now and november but postnovember, if we are able to develop some cooperation and look at the science, it is in chinas interest to better understand this. It certainly is in our interest. That is my hope that we could find that level of cooperation and just look at this purely from a pandemic perspective. We know that the incidence of pandemics like this are increasing. Many of us have all race always understood that we would see Something Like covid19. This wont be the last pandemic. As we come out of this, can we build tools of surveillance . Can we better understand the science . As we address Global Vaccine Development, can we build institutional structures in willa and asia that also help us in the next pandemic . Some of what we did in 2014 after ebola is help those countries. What we have done around that part is create Africa Infrastructure to help african nations address covid19. Lets not just deal with the current pandemic, but lets also build structures that will take us and help prepare us to identify the next pandemic. Have workedu closely with india. Can you talk a little bit about how the pandemic has affected india within congress and indias future role in the postcovid world order . Rep. Bera i touched a little bit on supply chains. Moment was the overreliance of a Single Source supply chain in this case china. That didnt happen overnight. It happened over years and decades. European andto our australian colleagues, that was a moment too much of the world because much of the raw ingredients of ppe have come out of china. Some things will come back to the United States in on shoring. But can we build redundancy . This is a place where india can step up. It has the mature pharmaceutical sector. We are looking at treatments to help us through the pandemic. India is a natural partner. Many of my colleagues in congress understand that. Many u. S. Countries already have a presence in india. It is one of the leaders and global vaccine production. Much of the production of vaccine to the developing world comes out of india. This fight to defeat the virus, can we take advantage of indias natural infrastructure . Going forward, i touched on maritime security, freedom of india is veryues, important part of the coalition working together on these issues. They are increasingly a strategic partner. I think there is a real opportunity. India, there are obviously challenges there, but the opportunities outweigh the challenges. We could go on talking all day. I want to give an opportunity to our members to join the conversation with their questions. Thatt to remind everybody this Virtual Meeting is on the record. Please identify yourself when asking a question. I am going to turn it over to the operator who will remind our members how to join the question q. Ladies and gentlemen, as a reminder to ask a question, please click on the raise hand icon on the zoom window. On, respond called with your name, affiliation, and question. Thank you so much. Thank you for your leadership on these issues. I am particularly interested in the pandemic and its second and third order effects. Eliminating just how inadequate the current u. S. National Security Apparatus is for addressing these complex challenges. Could speak au bit more about the need to create new tools and addressing the development and Global Health challenges. How should we reformed the state department to better poise the u. S. To address these challenges . We could spend an entire session talking about that. Under the Current Administration power tools of diplomacy havent been fully utilized. Our tools of diplomacy havent been fully utilized. A tool has tilted toward the defense side. How can we start pulling some of those tools back over to rebuild and reinvigorate the Department State as well as usaid . The first challenge that we face is we have lost a lot of [indiscernible] at the state department. A lot of people have departed. We wont go into the reasons for that. Those are the folks that were going to be our next generation of senior diplomats. Whether it is a second trump , canor a biden presidency we entice some of that talent back . It wont be easy to do that. The next sector under either administration, their first order should be to reinvigorate those tools of diplomacy and rehire that talent. When it comes to eight and andlopment, aid development, there is a competition to china and how they approach it. Some of the economic tools that they use in the midst of the pandemic as you look to restructure debt in some of these countries around the world where they are going to have the capacity to pay this debt, is there a way to use that as a not necessarily to compete but to unburden some of these countries . Then, bonnie touched on the number of people that face mass starvation and famine in a world that was already a daunting challenge. It is going to be an even bigger challenge in the coming months and years. How do we come together as a world to relieve some of the suffering . Going forward, can we think about the tools of development that we have and aid that we have and modernize those in a weight to address these 21st century challenges . Again, we could spend a whole session talking about this. I appreciate the work that u. S. Ip does. Thank you for that question. Next question. Thank you. Thank you so much for doing this. My question flows really well from your last answer. With the pandemic and everything we have experienced in the last four months, i think we have really seen that National Security has to encompass issues that you have already discussed. Local health, supply chains. Pastve also seen over the couple months, how dramatically our climate is changing and the conversation around Climate Change as a National Security issue is becoming far more appreciated. Congress has such an Important Role to play in elevating and resourcing these concerns through the power of the purse. I wonder if you can speak to whether you see among method members of congress a different discussion and the pendulum perhaps swinging toward these civilian Security Issues as opposed to the overwhelmingly dominant