Transcripts For CSPAN2 Key Capitol Hill Hearings 20240622

China is a partner with us. We exchange students, exchange faculty come all for the betterment of scholarship and for research. Not directly involved in those sordid discussions but it bears, we may be able to play along the way we might think about how we can be helpful to someone. I will add one more point because its important. Theyre making a lot of judicial changes. They established a special is ip core to your ip cases. This is a national court, not local. Its a national court, very much looking through it as an experience or judicial reform, greater amount of transparency into the recordation of their opinions, allowance of our discovery and maybe even greater damages or towards along the lines for ip rights. Those are positive changes were looking forward to. I think theyre working very hard on. I think it is a positive step. Out of are basing office weve been working with the ip court in the last six months they been established. Doing training for the judges and holding fairest seminars on induction pump issues. They been going to come with a very positive reaction to the. Its been great to see the Chinese Government take that step and they seem to be taking it seriously. When i talk to people from Chinese Companies it appears to me that they are eager to incorporate themselves into sort of the global norms so they can sell those global markets. I dont always get that sense would talk to people from other governments. And along what i think youre right, this will be positive. Lets swing up in the back. And then well go in the front. Raise your hand again please. Thank you. Hi. I am from college international. We get access to medicine and access to knowledge work. Either question about the pharma carveout in the review process. It seems that would require differential treatment to the enjoyment of pharmaceutical patent rights as compared to other fields of technology but the u. S. Pharmaceutical industry critiques countries like india currently that treat patent differently in other areas of pharmaceutical patent law such as lost of the patents on drugs that dont show an improvement in safety or efficacy. So the question is if this carveout provision passes will that make it more difficult for the u. S. To argue against those in places like india that have differential treatment . I thought about having someone from pharma here or one of the groups. We dont have enough space on the stage. I apologize for that. Michelle, i think so thanks so much for that question. I think you are concerned are interesting and valid concerns. As you know its a topic being discussed. It has not gone through, legislation is passed by think this is a concern a lot of people are focused on. Okay. Its interesting. Its fun to compared china and india in this regard are chinese and somewhere our little further along into thinking about the benefits of intellectual property protection, in my view but its one of places we see disparities in the economy. Its not a pharma specific comment, more between the two countries administered to fully. Its an issue of concern. We had one in the front i think and then another in the back. Im with the american bar association. I am a senior counsel at and want to thank you all for giving the patent goes together and getting them in one space. Victoria, we worked together on a report and we were the first time when they not only china but russia and iran as advanced threats in this space. My question is russia also plays a big role as a violator and im in private practice now and i think the enforcement issue is what were really concerned about for our clients. Using a variety of activities that combines both patent trademark and cyber in which things are going for. Im curious also most recently we just had the indictments of University Professor and the fact that universities are involved in cutting edge work with the military and dod and were seeing more and more penetration at university and that information is leaking out. For all three of you in a way what do you see as the role we can play in the private sector in increasing the capacity for enforcement, given the fact were seeing extraordinary bleating from our clients trademark ip worked . You can go first. I would say in russia, we have real concerns about the situation on the ground. Enforcement of intellectual property never a strong suit for russia, certainly deteriorating i think. And i dont think thats talk of intellectual property, i just think theres a lot of areas we are unhappy with the russian government. One number two intellectual property is recently passed. We are concerned about any country that would pass legislation to assess information or data has to stay within the borders. Trying to balkanize the internet. That is a real concern for software. And would be a real, if widespread would be a real blow to the problems depicted. It makes Cloud Computing impossible essential on any sort of skill. We are concerned about some stops rush has taken. I will say they would be interesting to hear what others say, some of the stuff russia has taken, for example, on Data Retention law are coming from a very senior level of the russian government. So it is difficult candidly sitting here to give advice on how to try to improve the situation in russia. We have found on the enforcement side at the less senior levels there is still an interest in trying to Work Together. I think its difficult in a system like russia to be able to make progress, a signal youre getting from the top is a different one. Let me reemphasize something. I dont think the enforcement of intellectual property we are having is really kind of the main focus. I think thats a negative corollary effect of the large economic policies that were concerned about but that is one of the effects. As i said, whereas in china i think and look at the situation in china. There are real concerns but this area looks like its going to be difficult to have constructive steps but in other areas, there are others areas where government and business can Work Together. At this moment in russia its hard to say that. Its difficult for me to give advice on how to improve the system. We have operations in russia. We are concerned about personnel and the general state of our preparations. Said something were keeping a very close eye on. But i think, but its difficult at the moment to see any fast forward. Inand the last thing i will say on russia, what were concerned about his of the country looking to rush as a precedent. Weve not seen that yet but certainly it would be a great concern if we start to see other countries look to for example, a Data Retention law that russias put in place as a positive example. I will speak more to sort of the patent and copyright side of equation, and we share the concerns. In fact, we recently have now established an ip attache in moscow. For those of you dont know we have an ip attache program, that is the u. S. Pto represented on the ground helping americans navigate the ip landscape in a given country. We have a ip attache sal range of countries, about a dozen worldwide, brazil, new delhi brussels we have three or four three in beijing. s weve got these resources on the ground and because the landscape is as challenging as mentioned, we thought it important to offer that resource so that American Companies know what theyre stepping into. Is not the complete solution but is really a sharing of of information and chatting about the navigate that if i but given what it is. And also importantly its the opportunity to work with policymakers and lawmakers and Law Enforcement officials on the ground to try to do what we can to improve the situation is a difficult situation. Im not pretending its not the least bit were on the ground where the billy some ability to get better information about the conditions under which American Companies are operating to try to make a positive change in the law but also so that in washington, so i with you for those of you who represent companies who are facing these issues, let us know the experiences are facing into the state you can be more specific, we can raise these issues in these concerts in conversation with specific examples to which i can play makes a difference otherwise youre just stating a generalization. Trade secrets not being respected. Under what circumstances and so forth . Please do let us do not because we do gather that information and an Arch Communications in discussions with her counterpart offices will have those conversations and we will raise those issues. One thing i want to emphasize, as i said there are certain levels that there are still areas to cooperate. And ministry of interior were still seeing cooperation. Thats great saw it encourager clients webbased deal bipartisan cooperation, try to work with the russian government. And in the addon about bringing concerns to use government, theres an agreement between ustr and russias pacific on the enforcement of a larger property that has obligations the russian government has committed to work on. And bringing concerns to ustr and officials had asked the as specific as possible could be one potential avenue. Im sure that we will be enthusiastic not take it upon. Whether or not the russians respond is a different question. Theres a specific agreement negotiated in chief you couple that with very specific concrete concerns, that may be a possible avenue. Theres a lot of potential jokes with russian trademark violations but i in it is a time will skip them. Im going to interrupt you now and ask a question. Want to do things i know michael has wrestled with, we probably all have how do you measure success . A lot of times particularly for innovation you count the number of ph. Ds or number of startups, number of patents. You can use time. Type is an okay proxy. How long does it take . What are the rates of challenge with what are the litigation rates . Thats not a positive indicator by the way. How do you measure success . What do you to look at when you try to say this is working not only in the patent system but its something that contributes to the American Economy . Thats something the higher entity has been with for a number of years is how you measure output. You can measure it loss of numbers you can put on patents and starters and that sort of thing. The aau association of American University association of public land universities set up task forces as fall to walk through that discussion but think about more about why we do what we do. Why are we in this business why are we in this innovation business . If you look at the result each came up in a parallel track they are essentially saying the same thing. Julie about doing this activity this transfer, this discovery to commercialization really on the basis of the public good. Thats how it onto value but. You can track a lot of these different variables but it doesnt they the right story. I was just at the buyout Industry Convention two weeks ago, or three weeks ago in philadelphia. First time ive been there. Its an amazing trade show. They hundreds if not thousands of companies talking about the work theyre doing to solve Health Issues or agricultural issues, and amazing an amazing place. Itthere were some Amazing Stories told about this sort of thing about people, the people stories about a little girl who had a rare form of cancer and had run out of ideas and this doctor came up out of the box solution and she walked on to that set four years later, cure to the cancer. There wasnt a dry eye in the place. Those of the stories you want to see. Thats one way one can measure the its anecdotal yes but the more those stories, theres a lot of stories out there. When peoples lives have been changed by the work being done by researchers both on campuses and companies and labs National Labs all around the country. This is an issue thats hard to quantify. I think if you look at it on balance it wouldve been the effect on the economy and on