Defense Budget we currently have . Rep. Bera i actually do. If i think about when i first got to congress in 2013, i am also the vice chair of the committee on science and technology, and think about where we are in 2020, the conversation shifted where there was a lot of denial of club Climate Change. The republican side, there is a little bit more acceptance. Its not where i would like to see it but there is more acceptance in the conversation is much more productive today than it was in the past. I still think we have a ways to go to take the issue of science and Climate Change out of politics and just look at the facts. You are 100 accurate, this is a National Security issue. It does need to be elevated to that perspective. Think you are also seeing a Younger Generation of individuals getting elected to congress. This generation that is coming , my colleagues in the house and others with a National Security background not approaching this in a partisan way. You are saying that generational transition where Climate Change, Food Insecurity are not going to be partisan tools but hopefully, they will be nonpartisan tools of strategy and National Security. To the issuesck of strategy and National Security in the cold war werent democratic or republican issues. You need to go from one administration to the next and there was a longterm sustained strategy. To tackle the 21st century issues, we are going to beat Climate Change and a fouryear president ial term. We are talking about multidecade strategy. Food insecurity, etc. That is were we have to come together in a bipartisan way. To put together these longterm goals. I will close with this. The one thing i can get done in the next congress or the next administration is we need to do a foreign assistance act. The fact that we havent done one since 1986, and i talked to my son in college about that, means we end up putting everything into ndaa that should be in aid and development budget. Much more appropriately, you talk to folks at the pentagon, they also recognize that strong aid in development is important to strong National Security. Secretary mattis more than anyone in his comments. If i could accomplish one thing while im in congress, i want to us get back to where the foreign assistance act, it was a given that we were going to pass it every year. The congressional side that would allow us to address these issues. Next question. Question regarding the north korean issue. You may have seen [indiscernible] now the government wants to privy proceed not only providing aid to north korea but also having a trade exchanging items such as water, alcoholic beverage which are not violating sanctions and the talks between the u. S. And north korea stalled. How do you see the government approach . Can you comment on that . A followup question, there are speculations that trump might have another talk with kim jongun for election or he might not. It is hard to get a has handle on how covid19 impacted north korea and to what extent. We know it is highly unlikely that the virus isnt present in north korea. It certainly is present and north korea. And widespread malnutrition lack of access to health care services, i have to imagine is going to have a pretty big impact. I think there is a role of a humanitarian perspective. Can we get eight and resources into north korea can we get aid and resources into north korea . You wonder if it will get to the people. Some of thatve humans suffering . I think that is perfectly acceptable. I think it is highly unlikely that you would have a resumption of talks between President Trump and kim jongun or their counterparts. It does seem like things are at a low point right now. Our bigger concern is that as we get closer to the election, north koreas habit has been to do some rattling and perhaps some missile testing. I am not against taking a longterm approach of dialogue with the hopeon of ultimately creating a nuclear free peninsula, potentially commercesome level of between south korea and north korea and potentially the world. Again, you are looking at a multidecade process that wont happen in one president s fouryear term or a fiveyear term of the south korean president. I dont sense anything will happen between now and the end of our election cycle other than i think you will see some type of potential missile tests out of north korea. Again, a complicated world we live in right now. Next question. Thank you. We are seeing a wave of nativism in populace is globally. Week marks the one year revocation of article [indiscernible] given this backdrop, what are pluralismhts about and secularism in india . Rep. Bera some real concerns there. Indias strength is a secular democracy. Where you can have 750 million plus hindus living sidebyside with 250 million muslims and have relative peace and success. It loses part of what it is. It makes it a little bit more difficult to achieve what i mutually beneficial longterm goals. That is an issue i deliver to the indians directly. Myself, ian american am out of the secular identity and i dont want to see india lose that secular identity. Things arek like going in the wrong direction, we will continue to have relations with india but i bring it back to indias strength is a secular have the where you rights of religions. Next question. Hello. Regarding the nonproliferation piece of your subcommittee portfolio, even without john bolton in the white house, the Trump Administration has been busy dismantling the architecture of Nuclear Arms Control worldwide. Vice President Biden has not seemed to recommit himself to president obamas goal of a Nuclear Weapons free world. Costly Nuclear Modernization has if anything been accelerated in the past few years. How do we put nonproliferation act on track with or without further Nuclear Arms Reduction by the Nuclear Powers and what can a new congress do to set this back on track . I think the Trump Administration is taking us in the wrong direction letting some of these treaties expire. Having conversations about resuming nuclear testing. All of these things make us less safe, not more safe. I think we are doing what