the country as a whole. Are we better off economically and with that of all the of health care . Are we training the next generation of scientists which i would say we certainly are. The biggest tech transfer a universities is not this movement of ideas out of the marketplace. Its sending out millions of educated students into the economy to do great things. Whatever the job might be whether its Research Related or not. Thats really an important measure to. I think you look at these things its hard to agree on one certain set of criteria youre going to use but i would say the overall benefit of this enterprise ought to be is the country in a better place . Are these measures in this way than it was five years ago 10 years ago, whatever. I think it is important to have metrics like number of patents. I do think they should be the measure of success but its not have those. You can see this big swings. Im going to answer the question from the Government Point of view. I think governments are good at many, many things. Governments are important to governments are not particularly good at innovating. But private citizens are tremendously good at innovating. So i think from a Government Point of view a measure of success should be whether the government can credibly say that it has stepped back and remove as much friction from the Health Care System as possible to let inventors innovate. And the weather that is acacia this an immigration system that makes it is easy as possible to get still into this country, whether that is making sure theres an Education System that ensures that we have our own pipeline of young innovators in Software Engineers and developers and bioengineers coming up to the system. Whether that is making sure have a litigation system that is suffering unnecessary stand in the system and diverting money from research and develop it into litigation. To me that would be the measure of success looking at all the different factors of innovation has the government done everything it can come, get do everything hasnt done everything he can to make as much friction out of the system as possible so that individuals and companies and universities can create and innovate as much as they possibly can spent out of have much to add to that. I agree. Do you have a whiteboard in your office that has number of days, number backlog . Weekly check all of those things. Ive ever talking more global, lofty if you nothing to add spent we track our time, we track the number of cases in a patent trial appeal board that are adjudicated within the one one and a half years statutory front hybrid which is been one of of them. We track track these cases clinical particular and so far theyve been a firm. On the issues that sort of how do we measure the effect of government and government policy on innovation, i think victoria and michael hit it just right. We track the number of cases in we measure everything. Whether or not, can you ever see like i dont know biotech for example, going up they track the trends and 50 diagnosed what upswings pronouncements are having . We see trends and a lot of them are macroeconomic trends. Theres our filing fee of backlog, the economy or what have you. What we are doing it is trying to make our data to think about it, u. S. Gpo has a lot of valid information which is a telltale sign of of a certain trends a direction where investments are made where companies are actively engaged. We are looking forward to that Data Initiative the department of commerce and at the pto to make available publicly available information about patent filings so that people, businesses can take it and make informed business decisions. Where is the activity occurring . What region is a lot of this talent located to unleash the kind of information and to make it available. I think theres tremendous Economic Impact and sort of societal planning benefits for our country. I was going to commend the pto for the work that has continued to dig into this backlog. I remember dave telling a story about once a week it was said that in his office have them printed and the 100 oldest test application and they were disposed of in that they essentially. As weight is a look these people been hung up three four five, however long its been. Itsits unfair to cut its unfair to try to hold up their innovation because of our bureaucracy or because of whats going on. Thats why were all in favor of you having more resources so you can deal with that and continue to get the process of getting applications look at adjudicated and out the door as fast as you can. Leadingedge indicators come if youre putting more on the market, thats great. We had a question in the back. Thaddeus burns from ge. We had to sort of patients, the senate and house version to be interested in hearing from you which of those do you believe is tuned to come as you put it nicely, victoria, taking the most out of assistant i think you put a really well and talk about political coming up on stage making sure that were going to be as innovative as possible or do you favor the house or the Senate Version . And why would that be . Ill start. Let me start. The higher a committee has been working closely the city. We appreciate the 10 and which without negotiations on a number of issues. Thethat draft was voted out of committee several weeks ago has improvements on two of the major points were concerned about. One is the shifting language and also to join the peace which allows, try to reach back to people for other investors and i think the way the senate bill is written is a better way to sort of shield of people who shouldnt be held liable in a certain situation. The house bill would pretty much have indicated is not your liking on a number of reasons. Those are two areas in particular that weve highlighted in the past. All of our statements have been public about that so thats kind of where we are. We were talking beforehand i think the Senate Discussions are continuing. I dont think i get the sense theres not before time to take up that bill before the fall. So theres further discussion opportunities there. I think the house is looking to act soon on their bill so we will see how that all plays out. So i would say what you might expect from a former negotiator. Both bills have good things into my both bills have some concerns were would like to see things change or made better. More specific on the senate side i think we have concerns the house will have the provisions wouldprovisions would like the cynical business would like to see that provision. I think when the senate bill was new to the committee it was a pretty clear they understood there was going to be more work on that bill. And our experience theyre open about having those discussions and will continue to work with the senate on their bill. On the house side theres also the some concerns on how such. One specifically trying to make sure there is language in there to try to avoid the kind of gaming that can happen at the beginning of litigation. There were letters being sent out. A situation is not made clear. We think that could be improved and the house bill and will continue to look at the House Judiciary Committee on these concerns as well. But it is good from our perspective to see that things are continuing to the end of congress is continuing to focus on trying to eliminate some of these concerns. Just to add. We are working very closely with stakeholders and congressional members on these issues. And the arthurs strengths. Theres more activity on the inter partes review side of the proposed amendment in the senate bill. As the tories said the provision in the house bill but not innocent. Theres a whole range in the middle that has many common issues, the shifting, pleadings discovery, customer states. That are minor variations between the bills between the house and the senate are so i hope that and im optimistic that people will Work Together get the best parts as each respective bill that you can get a consensus built on the president s desk that she can still work to be done but a lot of good, hard work is kind of do many, many of these provisions some more so than others but its heading in the right direction. There is good momentum. You dont want to jinx these things. Is early but thats a good thing. Its early in the congress. Theyve got lots of time to move around the we had one last question in the back. Jim, thank you for bringing this great group together. Its really important to discuss some of these issues. Im the chairman emeritus of the national in 1984 the president of the institute was the original author of the economic espionage act and the National Trade secrets act. One of the precisions we attempted to get into law at the time was a civil portion of the because we did not have to wait and then adjust the government filing some form of action. Today, concurred with the 1994 action was the establishment of the National Counterintelligence center at in the first report to congress on economic espionage they said there were it countries that were actively and aggressively stealing technology from the United States. The last report in 2011 said there was over 140 countries who are actively and aggressively stealing technology. Now that weve moved first to patent of all the Stone Technology is being patented by other countries. Had we protect our and interest in this country with all of that stolen data of all those innovations now coming forward at patents that they have no ability to protect themselves against . Did that will stop everyone . I think thats a big big question obviously. I think when you say we, again im going to answer that question from the perspective of u. S. Government. Others have things they want to succumb they should jump into i think theres a few things to cover, versatile, enormous problem. I spent time think about in my entire job that i think are some legislature changes that would be helpful in the u. S. System to give our Law Enforcement more authority to help. Its difficult to type of activity that is happening 100 overseas but there is a fair amount of trade secrets with some connection to the United States. I think ever Law Enforcement have Greater Authority and in some cases having greater penalties would be very helpful. I additionally think that you mentioned 140 countries but theres still a smaller number of countries i think which are the greatest concern. In my own view is that many of those countries having very senior level diplomatic pressure or encouragement to foresaw some of the economic espionage thats going on as opposed to i will take National Security and focus on economic espionage i think that can in certain cases be helpful but i think in order to work is very important that it be a very clearly concerted effort by the United States government of the most senior levels of all of its agencies. I dont think one agency, the department of commerce or justice can do that alone. It has to be a signal sent very clearly that that has been helpful in some cases and so i think that is an approach the u. S. , should take. The last thing i will say i think Companies Need to be calm and i know the Artist Resource applications for the. Companies that are clearly in sectors that other governments have decided theyre going to focus on in terms of building their own economy. Companies to be investing more than trying to make their own systems as foolproof as possible. Its probably not possible to make any system completely foolproof but there is something sick of these can do. In my old job i was often subscribe to see how often companies were hoping they would not be a target rather than investing resources and trying to firewall off the way they kept information, be careful about which Location Research is being done, being careful about what employees had access to what types of information. Im not sitting at the same theres a way for companies to 100 protect themselves from trade secret theft but for some discoveries can do and i think particularly if youre operating globally and your in a sector with another government has said is a target in terms of the on domestic economy you need be taking steps internally to try to make sure you are as protected as possible. I came from the private tech sector and some the companys award for were victims of trade secret misappropriation in large amounts, large skull and uzbek it is clear a big problem. In the 113th congress as you mentioned, there was a piece of legislation to create a civil federal cause of action. Misys was talking to the stakeholders, there was a fair amount of consensus on that point. Ultimate something did not pass and theyre still looking on language but my sense is there was at least some interest but a broad range this is all Different Companies with the biotech, pharmaceutical, you name it. There was consensus on this point. I wouldnt be surprised if you see that legislation perhaps being brought up again. Theres probably a need for an and the question is just getting the language right but what uspto is going to do in terms of trade secret, appropriation for, then we do a lot of work with i didnt people on the ground. We do a lot with the coordinator in making sure people are aware and have the resources. Its late after the trade secrets to walk out the door. Thats not the kind become in to the government office. Is beforehand. Preventing it and so protecting cant and been working with us so we can make sure we have the appropriate remedies and laws and devise trade secrets. When i send china again this was another topic i raised, to treat trade secrets as a form of intellectual property just like patents, copyrights and trademarks. And people are beginning to get it. We have been actually advocating. And working in europe with European Commission looking at harmonizing trade secrets. You mentioned moving first inventor to file, the system that now part of a number of changes which created out of the whole process. We beginning to see the implications, just now three or four years later what it means. It will have positive implications the there may be some things that are coming out but now we are seeing there are some issues with that, which is what i think we need come if were going to legislate in this area, this whole patent area, we need to be carefully go about it. We are seeing the output in some ways what it was back in 2011. We ought to be cautious about how we go back and wade back into the water again spent one last thing. I agree with you. Its a big pop and to train. Is also increasing problem in japan was also in providing their secret trade secret law. I think this is what areas with u. S. Government can work really well with its counterpart at the European Commission and the National Member states and with the government of japan to try to encourage other governments to put laws domestic laws in place to make it easier to prosecute tickets trade secret theft of applause in place to try to prevent stuff from happening in the first place. There does appear to be consensus u. S. , europe and japan to there are measures you can take that would reduce this problem, but you have to take things i think one of the things were seeing now is rethinking our approach to the larger issue. More assertive approach might be useful, but weve reached the end of our time. I thought this was a great panel. It was really fascinating. Michelle lee thank you so much. [applause] and you cut me off before i could think the tory and michael, so thank you. [applause] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] if you missed any of this discussion on the patent system and economy it is available on the c. Standard library. Go to cspan. Org. This alkaline state senate is debating whether to remove the Confederate Flag from the front of the state capital. Earlier the senate voted down a proposal that would send the issues the state voted. Senators going to vary spending months and debating what to do with the flight. A live picture here and amendments that are being considered. Among the amendments been on that considered are one that would allow the flag to be flown on confederate memorial day. We are so in all of us do you live on our companion networkst nativsons. Cspan as it plays out. A twothirds vote is needed in the house and senate to move the Confederate Flag protecting were showing this to ulite on our companion network cspan. Tonight on the communicators we visited a taxpayer on capitol hill to hear what policy issues Technology Innovators want to discuss with members of congress. We spoke with yelp laurent crenshaw. Last stand for strategic lawsuits, and so thats basically win a Business Owner doesnt like a review of their business and says im going to see or i will threaten to sue you. He may actually go forward with it but you as the user the one who shared that experience, you know first and then decide to andrew but you are the little doubt that you may not have the money to really go to court over which he wrote about a chinese Food Restaurant or a car mechanic. Instead of doing that you just take off your view. So while yelp is protected because of section 230 of the Communications Decency act and in what were worried about is the Chilling Effect that those types of lawsuits or threats of lawsuits love people that would otherwise shows a firsthand experience. About 6 less. 600 offers consolation. There are a lot of regular the items that we have to address clearly is one of the reason why we want to be on the hill as well but also to express the nation. Commission is bring that affordable Internet Access to the masses and also to be able to provide services to Public Safety military other government uses nongovernment uses that will benefit the population in general. Wireless is very different than wireline. I hope would be that wireless would be treated differently, recognizing its a scarce resource, and so its not exactly the same from data flowing over a cybernetwork, for example. We think the wireless piece of it gives a very careful consideration. Tonight at 8 p. M. Eastern on the communicators on cspan2. Congress is back tomorrow from the july 4 break. This week the house plans to continue and to finish work on a bill for bp and other related agencies. Also on the house agenda for the week a bill making changes to the no child left behind federal education program. The house will gavel in at 2 p. M. Eastern live on cspan. The senate this week will take up a separate proposal given with no child left behind that would give states more authority to determine how much weight to give a standardized test scores. They have a confirmation vote scheduled for later in the day on a federal Circuit Court judge. The first one of you. You can see live Senate Coverage youre on cspan2. Our congressional freshman profile series continues with four new interviews. First is republican Elise Stefanik purchase the and this woman ever elected to congress. She presses work for the romney president ial campaign and for the bush administration. This is just under 30 minutes. Host Elise Stefanik from new yorks 21st Congressional District which includes north country. The youngest woman ever elected to congress. Whats that like . Guest i actually did know i was going to be the youngest woman ever elected and to after i want my primary. I went into this race not knowing about the historic in nature and after when my permanent which was very competitive the media started covering the race and talking about how i would be the youngest woman ever elected. What was interesting for me was at camp in gaza particularly towards the end parents started bringing the Elementary School aged daughters to events. These were nonpolitical families republicans, democrats, unaffiliated voters just to show their daughter an example and a role model of what they can achieve. Its something i take very seriously as a role model in this country. Matches republican women but for all women who want to break glass ceilings in whatever role they are and whether its politics or business or the arts. I think its important as a country that we beat exams for young women to seek what they can achieve. Its been great in cars because of the weekly basis we have young women come into my office with his young candidates seeking advice i had a great letter from a middle school aged girl who is running for Student Council from i think Washington State oregon. I knows on the west coast but she sent a letter to the office. Its a humbling experience for me. I just hope im a role model for other young women post that you will point you to say im going to run for congress . Guest thats a great question. I decide to run for congress after the 2012 election. I worked on governor romneys campaign. I was at the debate prep for paul ryan and i was displayed in the outcome of the 2012 election. I spent times think about how the Republican Party needs to a new generation candidates and needs to be able to pass the message along to Younger Voters and particularly younger women. Indeed state i grew up in my family Small Business which my parents started when i was a kid. Its got harder to do with his in new york than it was when they started over 20 years ago. I think we need policies that promote entrepreneurialism. We need policies that promote innovation and Economic Growth but we all state of a new generation of leadership in congress. After 2012 i started working at my familys business which i grope around and i started as a completely no named candidate taking on a skewed income but. I made the rounds in a very large district i met with Community Leaders local elected leaders, asked whether looking for in congress. At first blush i think that many of them were shocked by the age. I was 29th at the time, and that was an impossibility for a 29 yearold to even be remotely possible to win an election, a primary and general election. I turned my youth from a weakness into a strength and jesuit embraced the fact i was a young candidate. It worked. Host the borders are from a and candidate. How big is it . Guest 12 counties, where the biggest additions on the east coast, over 16,000 square miles in a very mountainous trinket the Adirondack Mountains whichwhich are beautiful are right in the center of the bishop in terms of population, to populate the sort of in a circle around the district. It goes from Saratoga County to the canadian border, south of montreal all the way to watertown which is the home of fort drum. I spent a lot of time doing retail grassroots politics to i put over 100,000 miles total on the truck i drove. Thats a lot of drivetime, a lot of hard work getting around going to local events with five 10 people especially at the beginning of the what did you learn about you during the process . Guest any candidate to run for office and has the courage to put in on a ballot and to step into the arena particularly tremendous amount about yourself. You have to turn inward and question why youre doing this, which you can bring to the table to make your case. Particularly early on in my campaign i was going alone to events and was introducing myself to strangers. That takes something within your gut and that inner drive and a sense of doing get beyond yourself for a greater purpose and having a nation in a campaign. I learned a lot. Are our eyes and lungs under the campaign. It really tests your inner self. Host talk about your mom and dad in the plywood business that is to own and operate. Where did you grow up . Tell us about your parents try to i was born in albany county. Im a proud new yorker. May come have a home in essex county since i was three. I spent a lot of growing up between albany and essex essex county so often to the north away. My dad start off in the plywood and lumber business after graduating from high school. He worked his way up first in the warehouse. He was on the road a salesperson when i was bored but he ended up managing a local branch of the larger plywood education company. When i was seven my parents started