we can in the subcommittee but also on the democratic side of congress. There are also many republicans that think pulling out of these treaties take us in the wrong direction. Havent hope and i talked to the Vice President about it but if i look at his his administration in resumption of many of these treaties as well as looking forward because i do think the Obama Doctrine of trying to move to a Nuclear Free World is the right doctrine. Now ifworry very much there are bad actors out there and they are looking at the Global Impact of this virus, it is much easier to create a bio bio threat. The technology is much more accessible than obtaining a nuclear weapon. This is something that we have to come together as an International Community to talk about how do we create a system forms to address bio threats . That is a real concern because the technology to do genetic editing etc. Is readily available. We are ill prepared for that type of threat. That is something that we have been looking into. After nagasaki and hiroshima, we should have gotten rid of Nuclear Weapons a long time ago. We should be moving in that direction. Next question. Trouble comes in twos. I represent the nonproliferation policy education center. I am very impressed with your interest and how you are pursuing them. As chairman of the only subcommittee that has nonproliferation of nuclear entire congress, your subcommittee has attempted several times to update the Nuclear Nonproliferation act. Of 1978. That was 42 years ago. Hasy time the leadership listened to industry, whether is republicans or democrats, not every one of these efforts back. Knocked everyone of these efforts back. Does that deserve your attention . Rep. Bera certainly. If the goal is to get to a Nuclear Free World and perhaps the destruction of how the Trump Administration approaches this, giving us an opportunity to what those norms and agreements should look like and perhaps we will have that with the administration that wants to take a slightly different approach. The short answer is yes, it is something that we as congress should be looking at in a bipartisan way. Methodology tot advance nonproliferation . The short answer is yes, we should be working on that. Can we take the next question . Can you unmute your microphone . I am so sorry for being unmute. Nepal. Om it is a great pleasure for me to be here. That there is really something optimistic for the world. What happened today in the morning i saw in the news that russia has a Coronavirus Vaccine and the government approved it. What do you think is there any effect regarding the situation to other developments in the what is your analysis regarding the European Development that they are receiving criticism as well. There is a big question about the safety of people. What is your opinion regarding it and what is the United States exactly to bring the vaccine to the people . Rep. Bera thank you for that question. I was in nepal in february for all International Travel and our hearts go out to the families who are suffering from some of the floods and landslides in nepal. Our thoughts and blessings are with those families and the people there. With regard to the russian vaccine, the havent gone through full Clinical Trials. There is a real concern that for political reasons you are rushing a vaccine to public utilization and you get this wrong, we note there is a lot of Vaccine Hesitancy not just in the United States. You see in increasing and have asked movement globally. Global movement. Because this hasnt gone through full Clinical Trials, it will set us all back. I hope this is a safe and effective vaccine that helps the russian people get ahead of this and we can start using globally. As dr. Fauci says multiple times, we have to make sure that we have gone through full rigorous Clinical Trials. We are going at a rapid speed. If you had asked me six month ago how long it would take us to get a safe and effective vaccine, i would have said at earliest 24 months. It is my sense that Clinical Trials that are taking place not just here in the United States but elsewhere around the world, that we may have multiple vaccines ready by the end of this calendar year and potentially ready for bytribution and inoculation early next year and certainly by spring. We are going to cautiously watch what is coming out of this russian vaccine. Thatution and hesitancy is while i wanted to be safe and effective, i know it hasnt gone through the rigorous Clinical Trials that any vaccine should go through. Next question. Jim, you are muted. Is more than one jim. Deeper on theown theect disputes between hypernationalist approaches to Foreign Policy that we are seeing from the United States, can youa, from russia lay out what you would see as a roadmap whether it is a second Trump Administration or a biden administration, a roadmap for winding down this hyper nationalism enough to begin to initiate more transnational multilateral initiatives . Rep. Bera great question. This is my opinion. Just kind of sitting, i think we should drill down on what is happening in u. S. Politics. Partiesseeing the two in transition right now. You are seeing the coalition that historically supported democrats, white collar or bluecollar workers, Union Workers shifting to supporting trump. The more collegeeducated suburban voters to support democrats. You are also seeing the strange youergence in terms of when are thinking about Foreign Policy, foreign engagement with farright and farleft coming together. The trump approach withdrawing and focusing inward is not that far off of the Bernie Sanders approach to Foreign Policy. That is too simplistic because there are real differences and it comes to Climate Change and other 21stcentury challenges. There are holes within both parties. I dont think that is the dominant view of congress. And thetalk about nato Transatlantic Partnership and pacific strategy, i think the majority of congress is not that far apart. There are large and vocal coalitions in both our parties that are less outwardly focused and they need to bring this focuses more inward. I dont know exactly how