their own business. It was basically to focus on the local Small Business customers and bring you guys called it products with the best customer service. The 20 years later we have over 1000 Small Business customers. My brother is deeply involved in the business. He is five and his younger. And when you grow up in that type of environment and you see that type of risk that your parents go through when they rest really everything we had as a family to start a business from scratch. It was very, very difficult. As any small Business Owner would tell you, theyre still tough times and times when its a bit easier. But i think the work ethic, that has stayed with me. Seeing how it pays off when you put your all into something and you focus on customer service. A lot of what we do in congress is constituent service. I try to treat that is its customer service. Went respond quickly to constituents but i really credit my parents with the values that they instilled in me. Just a strong work ethic. Also in the belief that you can achieve anything. My parents didnt have the opportunity to graduate from college. They both are very smart and very accomplished. They are for the families and it just wasnt economically feasible. They made sure they invested in my education and wanted to give me better opportunities than they had. Host what does your little brother think of his big sister transferred he would be laughing if he heard that question. He is a big supporter of me running for office. He has not political at all. He would enjoy scoffing. Its a great job at my familys business. We are the opposite in many respects. Buddy is very supportive brother and i was proud to have him on the stage when they won both in the primary and november. Theres a great picture office hugging which i think it rained in the nuke times which is pretty neat what about your mom and dad . Did you talk politics of growing up . Did your dad talk about what its like the with taxes and regulation and the rest . Guest they are active citizens. I think your typical small Business Owners in this country. They pay close attention to policy affects the business was its regulatory, tax policy. We arent just addition to prepare our trucks on the road five days out of the week. We are not a traditional political family in the sense night have ever run for office. They are not a local commuters but they are strong voters from always voted and their civic minded. We did talk a lot about the challenges of a business and government overreach. New york state is not a particularly friendly state to do business. In fact, we rank number 50 with states friendly to do business. Growing up i didnt necessarily here they are medical implications about we like this candidate or the other candidate. It was more we ought to be supporting policies that will help Small Businesses grow. Host why are you a republican . Guest because i believe in limited government. I believe the best way to grow the economy is but Small Businesses and entrepreneurs. I believe that individuals are the best people to make those decisions. I think republican principles help the vast majority of all americans achieve the American Dream. I believe in the constitution. Host he went to harvard to study what . Guest i went to harvard and i studied government. I was involved at the institute of politics. Which is an undergraduate organization found in the number of president john f. Kennedy. Its bipartisan, or nonpartisan. Mission is to encourage young people to get involved in Public Policy and be engaged civic what i spent a lot of time outside of the classroom working with students at the institute of politics and when i was a freshman, particularly amazing experience i had. The institute of politics host fellows at harvard and one of the fellows my freshman fall was ted sorenson to john f. Kennedys speechwriter. As a student you could apply to be their liaison and work with them for a semester. I was one of six liaisons they got to work with ted sorenson for semester. We hosted weekly discussion groups. For someone like me or for any student frankly, just to be able to work with someone and kissandtell stories, such a historic time that id grown up reading about in history books it was a very formative moment for me, particularly because he worked for a very young president. Host the niger a dress courage and the most famous speeches the president has delivered. Seeking to washington to work in the bush administration. How did that come about . Guest i didnt have a job and other week i graduate. Im sure that made my parents nervous at the time. I graduated 2006 in college and many of my friends went the route of you uk recruited very early in finance or consulting jobs. That just wasnt the right fit for me. I wanted to do something involving Public Policy. I interviewed at think tanks in washington. I interviewed for his part of the demonstration under president george w. Bush and actually a friend of mine who would graduate two years earlier than me a great role model, she still a very good friend and was my mentor in college, she told me about a standing position that was open. I didnt get the first position as does the Business Cycle and that opened the. I was offered the job a few days before graduated at on my first day of work a month after my graduation i went in to meet the new head of the Domestic Policy Council, which has been appointed i think a month earlier. I was just going into meeting as a new staff assistant, sort of the lowest member of the latter right out of college and he was looking for a west wing aides and it was actually kind of shock at the time because typically before you work in the west when you to work your way up. It wasnt, those jobs were not forget right out of college but he took a huge risk on me. Hes from upstate new york and interestingly hes an amateur woodworker. Ive talked to about my familys business in which is hit it off. I worked for the Domestic Policy Council for a year and then i moved downstairs to the first floor of the west wing and it worked for the deputy chief of staff for policy joe kaplan until the end of it administration. Host the first time you walked in as a staff assistant in what was your reaction traffic i was very nervous. Because even when youre on staff on a particularly the first day when i was going to meet my boss, you sit in the west wing lobby and i think anybody will tell you this u. S. At and the west wing lobby for a type of job and if you were just any type of meeting him its a very nerveracking experience but its also an incredibly aweinspiring experience. Ive never thinking to myself, i cant believe im sitting in the west wing of the white house. I would not have imagined that a year or even two weeks earlier. Its the moment where you pinch yourself. And who i interviewed for when i was in college he was president reagans chief of staff, he gave me a great piece of advice. He said no matter what you doing in life by what job you have, pinch yourself everyday you go into the west wing because its the peoples house and its a true privilege to work there. I did that and it was a very informative experience. Host he is now you call it but in 2012 help prepare paul ryan for the debate from the one debate he had with Vice President joe biden. How did you go about that . Guest that was by one of my most challenging jobs at an event that it was rip privilege working for someone like paul who no one knows more about the budget and paul ryan. And as a staffer was interesting for me is that president from the Team President romney. Then governor from me, you go through many debates. Pollster. Com only one Vice President of the historical. Paul had not had a debate since his first congressional debate. I worked with the Romney Campaign to make sure that paul had the preparation he needed. What was interesting is it was unlike the way they prepared to been around just in terms of briefing materials. It was a lot of time spent with paul. It was eightfold mock debates where we would work for the standard for Vice President joe biden, played by ted olson. We packed them in that specific questions and scenarios to play them out. But paul was very handson. He edited all the material. It was a constant work in progress. And by the end of the the briefing we just had an entire briefcase. It was a 40pound case of briefing materials that would go on the plane every day. As we were flying to Vigorous Campaign stops, pollack practiced various parts of the debate you sometimes he would review the materials but it was a great example for me particularly because paul was younger than i was when he first ran for office to it was inspirational and pauls encouragement when i told him after the election that i was contemplating, what do you think about if i ran for congress . Polylogists said he completely encouragement and i Credit Credit debt as a turning point. Host on the night of the debate where were you . Guest i was actually at Center College with paul. I was there in the back room. Host in kentucky transfer in kentucky. I was in the room right afterwards when the secret service and paul and his wife went to the room afterwards. I thought he did a great job. Host let me ask about congress itself. How do you structure your day when youre in session . The bells go off sometimes when there are those. You meetings with constituents. What is your reaching . Guest great question. I think think it is change the whatevers got a. I think the first few months in congress is pretty overwhelming just the breath of the issues you deal with. My foremost mission is making sure that my constituents are well represented. We have an eye on constituent services on a daily basis. That goes all the way from me down to staff assistant and interested we are responsive to all the constituents. I did morning clips from all of the local news outlets in my district. Because its such a geographically large district thats three different media markets with a number of dailies and weeklies. I make sure the whole staff reads the clips. And then my days start very early. Lately they start with congressional womens softball practice which happens at seven to 80 and a great bipartisan way to get to know women from both sides of the on. Ive really enjoyed that. And then a focus on what Committee Hearings focus on what can be traced to come on Services Committee and education and workforce committee. At the beginning of a week either meeting with my legislative team to go over the weekend, what legislation is pending, potential letters or legislation that i want to sign or bills, to cosponsor the bill some going to introduce. You know the days are very busy. I have a lot of constituents passenger most members do our part of groups groups or associations are schools that are visiting washington. I would like to personally welcome them even if i have a Committee Hearing i will pop out of hearing and make sure that theyre able to see the representative and raising issues about they have. Its a very busy schedule time with its that easy to run for congress. Is also not she. How much did you raise in 2014 come and have you started the process for 2016 try to either raise 1. 7 million this district is a very large district either very competitive primary and general election. In both cases i running against a selffunded. I prided our camping on the number of low dollar donors we have ended issue. We are really putting the fund raising structure at the grassroots level. Ive already started, most of great start. I raised a great number the First Quarter and i think it shows the support and investment from people within the committee. They believe in what youre doing and want to make sure his seat is protected. Weve done a lot of support. Host in her announcement in the city typically said theres way too much politics. She pointed citizens united. What are your thoughts . Is that too much money in politics . How do you correct at . Guest i believe making a donation is a constitutional right in terms of freedom of speech. I believe need a more transparency in our federal election system today. For example, some states across the country 100 transparency. You can donate 1 dollar up to 1000 or more than that. Its disclosed to the voters to i believe in transparency. I think that is an import step to take in the right direction. But in terms of Hillary Clinton shes actively fundraising for her super pac to support her campaign. So i think as a candidate you up to walk the walk and talked the talk and shes just not doing that right now. Host whats your relationship like with Speaker Boehner and to commit or chairs and leadership in the house . Guest i had a lot of support from leadership from the speaker who came to the district to support me has been very supportive of my committee assignments. I spoke to an early and ensuring that i get appointments to the house armed Services Committee and education and workforce particularly the House Armed Services is competitive for freshman whatever the case very early why it was so important for me to have a seat at the table to protect and strengthen fort drum which is home of the 10th mountain division, the most deployed division in the u. S. Army. In terms of the Committee Chairs i have a lot of support from chairman thornberry who is head of Armed Service committee and vice chair of the writing subcommittee which is a great position to as a freshman. Its rare for freshman qb subCommittee Chairs on house armed Services Committee. I work very well with chairman john kline on the workforce committee. I think of the leadership is very supportive. They understand that i am not a typical member of congress. And it is a historic event sitting on the house floor when Prime Minister netanyahu delivered a joint session. I worked around and once again there was a moment i cant believe im here great in bed for a guy participated on a code of congressional delegation to afghanistan, iraq kuwait jordan and to me i was able to visit with soldiers but one of us as we was with president but gone a bit newlyelected president of afghanistan. I was in congress or the president. I pinch myself at that moment as well. So yes its a very aweinspiring experience and you understand that the reason why you are put in office is to represent the people and your neighbors from back at home. When i stop pinching myself i think its time to go. Host what advice did your mom and dad give you or what was the best advice they have given you . Guest both of my parents have given me great advice. My dad since i was a kid would tell me how heart you work and real the real wisdom in that advice is especially when and i was schoolaged the harder you work you spend the time studying so that the something used has to say the main event in elementary middle and high school and i think its served me well. And my moms advice is always maintain a moral compass and i think thats very good advice for anyone but particularly when youre an elected official its very important to live by the values you espouse. I think sometimes people are very disappointed in what they see in their elected officials and particularly millennials dont have a high Approval Rating of elected officials, people that get involved in politics so i think thats part of the reason they dont. I think its important to live by a moral compass. Host finally you are running for reelection but have you given any thought to what is next in any of the glass ceilings you want to break or exit. Guest im excited, i love representing this district. Im working hard to make sure the progress i make the promises i make on the campaign are kept. I think theres a lot i can do in congress on behalf of my district so im not someone who plans to five or 10 years in advance in terms of you know this will open up. Thats not who i am. If you asked me three years ago if id be sitting in my office in canon on behalf of new yorks 21 residents i would have thought you were crazy so i think its really important to do as well as you can do at the job you have now. That is what i focused on. Host and when you are not here what do you do to relax by like to cut really love spending time outside. I snow skiing on Gore Mountain which is in my district. I like to do that with my dad. Im an avid reader. I love doing the book talk. That was a highlight for me and i really enjoy theater and when i was a kid i thought i wanted to be in place and i love going to broadway shows every now and then. My mom would take me to new york city so i love the theater and i love the art and thats what i like to do outside of this job. Host Elise Stefanik commerce congresswoman thank you very much for being with us. Guest thank you. Host congressman John Ratcliffe from the fourth Congressional District of texas you have challenged a sitting incumbent republican the longestserving member of congress and also a world war ii veteran so why did you decide to run for congress and why in a republican primary . Guest ive been involved in Public Service. I served as a smalltown mayor in i found i enjoyed Public Service and it really was a calling that came to me and i tried to help a lot of folks that were frustrated with president obamas first term. I tried to help get around a elected as president. I served on the Transition Team for what would have been a rotten egg administration. Obviously that didnt happen and i was extraordinarily frustrated frustrated. I made the decision i need to check out of politics all together and that led to the decision to run for congress. Congressman paul is someone who is as you mentioned an iconic figure someone who is a friend of mine but i knew very well and i think hes done a terrific job and served with extraordinary distinction for the people of the fourth Congressional District but i also felt it presented with an incredible alternative the majority of folks in the district were looking for an opportunity. Most folks like me thought that things in washington were getting worse not better. Congressman hall had several longtime party was in his 90s and i felt like if people would give me my chance as i presented a credible alternative with the credentials that i had and the plan in the solution that i presented ultimately that proved to be the case. Host you have to transition obviously between his office in your office. Did he give you any advice . Guest he gave me a lot of advice. We were friends before this election and we are friends now. I saw him before his 92nd birthday. He wished me well and told me he was proud of the job i was doing. He gave me ice. I came up here this summer and specifically met with him on a number of occasions to get advice about all the things i didnt know about eating a member of Congress Like staffing in office and fundraising and getting to certain committees. So one particular thing he was a wealth of information over period of time he was incredibly gracious to me during the transition and as i said ultimately prove to be a big help to me. Host what makes a successful member of congress . Guest more than anything else you have to have passion for what you do. I found i enjoyed Public Service and i really believed if you enjoy what you are doing, thats number one and number two you have to work incredibly hard. We are expected to command an extraordinary amount of information on a breadth and depth of issues that come at us very quickly up here and that takes commitment. You have to be correct surrounded by good stuff so i try to benefit with sitdowns with 57 different members of the Republican Congress he gave me advice about those types of things so i really felt prepared when i got here and i have surrounded myself with very good people. I think one of the things that i learned from the other positions as manager of people and United States attorney and as the mayor of the small town is if you surrender people surrounded several people who are better and smarter than you are you can accomplish anything. Host do have time to think and delve into some of the topics you are passionate about . Guest you do but you have to think quickly. You dont have the amount of time that you would ordinarily expect or like to have and it does command a constant commitment to educate yourself to take an extraordinary amount of information but again if you are passionate about the issues ive had the good fortune of getting on committees that cover the things that are important to me and things that i have had experience with before in dealing with and that is help me as well. I very much feel like im doing what im supposed to be doing and im doing what i told the people of the Fourth District that it would be doing. Host where is heath, texas . Guest its just east of dallas 25 miles and this rv Congressional District. The mayor goes north and east. It goes all the way to the oklahoma border at the arkansas border and the louisiana border. I have got 18 counties. Its a terrific district. Its diverse and spread out, a lot of great folks throughout the district. I have really enjoyed getting to know so many of the 700,000 people that im privileged to represent. Host i ask about that down because you served as mayor. What was that like . Was it a fulltime job parttime . Guest mayor is a volunteer position and it really was a terrific experience because its really where the rubber meets the road. Its true Public Service as i said wasnt paid a nickel for the time i spent an drive myself home from meetings after midnight talking about all the issues that are important but being mayor of a small town has its rewards. I had the opportunity to vote on matters on tuesday and back in town on a saturday and starting on the part that we started our new neighborhood he gets a chance to be close to the people and i learned a lot about its funding to constituents needs and concerns and it was something that benefited me as i moved up to a bigger stage in congress. Host were you raised in texas . Guest born in illinois and got to texas as fast as i kid. I down here when i was 20 years old for law school and fell in love with texas and ive been here for most of my life. I grew up catholic in chicago area and i was a fan of the school and a lot of great people went to school there. And it was a tremendous institution in some place that i always dreamed of going. I met a lot of great lifetime friends and continue to have them. Host heres a photograph of you and your wife i suspect on your wedding day. How did you meet her . Guest at law school. My wife is also a lawyer. We met at Southern Methodist university in dallas at the law school there. We have been married for 25 years. We have two daughters, 16 and 13 and where happy to reside in texas. Host what is it like having two daughters, one now learning how to drive in the other teenager too . Guest its terrific. My daughters are they light up my life and they are the reason that im here one of the primary motivations for being a member of congress to make sure they have the same opportunity and the American Dream that i have had enough something that concerned me. When the reasons i didnt check out of politics is because with i know would not catch up in my lifetime lifetime but any would catch up to them so the primary reason im here. They are doing tremendously well adjusting to the transition and having a dad spending half of his time in washington d. C. And leeds on sunday nights or monday mornings and doesnt get home until thursdays at fridays. Thats an adjustment for our family. We talk about the shared sacrifice that of being a member of Congress Takes that we are all adjusting well. Host how do you do that though because obviously in your district you have to raise money and go to bed and you also have family. Guest its really tough. You do have to carve out time so i try to reserve sundays for my family and try not to do political events on sunday so we can go to church and spend time together as a family. Whenever possible i bring my wife and my kids to let google events throughout the