that will play out because the truth is, the pandemic has exposed a in termsmestic issues of healthcare inequality, economic inequality, the George Floyd Murder has really brought to the forefront the social justice and racial inequities that we are going to have to deal with here domestically. Whether it is a trunk or biden administration, that will consume a large part of their time these issues that are at the forefront of art dialogue. We have to walk and chew gum at the same time. Policy where a foreign apparatus, state Department Aid and development and congress in a bipartisan way reestablishing the u. S. Necessary for Global Engagement components. Nationalism,ussian i think of it in the sense that Vladimir Putin is reestablishing a sense of russian pride. Playing ais, he is relatively weak hand very well. We are facilitating his ability to play that we can hand by a lack of direct engagement, a lack of pushback. Whether it is direct confrontation or diplomatic confrontation on many of these issues. The Trump Administration has chosen not to engage in a way that i think congress would like to engage. Not enough republican members of i knows while privately they share real concerns about russia, we havent pushed back so i will bring in the tools that we could. The chinese nationalism is very concerning. When we are watching what is happening in hong kong, watching what is happening with the uighurs in the south china sea. I dont think we have been Strong Enough as a Global Coalition of likeminded countries pushing back on hume and i to issues hume and freedomsues in china, of democracy and a lot of us are paying attention to taiwan. Towe dont, this may lead what potentially is a much more complicated confrontation as more [indiscernible] four taiwan. We have just about reached the end of our hour. I want to thank all of our members for the questions and thank you so much congressman how to strengthen the International Order and americas role in. Thank you so much for your leadership in congress. I very much appreciate all that you do. I want to let all the members know that the audio and transcript of todays call will be posted on the website. Thank you joe biden and his Vice President ial pick, lie harris anKamala Harris, will make appearance this afternoon ahead of accepting the democratic partys nomination. We will have live coverage at 3 50 eastern on cspan. And last year, joe biden senator harris had an exchange on race relations. Sen. Harris you also worked with them to oppose busing. There was a little girl in california who was part of the second class to integrate her Public Schools. She was bussed to school every day. That little girl was me. That, on this you subject, it cannot be in intellectual debate among democrats. We have to take it seriously. We have to act swiftly. As attorney general of california, i was proud to put in place that a requirement that my special agents would wear body cameras and keep those cameras on. Senator harris, thank you. Vice President Biden, you have been invoked, so we will allow you are response. [applause] biden you have mischaracterized my position across the board. I have not praised racists. That is not true. And if you want to have this campaign a litigator on who supports civil rights and whether they did or not, i would be happy to. I was a public defender. When, in fact, my city was in flames because of the assassination of dr. King. Number one. Now number two, as Vice President of the United States, i worked with a man in fact, we worked hard to see to it. We dealt with these issues in a major way. In terms of busing the busing, you would have been able to go to school the same exact way because it was a local decision made by your city council. That is fine. That is what i argued for. We should be breaking down these lines. The bottom line is, look, everything i have done in my career iran because of civilrights. I continue to think because of id i continue to make fundamental changes. Agree that do you you were wrong to oppose busing . Do you agree . Mr. Biden i do not agree. I opposed busing order by the department of the department of education. The harris because of failure of states to integrate Public Schools in america. I was the part part of the second class in berkeley after a to integrate 20 years after brown v. Board of education. That is why we need to pass the civil rights act, the equality act, the e. R. A. , because there are moments in history when states fail to preserve the civil rights of all people. Mr. Biden i supported the e. R. A. From the beginning. 30 seconds. Mr. Biden i supported the ra from the beginning. Voting rights act for 25 years. We got 98 of the people in the senate doing it. I argued strongly that we deal with the notion of denying people access to the ballot box. I agree that everyone i time is up. My time is up. We will have live coverage at 3 50 eastern as joe biden and his Vice President ial pick Kamala Harris make their first appearance as a president ial team from wilmington, delaware this afternoon. You can also watch live at cspan. Org and listen with the cspan radio app. Cspan has covered every minute of every Political Convention since 1984, and we are not stopping now. This months conventions will be like none other in history. Pandemiccoronavirus still looming, plans for both gatherings are being altered. The democrats plan to meet with joe biden as their candidate monday, and president trumbull except his partys nomination the next week. Live coverage for of the Democratic Convention monday, and the Republican Convention starting next monday, ondemand livestream on cspan. Org or listen with the free radio app. Cspan, your unfiltered view of politics. The contenders, about the men who ran for the presidency and the lost, but changed political history all week at 8 00 p. M. Eastern on cspan. Tonight, threetime president ial candidate, and considered one of the best orators of his time, William Jennings bryan. Cspan has unfiltered coverage of congress, the white house, the supreme court, and Public Policy events. 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