district. Its an opportunity for us to spend time together but it is tough. Im gone more than i would like to be but again they understand the Larger Mission here and have been incredibly supportive. And im grateful for that. Host they like politics . Guest they like it because of something thats important to me. I dont know if its something i would expect my daughters to go into. They need to find your calling in life. Politics are it thats great but if its medicine thats great, if its raising a family thats great so they will have to find their own way. They are very supportive. They are learning a lot. They were just up here. School is out for the summer so they were able to come up for a couple of days and we turned a lot of monuments and spent time in the capital and did some things as a family up here in washington d. C. They are learning more about the importance of our federal government and the role it plays in our lives. Host your own family growing up in illinois and where in illinois . Guest i lived in different places around illinois. My parents were teachers. My dad taught at the university and my mom was a gradeschool teacher so i lived in different towns. I went to high school at a place called carbondale and Southern Illinois almost in kentucky. Great people, but as i said texas is home now. Host brothers and sisters . Guest i am the youngest of six. Host whats it like it a Family Reunion thanksgiving a lot of lyrical point of view . Guest yeah. I think mostly conservative but there are some different opinions and we live in different parts of the country but we are a closeknit family. We have all been very supportive of one another. All my brothers and sisters have been supportive of my desire to get involved in politics and we are supportive of me during the campaign. So that so i continue to stay close and talk to them as much as i can. Ive been limited amount of free time these days but we try to stay as close as we possibly can. Host would your friends in high school be surprised that you are in Congress Today . Guest i think some of them would be. It wasnt something i did. I was never a class officer and i never ran for class office. It wasnt until later when i was in college i got involved with students for reagan and bush. Reagan was a figure that inspired me. Obviously he was present during the time i was in high school and in college and really sort of shaped my political beliefs. But i dont think my High School Friends really saw me as a member of congress. I didnt see myself as a member of congress. Host as we hear the bells go off them you have a schedule you have to keep your in congress and your demands back home so what is a daily routine like for you . Guest the thing that surprised me the most about being a member of congress is how many people want to see me and get on my calendar. During the first few months we averaged 300 requests per day to give him my schedule and so i often have 30 or 40 different meetings during the course of the day with different groups. That includes time for votes. We usually have a number of votes during the day that i have got different constituents that come up in the district and there are different outside groups that want to see me and talk about different matters of legislation that i will be ultimately voting on. Incredibly busy. There are some time in there for fundraising. Its always an issue for members of congress as well so its different every day. I see a variety of people and it all ties back in my role of trying to legislate to put this country back on a better path. Host where would you put yourself ideologically on the political spectrum . Guest i put myself as very conservative and most people would put me as very conservative. On paper or represent one of the most conservative districts in the country and if you look at how i voted in the first almost six months that i have been a member of congress and i have well over 300 recorded votes i think by any measure in any standard i would be considered one of the most conservative members of congress. I think in voting that way im representing my district well. Host but can you have those conservative principles and also bridge the divide with democrats on key issues . Or are we losing the bipartisanship we have seen in the past . Guest i dont have anything to compare to it a as far as would have in the past. My reality is the six months that ive been here and we have gotten important things done. I hope to move forward a major piece of legislation the cyber bill in the committee that i chaired. I worked very hard to garner bipartisan support. Ultimately the bill passed the floor meaning a lot of republicans and some democrats supported as well. I think hardware can overcome a lot. You have to work hard to find Common Ground. Thats one of the things that all legislators need to keep in mind is that if you are intent on just getting your way nothing is going to happen. Its frankly one of the criticisms that i have of this president is that when he doesnt get his way essentially takes his ball and goes home. So we often dont get things done because the president isnt willing or able to bridge the gap and bring parties together. Host so how do we get there . What will it take . Guest i think one of the things that happens is you send better people to washington and there has been a change in the members of congress that reflects the will of the people. And so we have added to our numbers in terms of the conservatives that come to washington. I think that is help in the process. I think we are getting more done. Clearly the 114 congress has been more productive by any standard than the 113th congress so i think you can be a conservative or you can be a liberal but if you are thoughtful you can find Common Ground on issues. Thats one of the things that i have work to do and i do think that there is the fact that now more than half of the members of congress have served in this body for six years or less really sort of underscores the fact that everyone sees that we need to do business with differently in a little bit better than we have done in recent times. Host you had the tea partier and stations where he ran for congress and as you well know a lot of the tea partier positions are not too happy with the Republican Leadership here in the house. So where does that put you . Guest what i wanted with support from all kinds are republicans in the district that i represent really includes some Tea Party Support some tea party constituents but it also involves Traditional Chamber of commerce republicans libertarians, constitutional conservatives did i really dont get hung up on labels. I think thats a washington insiders game. You know i think again my goal appears to represent the constituency well and to do the things that i told people that i was going to do. So far in the First Six Months i have been able to vote my conscience in the district and garner a lot of great support from the people back home and i have done things that i have told them is going to do. Host do you feel the Speaker Boehner has an open door policy for you and others . Guest he does. Ive had an opportunity to speak with him on issues. He has tried to persuade me to his point of view on issues. Sometimes i have supported that, sometimes i havent. You know i really try to make the decisions that are best and most effective for the 700,000 texans that im privileged to represent and if that decision on that boat happens to coincide with what the speaker wants thats great but if not he needs to understand that i may vote a different way. So far ive communicated that and he seems to be accepting about that. Host you talk about money in politics. Some say theres way too much money in politics. What is your view . Guest you know i have tried to focus on the things that i have the ability to change and im going to let others deal with how much money is being spent with respect to campaigns. It seems unhealthy to me but you know the realities are what they are at present and i have worked very hard to get here. I have generated a lot of income from outside groups and support to have the opportunity and as you know its very rare to beat an incumbent in your own party. I was able to do that you know and i did that i think in part because i had the right message. I think if you have the right message, they could overcome the amount of money we have seen in recent examples with other folks that think its tapping into the constituency and sometimes money doesnt really care and he is someone is going to be successful. Like everyone i think you know i would like to see some sanity applied to campaigns and the amount of money it takes for people to hold office. Host some people have said that texas is going to become much more pursuing state in the next 15 to 20 years. You are seeing a demographic change in your district and the state. Whats happening there a . Guest the demographics are changing. We have a growing hispanic population in texas. I hope its not a swing state. Its been a conservative state and conservatives can count on and i think that can continuously deliver the right message notwithstanding the changing demographics. I think we have an opportunity to the hispanic population to grow them as republicans. I see it every day and certainly those that are constituents in my district i have been effective in persuading them that its Republican Values and ideas of opportunities that work well with their work ethic and interest more so than what i see as failed strategies dependencies entitlement that the Democratic Party in this administration in particular have been promoting for the last six years. Host you mentioned your disappointment when mitt romney lost in 2012 bid on the larger issue getting the 270 electoral votes be as you know your party has lost five of the six National Elections when it came to the popular vote so how do you turn that tide . Guest i think the recent elections reflect the fact that the majority of this country still is conservative. We just picked up seats in the Midterm Election in the house and the senate. In fact we took the senate back. We think thats a reflection of the fact that people do see notwithstanding the recent president ial elections i think that reflects that this is a conservative country that Still Believes in the basic principles of opportunity that my party that are present. I think the problem of president ial elections has been our candidates and the messages that they have. I was disappointed not bit met ronnie didnt win but republicans in win. Im optimistic that we are going to get a good republican candidate that will get people off the sidelines in president ial elections and im confident we will have a republican in the white house to build a Republican House and senate in 2016 and then we will really get things done here. Host have you given any further thought to what you want to do next . Guest i really havent. Im grateful for the opportunity that i have. I dont know if theres a next for me in politics. I hold onto this opportunity very loosely. Im grateful every day people in the Fourth District had given me the opportunity to be there one voice on the floor of the house of representatives. Its still hard for me to believe sometimes im grateful to be here right now. God has a plan for all of us. As i said i didnt expect to be a member of congress but once i made the decision to run it as i felt the calling i always believed i would be here. Its a different opportunity presents itself down the road where i feel like in can better serve the public i will look into that but im happy to be the congressman from the Fourth District of texas. Host how important is your faith . Guest my faith is the guiding principle of everything i do. As i go through those 300 something votes that i take and i go through a series of questions and one of those questions is how does the vote that im about to cast coincide with my faith just as i ask how does a coincide with the constitution. [inaudible question] is a coincide with the people in the Fourth District in places like sherman in texarkana silver springs. My faith is very important to me. You have heard me talk about the fact that i do think god has a plan for all of us and i very much feel like i am doing what im supposed to be doing right now. It has been and will continue to be at the forefront of all the decisions i make in my life not just here in congress. Host finally wins John Ratcliffe has nothing on his schedule, free day would you like to do . Guest i spend it with my wife and daughters. What we do really is important spending quality time with family. Family is very important to me. I talk about the fact that i want my daughters to have the same opportunities that we have had and i also realize that time is precious. We dont know what the future holds for any of us so my daughters are growing up very quickly. I want to take advantage of the time i have with them now while they are still under the roof and i have to take some direction from my wife and i. Thats what we do on our time together. Host do they listen to you . Guest you know its funny i say to people part of my background is that i was a terrorism prosecutor for george w. Bush among other things ive learned the big difference between a terrorist and teenage daughter is on occasion he can successfully negotiate with a terrorist. So i wish my daughters listen to me a little bit more. Host congressman John Ratcliffe from texas the fourth Congressional District appreciate your time. Thank you. Guest you bet, a pleasure to be here. Host congressman brad ashford freshman democrat from the Second District you did something quite quite unusual in 2014. You defended their public and member of the house. How did you do that . Guest thats an interesting question. Ive spent many years in the gabreski Unicameral Legislature representing primarily republican district. I was a republican for 40 years so i had a natural constituency in the center and we were able to parlay that into the congressional race. I would reach out to moderate republicans and democrats and it helped having members in it in those areas in the legislature. Host why did you switch parties so often . Guest wasnt really so often. I started out as you know i started out and was a republican for most of my life. I got to the end of my term. We have term limits in nebraska and i spent 16 years and the legislature. I was term limited a few years ago. I ran for mayor as an independent because it was not a partisan race and i wanted to send a message that omaha is a big city in a relative sense and the problems are not partisan problems. I chose to become a democrat primarily because of the social issues that ive been engaged in for many years. Issues that ive worked on immigration issues many years in the legislature, issues that i felt the Democratic Party had a more positive policy response and so i didnt change parties but the idea of running again for anything. I just felt more comfortable ending but i thought would be ending my career. Host your first year in congress finish the sentence the state of Congress Today and the house of representatives specifically is what . Guest said. I am very sad about it. I came as i say from a nonpartisan sort of place by constitution and so is surprising to see all the dysfunction that is built around partisan politics. Maybe i expected that that sort of the inability to deal with the great issues of our time. In nebraska we have dealt with immigration. We do the best we could. We have dealt with some of the social issues that hit the Health Care Issues and other things that cant be accomplished here. Im just sad about it. I worked here as a young person in the late 60s, early 70s. It was a much more idealistic time. People Work Together. I was young. I was idealistic so maybe i was seeing it through rosecolored glasses but i dont think so. I have a sense of moderation in the sense of solutionbased governance. Its just sad to see what has happened in some of these things like immigration to some of these things that seem to linger. In nebraska we need an immigration solution. We have needed it for 12 years. We have needed it for longer than that so i thought coming here we could grapple with some of those and maybe we will. The gotcha politics and the building up a hook of votes in order to either Gain Campaign contributions or gain favor with the party or disfavor with the other party is just sad and it makes me ill to think about it. Again i come from a different place. In the 1930s onward nebraska had a unique governance system. I think its too bad. I see so many young people there to remind me of me in those years doing all sorts of great things here. They are very idealistic. They are caring people and adult employees are acting silly. I think thats kind of sad. Host stay on that part because windy randy said he wanted to bring to congress. First of all have you been able to do any of that and if not how can you do that . Guest well i think i hope so. I certainly could care less what party anybody is. Ive tried to reach out to create relationships with anybody i can find no matter what party they are. What is ironic about this is the people i work with our are fabulous. The individual members, they come from varied backgrounds and many of them are very exceptional people. Its the system that directs them into these weird places. So i have tried to reach out to them. I signed onto a number of hills with democrats and republicans equally. We are in tag state. We are probusiness state so i have been attracted to some of the more probusiness initiatives with trade being one of the biggest ones probably. And just trying to find relationships like that would in the unicameral. Host you said he wants to make friends with guest ive exceeded that i think they i have been here for the past year now i guess and i have made some good friends. I havent met anybody i didnt like. I tried not to not like people and i certainly dont think about steve king from iowa for example on the immigration issue there is nobody further than me on issue but we have talked about issues that are of interest to both of us. To legislate you have to pick your battles, find your alliances, find the people you can work with. It doesnt really matter what they think or dont think about some other issue. You take each and then once you pass something hopefully then move onto the next thing you put that to bed and you move on to the next issue. That something that is critical to legislating. I dont see that as my individuals may move on but the parties neither of them but no of those things. And so it becomes, its almost the dysfunction is almost favored in some sense. Dysfunction, conflict use that to raise money, use that to make ads in races. Its not going to get us to a place where we are going to be really great i dont think. Its going to take some Exceptional Leadership Going Forward over the next several years to get us out of this mess. Host im curious with your schedule you are back in your district, you are researching votes on writing cosponsor legislation. How do you find time to make friends and how do you do at . Guest i have always legislated through relationships, not parties so i focus really on that. I focus on im a member of the coalition which is a group of probusiness protrade most part democrats who are very similar to my colleagues in lincoln and ari unicameral. Im one of the very few blue dogs. I have spent a lot of my time thinking about policies by talking to people. If i was to Say Something over the years and ive always done it what gets me most trouble is i tend to think out loud. It order to do that i need to find people to talk to so i spend time doing that. Host on fiscal issues how would you define your ideology . Guest we are pretty conservative. We need to find a way to balance the budget in a responsible way. I think because if we do that effectively we are going to be able to start planning for the future. I know we have won your budgets and i support a twoyear budget cycle so we can plan. We dont have the kind of planning and our budget process that we should have. I know those are structural things. I am conservative on business issues. I would like to keep taxes at a responsible level and not overspend and try to be more efficient in how government operates. Clearly thats my history and thats something i gravitate to. I dont think thats bad. I dont think thats bad or not progressive to try to think about ways its actually quite challenging and fun to work with others. We have 85 social programs. We dont need 85 social programs. We need many fewer than that to work better so i think the whole budgeting process of getting to a balanced budget is really a great challenge and something we should keep working on. Host you talk about. Where would you put yourself ideologically on social issues . Guest i support marriage and i always have. I support. I support roe v. Wade and i support a womans right to choose. I support Immigration Reform, pathway to citizenship. I think quite frankly that is Good Business but it can be labeled as progressive i guess or socially progressive though the chamber of commerce agrees with me. Host that i was going off again. Walk us through your schedule. Whats it like for you when you are here in washington to go back to district . Guest really pivots around my job. When i was in the unicameral i would avoid my good friends and lobbied by jogging at lunch and a lobbyist whatever job with me so i tried to keep that going. Sounds simple but thats an important part of my day and i do things around that. I try to get my job in and what we have in nebraska breakfast that has been going on for 73 years literally every week. We have 100 to 150 people every wednesday for breakfast. One of the things i try not to do his fundraiser when im working and the big thing here of course is calling people on the phone for money all the time. A terrible distraction and not only does it get your mind off of what you were doing to something that is not why you are here, so i try theres a rule i want to avoid that wont miss a hearing to raise money. I tried to do that. I tried to keep up with the demands of fundraising that doing outside the normal course. That is what i absolutely believe in. So it doesnt make me better than anyone else. It just makes me comfortable. Im here to go to those Committee Hearings and im on committees that have a direct nexus with my district. So i need to be there. Host talk about your roots in nebraska, a long history. Where rieu born and raised . Guest i was born in omaha and my family my parents my fathers family is irish and came in 1856 to nebraska and my mothers family is swedish. They came in 1870s. Our family was in business in nebraska for many many generations in the retail clothing business. I have been a lawyer of most of my career and my practiced law a lot of it. I have owned businesses and i have owned a clothing store. I have been in quite a few other civic things but i have had a very ongoing career of varied things. The 16 years as unicameral was the most fulfilling of my life. To be able to work in such an incredibly in my view unique institution of government has really been something. Host were your parents political types . Guest not really. My grandfather actually was very active. He started the National Conference of christians and and organization in omaha to combat discrimination against jewish and omaha. They actually raise money to get jewish out of europe into sweden before world war ii so he spent a great deal of his life in the clothing business that being very active on social issues. My father flew a b26 bomber via plane that was built to my Congressional District rated b26 marauder bomber. He flew on dday. He was a business guy. My mother, they are both gone and been gone for a while but they were a lot of fun. They were very active in the community and still do a lot of values in the Community Involvement and to me so and i have a brother is a judge in another brother who has a bookstore and has had for 30 or 40 years. Host why did you first decide to run . Guest thats a great question and you know i enjoy policy and i enjoy politics very much. I got involved with kerry, bob kerreys 1982 Gubernatorial Campaign in nebraska. My mother always told me i was too nice to be impolitic so i never thought it run for office. I think it was really 1986. I think it was really my parents and grandparents involvement in the community and i saw an opportunity to give back and to contribute not so much everybody talks about giving back and most everybody in omaha does this but government being involved in the unicameral was something i could do to give back. Its what my family had done for as long as we had been in nebraska. I dont think i would have run again for anything last time. There was no one running on the democratic side. I thought about it and fear is the wrong word but the apprehension of not being able to serve anymore. I am really at a legislator and it was fun and interesting race but quite frankly i think im a legislator and not an administrator. I think it all worked out. Host what is different about the state legislature in nebraska versus washington d. C. . Guest there are no caucuses. When i went to my first caucus here the first couple of days i was here id never been to a party caucus before. Listening to, sort of like a pregame pep talk lets go out and get the other side that kind of stuff is totally foreign to me. So that was very different. Also even though there are many more republicans than democrats in our legislature it is nonpartisan. The Committee Chairs by tradition tend to be equally divided. The governor is elected by a party but the unicameral isnt created nebraska repeal the Death Penalty this year in nebraska raise the gas tax and nebraska did some things that are fairly progressive. One would call a progressive. Its sort of like 49 of us getting together working things out and coming up with a solution, putting partisan politics literally down the line of importance and there is a pride in that. The governor repealed something. We overrode the governor on each one of these tough issues and we have done a significant amount of Prison Reform. I was the chair that you should share a committee and a boston juvenile justice so i think we have made progress there. We can take on an issue and solve it fairly adeptly and quickly. There are some things i wish we could done and havent done but we are pretty much we Work Together and come up with solutions. Nebraskans are common sense people. Conservative on fiscal issues but William James bryant populist. Host as the Campaign Begins to Campaign Begins on full view since the republicans are moving to the right . Guest i dont know if the republicans are moving to the right particularly. I think the democrats need to be careful. They have already lost the great swath of the middle of the country by not really appealing to people in nebraska for example. When bob kerrey ran for United States senate years ago as the governor the number of democrats over republicans was just a handful. Now its 200,000 so my sense is that john boehner is not a far right conservative republican. He is a pragmatist and thats my sense. I think some of the candidates jeb bush for example who is to me anyway is appealing. I really admire his father. He is a very appealing candidate and i think the democrats need to be bringing themselves back into the center of the voting population like bill clinton did. Bill clinton was a master at it. He did some things that are meaningful to the country and yeah i do think that the democrats there are some fear. We are not going to get Immigration Reform done by pitting the far right against the far left. Immigration reform which is critical to our country is going to be resolved in the center and george 43 had a shot at it. So i think the republicans there are far right republican candidates and their far right Democratic Candidates but i sense secretary clinton seems to be charting somewhat of a left to center course. The country sort of a right of Center Country right now. This sort of we are never going to get ourselves out. In order to have a good job goodpaying jobs in this country the private sector needs to be robust. The way to make a privatesector robust in many ways where it can make a difference is on trade. The more we can expand our markets the more we can have a robust business sector, the more good jobs will be created. That is what we believe in nebraska. I think that is what john kennedy talked about when he ran in 1960 in bill clinton as well. I think we are a centrist to a rightist sent to her country similar to england. So i think thats where the democrats have to be cautious. Host you are a democrat in a republican state. Do you know the last time that voters voted for a democrat in the house . Guest this is a good story. We have an electrocollege boat bar district. Maine is the other and i think it was 1991. Ben nelson was then governor and we have the reverse order vote in the legislature. It they went from z to a basically so i was the 25th vote to vote and Electoral College is a republican to vote for Electoral College system we have now. And that electoral vote in my district was for obama. Before that statewide it was lyndon johnson. Host you have three children. What are they think about their data in congress . Guest 35, 28 and 17. I think its a great question. I think they are proud that im in congress. I think they are proud of me which is quite something you know. You always love to have your children be proud of you. They know we have worked hard and toiled in the vineyards as we say in the depressed legislature. We have made 12,000 he or unicameral so i have to huge pay increase. But thats not why they are proud the fact that we picked up the campaign from scratch with diamonds to go and we are able to win, i dont think people say you have been there for 16 years like my opponent. People wanted to see change in all this sort of stuff. I dont know of if people think about things exactly that way. Hopefully they thought we offered something. My opponent whom i have known my entire adult life is a good guy. Maybe we were just more optimistic. Maybe we tell the story that we can by working together get this done. I think they are proud of that and i think my children are proud of how i have been committed to tough issues. Like gay writes which is extremely important to me. I grew up in the clothing business and the Gay Community to me was a very important part of certainly the womens business and my mother was in the womens business so i grew up seeing the discrimination against gay employment even as a young child in new york. And my grandfathers commitment to those issues and the National Conference of christians and jews. We have stuck with those issues so hopefully they are proud of that. Host ready to go to college . Guest colgate. Host and he studied history . Guest everyone has to have a historical context. Its interesting for example on the trade issue people say why are you so adamant about trade and one of the reasons as you put back to terrace in 1880s and 1890s and the cause of the Great Depression that really hurt us in nebraska. It devastated nebraskas Agricultural Sector and the 1930s again as a result of high tariffs in the country. I think history is important where you have been and what lessons you can learn and try to think about where we are today in the congress. I dont know if there is such a parallel as there is today. How you line up your voting record in order to withstand television. It was funny there was a vote on trade and it have to do with medicare. It was part of the trade adjustment act and even though the trade adjustment act was fixed so he wouldnt be voting against medicare the argument against voting for the trade adjustment act would help the trade bill go forward was that someone was going to run an ad against you saying that you wanted to take medicare away from seniors. And you hear that over and over again. When i ran for Congress Just a few months ago, the ad was about how i had been chair of the Judiciary Committee we did Prison Reform and while we were doing Prison Reform someone got out of prison and killed four people so that was the ad. And we won, so if you are going to worry about that stuff then you shouldnt be here. But thats the focus of a lot of this. I admire bernie sanders. He reminds the a lot of the governor. More than the governor it reminds me more of gene mccarthy, the sense of being able to just say it as you will. So and everybody is different. Everybody looks at policy differently but i admire people on either side of the aisle that are willing to be very forthright in their views. Host final question you just arrived here in washington. Any thought to how long you want to stay . Guest it was just a few months ago. I will stay as far as i can tell i will stay as long as the voters want to send me back here. I want to be myself. I dont want to be a partisan person. I want to be myself. I want to vote in that way and away that is the unicameral tradition of our state. Im not going to vote on a partyline. I havent voted on a party line so far. I will vote for democratic measures and republican measures as i see fit and hopefully the voters see that and if they do that hopefully we can come back and continue to govern. Host brad ashford from nebraskas second Congressional District which includes omaha. Congressman, thank you for your time. Guest thank you very much. It was delightful. His meetings with top pentagon officials and National Security advisers following a weekend of airstrikes by the u. S. Led coalition in eastern syria, the coalition saying it was one of the most sustained aerial operations carried out in syria today. The president has insisted he will not send u. S. Troops into combat in iraq or syria. So far fewer than 100 Syrian Rebels had been trained by the u. S. , far fewer than the goal of producing 5400 fighters here. Again waiting for the president momentarily. Expected there at the pentagon to talk about his meeting with military advisers. As we wait for president obama lets get a letter a little perspective on this potential legacy. We have the chance to talk to Richard Norton smith on washington journal to talk about that. Host journal viewers and cspan viewers Richard Norton smith joining us this morning from grand rapids michigan. Talk about president obama and where things stand on the legacy of the current president especially in light of recent events supreme courts decisions on marriage and a victory in congress over the trade bill and his recent comments on the shootings in charleston and his eulogy in charleston as well. Richard norton smith thanks for being with us this morning. What rings you to grand rapids tell our viewers that first. Guest i have moved back to grand rapids to undertake my next book. Historians are trained to take the long view on the other hand. It takes years, sometimes decades, to see a president ial form. The first poll of scholars ranked isenhower 22nd. And five years later we began to get access to his papers and very quickly we decided the grandfather who played golf during the 50s was a much more manipulitive leader. I dont think you will find a poll with ike outside of the top ten. With president obama, we know things six years in. We know he is a consequence president and true what he told us he has pursued big ideas. He has taken big risks. Whatever you think of the Affordable Care act, for example, history will record that he managed to do something that a whole string of his predecessor predecessors are been unsuccessful in doing. He did it with intense polarization and great suspicion of government generally and the expansion of Government Authority in particular. The headline in the wall street journal talks about the president in a News Conference said he saw the recent wins as a